Barry Lewis: Ex-Owasso star Dylan Bundy, Drillers' Nolan Arenado highlight All-Star Futures Game
BY BARRY LEWIS World Sports Writer
Sunday, July 08, 2012
7/08/12 at 4:51 AM
Go to Barry Lewis' BlogOriginal Print Headline: Bundy, Arenado among future stars on display
OWASSO GRADUATE Dylan Bundy and Tulsa Drillers third baseman Nolan Arenado are among the standouts who will play in Minor League Baseball's showcase event, the All-Star Futures Game, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Sunday.
The game will start at 4 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN2 (cable 26).
Bundy, the fourth pick in the 2011 amateur draft, is No. 1 in Baseball America's midseason rankings of the top prospects in the minors.
In 15 pro starts for Baltimore's Single-A affiliates Frederick and Delmarva, the right-handed pitcher is 5-2 with a 1.87 ERA. He has allowed only 35 hits in 62 2/3 innings. Bundy has walked 13 and struck out 74. Opponents are batting .187 against him. At Frederick, he is 4-2 with a 3.58 ERA in seven starts.
Arenado, who is batting .282 with seven homers and 38 RBIs, is the 17th-ranked prospect. This will be his second Futures Game. Last year, he went 1-for-2 with a double that drove in the final run in a 6-4 win for the U.S.
"It's pretty cool," Arenado said. "George Brett is going to be the (U.S.) manager and was my dad's favorite player. This is a great opportunity."
Edwar Cabrera, who pitched for the Drillers in the first half of the season, was selected to play for the World team but was taken off the roster when he was promoted to the majors for one game. He was replaced by Arkansas' Ariel Pena.
Many players besides Arenado and Pena who were in the recent U.S. Cellular Texas League All-Star Game at ONEOK Field also will be in the Futures Game. Those include Frisco shortstop Jurickson Profar, who is ranked as the No. 2 prospect. Also selected are TL All-Star MVP outfielder Oscar Taveras and his Springfield teammate second baseman Kolten Wong; Frisco third baseman Mike Olt, Corpus Christi outfielder Jonathan Singleton, Arkansas shortstop Jean Segura and San Antonio catcher Ali Solis.
"It will be fun with so many of the players who were here for the All-Star Game will also be in the Futures Game," Arenado said. "It will be exciting."
Others in the game who have played in the TL this year are Northwest Arkansas outfielder Wil Myers and pitcher Jake Odorizzi (both now with Triple-A Omaha) and Midland outfielder Michael Choice.
Myers is the No. 3 prospect. Others in the top 50 are Olt (11), Taveras (18), Singleton (23), Odorizzi (29), Segura (43) and Wong (44).
Springfield pitcher Carlos Martinez, who is not in the Futures Game, is at No. 26.
Many in the top 50 are in the Futures Game. Broken Arrow graduate Archie Bradley is not, even though he is at No. 16. He is 7-5 with a 3.99 ERA at low Single-A South Bend. Bradley, who was the No. 7 draft choice by Arizona last year, was blocked from the game because the Diamondbacks had two higher ranked pitching prospects. Trevor Bauer was originally chosen for the U.S. roster but was called up to the majors and replaced by Tyler Skaggs, who is at No. 7.
Drillers manager Duane Espy will be a U.S. coach. Former New York Yankees outfielder Bernie Williams is the World manager.
Keuchel optioned to OKC: Bishop Kelley graduate Dallas Keuchel suffered his first major league loss as he gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings in Houston's 6-4 setback to red-hot Pittsburgh on Wednesday. After the game, Keuchel was sent back to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he started the season. However, it is expected that this could just be a paper move and that Keuchel won't miss a start with the Astros. This will allow them to have an extra reliever for eight days since Keuchel's next start is on July 16. Keuchel is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in four starts for Houston. He allowed only one run in each of his first three starts.
"I just think I've done my job so far, and that's all I can try to do," Keuchel said to the Houston Chronicle. "The rest is up to them."
Scott ends slump: Former Oklahoma State outfielder Luke Scott ended an 0-for-41 slump with a two-run homer to help Tampa Bay beat Cleveland 10-3 Friday. Scott's average dropped to .194 although his power numbers are decent for 59 games - 10 homers and 38 RBIs.
Scott said to reporters after the game, "What did it feel like? Take a 300-pound gorilla and take it off my back."
The hitless streak was five at-bats short of the record for a position player set by Eugenio Velez in 2010-11.
Penny adjusts: Broken Arrow graduate Brad Penny appears to be making the transition well to the bullpen as he has turned in three scoreless appearances since San Francisco called him up from the minors. Penny, with a 119-99 career record, had only appeared as a reliever in four of 319 games before this year.
Around the minors: Former Kelley third baseman Matt Reynolds homered in his second pro game for low Single-A Savannah (Mets) last Monday...
Caleb Bushyhead, a former Mannford and University of Oklahoma shortstop, is batting .277 with seven RBIs after his first 14 pro games with rookie-level Orem (Angels)...
Former OSU and Stillwater third baseman Josh Fields could be close to a callup by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is batting .340 with eight homers and 46 RBIs for Triple-A Albuquerque...
Daniel Mayora, an infielder for the Drillers in 2009-10, was selected to play in the Eastern League All-Star Game. Mayora, who is with Richmond (Giants), was a two-time All-Star for Tulsa and has now been an all-star in all four of his Double-A seasons that have included all three leagues. He's batting .275 with 37 RBIs.
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