See the Future of Baseball in Arizona and Hawaii
October 10, 2006 by Geoff Young
Filed under Global Baseball, Minor Leagues
We’ve talked a little about the Arizona Fall League and touched briefly on Hawaii Winter Baseball. Chris Constancio at The Hardball Times has taken a more detailed look, giving us reasons to follow baseball in Arizona and, you guessed it, baseball in Hawaii.
The Arizona Fall League tends to have more advanced players, and there’s at least a decent chance that a 2007 Rookie of the Year is playing there. Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar, Mets right-hander Mike Pelfrey, and Braves catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia are among the players Constancio highlights. Hochevar was the first overall pick in the 2006 draft, while Pelfrey saw time in New York this year and could be a part of the Mets’ rotation next year and well beyond.
Some of the more intriguing names in Hawaii include Mariners catcher Jeff Clement, Yankees left-hander Ian Kennedy, and a couple of prospects from Japan, right-hander Keisuke Hayashi and outfielder Atsushi Ugmori. I don’t know anything about those last two, but one of the interesting aspects of the Hawaii Winter League is that apparently it’s got an arrangement with some of the professional leagues in Asia. This presents a unique opportunity for folks in North America to get a preview of what the future of baseball holds around the world as well as here at home.
Yep, lots going on this winter. And we haven’t even gotten to the Caribbean leagues yet…
