NewsWeek 2 AFL Players of the Week
Desme, Gutierrez and Lo share weekly award
Arizona Fall League
10/26/09 2:30 PM ET
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Phoenix Desert Dogs outfielder Grant Desme (OAK), who launched five home runs in five games last week, is the Arizona Fall League's Week 2 Player of the Week.He is joined by two co-Pitchers of the Week: Surprise Rafters right-handed starter Danny Gutierrez (TEX) and Peoria Saguaros right-handed reliever Chia-Jen Lo (HOU).
Grant Desme, Phoenix Desert Dogs
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Desme hit .478 (11-for-23) for the week with eight runs, nine runs batted in and a 1.174 slugging percentage.
The 23-year-old Bakersfield, Calif. native leads the Fall League with seven home runs. He is on pace to threaten the league single-season home-run record of 14 (Brandon Wood, 2005).
He also paces the league in hits (17), total bases (40) and slugging percentage (1.026). He is tied for second in runs (11), tied for third in runs batted in (13) and ranks sixth in batting (.436).
A second-round (74th overall) Draft choice of Oakland in 2007 out of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, Desme is a .286 hitter in three Minor League seasons with 33 home runs and 97 RBIs in 145 games. He split his 2009 campaign between Class A Kane County (.274 with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs in 69 games) and Class A Advanced Stockton (.304 with 20 home runs and 51 RBIs).
Danny Gutierrez, Surprise Rafters
One of five Fall League pitchers who enter Week 3 with two victories, the 22-year-old Los Angeles product also sports a 0.00 earned run average in his two appearances (both starts). He has allowed no runs, two hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
A four-year professional, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Gutierrez was drafted in the 33rd round (982nd overall) in 2005 out of Rubidoux (Calif.) High School. He split 2009 between Class A Advanced Wilmington (1-0 with a 1.65 ERA in eight games) and Double-A (0-0, 3.60 ERA in one game). His 6-10 career record includes a 3.80 earned run average in 50 games. He has struck out 198 batters in 206 innings.
Chia-Jen Lo, Peoria Saguaros
A native of Taiwan, Lo, 23, posted three consecutive scoreless two-inning stints in the first two weeks of the Fall League season. The reliever owns a 1-0 record and 2.45 ERA in 7 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs, three hits and one walk with nine strikeouts in four appearances.
The 5-foot-11, 181-pound Lo, who attended Chinese Culture University in Taiwan, split 2009 -- his first season of professional baseball in the United States -- between Class A Advanced Lancaster (1-0 with a 1.78 ERA in 12 games) and Double-A Corpus Christi (0-2 with a 2.31 ERA in 30 games).
Other Nominees
Other hitters receiving consideration were Peoria Javelinas outfielder Jordan Danks (CWS) and Phoenix Desert Dogs OF Matt Angle (BAL). Scottsdale Scorpions RHP Joe Martinez (SF) also received consideration for Pitcher of the Week.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
