Gamel Earns MVP Honors
Brewers prospect named Hawaii league's top star
Mat Gamel was voted the Hawaii Winter Baseball MVP in a voting by the media and league officials. Gamel led or was near the lead in most of the offensive categories. He batted .333 with a league-leading eight home runs and tied for second with 25 RBIs.
"I was really trying to focus on defense," he said. "I feel that I made a lot of improvements over there and that was the main thing I tried to take out of this."
Gamel showed that his defense at third base is still a work in progress. He committed a league high 10 errors in 30 games for an .880 fielding percentage.
New Experiences
For the players, HWB was more than just sharpening their baseball skills. It was an educational experience.
"It was a good learning experience, playing with all the Japanese players," Gamel said. "To learn their culture, to learn what they think about the game, their philosophies because their philosophies are different from ours. I enjoyed it. I had a real good time."
Besides tours to the volcanic craters on Maui and the Big Island, the players also were given a private tour of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.
"It was great," North Shore outfielder Brad Corley (Pirates) said. "That's something every person (who visits) Hawaii has to see. There's a lot of history of our country right there."
Pitcher Perfect
Some of the best pitches made by HWB players weren't on the diamond.
Honu pitcher Blair Johnson (Pirates) took advantage of his team's decision to send him to Hawaii. He picked the beach fronting the luxurious Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki to propose to his girlfriend, Jeslyn Scott. He said fellow pitchers Sean Walker (Astros) and Brett Sinkbeil (Red Sox) helped plan the moment.
"I knew it was something that I was going to do in the offseason," Johnson said. "Then when I found out I was coming to Hawaii, I thought there's no better place than here. It was going to be on the lake in my hometown (Topeka, KS), but why not do it in Hawaii? . . . When you have everything down here, it's picture perfect. I couldn't ask for anything better."
Sinking In
While the Japanese dominated five of the six pitchers¹ spots on the all-star team, Honu pitcher Brett Sinkbeil (Marlins) quietly had good season, finishing 3-1, 1.64. He had 24 strikeouts and 16 walks in 33 innings.
"He¹s been consistent with that good hard sinker," Bradshaw said.
While the walk totals were a little high, Bradshaw said it wasn't a concern.
"He'll pitch inside, try to get a little too fine on occasions and just misses," he said. "But for the most part, he's been solid for us. Even the walks he has given up, he's able to pitch around it. Maybe in some cases it's been pitching around a lefty or something to get to the righty coming up, so he's been very smart out there."
The 6-foot-2 righthander was ranked 16th by Baseball America in the Florida State League after going 6-4, 3.42 for Jupiter.
"I'm working on my offspeed pitches, trying to keep my changeup down and my slider more over the plate," Sinkbeil said.
Better Late
BeachBoys first baseman Lucas Duda (Mets) joined the league late as an injury replacement, but came out swinging. He batted .340 with six doubles, a triple and three home runs in just 59 plate appearances. The seventh-round pick out of Southern California in June hit .299 at short-season Brooklyn, batting .299 with 20 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 32 RBI with a .398 on-base percentage.
"I was happy to come out here to get some extra ABs," he said. "It turned out for the best. I just wanted to let the ball get deeper, lower my hands. My hands were kind of high."
This was actually his second time in Hawaii. He played against the Rainbows in 2006 when he played for the Trojans.
"We came here for a three-game series against the University of Hawaii, but our coach was kind of a stickler, so we really didn¹t get out much," Duda said. "So this is really my first-time experience of Hawaii."
Learning Curve
The players aren't the only ones improving their skills. Donovan Mitchell (Mets) said he is picking up pointers as manager of the BeachBoys. He was manager at Rookie-level Kingsport of the Appalachian League during the summer, and managed in the Nicaraguan Winter League last offseason.
"You learn a little bit just by talking to (other) coaches and you kind of formulate your own style of coaching,"he said. "It's a learning experience. That's where I'm having my fun, by learning the game here."
Brewers prospect named Hawaii league's top star
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PrintMat Gamel was voted the Hawaii Winter Baseball MVP in a voting by the media and league officials. Gamel led or was near the lead in most of the offensive categories. He batted .333 with a league-leading eight home runs and tied for second with 25 RBIs.
| 2007 HWB All-Stars and Post-Season Awards | |
| Most Valuable Player: Mat Gamel (Brewers), Honu | |
| Offensive Player of the Year: Mat Gamel (Brewers), Honu | |
| Defensive Player of the Year: Justin Sellers (Athletics), BeachBoys | |
| Pitcher of the Year: Yutaka Tamaki (Hanshin Tigers), BeachBoys | |
| All-Star Team | |
| C | Michael McKenry (Rockies), Beach Boys |
| 1B | Ian Gac (Rangers), CaneFires |
| 2B | Miguel Abreu (Orioles), Sharks |
| 3B | Mat Gamel (Brewers), Honu |
| SS | Argenis Diaz (Red Sox), Sharks |
| OF | Austin Jackson (Yankees), Sharks |
| OF | Michael Wilson (Mariners), BeachBoys |
| OF | Fuminori Yokogawa (Rakuten), Sharks |
| UTIL | Brandon Synder (Orioles), Sharks |
| SP | Shiya Nakayama (Orix), Honu |
| SP | Yutaka Tamaki (Hanshin), BeachBoys |
| SP | Keisaku Itokazu (Nippon), CaneFires |
| RP | Ken Miyamoto (Nippon), Honu |
| RP | Daniel Bard (Red Sox), Sharks |
"I was really trying to focus on defense," he said. "I feel that I made a lot of improvements over there and that was the main thing I tried to take out of this."
Gamel showed that his defense at third base is still a work in progress. He committed a league high 10 errors in 30 games for an .880 fielding percentage.
New Experiences
For the players, HWB was more than just sharpening their baseball skills. It was an educational experience.
"It was a good learning experience, playing with all the Japanese players," Gamel said. "To learn their culture, to learn what they think about the game, their philosophies because their philosophies are different from ours. I enjoyed it. I had a real good time."
Besides tours to the volcanic craters on Maui and the Big Island, the players also were given a private tour of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.
"It was great," North Shore outfielder Brad Corley (Pirates) said. "That's something every person (who visits) Hawaii has to see. There's a lot of history of our country right there."
Pitcher Perfect
Some of the best pitches made by HWB players weren't on the diamond.
Honu pitcher Blair Johnson (Pirates) took advantage of his team's decision to send him to Hawaii. He picked the beach fronting the luxurious Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki to propose to his girlfriend, Jeslyn Scott. He said fellow pitchers Sean Walker (Astros) and Brett Sinkbeil (Red Sox) helped plan the moment.
"I knew it was something that I was going to do in the offseason," Johnson said. "Then when I found out I was coming to Hawaii, I thought there's no better place than here. It was going to be on the lake in my hometown (Topeka, KS), but why not do it in Hawaii? . . . When you have everything down here, it's picture perfect. I couldn't ask for anything better."
Sinking In
While the Japanese dominated five of the six pitchers¹ spots on the all-star team, Honu pitcher Brett Sinkbeil (Marlins) quietly had good season, finishing 3-1, 1.64. He had 24 strikeouts and 16 walks in 33 innings.
"He¹s been consistent with that good hard sinker," Bradshaw said.
While the walk totals were a little high, Bradshaw said it wasn't a concern.
"He'll pitch inside, try to get a little too fine on occasions and just misses," he said. "But for the most part, he's been solid for us. Even the walks he has given up, he's able to pitch around it. Maybe in some cases it's been pitching around a lefty or something to get to the righty coming up, so he's been very smart out there."
The 6-foot-2 righthander was ranked 16th by Baseball America in the Florida State League after going 6-4, 3.42 for Jupiter.
"I'm working on my offspeed pitches, trying to keep my changeup down and my slider more over the plate," Sinkbeil said.
Better Late
BeachBoys first baseman Lucas Duda (Mets) joined the league late as an injury replacement, but came out swinging. He batted .340 with six doubles, a triple and three home runs in just 59 plate appearances. The seventh-round pick out of Southern California in June hit .299 at short-season Brooklyn, batting .299 with 20 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 32 RBI with a .398 on-base percentage.
"I was happy to come out here to get some extra ABs," he said. "It turned out for the best. I just wanted to let the ball get deeper, lower my hands. My hands were kind of high."
This was actually his second time in Hawaii. He played against the Rainbows in 2006 when he played for the Trojans.
"We came here for a three-game series against the University of Hawaii, but our coach was kind of a stickler, so we really didn¹t get out much," Duda said. "So this is really my first-time experience of Hawaii."
Learning Curve
The players aren't the only ones improving their skills. Donovan Mitchell (Mets) said he is picking up pointers as manager of the BeachBoys. He was manager at Rookie-level Kingsport of the Appalachian League during the summer, and managed in the Nicaraguan Winter League last offseason.
"You learn a little bit just by talking to (other) coaches and you kind of formulate your own style of coaching,"he said. "It's a learning experience. That's where I'm having my fun, by learning the game here."
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