Prep baseball: J.R. Murphy promoted to Tampa

(photo from riveraveblues) J.R. Murphy is coming to Tampa.
And maybe McKechnie Field, too.
A Bradenton native and a graduate of The Pendleton School, Murphy was promoted Thursday from the New York Yankees' low Single-A affiliate in Charleston to its high Single-A team in Tampa.
The Tampa Yankees compete in the Florida State League and head to Bradenton to face the Marauders for a four-game series from July 21 through July 24.
The Yankees drafted Murphy in the second round of the 2009 draft and played nine games that summer with the organization's Gulf Coast League team. He spent all of last season with Charleston, batting .255 in 83 games.
Murphy began this season in Charleston, too, hitting .297 in 63 games with six home runs, 32 RBIs and 23 doubles. He was selected for the SAL All-Star team.
Drafted and listed as a catcher, Murphy has also split time at third base and DH this season.

Prep baseball: Bradenton's Murphy beginning season in Charleston

(minorleaguebaseball.com)

As expected, Bradenton's J.R. Murphy has begun the baseball season with the Charleston RiverDogs, the low Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees.

Murphy, who graduated from The Pendleton School, spent all of last season with the RiverDogs. The next step could be a promotion to high Single-A Tampa, which competes in the Florida State League with the Bradenton Marauders.

Murphy is batting .207 in seven games this season, but has hit three home runs and driven in seven runs, upping his slugging percentage to .552.

The Yankees picked Murphy during the second round of the 2009 draft. A catcher in high school, Murphy has also logged time as a designated hitter and third baseman this season.

Prep baseball: Bayshore's Ryan Pope off to Triple-A

(photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie)

Bayshore graduate Ryan Pope begins the baseball season one step closer toward becoming a major-leaguer.

Pope is on the roster of the New York Yankees' Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

The pitcher spent all of last season with the organization's Double-A team in Trenton, N.J, and this is the first time he has cracked a Triple-A roster, and he is on the seven-day disabled list.

Pope, who is also listed on the Yankees' 40-man roster, pitched out of the bullpen for the majority of last season and recorded 17 saves with the Thunder.

The Yankees took Pope, who graduated from Bayshore in '04, during the third round of the 2007 draft, making him the first player ever drafted from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Prep baseball: Bayshore's Pope sent to Double-A

(photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie) Bayshore graduate Ryan Pope, a reliever in the New York Yankees organization, was reassigned to the team's Double-A affiliate in Trenton, N.J. last week, according to Wallace Matthews with ESPN New York. Pope made six appearances with the Yankees this spring, posting a 3.60 ERA in five innings. He allowed five hits and two earned runs, struck out five, walked none and hit a batter. He made his spring debut this year at McKechnie Field, where he tossed a perfect inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pope graduated from Bayshore in 2004 and was chosen by the Yankees in third round of the '07 draft. He was the first baseball player to be drafted out of the Savannah College of Art and Design. Pope spent all of last season in Trenton, posting 17 saves and a 4.20 ERA.

Prep baseball: Murphy coming to McKechnie?

(riveraveblues.com)

Bradenton's J.R. Murphy made his professional debut two summers ago at Pirate City with the Gulf Coast Yankees.
If all goes according to plan, he may return to Bradenton this summer with another Yankees affiliate - the high Single-A team based in Tampa.
Tim Bontemps, who covers minor league baseball for the New York Post, said Murphy will most likely begin the season with the Yankees' low Single-A team in Charleston, but could get a bump to Tampa if he plays well.
That could result in a homecoming of sorts. The Tampa Yankees compete in the Florida State League, as do the Bradenton Marauders, the Pirates' affiliate set to begin season No. 2 at McKechnie Field.
Tampa visits Bradenton for a three-game series beginning July 22.
Murphy, a graduate of The Pendleton School who turns 20 in May, spent all of last season with Charleston, batting .255 with seven home runs and 54 RBI in 87 games. Baseball America ranked him the Yankees' 14th best prospect, according to Bontemps.
Murphy is part of a deep pool of Yankees catchers that includes Jesus Montero and Austin Romine, both of whom are competing for the major-league back-up job this spring.
In his report, Bontempts said Murphy's "bat is ahead of his defense" - he committed 11 errors in 53 games behind the plate last year, but threw out a respectable 23 percent of runners trying to steal - and he could possibly shift to third base or an outfield spot in the future.

Prep baseball: Pope perfect for Yanks

(photo from NJ.com)

BRADENTON - Bayshore's Ryan Pope tossed a perfect inning of relief for the Yankees, who fell 2-0 to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday at McKechnie Field.
Check out Wednesday's edition of The Bradenton Herald to read about Pope's happy return home.

Prep baseball: Bayshore grad Pope joins Yanks at McKechnie

(photo from nj.com)

BRADENTON - Bayshore alum Ryan Pope is in Bradenton today with the New York Yankees.
A right-handed reliever, Pope was picked by the Yankees in the third round of the 2007 draft. He played college baseball at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Pope may pitch an inning in today's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at McKechnie Field.

Yankees high on Murphy

It appears that J.R. Murphy, a Bradenton resident and graduate of The Pendleton School at IMG Acadamies, has been impressing the right people with the New York Yankees.
Murphy was promoted from the Yankees' GCL rookie team last week to the organization's low Single-A team in Charleston. He's batting .286 in seven games with the RiverDogs with six RBIs, and is showing he belongs in the Yankees' deep pool of catching prospects.
The Yankees took Murphy in the second round of last year's draft after he batted .627 with 11 home runs during his senior year at Pendelton.