Shayne Moody is off to a hot start with the Appalachian League's Danville Braves. |
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Niners in the Minors Update
July 1, 2008
Charlotte, N.C. - It has been a good June for most of the former Charlotte 49ers in the minor leagues. Not only did Spencer Steedley and Derek McDaid make the Midwest League All-Star Game, but Adam Mills has been called up to Double-A Portland after leading the Class-A Advanced Lancaster Jethawks pitching staff through the first half of the summer season. He reports to the Eastern League club on July 4.
Mills was 7-4, with a 4.43 ERA in 15 starts at the high-altitude park, leading the team in wins and innings pitched. He was tied for seventh in the California League in wins and just outside the top 10 in innings pitched before flying cross-country to Maine.
UPDATE: On July 1, McDaid received a mid-season promotion from Fort Wayne to Lake Elsinore of the Advanced-A California League. McDaid was 3-2 with a 3.89 ERA and a pair of saves in 33 relief appearances for the Wizards of the Midwest League, where he has played for two seasons after signing as a free agent with the San Diego Padres. He was 7-3 there in 2007, with a 4.91 ERA in 52 appearances (with one start).
Four Niners were drafted in the 2008 Amateur Draft, with two players playing so far. One of those two, Shayne Moody, was assigned to the short-season Appalachian League's Danville Braves, where he is among the league leaders in hits, doubles and on-base percentage.
During his 2008 season at Charlotte, the Midland, Texas native led the Atlantic 10 in hits, at-bats and plate appearances. He was the 2007 Most Outstanding Player of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
In an interview after a home game last week, Moody expressed some satisfaction for his good start and had an explanation for why he kept hitting when he got to the Danville club.
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"I'm a little older," said Moody, referring to being the oldest player on the team by a few months. "I've become a more mature hitter and have gone through some of the things that these young guys are going through right now."
The schedule, usually getting to the stadium after lunch and staying there around eight hours, is one that he adjusted to quickly.
"The best thing is being able to sleep in and not have to go to class," said Moody. "I think about it sometimes where I have to get up and go to the office and the office is a ball park. All I have to do is go out and play as hard as I can and let other people worry about the rest of it."
Moody played his last game for Charlotte on May 31 in Raleigh and had his first game in Danville (about two hours north of Charlotte) on June 17, leaving little time to get to know his teammates, which can be important on the infield, where players have to rely on one another defensively.
"We have a few Latin players and there's a language barrier there," said Moody. "It can get frustrating to not have the chemistry like (Charlotte second baseman Corey) Shaylor and I had. There are a couple of guys that I still don't even know their names yet."
And the difference, according to Moody, between the college game and the pro game?
"There's not a lot of difference. The guys hit the ball a little harder. The pitchers throw the ball a lot harder. Turning double play balls is the thing they focus the most on here."
For a complete list of former Niners currently in professional baseball, check out the Niners in the Pros page.
