If you can't say something nice...
ESTE 6, AGUILAS 5 IN AGUILAS
Twins: Luis Perdomo (Aguilas) surrendered two runs on two hits and a walk in a third of an inning.
Game summary: Aguilas took a 5-0 lead after four. It stayed that way until the ninth, when Este scored six times. The go-ahead run scored on an error on a pickoff attempt. Aguilas put the tying run on third with one out, lost him on an attempt to score, then put the tying run on third again with two out.
Este: Eugenio Velez (Toronto) was 1-for-2 with a three-run homer. Adalberto Mendez retired all eight batters he faced.
Aguilas: Lorenzo Barcelo pitched six shutout innings, allowing five hits and a walk. Juan Carlos Perez was 2-for-5 with two doubles and scored once.
ESCOGIDO 4, ORIENTE 0 IN ORIENTE (11 INNINGS)
Twins: Drew Butera (Oriente) was 0-for-2.
Game summary: The runs scored on a double, an error, an intentional walk, a hit batsman, a ground out, another intentional walk, and a single.
Escogido: Daniel Corcino struck out five in four innings, giving up one hit and two walks. Wilkin Castillo was 3-for-5 with two RBIs.
Oriente: Evan MacLane allowed on hit and no walks in five shutout innings. Jerad Head was 2-for-3.
LICEY 5, CIBAO 4 IN LICEY
Game summary: Licey scored two in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead and got an insurance run in the seventh. They needed it, because Cibao scored once in the ninth and got the tying run on base with one out.
Cibao: Carlos Peguero (Seattle) was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Alexi Casilla (Baltimore) was 2-for-5 with a double and scored twice.
Licey: Erick Aybar (Angels) was 2-for-4 with a home run. Jhonatan Solano (Washington) was 2-for-2 with two walks and scored once.
Padre - I've always considered these leagues to be, essentially, extended minor league or fall ball games. Is that a fair assessment?
If so, how is Butters still only batting .204?
Also, by my count, Laddie is currently 8th in the Dominican League in batting - .301/.363/.408
Mr. Butera's lifetime minor league batting average is .216, so .204 would fall right in line with that.
It's hard for me to know just how much, if any, weight to put on winter ball. The competition is uneven and the playing time is often sporadic. Teams will commonly use six or eight pitchers in a game. As I said with the AFL, I suppose it's better to do well than to do poorly. My feeling, though, is that I wouldn't let it influence how I felt about someone too much. If you liked someone after the minor league season, and he did poorly in the winter, I'd say you should still like him. If you didn't like someone after the minor league season, and he did well in the winter, I wouldn't assume that all of a sudden he can play. Basically, I follow it because I find it fun, not because I think it's terribly meaningful.