=== Dennis Raben ===

We did a double-take when we saw the M's liner notes on Raben last week:  "Dennis Raben led the Mavs with 4 runs scored, 2 home runs, 5 RBI and 4 walks in his 1st game with the club since being called up from Class-A Clinton."

Um, say what?  Four walks, two homers, a bunch of stuff.... in what period of time?

After that first game, he added five more hits in the next three games, so he's doing all right at .438/.571/.875.  Note that Raben was hitting .221 at class A ball when the M's promoted him.  Note once again that the pros look at process, not results, when promoting minor league hotshots.

For those who just joined us, Raben was a U-of-Miami superstar who might feasibly have gone top-15 overall, but for back issues.  Even with the back issues right before the draft, Raben still went #66 overall.  If and when he gets healthy and in a groove, here's a guy who has a real shot to be a cleanup hitter in the majors.

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=== Rich Poythress ===

Is hitting 300/380/530 at high A with a fine 0.75 EYE.  Here's an exec summary on him as an ML prospect.  BaseballHQ has him with a 50% chance to start in the major leagues -- which, considering that the M's are #1 in org hitting per HQ, doesn't even have Poythress in the top 15.

The real point is that Poythress is .420/.520/.760 over his last ten games, with 8 walks against 5 strikeouts.  Four taters against 5 strikeouts the last two weeks.

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=== Clinton's Rotation ===

At single-A, the LumberKings' rotation had an ERA of 2.11 over their prior 35 games, as of a couple of days ago.  They then won one 3-2, lowering the ERA a tad, but then slipped up by allowing 3 runs the next day ... whoops, in 15 innings.  :- )

C'mon, it was the Pineda-Robles-etc rotation at AA that was supposed to getting ugly.  The LumberKings too?  

The Mariners still don't have marquee talent at AAA ready to help, but the system at AA and below is probably the strongest I ever remember it since 1977.

To give you a feel for the Kings' rotation, Anthony Vazquez has 45 strikeouts, 7 walks and 2 HR's allowed with a 1.29 ERA ... but Erasmo Ramirez has 30 strikeouts and 2 walks in 47 innings.  He must be wondering about Cliff Lee doing that in the American League...

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=== Nick Franklin ===

We were bemused to read the HR line on this Angel's baseball card.

We'd heard that M's fans should expect something similar on the skinny 1st-round shortstop, but Franklin in 1/3 of an ML season now has 8 homers, 9 doubles, and get this, 6 triples.

Here's the SSI article on him, but the best part is G-Money's chimein.

BABVA,

Dr D