Going to go a different way with an extra-special evening edition of Around the Farm tonight. One of the fun things about attending minor league games is that you always know where the scouts are. Even if there isn't a functioning radar gun in the stadium you're in, you can always peek over the shoulders of the guys in polo shirts behind homeplate and get a look at their readings. Best of all, you know those readings are legit, and not a product of a juiced up home radar gun (cough, Kansas City, cough). These men are lucky enough to get paid to travel around the country and do nothing but watch baseball, and their job depends on their opinions of how young players are performing. I sat with one of these men for a couple of innings earlier this season, an experience NL scout who has seen the Indians at every level this year from the majors all the way down to Lake County. Here's some of what he had to say, from guys in the bigs down to the Captains:

Asdrubal Cabrera: He has the best hands of any shortstop in the major leagues. He has above average range, not elite but good, and his hands are the quickest I've seen in the bigs this year. He's walking more than he did last year, and still hitting for power.He's probably the best overall shortstop in the American League right now.

Carlos Santana: His defense is SO much better than it was last year...you can tell he really worked at it this offseason. 

Francisco Lindor: That kid is the real deal. I can't beleive he's still 18. One of the best prospects I've seen this year.

Felix Sterling: The fastball was decent, between 91-94, but his secondary stuff didn't impress me at all. Honestly, I wrote him up as a reliever.

Jesus Aguilar: Nothing special. Organizational guy to me. I saw him hit a bunch of HR last year, but the higher he gets through the system the more pitchers will be able to attack his flaws. Still struggles with soft stuff away, especially the slider.

Roberto Perez: Wow...best defensive catcher I've seen. 

He went on to say that he didn't pick the Indians to finish above .500 this year before the season started, and thinks it's remarkable just how much they are winning without great production from 1B/3B/LF/RF. He doesn't seem convinced that the Indians can stay in contention this year, and thinks that a July swoon similar to last year may be in order.

Now, I don't agree 100% with everything he said (I still think Aguilar could be a major leaguer down the road), but I think it's invaluable to get a professional opinion from a guy who's completely unaffiliated with the organization. He has absoutely no reason to tell me anything but his honest opinion, and I'm under no illiusion about his honest opinion being much better informed than mine. This is a veteran guy who's being paid by a major league baseball team to do this, and he knows a lot more about recognizing potential talent in minor league baseball players than I do. So I hope you appreciate this "inside" look into the business of baseball, and look forward to providing more and more of this type of thing as the season progresses.

Chun Chen, 1B-AKR: 1-3, BB.

Chen has been on fire of late. In his last 3 games, he's a combined 8-12 with a pair of doubles, 7 RBI and three runs scored. He's hit in 9 of his last 10, and has put up a .436/.500/.590 line with 6 2B. Chen is hitting, but is he hitting for enough power to be an everyday 1B in the major leagues? In my humble opinion, no, not yet. He's repeating AA Akron, and has a solid .324/.401/.439 line in 37 games, but has hit just 1 HR and driven in just 15 runs despite hitting in the middle of the Akron lineup all season. His 13 doubles are good for 2nd in the league, which is an encouraging sign, but for a guy repeating a level he's already had success at, one would expect some of those 2B to be HR by now. Between a glut of talented catchers in the organization, a lack of talented 1B and Chen's defensive deficencies behind the dish, the move to 1B made sense. Chen hit 16 HR and slugged .451 for Akron last year, and he's going to have to match or preferably exceed those numbers to be considered a prospect at 1B. As a catcher, Chen was an elite hitter. As a 1B, he's merely average right now. Hopefully the power stroke can return for Chen and the 23-year old can move up to AAA Columbus next year.

David Huff, SP-COL: W (2-1), 5 IP, 3 H, 4 K, BB. Five shutout innings for Huff, who's now 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA, 16 K and just 3 BB in 20 1/3 innings of work over  5 appearances for the Clippers after beginning the season on the DL.

Scott Barnes, RP-COL: 2 IP, 2 K. Barnes has been throwing regularly every third day since May 8, which was his 2nd appearance out of the bullpen. In 5 apperances including May 8, he's thrown 8 2/3 innings, allowed just 1 run while striking out 10 and walking just 1. Barnes could be a really effective lefthanded reliever, but I still think his real value lies in the rotation.

Beau Mills, 1B-COL: 2-4, 2 HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 R. Mills has been struggling of late, and even after yesterday's big day is only hitting .147/.184/.324 in his last 10 games.

Russ Canzler, LF-COL: 2-3, 2B, BB. Canzler had a bit of a slow start this year, but has been on fire of late. In his last 5 games, Canzler is 10-18 with a HR, 3B and 3 2B.

T.J. McFarland, SP-AKR: W (8-1), 7 IP, ER, 12 H, 6 K. I'm contractually obligated here to tell you that McFarland "scattered" 12 hits over 7 innings of work. When you strike out 6, don't walk anyone and induce 4 doubleplay grounders, you can allow just one run on 12 hits. McFarland's breakout continues, as he lowers his ERA to 1.79 in 55 1/3 AA innings pitched.

Bryan Price, RP-AKR: S (2), 2 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 K. Price picked up his 2nd save on the season, and has now posted a 2.96 ERA with 27 K and 8 BB in 24 1/3 innings of work for the Aeros.

Mike Rayl, SP-CAR: L (3-5), 6 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 4 K, 2 BB. Rayl was roughed up early for 3 runs in the 1st inning yesterday, then settled in to allow one run on a solo HR for the rest of the afternoon. For the season he's now 3-5 with a 3.83 ERA, 35 K and 13 BB in 49 1/3 IP.

Shawn Armstrong, RP-CAR: 2 IP, 2 K, BB. Another solid outing for Armstrong, who lowered his season ERA to a miniscule 0.35. He was working mostly between 91-95 with his fastball yesterday, and doing a nice job pitching backwards to hitters and inducing weak contact with his secondary stuff.

Tyler Holt, CF-CAR: 1-4, BB, K, SB. Holt has now hit in 6 straight games, and is 9-26 in that timeframe. He's stolen 10 bases this season and been caught 4 times, and is showing off an improved throwing arm.

Ronny Rodriguez, SS-CAR: 1-4, HR (3), RBI, R, K. Rodriguez sent a flyball right down the line and over the 315 sign in Potomac yesterday for his 3rd HR of the season. He's still chasing way too many offspeed pitches in the dirt, and pitchers are getting him off balance and out on his front foot way too often. He can hit a fastball a long ways, but is struggling with anything other than that. The good news is he's playing an excellent SS, showing off impressive range and an outstanding throwing arm.

Cody Anderson, SP-LCC: L (4-2), 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 8 K. Anderson pitched well, allowing 2 runs on 2 solo HR's, but his offense didn't support him as the Captains were shut out yesterday. On the season, Anderson is now 4-2 with a 2.05 ERA, 39 K and 9 BB in 44 IP.

Luigi Rodriguez, CF-LCC: 1-4, 2 K. Rodriguez was one of the few Captains with a hit yesterday. More on him in a special scouting notebook coming up later.

BONUS ROUND!

Adam Miller, SP-TRN: 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, K. Miller signed with the Yankees in the offseason, and after 10 relief innings for AAA Scranton, the Yankees decided to put Miller back in the starting rotation. He threw 4 1/3 shutout innings for AA Trenton yesterday, allowing 4 hits and striking out one. I know Miller isn't in the Indians organization anymore, and in fact is with the hated Yankees, but I just can't stop pulling for him. After all of the injuries, all of the surgeries and all of the rehab, it would be awesome if Miller could someday pitch in the major leagues. Of course I'd have preferred that be with the Indians, but what can ya do. Asked by reporters after his start about the move to the Yankees, Miller said "There's nothing bad I can say about the Indians. They were awesome to me. The Yankees seemed like a good fit." Good luck, Adam. Hope you make it to the show someday.

Jeremie Tice, DH-CAR: 3-5, HR (8), 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, K.

Tice, AKA @BigOleChunkyBoy, has been having a great season for the Mudcats. He's 2nd in the league in HR, leads the league in OPS (1.068) and SLG (.667). He's been a steady presence in the middle of the Mudcats lineup, and has been absolute murder on LHP. He's hitting an outstanding .526/.545/1.158 with 3 HR and 14 RBI in 19 AB against southpaws this season. The 26-year old Tice is old for the level, and is repeating the Carolina League where he hit .258/.356/.436 with 11 HR in 77 games. Tice is doing what he can do to establish himself as a prospect, as there's nothing he can do to get promoted up the organizational ladder besides keep on hitting. Tice made it all the way to 3B on his double last night, but the scorers decided that the big man had only hit a double and advanced to 3rd on an error. Big, Bad Jesus Aguilar scored all the way from first on the hit, and I wish I had my stopwatch out on the play because I'm pretty sure it took at least three and a half minutes for the whole thing to unfold.

Kevin Slowey, SP-COL: W (3-3), 7 IP, ER, 3 H, 7 K, 2 BB. Slowey had his best start since coming over to the Indians organization last night. On the season, he's 3-3 with a 5.14 ERA, 34 K and 13 BB in 49 innings of work for the Clippers.

Dan Wheeler, RP-COL: IP, ER, 2 H, K. Wheeler's 1st outing in AAA this year, and he managed to hold on to the 11-run Clipper lead in the 9th yesterday. It was not a save situation.

Jason Donald, SS-COL: 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI. Donald has been hot for the Clippers, hitting an even .400 since being sent down to AAA.

Matt LaPorta, LF-COL: 1-3, HR (12), 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 R, K. Matt LaPorta can hit AAA pitching.

Jared Goedert, RF-COL: 2-3, RBI, 2 BB, 2 R. Goedert really isn't a right fielder, but he more than earned his promotion to AAA Columbus and I'm glad they were able to find a spot for him. He finished up in AA Akron with a .395/.476/.613 line with 5 HR and 17 RBI in 35 games, and picked up right where he left off for the Clip Show.

Cord Phelps, 2B-COL: 1-5, 2B, R, K. Phelps has hit in 8 of his last 10, putting up a .300/.349/.500 line with 2 HR and 2 2B in that timeframe.

T.J. House, SP-AKR: W (2-1), 6 IP, ER, 2 H, 5 K, 4 BB. House bounced back from his only bad start of the season, allowing just one run on two hits. He did walk more than two batters in a game for the first time this year, but balanced it out with the 5 K. In 8 starts between Akron and Carolina, House is now 4-1 with 1 2.63 ERA and has 49 K and 15 BB in 48 IP.

Loek van Mil, RP-AKR: IP. The giant Van Mil has appeared in 4 games for the Aeros, throwing 6 innings, allowing 1 earned run, striking out 7 and walking 2.

Chun Chen, 1B-AKR: 4-5, 2 2B, 5 RBI, R. Akron exploded for 16 runs yesterday, and Chun was one of the main reasons why. He hit his 12th and 13th doubles of the season and drove in a season and team-high 5 runs. His season line is now up to a solid .311/.385/.432 in 35 games for the Aeros.

Kyle Bellows, 3B-AKR: 4-5, HR (3), 4 RBI, 2B, R. Bellows is normally known more for his glove than for his bat, but the slick-fielding 3B hit a grand slam on his way to a 4-hit night for the Aeros. The big game raised his season line to .231/.331/.361.

Roberto Perez, C-AKR: 1-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB, R. One of Perez's RBI came on a bases-loaded walk. Another defense-first guy with a nice night with the bat for the Aeros, Perez's line is now at .226/.333/.333 with 1 HR and 5 RBI in 28 Eastern League games.

Thomas Neal, RF-AKR: 3-5, 2 R. Neal has had a dissapointing season so far in 2012, but has picked things up lately, going for a .313/.410/.344 line in his last 10 games.

Kyle Blair, SP-CAR: 3 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 2 K, 2 BB. Blair struck out the first two batters he faced, then didn't record a K in the rest of the outing. He gave up a couple of hard-hit balls (2 HR) and a couple of "ground balls with eyes." He probably pitched better than his overall line indicates.

Jordan Cooper, RP-CAR: W (1-2), 4 IP, H, 5 K. Cooper came in on relief of Blair and was absolutely dominant. He struck out 5 in 4 innings of work, allowing just a single hit.

Tony Wolters, 2B-CAR: 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI, BB, 3 R, SB. Big day for Wolters, who continues his hot month of May.

Carlos Moncrief, RF-CAR: 2-5, 2 RBI, BB, R, 2 K. Moncrief has recorded three straight 2-hit games, and has hit in 7 of his last 8 overall. He's up to .258/.351/.461 overall, with 4 HR, 20 RBI and 5 SB.

Jake Lowery, C-CAR: 2-5, RBI, R, 2 K. Lowery had a lot of pressure on him last night, as there was an entire little league team from his home state of Virginia there supporting him, and a large collection of other friends and family as well. He came through with a couple of knocks and an RBI, and did a nice job blocking some tough pitches in the dirt.

Ronny Rodriguez, SS-CAR: 2-5, K, CS. Rodriguez also made a couple of outstanding plays in the field last night, and in his last 10 games has gone for a .294/.314/.441 line.

Anthony Gallas, LF-CAR: 3-5, 2 RBI, R, K. Local boy Gallas is up to .280/.351/.439 in 25 games for the Mudcats, and is pushing hard for a promotion closer to home in Akron.

Elvis Araujo, SP-LCC: W (1-4), 6 IP, ER, 5 H, 6 K, BB. Araujo picked up his first professional win outside of the complex leagues last night, and has been having a solid season for low-A Lake County. Overall, he's 1-4 with a 2.40 ERA, 41 K and 15 BB in 45 IP.

Francisco Lindor, SS-LCC: 1-4, 2B, K. Off-day for Lindor, as he was able to collect just one hit yesterday.

Light one today, as Akron was off and the three teams that did play combined for a whopping two (2) runs. So not much to write about on the offensive side of things.

Matt LaPorta, LF-COL: 2-4, 2 1B. Columbus only managed one run on 5 hits yesterday, and LaPorta's 2-4 day raised his season line to .333/.406/.651. If Hafner's wrist ends up being a DL situation, LaPorta could be flailing at sliders out of the strike zone in Cleveland later this week.

Russ Canzler, 1B-COL: 2-3, 2B, K. Heating up after a slow start, Canzler is now at .268/.314/.387 overall.

Scott Barnes, RP-COL: 2 2/3 IP, 2 K, BB. Barnes has been working out of the bullpen lately, allowing 3 ER in 8 1/3 IP since moving out of the rotation. It's unclear at this point whether the move is strictly due to the arm soreness Barnes had felt at the end of April or if this is a long-term move.

Shawn Armstrong, RP-CAR: IP, H, 3 K. Armstrong continues to live up to his name, as he's now thrown 20 1/3 innings for Carolina, allowing just 1 ER while striking out 28 and walking 10.

Carlos Moncrief, RF-CAR: 2-4, 2 1B, K. Moncrief was the only Mudcat with more than one hit yesterday, as they were shut out by the Salem Red Sox and their 1st round pick Matt Barnes. Moncrief is 4-9 in his last 2 games and is up to .252/.345/.463 overall.

Felix Sterling, SP-LCC: L (2-2), 5 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 6 K, 2 BB. The 6'3", 200lb 19-year old righty has been outstanding for the Captains so far this year, going 2-2 with a 2.85 ERA, with 40 K and 19 BB in 47 1/3 innings pitched. He gave up runs in each of the first two innings yesterday, which was enough for the Captains to drop a 2-1 pitchers duel.

Francisco Lindor, DH-LCC: 2-4, R, K. Lindor has recorded two hits in six straight games, and is up to .327/.372/.490 in 35 games for the Captains this year. He was the only Captain with more than one hit yesterday and scored the only Lake County run. I'm running out of ways to tell you how good this kid is, so get out and see him for yourself.

Jared Goedert, LF-AKR: 3-4, 3B, R.

Goedert has been the best hitter in the Eastern League this year, by far. He's leading the league in AVG, SLG, OBP and OPS. His 5 HR are good for 10th in the league, and his 20 BB are 5th. His overall line is now up to an eye-popping .395/.476/.613, and he's made it pretty clear that he's above AA at this point in his career. In his last two games, Goedert is 7-8 with 2 HR, a 3B, a 2B, 3 RBI and has scored 4 runs. Ironically, he's blocked at AAA by none other than Matt LaPorta, another player who is old for his level and putting up big numbers. Goedert has earned another shot at AAA with his performance, but something has to break in front of him in order for him to get a shot as he's pretty much limited to 1B/LF/DH defensively. He's played some 3B this year for the Aeros, but scouts have all but written off his ability to play the hot corner at the major league level. Goedert turns 27 later this month, and he's always been one of the hardest working players in the org both on and off the field. I'd like to see him get a major league shot someday, either with the Indians or another organization, but with each passing month it's looking less and less likely.

Cody Allen, RP-COL: 1 2/3 IP, 2 K. Allen is back on track after giving up runs in back-to-back outings. Since being promoted to AAA Columbus at the end of April, he's thrown 10 innings, allowed 4 ER while striking out 11 and walking 2.

Frank Herrmann, RP-COL: IP, H, 3 K. Herrmann actually has 20 K in 18 innings of work for the Clippers this season. Raise your hand if you saw that coming...now put your hand down, because you're lying.

Jason Donald, SS-COL: 2-3, 2 BB, SB. Donald isn't pouting after his demotion to AAA Columubs, going 3-6 with 3 BB, a run scored and a SB in his two games for the Clip Show.

Matt LaPorta, 1-4, HR (11), RBI, BB, R, K. Whatever. For those pining to see LaPorta come up to replace the offensively-challenged Casey Kotchman, understand that he's played more games in LF (14) than at 1B (12) this year. IF he gets another shot (which I still think is pointless), it's more likely to come in the OF than at 1B.

Russ Canzler, 1B-COL: 3-4, HR (3), RBI, R, K. Canzler is getting a late start on his IL MVP campaign, but he and LaPorta will likely share votes anyway making it difficult on either of them to win.

Preston Guilmet, RP-AKR: L (1-1), IP, ER, H, 2 K. Guilmet gave up a solo HR which provided the difference in a 2-1 Aeros loss. On the season, he's 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA, 11 K and 4 BB in 13 IP.

Rob Bryson, RP-AKR: IP, H, 2 BB. Bryson just can't stay consistent this season. He's been an extreme flyball pitcher this year, with a 0.30 GO/AO ratio, and he's walked 13 in 20 innings of work. He does have 23 strikeouts which have helped him to a solid 2.70 ERA, but the walks have to stop if he's going to be a reliable relief option down the road.

Tim Fedroff, PH-AKR: 0-1. Fedroff's hitting streak came to an end when he grounded out in a pinch hit appearance.

Trey Haley, RP-CAR: 2 IP, ER, 2 H, 3 K, BB. A 2nd-round pick back in 2008, Haley touches triple digits with his fastball. He started the season on the DL, but has now thrown 11 1/3 innings for the Mudcats. He's allowed just 1 ER while striking out 10 and walking 4. Walks have been an issue in the past with Haley, so if he can keep that number down it will go a long ways towards his development and possibly even see him return to a starting role.

Tyler Holt, CF-CAR: 2-4, RBI, K. Holt is hitting .270/.386/.297 in his last 10, with just one XBH (a double). His season line is still an impressive .305/.413/.382.

Tony Wolters, 2B-CAR: 1-4, 2B, BB, 2 K. After a miserable April, Wolters is picking things up a bit in May. In 13 games this month, he's hitting .265/.321/.367 overall, much improved over his .130/.231/.159 April.

Jesus Aguilar, 1B-CAR: 3-5, RBI. Big, Bad Jesus Aguilar just keeps on hitting for the Mudcats. His hit tool was a concern last year, but he's putting those fears to bed in 2012, hitting .312/.378/.512 with 5 HR and 19 RBI in 36 Carolina League games. 

Shawn Morimando, SP-LCC: W (1-0), 5 IP, ER, 4 H, 6 K, BB. A really nice outing for Morimando, and the southpaw was able to pick up his first professional victory. In 3 starts for the Captains this year, he's 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA, 10 K and 6 BB in 14 IP.

Francisco Lindor, SS-LCC: 2-5, 2B, RBI, K. Just another day at the office for Lindor. In his last 10 games, he's gone for a .310/.341/.548 line with 2 HR, 2 2B, a 3B and 11 RBI.

Luigi Rodriguez, CF-LCC: 2-4, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 R, SB. Full stat sheet for Rodriguez, who's hit in 3 straight after going two games without a hit.

Alex Lavisky, C-LCC: 2-3, 2B, BB, R, K. Snapping a 0-11 streak, Lavisky collected a pair of knocks to raise his season line to .237/.387/.373.

Zach MacPhee, 2B-LCC: 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI, R. A 13th round pick last year, MacPhee hit his first career triple last night in a Captains victory. In 12 games this year, he's hitting .194/.356/.250.

T.J. McFarland, SP-AKR: W (7-1), 7 IP, 3 H, 6 K.

McFarland has quietly put together the most impressive season in the system for any pitcher so far this season, going 7-1 with a 1.86 ERA, striking out 30 and walking 11 in 48 1/3 innings of work for the Aeros. McFarland isn't a power guy, isn't going to rack up a ton of strikeouts, and is never going to be a #1 starter in the major leagues. Because of that, he tends to be overlooked when people look at the pitching prospects in the system, and that's a shame because McFarland projects to be an extremely useful am in a major league rotation for a long time to come. One only need to look at what Derek Lowe did yesterday afternoon for the Indians (and for that matter, what he's been doing all season at age 38) to see how valueable a pitcher who limits walks and gets groundballs can be. McFarland is a Lowe type of guy, as evidenced by his 1.76 GO/AO ratio. I don't want to jinx it, but McFarland has yet to allow a home run this year, and opposing hitters are batting just .234 off of him. The 22-year old southpaw probably isn't going to grace anyone's top-100 list this offseason, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a bright and potentially long future in a major league rotation.

Cory Kluber, SP-COL: L (3-3), 4 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, 6 K, 2 BB. Kluber's worst start of the season, but he still managed to miss some bats. He's now 3-3- with a 3.38 ERA, 55 K and 21 BB in 42 2/3 IP. He was bit by the homer bug yesterday, as he gave up a pair of 2-run bombs.

Cord Phelps, 2B-COL: 2-4, K. Phelps was the only Clipper with more than one hit yesterday, and now has a season line of .276/.331/.441 with 3 HR and 16 RBI.

Jason Donald, SS-COL: 1-3, BB. Donald's Clipper debut in 2012.

Matt Pagnozzi, C-COL: 1-4, RBI. Pags collected the only Clipper RBI in a 5-1 loss, and caught two of the three runners who tried to steal on him.

Jared Goedert, LF-AKR: 4-4, 2 HR (5), 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R.  Huge day for Goedert, who is putting up video-game numbers in the Eastern League this year. He's hitting .383/.468/.592 with 5 HR and 17 RBI, and is clearly above this level as a hitter. Unlike Matt LaPorta, Goedert has never gotten a shot to see if he can hit major league pitching, and I'd much rather see him in AAA Columbus than a guy like Andy LaRoche.

Kyle Bellows, 3B-AKR: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI.  Bellows is 4 for his last 11 with a pair of doubles and 3 RBI. He's hitting just .212/.322/.313 on the season, but providing stellar defense at 3B.

Tim Fedroff, CF-AKR: 1-5, HR (1), RBI, R, 3 K. Fedroff extended his hitting streak to 10 games with his first homer of the season. He's hitting .390/.405/.585 in his last 10.

Juan Diaz, SS-AKR: 1-4, HR (3), RBI, BB, 2 R, K. Diaz was a surprise (for me at least) add to the 40-man roster this offseason, and is hitting just .235/.291/.365 in repeating AA Akron.

Jordan Cooper, RP-CAR: 4 1/3 IP, R (0 ER), 4 H, BB. Coop came in as a reliever and really saved the Carolina bullpen in the doubleheader yesterday, throwing 4 1/3 effective innings in a Mudcats loss.

Jose Flores, RP-CAR: S (7), IP, K. Flores has allowed just 1 earned run in his last 12 IP, striking out an impressive 15 and walking just 3. He's doing a nice job as the Mudcats closer, converting all 7 of his save opportunities this season.

Jeremie Tice, DH-CAR: 2-7, 2 HR (7), 3 RBI, 2 R, K. Tice homered in both games of the double dip yesterday, and is now hittning .321/.414/.679 on the season for the Mudcats. His 1.093 OPS and 7 HR are both good for 2nd in the Carolina League (min 75 AB).

Dwight Childs, C-CAR: 2-3, K. Childs caught one game yesterday, collected a pair of hits and threw out one of the two runners who tried to steal on him. An above-average defensive catcher, Childs is hitting just .167/.186/.310 in 14 games this season.

Carlos Moncrief, RF-CAR: 1-6, HR (4), 2 RBI, BB, 2 R, SB, 4 K. Moncrief is hitting a n impressive .294/.385/.674 with 2 HR, 2 3B and 2 2B with 3 SB in his last 10 games. He's also struck out 16 times and walked just 4 in that timeframe.

Ronny Rodriguez, SS-CAR: 3-5, 2B, BB, R. Rodriguez collected a hit in both Mudcat games yesterday, and now has a modest 5-game hitting streak during which he's gone 6-16 with a pair of doubles.

Tony Wolters, 2B-CAR: 1-7, 2B, 2 RBI, R, K. Every time it looks like Wolters is about to break out, he hits a skid. He's hitting .243/.282/.351 in his last 10 games, which is actually a lot better than his overall season line of .184/.262/.237. On the season, he has just 2 hits in 17 AB against LHP.

Cody Anderson, SP-LCC: W (4-1), 6 IP, 2 H, 5 K, BB. Anderson allowed just three baserunners over 6 shutout innings yesterday, lowering his season ERA to just 1.89. He's given up more than 1 earned run in a start just once this season, and has struck out 31 and walked just 9 in 38 IP.

Cole Cook, RP-LCC: S (2), 3 IP, ER, H, 4 K, BB. Cook picked up his 2nd save of the year, this one of the 3-inning variety. He gave up a solo HR in the 9th, snapping a streak of 12 consecutive scoreless innings. After a rough start, his season ERA is down to 4.18 in 23 2/3 innings of work for the Captains.

Francisco Lindor, SS-LCC: 2-3, 2B, RBI, BB, R. Just another day in the office for Lindor, who pushed his season line up to .319/.368.486. 

Alex Monsalve, C-LCC: 2-4, RBI, K. Repeating the Midwest League, Monsalve hasn't been able to replicate his all-star numbers from 2011, hitting just .234/.295/.376 in 35 games for the Captains this year.

Robel Garcia, 2B-LCC: 1-4, 3B, K. Garcia hasn't been consistent this season, but he's playing the entire season as a 19-year old and it's his first pro experience outside of the complex leagues. His 37/10 K/BB ratio is concerning. 

Reports citing remarks by Michigan State AD Mark Hollis among others say that home field sites for national playoff semifinal matchups have been eliminated from consideration by college football's decision-makers. This means that either traditional bowl game venues or some other neutral sites are the remaining options for the first round games in what will be a 4-team playoff beginning in the 2014 season. Smart money is on the traditional bowl sites, in some kind of rotating system designed to spread the wealth around.

Ohio State AD Gene Smith said that all 12 of the Big Ten AD's have agreed to the new playoff format, but they are adamant that the format remains at no more than four teams.

The Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team will make their first ever trip to Durham, North Carolina on November 28 to play Duke as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

The two teams will meet just 12 months after Ohio State destroyed the Blue Devils by 22 points in Columbus. Led by strong outings from Jared Sullinger (21 points), William Buford (20 points), Deshaun Thomas (18 points) and Aaron Craft (17 points), the Buckeyes dismantled No. 3 Duke in front of a sold-out Value City Arena.

The Buckeyes will be replacing Sullinger and Buford this season, but talented recruiting classes in the past have landed the Buckeyes a No. 8 ranking in ESPN’s early poll. The Blue Devils will be replacing Austin Rivers and Miles Plumlee but return a solid core that includes Ryan Kelly, Seth Curry and Quinn Cook.

Game time and networks are TBD.

Here’s the complete lineup for this year’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge:

Tuesday, November 27:

North Carolina @ Indiana
North Carolina State @ Michigan
Minnesota @ Florida State
Maryland @ Northwestern
Iowa @ Virginia Tech
Nebraska @ Wake Forest

Wednesday, November 28:

Ohio State @ Duke
Virginia @ Wisconsin
Michigan State @ Miami
Purdue @ Clemson
Georgia Tech @ Illinois
Boston College @ Penn State

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This is the 14th edition of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. After the ACC swept the first ten challenges, the Big Ten has come on strong and won the last three.

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Al Ciammaichella takes a look around the Tribe's minor league system and brings you information on who's making noise, who's moving up, who's moving down and who may be moving out. Today Al looks at Frank Hermann who may be making his way back to Cleveland with the release of Dan Wheeler, and he looks at the ripple-effect that may have on guys back filling Hermann's spot in Columbus.

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T.J. McFarland, SP-AKR: W (6-1), 7 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 4 K, 0 BB.

McFarland is one of my favorite pitchers in the organization. Drafted in the 4th round back in 2007, nothing he does is particuarly overpowering, but he's almost always effective. His fastball sits in the low-90's, but has excellent sink and arm-side run which helps him induce lots of weak contact and ground balls. On the season, he's 6-1 with a 2.18 ERA, 24 K and 11 BB in 41 1/3 innings pitched. Most importantly for McFarland, he's posted a 1.97 GO/AO ratio, which is excellent. He's yet to give up a home run this season, and has yet to give up more than 3 ER in a single start. He's not a big strikeout guy, but does a great job limiting damage and making the right pitch in the right situation.

Corey Kluber, SP-COL: 6 IP, ER, 5 H, 4 K, 3 BB. Kluber has been a different pitcher this year, going 3-2 with a 2.58 ERA in 38 IP for the Clippers. Most impressive has been his 49(!) strikeouts and 19 walks, much improved from his 143/70 in 150 innings last year for AAA Columbus.

Cody Allen, RP-COL: 2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 K, 2 BB. Allen matched his season total with 2 earned runs allowed last night. He still has 26 K and 2 BB in just 19 IP between Carolina, Akron and Columbus.

Andy LaRoche, 3B-COL: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 K. Playing 3B while Chisenhall is on the DL, LaRoche has actually been pretty good. He's hitting .324/.378/.500 in his last 10 games, with a HR, 3 2B and 4 RBI.

Jose Lopez, DH-COL: 3-5, 2B, R. Lopez has taken his demotion in stride, and has been on base in all 5 games he's played for the Clippers. He's hitting .579/.600/.789 in AAA, and clearly #wants to be back with the big league club.

Bryan Price, RP-AKR: 2 IP, 2 H, K, BB. Bouncing back from his only bad outing of the year, Price lowered his ERA to 2.84 in 19 innings of work for the Aeros. Interestingly, each of Price's 9 outings this season have been at least two innings...sounds like the Cousineau plan may be taking root!

Juan Diaz, SS-AKR: 2-5, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 R, K. Diaz has hit in 9 of his last 10 games, going for a .317/.364/.537 line with 2 HR, 3 2B and 6 RBI in that timeframe.

Chun Chen, 1B-AKR: 3-4, 2B, 2 R. Chen has been impressive of late, putting up a .333/.389/.515 line with a HR and 3 2B in his last 10 games for the Aeros. Still, if he's going to be a 1B in the show, he's going to need to show a little more pop.

Roberto Perez, C-AKR: 1-3, BB, R. No one from Harrisburg dared test the arm last night, so Perez didn't throw anyone out.

Mike Rayl, SP-CAR: 7 IP, ER, 5 H, 3 K. Rayl has given up just one earned run in his last 13 innings of work for the Mudcats, striking out 7 and walking two. For the season, he's 3-3 with a 2.43 ERA, 9 BB and 29 K in 40 2/3 IP.

Tyler Holt, CF-CAR: 2-6, BB, K. The Mudcats only managed to push across two runs in a doubleheader yesterday, and Holt was the only 'Cat with a hit in each game. He's cooled off considerably after his sizzling start, hitting just .235/.366/.235 in his last 10 games.

Ronny Rodriguez, SS-CAR: 1-6, HR (2), RBI, R. Rodriguez has some impressive tools, but is hitting just .219/.255/.343 with 2 HR and 13 RBI in 30 games for the Mudcats this year. Still, he turned 20 in April, so he's young for the league and the tools should play eventually.

Cody Anderson, SP-LCC: W (3-1), 6 IP, ER, 6 H, 5 K, 2 BB. Over his past four starts, the big righty has thrown 23 innings, allowed 3 earned runs, struck out 16 and walked 8.

Alex Lavisky, C-LCC: 1-3, HR (2), RBI, R. Lavisky's HR was the difference in a 2-1 victory for the Captains yesterday. He's collected a hit in 4 straight, and is now at .232/.284/.364 overall with 2 HR and 14 RBI.

Todd Hankins, LF-LCC: 2-4, 3B, R. The Hammer collected two of the Captains four hits yesterday.