The details of the strenuous relationship between the Giants and Connecticut are well known. Squabbles over the stadium and who should foot the bill for renovations, low fan attendance, and cool weather conditions are just a few of the problems. The contract between the Giants and Connecticut runs out after this season and the death rattle between the two may have already been heard. Prospects like Pablo Sandoval are expected to be skipped past AA and into the more friendlier environment of AAA Fresno.

Because of the pitching inclined environment and lack of Giants hitters past the lower levels, we’ll mostly find pitching prospects at this level but also a couple of surprising hitters making one last run at prospect status.

1B Travis Ishikawa – If one prospect has turned himself around this year at AA, it’s Travis Ishikawa. The 24-year-old first baseman was drafted in 2002 and had a breakout season as a 21-year-old in the California League in ’05. That year Ishikawa hit (.282/.387/.532) with 22 HR’s. In ’06 he was promoted to AA and that’s where Ishikawa began to have problems. He failed to hit in AA, like many other hitters, and ended the year with a line of (.232/.309/.403). ’07 wasn’t much better for Travis, he went back to AA and did so poorly that the Giants moved him back to the California League as a 23-year-old. That’s never a good sign and even more troubling was Ishikawa’s performance in the Cal League. He hit for a ton of power — blasting 13 HR’s in a little under 200 AB’s — but he was striking out like Rob Deer. Ishikawa was striking out 35.1% while repeating a level against younger competition. Red flags went up everywhere. He had always stuck out — generally around the 25% per PA mark — but never like this before.

The Giants sent Ishikawa back to AA this year and he’s made some noticeable changes. Firstly, he cut his K% down to 16.1%, signaling to me that he’s potentially changed his swing in order to make more contact. Ishikawa’s swing has always considered to be a little long. He also raised his BB% to an excellent 13.6%. He does have noticeable splits but it’s encouraging that he’s hitting even just slightly at Dodd Stadium. Overall his line currently sits at (.291/.380/.467). Because of his struggles against LHP he will most likely max out as a platoon partner at 1B. But, after where he was heading a couple of years ago, he’s made some nice adjustments to his game. Let’s hope that they carry throughout this season and that the Giants move him to AAA before the year is done.

C Adam Witter – I admit, I’m a fan of Adam Witter. He’s got some warts: age, defense, contact issues. But, he’s a catcher that can hit for some power and can take a walk. Because he was a 5th year senior that signed with the Giants, he didn’t get into the minor leagues until he was 23. In his age 23 season he crushed the younger competition of Northwest League. In the NWL he hit (.280/.362/.575) with 16 HR’s. In ’07 he moved up a level to the San Jose Giants and hit (.260/.342/.481). His K% raised from 17.5% in the NWL to 22.5% in the California League. He’s struggled this year in AA, hitting (.216/.348/.414) but if you squint hard enough, his away line isn’t too bad (.239/.373/.420) he won’t be a starter in the big leagues because of his defense but he could profile as a offense first backup catcher that can pop the occasional home run and take a walk. That has some value.

RHP Adam Cowart – I’ve let my love for Cowart be known on this site. I really do love the guy. Cowart was drafted in the ’06 draft in the far reaches of the 35th round out of Kansas State University. Why do I love Cowart so much? He doesn’t blow away hitters with a 97mph fastball and some still wonder if he’ll ever make it to the major leagues but Cowart succeeds by pitching in an unorthodox motion, a sort of slinging, sidearm, diving motion, that’s given hitters fits ever since he entered the minor leagues. He works in the low-80′s and features a changeup and a slider that aren’t remarkable. He gets by on having amazing command — he’s never had a BB% higher than 4.7 — and by getting hitters to pound the ball into the ground. In 326 career minor league innings, he’s allowed just 6 home runs. Even though he’s still starting in the Giants system, he profiles as Chad Bradford-lite. A reliever that will come in, throw strikes, get ground balls, and give RHB’s loads of trouble.

RHP Joe Martinez – Another fringy starter in the Giants system — do we have a ton of these guys or what — that’s had success. Throws in the upper-80′s with the ability to touch 90-91mph now and then. Features a curveball that’s his “strike out pitch” according to Baseball America. For a guy with fringy stuff, he’s been getting enough strikeouts at the lower levels of S-K, Augusta, and San Jose. He’s a strike-thrower, posting solid BB%’s at each level he’s pitched. His K% has taken a dip this year — making me wonder if most of his K’s were coming off hitters chasing his curve at lower levels — but he’s boosted his GB%. At the moment, 60% of balls hit into play off of Martinez have been on the ground, that’s a great rate. The Giants have moved Martinez slowly, taking him through one level at a time and they’ll most likely let him finish the year in AA. His FIP is currently 2.96 and if he finishes the year strong, I don’t see why he wouldn’t be moved up a level to AAA. He’ll most likely profile as a reliever or a 5/6th starter at the major league level. Martinez provides nice organizational depth.

RHP Kelvin Pichardo – Another relieving prospect in the Giants system. Amazingly, he was acquired in the Michael Tucker to the Phillies trade. Pichardo has a big arm that he uses to run fastballs into the mid-90′s and a curveball that can be a plus pitch for him at times. He blew through the lower levels of S-K, Augusta, and San Jose before making it to AA Connecticut in the second half of the ’07 season. He struggled with control, walking 16 hitters in 21 innings and the Giants left him at AA to start this year. He’s still had some control problems this year — BB% of 12% — and his K% has dropped to 18.8% when it was at a ridiculous 36% in San Jose. But, Pichardo is only 22-years-old and his arm has a lot of promise. Anyone that can throw in the mid-90′s has a good chance of making it to the majors. I think his upside would be late inning relief, maybe in the setup role.

RHP Sergio Romo – Romo dazzles opposing hitters with a variety of pitches coming out of a variety of arm slots and angles. On a pure “stuff” level, Romo’s “stuff” isn’t off the charts, it’s rather pedestrian. He works in the upper 80′s and his curveball is an average pitch but similar to Cowart, he has amazing control that allows him to spot his pitches wherever he wants them. Toss in some deception from his pitching motion — he sort of slings the ball in a low arm slot — and you’ve got Sergio Romo. He doesn’t walk hitters — BB% of 5.1 — and despite not having a huge velocity, has never had trouble striking out hitters — K% of 29.3 in AA this year. His ’07 line from San Jose is just ridiculous: 65.2 IP, 33 H, 9 ER, 15 BB, 104 SO. He briefly had some struggles in AA when he came off of a injury — I believe it was a knee problem — but since giving up 3 earned runs on May 31st, he’s made 5 straight strong appearances. Over those 5 appearances his line looks like this: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 SO. That’s a positively small sample but I’d like to think he’s adjusted from his injury and is back to pitching well again.

The AA level doesn’t have the same talent or upside that the lower levels have, but it does have some players that could profile as the next members of the Giants bullpen array. Cowart, Romo, and Pichardo could all be relievers in the Giants bullpen at some point down the line. I think of the trio, Romo might have the most upside in the bullpen and I’d love to see him make it as a late inning reliever. Martinez might be more suited to a long relief role or be an occasional spot starter.

On the hitting side, Ishikawa and Witter aren’t perfect prospects but they do have some positives going for them. Ishikawa’s season this year in Connecticut has saved his status as a prospect. He might not project as a starting first baseman any more, but he could end up as a platoonmate for someone who can mash lefties. Or, he might not ever make it to the majors but even as a skeptic of Ishikawa’s, I’ve been happy with the adjustments he’s made.

Next, we’ll head to AAA Fresno (aka Scott McClain Country) and check out the last level of our Farm Review.

I love pitchers with funky motions. Mostly side-armers, though, I also love the old-time throwing styles of pitchers from the 60′s, like Koufax, Gibson, and of course this wouldn’t be a Giants blog without the mention of Marichal’s rock-back-and-huge-leg-kick pitching motion. But, what really gets my juices flowing are pitchers that throw with a sidearm motion, or even submariner.

Thats one of the reasons why I love baseball so much. The game has the uncanny ability for personalization. Doing things in your own unique way. This ability to add your own personal touch, or style, to the way you play the game adds to my enjoyment. Watch any basketball game and you’ll see that most players shoot the ball the same way. There’s going to be subtle differences here and there, but the mechanics are amazingly similar between all players. The same goes with football, watch any quarterback throw a pass and you’ll see that most of them look very, very similar. This is my opinion, so feel free to dispute it, but you can’t deny the almost universal nature of how these athletes perform their skills mechanically.

Now, watch two different pitchers pitch a baseball. One player uses a slow, long motion to hurl the baseball towards home plate. He throws straight over the top with a little hitch before he breaks his hands from his glove and fires the ball. It’s a unique motion to that player. Now look at another pitcher, he throws all bunched up, in a compact motion, throwing from a 3/4 delivery. His motion is fast and agitated looking. Two players doing the same exact thing, throwing a baseball, but doing it in completely different ways.

That’s the personal touch that I love about baseball. The idiosyncrasies of a player’s motions become just as famous as the player themself. They become who the player is and precede him in any conversation or description. They manifest themselves into something real. Rob Nen just wasn’t a fire-balling closer with nasty stuff, he had that wicked toe-tap thing he did before he released a 97mph fastball or a biting 92mph slider. That toe-tap became Rob Nen.

Back to the category of sidearmers.

I love the sidearming, slinging, whirling, and twirling because it’s extremely different. There are a million ways to throw a baseball but nothing looks so weird and unnatural as a pitcher throwing sidearm, or especially submarine like Chad Bradford. I don’t even care that much if the sidearmer in question is even that good, take for example Mike Myers, who has a career ERA of 4.29. It just-looks-cool. Also, for the record, the terms “sidearmer” and “submariner” tend to be interchangeable between people talking about these pitchers. You could talk to two different people and have them describe the same pitcher as either term. I tend to think of a sidearm pitcher as one who throws under a 3/4 delivery, on the “side” but not so low as to throw in a underhand motion, that to me, is a submariner.

I can’t remember the last Giants pitcher that threw from a sidearm or submarine motion, anyone? I think I have distant memories of Jim Poole from 1997 throwing from something resembling a sidearm motion but I can’t be sure. I may not be able to remember the last sidearming Giant but I can think of a future-to-be sidearmer that could one day end up with the Giants. I’m talking about minor league pitcher, Adam Cowart, who I was reminded of today when I was reading Baseball America. Every year BA has a “31st Team” detailing prospects who are just outside of their respective clubs top-30, but still interesting prospects.

Here’s what BA had to say about Cowart:

With his wide stance, sidearm release and total lack of any discernable stride, Cowart effectively quick-pitches every time he throws. That makes him a nightmare to hitters who haven’t seen him before, and it made him the perfect secret weapon when the Giants promoted him for the high Class A California League playoffs. He tossed three scoreless innings in relief of Henry Sosa to earn the victory in San Jose’s title-clincher. Cowart throws exclusively from the stretch and has dominated lower-level lineups on deception alone. He made San Francisco pay attention in 2006, when he began his pro career with a streak of 25 2/3 scoreless innings at short-season Salem-Keizer. Cowart’s fastball arrives in the low 80s but he spots it very well down in the strike zone. He also throws a changeup and slider, neither of which stands out much. Lefthanders give him some trouble and he could be exposed at higher levels, but he hasn’t gotten hit hard yet and the Giants will give him every opportunity to pitch his way into their future plans. Cowart’s most likely big league role would be as a reliever in the Chad Bradford mold. He’s headed to high Class A.

The Chad Bradford comparison is a good one and probably Cowarts top potential. He’s currently a starter right now in A-ball but should profile as a reliver in the bigs. I’ve been something of a Cowart fan since he was drafted and completed his first minor league season with the Giants in ’06.

Let’s take a look at Cowart’s stats:

YEAR	LEVEL	W	L	ERA	IP	H	R	ER	SO	H/9	HR/9	K/9	GO/AO
2006	 A-     10      1       1.08   83.1     51      13      10      55      5.51    0.22    5.94     2.81
2007     A      14      7       2.39   169.2    152     59      45      95      8.06    0.21    5.04     2.27

Like BA said, Cowart works in the lower 80′s so K’s aren’t going to be his game. His K/9 ratio’s aren’t anything too impressive but when Cowart is at his best, he’s keeping the ball on the ground and letting his defenders do the work. In his first two years of minor league baseball, he’s posted a 2:1 groundball to flyball ratio, almost a 3:1 in ’06. Cowart is very stingy with the longball, too. In both seasons his HR/9 rate of .22 and .21 is incredible. For him to be successful, he’ll have to continue to keep the ball down and on the ground. Cowart effectively doubled his IP totals in ’07 and kept his HR/9 ratio the same. That’s some good groundball work.

The Giants have been slow to promote Cowart. He dominated A- ball in ’06 and pitched quite strongly in ’07 as well. Both years, the Giants have left Cowart where he started the season. Like BA stated, he should be heading for A+ ball in ’08 and I hope that if he continues to pitch well in A+ ball, that the Giants move him up another level to challenge him. Despite the pitching friendly AA park that the Giants play in, the talent jump from A ball to AA ball is a big jump. Hitters are more adept at breaking stuff and are generally much more advanced than their A-ball counterparts. Why not promote Cowart a little more aggressively? The Giants know what he is, a ROOGY in the making, and he’s not going to ever add any velocity. Depending on if he improves his breaking stuff, the Adam Cowart you see right now is probably the same Cowart that you’ll see in 2-3 years.

Cowart still has a long road to travel because of his stuff and unorthodox motion. The collective of sideramers and submariners that have made it to the major leagues before him show that it can be done, and done in a different way.