News Articles on Sean Watson and others

Ponies Report: Winning is a tough task for 2nd-round pick

By Mike Scherting
Ponies Report
Although Sean Watson is a starting pitcher for the Billings Mustangs, he pretty much knows that each time he takes the mound he's not going to get a win.

It's not that the Cincinnati Reds' second-round draft pick is overmatched in his first year of professional ball. In fact, the exact opposite is true. In five games, three of them starts, Watson hasn't given up an earned run (two unearned runs have scored off him) in 18.1 innings. He's allowed just seven hits and two bases on balls, and has struck out 15. Opponents are hitting just .113 against him.

So what's the deal?

Well, Watson had been a closer at the University of Tennessee the past year and a half, and he started this Pioneer League season in the Mustangs bullpen. When the team lost two of its starting pitchers, the Mustangs moved Watson into the starting rotation, but are limiting him to 50 pitches until his arm can get used to throwing more innings.

Being limited to 50 pitches makes it difficult for a starter to throw five complete innings, which is the amount of innings required of a starter to be eligible for a victory. So far, Watson's longest stint has been four innings. The good news is that although he has yet to be eligible to record a victory, he hasn't lost a game, either, meaning his record stands at 0-0.

That's perfection as far Watson is concerned.

"I'll take a 0-0 over a 0-1, 0-2," Watson said. "I just try to get as many innings as I can with 50 pitches."

Watson's next scheduled start is Thursday at Idaho Falls and he'll take the mound once again knowing that he has to be nearly flawless to reach the magic five-inning mark. Watson acknowledges though, that the main thing is keeping his team in the game, not whether he can record a win for his individual stats. The Mustangs are 3-0 in games in which Watson is the starter.

"I think (the season's) been going very good," he said. "I'm just going to stick with my game plan, it's been working up until now. If I start getting hit around a little bit maybe I'll change it, but for now I'll stay with what I've been doing.

"I just go out there knowing I have 50 pitches to work with, so I try to get quick outs, throw a lot of strikes and make them put the ball in play early in the count so it doesn't really eat up my pitch count."

Power Outage?
Burleson not worried about team's home run totals

When asked last week about his team’s lack of home runs, Mustangs manager Rick Burleson stressed patience.

“I expect our guys to eventually break out and hit some just by getting their pitch,” he said after Jason Louwsma hit the team’s sixth homer of the season Friday night. “We’re not going to hit them swinging for them, that’s for sure. (Thursday night) it looked like a couple guys were swinging a little hard at times. That’s just trying too hard. You just have to let it happen.”

Well, it’s been happening lately.

Louwsma followed Friday’s dinger with another one on Saturday. Chris Valaika also homered on Saturday and Chris Heisey hit two home runs in a loss to Idaho Falls on Monday

Even with the recent home run surge, the Mustangs are still last in the eight-team league with 10 home runs. Idaho Falls has the next-lowest with 11, while Great Falls leads the league with 25.

Heisey leads the Mustangs with three home runs, while Louwsma and Valaika have two each.

On Deck
Mustangs at Idaho Falls/Casper

The Mustangs continue their weeklong, eight-game road trip with a doubleheader tonight at Idaho Falls. The twinbill is needed because of a rainout on Wednesday at Cobb Field. Dane Mason is expected to start the first game, with Kyle Huddy getting his first start of the season in the second game. The Mustangs start a three-game series in Casper on Friday before returning to Cobb Field next Monday for a short homestand (three games) with the Helena Brewers.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/07/18/sports/local/35-ponies.txt

Reds' top prospects given every chance to succeed

By: Marc Katz
DAYTON — Nobody had to tell Dayton Dragons manager Billy Gardner Jr. to play outfielders Jay Bruce and B.J. Szymanski every day.


That's the way it is in the minor leagues. High draft choices and top prospects play. The rest work their way into the lineup.

"I think everybody knows who the prospects are," Gardner said. "The only way you're going to get better is to play. But you can play your way into the lineup.

"J.D. Reininger came in and was given first crack at third base, and Eric Eymann was a utility guy. Then Reininger didn't do well the first month, and Eymann played well."

Reininger eventually was released. Eymann is a regular.

It happens all the time, but it's not going to happen this early in the careers of Bruce and Szymanski. Even when Szymanski was struggling at the plate, hitting below .200, he was in the lineup. He was a second-round draft choice in 2004 and shows promise as a five-tool player. Bruce was the No. 1 draft choice by the Cincinnati Reds last year, and he has delivered.

Mike Griffin has been in a slump, dropping his batting average just under .270 for the first time, but he has established himself as a valuable prospect.

"He has earned the chance to play every day," Gardner said. "He does a good job defensively at multiple positions (second base, third base and left field)."

Early in his playing career, Dragons batting coach Alonzo Powell was told by a manager he would play every day until it was obvious he couldn't.

Powell made it briefly to the majors and was a three-time batting champ in Japan.

"This manager told me players will tell you if they can play," Powell said. "I never forgot that. You put them in the lineup, and they can either play or they can't."

Powell, who managed the Dragons the two previous seasons, held a team meeting before the first game.

"After the first month, guys will play their way into positions and play their way out of positions," Powell said. "It's up to you."

• There is subtle homage being paid by the Dragons and probably the rest of the Reds organization to Brian Wilson, the Texas scout who suffered a heart attack and died recently in his early 30s.

The Dragons have a small white BW sticker on the backs of their batting helmets. Wilson signed outfielders Bruce and Josh Holden, infielders Griffin and Bobby Mosby, and pitcher Logan Ondrusek on this year's Dragons' team.

"B Dubs, a great guy," Bruce said. "I still have his number in my phone book."

http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/daily/071806inside.html