IL1 International League

International League News And Notes

April 12, 2007 - International League (IL1) News Release


BUFFALO BISONS

PLAY BALL, FINALLY: The Buffalo Bisons finally started their 2007 season on Monday. Much like their parent club, the Cleveland Indians, the Herd dealt with snow and freezing temperatures that forced the postponement of the first four games of the year. After not being able to take on the Richmond Braves, the Bisons opened the season on April 9 with an 8-3 win over the Ottawa Lynx.

FAST START FOR CHOO: Bisons outfielder Shin-Soo Choo has gotten his season off to a great start. The 24-year old has reached base in eight of his 13 plate appearances this season, with four hits and four walks (.615 on-base percentage). On Wednesday against Ottawa, Choo reached base five times, including two doubles and two walks. Acquired by Cleveland in a trade with Seattle in July of last season (for Ben Broussard), Choo has a.303 batting average in 638 career Minor League games.

HITTING HERD CLUTCH EARLY: Early on, Bisons hitters have shown a knack for getting the big hit when they need it. Buffalo batters are averaging .464 (13-28) with 14 RBI with runners in scoring position. Infielder Keith Ginter has four of those hits, giving him four RBI in three games. Even better than that, the Bisons are hitting .500 (8-16) with nine RBI with runners in scoring position and two outs. Ginter and infielders Hector Luna and Ryan Mulhern all have two hits in that clutch situation.

CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS

LET'S GET SOME RUNS: Ryan Sweeney hit his first home run of the season Tuesday night. It was a solo home run, just like 4 of the other 5 home runs the Knights have hit this season. The Knights have had the occasional power boost, but just not with men on base. The Knights have a team on-base percentage of .271 and a team batting average of just .212. The Knights are also batting just .125 with runners in scoring position. Tuesday night against Syracuse, the Knights left 8 men on base.

A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS: The Knights' bullpen has been everything manager Marc Bombard and pitching coach Juan Nieves could ask for. Dwayne Pollok and Boone Logan have recorded back-to-back saves over the last two games, and the team has also had great middle relief. Paulino Reynoso has showed a significant increase in his pace on the mound and it seems to have worked. Reynoso has struck out 6 in just 3.1 innings pitched. Ehren Wassermann has adjusted nicely from being the closer in Birmingham last season, to now being a middle reliever. Wassermann has allowed just two hits in four innings of work. Ryan Bukvich has shown off his powerful arm in his three appearances which include picking up a win. Shaun Babula has also rebounded nicely. Babula gave up four walks in the season opener, but struck out two and didn't allow any hits Saturday against Pawtucket.

TIDBITS: Knuckleball pitcher Charlie Haeger may have found himself a personal catcher in Ryan Smith. Smith was able to get down and block balls in the dirt during Haeger's last start. The move could benefit Smith, as the White Sox have expressed concern about bringing Haeger up to the big leagues due to their current catchers' lack of experience catching knuckleball pitchers...Outfielder Luis Terrero has four hits so far on the season. Three of those hits were home runs...Infielder Andy Gonzalez sat out two games due to stiffness in his right shoulder, but he has returned to the lineup...The Knights have had two of their six games go to extra innings and will play a doubleheader this evening against Syracuse.

COLUMBUS CLIPPERS

LOTS OF ZEROS: From April 8 to April 10 the Clippers were involved in four consecutive shutouts, going 2-2 in those games. Last year the Clippers took part in a League-low 10 shutouts, splitting those games 5-5. In Columbus' six games there have been a total of 18 runs scored and there have only been three multiple-run innings combined.

CLIPPERS SET FOR HOME OPENER: Columbus will open the home slate on Friday starting with four games versus Buffalo, followed by four with Durham. Last season the Clippers were 14 games better at home than they were on the road. They have started this season 2-4 away from Cooper Stadium.

RESTOVICH BRINGS THE BATS TO LOUISVILLE: Last night in Louisville Michael Restovich went 1-2 with an RBI, raising his career batting average against the Bats to .393 (24-61). With his double in the 9th inning last night he extended his hitting streak versus Louisville to 13 games, dating back to May 23, 2003. In 14 career games against Louisville, he has scored 9 runs and driven in 11, with 3 doubles, a triple and 2 home runs. At Louisville Slugger Field he is now hitting .320 (8-25) in seven games.

OFF AND RUNNING: Thanks to Darnell McDonald (3 SB) leading the way, Columbus has stolen a base in five of their first six games. The Clippers have improved their stolen base total in each of the last four seasons, but still finished 12th in the League last year with only 78 SB. They have not stolen over 100 bases since 2001 when they swiped 101.

DURHAM BULLS

UP AND DOWN: Durham is 3-4, and has scored at least five runs in each of the three wins. In the four losses the team has scored a total of five runs, losing three times by two runs or less.

HOW'S THIS FOR STARTERS?: Bulls starting pitchers have been outstanding in the first seven games. The starters have a 2.39 ERA. In only one start has a Bulls starter allowed more than two runs.

NO-NO: In the first five games, the Bulls twice brought a no-hitter into the eighth inning. On Opening Night, the Bulls fell 2-1 as Syracuse scored in the 8th and 9th after being no-hit for seven frames. Durham 1-hit Pawtucket on Monday, winning 5-0, as Mitch Talbot threw six no-hit innings in his Triple-A debut.

WHO'S ON FIRST?: Jorge Cantu, optioned from Tampa Bay at the end of Spring Training, played first base against Pawtucket, the first time he's done that in his professional career.

IN THE PEN: Durham's bullpen has struggled, despite having an experienced group that has five of seven pitchers with MLB experience. The group has a 7.11 ERA, and twice has lost leads after the 7th inning. The pen has three of the team's four losses.

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

A NICE START FOR THE HURLERS: Indianapolis leads the International League with a 2.12 team ERA. The Indians have yielded just 12 earned runs in 51 innings to this point in the season. Columbus (2.23), Pawtucket (2.62), Louisville (2.81), Syracuse (2.88) and Charlotte (2.95) also have team ERA's of under three.

THE YOUNG GUNS GET IT DONE: The Indianapolis roster has 24 players with Major League experience, but it's been a pair of Triple-A rookies who have led the club to this point in the season. INF Brian Bixler is hitting .476 (10-21) with five runs and three RBI. OF Nyjer Morgan is batting .381 (8-21) with three runs, three stolen bases and one RBI. Both players split the 2006 campaign between Class-A Lynchburg and Double-A Altoona.

IT'S A NEW SEASON HIGH: Indianapolis collected a season-best 13 base knocks on Wednesday afternoon against Toledo. SS Brian Bixler registered his first four-hit game at the Triple-A level. CF Nyjer Morgan, C Ryan Doumit and 2B Luis Ordaz chipped in with two base knocks apiece, while LF Rajai Davis, 3B Russ Johnson and 1B Mike Edwards also found the hit column.

I WILL SHUT YOU DOWN: Indians RHP Marty McLeary allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings for the win on Tuesday evening. The 32-year-old faced just one batter over the minimum, walked none and struck out six. McLeary went 3-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 35 games for the Tribe in 2006.

THE LOCAL KID SHINES: Tribe RHP Bryan Bullington (5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO) worked five scoreless frames in Game 1 of Sunday afternoon's doubleheader. It was Bullington's first meaningful appearance since the 2005 campaign. The former Ball State star and No. 1 overall pick missed all of 2006 after having surgery on his right shoulder.

LOUISVILLE BATS

A+ FOR PITCHERS: With the first week of the season behind us, the Bats' pitchers turned in stellar performances highlighted by LHP Phil Dumatrait's 2-0 record with a 0.71 ERA in 12.2 innings pitched. Through the first seven games of the season, the Bats are 5-2 with a team ERA of 2.81; they've allowed five earned runs in their past four games. The starters are 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA while the relievers are 2-1 with one save and a 3.52 ERA.

EARL NEEDS A HIT: A notoriously slow starter, 3B Earl Snyder has started the 2007 season in a horrible funk, going 0-23 in six games.

AND ON THE OTHER SIDE: Infielders Jeff Bannon and Aaron Herr are on fire, batting .467 (7-15) and .389 (7-18) respectively. Bannon, who had a four-game hitting streak, has three doubles and three RBI in four games and Herr has four doubles and five runs scored in six games.

NORFOLK TIDES

QUICK START: In Norfolk's first season as the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, it did not take long for an O's player to enter the Tides record books. With four stolen bases on Opening Night at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Ruddy Yan tied the Tides' franchise record for stolen bases in a game, equaling the mark set by Gil Flores at Syracuse on June 23, 1980.

POWER SURGE: With two home runs in last night's suspended contest with Rochester, the Tides increased their season total to eight long balls in six games. The eight home runs have already surpassed the monthly total for April a year ago, when Norfolk hit seven home runs in 25 games.

HOUSE MAKING HIMSELF AT HOME: Tides catcher/infielder J.R. House has certainly enjoyed success his first five games in the International League. House, who was signed by the Orioles as a free agent during this past offseason, has hit safely and driven in a run in each contest thus far, hitting .391 with two home runs and seven RBI. House is tied for the League lead with seven RBI and is tied for second in the IL with two home runs, both of which came on April 9 at Rochester.

OTTAWA LYNX

SWEET LOU LEADS LYNX: With four hits in five at-bats Wednesday, Lou Collier extended his season-long hit streak to four games. He's currently tied for the International League lead with 10 hits and is 2nd in the International League with a .526 batting average over four games. Collier has also scored 6 runs on the season (tied-2nd in the International League), and his 2 doubles are tied for 7th in the League.

MORE LYNX LURK ON IL LEADERBOARD: Ron Calloway is on par with his teammate Lou Collier, tied for 2nd in the International League with 6 runs scored. Chris Roberson leads the Lynx with 6 RBI, tied for 5th in the International League. Roberson and Jason Jaramillo are tied with several other players for the League lead in triples (1). Gary Burnham's four walks are good for a tie for 7th.

ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION: Just one week into the season the Ottawa Lynx have seen a number of transactions as the Philadelphia Phillies have begun juggling their roster. RHP Zach Segovia is the latest player to join the Lynx, though he's currently on the temporarily inactive list. Last season Segovia combined for 16 wins between Class-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading, which tied him for 2nd amongst all Minor Leaguers. The Lynx also welcomed LHP Joe Bisenius (optioned from Philadelphia) and Joe Thurston (promoted from Reading to replace Brent Abernathy, who was traded to the Washington Nationals organization). Bisenius threw two shutouts innings over two appearances with the Phillies this season. Thurston, 27, is a career .282 hitter in the Minor Leagues. 33-year-old catcher Dusty Wathan has been put on the temporarily inactive list.

PAWTUCKET RED SOX

NICE START: The first week of action is in the books and the PawSox have posted a 5-2 record - tied with Louisville for the best record in the IL and their best seven game start to a season since 2000 when they also began 5-2 (and eventually 6-2). Pawtucket has a chance to equal that mark when they play the final game of their 8-game season-opening road trip tonight in Durham. The Sox took 3 of 4 in Charlotte to begin the year including the first three games in a row to open a season 3-0 for the first time since 1993. Their only loss in that series was a 4-3 setback in 12-innings last Sunday when the Knights rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the 12th. The PawSox have taken 2 of the first 3 games during their current series in Durham that concludes tonight. A victory tonight would push the Sox to 4-games over .500 - their highest level since they ended the 2005 season with a 75-69 record.

HOME ON THE HORIZON: The PawSox return to McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket for their home-opener tomorrow night. Kudos to the IL schedule maker who wasted little time in getting the rivalry started as the PawSox first home series of the season will be against the new-look Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. The 4-game series will mark the first of 16 meetings between the clubs this season as the PawSox will open their home schedule vs. the Yankees and conclude the regular-season with another 4-game set against the Yankees at McCoy (August 31 - September 3). Pawtucket is brining out a big gun for Opening Night festivities as Red Sox Hall of Famer Jim Rice will be on hand for special pre-game ceremonies and to sign autographs for fans. Rice is the last player to win the International League Triple Crown when he hit .337 with 25 HR & 93 RBI for the PawSox in 1974. An 8-time American League All-Star with Boston, Jim still holds the highest career batting average in PawSox history (.340).

PAW-PRINTS: PawSox pitching has been the story thus far as the team ERA is 2.62 after 7 games (3rd best in the League). Opening Night starter LHP Kason Gabbard is 2-0 in his 2 starts. RHP Devern Hansack, a 28 year-old from Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua who worked as a lobsterman in Nicaragua while he was out of baseball in 2004-05, is 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA in 2 GS along with a League-leading 20 strikeouts (10 SO in each of his two outings). Hansack is picking up right where he left off last year when he finished Boston's 2006 season by firing a 5-inning, rain-shortened no-hitter against Baltimore at Fenway Park last October 1.

RICHMOND BRAVES

ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL: Two R-Braves pitchers are seeing regular season game action for the first time in nearly two years. RHP Buddy Hernandez made his 2007 debut with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief Tuesday vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It was his first regular season game outing since May 8, 2005 vs. Durham. Hernandez missed all of last season recovering from forearm surgery. RHP Trey Hodges is scheduled to take the hill tonight. He last appeared in a game June 14, 2005. Hodges, who last pitched a full-season in 2003, missed 2006 recovering from tendon replacement surgery in his right hand.

LITERALLY OFF TO A SLOW START: The Braves season-opening four game series in Buffalo was wiped out by snow and cold. It was the first time since at least 1983 (as far back as day-to-day records exist) that the Braves have had four straight games postponed. The last time the Braves had three straight postponed games was May 12-14, 2002 when the Braves were rained out of three consecutive games in Rochester. The snow-outs Thursday and Friday at Buffalo were the first Braves games postponed by snow since April 28, 2002 at Ottawa. Richmond did have three straight rainouts sandwiched around two games suspended by rain April 14-19, 1984 at Toledo and vs. Columbus. Counting the two games in Buffalo, Richmond has had four games listed as snowed out since 1984 (the fourth was April 19, 1997 at Rochester).

COLD WEATHER, HOT BATS: The Braves first three games of 2007 featured game-time temperatures of 37, 42, and 45. That did not prevent several sizzling starts at the plate. Yunel Escobar had three straight multiple hit games and was 7 for his first 13. Gregor Blanco (5-13, .385) also has hits in all three games. Willie Harris had six runs scored and two knocked in over the first three games. The Braves, despite not facing live pitching for over a week due to postponements in Buffalo, scored 19 runs and banged out 33 hits in the first three games.

ROCHESTER RED WINGS

AS GOOD AS ADVERTISED: Going into 2007 the Red Wings starting rotation was predicted to be very good and so far they've lived up to the hype. In the first four games the starting rotation has a 1-0 record with a 0.89 ERA. In 20.1 innings of work, the starters have allowed six runs (two earned) on 10 hits while walking eight and striking out eight.

NIGHTMARISH NINTH INNING: Through the first three games the Red Wings have allowed 13 runs in the 9th inning (59% of the runs allowed). During the 2006 season Rochester allowed just 34 runs in the 9th inning the entire season.

APRIL WINS BRING SEPTEMBER PLAYOFF GAMES: The Red Wings look to get off to a fast start this season with a winning month of April. Rochester has had a non-winning record in April six of the last eight years (82-94 record in April over the last eight seasons). Prior to this eight year stretch Rochester had a .500 or better record in five consecutive April's (1993-97). Of the last seven times Rochester has had a winning April record, the Red Wings have made the playoffs in five of those years (2006, 1997, 1996, 1995, and 1993). The only exceptions were 2005 and 1994.

CARDIAC KIDS: The 2007 Red Wings have started where they left off in 2006. Rochester's 12-11 win Saturday was captured in their last at-bat. Going into the 2007 season Rochester has four consecutive seasons (2006: 20-12 record, 2005: 11-6 record, 2004: 11-6 record & 2003: 10-7 record) with a winning record in games decided in last at-bats. It's the first time Rochester has done that since 1979 when Red Wings records begin. Since the 2003 season the Red Wings have a 53-31 record in games decided in last at-bats.

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE YANKEES

LET THEM SCORE FIRST: In baseball, the team that scores fist usually has the best chance of winning. So far this is not the case with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. The Yankees are just 1-3 when they score first. In the two games that the opponents scored first, the Yankees are 2-0.

COME ON BOYS IT'S COLD: Another baseball "tradition" is a quick game when it is cold. Not so this year. Despite game time temperatures in the 30's most nights, the Yankees have already played three games that have reached the three-hour mark and the average game time is 2:52. In 2006 it was 24 games before the first 3:00 game and it took 48 games to reach it three times.

GOOD EYES: The Yankees' offense continues to rack up those bases-on-balls. With seven more last night they now have 29 in just six games, tied with Louisville for the IL lead. In the last two contests they have received 15 walks - one less than their hit total.

YANKEE DOODLES: It took Shelley Duncan a few games to get into the lineup but it looks like it will be hard to get him out. After sitting the first two games he started April 7 vs. Norfolk and went 1-4 with a double. That started his current four game hitting streak during which he is batting .400 (6-15) with 2 HR and 6 RBI...The grass at PNC Field will probably have one effect this year - cutting down on triples. Alberto Gonzalez's three bagger last night vs. Richmond was just the 2nd of the season (Andy Phillips had the other).

SYRACUSE CHIEFS

A PLETHORA OF PUNCHOUTS: The Chiefs set an Opening Day record with 15 strikeouts of the Durham Bulls in a 2-1 win. Since the opener Syracuse hasn't slowed down. The Chiefs lead the International League in strikeouts per game at better than 10 per contest. Starters Dustin McGowan (17 K in two starts) and Geremi Gonzalez (9 K in one start) headline the whiff-happy pitching core.

GRIFFIN GETS IT GOING: OF John-Ford Griffin led the IL in HR (30) and RBI (103) back in 2005. His 2006 campaign was cut short after 60 games due to injuries but this season the left-handed hitter is back with a vengeance. Griffin is tied for the team lead with two home runs and tops the Chiefs in doubles (3) and extra base hits (5). In addition the former first-round pick has four multi-hit games this season.

BULLPEN BONANZA: The Chiefs have relied heavily on their bullpen in the early stages of 2007 and it has responded well. The pen has an earned run average of 2.21 with almost a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (27-to-10). Those 27 strikeouts have come in 20.1 innings pitched this season.

TOLEDO MUD HENS

TALENTED TIMO: With an Opening Day roster sporting 17 players with at least some Major League experience, one batter in particular has stood out. Outfielder Timo Perez, a veteran of parts of seven Major League seasons, is on a tear to lead the Mud Hens offensively. Perez, who has 26 career home runs at the big league level for the Mets, White Sox and Cardinals, has already stroked two for the Hens this season in just five games. Hitting .346 through seven games, Perez leads the team with six RBI, 16 total bases, a .615 slugging percentage, and the two dingers.

...WITH THE HELP OF MR. SHELTON: A huge key to Perez's early season success is the protection he's gotten from first baseman Chris Shelton, hitting a spot above in the order. Shelton, who began last year with the Tigers on a tear, has started hot once again this season with Toledo, leading the squad with a .375 batting average and a .484 on-base percentage through seven games. Shelton has five walks, to go with a homer, two doubles and five runs batted in. Last season in Detroit, he was the fastest player in American League history to hit nine home runs, accomplishing the feat on April 17.

ALSO TAKING HEALTHY CUTS...: ...are infielder Mike Hessman and outfielder David Espinosa. Hessman collected five hits in a 5-5 effort in Toledo's 14-2 win over Louisville on April 7. For Hessman, it was the second five-hit game of his career. On June 6, 1999 he accomplished the feat as a member of the Atlanta Braves organization, for Myrtle Beach in a Class-A Carolina League game against Lynchburg. Hessman stroked two homers and had five batted in that day. Hessman isn't the only hot hitting Hen - Espinosa has hit safely in each of the first five Mud Hen games this season.

LP TO RESUME MANAGING ON APRIL 13: After ankle surgery prevented manager Larry Parrish from beginning the season with the club on their seven game road trip through Louisville and Indianapolis, he will return to manage Toledo for the home opener this Friday against Durham. However, due to rehab Parrish will be unable to coach third base until either June or July. In Parrish's absence, the Mud Hens have been skippered by Mike Rojas, son of Cookie Rojas. Rojas, who has managerial experience in the Tigers organization with Class-A Lakeland in the Florida State League the previous two seasons, will resume his new duties as Detroit's roving catching instructor upon Parrish's return to the bench.

BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPS!: After a seven-game road trip to begin the season, the Mud Hens will finally return home on Friday, April 13, to take on the Durham Bulls at Fifth-Third Field at 5:30 p.m. It's Back-2-Back Championship celebration weekend at the ballpark, and on Friday the gates open at 4:00 p.m. Beginning at 4:55, enjoy the 2006 season highlight video, followed by the display of the Governors' Cup by players and coaches and the raising of the 2006 championship banner. Then on Saturday, returning players and coaches will receive their 2006 International League Championship rings in an on-field ceremony beginning at 6:40 p.m. First pitch is slated for 7:00 against Durham. The festivities continue on Sunday, with "Kids Opening Day." First pitch against the Bulls is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., and two Mud Hens from last year's championship squad will sign autographs from 1:15 to 1:45. At 1:38 the Mud Hens will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day with a video to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the breaking of Major League Baseball's color barrier. 7 magnetic schedules. To cap off a great weekend of Mud Hens Baseball, kids can run the bases following the conclusion of Sunday's game.

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