Drizzle & Fizzle (as Snooop D-O-double Gizzle might’ve called the Draft & Follow) has been on something of a hiatus while I adjust to some changes in my personal and professional life.  My slow slog back into TRDMB activity begins with the first part in a multi-part series looking back on the first professional seasons of the players chosen by the Mets in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.

With the regular season already complete for the GCL Mets of the Gulf Coast League and the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League, and with just 1 game remaining for the Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York-Penn League and 2 games left for the Savannah Sand Gnats of the South Atlantic League we begin our look back.

• 2nd round - Steven Matz: the high school LHP signed late, was assigned to the GCL Mets, didn’t play.

• 3rd round - Robbie Shields: the college SS signed after the season was underway and started his pro career in Brooklyn ice cold.  His final numbers in 142 at bats were .176/.273/.268.  He did show some improvement after the NYPL All-Star break hitting .238/.319/.286 from then on.  The high point of his season may have been scoring the game winning run on rehabbing Carlos Beltran’s single recently.

• 4th round - Darrell Ceciliani: the college OF had a line of .234/.313/.310 in 158 at bats for Kingsport.  He had a fine month of July going .303/.361/.447.  He did better in away games, batting .298 outside of Kingsport.  He stole 14 bases in 16 attempts.

• 7th round - Darin Gorski: the college LHP pitched in 13 games, starting 11, for Brooklyn.  He is 3-4 with a 4.91 ERA in 62 1/3 innings including his September 5th start against Lowell in which he allowed 1 run in 5 2/3 innings on 1 hit and 4 walks while striking out 7.  For the season walks seem to have been the negative.  He allowed just 51 hits in his 62 1/3 innings, but walked 26.  His ERA, ground ball out percentage and batting average against all improved notably after the All-Star break.

• 8th round - John Freeman: the college C played in 39 of Kingsport’s 65 games compiling a line of .221/.271/.305 in 131 at bats.  He finished strong with a .308/.383/.462 line in 52 August at bats.  Like Ceciliani, he hit much better away from Kingsport, with a .289 away BA compared to .127 at home.

• 9th round - Jeffrey Glenn: like Matz, the HS C signed late, was assigned to the GCL but did not play.

• 10th round - Nick Santomauro: the college OF spent the season with Brooklyn, compiling a .241/.368/.441 line in 145 at bats.  His .809 OPS is 2nd on the team and his 6 HR leave him tied for the club lead with 1 game remaining.

Nick salutes one of his 6 home runs

Gulf Coast League

• The GCL Mets beat the GCL Cardinals 6-2 Monday.  3 2009 draftees played.  Chase Greene started in RF batting leadoff.  In the 5th inning he reached on a fielder’s choice and came around to score, going 0 for 3 before being replaced in the 7th inning by ZeErika Hall who doubled and scored in the 7th to go 1 for 1.  C Camden Maron walked in the 2nd and hit a 2-run double in the 6th to go 1 for 3.  See the box score and recap for more.

Appalachian League

• The Bristol Sox beat the Kingsport Mets 4-3 Monday.  3 2009 draftees played.  CF Darrell Ceciliani was hit by a pitch in the 7th inning and stole his 13th base of the season, but was 0 for 3 in his official at bats.  LF Ronald Harris singled and scored in the 6th to go 1 for 3.  3B Joseph Bonfe had an RBI single in the 4th to go 1 for 4.  For more see the box score and recap.

New York-Penn League

• The Vermont Lake Monsters beat the Brooklyn Cyclones 7-6 Monday.  3 2009 draftees played.  P Darin Gorski started and threw 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 3.  He received no decision.  1B Sam Honeck walked in the 1st inning and finished 0 for 4.  SS Robbie Shields had an RBI single and came around to score in the 6th, going 1 for 4.  See the game story, box score and recap for more.
• The latest entry in Wes Wrenn’s diary is up.

South Atlantic League

• The Rome Braves beat the Savannah Sand Gnats 5-3 Monday.  2 2009 draftess played.  P John Church threw 2 scoreless innings of relief, allowing 2 hits while striking out 2.  RF Joseph August was 0 for 4.  For more see the game story, box score and recap.

Gulf Coast League

• The GCL Marlins beat the GCL Mets 4-2 Sunday.  4 2009 draftees played.  P Taylor Whitenton threw 2 scoreless innings, allowing 3 walks.  RF Chase Greene went 0 for 5 at the plate.  1B Travis Ozga reached on an error in the 6th inning and walked in the 8th as part of his 0 for 3 game.  He also dropped a pick off throw for his 5th error of the season.  LF ZeErika Hall walked in the 2nd, doubled and came around to score in the 4th to go 1 for 3.  See the box score and recap for more.

Appalachian League

• The Kingsport Mets won a doubleheader at the Bristol Sox Sunday.  In the 2-1 first game win, 5 2009 draftees played.  P Brian Needham picked up his 1st hold of the season with 1 inning of scoreless relief.  He allowed 1 hit and recorded 1 strikeout.  3B Joseph Bonfe was 0 for 3 at the plate.  C John Freeman, DH Ronald Harris and CF Darrell Ceciliani all singled to go 1 for 3.  See the box score and recap for more.
• In the 5-4 second game victory, 7 2009 draftees played.  P Thomas Chism picked up his 1st hold of the season with 2/3 scoreless innings.  He allowed 1 hit and 1 walk.  Harris played CF in this game and had a 3rd inning single and a 4th inning sacrifice fly in going 1 for 3.  Bonfe played 1B and walked in the 1st and singled in the 5th to go 1 for 3.  3B James Schroeder was 0 for 4 with a 3rd inning RBI ground out.  RF Kurt Steinhauer singled and scored in the 4th to go 1 for 3.  LF John Semel had an RBI single in the 4th and came around to score to go 1 for 4.  2B Ryan Mollica singled in the 1st and singled and scored in the 5th to go 2 for 4.  For more see the box score and recap.

New York-Penn League

• The Brooklyn Cyclones won a doubleheader at the Aberdeen IronBirds Sunday.  In the 1st game, a 5-0 victory, Brandon Moore threw a 7 inning complete game no-hitter.  Moore was taken in the 14th round of the 2008 draft but I couldn’t hold his draft year against him considering the no-hitter.  3 2009 draftees played.  DH Nick Santomauro was 0 for 2 with a walk.  SS Robbie Shields singled in the 3rd inning and was hit by a pitch and scored in the 7th as part of his 1 for 2 game.  1B Alex Gregory had a 4th inning RBI double and singled and scored in the 7th to go 2 for 3.  See the game story, box score and recap for more.
• In the 5-1 second game victory, Shields had a 6th inning double to go 1 for 3 and Gregory walked in the 4th and singled and scored in the 6th to go 1 for 2.  For more see the box score and recap.

South Atlantic League

• The Savannah Sand Gnats beat the Rome Braves 5-4 Sunday.  2009 draftee RF Joseph August was 0 for 3.  See the game story, box score and recap for more.

Gulf Coast League

• The GCL Mets beat the GCL Astros 3-2 Saturday.  2 2009 draftees played.  ZeErika Hall came on for defense in LF in the 9th inning but did not have a plate appearance.  RF Chase Greene walked and scored in the 1st inning, singled in the 3rd and had an RBI single in the 7th to go 2 for 3.  See the box score and recap for more.
• GCL Met pitcher Santiago Valdez has been suspended for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

Appalachian League

• The Kingsport Mets beat the Bluefield Orioles 3-1 Saturday.  4 2009 draftees played.  P Zachary Von Tersch (2-0) picked up the win with 2 innings of scoreless relief.  Von Tersch allowed no hits or walks, and recorded 1 strikeout.  CF Darrell Ceciliani and LF Ronald Harris were both 0 for 4.  3B Joseph Bonfe singled in the 1st and the 9th to go 2 for 4.  See the box score and recap for more.

South Atlantic League

• The Savannah Sand Gnats beat the Rome Braves 7-4 Saturday.  2009 draftee Joseph August played both LF and RF defensively, and at the plate he had a 2-run double in the 2nd inning and came around to score, and also had an RBI fielder’s choice in the 3rd inning as part of his 1 for 4 game.  For more see the box score and recap.

"Every time I thought I'd got it made it seemed the taste was not so sweet"

Due to some ch-ch-ch-ch-changes in my schedule, the “Draft & Follow” will be moving from it’s normal time slot at 11:00am.  For the remainder of the minor league season it will be published in the late afternoon/early evening, so both of you who read it please look for it there.  Thanks to all of you who’ve taken the time to check it out and “Lets Go Future Mets!”

Gulf Coast League

• The GCL Nationals beat the GCL Mets 7-2 Thursday.  5 2009 draft picks played.  P Taylor Whitenton threw a scoreless inning, allowing only a walk while recording 1 strikeout.  Chase Greene started the game in RF and was 1 for 3 with a 1st inning single at the plate.  In the 5th inning ZeErika Hall replaced Greene in RF and Hall was 0 for 2 at the plate.  1B Travis Ozga singled in the 2nd inning and doubled in the 7th to go 2 for 4.  C Nelfi Zapata doubled and scored in the 2nd and singled in the 4th to go 2 for 4.  See the box score and recap for more.

Appalachian League

• The Kingsport Mets beat the Bluefield Orioles 9-3 Thursday.  4 2009 draftees played.  Darrell Ceciliani started in CF and was 0 for 2 at the plate.  Kurt Steinhauer replaced him in CF in the 4th inning.  He hit an RBI double in the 6th to go 1 for 3.  3B Joseph Bonfe was 0 for 5.  DH Ronald Harris singled and scored in the 4th, walked in the 5th and singled in the 9th to go 2 for 4.  For more see the box score and recap.

New York-Penn League

• The Brooklyn Cyclones beat the State College Spikes 4-3 Thursday.  3 2009 draftees played.  LF Nick Santomauro was 0 for 5.  1B Sam Honeck singled in the 1st inning and walked in the 9th to go 1 for 4.  SS Robbie Shields had an RBI single in the 4th and walked in the 9th to go 1 for 4.  See the box score and recap for more.

Gulf Coast League

• The GCL Marlins beat the GCL Mets 12-4 Tuesday.  4 2009 draftees played.  C Nelfi Zapata went 0 for 4 at the plate and recorded his 11th & 12th passed balls of the season on defense.  3B Travis Ozga singled and scored in the 2nd inning and walked in the 8th as part of his 1 for 3 game.  CF Chase Greene doubled and scored in the 1st inning, singled in the 3rd and doubled again in the 7th to go 3 for 5.  RF ZeErika Hall had an RBI single in the 1st inning, an RBI ground out in the 2nd and an RBI single in the 4th to give him a 2 for 5 game with 3 RBI.  See the box score and recap for more.

• Steven Matz, Jeffrey Glenn, Zachary Dotson and Anthony Whitenton, the four 2009 draft picks who signed with the Mets on deadline day, will all be reporting to the GCL Mets.  They better hurry, the GCL Mets have only 10 games remaining in their season.

Appalachian League

• The Kingsport Mets beat the Princeton Rays 5-2 Tuesday.  3 2009 draft picks played.  CF Darrell Ceciliani was 0 for 3.  DH Joseph Bonfe walked in the 5th inning and hit an RBI single in the 6th to go 1 for 3.  C John Freeman hit a solo home run, his 1st, in the 6th to go 1 for 3.  For more see the box score and recap.