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The minor league season may be over, but there is no end in sight for Minor Happenings or the minor league coverage here on the IPI. In this week’s Minor Happenings, Tony takes a look at the emergence of Low-A Lake County second baseman Jose Ramirez and what kind of prospect he really is, the strong finish from Lake County catcher Jake Lowery, and the good year but unfortunate injury to short season Single-A Mahoning Valley lefty Geoff Davenport. As always, he has lots of quotes on players like Matt Langwell, Carlos Moncrief, Matt Packer and others provided by the front office, and lots more.

The Scrappers and Spikes finished what they started way back in June on Wednesday, squaring off one final time to close out the 2012 season. The Scrappers entered the finale on a five game slide, and just 1-9 in their last ten games to cap off a terrible second half of 2012.

The Scrappers lost the first game of their season-ending two-game series against the State College Spikes, coming out on the wrong end of an extra-inning 5-4 walk off. Before losing in the bonus frames, the Scrappers did take a 4-1 lead in the middle innings.

For the second time in as many nights, the Scrappers were drubbed by eight runs. After getting licked in their home finale by the Auburn Doubledays, they were dropped in the first game of their final road trip, falling 10-2 to the Jamestown Jammers.

It wasn’t that long ago that Luis Dejesus was throwing out the first pitch to christen the 2012 Scrappers home slate. Now, exactly 72 days later, it was Robbie Aviles throwing out the first pitch to end it. While 2012 hasn’t exactly been the championship year the fans might have hoped, it supplied plenty to smile about.

The Scrappers were eliminated from playoff contention long ago, but the last few nights it has felt like they were in a pennant race. Maybe that’s because their foe, the Auburn Doubledays, are neck deep in a race of their own. And for the Scrappers, that can only mean one thing: spoiler.

As the season winds down for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, site columnist Andrew Zajac recaps the week that was, including notes on Luis DeJesus, Dorssys Paulino, Joe Wendle, Aaron Siliga, Jake Sisco, and more.

For Joe Sever, it was about more than just getting a big hit in the eighth inning with his team down a run. It was about pride. Just one batter earlier, the Scrappers best hitter Joey Wendle was intentionally walked with first base open to load the bases for Sever. That made it personal.

In today’s Minor Happenings, Tony looks at the very strong season that High-A Carolina third baseman Giovanny Urshela has had and the jump he has made as a prospect. He also touches on the season that Carolina right-handed pitcher Jordan Cooper has had and what it may mean for his future, provides lots of comments from Ross Atkins on some of their rising young Latin American stars, and provides injury updates and more on players like Lars Anderson, Adam Abraham, Carlos Moncrief, Tyler Naquin, and others.t

The days are getting shorter, the nights longer, the air crisper and cooler. You wouldn’t be wrong if you mistook it for football season. But before the men of autumn claim center stage for themselves, the boys of summer have a few finishing touches to put on their respective 2012 campaigns.

A night after a rain-soaked Eastwood Field forced a delay of the last Scrapper home stand, a clear and breezy August evening provided the perfect backdrop for a double dip with the Doubledays. For the Scrapper faithful, it may have looked like a different team than the one that they saw hit the road a week ago.

The Scrappers dropped the series finale in Auburn Sunday night, as the Doubledays were able to salvage the series with a 4-0 victory.

A tide-turning call in the top of the eleventh led to a four-run Scrapper rally that helped them defeat the Auburn Doubledays 7-3.

The Scrappers got back on right track Friday night, snapping a brief four game losing streak with a 3-2 victory on the road in Auburn.

For the second straight night, the Scrappers fell in walk-off fashion as the Batavia Muckdogs used a 2-1 extra inning victory to finish off their sweep Thursday night.

This week in Minor Happenings, Tony takes a look at the conservative approach used by the Indians with Danny Salazar and why he has been impressive this season, the strides at the plate made by shortstop Ronny Rodriguez and why he has solidified himself as a top prospect, provide quotes from the front office on players at the rookie level Arizona level, and lots of insight and info on other players like T.J. McFarland, Preston Guilmet, Bo Greenwell, Jake Lowery, Aaron Siliga, Hector Rondon and many more.