MIGGY TAKES HOME TRIPLE CROWN
“All I could think of then was ‘Wow, I really did it.’ It’s just unbelievable. That’s the only thing that I could say. It was great that I could share it with my teammates.”
—Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera, who won the first triple crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 after hitting .330 with 44 home runs and 139 RBI. (Drew Sharp, Detroit Free Press)

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Baseball teams often look for market inefficiencies when they acquire players. In recent years we’ve seen some teams target players with excellent defense, some spend aggressively in the draft, and some invest in off-the-field talent. By examining these things, we can often extract specific organizational strategies: team X trades controllable players for plenty of prospects; team Y employs a specific draft strategy. It certainly looks like the Minnesota Twins might be employing a new strategy in the international market, as in recent years they’ve expanded their efforts to include Australia, Africa, and Europe.
 

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DOTEL BEMOANS TIGERS’ LACK OF ENTHUSIASM
“We believe we have the players and talent, but I think we should be more pumped up. I haven't seen that yet. Maybe I'm wrong. But it's what I see. Like I said, we believe, but I need to see one more little thing. I hope I see that in the next 10 days. There's time.”
—Tigers reliever Octavio Dotel, discontented with the level of energy he’s seeing in the clubhouse as Detroit battles for a playoff spot. (Tom Gage, Detroit News)

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Chone Figgins had an amazing season in 2009: he posted a .289 TAv and, because of a lofty defensive rating (16.7 FRAA), finished the year with a remarkable 7.2 WARP. Baseball Prospectus 2010 put it best: “Talk about a walk year: in the final season of his contract, Figgins burnished his credentials as an elite leadoff hitter by leading the AL in bases on balls and ranking second in both times on base and runs scored, third in steals, and fourth in pitches per plate appearance.” Figgins would decline the Angels’ offer of arbitration and would instead sign with Seattle, leaving the Angels with nothing. Nothing, except for a pair of draft picks, one of which they used on Kaleb Cowart.

The Angels nabbed Cowart with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 draft out of Cook HS in Adel, GA. He wasn’t a monster, but he was a switch hitter, had excellent tools, and was something to dream on. A late signing limited his time on the field in 2010, so he was still in rookie ball for 2011. With the Orem Owlz, Cowart posted a modest .283/.345/.420 line with seven home runs. He struck out 81 times and picked up just 25 bases on balls in 72 games, so there was some cause for concern about his approach.

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NATIONALS CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT
“It was one of those feelings you’ve never had before. I had no idea what to do. I haven’t won anything since friggin’ Little League.”—Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on Washington’s playoff berth. (Amanda Comak, The Washington Times)

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Evaluating talent on the international market can be even more difficult than it is on the domestic side. Often, prospect writers become enamored with bonus babies and neglect many of the talented players who sign for smaller bonus figures. Every year, a few of these under-the-radar prospects raise their profiles considerably. This season, the Pittsburgh Pirates system saw two Dominican players burst onto the prospect scene: Alen Hanson and Gregory Polanco.

After a decent showing (statistically speaking) in the Gulf Coast League, Hanson advanced to full-season ball in 2012. He entered the season as the Pirates’ no. 17 prospect, according to Kevin Goldstein, described as a “young infielder [with] speed and an idea at the plate.” Now, one could make an argument that Hanson is the Pirates’ top position prospect.

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The situation: The Orioles used seven relievers to throw 181 pitches in their 18-inning victory on Tuesday night. Bundy, who was slated for a few weeks of instructional league, was already on the 40-man roster, and makes the most sense for the 2012 Baltimore Orioles’ bullpen.

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BOBBY V WITH ANOTHER GEM
“This is the weakest roster we've ever had in September in the history of baseball. It could use help everywhere.”
—Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine on the state of his team, which was recently decimated by a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Ian Harrison, ESPNBoston.com)

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With the 82nd overall pick in the 2011 draft, the San Diego Padres selected Austin Hedges, a catcher out of Junipero Serra Catholic HS in southern California. While the story of his rise through the minor leagues begins there, his path to the majors started much earlier.

Brett Kay is the head coach at Junipero Serra. Kay caught in 142 minor-league games, making it to High-A before his career came to a close in 2003. He wasn’t a big leaguer, but his experience made him an excellent instructor. In 2006, Kay had the chance to coach a promising young catcher. The kid was shy and skinny, but his athleticism and skillset were obvious. Austin Hedges was already showing the makings of a top prospect.

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The situation: The Phillies are clearly out of the running this season and are beginning to look at in-house options that could be a part of their 2013 plans. Darin Ruf is not viewed as a top prospect by any stretch, but since Philadelphia has nothing to lose by giving him playing time, there’s a chance that Ruf generates some short-term buzz and excitement in an otherwise disappointing season.

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The Ten Packs lives! The Ten Packs lives! The light of the season will soon dim, and this weekly romance will retreat into quiet slumber until the dawn of a new season tickles our eager horizons. But until we disappear into that evening cave, please allow us to present some prospect froth for your Monday morning routine.

Or something like that. Just a quick introduction to let you know the Ten Pack will continue on Baseball Prospectus, although the construction will be slightly different. With a host of talented minor league minds currently attached to the site—and several more on their way—finding intelligent opinion will be a luxury we will have in abundance. To take advantage of this talent pool, the Ten Pack will morph into a communal affair, where the eyewitness accounts and first-hand experiences of our minor league staff will enhance the product and hopefully take the Ten Pack to the next level.

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IN THE LATEST EPISODE OF THE BOBBY V SAGA...
“What an embarrassing thing to say. If I was there, I’d punch you right in the mouth. How’s that sound? Sound like I checked out? What an embarrassing thing. That’s something that a comic strip person would write.”
—Perpetually beleaguered Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, responding to a question from Glenn Ordway of WEEI radio, who suggested that Boston’s skipper may have “checked out.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

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