Lateral movement for SS
Imagine Kenny Perez's surprise. An All-Star shortstop for Double A Portland, Perez last week was summoned to manager Ron Johnson's office. The major league trading deadline had passed, so Perez figured he still had a place with the Red Sox, who parted only with Single A outfield prospect Matt Murton in the four-team megadeal involving Nomar Garciaparra. Maybe Perez had earned a promotion to Triple A Pawtucket.
Or maybe not. Perez learned he would be replaced by Hanley Ramirez, the five-tool kid from the Dominican Republic who is widely considered the top prospect in the Sox system. After spending more than four years eclipsing three other shortstops from Miami high schools who were drafted ahead of him in 2000 -- and moving higher in the Sox system than any other current shortstop prospect -- Perez was informed the Sox planned to immediately shift him to second base.
Ouch. Perez grudgingly accepted the shift, comforted that the brain trust in Boston believes he ultimately can succeed at his preferred position.
"We still see him as a shortstop," said Ben Cherington, the Sox director of player development. "We just want him to get a full year at that level."
One reason could be that Perez backslid a bit at the plate in July, batting .198 after entering the month hitting .297. In any case, there's a new double-play tandem in Portland with Ramirez and Perez. Ramirez, who was cited in a poll of managers by Baseball America as being the best defensive shortstop and having the best infield arm in the Florida State League, entered last night batting .333 in his first five games for the Sea Dogs. Perez was hitting .368 since the switch. The Sox also cleared the way for Ramirez by sending second baseman Jesus Medrano to Pawtucket.
Ramirez's promotion coincided with the Sox advancing shortstop Dustin Pedroia, their top pick in the June draft, from Single A Augusta to the next level, Single A Sarasota. Pedroia, who chewed up the South Atlantic League (hitting .400 with a .474 on-base percentage), will be challenged by tougher pitching in the Florida State League. He was batting .286 with a .375 on-base percentage through his first five games.
"He gets on base like nobody I've ever seen," said Augusta outfielder Brandon Moss, who was named the Topps Player of the Month for July in the South Atlantic League.
The Sox also have a pair of switch-hitting shortstops they consider prospects: Venezuelan Christian Lara at short-season Single A Lowell, and Dominican Luis Soto on the rookie team in the Gulf Coast League. Along with Ramirez, Pedroia, and Perez, Lara and Soto give the Sox their best shortstop depth in years.
"We like all five of them," Cherington said. "Those five guys will really have a chance to be big league players."
Give Adam his due
It says something about a player's dedication to pursuing his dream when he approaches his 1,500th hit in the minors, as outfielder Adam Hyzdu is doing for Pawtucket with 1,441. Hyzdu is playing his 15th pro season but has appeared in only 173 games in the majors (all with the Pirates). He hit his 22d home run of the season Friday. He ranked second in the International League with a .413 on-base percentage . . . Pawtucket's Brian Daubach, who has had a much longer taste of the majors in his 15 pro seasons, entered last night with 999 career hits in the minors. His bid to return to Boston this season suffered a serious blow when the Sox acquired former Gold Glove first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz . . . Pawtucket righthander John Stephens and Portland outfielder Brett Roneberg leave this week for Athens to play for Australia in the Olympics . . . Portland has received a boost from first baseman/DH Stefan Bailie, who has hit .356 with 5 homers, 18 RBIs, and a .400 on-base percentage in 20 games since he moved up from Sarasota. Bailie, 24, a fourth-rounder out of Washington State in 2001, earned the promotion by hitting .306 with 11 homers, 48 RBIs, and a .383 on-base percentage for Sarasota . . . The Sox purchased the contract of Conor Brooks, a righthander who graduated from Boston College High School and Dartmouth College, from the Atlantic City Surf. Brooks, who led the Atlantic League with 14 saves, was assigned to Portland . . . Outfielder David Murphy, the team's first-round pick last year out of Baylor, hit .381 with a home run and nine RBIs in his first five games for Sarasota since returning from a sprained left ankle . . . Righthander Beau Vaughan, a third-rounder last year out of Arizona State, has held opponents to a .197 batting average while going 7-1 with a 2.48 ERA for Augusta.
