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June 7, 2007 - International League (IL1) News Release


BUFFALO BISONS

HE'S NO JOKE ON THE MOUND: Bisons Pitcher Aaron Laffey will be on the mound for Buffalo this afternoon to make just his fifth Triple-A start. The 22-year old southpaw has shown great promise in his last two starts. On May 28, he threw a complete game in Indianapolis but was on the short end of a 2-1 loss. Last Saturday, Laffey collected his first Triple-A win with six innings of six-hit ball (1 R, 0 ER) against Toledo. He also struck out a season-high seven batters. Laffey, who finished the 2006 season T-3rd in the Indians organization with 12 wins and 153.2 IP, was 4-1 with a 2.31 ERA in six starts with Double-A Akron to begin the season.

THE FRANCHISE AT IT AGAIN: Outfielder Ben Francisco is putting some distance between himself and the other hitters in the International League. His .354 batting average in 49 games is 21 points better than any other qualifying batter. Francisco is also 3rd in the League in hits (69). Francisco leads the Bisons in runs (33), stolen bases (10) and on-base percentage (.405). He enters today's game with an 18-game hit streak (.408, 31-76)

RIVAS IS ALWAYS ON: Infielder Luis Rivas kept his on-base streak intact this week. He has now reached base safely in 23 straight games. Rivas has hit .344 (31-90) since May 11 with a .443 on-base percentage. On the year, his .377 on-base percentage is 2nd on the team.

CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS

KNIGHTS GET PODSEDNIK IN REHAB ASSIGNMENT: The Knights have received outfielder Scott Podsednik in a Major League rehab assignment beginning today. The White Sox left fielder started 10 games this season and went 10-33 (.303) with 1 home run and 2 RBI. Podsednik has been on the disabled list since April 16 with a right adductor strain. Podsednik also rehabbed with the Knights in 2005. Podsednik appeared in 2 games with the Knights that season going 2-9 (.222) with 2 doubles and a walk. Podsednik is in his third season with the White Sox.

FIELDS RECALLED: The Chicago White Sox have recalled 3B Josh Fields from the Charlotte Knights. The move was made possible when White Sox third baseman and former Knight Joe Crede was placed on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to June 5) with lower back inflammation. Fields, 24, is batting .283 with 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 37 RBI in 56 games with Charlotte this season. He has walked 39 times and compiled a .394 on-base percentage and a .498 slugging percentage. Over his last 24 games, Fields is hitting .363 with seven home runs and 26 RBI.

TIDBITS: With Scott Podsednik joining the Knights, and Josh Fields joining the White Sox, there have now been 16 players who have played for both the Knights and the White Sox this season...Jason Bourgeois has been a nice addition to the Knights. Bourgeois has gone 9-25 (.360) and stolen two bases in two attempts since being recalled from Double-A Birmingham...Lance Broadway continues to pitch well since coming off the disabled list. With a victory over Indianapolis on June 6, Broadway is now 4-1 with a 3.30 ERA in 11 starts.

COLUMBUS CLIPPERS

FINALLY, SOME FREE BASEBALL: Sunday night the Clippers played in only their second extra-inning contest of the season (6-5 loss at Syracuse in 10 innings), however, it was the first time that they played past the 9th inning this year. Their other extra inning game this season was a 1-0 loss in

Game 1 of a doubleheader at Indianapolis on April 8 (second game of the season). Columbus lost that game 1-0 in the 8th inning.

WELCOME BACK: Yesterday the Clippers activated INF Larry Broadway and C Juan Brito. The pair had each been on the DL since early May with a sprained right ankle and a pulled right hamstring, respectively. To make room for them INF Robin Jennings was released while C Erick San Pedro was optioned to Harrisburg. Broadway, the team leader in HR at the time of his injury, went 1-4 with a run scored in his first game back last night versus the Tides. Brito did not play.

CASTO CRUISING: Kory Casto picked up three hits last night to extend his season long hitting streak to eight games. The Washington prospect has now reached base in 29 of his 31 games as a Clipper and currently leads the team in HR with seven, despite two stints in the Majors that lasted a total of four weeks. During the streak Casto homered in back-to-back games (May 30-31) for the third time this season.

DURHAM BULLS

GOING DEEP: The Bulls now have hit 21 homers in their last 10 games, and 39 homers in a 21-game stretch after hitting four in yesterday's doubleheader sweep of Ottawa. Durham has hit 68 homers, tops in the International League. The last 12 Durham runs have come on homers, covering four straight games. The Bulls won 4-3 on Sunday over Louisville, scoring all runs on homers in the 3rd inning, then hit two solo homers on Monday in a 10-2 defeat. The Bulls then accounted for all six of their runs yesterday on homers.

FINDING .500: For the first time since they were 4-4 on April 12, the Bulls are at .500. Game 2 yesterday was Durham's seventh chance to get to the break even mark. Durham was 3-2 on April 9, the team's high-water mark.

TALBOT TERRIFIC: Mitch Talbot has given the Bulls quality starts (six innings or more, three earned runs or less) in four straight outings. He has allowed just one run in his last three road starts, covering 21 innings. He's won his last three decisions. He threw a complete game shutout against Ottawa in a 2-0 victory in Game 1 of yesterday's doubleheader.

STREAKS: Justin Ruggiano, the reigning IL Batter-of-the-Week, is 15-43 (.349). He extended his hit streak to 11 with a 10th inning game-winning homer in Game 2 of yesterday's doubleheader. He's homered in six of those games. It ties the longest Bulls streak of the season, previously held by Dustan Mohr.

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

ATOP THE WEST: Indianapolis (36-22) enters Thursday evening's game atop the IL's West Division, while Toledo (33-27, 4.0 GB), Louisville (30-29, 6.5 GB) and Columbus (25-33, 11.0 GB) trail the leader. The Indians (36-22) lead the IL with a .621 winning percentage. Richmond (32-23) places second with a .582 clip. Thursday is the Tribe's 52nd consecutive day atop the IL's West Division. In 2006, Indianapolis spent 119 days in either 1st place or tied for the top spot.

A TOUGH STARTING TRIO: Indians right-handers Bryan Bullington, John Van Benschoten and Marty McLeary have combined for a 19-6 record over their 30 starts this season. Bullington (9-2, 2.75) leads the League in wins and places 7th in ERA, while Van Benschoten (6-3, 2.61) is tied for 4th in wins and ERA. McLeary (4-1, 2.55) would rank 3rd in ERA but doesn't have enough innings to qualify.

LEADING THE LOOP: Indianapolis leads the International League in team batting average (.286), hits (564) and runs (306). Buffalo (.276), Ottawa (.268), Richmond (.265), Columbus (.264) and Rochester (.260) also have team averages of at least .260.

IN THE TOP 10: The Indians have two of the International League's top six hitters -- INF Yurendell de Caster (T-4th, .329) and INF Brian Bixler (6th, .328). De Caster leads the League in on-base percentage (.446), while Bixler ranks 1st in runs (44), is tied for 1st in triples (7) and places 4th in OBP (.420). OF Luis Matos also ranks 5th in doubles (15).

BIXLER IS ON A ROLL: Indianapolis INF Brian Bixler enters Thursday night's game with a seven-game hitting streak (.458 BA, 11-24, 9 R, 4 RBI). The 24-year-old is batting .328 with four home runs and 28 RBI in 52 contests this season.

JAPANESE LEGEND ARRIVES IN INDY: Japanese Baseball legend Masumi Kuwata was added to the Indianapolis roster on June 1. The 39-year-old signed with the Pittsburgh organization as a Minor League free agent on Dec. 18, 2006. He posted a 4.05 ERA with no decisions in five Major League Spring Training appearances before suffering a right ankle sprain on March 26. Kuwata spent the last 20 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo, Japan. He turned in a 173-141 record and 3.46 ERA in 442 career outings. The right-hander, who logged over 2,700 innings, also fired 118 complete games and 21 shutouts. Over 20 Japanese reporters have covered Kuwata's first homestand in Indianapolis.

LOUISVILLE BATS

BAILEY TO THE REDS: Cincinnati's top prospect, RHP Homer Bailey, is set to make his Major League debut for the Reds Friday night at Great American Ball Park versus the Cleveland Indians. Bailey, 21, was the Reds number one pick (seventh overall) in the 2004 draft out of La Grange (TX) High School. In 10 starts for the Bats this season, he is 6-1 with a 2.31 ERA; Bailey struck out 51 and walked 24 in 58.1 innings. At the time of his promotion, he is ranked 2nd in the IL in ERA and tied for 4th in wins.

MAKING A CASE: Even though 1B Joey Votto has not won an International League Batter-of-the-Week Award, he continues his hot streak after his 17-game hitting streak ended May 25. Votto, 23, is on a 31-game on-base streak, good for fourth-longest in the IL this season. During the 31 games, Votto is batting .393 (46-117) with an on-base percentage of .486. His 17 multi-hit games and 34 RBI are second on team and he leads the Bats in home runs (8), walks (40), games played (57), runs (35) and hits (63).

STRANGE STAT OF THE MONTH: The Bats seem to only win when they make mistakes. In the six games played during the month of June, the Bats are 2-4 and did not commit an error in the four losses; Louisville committed three errors in their two wins. On the season, the Bats have a better record when committing an error (19-15) than when they play mistake-free (11-13).

NORFOLK TIDES

NOT A BAD STRETCH: Tides' closer Cory Doyne has been nearly unhittable over the last month. Since May 9, the right-hander has gone 0-0 with

11 saves in 13 games, striking out 12 and walking five over that stretch. Doyne has also held opposing hitters to an .043 average-against over his last 13 games, allowing just two hits in 47 at-bats. Doyne is currently 3rd in Minor League Baseball with 17 saves, and is 5th among all Minor League relievers with a .130 average-against on the year.

TEN-SPOT: Tides' catcher Alberto Castillo has a season-high 10-game hitting streak, over which he is hitting .394 (13-33) with a home run and eight RBI. Castillo has raised his average from .121 to .258 over the stretch, and has collected an RBI in seven of his last nine games. The Tides have now had seven different hitting streaks of ten games this season (J.R. House - 14 games, Terry Tiffee - 11 games and 10 games, Eider Torres - 11 games, Luis Montanez - 10 games, and Mike Cervenak - 10 games).

CLOSE CALLS: Of Norfolk's 60 games, 48 have been decided by 3 runs or less (the Tides are 22-26 in those games). Norfolk has gone 9-12 in one-run games, 7-3 in two-run games, and 6-11 in three-run contests. Norfolk has registered a save in 21 of their 25 wins, and the Tides lead the League in saves despite being tied for last in the IL in wins. The Tides have won just 3 games this season by more than 3 runs, the last of which came in a 10-4 win over Rochester on May 19.

OTTAWA LYNX

APRIL SHOWERS, MAY FLOWERS AND JUNE POSTPONEMENTS: The Lynx luck with weather ran out June 4, as their scheduled game against Richmond was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader July 25 in Richmond. This was the club's first home game lost to weather this season. June 4 is the latest the Lynx have ever had their first home game postponed in the 15-year history of the club. The club did not have to wait long for their second home postponement, as the next day's game against Durham was postponed due to travel problems for the Bulls. That game was made up in last night's doubleheader.

LYNX PITCHERS PLACED ON THE DL: LHP J.A. Happ and RHP Kane Davis were both placed on the Lynx disabled list this week. Happ left his May 29 start in Durham after only 3.1 innings pitched and 47 pitches with elbow soreness. Davis injured his groin shortly before a scheduled spot start June 3 against Richmond. RHP Jason Anderson and RHP Charlie Weatherby have been transferred to the Lynx roster from Double-A Reading and Single-A Clearwater, respectively.

COLLIER CALLS IT QUITS: Lynx OF Lou Collier announced his retirement June 1, ending his 14-year professional baseball career. Collier previously played for the Lynx in 2002. He hit .313 with 8 HR and 74 RBI in 132 career games with the Lynx. This was the second retirement from the Lynx outfield this season, as OF Ron Calloway announced his retirement May 18.

PAWTUCKET RED SOX

THE DRIVE FOR FIVE: The Pawtucket Red Sox - winners of four in a row to match their longest winning streak of the season (from May 13-16) look to make it five straight tonight in Richmond. It would be their longest winning streak in almost exactly one year since a 2006 season-high 6-game winning streak last June 7-12.

START ME UP: The PawSox have been receiving exceptional work from their starters thus far in June (all on this current trip) as the starters are 3-0 in

6 games with a 1.72 ERA (7 ER in 36.2 IP). In order since June 1, Devern Hansack (7 IP, 0 R), David Pauley (7 IP, 3 R), Jon Lester (7 IP, 1 R - winner), Mike Timlin (2 IP, 0 R - rehab start), Kason Gabbard (7 IP, 2 R - winner), and Abe Alvarez (6.2 IP, 1 R - winner) have been terrific. The rotation returns to Hansack tonight in Richmond.

GETTING RICH VS. THE BRAVES: The PawSox have won 11 in a row vs. Richmond dating back to their last loss to the Braves on June 26, 2005 in Richmond. Including the final meeting of 2004, all of 2005 & 2006, and the first two meetings in 2007, the Sox have also won 17 of their last 19 games vs. Richmond. Furthermore, the PawSox have won 7 in a row at The Diamond and 9 of their last 10 games in Richmond over the past two+ seasons.

PAW PRINTS: The leading hitter for the PawSox, seemingly out of nowhere, is INF/OF Bobby Scales, the former Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Baron who is batting .300 in 41 games while playing all over the field...INF Joe McEwing, the former New York Met, is hitting .368 in 5 games this month and is up to .272 on the season. Super Joe has played mainly at 2B for the PawSox but has also appeared at SS, 3B, and in the outfield....OF Jacoby Ellsbury leads the PawSox with 12 stolen bases (in 14 attempts) and has 12 of the 32 PawSox SB on the year despite not joining the club until May 4. He did have 8 SB for Double-A Portland prior to his promotion to Pawtucket.

RICHMOND BRAVES

THE NOT SO FRIENDLY CONFINES: The Braves have lost eight consecutive home games for the second straight June (Richmond lost eight in a row at The Diamond from June13-20 last year). The Braves have been outscored 53-24 over the last eight home games. Richmond has a better record on the road (18-11, the best in the IL) than at home (14-12).

MOWING THEM DOWN: The Braves collected two more outfield assists Tuesday vs. Pawtucket. Richmond outfielders have thrown out 14 runners in 2007. T.J. Bohn is 3rd in the IL with six assists from the outfield. Gregor Blanco is tied for 7th with four.

MAKING AN IMPACT: Ten different R-Braves have earned big league promotions to Atlanta this season. RHP Blaine Boyer became the latest to earn a promotion Tuesday. RHP Buddy Carlyle allowed one run in seven innings for Atlanta Tuesday to earn his first MLB win since 1999. INF Yunel Escobar, promoted last week, was eight for his first 20 with Atlanta. OF Willie Harris is hitting .375 in 32 games since his promotion. Peter Moylan has a 2.76 ERA in 22 outings for Atlanta. 12 of the 25 players on Atlanta's active roster have appeared with Richmond in 2007 and/or 2006.

ROCHESTER RED WINGS

DUCKS ON THE POND: The Red Wings have really struggled getting the big hit the last 11 games, batting .178 (16-90) with runners in scoring position. Rochester has a 5-6 record over their last 11 games and in those six losses the Red Wings are batting .120 (6-50) with runners in scoring position. In the five wins Rochester is batting .250 (10-40) with runners in scoring position.

ME FIRST: The Red Wings really play well when they score the first run of a game. The Red Wings have an International League best 18-4 record (.818) when they score the first run of a game (Durham is 2nd with a 19-6 record (.760) when scoring first). Since Rochester changed affiliations to the Minnesota Twins in 2003 they've got a 224-100 record (.670) when they score first, including a 167-71 record (.702) the last three years (2004-2006).

IN ORDER TO BE THE MAN YOU HAVE TO BEAT THE MAN: The Red Wings have struggled against teams with winning records this season. Rochester has just a 12-14 record vs. teams with winning record (Buffalo, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Richmond, Indianapolis, and Toledo). Rochester has a 17-12 record vs. teams with a record below .500.

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE YANKEES

(RUN)ELVYS IS IN THE BUILDING: In following the pattern of the last few days, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees have added yet another starting pitcher. The team has signed RHP Runelvys Hernandez, who's in his ninth year in professional baseball, to a Minor League contract. Hernandez, who has pitched in 78 games in the Major Leagues for the Kansas City Royals, was released by the Pawtucket Red Sox last week. With RHP Tim Lavigne joining the rotation yesterday and RHP Matt DeSalvo, who was just optioned from New York, expected to rejoin the team sometime later this week, the SWB Yanks will have added three starting pitchers in a span of less than a week.

16 AND COUNTING: Tim Lavigne was No. 15, and now Runelvys Hernandez will be the 16th starting pitcher the team has used in just 59 games. Among them: seven who have pitched this season for the big league Yankees (LHP Sean Henn, LHP Kei Igawa, RHP Darrell Rasner, RHP Phil Hughes, LHP Chase Wright, RHP Matt DeSalvo, RHP Tyler Clippard), three who have been relievers by trade for SWB this year (LHP Ben Kozlowski, RHP Colter Bean, RHP Justin Pope), three who were signed as free agents within the last month (RHP Eric Junge, Lavigne, and Hernandez), one who's on the disabled list (RHP Ross Ohlendorf), one who has been in the rotation all year (RHP Steven Jackson) and one future Hall-of-Famer (RHP Roger Clemens).

PHILLING UP THE STAT SHEET: While OF/1B Shelley Duncan may be launching homers at a team record setting pace, INF Andy Phillips has quietly continued to produce, and last night was no exception. Batting in the three-hole as he has for much of the season, Phillips went 3-4 with his eighth home run and a pair of RBI. Phillips, a career .296 hitter in the Minor Leagues entering this season, is having one of his best years yet. He leads the team in hits (67), is 2nd with a .321 average (behind team leader INF Angel Chavez at .339), 2nd in runs scored (31), tied for 2nd in doubles (10), 2nd in home runs and 2nd in RBI (31).

SHELLEY'S THE TOPPS DOG: OF/1B Shelley Duncan is having a career year and is on his way to breaking the SWB single-season home run mark. Now he's getting some more recognition for it. Duncan was named the TOPPS International League Player of the Month for the month of May, as selected by the League's field managers. During the month, Duncan ripped eight doubles, drew 13 walks, launched eight homers and drove in 17 runs. He also scored 22 of his own while totaling a solid .297 (30-101) batting average. Earlier this season, Duncan was also honored as the International League Batter-of-the-Week (April 5-15).

SYRACUSE CHIEFS

WINNING STREAK ENDS: The Chiefs' 6-0 loss at Toledo Tuesday snapped a 9-game winning streak, the longest for the club since 1999. The 2007 Chiefs fell three wins shy of equaling the franchise record of 12 straight wins, set in 1979.

ADAMS ALSO LOSES A STREAK: 2B Russ Adams saw his 10-game hitting streak come to an end last night in Toledo. Before Tuesday's 6-0 loss to the Mud Hens, Adams had scored a run in nine straight contests.

TOLEDO MUD HENS

HESSMAN MAKES HISTORY: Third baseman Mike Hessman made history at Buffalo on Friday, June 1. Hessman hit his 68th home run in a Toledo uniform when he went deep in the top of the 9th inning, passing Erve Beck for 1st place on the Mud Hens' all-time home run list. Beck slugged 67 home runs during his five-year career from 1896 to 1900. Hessman also leads the International League with 17 round trippers this season.

VASQUEZ NAMED PITCHER-OF-THE-WEEK: RHP Virgil Vasquez was named the International League Pitcher-of-the-Week for the period of

May 28-June 3. Vasquez went 2-0 and pushed his IL-best strikeout total to 71. Vasquez has now won seven straight decisions at the Triple-A level after starting the year 0-2. The seven victories are just one shy of the International League lead (Bryan Bullington, Indianapolis). Both of last week's wins came on the road, helping the Mud Hens win five out of six games and move into 2nd place in the IL West.

DOMINATING DARENSBOURG: Left-handed relief pitcher Vic Darensbourg has dominated opposing batters in the 25 innings he has pitched this season. Darensbourg owns a 0.36 earned run average and has only given up one earned run in his 24 appearances this season. He has also not given up an earned run in his last 14 innings and left-handed batters are hitting a miniscule .135 (5-37) against the 36-year-old.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Mud Hens have won 9 out of their last 11 games at home and have jumped from 4th to 2nd place in the IL West Division. Toledo has gotten the job done in close contests, winning five of their nine games by one run. Since May 17, the Mud Hens have an overall record of

16-5 and have won four out of their last six series to climb back into the running for the division lead.

CURRENT INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE LEADERS IN ONLINE FAN VOTING FOR TRIPLE-A ALL-STAR GAM E

Catcher - Mike Rose, Buffalo Outfield - Shin-Soo Choo, Buffalo

First Base - Ryan Mulhern, Buffalo Timo Perez, Toledo

Second Base - Joe Inglett, Buffalo Ben Francisco, Buffalo

Shortstop - Luis Rivas, Buffalo Starting Pitcher - Homer Bailey, Louisville

Third Base - Keith Ginter, Buffalo Adam Miller, Buffalo

Designated Hitter - Shelley Duncan, Scranton/WB Relief Pitcher - Mike Koplove, Buffalo

Edward Mujica, Buffalo

***Online voting concludes June 22***

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