Daily Distractions: Minor-league awards honor Nick Buss as one Triple-A’s best outfielders in 2013.

Nick Buss

Nick Buss led the Pacific Coast League in RBIs, with 100. (Associated Press photo)

The Triple-A All-Star team, announced Tuesday by Minor League Baseball and the Topps Company, is a real motley crew.

The group includes a 30-year-old veteran of seven seasons of independent baseball (Chris Colabello), a first-round draft pick from 2001 (J.D. Martin) and Nick Buss, the former USC outfielder who made his major-league debut at age 27 with the Dodgers in September.

Buss had a .303/.363/.525 slash line at Triple-A Albuquerque before his call-up, when he collected 2 hits in 19 at-bats as a Dodger. He had 17 home runs and 21 stolen bases, and a PCL-leading 100 RBIs after spending all of 2012 at Double-A Chattanooga.

As the Dodgers’ 40-man roster stands now, Buss is one of three outfielders behind the four well-paid supertars (Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford and Yasiel Puig). Mike Baxter and Scott Van Slyke are the others.

Some bullet points for a Guy Fawkes Day:
Continue reading “Daily Distractions: Minor-league awards honor Nick Buss as one Triple-A’s best outfielders in 2013.” »