2006 Kinston Indians Pre Season Notes
Published on April 3, 2006 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Kinston Indians News Release
- On the Road? - The K-Tribe opens up the 2006 Carolina League Season at Winston-Salem on Thursday Night. If it seems like you can't remember the last the Kinston opened up the season on the road, well you probably can't. 1999 was the last time the K-Tribe opened up on the road.
- Familiar Faces - 14 Players on the 2006 Indians Roster spent all or part of last season with the K-Tribe. Pitchers Kyle Collins, Chris Niesel, Scott Roehl, Sean Smith and Jesus Soto return to Grainger Stadium. In the field familiar faces Caleb Brock, Rodney Choy Foo, Stephen Head, Brandon Pinckney, Argenis Reyes, Micah Shilling, Brian Barton and Ryan Goleski all start the year with the K-Tribe.
- Familiar Faces Part 2 - The field staff is also no strangers to Grainger Stadium. Pitching Coach Steve Lyons and Trainer Michael Salazar return to the dugout from last season's squad. Mike Sarbaugh played in Kinston in 1990-91 and returned to the K-Tribe as hitting coach in 1995 and 1998-99. Hitting Coach Jim Rickon played in 29 games for the K-Tribe in 2001 and 8 for the Indians in 2000.
- Your Island or Mine - A little bit of big island influence surrounds the K-Tribe this year. Hawaii native Reid Santos joins fellow islander Rodney Choy Foo on the Indians this season. Infielder Brian Finegan grew up in California, but played his college ball at the University of Hawaii.
- RBI Alumni - K-Tribe Outfielder and Los Angeles native Brian Barton is an alum of Major League Baseball's RBI Program (Reviving Baseball in the Inner cities). Since 1989 the program has expanded to 200 cities, helping 120,000 kids a year. Barton is trying to make it to the Majors like other RBI Alums - Coco Crisp, Ken Harvey, Luis Matos and Dontrelle Willis.
- K-Tribe Players to Watch
o Trevor Crowe (OF) - The 14th pick of the 2005 draft, Crowe is the 8th ranked prospect in the Cleveland Organization. The former Oregon Player of the Year in High School, Crowe had a stellar career at the University of Arizona, as the 2005 Pac 10 co-player of the year. Crowe lead the Pac 10 in avg, slug, hits, runs, doubles, triples, stolen and total bases in 2005. Crowe won a gold medal for team USA at the 2004 World University Games. His father David played on the PGA Tour. Trevor was also a Nationally Ranked Racquetball Player earning a spot on the Junior National Team in 1998.
o Stephen Head (1B) - A 2nd Round pick out of the University of Mississippi in the 2005 draft, Head is Baseball America's 9th ranked prospect in the Cleveland Organization. Head hit .308 with 10 homeruns with Mahoning Valley and Kinston last season.
o Chuck Lofgren (LHP) - A 4th Round pick in 2004, Lofgren is Baseball America's 11th ranked prospect in the Cleveland Organization. Lofgren went to Sera High in San Mateo, California, the same high school that produced Barry Bonds, Jim Fregosi, Gregg Jefferies, and New England QB Tom Brady. Lofgren was a standout two way player...putting a clause in his contract that said he could DH in his 2004 debut. He is strictly a pitcher now.
o Jensen Lewis (RHP) - A 3rd Round pick in 2005 Lewis is Baseball America's 19th ranked prospect in the Cleveland Organization. Lewis went to Vanderbilt University where he was a teammate of former K-Triber Jeremy Sowers. Lewis's dream job outside of baseball is to be a big league play by play announcer or cooking alongside Emeril Lagasse.
o Matt Whitney (3B) - A 1st Round Pick in 2002, Whitney was a top prospect until breaking his left leg while playing basketball at spring training in 2003. He missed the entire season with the injury, and then was limited to DH Duties in 2004. Last season was the first time he played third base extensively in three years.
- K-Tribe Coaching Staff:
Manager
Mike Sarbaugh, 38, earned a promotion to Kinston after guiding the Lake County Captains to a 72-66 (.522) record last year. A member of the Cleveland Indians organization as either a player or coach for the past 16 years, Sarbaugh returns to Grainger Stadium where he played as a K-Tribe infielder in 1990 and 1991. Sarbaugh started his coaching career in 1995 as hitting instructor for the K-Tribe, leading them to the Carolina League Championship. He became the hitting coach for the Columbus RedStixx of the South Atlantic League in 1996 and 1997, and returned to Kinston in the same position in 1998 and 1999. This will mark Sarbaugh's third different managerial stop in three seasons as he made his debut in 2004 as the skipper at Mahoning Valley, leading the Scrappers to a New York-Penn League Championship. In his playing days, Sarbaugh was an all conference shortstop at Lamar University. He played six seasons of minor league baseball the last five as a member of the Cleveland Indians organization. Sarbaugh holds a degree in Kinesiology from Lamar University. He and his wife Nicole live in Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania with their two sons, Michael and Matthew and daughter, Marin.
Pitching Coach
Steve Lyons, 34, Returns to Kinston for the second straight year and his ninth as a coach in the Cleveland organization. He won a championship with Akron in 2003 as his pitchers led the Eastern League in wins, ERA, saves and strikeouts. In 2001, his Kinston pitchers led the Carolina League in wins, ERA, shutouts and strikeouts. Originally a 4th round draft pick of the New York Mets in 1992, Lyons pitched three minor league seasons before retiring due to an elbow injury. He and his wife Rebecca live in Haines City, FL with their sons Tyler and Blake.
Hitting Coach
Jim Rickon, 29, makes the jump to Kinston after making his coaching debut with the Lake County Captains last season. Rickon served in various instructing capacities within the Indians player development system from 2002-04. Rickon was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Indians after graduating from Cleveland State University in 1999. Rickon played three seasons of Minor League baseball including 29 games at Kinston in 2001. Jim and his wife, Adriana, reside in Hudson, OH.
Kinston Indians by the Numbers:
20 Seasons as a Cleveland Indians Affiliate
14 Playoff Appearances - 87,88*,90*,91*,93,95*,96,97*,99,01*,02,03,04,05
* First place in both halves of the season
- The K-Tribe has made the Carolina League Playoffs in 5 straight seasons and 9 out of the last 11 seasons
10 Southern Division Championships - 87,88,90,91,95,96,97,02,04,05
8 Times a K-Tribe skipper has been named the Carolina League Manager of the Year
5 Times no playoffs - 89,92,94,98,00
4 Carolina League Championships - 88,91,95,04
4 Female General Managers in Minor League Baseball Last Season
3 Female General Managers in Carolina League History (#3 is Shari Massengill)
2 Year affiliate extension signed with the Cleveland Indians (through the 2008 season)
1 Game Missed by Scoreboard Operator Delmont Miller Last Season (he "overslept")
Carolina League by the Numbers - courtesy Minor League Baseball
0 Number of dollars it costs for Little Leaguers to attend weeknight games at Frederick's Harry Grove Stadium
0 The number of Frederick Keys managers who have posted back-to-back winnings seasons, which Ben Figueroa is looking to do in 2006
1 The number of Carolina League teams that have been part of the league for each of its 61 years (Winston-Salem)
1 The Myrtle Beach Pelicans' rank in terms of merchandise sales among the 158 Minor League teams in 1999, their first season
2 The number of games George H.W. Bush attended at Frederick in 1991-92
2 The number of champions in the Carolina League in 1999 (Myrtle Beach and Wilmington) due to Hurricane Floyd
2 Number of Baseball Hall of Fame members that once owned the Wilmington Blue Rocks -- Connie Mack and Chief Bender
2.12 ERA of Wilmington Blue Rocks Vice President Tom Palmer for the Delaware Blue Hens in 1967 (He and Blue Rocks president Matt Minker were college teammates)
3 Number of Hall of Famers who managed in the Carolina League -- Heinie Manush, Joe Medwick and Enos Slaughter
3 Number of general managers Kinston has had in the three years since North Johnson vacated the position after 17 years
3 Number of consecutive seasons that Wilmington GM Chris Kemple was named Carolina League Executive of the Year before Myrtle Beach GM Matt O'Brien won the award last year
3 Number of towns represented by the Carolina League's Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets in 1945-47
3 Number of Carolina League stadiums built at least 50 years ago
3 Number of times the Carolina League has lost to the California League since the two started squaring off in a Class A All-Star Game in 1996 (there have also been two ties)
4 Number of Carolina League stadiums built since 1990
4 Number of Carolina League championships the Wilmington Blue Rocks have won in their 12 years of existence
5 Number of states represented in the Carolina League -- Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia
5 Number of 2006 Carolina League managers who played in the Major Leagues -- Gary Green, Ben Figueroa, Rafael Santana, Jim Pankovits and Randy Knorr
6 Number of consecutive years the Carolina League broke its single-season attendance record, beginning in 1990
6 Number of nine-inning perfect games in Carolina League history, the last by Kinston's Keith Ramsey against Myrtle Beach on September 6, 2004
7 Number of years since Salem skipper Jim Pankovits last managed (at Double-A Jackson)
7 Years since the first wedding at Myrtle Beach's Coastal Federal Field took place -- former groundskeeper Bill Butler married Margaret Payne before the Pelicans game vs. Kinston
8 Number of Hall of Famers who played in the Carolina League -- Earl Weaver, Willie McCovey, Carl Yastrzemski, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Rod Carew and Wade Boggs
8 Number of consecutive seasons Wilmington has led the Carolina League in attendance
8.19 Average price, in dollars, of box seats in the eight Carolina League stadiums
9 Number of managers the Wilmington Blue Rocks have had in the 13 years since their inception in 1993
9 Wilmington's rank in 2005 attendance among all 60 Class A teams
11 Years since new Kinston GM Shari Massengill took a job as the office assistant at Grainger Stadium
13 Number of consecutive years Carolina League attendance increased, beginning in 1983
20 Number of consecutive seasons that Kinston has been affiliated with the Cleveland Indians
20 Years Delmont Miller has been operating the scoreboard for the Kinston Indians
21 Number of games that Albert Pujols spent with Potomac in 2000, his only Minor League season -- he hit .284 with two homers and 10 RBIs
22 Seasons spent in office by current league president John Hopkins
23 Number of years since the Salem Redbirds and Lynchburg Mets played the first ever Carolina League game in a Major League park, at New York's Shea Stadium -- Lynchburg's Lenny Dykstra homered and 18-year-old right-hander Dwight Gooden two-hit the Redbirds through eight innings before surrendering four runs in the ninth inning of a 4-1 loss
25 Length, in minutes, of a delay during game between Kinston and Myrtle Beach on August 24, 1999, caused by a car crashing into the left-field wall
26 Number of pitchers that have reached the Major Leagues since being instructed by Myrtle Beach pitching coach Bruce Del Canton
27 Number of years since new Myrtle Beach manager Rocket Wheeler played for the Kinston Eagles
30 Shoe size of Frederick mascot Keyote
30 Average age, in years, of the eight Carolina League stadiums
33 Age of Wilmington manager Chad Epperson
40 Number of seasons that Calvin Falwell has been president of the Lynchburg Baseball Corporation
42 Number of years it took the Carolina League to draw a million fans in a season after reaching that mark in 1947
42 Number that Potomac Nationals Chairman and CEO Art Silber wears on his jersey, commemorating his friendship with Jackie Robinson, who he met at age 7 while living a half block from Ebbets Field
50 Percentage of the past 20 seasons that the Kinston Indians have reached the Carolina League championship
50 Number of doubles hit in 1948 by Lawrence "Crash" Davis, namesake of Kevin Costner's character in Bull Durham
53 Number of bases stolen by Salem hitting coach Chuck Carr when he led the National League in thefts in 1993
54 Number of years between the Carolina League's only two Triple Crown winners -- Winston-Salem's Ray Jablonski in 1951and Leo Daigle in 2005
55 Number of home runs hit by Reidsville's Leo "Muscle" Shoals in 1949 -- a Carolina League record
58 The number of miles between Salem and Lynchburg -- the two nearest teams in the league
61 Number of years the Carolina League has been in existence
63 Percentage of Carolina League teams that aren't located in either of the Carolinas
109 Number of stolen bases by Potomac's Esix Snead in 2000 -- a Carolina League record
168 Number of hits by Potomac's Rich Renteria in 1982 -- a team record (Renteria is now the manager of the California League's Lake Elsinore Storm)
300 Number of strikeouts 18-year-old Dwight Gooden accumulated in 191 innings for Lynchburg in 1983 -- an average of 14.14 per nine innings and an all-time Carolina League record
300 Weight, in pounds, of Salem's mascot, Mugsy
310 Weight, in pounds, of Wilmington's mascot, Rocky Bluewinkle
565 The number of miles between Myrtle Beach and Wilmington -- the longest roadtrip in the league
750 Number of miles from Chicago to Winston-Salem's Ernie Shore Field, where Warthogs fans can have their picture taken with the White Sox's World Series trophy on May 5
820 Number of autographed baseballs collected, as of 2004, by Potomac Chairman and CEO Art Silber
5,577 Average capacity of the eight Carolina League stadiums
10,000 Number of dollars Carolina Hamby of Surfside Beach, SC, won on June 11, 2001, when Mytle Beach pitcher Brett Evert struck out the side during the American Residential Heat'em Up/Cool'em Down inning
1,816,193 Number of fans that attended Carolina league games in 1995 -- an all-time record
Kinston Indians Quick History:
Professional baseball in Kinston dates back to the early 1920's when the city fielded a team in the Class B Virginia League. The club decided to let local residents choose a nickname for the team. The people voted for the "Eagles", a nickname that would stick with the team until 1974. In 1928 the Eagles moved to the short lived Class D Eastern Carolina League, also known as the "Bright Leaf Belt".
In 1937 baseball came back to Kinston as the Eagles joined the Coastal Plains League. Kinston's first championship winner came when the Eagles took the CPL crown in 1947.
After the CPL folded due to financial reasons in the 50's, the Eagles joined the Carolina League in 1956.
The 1956 season was highlighted by the performance of all star center fielder Carl Long, the first African-American to play for the Eagles. In 1962 the Eagles won their first ever Carolina League Championship beating Durham 4-3 in the best of seven series.
The Eagles bounced in and out of the Carolina League for the next couple of decades. In 1974 a short one year stint as the Kinston Expos marked the first time Kinston's team dropped the "Eagles" nickname. It would happen again in 1982 when the nickname changed to the Blue Jays. After Toronto ended their affiliation with Kinston in 1985, the team couldn't latch on with a Major League Affiliate and operated as an independent for the 1986 season. The team polled the public for a nickname and again the "Eagles" won out. The team latched on with the Cleveland Organization one year later in 1987 and the Kinston Indians were born.
Kinston MLB Affiliations:
1937-38 - St. Louis
1956 - Pittsburgh
1957 - Washington
1962-67 - Pittsburgh
1968-73 - New York Yankees
1974 - Montreal
1977-85 - Toronto
1987-? - Cleveland
Kinston in the Carolina League:
Kinston Eagles 1956-57, 1962-72, 1978-81, 1986
Kinston Expos 1974
Kinston Blue Jays 1982-85
Kinston Indians 1987 - ?
Former Kinston Players:
Jim Thome, Jaret Wright, Brian Giles, Albert Belle, Charlie Keller, Manny Ramirez, Charles Nagy, Fred McGriff, Sean Casey, Cecil Fielder, Ron Guidry, Richie Sexson, David Wells, Tony Fernandez, Bartolo Colon, C.C. Sabathia, Grady Sizemore
Former Kinston Managers:
Gene Hassel - 70-72
Leo Mazzone - 78
Grady Little - 85
Mike Hargrove - 87
Eric Wedge - 99
Grainger Stadium:
- Grainger Stadium is the 2nd oldest park in the Carolina League built in 1949
o Seating Capacity 4,100
- Grainger Stadium Attendance Records
o 4,620 - July 28, 1989 vs. Durham on Jersey Night
o 4,537 - June 11, 1962 vs. Durham with special guest Max Patkin the Clown Prince of Baseball
Carolina League Stories from April 3, 2006
- 2006 Kinston Indians Pre Season Notes - Kinston Indians
- Blue Rocks Release Opening Day Roster - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Salem Avalanche roster set - Salem RidgeYaks
- Keys hire Chuck Cannon as Head Groundskeeper - Frederick Keys
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