Mizzou in the Majors: Journeyman Justin James makes the Jump

■ Former Tiger Justin James earns call up to MLB (mutigers.com)

Former Mizzou baseball player Justin James is stepping up to the Major League. He joins the Oakland A's today in New York City in time for their game at Yankee Stadium tomorrow night. Yankee Stadium is a long way away from where James was at the start of the 2010 season.
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Following time in the Arizona Fall League in 2007, James was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for the 2008 season, however, he was released following that season. He then signed with the Kansas City T-Bones, an independent team out of the Northern League.

James began the 2010 season with the T-Bones, appearing in 11 games, recording six saves with an ERA of 1.69. His contract was purchased by the Oakland A's on June 17 and he was sent to the Double-A Midland Rockhounds, where he pitched in 12 games, posting an ERA of 2.29 and 21 strikeouts in 19.2 innings.

On July 22, he advanced to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, where he went 1-1 with a 1.37 ERA in 16 games. He recorded four saves while striking out 28 in 19.2 innings, earning him a promotion to the big leagues.

■ See our post from a few weeks back for more details on Justin James' long journey

Mizzou Baseball: Runs Created

■ Analysis of runs created in 2010 (49thstatehardball.com)

The main point I wanted to make with this table -- other than, again, giving some name-space to players who did well in limited plate appearances -- is that you can hit for a low average and still be an above-average offensive threat. Case in point: Ryan Gebhart of the Oilers' created a run every 7.04 at-bats but hit only .222, while the Fire's Will Watson created a run every 7.13 at-bats while hitting .322 (100 points better).

Mizzou Baseball: Festus @ MU

■ Matt Stites now at Mizzou (mymoinfo.com) [includes brief audio]

After a highly successful spring and summer, Festus graduate and now former Jefferson College Viking Matt Stites is getting settled in at the University of Missouri. The right handed pitcher was drafted by the Chicago Cubs, and played summer baseball in the Cape Cod League. After not signing a contract with the Cubs, Stites says he's happy to be a Tiger.

Mizzou Baseball: Pitching Prospect

■ Bowers warms up in the bullpen (Columbia Missourian)

Laurence Bowers tied on borrowed spikes and picked up a loaned glove before climbing onto the pitching rubber in the left-field bullpen at Taylor Stadium.

Both appeared a bit too small for the Missouri basketball team’s elongated junior forward, but he still liked the fit of it all as he began throwing pitches under a bright summer sky Friday.
. . .
Several Missouri baseball players, as well as new MU pitching coach Matt Hobbs, observed the bullpen session and were surprised by what they saw. Hobbs even hinted that Bowers had enough raw tools to pitch effectively at the college level with the right instruction.

If everything goes according to plan on the hardwood, Bowers will never find out. But if it doesn’t …

“Worst-case scenario and basketball doesn’t work out, knock on wood, I think I’d use that fifth year to try to walk on to play that last year,” he said.

Mizzou Baseball in the Minors

■ Gibson done for season (kffl.com)

Minnesota Twins SP Kyle Gibson (ankle) has been shut down for the rest of the season after suffering a sprained ankle at Triple-A Rochester, MLB.com's Kelly Thesier reports. However, the decision was made because he has thrown a total of 152 innings this year. The team planned to limit him between 150-160 innings this year. Gibson was 0-0 with a 1.72 ERA in three starts at Triple-A. In three combined stops between Rochester, Double-A New Britain and Class A Fort Myers, Gibson went 11-6 with a 2.96 ERA.

Mizzou Baseball in the Minors: Bond Market Down

■ Thanks to our friend mizzoufan_1 for tweeting us the news:

Brock Bond was assigned to AA yesterday.

Checking the transactions board, we see:

8/25/2010: Brock Bond assigned to Richmond Flying Squirrels from Fresno Grizzlies.

Apart from the possible loss of dignity resulting from now being known as a "flying squirrel" after being a "grizzly" for the past few months, Brock would seem to be getting demoted for little cause, since he has been putting up decent numbers at Triple-A Fresno.

.285 Avg in 403 at-bats, 62 R, 115 H, 24 2B, 4 eB, 1 HR, 35 RBI, 9 HBP, 66 BB, 63 SO, 9 SB

Looking closer at that transactions list, though, we see something more on the same day:

1B Brandon Belt assigned to Fresno Grizzlies from Richmond Flying Squirrels.

Tiger fans may remember Brandon Belt as a former Texas Longhorn. Belt was a 5th round draft pick of the Giants in 2009 and has been a hot commodity among their prospects.

According to the bloggers at calltothepen.com, Belt is very likely being fast-tracked through Fresno on his way to a September call-up to the San Fracisco Giants.

If that is indeed the plan, Brock Bond could find himself back in Fresno within a week or two, and back to helping the Grizzlies in their pennant race.

Mizzou Baseball in the Majors: Max Dominates the Missouri Way

■ Max Scherzer dominant (mlive.com)

It was over quickly for the Blue Jays -- with the game lasting just 2:26.

Scherzer said his quick pace came from a pitching tip while playing at the University of Missouri.

"I was told to never turn my back to the hitter," he said. "If you do that, you are pitching quick and always pumping strikes."

■ Scherzer bears down on Jays for victory (mlb.com)

When you're working with half your arsenal, you're going to be half the pitcher.

According to Tigers manager Jim Leyland, that's exactly what starting pitcher Max Scherzer was coping with earlier this season. He was showing up to duel without his pistol fully loaded.

Thankfully for both Scherzer and the Tigers, the right-hander has since curbed this trend, and after being recalled from Triple-A Toledo at the end of May, he has shown complete dominance over his fastball, changeup and slider. To boot, he's mastered pitching inside with conviction.
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Since June 15, Scherzer has posted a 1.85 ERA with an 8-3 mark -- an improvement Leyland doesn't need stats to see.

"I think he has an air about him now," Leyland said. "I think it was a little bit strange for him coming over from a different league. I think he wasn't sure what to expect. I think he figured something out.

"The key for Scherzer has been -- he's pitching with three pitches now. He was pitching with 1 1/2 pitches early in the season ... he's pitching with three pitches now. He's also got the ability to have a little extra in the tank when he needs it."

■ Max Scherzer, Jhonny Peralta lead Tigers past Blue Jays (Detroit Free Press)

“You can see him on the mound, he has a mound presence that is saying ’Hey, I’m doing pretty good and I feel pretty good about myself,’” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “You’d be a fool if you can’t see that.”

■ Max Scherzer, Tigers beat up on Blue Jays (Detroit News)

A right-hander whose muscle and mastery appear to be gaining by the week all but wrapped the Jays lineup in barbed wire as he ran his record to 10-9 with a powerhouse performance.

"He's really tough," said Jhonny Peralta, the Tigers shortstop who drove in four runs with a three-run homer and a bases-loaded walk. "I can see from shortstop that he's really tough. Fastball. Slider. Change-up.

"Really good."

Scherzer lasted eight innings and 117 pitches, firing fastballs up to 97 mph that bedeviled the Jays in concert with a slider and change-up that, as Peralta attested, were Grade A. It was a lethal brew that helped him pump his record to 10-9 and drop his ERA to 3.60. His last three starts: All victories with an ERA of 0.86.

Mizzou Baseball in the Majors

■ Scherzer leads climbing Tigers into Toronto (mlb.com)

In the series opener against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, Max Scherzer gets the ball for a club that has won five of six games against the Indians and Royals but still trails the Twins in the American League Central by nine games.

Scherzer gives them a reason to feel good crossing the border.

The 26-year-old right-hander has a 1.35 ERA in his past five starts, and a 2.05 ERA if you go back all the way to June 10. Since June 4, in fact, his ERA has dropped from 6.66 to the 3.73 mark he sports heading into Toronto.

His last time on the mound, Scherzer gave up two runs (only one of them earned) in seven innings against the Indians.

So what's changed?

"Right now, I'm executing pitches," Scherzer said after his last start. "Everybody wants to look at the difference between now and then, but I'm not. I'm going out there pitching. Next start I have is against Toronto. I'm going to go out there and try to execute as many pitches as I can and hopefully give the team a chance to win."

Mizzou in the Minors

■ Play of the game (Augusta Chronicle)

GreenJackets right fielder Ryan Lollis sprinted well to his right and fully extended his 6-foot-2 frame to make a diving catch on a line drive to right-center field for the second out of the second inning.

■ From TwinCities.com:

Last year's Twins top draft pick, Kyle Gibson, is 0-0 with a 1.72 earned-run average in three starts and 15 2/3 innings since his promotion to Class AAA Rochester.