GreenJackets don pair of MiLBYs: Best overall, Class A awards go to dominant Augusta

[Bear]

10/27/08 10:00 AM ET

By Jonathan Mayo
MLB.com

The San Francisco Giants made a decision the past few years to be more aggressive in their farm system, bringing in a lot of young talent and challenging them by pushing them quickly.

That's not supposed to equate to success in terms of wins and losses, at least not right away. Someone forgot to tell the Augusta GreenJackets, San Francisco's South Atlantic League affiliate. With a roster dotted with teenagers, the GreenJackets were dominant all season and swept their way to the league title. For that reason, they are the recipients of the 2008 MiLBY for both Class A and overall Team of the Year. "I'm very happy you're doing that," Augusta first-year manager Andy Skeels said. "I think it's well-deserved, and it's nice to know that someone is paying attention."

It's hard not to, not after what the GreenJackets accomplished. After posting a .594 winning percentage in the first half, they turned it up a few notches to win the second-half title, winning at a .681 clip. That gave Augusta a .638 winning percentage overall, the best mark of any full-season team in the Minor Leagues.

That they did it with teenagers at shortstop (Charlie Culberson), second base (Nick Noonan), first base (Angel Villalona) and on the mound (Madison Bumgarner) for much of the season. The group as a whole shortened the learning curve tremendously, showing that no only did they belong at the level, they could dominate it.

"We opened with young prospects and they flourished," Skeels said. "The amount of preparation and hard work, at that level you're never quite sure it's not going to go in the other direction. They really thrived under the challenges that we presented to them. I was proud of the work our staff and players put in. A lot of hard work and talent goes a long way. I'm just happy I didn't screw it all up."

More than anyone else, Bumgarner and Villalona exemplified what this team accomplished in 2008. Bumgarner was Minor League Baseball's Most Spectacular Pitcher for recording the lowest ERA in the Minors. He did it pitching at age 18 for almost the entire season, shaking off a couple of rough early starts to have one of the best seasons any pitcher at any level had. Villalona didn't turn 18 until mid-August, yet didn't get discouraged with a slow start and improved each month, finishing strong with a .308 average and .529 slugging percentage in August.

"You come out of Spring Training and they're so young and never experienced a full season, so you don't know what you're going to get. For someone that young, it's a testament that our staff did and a testament to the kind of kid Angel is. He's a tremendous talent and he dedicated himself much better to becoming a professional.

"The results weren't accidental. That was the biggest lesson you try to teach kids at this level. The game is difficult. When you don't have a large reservoir of experience, you have to put the work in. The payoff was they understood this stuff really works. We're trying to build winning players, players that will help us win championships at the big-league level, so that foundation is important."

The payoff wouldn't have been as rewarding if they had fallen short of winning the South Atlantic League title. That they did it without dropping a single game made them an even clearer choice for their pair of MiLBYs. Augusta's pitching staff, which led the Minors in team ERA during the regular season, had a miniscule 1.00 ERA in its five-game sweep of Asheville and then West Virginia. Not surprisingly, Bumgarner, played a large part, winning two starts and allowing just one unearned run while striking out 16 (vs. just two walks) over 14 innings.

Sometimes, though, a team needs a little help during a title run and at this level, it often comes from the most recent draft. The Giants took St. John's pitcher Scott Barnes in the eighth round in June and after quick stops in the Arizona and Northwest Leagues, Barnes spent the last month of the season -- and the postseason -- with the GreenJackets. The lefty had a 1.38 ERA in six regular-season starts down the stretch, then won both clinching games in the two playoff rounds.

"I felt fortunate to get the chance to go to Augusta and help them win a championship," Barnes said. "It was something I wasn't really expecting, but I loved getting the opportunity. It was a great playoff run. You couldn't have asked for a better [postseason].

"Anywhere we go, if we're the Minor League team of the year, we'll be expected to do well next year, of course. You can't pay attention to expectations. We'll probably have a pretty similar team in San Jose as we had in Augusta. If we stay focused on doing our jobs the way we can and work toward winning another championship, I'm sure it's not out of our reach."



This article is for the Kid and all those who think the Giants have nothing down on the farm!:p

[McCovey]

I think the top three Giants prospects are Madison Bumgarner, Tim Alderson, and Angel Villalona.

[McCovey]

Three of the six Minor League Pitcher of the Year awards went to Giants' pitchers (Mike Alderson, Madison Bumgarner, and Kyle Nicholson)! Wow, that is impressive. ::awesomework.gif

Here's a blurb on Tim Alderson.


Alderson easily aced Cal League

Teenager nabs MiLBY as Best Class A Advanced Starter

By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
10/30/08

Tim Alderson will turn 20 next week, a very interesting number considering what he was able to accomplish this season in the high-octane California League.

The San Jose ace handled the Class A Advanced circuit with such ease that the other relevant numbers next to his name would typically indicate a pitcher who was much older or had greater experience. Alderson, the Giants' top pick in 2007, was 13-4 with a league-best 2.79 ERA. It was the only sub-3.00 ERA among eligible pitchers in the Cal League and second only to the 2.66 mark posted by Lakeland's Rick Porcello among all Class A Advanced pitchers.

Alderson also allowed only four home runs in a league that is known for its inflated power numbers. You want more numbers? He held right-handed hitters to a .201 batting average. Righties also managed a mere .245 on-base percentage against him, while lefties saw that number "balloon" to .319.

Then there was the nearly 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, the 1.09 WHIP, the 7-1 record after the All-Star break. Well, you get the picture. Alderson managed to mow through the Cal League as a teenager, and for doing that so effectively, he earned a MiLBY for the Best Class A Advanced Starter.

In earning the honor, Alderson allowed San Francisco to claim three of the five Best Starter awards. Augusta's Madison Bumgarner earned the Class A title after going 15-3 with a Minor League-best 1.46 ERA in the South Atlantic League, while Kyle Nicholson picked up a MiLBY for his performance in the short-season Arizona League.

"This shows the Giants have a lot of players, and we still have a lot more coming," Alderson said. "We had plenty of starters at San Jose and the lower levels.

"It was a crazy ride this year. But being on a good team helped out. I think I exceeded expectations that I had going in. I knew it would be tough with all the older players and the college guys. But I was going to go out and battle and hold my own. I wanted to go out and have great outings, and it worked out for me."

It did a little more than work out for the 22nd overall pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. He won his first start at Bakersfield on April 6, scattering three hits without allowing an earned run over five innings. He came back five days later and beat Bakersfield at home before suffering his first loss on April 16 against Stockton.

Alderson was 6-1 by the middle of May before encountering his only "rough patch" of the season. He went 0-2 over a six-start stretch, allowing four runs in 2 2/3 innings on May 24 at Modesto and five runs in 3 1/3 innings on June 20 against Visalia. They were his shortest outings of the year and represented two of only four times he allowed four or more runs in a game.

"Since we had such a small league, once we started facing teams three or four times, I knew what hitters could do and I learned from each outing," Alderson said. "After a couple of starts, knowing what the players would do helped. As a staff, we were working toward that end, too, so knowing what to throw helped out a lot."

Alderson reeled off victories in five consecutive starts beginning June 29 and wound up winning seven of his last eight decisions over 11 starts. He lowered his ERA from 3.35 on July 4 to 2.79 by season's end.

"Physically, I felt better toward the end of the year than I did at the beginning," said Alderson, who pitched 145 1/3 innings. "My main goal was to stay healthy and to keep my body intact. I'm looking forward to doing it again next year. I know what I need to do now to last a whole season."
Next season will likely bring a stint with the Connecticut Defenders of the Double-A Eastern League. It's possible that Alderson could be back on the West Coast with Triple-A Fresno at some point, but odds are that he'll be in the east all season.

"My time on the East Coast has been very limited," he said. "Talking to the players who have been there, I know it will be cold at the beginning of the season. It's also Connecticut, so there won't be much to do as opposed to San Jose. But if I go there, I'll make the best of it."

The Giants also had Alderson get some work in early in the Arizona instructional league season because he lives near the club's Spring Training facility. But he didn't pitch long, getting sent home after a few sessions with what was a bit of a tired arm.

"They just wanted me to go home and rest because I had thrown so much," Alderson said. "Then, stopping for a few weeks and starting up again tired my arm out even more. They didn't want me pushing it too hard."

Better to save it for Spring Training and the 2009 season. And if the numbers Alderson puts up next year are anything like the ones he posted this season, it could be another award-filled autumn for the lanky right-hander.


http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/images/2008/10/30/B6QySsVi.jpg

[McCovey]

Now, Madison Bumgarner...


Bumgarner takes home another award

Giants prospect led Minors in ERA and GreenJackets to title

By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com
10/30/08

It would be hard to argue that Giants prospect Madison Bumgarner isn't worthy of the MiLBY for Best Class A Starter.

Not after leading the Minor Leagues with a 1.46 ERA. Not after finishing third in the Minors with 164 strikeouts and tied for fifth with 15 wins. Not after absolutely shutting down two opponents during the Augusta GreenJackets' run to the South Atlantic League title. Not after recovering from a rough outing to allow no more than three earned runs in any start the rest of the year and reeling off 38 consecutive scoreless innings near the end of the season.

And especially not after earning the Minor League Baseball Most Spectacular Pitcher award for sporting the lowest ERA.

"I'm running out of superlatives," Augusta manager Andy Skeels said of the talented left-hander. "I've never seen a player do the things he's done. I've never seen a player grow that fast and quickly. What he did was staggering."

Bumgarner's first full season in the Minors didn't start out that way. It's hard to imagine what his final stats would have looked like if he hadn't scuffled in his first three starts.

The southpaw, who was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, gave up 10 runs in those three outings. However, after working with pitching coach Ross Grimsley to refine his approach, Bumgarner reeled off four straight starts without allowing an earned run.
More than just a hot streak, it was a sign of how the rest of the season would go for the teenager.

"It didn't start out too smoothly," Bumgarner said. "I couldn't imagine having a better pitching coach. I learned a lot from him. I don't think I could have had the kind of year I had without him."

One of the most impressive facets of Bumgarner's development was the increased mastery of his secondary pitches. The report on the 6-foot-4, 215-pound North Carolina native heading into the Draft was that he had a plus-fastball but little else in his repertoire. Over the course of the season, Bumgarner made great strides on two breaking pitches.
"My slider and curve got a lot better," he said. "I didn't really have a breaking ball coming into the instructional league last year. It just got better and better [as the year went on].

"It just kind of clicked. You just have to have confidence in what you're doing. If you don't believe in yourself, you're not going to be able to get it done."

"I think scouting reports can be overrated because they can be incomplete," Skeels added. "It's not just that he has tremendous talent, he's an A-plus kid. His intangibles are off the charts. The development he made as a player and person go hand in hand."

Talent alone will only get you so far. What makes Bumgarner stand out is his drive to get the most out of his tremendous natural ability. It would be easy for a young player to rest on his laurels after the season he just completed. But the lefty seems to have an innate understanding that one year of Class A ball does not a career make.

"There's a lot of improvement to make," Bumgarner said, pointing to his off-speed pitch and his location. "Even if I had a 0.50 ERA, there'd still be room to improve." "The thing I like about him most as a player is that his standards and expectations are very high," Skeels said. "As well as he did, he came to instructs knowing there were things he needed to improve. That's an unstoppable force, when you have that kind of talent and that kind of desire to get better. I think he's going to be a very special player for a very long time at the Major League level."

http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/images/2008/10/29/BdXzEXoI.jpg

[McCovey]

And finally Kyle Nicholson...



Nicholson nabs Short-Season MiLBY

Giants right-hander was dominant in Arizona League

By Steven Conley / Special to MLB.com
10/30/08

After moving from the infield to the pitcher's mound at the start of his collegiate career, Kyle Nicholson has proven to be a quick study at the professional level.

Nicholson received the MiLBY for Best Short-Season Starter after going 6-1 with a 1.15 ERA in 11 appearances for the Rookie-level Giants of the Arizona League.

The 23-year-old right-hander cemented the honor by not allowing an earned run over his last four starts and yielding only one run over his final seven outings. During that span, he went 6-0 with an 0.19 ERA, yielding 19 hits while striking out 45.

Nicholson wrapped up his season with a three-hit shutout against the AZL Padres on Aug. 29. He struck out six in his only complete-game effort of the campaign.

"I was consistent the whole season and did the same things in all my starts," said the Texas A&M product. "My arm strength improved throughout the summer and my breaking pitch got better every start. For the most part, I was throwing a fastball and changeup early. Once I developed my slider, it helped big time."

In 62 1/3 innings over the summer, Nicholson struck out 54 while walking only three.

"Just like any other pitcher, the strikeout-to-walk ratio is very important to your success," he said. "I try to make every hitter earn [his] way on base. The defense behind me was phenomenal and gave me the confidence to go out and throw strikes."

Nicholson led the circuit in ERA and ranked second in innings, helping the team win its second AZL crown in four years. Despite his dominance, he considered the season a learning experience.

"I got a lot more comfortable during the year and had conversations with my pitching coach, Brian Cooper," Nicholson said. "He has helped me out tremendously. I don't have to be perfect with every pitch. Instead of getting frustrated and speeding things up at times, I slow things down. Instead of trying to throw the ball a little further off the plate, I'll take a little off and pitch down in the zone."

Nicholson was primarily an infielder when he arrived at College Station, Texas in 2004. But it didn't take long to find out where his future was. In 21 relief outings as a freshman, Nicholson went 3-0 with a 5.11 ERA over 37 innings. He was 3-1 with a 3.35 ERA over 40 1/3 frames as a sophomore.

"My first two years there I didn't really learn how to pitch," he said. "I just got on the bump and threw. Rob Childress became our head coach in 2006, and he taught me everything and got me to where I am today. He put so much pressure on you in practice that when it came time for the game it was easy. He stressed first-pitch strikes and throwing off-speed pitches in hitters' counts. I'm reaping the benefits of a lot of hard work by other people."

Nicholson pitched in 42 games, including 22 starts, over his final two collegiate campaigns. He went 11-3 with a 2.25 ERA during his senior year, leading the Aggies to a berth in the NCAA Super Regionals.

"I was looking to contribute any way I could as a reliever my first two years," Nicholson said. "I really enjoyed coming out of the bullpen and getting into the fire of the game. The transition to starting was tough mentally as far as preparation and knowing that you can't go out in the first inning and show them your best stuff."

Childress discussed Nicholson's competitive nature in May of 2007.
"He comes right at you, and he doesn't like to lose," Childress said. "For a senior to tell you before the season starts, 'Coach, I don't care where you pitch me, whether it's closing, setting up or starting, I'll do whatever it takes to help this team win.' That's amazing."

Nicholson was nothing short of amazing in his first professional season, and is aiming for a repeat performance in 2009. "I plan on getting in great shape for my first full Minor League season," he said. "I'd like to win another championship within the Giants organization, no matter where it is. I was fortunate enough to dog pile my first year and I want to make that a habit."



http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/images/2008/10/28/IqzX8NRe.jpg

[McCovey]

Madison Bumgarner was voted the Minor League Pitcher of the Year by fans. Cool. And of the six finalists, three are Giants pitchers! Double cool.

Check out the video below. Does Bumgarner look like a mini Randy Johnson with his delivery or what? :woot:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/minorleagues/awards/y2008/tyib/index.jsp

[Bear]

Madison Bumgarner was voted the Minor League Pitcher of the Year by fans. Cool. And of the six finalists, three are Giants pitchers! Double cool.

Check out the video below. Does Bumgarner look like a mini Randy Johnson with his delivery or what? :woot:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/minorleagues/awards/y2008/tyib/index.jsp

Now if he can only put up numbers like Johnson I will be a happy camper.:beerbang:

[McCovey]

Now if he can only put up numbers like Johnson I will be a happy camper.:beerbang:
I think all Giant fans would be happy campers! :yes: