All Star Prospect Moments

As the days dwindle down toward the opening of the season, I settled into my lazy-boy with cheese doodles and plenty of " Gentleman Jack " on ice, and decided to share my observations on the prospect bunch in spring training.

Soon, the names you see below, will drift back to the hard work of minor league baseball, and many will fade away for a long time.

So it is fitting to point out Yankee "prospect moments" which earned my all star designation this spring;

1. Left Field - Red Thunder's catch and collision with the wall.  No Bobby Abreu wall-fear in this kid.  But he is paying the price.  As predicted by the black swan, he'll miss all of spring training.  No good deed goes unpunished.

2.  Center Field- Florial earns the award for hitting 4 triples, getting clutch hits, looking at ease in CF and running the bases like Bullet Bob Hayes.  When the July trade deadlines approach, we have to hope that Cashman makes this guy an " intouchable," as the french would say.  We will all need agita pills the way his name will be bandied about.

3.  Right Field - Billy Mckinney for his grand slam and other fine work.  Who can forget that over-the- shoulder catch of a foul pop with his first baseman's glove ( versatility award )?  He gives reason to hope that a former number one pick just needed some seasoning.  A real threat to make this team with Jacoby and Red Thunder ailing, and his growing ability at FB as well as outstanding OF skills.

4.  Third Base - Not much debate here.  Andjuhar and his homer trail.  A blistering bat and I don't recall any fielding gaffs.  But he'll be on the bus at the outset.  That decision got locked in stone when Cashman dealt for Drury.

5.  Shortstop - Kyle Holder shows up from Charleston and opened everybody's eyes.  He hit and he fielded and he ran.  Everyone is now doing research on this dude. Another player we don't want to let Cashman near.

6.  Second Base - Tyler Wade gets the designation due to his fine catch in CF.  It was a pop-up designated to drop-in, but Tyler made an over the shoulder backward, twisting catch. He has speed and a growing look of confidence.  This is the "all star prospect moment" award winner most likely to get a uniform in three weeks.  And shortstop is his best position.

7.  First Base - Tyler Austin for a walk-off homer and a confident glove.

8.  Catcher - K. Higashioka.  He really hit well ( .385) and made some points as a back-up catcher if Romine is not available.  When he played a few games for the big club last year, I predicted he would never get a hit in a Yankee uniform.  He changed my mind this spring.

9.  DH - E. Kratz He hit .364 and looks like a tractor trailer behind the dish.  Never heard of him before this spring.

Pitching awards went to : Jonathan Holder ( 1.42 ERA ) and Domingo Germàn ( ERA 1.17).

The most notable non award winner is G. Torres, everyone's pre-season designee for starting second baseman.  The Yankees top prospect, so they say.  He really did very little.  No matter, he was going to start at Scranton even if he hit .500, due to "contract opportunities" for the Yankee front office.

But he did not " flash" as we used to say in the south Mexican Dirt Field League.