Gareth Morgan CBN POW, Week VI, Plus moves
By George Farelli
Canadian Baseball Network
Nothing against the great state of Arizona but Gareth Morgan had seen enough.
After three seasons of pro ball in the Seattle Mariners, Morgan (North York, Ont.) had played in 138 games ... all but three of them in desert with the rookie-class Arizona League Mariners.
When the rosters were posted at training camp in the Peoria Sports Complex in late March, Morgan was headed north to class-A Clinton, Iowa to play for the Lumber Kings. After hitting nine homers in 515 at-bats (one every 57.2 at-bats), Morgan had a pair of homers this week giving him four this season in 107 at bats (one every 26.75 at-bats).
This week besides the pair of homers, Morgan batted .478 (10-for-21) driving in eight runs. The hot week earned Morgan the Canadian Baseball Network Canuck minor league Player of the Week honour, emblematic of the best of the 64 Canadians getting paid to play ... 47 in affiliated ball.
How the week that was went for Morgan as he ...
_ Was hitless playing right field and batting seventh in a 7-3 loss to the Great Lakes Loon before 670 fans at Ashford University Field.
_ Was 1-for-4 with a double playing right and batting eighth, as Clinton beat Great Lakes 8-3 at Ashford University Field. He doubled to centre with the bases loaded in the five-run third inning clearing the bases.
_ Was 3-for-4 knocking in a run, batting eighth and playing left field in a 7-4 victory over Great Lakes before 1,079 at Ashford University Field. He singled to centre in the first driving in the fourth run of the inning, singled to centre in the third and singled to second in the fifth.
_ Was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, batting eighth and playing left field as Clinton knocked off the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 10-3 before 1,170 fans at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wisc. He singled to second to open the fifth, stole second and scored to even the score 3-3, singled to third in the seventh and doubled to left in the eighth, knocking in a run. Leading off and playing centre, Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, Ont.) had two singles. The former Ottawa-Nepean Canadian reached on an infield single in the fourth and singled off the pitcher in the fifth.
_ Was 3-for-6 with two homers and three RBIs hitting seventh and playing left in a 15-3 win against Wisconsin in front of 4,095 at Fox Cities Stadium. Morgan led off the second with a single to right, stole second and scored to make it 3-0, homered to centre knocking in a pair making it 6-0 in the third and hit a solo homer to left in the fourth for an 8-1 lead. The homers were his third and fourth. Orimoloye was hitless.
On the season to date ... Morgan is hitting .299 with eight doubles, four homers and 19 RBIs. He has a .847 OPS and two steals.
Morgan was the top Canadian drafted in 2014 when the Mariners Tom McNamara and Wayne Norton (Port Moody, BC) chose him 74th over-all from the Ontario Blue Jays and gave him a $2 million US signing bonus.
BEST OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCES
Player / Class / Team AB R H HR RBI AVG
Gareth Morgan - A Clinton 21 7 10 2 8 .476
Josh Naylor - A Lake Elsinore 18 3 8 - 3 .444
Dustin Houle - AA Biloxi 13 1 5 - 3 .385
Daniel Pinero - A West Michigan 24 5 9 - 4 .375
Tyler O’Neill - AAA Tacoma 14 1 5 - 2 .357
Demi Orimoloye - A Wisconsin 26 3 8 - - .308
Brett Siddall - A Stockton 20 4 6 1 1 .300
Mike Crouse - IND New Britain 25 3 8 1 4 .320
(Minimum 10 AB’s required)
BEST PITCHING PERFORMANCES
MIKE SOROKA RHP - AA MISSISSIPPI BRAVES
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 6.2 1 - - 1 5 1-0 - 0.32 0.00
Mike Soroka had an excellent start for the Braves this week on May 12th, in a 6-1 win over Mobile Bay Bears. He pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, gave up just one base hit while striking out five Mobile hitters, to earn his third win of the season. This outing improved his Double A Southern League record in seven starts, to 3-3 with a 2.84 ERA.
JESEN THERRIEN RHP - AA READING FIGHTIN’ PHILS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
2 3.0 1 - - - 4 1-0 1 0.33 0.00
Continuing to pitch at a very high level, Jesen Therrien made two more outstanding relief appearances this week. The first was on May 10th in Reading’s 4-3 victory over Bowie Bay Sox when he tossed one scoreless, hitless inning, while striking out one Bowie batter, to earn his seventh save of the season. On May 14th in a 2-1 win over Portland Sea Dogs he pitched two scoreless innings, allowed only one base hit while striking out three Portland hitters, and picked up his first win of the year. These two outings improved his Double A Eastern League record in 15 relief appearances, to 1-1, with seven saves and a 1.31 ERA. He currently leads the AA Eastern League in Game Appearances and Saves.
ADAM LOEWEN LHP - AA FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
2 3.0 2 - - - 4 - - 0.67 0.00
Adam Loewen signed as a Free Agent in the off season with the Texas Rangers, and is currently active with their Double A affiliate Frisco Roughriders, in the Texas League. This week he made two very good relief appearances, the first was on May 11th in 5-4 loss to San Antonio Missions, he pitched one scoreless inning gave up two base hits, while striking out two Mission hitters, but was not involved in the decision. On May 14th in a 16 inning 4-3 loss to San Antonio, he threw two scoreless, hitless innings striking out two batters, but again was not involved in the decision. The two outings improved his Texas League record with Frisco in 13 relief appearances, to 0-1 with a 4.40 ERA.
ANDREW CASE LHP - A DUNEDIN BLUE JAYS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 1.1 - - - - 2 - 1 0.00 0.00
This week Andrew Case made another excellent relief appearance on May 10th in a 4-2 win over Tampa Yankees. He pitched 1 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings, while striking out two Tampa batters, to pick up his fourth save in fourteen appearances with Dunedin in the Florida State League. Following this outing, he was promoted by the Toronto Blue Jay to their Double A affiliate, New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the Eastern League.
RYAN KELLOGG LHP - A MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 6.2 6 2 2 - 1 - - 1.12 2.90
Ryan Kellogg made a solid start for Myrtle Beach on May 15th in a 4-2 loss to Battle Creek Astros, when he pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and two earned runs, while striking out one Astros hitter, but was not involved in the decision. His overall record with the Pelicans in the Single A Midwest League in four starts, now stands at 1-2 with a 6.23 ERA.
PLAYER MOVES AND TRANSACTIONS
LHP Andrew Case (St.John, NB) - Moved by Toronto Blue Jays to Double A New Hampshire Fisher Cats from Single A Dunedin Blue Jays.
LHP Jon Fitzsimmons (London, Ont.) - Moved by the Los Angeles Angels to Single A Inland Empire 66’ers from Double A Mobile Bay Bears.
C Mike Reeves (Peterborough, Ont.) - Moved by the Toronto Blue Jays to Single A Dunedin Blue Jays from Double A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
1B Bruce Yari (Waterloo, Ont.) - Activated by Cincinnati Reds at Single A Dayton Dragons.
RHP John Axford (Simcoe, Ont.) - Sent out on a Re Hab Assignment by the Oakland Athletics at Triple A Nashville Sounds.
1B Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) - Activated from the Disabled List by San Diego Padres at Single A Lake Elsinore Storm.
INF T.J. Bennett (Lethbridge, Alta.) - Placed on the Disabled List by the San Francisco Giants at Single A San Jose Giants.
C Chris Shaw (Winnipeg, Man.) - Placed on the Disabled List by Baltimore Orioles at Single A Delmarva Shorebirds.
RHP Rowan Wick (North Vancouver, BC) - Placed on the Disabled List by St. Louis Cardinals at Triple A Memphis Redbirds.
RHP Owen Boon (London, Ont.) - Free Agent signs with Trois Rivieres Aigles IND Can Am League.
RHP Karl Gelinas (Iberville, Que.) - Free Agent signs with Quebec Capitales IND Can Am League.
RHP Curtis Johnson (Sudbury, Ont.) - Free Agent signs with the Ottawa Champions IND Can Am League.
OF Marcus Knecht (Toronto, BC) - Free Agent signs with the Quebec Capitales IND Can Am League.
INF Carter McEachern (Thunder Bay, Ont.) - Free Agent signs with Trois Rivieres Aigles IND Can Am League.
RHP Adam Prashad (Mississauga, Ont.) - Free Agent signs with Trois Rivieres Aigles IND Can Am League.
C Maxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, BC) - Free Agent signs with the Quebec Capitales IND Can Am League.