From today:

Attending a doubleheader at Kane County in A-ball two weeks ago, I got to see 2008 first-round pick Eric Hosmer have just about as bad a day as one can have for Burlington, as the first baseman failed to put a ball in play, going 0-for-5 with a walk and five strikeouts. His 5-for-12 run over the last three games has finally raised his average above the Mendoza line at .207/.299/.241, but he's struck out 21 times in 58 at-bats and has yet to register an extra-base hit in almost three weeks of play. Scouts attending the game were puzzled, but not overly concerned, since many of them remember 2007 first-round pick Mike Moustakas' introduction to the Midwest League last season; in April 2008, Moustakas hit just .190/.253/.226 in 21 games with just one extra-base hit, but he was the league's best hitter during the second half of the season, batting .321/.392/.557 after the All-Star break. Patience, folks.

As a whole, the Burlington team has been a wreck offensively, averaging just 3.7 runs per game, which actually seems high when one sees that the Bees are hitting .205/.271/.300 as a team. Take out outfielder Nick Francis, who by himself has nearly 20 percent of his team's hits, and the rest of the squad is hitting just .187 with 127 strikeouts in 477 at-bats.

Nick Francis NOW!