2009 Final Player of the Week - Dodgers Reggie Lawson

Making it Look 2 Easy....

Dodgers all world Reggie Lawson is on Fire, and like with any wildfire in the Desert, People are Concerned.

It appears almost effortless. He takes his place in the batters box, waves the bat through the strike zone a few times, takes a look out at the pitcher, leans back into whatever stance he saw on tv that day, and waits. He just waits there, in the box, his weapon in hand, waiting to go to work on whatever the poor soul on the mound believes he can sneak past his opponent. If you watch closely, as the pitcher begins his delivery you can see the hitter sort of grin. Well not sort of, a full on grin breaks through to the surface and it is at this point, the pitcher finally understands what Reggie Lawson already knows. Whatever it is, wherever it is he's probably going to hit it, and he's going to hit it hard.

Over the course of the final four games of the 2009 regular season, Reggie Lawson had 11 hits in 13 at bats, (.846 AVG) homered in three consecutive games, (3,4, and 5) drove in 14 runs (finished tied for league lead) and scored 11 runs as well. Lawson has been so locked in of late, that he is hitting good pitches badly, yet good enough to reach the trees at Hook, or over the outstretched outfielders arms at Mojave Vista. For Example, as the Dodgers played the Yankees for the final time on May 28th, Lawson (almost as if he was getting out of the way) hit a pitch up and in on the hands which couldn't have been anymore than two inches past the handle. The kind of pitch most kids end up popping out to the second baseman, maybe hitting one of those bloopers with backspin that land between the pitcher, catcher, and third baseman and usually spin foul. The ball Reggie hit however, was not a pop out to second base, and it didn't spin foul, but it did end up out of play. Reggie Lawson took a pitch off the hands, hit it with the thinnest part of the bat, and deposited it 8 feet to the left field side of the scoreboard at Hook Park, clearing the fence by approximately 25 feet. It didn't even sound good and it was gone. Can you imagine the ones he gets all of?

Lawson's run has been so impressive to THE REPORT that after watching Saturday's season finale against the Rockies it was decided no player in the league could compare to the week Reggie had so why not just lump the two weeks together.

Of Course players like teammate Zach Barnes, Braves Outfielder Javy Solorio and Padres Joey Leclair all had impressive showings over the final weekend, but they fall quite a distance short of what Reggie Lawson has done to the ball. Take away the two games for which he was voted Player of the Week, and Lawson is left going 5 for 6 with a double, triple, homerun and 8 RBI.

One other statistic of note for Big Ears this season is the number 1. As in one strikeout. Lawson has only struck out once in some 40 plate appearances. If memory serves me correct, this strikeout very well may have came in the first game back for Reggie, against the Padres, maybe even by Solomon. One strikeout every 2o times up is not too shabby for an eleven year old.

Lawson of course continues to contribute as a pitcher as well. Competing with teammates Saxon Andross and Eric Turner along with Solomon Bates for rights to the fastest fastball in the Desert. The four are consistently hitting 65 on the gun with each closing in on or passing the 70MPH mark at some point in the season.

That's the kind of information one would imagine the opposition would welcome to be made aware of. Those of you reading this may feel THE REPORT should stay silent about the very real possibility of the 11-12 year old Ribbons All Star team carrying at least 4 pitchers that throw into the high 60's and you might have a point.....but they still gotta hit it.

As for a scouting report on Reggie Lawson, I wouldn't be doing my journalistic duty as a reporter if I didn't offer a solution to those faced with keeping him off the bases in the upcoming weeks. So here it is; Lawson struggles with the pitches over the plate, just off the plate, a little high, a little low, a little in and a little out. He really can't hit the fastball and the off speed stuff is a mystery to him. He only seems to be able to hit one pitch, in one particular spot. It just so happens that in four games he hit that same pitch 11 times. Some guys have all the luck.

What pitch was it?? Heck I don't know, if I was facing him I'd probably just walk him and let whoever they have hitting behind him beat me. I'm not positive, but I think that will be some kid named Solomon??

Regg, just so you know from the red S to the end,... that's sarcasm....I wasn't serious. It was meant to be a joke. Here's to another big tourney from the Tower of Power.

Gotta make sure the kid doesn't come knocking on the door at HiTnRuNMeDiA tomorrow with a misunderstanding he's looking to discuss . I got a wife and kids to think about.

Kade McIntosh - Padres - WK6 Player of the Week

No Respect?, No Fear? No Problem....

Kade McIntosh Says He's the Padres Ace this season. Any doubters lineup. The 43 MPH bender will blow your mind.

If there are two things about the League that continue to amaze me they are as follows. First, I am amazed at the ability 11 year old Johnny Huizar has when it comes to speakin with the ladies. The lefty somehow has the ability to say all the right things, all the time. He and I currently are working on writing his book "rules of smooth" due out sometime next spring.

The thing that blows that out of the water is the inside knowledge I have that Kade McIntosh, the week 6 Ribbons Report Player of the week is in fact Solomon Bates Personal Bodyguard on the road. I first noticed it in All Stars 2007 as we scouted one night in Rialto I watched as a couple of the local kids attempted to get an autograph from Bates. Apparently Kade took the kids Pencil to be a weapon and the next thing you know, while Kade is on top of the kid on the ground Jose Martinez and Kaleyl Anderson are rushing Solomon off to a waiting Range Rover that quickly shuttled Bates off into the night. Come to find out later, The kid with the Pencil wasn't even asking for an autograph but was telling Solomon that Coach Owen could use his pencil if he wanted to scout the two teams. Just a big misunderstanding, and lucky for Kade and the other kid, those were just his baby teeth Kade had knocked out and they'd been loose for months. I think Kade tells that part of the story a little different, but my point is people think Kade is simply a smart kid who happens to hang out with Solomon, but in reality, he's there to protect him. Kade McIntosh, The Bulldog.

The Bulldog is a reference to one of the toughest pitchers of my childhood, the guy who looked like he may be your pharmacist, but ended up pitching some 57 consecutive innings without giving up a run. We was a World Series MVP, in a series in which he contributed both on the mound and at the plate. He was a tough competitor who could have been mstaken for a hoover vaccuum salesman on the street. in 1988 as he broke Don Drysdales consecutive scoreless streak Orel Hershiser was on his way to a CY Young to go along with the Series MVP. And by all accounts he looked more likely to be the teams trainer than their Ace. Now since I know Kade is smarter than your average junior high student, let me just say there is no intent to suggest you are in anyway uncool Kade, you aren't a nerd or a dweeb or a geek or any of the other names all the girls in Junior High, High School and at the JC called me all those years ago. No, in referencing the Bulldog to describe Kade McIntosh, I am making the comparison to the competitive nature found in the son of Padres manager Owen McIntosch, and in the man Tommy Lasorda refered to simply as Bulldog for the look he'd have on his face every time he took the hill.

That same look could be found in Kades eyes as he took the mound twice in the same week to hold onto Padre leads and help the squad celebrate a Ribbons league championship and a birth in the District 49 TOC tournament beginning on June 1st. Due to scheduling, Kade first was required to come in for two innings on Saturday May 9th against a Rockie team which appeared to have a couple of Victor High School Players suiting up. They were JV players so apparently it was alright. Now it wasn't even as if the Padres were coming up on mercying them by winning by 10 runs or more. The score was,at the time 4 to 0, and the way the men on the Rockies were built, a few misplaced pitches and it could be all tied up in a hurry. What does coach do? He goes to Bulldog. The result? just a two inning save in which he walked no one and struck out two while giving up just the on hit. Not too bad for a guy remeniscent of the old timer in major league, the one with the vasoline and crisco on his body. That's what Kade tends to do also, minus the Crisco and all. Kade will never try and blow the ball past a hitter, but he has no problem throwing his off speed stuff at any point in the count.With Kade, it is almost as if his number two is the old number one, the second you're not looking for it he runs a 53MPH fastball right past you.
Then the following Thursday, again facing the Rockies, Kade went to work some more. And while Solomon may have been credited with another win, it was McIntosh putting the work in, throwing three shut out innings walking one striking out two and giving up only two hits as the Padres got through what could have been a very tough week, had the team not had.........the Bulldog.
And over the course of those two games Kade was 3 for 7 with one run scored. Amazingly, Kade wouldgo the entire week without walking once. This wouldn't be that big of a deal, other than the fact that these have been the only two games ALL SEASON in which Kade has failed to walk at least once. In the first
encounter with the Braves this season Kade walked 4 times, and currently leads the league with 16 walks. These 16 walks to go along with 9 hits have translated into a .581 OBP and 17 runs on the year, good for second most in the league behind teammate and client, Solomon Bates.
Unfortunately, as far as leadoff hitters go, Kade again gets no respect, but maybe that's part of the master plan for the Padres. Pitchers are looking in the on deck circle and see Joey Leclair with some power, behind him the three, four and five hitters are batting a combined 51 for 89 (.573) with 4 Homeruns and 49 RBI's. So what tends to happen? The pitchers seem to maybe grip the ball a little tighter, maybe over focus on trying to make the perfect pitch and more often then not, end up walking the Dandgerfield only to struggle with the two hitter, give up a bullet off the bat of the three hitter, the four hitter doubles...etc, etc. At
some point in the game that pitcher is convinced McIntosh won't swing, throw him a cookie and WHACK into right field for a single. I can think of at least one player who would love to be sitting with one game left having scored 17 runs and walked 16 times this season. Of course that player also would love to sit on the
couch all day watching iCarly, but that's another story, for another time.
So go ahead, overlook McIntosh in the lineup he's cool with that and while your at it, feel free to think the key to beating the Padres is getting into their bullpen. A bullpen that has given up a combined 6 earned
runs in a combined 23.2 innings pitched. In other words, in pitching four more innings than one of the premier pitchers of the league, Saxon Andross, the Padre bullpen has given up two less earned runs than he has. But again, its not like the Padres have much of any pitching once you get past Solomon. Yeah there's Kaleyl but he's inconsistant (0 runs allowed in 11+innings pitched) and then they really just have.......Kade?
No respect for Kade on the mound? No fear of Kades bat at the plate? That's fine....just promise me you'll remember one thing should you decide to ever get into a scuffle with Bates; Kade's got a black belt in KARATE........and the boots to match.

Kaleyl Anderson WK5 Player of the Week

Business as Usual for Padres Anderson

Forget that he missed a couple games. Forget that his first game back was one of only two games in which he was held hitless, (The entire team was that day). We don't need to mention that he leads the league in doubles and triples and is second only to teammate Solomon Bates in RBI's. And for the sake of time lets avoid even mentioning that in 11.2 innings on the mound, he has yet to allow a run, walked only 6 batters while striking out 20. Yeah let's blow off all that and focus on the week that earned Kaleyl Anderson, your vote and the majority of votes for this weeks Player of the week.

Now the week featured two games for Anderson, and while The Dodgers kept him Hitless Yet again, Kaleyl remained enough of a concern to cause Dodger pitching to walk him twice, allowing him to score two very important runs on the way to a 7-3 victory over the Dodgers. Kaleyl also worked one and one third innings allowing one walk and one hit to earn the save. That was the so so game. Thursday May 7th Kaleyl single handily sunk the Braves with his unbelievable performance at the plate. Anderson went 4 for 5 scoring twice including once on a homerun to left center field. More amazing than the 4 for 5 is the fact that he was credited with 8 RBI's officially on the night. Just the one night, just in one game. And we at THE REPORT estimate Kaleyl to have been involved with somewhere in the neighborhood of a dozen runs scoring for the Padres ( cannot credit RBI's for errors). An absolutely phenomenal night caped off with another inning and a third save in which he allowed only one baserunner via the walk.

So the final line for Kaleyl's week that was:

4 for 7 1 HR, 8 RBI, 4R's 2.2 IP 1H 3K's 2SV's

Not too bad for a week, or in many cases such as Tye Andross, these numbers could represent a career. And just a follow up to Kaleyls dominance of the Braves; Saturday Kaleyl went 3 for 4 with two RBI, two Runs and two Doubles. while working one and two thirds innings to earn his third save. Seven hits in two games? Ten RBI? And Kaleyl still has one more game against the Braves.......Those lucky Braves.

Joey LeClair Wk 4's Player of the Week.

If there were any one player in the league determined to prove his worth, it might very well be the utility man and two hole hitter of the Padres, Joey LeClair. LeClair finished the 08 season as a member of the Championship winning, Tye Andross led Dodgers. Following an appearance in the TOC tournament, Joey would spend the majority of the summer subbing in and out as a member of the Ribbons 9-10 all-star team that would win both the district and sectional tournaments. Joey went on to play travel ball with some of the boys from Ribbons also under the guidance of coach Tye Andross. As this season surfaced, LeClair appeared to be a no show, but eventually was signed up and ready to defend Tye's title. Andross however had chosen to dissolve his squad with only three players returning. Two went with him to the Reds,( now the Dodgers) and Leclair was picked up by Andross' arch rival, Owen McIntosh and the Padres. Who knows what Coach Owen has told him, what story Owen used to motivate the outfielder/Infielder, but whatever it is, it seems to be working. At press time LeClair had scored 11 runs and driven in 7 for the 1st place Padres. LeClair fits in perfectly with the high powered Padre offense, providing the rare combination of speed and power between McIntosh and Bates.

The power portion was on display in a week 4 game against the Rockies in which LeClair got into one for his first jack of the season. A homerun that would ultimately provide him the opportunity to be recognized by THE REPORT and fans alike.

And is there any ill will towards the Dodger organization for their mistreatment of this week 4 player of the week? Any chance of a soundbite possibly indicating Joey's true feelings on the way it all worked out? No Comment.

Guess the Player of the Week thing, the first place thing and the homerun thing all just kinda say enough,huh?

Aprils Best - The Nominee's

Ok all you coaches, here's their resumes indicating what they did in April. Who's your pick for THE REPORT's player of the month for APRIL

• S. Bates - The early pick as league ace: 2W's 1.85 ERA 39k's / .692 1hr 12 rbi
• E. Turner- An emerging Ace: 2W's 1.85 ERA 30k's / .300 hr 4 rbi
• J. Huizar - The Suprise - .412 2HR 10 rbi / 1w 2.13 ERA 2 hits allowed in 11 innings
• S. Andross - As Always- .308 HR 5 RBI / 2W'S 21K'S
• B. Woods - Under the Radar - .533 7RBI/ quality on the hill and behind the plate
• J. Maley - The Glue - Where would the Padres be without this Catcher .500 8 RBI
• R. Lawson - The Edge - His return brings Dodgers life .300 4 rbi / 8k's in 4.1 innings
• K. Anderson - The Counter move - Keeping the Padres just ahead .600 3 rbi in 3 games
• R. Rivera - The Steal - .350 5 RBI 522 OBP 4 2B/ 1 win on the hill

There they are, who's your pick as the MVP of April, is it stats or impact? Send us your thoughts.

WEEK 2/3 PLAYER OF THE WEEK - RICKY RIVERA BRAVES

Young Warrior Swings Big Tomahawk
Braves Rivera plays big in 2 Wins.

Ask him and he'll tell you its the top ramen or the chicken noodle he eats before, the game. Others say maybe its the protein shake, the two banana's or the three Raw eggs he chokes down before his two mile jog each day. Still friends insist its the three hundred pushups and situps performed just before bed. In our best guess, its the MMA training he's been involved in since 8 months of age. The one person who we at THE REPORT are convinced has to know the secret to the tremendous power displayed by Ricky Rivera is his dad, and he ain't saying a word. He's just standing there coaching third and watching his son slow up at second with yet another double.
You had to know it would be Ricks week after the first play of the game two Saturday's ago. Prior to the first pitch Braves manager Ken Woods noticed Rivera too deep in Center, He called out to him and brought him back into the park. The next pitch was a blooper looking as if it would fall in for a hit, but at the last second, Ricky came sliding in taking the ball of the tips of the grass. Not to shabby for a guy who just started playing outfield about a year ago. Rivera and Bryant Valenzuela currently swap between centerfield and secondbase. Both appear comfortable at either position simply adding to a very solid defense. But Defense doesn't usually get you a Player of the Week award from THE REPORT, it usually includes some significant work at the plate.
How about 4 for 8 with three doubles all of which reached the fence, two of those on one hop. Include 4 runs scored and 4 RBI, In just two games, a ten year old!! I didn't even have my first double until I was in ninth grade. A ten year old, putting dents in the fences of ballparks around Victorville. I know what you the reader are saying, Reggie was taking them out last year at ten, Turner, Saxon and you know you're right. But have you sat and compared a ten year old Reggie Lawson to Rick Rivera?Reggie was bigger at ten then I was at 20. Ricky's Power is no accident, Ricky may be the strongest player on the Braves and I am considering laying down this challenge to any Ribbons Major boy interested. Hit more doubles than Rick and you get the chance at THE RIBBONS REPORTS "WRESTLEMANIA 1" . Three minutes of full on wrestling. First we have to find some guys to hit more doubles than Rick. If anyone can do that, they've earned the invitation to prove they are far more explosive both on the field and in the ring than KID DYNAMITE. After the first guy, we'll see if there is anyone else interested in the possibility of having to comb their hair with their feet.

Getting back to the Player of the weeks performance; as if the power, the plays in centerfield and at secondbase weren't already enough, Rick (the 10 year old) closed out a win for the Braves as well. And with a strikeout no less. What a week.

"The Kid's still Mashin'"

Here's Rivera's up to date stats, not to shabby for one of the youngest kids in the league:

AVG.389, OBP .450, SLUG .611

HITS 7 DOUBLES 4

5 RBI'S AND 7 RUNS SCORED.

2 IP 0 Hits 1 Run in win over Yankees.

LOOKIN FORWARD TO SEEING SOME TEARS OUT OF YOU 12 YEAR OLDS THINKING YOU CAN TAKE HIM. JUST REMEMBER YOU HAVE TO CATCH HIM FIRST AND HE IS QUITE A FEW AHEAD OF MOST OF YOU.

CONGRATS RICKY KEEP POUNDING THE BALL!!!