MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Dragons Camp Winding Down In Sarasota

Published on March 25, 2008 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Sarasota, Fla.-As moving trucks were being filled with equipment at the Cincinnati Reds spring training complex in Sarasota on Tuesday in anticipation of the move north for opening day, the Dayton Dragons continued working toward their Midwest League season opener next week. The Dragons have just three games remaining on their spring schedule after defeating Billings 5-4 on Tuesday. Like the Dragons, Billings is a Reds affiliate and their lineup on Tuesday included some players who could break camp with the Dragons on Saturday when rosters are set.

The hitting star on Tuesday for the Dragons was catcher Anthony Esquer, who drilled a pair of run-scoring doubles. Esquer hit just .217 with the Dragons in 2007 after batting .331 at Billings in 2006 in his first professional season. The native of Chino Hills, California hopes to improve on his 2007 production.

"He's got another year under his belt where he's worked hard every day to get to this point now where he's a lot better than where he was last year," said Darren Bragg, the Dragons hitting coach. "It's the whole process of being a professional. Every day you come to the field, you try to get better."

There were four catchers with the Dragons on Tuesday. Joining Esquer were Jake Long, who played in seven games with the Dragons in 2007; Jason Bour, who joined the Reds organization out of George Mason University last summer and batted .287 at Billings in his professional debut; and Devin Mesoraco, the Reds top draft pick last June and the youngest of the group at age 18. Two or three of the four catchers will be with the Dragons when they arrive in Dayton this weekend. Last season's Dragons starting catcher, Eddy Rodriguez, is expected to open the season with the Advanced-A Sarasota Reds.

Including the four catchers, there were 17 position players working out with the Dragons Tuesday as camp nears completion. The others were first basemen Mike McKennon and Kyle Maunus; middle infielders Zach Cozart, Brett Bartles, Angel Cabrera, Jake Kahaulelio, and Todd Frazier, third baseman Brandon Waring; and outfielders Brandon Menchaca, Justin Reed, Denis Phipps, Michael Jones, and Keltavious Jones. Cozart left the game Tuesday after being hit by a pitch on the wrist or forearm area. Traditionally, 13-14 of the 25 players on the opening day roster are position players, so the Reds will have some decisions to make in the next few days in terms of finalizing the Dragons roster.

Frazier "Ready to Go"

The deepest position in the Reds organization is shortstop and the Dragons will have one of the best of the bunch in 2008 in Todd Frazier. With former Dragon Paul Janish in Triple-A, highly-regarded Jose Castro in Double-A, and Dragons' '07 starter Chris Valaika apparently headed to Sarasota, the road ahead of Frazier is crowded. Additionally, Zach Cozart, who is coming back from an injury and may not be ready for opening day, was drafted as a shortstop by the Reds last June after being selected by Baseball America as the top defensive infielder in all of college baseball in 2007. And the youngest of the Reds shortstop prospects, 19-year-old Neftali Soto, was a third round draft pick last June.

Frazier was selected as the top prospect in the Pioneer League with Billings last season when he hit .319. He made a cameo appearance with the Dragons at the end of the '07 season, playing in just six games and batting .318, but he thinks the experience was valuable.

"It was huge," said Frazier. "It was a great experience. I got to see what the pro life was all about, and now I think I am ready to go."

Frazier is a large physical specimen for a shortstop at 6'3", 215 lbs., and some have projected that he might eventually move to a corner infield position. Frazier makes no secret of the fact that he prefers to stay at shortstop.

"Definitely, that's where I have always wanted to be, that's where I have been playing all my life," he said. "But wherever the world may take me...if I go to first or third or the outfield, that's fine, I will be productive over there too."

Frazier hit 22 home runs at the college level in 2007 at Rutgers before being drafted by the Reds in the supplemental first round.

The Dragons open their 2008 season on the road at Great Lakes on April 3rd. The home opener is Monday, April 7th against the Fort Wayne Wizards.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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