Townes Van Zandt reviews the early 2017 results of the top Mariners prospects on “High, Low, and In Between.”
Kyle Lewis, “High, Low, and In Between” rehabbing torn ACL:
What can you leave behind
When you’re flyin’ lightning fast
And all alone?
Only a trace, my friend,
Spirit of motion born
And direction grown.
Ben Gamel, “You are Not Needed Now”, in Safeco RF:
The trains roll by every half an hour
And the body can get no restin’ done, that’s true
So I do my best, as best I can
Thinkin’ big and making plans
And wondering where them trains are rolling to.
Tyler O’Neill, AAA “Two Hands”, walking back to dugout after another K:
Well now, this old world sometimes it does get lonesome
And it’s many a grown man has hung his head and cried
Down in your soul there’s one that won’t desert you
Ain’t it fine to have the Savior by your side.
Mitch Haniger, DL “Greensboro Woman”, anxious to get back to destroying the AL:
Greensboro woman don’t you smile on me
I do not feel like being comforted
and anyway I’ll be home soon
for once is someone waitin’ there
and if you don’t mind
I just think on her instead.
Dan Vogelbach, “Highway Kind”, ramblin’ nowhere in a hurry:
Time among the pine trees
It felt like breath of air
Usually I just walk these streets
And tell myself to care.
Sometimes I believe me
And sometimes I don’t hear.
Sometimes the shape I’m in
Won’t let me go.
DJ Peterson, AAA “Standing”, waiting for the call:
When the time comes and I’m not ready
Seems it’s over before I’m started
The time comes and I don’t feel it
I don’t know nothin’ but my own.
Andrew Moore, AA “No Deal”, coming soon to a 6th inning relief appearance near you:
Now this man down at the used car lot
Tried to sell me four wheels and a trunk.
I said, “Man, there is no engine!”,
He said, “The engine’s just a bunch of junk.
You don’t need no engine to go downhill
And I could plainly see, that that’s the direction
You’re headed in”, and he handed me the keys.
Nick Neidert, High A “To Live is to Fly”, taking it a day at a time in the Cal League:
Days, up and down they come
Like rain on a conga drum
Forget most, remember some
But don’t turn none away
Everything is not enough
And nothin’ is too much to bear
Where you been is good and gone
All you keep is the getting there
To live is to fly
Low and high
So shake the dust off of your wings
And the sleep out of your eyes.
Thyago Vieira, AA “When He Offers His Hand”, throwing it really hard:
When he offers his hand
Don’t you turn him away
He can lead you to light
Through the darkest of days
With his love wrapped around you
You can’t go astray
When he offers his hand
Don’t you turn him away
Joe Rizzo and Gareth Morgan, Low A “Mr Mudd and Mr Gold”, watch them greedy vapors:
Well the wicked king of clubs awoke
And it was to his queen turned
His lips were laughing as they spoke
His eyes like bullets burned
The sun’s upon a gambling day
His queen smiled low and blissfully
Let’s make some wretched fool to play
Plain it was she did agree
He send his deuce down into diamond
His four to hart, and his trey to spade
Three kings with their legions come
Preparations soon where made
They voted club the days commander
Gave him an army face and number
All but the outlaw jack of diamonds
And the aces in the sky
Well, he gave his sevens first instructions
Spirit me a game of stud
Stakes unscarred by limitation
Between a man named Gold and man named Mud
Club filled Gold with greedy vapors
Till his long, green eyes did glow
And Mud was left with the sighs and trembles
Watching his hard earned money go
Flushes fell on Gold like water
Tens they paired and paired again
But the aces only flew through heaven
And the diamond jack called no man friend
Now, the Diamond Queen saw Muds ordeal
Began to think of her long lost son
Fell to her knees with a mother’s mercy
And prayed to the angels every one
Now, the Diamond Queen, she prayed and prayed
And the Diamond Angel filled Muds hole
The wicked King of Clubs himself
Fell in face down in front of Gold
Now, three kings come to Clubs command
But the angels from the sky did ride
Three kings up on the streets of Gold
Three fireballs on the muddy side
The club queen heard her husband’s call
But Lord, that Queen of Diamond’s joy
When the outlaw in the heavenly hall
Turned out to be a wandering boy
Now, Mud he checked and Gold bet all
And Mud he raised and Gold did call
And the smile just melted on his face
When Mud turned over that diamond ace
Now, here’s what this story’s told
If you feel like Mud you’ll end up Gold
If you feel like lost, you’ll end up found
So amigo, lay them raises down
Article featured image – Townes Van Zandt album cover “High, Low and In Between”
Image of Kyle Lewis – courtesy of Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times
KC Shankland lives in Maple Valley, Washington. His Royals fandom runs from the Royals/Yankees blood feud of the ‘70s to Hosmer’s mad dash home.
‘People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. Obsess over prospects.’
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KC Shanklandhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/royals001/
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KC Shanklandhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/royals001/
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KC Shanklandhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/royals001/
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KC Shanklandhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/royals001/
I’m confused. How is Kyle Lewis doing
We don’t really know, latest update I found was on Baseball America in March:
http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/kyle-lewis-embraces-little-victories/
Oftentimes guys coming back from an ACL lose a step, or two. Thus:
What can you leave behind
When you’re flyin’ lightning fast
And all alone?
Only a trace, my friend,
Spirit of motion born
And direction grown.
He’ll hopefully grow into a different kind of player, but while he’s alone in rehab, we only have a trace of what he was.