Billyball

Had a chance to talk to Florence manager Toby Rumfield about a few topics last night, including Freedom second baseman Billy Mottram, pictured, who hit for the cycle against the Wild Things. Mottram became the first Frontier League player to hit for the cycle in a game in Washington.

Mottram is leading the league in home runs (15) and is third in RBI (37).

Rumfield spent two years as a scout for the Kansas City Royals, so I asked him what major league scouts like and dislike about Mottram.

"The knock is his defense," Rumfield said. "That's the only knock you can put on him."

Mottram has committed 11 errors, which is very high number when you consider he plays home games on an artificial turf surface at Champion Window Field. You don't get bad and unpredictable bounces on turf like you do on grass.

"But he still makes good defensive plays for us," Rumfield continued. "We feel like he's irreplaceable. He can hit for average, hit for power and he has speed. He steals bases and he runs well."

Mottram was a late-round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2007 out of Dowling College in New York. He had only 21 hits in 134 at-bats (.157) in his one season in the Cubs' system and was released. Last year, he hit 10 home runs in 90 games for Florence, but his hitting has reached another level this season.

"A player is supposed to get better each season, and Billy has," Rumfield said. "His approach at the plate this year is good. He has a plan in mind each time he goes to the plate and he executes that plan. The bat hasn't been the question with him."

Rumfield said he expects interest from scouts in Mottram to pick up during the Frontier League's all-star break later this month.