In our fourth edition of TSL Insights, Mitch Rupert (@Mitch_Rupert), Sportswriter for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, who covers the Williamsport Crosscutters talks to me about the Crosscutters, the Phillies minor league system, and the sports media business.
1. I know you cover the Williamsport Crosscutters for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, How did you get this job of covering this team and also how did you make it into the newspaper business?
The newspaper business is always something I’ve wanted to get in to. I mean, it was quite clear from a young age that I wasn’t going to be an athlete, no matter how much I loved sports. So I had to find another outlet if I still wanted to stay around sports of some kind. I had always written for my high school newspaper, and in the summer prior to my senior year of high school I got a part-time job working with the local newspaper where I live in Bloomsburg, Pa., taking scores over the phone and doing the general grunt work that comes with being a kid in the business.
I eventually was hired full-time at the Press Enterprise in Bloomsburg while I was still in college. During that time I covered a top 25 Division II college football team, a top 25 Division I college wrestling team and various other high school athletics. Just short of being at the Press Enterprise for nine years, I was laid off in April of 2009 in a round of budget cuts as the company began to feel the money crunch of the national economy struggles and a struggling newspaper business. The only saving grace was that two days before I was laid off, a friend of mine at the Sun-Gazette in Williamsport, Jake Felix, called me and said they had a position open that would involve covering the Crosscutters and asked me if I was interested. I’ve always wanted to cover professional baseball, and my ultimate goal someday is to cover Major League Baseball in some capacity. I had already been offering applying for the job and when I was laid off in Bloomsburg, it was a no-brainer. I was hired in Williamsport four days after I was let go in Bloomsburg.
My first year covering the Crosscutters was the year Sebastian Valle, Anthony Hewitt, Jon Pettibone, Austin Hyatt, Jeremy Barnes, Leandro Castro, Jiwan James and Darin Ruf all played in Williamsport. In all honesty, I probably didn’t know quite the talent level of what was in Williamsport that year, but it didn’t take long to realize a bunch of those kids were special and had a shot to get to the big leagues.
2. Many Phillies fans, do not know much about the Williamsport Crosscutters, Can you tell the Phillies fans more about the Crosscutters and who are some standout players on this team?
In my four years of covering the Crosscutters, this is the most exciting team I’ve seen come through here. The Cutters play in the New York-Penn League, which has become more of a college players league. And when you have 5 kids in the usual everyday lineup that are just 19 years old but with worlds of talent, I knew it was going to be an interesting season. And nearly 30 games into the season, they haven’t disappointed.
Most of the intriguing talent lies within the position players this year.
Roman Quinn is probably the most intriguing prospect. He’s a shortstop with 80 speed (on the 20-80 scouting range). It’s game-changing speed. I’ve seen notably fast players come through here in recent years (think Jiwan James, Kyrell Hudson, Zach Collier, Cesar Hernandez, Aaron Altherr), but this is a different kind of speed. In the season opener, he hit a routine ground ball to first base and was a half-step from beating it out. He’s learning how to switch hit and has struggled from the left side until about a week ago. He’s starting to make more consistent contact, especially from the left side. Defensively he has all the tools necessary to play shortstop. He’s got soft hands and a strong arm. But he’s in his first year as a shortstop, so it’s going to take time and repetitions to get completely comfortable there, but he should stick.
Larry Greene Jr. might be the best power-hitting prospect in the Phillies’ system, especially since losing Jonathan Singleton in the Hunter Pence trade last year. His raw power is astronomical. He finally hit his first home run less than a week ago and it was a thing of beauty. A nice, easy swing and he didn’t try to muscle the baseball out of the park. He’s learning he doesn’t have to swing as hard as possible for the ball to carry once he hits it, and he’s learning to become quite adept at going the other way with the baseball. He’s got a keen awareness of the strikezone which is uncommon for a power hitter his age. He’s not afraid to take walks, and he’s been hitting the ball hard with consistency. The power numbers are eventually going to come, but as long as he’s taking walks and getting hits, he’ll be just fine.
Mitch Walding is probably the most polished of the 19-year old prospects. He just looks like a baseball player and seems to have a great feel for the game. He’s got a short, compact swing where he gets the bat from point A to point B very quickly and without a lot of unnecessary movement in his set-up and swing. The quickness of his swing reminds me quite a bit of Chase Utley, of course I’m not saying he’s going to be the player Chase Utley was, just that there’s similarities. The bat stays through the hitting zone for a long time and he’s shown an ability to drive the ball all over the field. In the first week of the season he hit the wall in left (345 feet), center (405 feet) and right (350 feet). Defensively he’s still a work in progress as he switches from shortstop to third base. He’s got a great feel for charging the ball and getting rid of it quickly and accurately. He’s got an above average arm and can make any throw. The biggest struggle now is picking up the ball cleanly on the backhand, but I feel like it’ll come with repetitions.
Some other players to keep an eye on throughout the season are Chris Serritella, Kevin Brady, Josh Warner, Tyler Greene, Brian Pointer, Chace Numata and Geoff Broussard.
3. In your opinion, where would you rate the Phillies minor league system at today?
Obviously the system has been quite gutted in recent years as the Phillies have had to make moves to keep trying to get the big club over the hump. Prior to the season I would have ranked the system easily in the bottom third of the league, but I think there’s some hope infused with both the 2011 and 2012 draft classes. You’re getting positive results early from the three players I talked about in Williamsport, and you’re already seeing positive signs from players like Dylan Cozens and Willie Carmona from this year’s draft class.
It’s not ready to be a top third minor league system just yet, but I think it’s a system that has improved into the high teens of the league, which is pretty good when you consider the talent the organization has sent out in recent years. I think Jesse Biddle is a top-100 prospect. I think the likes of Quinn and Greene could some day be top-100 prospects. Trevor May and Brody Colbin have taken a bit of step back this year, but it’s hard to argue with the talent that they have. I think Leandro Castro and Darin Ruf are big league players, but probably not the type of prospects to get anybody really excited about. Castro plays the game with a great flair and excitement and Ruf is just a professional hitter. I really like Cesar Hernandez and think he could be an everyday player in the big leagues. I mean, if Desi Relaford could play every day, I don’t see any reason Hernandez couldn’t.
Overall, I think there’s a lot to like about the system. I think there’s players that can definitely help the big club in the next year or so, but I don’t know that there’s any real difference makers like a Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard or Chase Utley waiting in the wings just yet. But the draft classes from 2011 and 2012 could have a couple players capable of that potential.
4. Do you see in the next few years any Crosscutters players playing for the big league team and or even getting promoted this year to another team in the system?
I think Chris Serritella is the most obvious choice to make a jump to Lakewood. He’s an advanced hitter for this level, as he should be as a four-year college player and a first-team All-American. But right now he’s being blocked by Chris Duffy who himself is having a tremendous season at Lakewood since being sent down from Clearwater. I think once you see one move, you’ll end up seeing the other move as well.
This is a Crosscutters team, though, that is going to need time to develop. This is going to be a years-long process for these guys to learn how to play the game as a professional and learn what it is they need to do to be big league players. The good thing is it’s a young team, so they have time on their side. I think Greene, Walding and Quinn have the best chance to eventually play in the big leagues mainly because Quinn and Greene each have that one plus-plus tool that can carry you up the system. Walding is just a solid baseball player. He’s probably a little more polished than the other two, and I think he projects as a prototypical three-hole hitter as he climbs the ladder, and he’s only got room to add on more muscle to develop a bit more power.
5. Finally, for aspiring sports writers that are trying to get where you are at today, what would be some words of advice that you would give to them?
You have to love what you do to be in this business. It’s not a business with a lot of upside. The hours are rough and the pay isn’t great. But if you truly love talking to people and you truly love telling stories, this is a great business. I’ve been working in newspapers for 12 years now and I’ve never had to work a day in my life. It’s not work when going to the ballpark every day is what I’m paid to do. But understand you’re more likely to be covering girls basketball in Podunk, USA, than to be covering the Phillies. Never think a job is beneath you because there are many, many talented journalists out of work right now. A full-time job is a full-time job. And never be afraid to ask questions. It’s a business that is predicated on asking questions. So be sure to ask questions of your sources and ask questions of your bosses and co-workers to become the best possible writer and reporter.
Once again, special thanks goes to Mitch Rupert, Sportswriter for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Make sure to follow him on twitter for the latest on the Williamsport Crosscutters.
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