Some At MLB Have 'Embraced' Extra-Inning HR Derby Concept

It appears that baseball is using it's COVID-19-forced hiatus to leak concepts to the public in order to gauge their reception on some more radical concepts in an attempt to improve the sport.

KMOX

Before Hitting The Weights To Get Stronger, Matt Carpenter Recognized He Waited Too Long To 'Mentally Adjust'; Extra Bases

The offseason plan Matt Carpenter and the Cardinals put together for him to rebuild strength, to regain his bat speed, and to reset after the most disappointing season of his career started by dropping a weight before he began lifting them.

Birdland

Max Scherzer Named To 2019 All-MLB Team, Jack Flaherty Named To Second-Team

Baseball had never before had an official star squad that salutes a full season's worth of work the way other major professional sports do. But the results of the voting for the first All-MLB Team finally arrived Tuesday at the Winter Meetings.

MLB Official Site

Cardinals Winter League Notebook 10-9-19: Carlos Peguero Hits A Solo Home Run; Seth Elledge & Ivan Herrera Named Fall Stars; Conner Capel Singles Twice, Doubles, & Drives In One Run

Cardinals Winter League

2019 Minor League Baseball Classification All-Stars

Triple-A:
Randy Arozarena
Zac Gallen

Double-A:
Dylan Carlson

Single-A:
Ivan Herrera

Rookie:
Jhon Torres

DSL:
Diowill Burgos

Baseball America

Dylan Carlson & Zac Gallen Baseball America's 2019 Minor League Postseason All-Stars

Baseball America

2019 New York-Penn League All-Star Game: Blue Beat Red 7-4: David Vinksy Drives In One Run; Andre Pallante Strikes Out One Over One Hitless/Scoreless Inning; Andrew Warner Singles Twice

The #SCSpikes @TheNYPL All-Stars are ready to go! #allstargame #nypl #newyorkpennleague pic.twitter.com/IJCjaWXBLp

— State College Spikes (@SCSpikes) August 21, 2019

Martin Figueroa started at first base and batted fifth.  0-for-2 with one run and assisted in one double play.
Andrew Warner started in left field and batted sixth.  2-for-2 and one outfield assist.
David Vinsky started as designated hitter and batted seventh.  0-for-2 with one RBI, one run, and one strikeout.
Andre Pallante entered in the fourth and pitched one inning.  He allowed no hits or runs, and struck one out.  (p-s:16-9)(g/f:2-0)
Hector Villalobos entered in the sixth and pitched one inning.  He allowed one hit, one earned run, one home run, one walk, and struck two out.  (p-s:18-12)(g/f:1-0)

Boxscore
MiLB Official Site Post Game

Video: David Vinsky Catches First Pitch For New York-Penn League All-Star Game, In Memory Of Josiah Vera 8-21-19

.@DavidVinsky18 was retired in his first at-bat, but he had the honor of catching tonight’s first pitch in memory of @josiahdviera, thrown by his grandfather Dave Bohner pic.twitter.com/PMLyeXnD6w

— State College Spikes (@SCSpikes) August 22, 2019

Video: Andrew Warner Hits Two Out In Home Run Derby 8-21-19

Here’s @andrewwarner34 in the NYPL All-Star Game Home Run Derby - in the :60 time limit, he hit 2 outta here, which currently is 2nd in the derby! pic.twitter.com/AwIe6G1rRe

— State College Spikes (@SCSpikes) August 21, 2019

State College All-Stars Signs Autographs

Bang For Your Buck Wednesday Lineup 💥

⏰: 6:35 CDT
🆚: @QCRiverBandits
🏟: at Dozer Park
⚾️: @brettell10 on the mound
📻: https://t.co/MQGmmbenC1…
#️⃣: #PTownProud #NewEraNewFun
🆒: $1 🍿, 🌭, (🍦+🥪)
🎟: https://t.co/iUczQQhzCd… pic.twitter.com/fbNrGuNHni

— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) August 21, 2019

Andre Pallante, Hector Villalobos, Andrew Warner, David Vinsky, & Martin Figueroa Named To 2019 New York-Penn League All-Star Team

The State College Spikes will send five players to the 2019 New York-Penn League All-Star Game on Wednesday, August 21 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George in Staten Island, N.Y. Pitchers Andre Pallante and Hector Villalobos will join outfielders Andrew Warner and David Vinsky and infielder Martin Figueroa at the NYPL's annual showcase of future stars.

State College Official Site

Josiah Vera To Be Inducted Into New York-Penn League Hall Of Fame

We are privileged and honored to join @TheNYPL in announcing that @josiahdviera will be inducted into the New York-Penn League Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2019 at the NYPL All-Star Game on August 21, hosted by @SIYanks.

Read more here: https://t.co/9jnUya1FKa pic.twitter.com/4UO9GUb4cR

— State College Spikes (@SCSpikes) August 1, 2019

Jamie Romak Dresses Up As General Douglas MacArthur For 2019 KBO Home Run Derby

SK Wyverns 1B Jamie Romak dressed up as the General Douglas MacArthur. pic.twitter.com/wS0hPtsfnG

— Sung Min Kim (@sung_minkim) July 21, 2019

This is amazing. #ldnont Jamie Romak in the Korean All-Star game as General Douglas McArthur https://t.co/ovwhaJzRUX

— BrentLaleCTV (@BrentLaleCTV) July 21, 2019

Jamie Romak outslugged Jerry Sands to become this year's KBO Home Run Race winner pic.twitter.com/zpjih0Tohr

— Dan Kurtz (@MyKBO) July 21, 2019

Dominican Summer League Cardinals Notebook 7-15-19

The Cardinals Blue had one of their worst weeks of the season as they were only able to claim two of the five games played.  The club is 21-11 and are one game out of first place, behind the Phillies Red, in the South Division.  They are 8-6 at home and 13-5 away.

The Cardinals Red split their scheduled and ended on a two-game winning streak.  The club is 14-21 and are seven and a half games out of first in the San Pedro Division.  They are 7-11 defending home, 7-10 on the road, and are 30 games away from being eliminated from postseason play.

Week In Review:

July 8, 2019: The Cardinals Blue began the week hosting the Mets One.  The Mets scored three runs in the top of the and added three more before the game was over, while holding the Redbirds to two.  Nelson Prada pitched two scoreless innings to finish out the game.  Leudy Pena singled, walked, and drove in one run.

July 8, 2019: The Cardinals Red @ Tigers One was postponed with make up date set for July 24th.

July 9, 2019:  The Cardinals Blue visited the Phillies Red in the next contest.  The Redbirds received strong pitching from Gustavo J. Rodriguez and William Miranda, who combined for eight scoreless innings.  Hansel Otamendi and Brandon Hernandez each drove in one run in the first for the 2-1 victory.

July 9, 2019: The Cardinals Red hosted the Diamondbacks after their rain out.  The D-Backs pitching shut down the Redbirds offense, holding them to two runs over the first eight frames.  The Cardinals made a small comeback in the ninth, that came up two runs short.  Diowill Burgos hit for the cycle and drove in two runs.  Albert Inoa collected two singles, one walk, and two RBIs.

July 10, 2019: The Cardinals Blue returned home to get thumped by the Twins.  The Twins pitching kept the Redbirds off the board for the first five frames, then the final three.  The Cardinals pitching however let the hits and the walks add up in the 11-2 loss, with the first two hurlers coughing up nine runs.  Luis Rodriguez singles three times and knocked in one run.

July 10, 2019: The Cardinals Red visited the Diamondbacks in the second game of the two-game series.  The D-Backs chased the Redbirds starter out of the game in the third with five runs and added three more.  The Cardinals offense was held to three hits and three runs in the 8-3 contest.  Larimel Soriano struck out four over the final two scoreless frames for the Redbirds.  Endri Salas singled, walked twice, and drove in two runs.

July 11, 2019: The Cardinals Blue went on the road to face the Rockies and were hit hard again.  For the second consecutive game the Redbirds starter did not make it beyond the third inning.  The Rockies scored four runs in the second and four more in the seventh for the 8-1 win.  Dionys Rodriguez pitched one hitless/scoreless inning.  Brandon Hernandez singled, doubled, and knocked in on run.

July 11, 2019: The Cardinals Red, looking to end their slide, welcomed in the Phillies White.  Both teams exchanged zeroes in the first three frames and then the Redbirds plated two runs in the fourth and padded it with two more in the sixth and one in the eighth.  Angel Cuenca struck out five and allowed one run over six innings in the start.  Diowill Burgos came up a single short of the cycle and drove in three runs.  Fernando Brazoban also contributed with a single, triple, and two RBIs.

July 12, 2019: The Cardinals Red went on the road to face the Phillies White in the second game of the series.  Each team went scoreless until the fourth as the Phillies plated five runs in the fourth and fifth to the Redbirds one.  The Cardinals relievers silenced the Phillies and they had the last laugh with ten runs over the final four frames.  Ramon Fernandez pitched one and a third scoreless innings to finish the contest.  Juan Sanchez doubled, walked, and drove in three runs while Sander Mora added a double and two RBIs.

July 12, 2019: The Cardinals Blue hosted the Orioles Two in their final game of the week.  The Redbirds pitching was outstanding holding the Orioles to two hits, no runs, and no walks.  Wilmer Ortega struck out four over five scoreless innings to open.  Elvin DeJesus and Jose Rodriguez each plated two runs a piece in the 6-0 win.

July 14, 2019: The American League beat the National League 5-4 in the 2019 DSL All-Star Game, which only went seven innings.  Diowill Burgos started in right field and batted fourth, as he struck out in one at-bat.  Gustavo A. Rodriguez replaced Burgos and scored a run on two walks.  Angel Cuenca entered in the fourth and pitched one hitless/scoreless frame.

Who's Hot:

Diowill Burgos (Red) ended this period on a six-game on-base streak and two-game hit streak.  The 18-year old left-handed hitter went 7-for-12 (.583) with two doubles, two triples, six RBIs (two w/two-outs), three runs, four walks, one sacrifice, and two strikeouts.  He played one game in right field, one in left, one between both, and one as designated hitter.  The September 1, 2017 free agent signing leads the team in AVG, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs, total bases, OBP, SLG, and OPS.

Angel Cuenca (Red) might of had his scoreless streak end but is still putting together great starts.  The 18-year old right-hander launched on July 11 and allowed three hits, one earned run, one home run, one walk, and struck five out over six innings for the winning decision (3-1).  he had a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 6-to-3.  The May 29, 2018 free agent signing leads the starting rotation in wins, ERA, and WHIP.

Brandon Hernandez (Blue) will look to extend his ten-game on-base streak in the next week.  The 17-year old left-handed hitter went 6-for-14 (.429) with two doubles, two RBIs, one run, two walks, and four strikeouts.  He played four games at third base and committed one fielding error.  The October 27, 2018 free agent signing has pushed his batting average up almost .200 points since hitting a low .063 in mid-June.

Albert Inoa (Red) has a nine-game on-base streak and five-game hit streak to extend in the next period.  The 17-year old right-handed hitter went 5-for-13 (.385) with one triple, three RBIs, three runs, two walks, one strikeout, and one caught stealing.  He played three games at second base and assisted in three double plays.  The March 26, 2019 free agent signing has racked up four mult-hit games in his last five played.

William Miranda (Blue) has not given up a run in five consecutive appearances.  The 18-year old right-hander was called for duty on July 9 and threw two scoreless frames while allowing two hits, one walk, threw one wild pitch, and struck three out for the hold (3).  On July 12, he pitched one hitless/scoreless inning and struck two out.  The March 1, 2019 free agent signing leads the team in holds.

Wilmer Ortega (Blue) earned his third consecutive winning decision of the season.  The 18-year old right-hander started on July 12 and tossed five scoreless innings while giving up one hit and striking out four.  He had a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 3-to-4.  The April 17, 2019 free agent signing has only allowed one earned run over his last three starts, spanning 15 innings.

Gustavo J. Rodriguez (Blue) threw his first scoreless appearance of the season.  The 18-year old right-hander started on July 9 and hurled six scoreless innings allowing two hits, hit one batter, and struck four out for the winning decision (3-0).  He had a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 7-to-7.  The July 17, 2018 free agent signing leads the starting rotation in ERA and WHIP, and leads the team in strikeouts.

Who's Not:

Darlyn Del Villar (Blue) has gone hitless in his last four games.  The 18-year old right-handed hitter went 0-for-15 (.000) with one run, two walks, and six strikeouts.  He played three games at shortstop (one fielding error) and one as designated hitter.  The July 2, 2017 free agent signing has seen his batting average drop 30 points since the beginning of the month.

Hancel Rincon (Red) has his worst outing of his career in during this period.  The 17-year old right-hander started on July 10 and gave up five hits, five earned runs, one walk, hit one batter, and struck two out over two and two-thirds innings for the losing decision (1-2).  The January 26, 2019 free agent signing had a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 2-to-3 and committed one pickoff error.

Alexander Samuel (Red) did not connect for a hit in the two games he played in the past week.  The 19-year old right-handed hitter went 0-for-8 (.000) with two strikeouts and grounded into one double play.  The July 2, 2016 free agent signing played both games at first base and assisted in two double plays.

Ronald Suarez (Blue) had a hard time with his placement this past week.  The 19-year old right-hander was call from the pen on July 10 and and faced only five batters as he coughed up one hit, five earned runs, four walks, and threw two wild pitches.  The September 1, 2017 free agent was cruising along this season, only haven given up a handful of runs over seven appearances.

Smith Vargas (Red) will look to end his three-game hitless streak in the next period.  The 17-year old right-handed hitter went 0-for-11 (.000) with one stolen base and one strikeout.  The January 8, 2019 free agent signing played three games in centerfield.

Notes:

Josue Ramirez (Blue) has been out since June 4th, Diory Guerrera (Red) and Miguel Maiz (Red) since July 1st, and Miguel Yedis (Red) since July 3rd.

Americo Lugo (Blue) made his professional debut on July 12th.  The 18-year old right-hander pitched a hitless/scoreless inning of relief.

Jose Zapata (Blue) has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games, Darlin Moquete (Blue) and Sander Mora (Red) in 11.

Dominican Summer League Stats:

The Cardinals Blue are hitting .261 (287-for-1099) with 56 doubles, six triples (t-2nd worst), 11 home runs, 158 RBIs, 388 total bases, 204 runs, 153 walks, 40 stolen bases, 320 strikeouts, 11 caught stealing, .367 OBP (9th), .353 SLG, and .720 OPS.

The Cardinals Blue are hitting .233 (273 -for-1174) with 45 doubles, 14 triples, 13 home runs, 170 RBIs, 385 total bases, 219 runs (9th), 220 walks (1st), 61 stolen bases, 317 strikeouts, 17 caught stealing, .363 OBP, .328 SLG, and .691 OPS.

The Cardinals Blue are 21-11 with a 4.14 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, one shutout eight holds, and seven saves.  They have allowed 256 hits (6th best), 161 runs (9th best), 130 earned runs, 15 home runs, 132 walks (9th best), hit 22 batters (4th best), and struck 267 out over 282.1 innings.

The Cardinals Red are 14-21 with a 4.40 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, six holds, and two saves (t-worst).  They have allowed 309 hits, 208 runs, 153 earned runs, 17 home runs, 164 walks, hit 33 batters, and struck 279 out over 312.2 innings.

Diowill Burgos (Red) is sixth in AVG, first in home runs, first in RBIs, first in total bases, ninth in OBP, first in SLG, and first in OPS.

Sander Mora (Red) is fourth in runs scored.

Gustavo A. Rodriguez (Blue) is tied for eight in doubles.

Albert Inoa (Red) is tied for tenth in walks.

Angel Cuenca (Red) is fifth in ERA, sixth in innings pitched, and tied for seventh in WHIP.

Gustavo J. Rodriguez (Blue) is sixth in ERA and ninth in WHIP.

Cristoffer Zapata (Blue) is tied for eight in saves.

Engels Martinez (Blue) is tied for ninth in earned runs allowed and tied for first in home runs allowed
.
Hemerson Cordero (Red) is tied for fourth in home runs allowed.

William Miranda (Blue) is tied for third in holds.

Up Next (2019 Record, Record Vs. Cardinals):

Blue:
July 15: Off Day
July 16: @ Angels (15-17)(1-3)
July 17: @ Yankees (15-17)(1-3)
July 18: Nationals (9-23)(1-3)
July 19: @ Mets One (17-15)(2-2)
July 20: Phillies Red (22-10)(2-2)
July 21: Off Day

Red:
July 15: @ Cubs Two (22-14)(4-0)
July 16: Cubs Two
July 17: Mets Two (17-19)(0-4)
July 18: @ Mets Two
July 19: Rangers Two (17-19)(3-1)
July 20: @ Rangers Two
July 21: Off Day

Past Notebooks:
June 10, 2019: Diowill Burgos, Angel Cuenca, Bryan Matute, Hansel Otamendi, and Nelson Prada.
June 17, 2019: Diowill Burgos, Angel Cuenca, Sander Mora, Reinys Portillo, Claudio Ramirez, Gustavo A. Rodriguez, and Gustavo J. Rodriguez.
June 24, 2019: Diowill Burgos, Ludwin Jimenez, Reinys Portillo, Gustavo A. Rodriguez, and Jose Zapata.
July 1, 2019: Darlyn Del Villar, Yonael Dominguez, Darlin Moquete, Hansel Otamendi, Reinys Portillo, Luis Rodriguez, and Luis Tena.
July 8, 2019: Diowill Burgos, Brandon Hernandez, Albert Inoa, William Miranda, Hancel Rincon, Gustavo A. Rodriguez, and Gustavo J. Rodriguez.

Yoshitomo Tsutsugo Has Hit A Home Run In Four Consecutive All-Star Game

NPB On Reddit Twitter

Tomoyuki Sugano Becomes Second Pitched In NPB History To Start All-Star Game In Five Consecutive Seasons

NPB On Reddit Twitter

Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. Revisits 91-Home Run Performance In Derby

Four days have passed since Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stole the show in the Home Run Derby on Monday, but the spotlight still shone brightly on the 20-year-old slugger at Yankee Stadium on Friday when the Blue Jays arrived to start the second half against the American League East rivals.

Toronto Official Site

Video: Paul DeJong On Playing In His First All-Star Game 7-12-19

Going to his first MLB All-Star Game gave Paul DeJong a chance to indulge his inner fan: "I got tons of autographs. ... Really cool to share a clubhouse with some of those guys." #TimeToFly pic.twitter.com/CTxuvTCNGN

— FOX Sports Midwest (@FSMidwest) July 12, 2019

Kodai Senga Will Start In The 2019 NPB All-Star Game

NPB On Reddit Twitter

2019 Triple-A All-Star Game: Pacific Coast League Beat International League 9-3: Jake Woodford Strikes Out Two Over Two Scoreless Innings For The Win; David Carpenter Pitched One Scoreless Inning

Dominating performance by the #PCL All-Stars in the @RMHC 2019 @TripleABaseball All-Star Game in El Paso, TX!!

3rd straight All-Star Game win for the #PCL pic.twitter.com/wvOp8aDJ7Z

— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) July 11, 2019

Pacific Coast League:
Jake Woodford (Memphis) started and pitched two innings.  He allowed no hits or runs, and struck two out for the winning decision (1-0).  (p-s:25-16)(g/f:3-0)
David Carpenter (former Palm Beach) entered in the fourth and pitched one inning.  He allowed one hit, no runs, and one walk.  (p-s:13-8)(g/f:1-1)
Seth Maness (former St. Louis) entered in the sixth and pitched one inning.  He allowed one hit and one unearned run.  (p-s:14-10)(g/f:1-2)

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