Hello Everybody, I am Tori Ash, author of From the Fan Seat a Portland Beavers Web Site. Steve asked me to field any questions you might have. Recently Mike Baxter was called up to the Padres. www.theportlandbeavers.com/?p=1293 he won the Beaver Player of the year award from my site just 2 days before the call up. I've gone to over 60 games this year, 70 last years. Recently watched Chris Young pitch.

Chris Young - You have to understand I haven't seen him pitch before while healthy, so I don't know normal windup and delivery but honestly with his injury list, he might not anymore either.

He hides the ball well but the dangerous change up (is visible out of the hands) but still good speed and location. It is having the same issue as the fastball, location is hitting to high, pitcher standing up high. He is getting everybody to hit under the ball.

The pitching to contact is killing his pitch count because the batters are easily staying alive with a 2 strike count on them by fouling it off.

He can't get the third strike, whatever he reilied on before is gone.

I thought his fastball was 94 before, it seems to be 91 now and sometimes Wade Leblanc speeds.

Changeups are fouls balls, fastball is popups and flyouts. He is going to increase bullpen use.

I think he is perfect for middle relief at home games or other pitcher parks.

Good thing is he isn't frustrated, not holding his arm funny. Doesn't look hesitant or seconding guessing.

A lot of people seem to under the impression that Wily Mo Pena was the man to bring up for September. I am going to explain why that is a bad idea and why he is not.

First of, as an NL Team without the DH, Wily Mo needs to play some defense. Wily Mo can not play defense. He rivals Jack Cust's inability to play the outfield. Late to the ball, bad positioning, slow to get under the ball, bad plays on the hop. His 1st base skills although better than outfield, is not great. Kyle Blanks was modified to OF because of the hold up at 1st, that hold up still exists. Baxter plays a better 1st, like 2 to 1, over Wily. Baxter also play a great OF, with a suberb accurate cannon that can throw from RF to 3rd on one hop and without pulling 3rd.

Wily Mo's bat. He does have power but he lost his timing and his speed. He can not see the outside of the plate so his strike zone is messed up. He is caught looking more than he should be; and they are all on the outside.

His timing is wrong. As a right handed pull hitter he is pushing everything opposite field. He is late on the swing. The rest are almost all center, center right.

The timing affects inside pitches. He tries to pull but ends with dribblers off the handle to short. Or worse, he simply breaks the bat because he is hitting on the handle with a mis-timed late swing.

He is baffled by the curve. He swings over the top of most curve balls by about 1 foot. A lot of balls in the dirt are swung at as well.

He is too aggressive in the batter's box, swinging at eye high pitches and getting himself almost constantly in 0-2 counts because of it. He is not selective. His best hits have come off of weak, poor pitches that he won't see in the majors.

These huge obvious mistakes are okay in the minors but do not work against major league pitching.

If they had stopped feeding him change ups, the speed at which he is able to overcome his slow timing, they would have gotten him out a lot better.

This is awesome Tori. I feel like I need to stop the Wily Mo talk...almost.