Minor League Monday 8/27

Looking back over my first couple of weeks as a blogger, I've noticed that I'm somewhat erratic in my writing schedule. So in order to improve my posting regularity, I've decided to use the blogger's Metamucil; the weekly feature. Every Monday will be Minor League Monday here at Poughkeepsie Pinstripes, as I take a look at the next generation of Yankees. Today I'll be handing out a few awards for the best performances of the week.

Hitter of the Week - Kevin Smith

Apparently tired of making movies, or possibly just New Jersey, Kevin Smith has moved to Charleston to be the Riverdog's first baseman (sorry, but that joke was just too easy for me to resist). This Kevin Smith was a 25th round pick out or Cypress College in 2003, though he didn't actually start his professional career until 2006, for reasons I haven't been able to find. Regardless, he got a hit in all six games this week, and got three hits in each of the last three games. Overall he went .542/.577/.875 for the week.

Pitcher of the Week - Chase Wright

Chase Wright - Wright will forever be known as one of only two pitchers in major league history to give up four consecutive home runs, which he did following an April callup when the Yankees were desperate for starters, but didn't want to rush Philip Hughes. It wasn't terribly surprising considering he only had 20 innings of Double-A experience under his belt. Since being offered up as a sacrificial lamb, Wright's been a fairly mediocre pitcher, but Saturday he had one night of excellence, pitching a four-hit shutout. Wright will probably never see the majors again, but its good to see him find some success.

The Jason Tyner Silver Slugger Award - Brett Gardner

Named for the Minnesota Twins outfielder who hit his first homerun a mere seven years and 1,220 at bats into his major league, this award goes to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre centerfielder who hit his first homerun in two years on the 21st. Even more impressive, that homerun came in the first at bat of the game and was the only run scored by the Yankees, as Rochester's Dave Gassner shut down the rest of the offense.

Eastern League Pitcher of the Year - Alan Horne

Finally, the most prestigious award, since it comes from some other than me. Horne has been the ace of a staff which is far and away the best in the league, and leads the league in ERA and strikeouts. With Philip Hughes and Joba Chamberlain now in the majors, Horne is one of the better prospects in the Yankees' system. If he wants to be a major league starter, he'll probably need to add a changeup to his arsenal, which is comprised of a heavy, low to mid 90s fastball, a hammer curve and a cut fastball. If not, he could still be a very effective reliever for the Yankees by the end of next season.