I recently returned from my first visit to the Arizona Fall League. After six hours of driving through remote locales with names like Ocotillo, Manzanita, and Gila Bend, I arrived in Phoenix ready for some November baseball. My friend Bill and I managed to take in three games in two days, seeing five of the six teams in action. Below are some of my impressions of players we saw over the weekend.

J.R. House (C/1B, Pit) played first base and didn't embarrass himself. At the plate, he displayed a solid line drive stroke and good off-field power.

Tim Raines, Jr. (CF, Bal) is extremely fast and has excellent baserunning instincts. He always seemed ready to run. He would do well to keep the ball on the ground when he hits so he can take advantage of his speed.

Scott Sobkowiak (RHP, Atl) didn't look too sharp, although he managed to pitch five solid innings. His velocity (high-80s) wasn't nearly what I'd expected but he is coming back from injury, so I guess that's not too surprising.

John Buck (C, Hou) is a big, strong kid with a very long swing. He didn't show much at or behind the plate when I saw him but he looks like a pretty good athlete.

Mark Ellis (SS, Oak) had three solid line drive hits and a beautiful bunt single down the third-base line in the Friday afternoon game. He looked okay in the field but not spectacular. A grinder who won't push Miguel Tejada anytime soon, Ellis was a shrewd pickup by Billy Beane in the Johnny Damon trade and could make a useful utility infielder.

Donnie Bridges (RHP, Mtl) showed two plus pitches (fastball, slider) and an obsession for pitching in the style of Curt Schilling: everything hard, everything up. He had reasonable success the night we saw him but I thought he needed a third reliable pitch or perhaps a move to the bullpen.

Josh Phelps (C/DH, Tor) displayed a good approach at the plate--good eye, gaps power--but absolutely no semblance of a throwing arm. Looks like he'll hit enough to withstand a move from behind the dish and maybe become a Greg Colbrunn type of player.

Angel Berroa (SS, KC) looked good at shorstop. Nice actions, smooth.

Brandon Phillips (SS, Mtl) has a wide stance, waggles his bat, and takes a huge cut. Definitely not what you expect out of a 5' 11" shortstop. He had trouble making contact the night we saw him and looked a bit confused playing third base. I've heard enough good things about him, specifically in the AFL, that I believe he was probably just having one of those games.

Gabe Gross (RF, Tor) is one of the most impressive hitters I saw in the AFL. He's very quiet at the plate and has a good idea of the strike zone. His stance reminds me a little of Shawn Green's. Gross also looked very fluid in right field and demonstrated a strong arm. He's very polished for a guy with so little professional experience.

Rob Henkel (LHP, Fla) showed good stuff for a lefty and a nice breaking pitch that kept hitters off-balance.

Kevin Olsen (RHP, Fla) had a decent fastball and better breaking pitch. Excellent command.

Colin Young (LHP, Col) has a delivery reminiscent of Michael Palin's walk in "Ministry of Silly Walks." Unfortunately, his motion appears to irritate hitters more than fool them. Young isn't much of a prospect but I couldn't resist the Monty Python reference.

Ryan Jorgensen (C, ChN) looks like a solid catch-and-throw guy. Another good arm behind the plate.

Bobby Hill (2B/SS, ChN) showed okay range and arm at shortstop. Works the count, fast and heady baserunner. Doesn't have much power but doesn't need it at the top of the order.

Tim Hummel (2B/SS, ChA) played reasonably well at second base but was painful to watch at shortstop. He doesn't have the range or the arm for it. Good line drive stroke. Hummel is another like Ellis, potentially useful for his bat depending on how many things he can do on defense.

Aaron McNeal (1B/DH, NYN) is a very large man with a long swing. He is strong but tended to tie himself up, especially on stuff inside, when I saw him.

Nic Jackson (CF, ChN) is getting a lot of play right now but he was pulling off the ball Friday night and didn't impress me much.

Mario Valenzuela (RF, ChA) didn't do much for me either. John Sickels likes him, has for some time, which is enough for me to think that I caught him on a bad night. He was chasing pitches all over the place--fastballs up out of the strike zone, breaking balls in the dirt--and generally looked lost at the plate.

Hank Blalock (3B, Tex) was worth the trip alone. He has a very compact swing, quick hands, and a disciplined approach at the plate. Blalock is a strong kid whom I'm convinced could hit .270-.280 with 15-20 homers in Arlington right now if needed. His glove is better than I'd expected, too. Quick feet, good hands, strong and accurate arm. If there are any weaknesses in his game, he sure hid them well Saturday afternoon. He didn't reach base even once but--and I realize this is incredibly cliché--the ball really does sound different coming off his bat. Sickels has been calling this one all along and the numbers are starting to bear it out: Blalock is going to be an absolute stud.

Kenny Kelly (CF/LF, Sea) runs very well and has a decent throwing arm in left field (although not as strong as might be expected from a former college quarterback). He appears to have trouble with good inside stuff at the plate.

Miguel Olivo (C, ChA) is a good receiver and has a spectacular arm which he is not afraid to use. On offense, his swing is long and he goes after too many bad balls.

Robert Stratton (LF/DH, NYN) is even larger than McNeal. He has incredible trouble making contact (39 strikeouts in 67 at-bats through November 9 would make Russ Branyan blush) but sends the ball a long way when he does hit it. He doubled and then hit a walk-off homer in Saturday afternoon's game.

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