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Detroit Dynamo's Minor League Prospect Update July 1936
Well the bag is definitely mixed on the Dynamo top prospects but it is only half a season so far. The bad is definitely the injuries to SP Ray McCarthy (22) who never got a chance to get going this year suffering an injury in his first outing of the season. Obviously fans and management were very concerned about the teams #3 prospect (#24 overall) but he is slated to make a full recovery and be in the mix for the big league club rotation in 1937.
The #4 prospect (#43 overall) SP Earle Robinson went down in late May taking a line drive off his elbow. Robinson, just 20 was 6-0 in 7 starts between A and AA with an ERA in the low 2's. He will be ready for spring training and while he could be a rotation candidate the money is that he will be in AA or AAA getting some more minor league innings.
The teams #1 prospect (#8 overall) 1B Red Johnson got off to a fantastic start in April hitting 5 home runs and tearing apart the rookie league. Since that time he cooled off and found the pitching at class B a little more challenging. We have to remember he is still only 18 (his 19th birthday is after the season is over). He has hit 8 home runs so far on the year but his bat has cooled to 262 on the season. While we wish he was dominating class B like he did C ball, his star is still very bright and we will let him develop in his own time frame.
3B Hank Koblenz (19) had a very challenging time at Class C Biloxi. He never got really going until his last week there when he hit just under 300 for the week. He ended up only hitting 185 while in Biloxi with 4 home runs. He has faired better overall hitting 262 in his brief time up with Class B Chattanooga paired with a hitting coach that is more known for working better with power hitters. The 2nd half of the season will tell the story but Koblenz is still our #2 prospect but he did slip out of the top 10 to #12.
The kid that is on a meteoric rise is SS Frank Davis (19). He has risen up the ranks quickly and is now in the top 50 overall checking in a #47. The #5 system prospect hit well over 300 at Class A (374) and has moved up to AA Akron where he is hitting a very respectable 276. While not a power hitter at all, he has driven in 52 RBI's on the year and looks like a real solid candidate to be the future Dynamo SS. (Note - He has since moved on to AAA). Davis came over in the deal with Pittsburgh last season that send veteran (aging) SP Ray Calfee to the Miners with Davis and a 4th round pick (SP Floyd Frost) coming to Detroit.
Detroit's #6 prospect is SP Jack Wood (23) who is the #66 overall prospect and the oldest of the top bunch. He was drafted by Brooklyn out of college in the 1935 draft and after the trade he was placed at AAA ball. Probably too early for that last year and he struggled some with a 5.00 ERA. This season he is pitching much better at Newark and is 4-4 with an ERA around 4. If he continues he will likely get a late season callup to the big leagues to just get a taste of it. He is likely to be in the starting 5 next year for Detroit unless he struggles badly in spring training.
Our #7 and #8 prospects will fall off this list because of service time (1B Bill Moore #71 overall prospect) and a combo of service time and age for #95 prospect CF Pete Thomas. Moore has been with the big league team for most of the season has a 317/413/904 batting line. Thomas came over in a trade with the NY Gothams and is right now hitting 343 in AAA Akron. He will likely be up with the big league club sooner rather than later, although minor league options might play a role in the big league club makeup.
#9 Prospect (overall #97) SS Tip Harrison (24) has been playing along side what some hope is Detroit's future double play partner 2B Homer Ray (23 - #11 and #119 overall). Harrison is hitting 275 with Newark while Ray is hitting 316. While Frank Davis's rise through the system has some people looking past Harrison, many still feel that he will be a big factor in a rebuilt Detroit club as soon as next season. Ray is making his mark and will likely be in the running for the Dynamo's 2B job in spring training.
#10 Prospect CF Ollie Williams (22) was drafted in the 2nd round last year and has been at Class B all season. It hasn't come easy for the game's #107 prospect as he is hitting 245/350/716 so far this season. There is some thinking to move him up and match him up better with a hitting coach that is more aligned with his approach, but so far that hasn't happened. With Williams in the fold at CF, the thinking is that the team doesn't need draft prospect CF Sal Pestilli and that they might go another way if they land the #1 pick next year's draft.
Overall the team has 31 prospects in the top 357 with 18 in the top 200. While the struggles on the field continue and they big league club still needs help just about everywhere, they are building a solid farm system in a relatively short amount of time.
Below are the standings, hitting and pitching numbers for the Dynamo's through the All-Star Break.
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