DOWN TIME: 

With a few days between sims, we had a chance to go over with GM Gary Altman about some of the blossoming talent down on the farm.  He also spoke out for the first time about the firing of the Bombers Pitching Coach as well as head Scout Malcolm Mills.

Francisco Gonzalez, SP, Drafted 90^th by the Bombers has dominated AA ball going 4-2 with a 2.54 ERA.  He’s made 8 starts for 46 innings with 40 K’s and a WHIP of 1.33.  At 20 years old, South Carolina management anticipates a move to AAA ball if the trend continues.  Gonzalez is not a scouts dream either, throwing between 87-89 mph and substandard ratings.  When GM Gary Altman was asked about Gonzalez he said, “This is a results oriented business, and right now Gonzalez is putting up results, no matter what anybody thinks about him.  Right now he believes, and he’s making believers of us too!”.  Altman went on to give say, “Every now and again scouts are wrong.  Our scout, Malcolm Mills, who I believe to be one of the best scouts in the business, makes more right choices than wrong ones, and that is evident by where our farm system is ranked in the ABL.”  When pressed for a vote of confidence for Mills, Altman had this to say, “We’ve fired a pitching coach 20 games into the season, so eating a contract does not scare either me or ownership.  It’s what’s in the best interests of winning for our fans.  I don’t relish that aspect of the job, but again, this is a results  oriented business, and ownership wants the ABL trophy.  If Mills can’t get me the information to make a good, sound, informed decision, then South Carolina will be taken in another direction.”

Bobby Bennett, MR, Drafted 100^th by the Bombers is now in AAA after being promoted from AA ball.  At 22 years old, he throws in the low 90’s and has a cutter and slider.   He’s been used in multiple spots in the bullpen in his young career.  In AA for Long Island, Bennett was 1-0 with an ERA of 3.18 in 9 games.  He threw 11 1/3 innings, 3 hits and 11 K’s.  His bug-a-boo in AA ball was the walks where he gave 9 passes.

In AAA he’s 1-1 with 1 save, and an ERA of 1.93.  14 innings, 16 hits, and 5 BB’s and 9 K’s.

Altman personally phoned Bennett to tell him of the promotion.  He also made it clear that he’d need more command of his pitches and would have to cut down on his walks.  He’s given up a few more hits, but a few less walks and the strikeouts are down a bit too.  All told, with better competition rises in certain numbers are to be expected, but his ERA trending downward and being used to save a game speaks volumes for this pitcher.  At his age and being in AAA, he’s a strong candidate to make the big club as a player that was drafted 2,385^th overall.

Dave White, C, Drafted 118^th overall was promoted to AA after only 3 AB’s in A ball.

So far, a very small sample size (14 AB’s) has seen White rake out 8 hits, and knock in 4. 

Not really a scout’s dream with limited as he’s lacking in every rating category is proving the neigh-sayers wrong, so far.