International League News and Notes
March 6, 2008 - International League (IL1) News Release
BUFFALO BISONS
FORMER BISONS' CHAMPION SIGNED: Just as spring training began, the Indians signed a three-time Governors' Cup champion. Outfielder Jason Tyner was inked to a minor league deal, returning to the organization for the first time since 2004. In '04, Tyner hit .345 in 38 games for Buffalo before helping the Bisons to a Governors' Cup Championship. His two-run double in Game 4 of the Finals against Richmond proved to be the series-clinching hit. Tyner, who also won championships with Durham in 2002 and 2003, hit .286 in 114 games with Minnesota last season.
IT'S EARLY IN SPRING, BUT...: A couple of potential Bisons hitters have gotten off to great starts. Outfielder Trevor Crowe has posted a .417
(5-12) batting average with a double and three RBI through the first seven Spring games. Infielder Michael Aubrey has five hits (including two doubles) and three RBI in only eight at-bats. Infielder Danny Sandoval has a home run and three RBI to go along with a .308 (4-13) average. Outfielder Jason Tyner has shown his propensity for getting on base with two hits and four walks in his first eight plate appearances.
TRIBE IN TOUGH START: The Cleveland Indians have begun their exhibition schedule with a 2-4-1 record. Both wins, however, have come from arms that might be in Buffalo this season. Free agent reliever Rick Bauer earned the victory in the Spring opener with an inning of shutout relief. Edward Mujica, the Bisons saves leader in 2007, collected the other Indians win. Starter Jeff Harris leads the Tribe leads the team with three shutout innings.
CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS
MAKING THEIR CASE: Cactus League play is in full swing throughout Arizona and several Charlotte Knights players are making strong cases to move up to the Major Leagues.
Jason Bourgeois, who led the Knights in hitting in 2007 at a .311 clip, is continuing to swing the bat well. Bourgeois has gone 7-12 (.583) at the plate through four games. The speedy infielder has three doubles, three RBI, and two walks. Bourgeois' versatility has caught the eye of the coaching staff after playing 7 different positions for the Knights in 2007.
The top position player prospect in the White Sox organization is infielder Chris Getz. Getz has shown promise early going 4-6 (.667) with three RBI and one walk. Getz also perfectly executed a suicide squeeze in the White Sox 12-8 win over Arizona on March 1.
Former Knight Jeff Liefer has looked good after spending the past two seasons playing with the Seibu Lions of the Japanese League. Liefer still has a strong bat, going 4-9 (.444) in four games. He also has driven in three runs.
The top pitching prospect for the White Sox is former Knight Lance Broadway, who has an outside chance of cracking the White Sox starting rotation after pitching well in his first outing. Broadway pitched 2.0 innings, allowing three hits and no earned runs. Most important for Broadway is that he did not allow a walk.
COLUMBUS CLIPPERS
NATIONALS ASSIGN FAMILIAR FACES TO MINOR LEAGUE CAMP: On Wednesday the Nats assigned 16 players to minor league camp to trim their spring roster down to 62. Among them were former Clippers Mike Bacsik (2007), Roger Bernadina (2007) and Charlie Manning (2004-06). Also among the reassignments were a number of players that were on IL rosters last season, including Tristan Crawford (Rochester), Yurendell de Caster (Indianapolis), Ismael Ramirez (Syracuse) and Jim Ed Warden (Buffalo).
ORR SPARKS NATS VICTORY: Infielder Pete Orr had two hits yesterday, including a 2-run homer, to lead Washington to a 6-5 win over St. Louis. Orr was named to the IL Postseason All-Star team as a second basemen in 2004 when he hit .320 and stole 24 bases for the Richmond Braves. Also having a hand in the win was starter John Lannan. Lannan threw 3.0 scoreless innings and struck out three. He has yet to allow an earned run this spring. Both players are on the bubble for spots on the Nationals roster and could likely end up in Columbus to start the year.
BALESTER GETTING FIRST TASTE OF BIG LEAGUE CAMP: Last year's #1 prospect in the Washington farm system, Collin Balester, made his first appearance in Major League spring training on Tuesday against the Dodgers. He allowed two runs in 3.0 innings. Balester was called up to Columbus in mid-season last year and finished with a 2-3 record and a 4.18 ERA in 10 starts for the Clippers. Last spring, as a 20-year old right hander, he was invited to and participated in the Nationals' accelerated spring training.
DURHAM BULLS
PITCHING IN: Several former Durham Bulls are fighting for the last two spots in Tampa Bay's rotation. RHP Edwin Jackson, Jason Hammel, Andy Sonnanstine and Jeff Niemann, as well as lefty J.P. Howell are in the mix for the fourth and fifth spots behind Scott Kazmir, Jamie Shields and Matt Garza. Of those battling for spots, Howell, Niemann and Sonnanstine all have options remaining.
HOW ABOUT DURHAM'S STAFF?: Durham's starting pitching staff may have a similar look to the end of last year's when the team made the playoffs if Niemann and Howell don't end up in Tampa Bay. Mitch Talbot, who won 13 games for the Bulls last year, also is a potential member of the Bulls staff, as is RHP Jae Kuk Ryu.
LONGING FOR THE BIG LEAGUES: 3B Evan Longoria, still less than two years removed from being drafted, is trying to prove he's ready to join Tampa Bay, rather than return to Durham. Longoria, who recently was featured in Sports Illustrated, was 2-5 with a double, triple and three RBI to begin exhibition play for the Rays. If Longoria is in Durham to begin the year, Willie Aybar is expected to play third base for Tampa Bay.
BISCUITS RISING: Several members of Double-A Montgomery's second straight championship club in the Southern League are expected to begin 2008 in Triple-A with Durham. Among them is CF Fernando Perez, SS Reid Brignac, and RHP Chris Mason, who won 16 games for the Biscuits last year.
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
NON-ROSTER INVITEES: In addition to their 40-man roster, the Pittsburgh Pirates currently have 25 non-roster invitees at Major League camp. 15 of the 25 are free agents new to the organization. The list includes seven pitchers - RHP T. J. Beam, RHP Adam Bernero, RHP Hector Carrasco, RHP Elmer Dessens, LHP Casey Fossum, RHP Mike Thompson, and RHP Jaret Wright. It also features eight position players - C Raul Chavez, INF Luis Cruz, C Michel Hernandez, INF Jose Macias, INF Doug Mientkiewicz, C Miguel Perez, INF Luis Rivas, and INF Jorge Velandia.
A NEW LOOK FOR PIRATE CITY: The Pittsburgh Pirates recently completed a series of upgrades to their Spring Training home in Bradenton, FL. The new facilities include 80 dorm rooms for players and coaches, two player recreational rooms, two classrooms, three suites, 14 offices and three conference rooms. Several facilities, including four player locker rooms, a coaches' locker room, six batting cages, and a dining hall, were also improved.
WHEN DO THE TRIPLE-A GAMES START?: The Indianapolis Indians open their Spring Training slate on March 13. The Tribe is scheduled to play 14 preseason tilts from March 13-29. A full Spring Training schedule can be found on www.IndyIndians.com.
LEHIGH VALLEY IRONPIGS
THAT'S THE TICKET!: The IronPigs placed single-game tickets on sale for the first time in team history on March 1 (National Pig Day) and sold more than 10,000 tickets on the first day. Prior to opening the ticket windows at 9:00 a.m., an estimated 750 fans were waiting in line despite sub-freezing temperatures and a mix of snow and ice. The first two fans to get in line showed up to Coca-Cola Park with camping gear at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 29. The first game to be officially sold out is the team's exhibition game against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 30. In addition to kicking-off single-game ticket sales, the IronPigs also opened the Majestic Clubhouse Store - the 3,000-square foot retail store at Coca-Cola Park - as part of the March 1 National Pig Day festivities.
PIGGY IN THE MIDDLE?: The IronPigs likely added an infielder when the Phillies claimed Ray Olmedo of waivers from the Pirates on February 26. Olmedo, 26, appeared in 27 games with Toronto in 2007 and batted .216-0-1 (11-51) after spending most of the year in Syracuse (.290-1-26 in 97 games). The native of Venezuela will battle Eric Bruntlett for a backup middle infield role behind all-stars Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins, with the loser expected to be assigned to Lehigh Valley. Olmedo had been claimed by Pittsburgh on February 1 before being placed back on waivers.
IT'S IN THE MANUEL: There is a lot of speculation as to who will hit the first home run at Coca-Cola Park. Reigning National League MVP Jimmy Rollins may have the first crack at it since he is the likely lead-off hitter for the visitors in the exhibition game March 30. IronPigs outfielder Val Pascucci, who led all of Triple-A with 34 HR last season would also seem a likely candidate. However, Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel has promised that he will hit the first ball out of the new facility. The 64-year-old former outfielder has stated that neither team will take batting practice on March 30 until he hits one out of the park.
GRAPEFRUIT BITES: RHP Joe Bisenius, expected to start the season as the IronPigs closer, has started the spring with three scoreless innings and a save (2 G, 2 H, BB)... RHP Carlos Carrasco, ranked as the No. 1 Prospect in the organization, is likely to open the season in Reading. However, he has impressed the Phillies coaching staff in starting his season with four scoreless innings (2 GS, 3 H, 3 K)... LHP Mike Zagurski, fighting for a bullpen spot with the Phillies but potentially destined for Lehigh Valley, threw a bullpen session on Sunday -- his first action since a September surgery to repair a torn right hamstring.
LOUISVILLE BATS
STRONG ROTATION: The Bats look to take advantage of the newfound pitching depth within the Cincinnati Reds organization. This year's rotation could be as strong as it has been in years, especially if RHP Homer Bailey, RHP Johnny Cueto, RHP Richie Gardner, LHP Matt Maloney and RHP Tom Shearn all find their way to Louisville to start the season.
HOMER'S FIRST SPRING START: Homer Bailey faced the Boston Red Sox, the defending World Series Champs, in his first action this spring. In the Reds 7-6 victory he allowed two earned runs, five hits and struck out two in three innings of work.
NORFOLK TIDES
SEVERAL YOUNGSTERS OFF TO HOT STARTS: Many potential Tides have had a strong start to their 2008 Spring Training. Leading the way is infielder Scott Moore, who has hit .571 (8-14) with a home run and four RBI in five games. Infielder Oscar Salazar has hit .444 (4-9) with a homer and three RBI, and infielder Mike Costanzo has hit .333 (5-15) with a home run and two RBI. Former Tides Brandon Fahey (.364 avg., 2 RBI) and Tike Redman (.300, HR, 3-RBI) have also had impressive starts.
TIDES TO TAKE ON LOCAL COLLEGE: Two days prior to the start of the regular season, the Norfolk Tides will once again take on the Old Dominion Monarchs in an exhibition game at Harbor Park. Tides pitchers will pitch for both teams in the contest, which is slated to start at 7:05 pm. The game will be the 18th in the series between the two clubs, with the Tides holding a 13-3-1 advantage.
PAWTUCKET RED SOX
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: The most recent edition of Baseball America features Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz on the cover alongside Yankees RHP Joba Chamberlain. That dynamic duo is ranked as the #3 (Chamberlain) and #4 (Buchholz) prospects in Baseball America's 19th Annual Top 100 Prospects list. Chamberlain and Buchholz are actually the first two pitchers listed following #1 prospect OF Jay Bruce of the Reds and #2 prospect 3B Evan Longoria of the Rays. Buchholz, 23, is working towards a spot in the Red Sox starting rotation this spring. He fired a no-hitter in just his second big league start last September 1 vs. Baltimore after spending July and August of last year in the PawSox rotation. The Red Sox actually have seven players total in the Top 100 to tie Tampa Bay for the most of any organization. Following Buchholz on Boston's list are OF Jacoby Ellsbury (#13) who hit .438 during the World Series and is vying for the Red Sox CF job this spring, 1B Lars Anderson (#40) who should start the year in Single-A, RHP Justin Masterson (#64) who has a shot to be in the PawSox starting rotation, INF Jed Lowrie (#73) who hit .300 in 40 games for the PawSox last season, RHP Michael Bowden (#94) who will probably begin the year in Double-A, and OF Ryan Kalish (#96) who most likely will start in Single-A.
MORE HARDWARE FOR HYDER: For the second year in a row, PawSox radio broadcaster Steve Hyder will receive the prestigious Rhode Island Sportscaster of the Year award at the 49th Annual National Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association (NSSA) awards dinner in Salisbury, NC on May 5, 2008. Hyder, who will begin his fifth year as a PawSox radio broadcaster this April 3, will be among a host of national and state winners in attendance.
The PawSox hired Steve, a Newport, RI native, as one of their radio broadcasters for the 2004 season. Hyder, 46, was a radio play-by-play and color commentator for Syracuse University football and basketball for ten years during much of the 1990's. He also did play-by-play work for the Syracuse Chiefs from 1997-99, had his own national sports talk show on Sporting News Radio, and has filled in on both Providence College and Brown University basketball.
SO LONG FOR NOW: A handful of members of the 2007 PawSox have joined other organizations this off-season including: RHP Mike Burns with Pittsburgh (Indianapolis), RHP Lincoln Holdzkom with Philadelphia (Rule 5 Draft), INF Joe McEwing as the Hitting Coach at Charlotte (White Sox), INF Ed Rogers with Washington (Columbus), and INF Bobby Scales with the Chicago Cubs (Iowa).
RICHMOND BRAVES
HAPPY CAMPERS: 18 members of the 2007 R-Braves have seen Grapefruit League action thus far with Atlanta. Yunel Escobar is hitting .462 in five games. Brayan Pena is 3-10. Wes Timmons has a hit in his only at bat this spring. Six pitchers who saw time in Richmond last season have combined for 13 scoreless Grapefruit League innings (Jeff Bennett, Buddy Carlyle, Blaine Boyer, Peter Moylan, Royce Ring, and Phil Stockman). Bennett, Ring, and Francisley Bueno helped pitch the Braves to within one out of a no-hitter vs. Cleveland Wednesday.
BRAVES EN ESPAÃOL: The Braves have added Spanish language content to their website. Fans can visit www.rbraves.com/tickets/espanol for ticket information in Spanish. The Braves are one of three minor league clubs with Spanish content on their official website, joining fellow IL club Lehigh Valley and Corpus Christi of the Texas League. The Braves plan to add additional content as part of the re-launch of their website later this year.
PLAY BALL: The Richmond Braves open their preseason schedule March 16 vs. Toledo. The R-Braves will play 12 preseason games, facing the Mud Hens four times, Buffalo twice, Columbus three times, and Round Rock of the PCL three times. The Braves break camp for Richmond March 31.
ROCHESTER RED WINGS
THE SUN WILL COME OUT TOMORROW: The Rochester Red Wings will open up minor league camp tomorrow (Friday) in Ft. Myers, FL. Most of the players Rochester expects to have on their roster are in big league camp. Garrett Jones, Jon Knott, Randy Ruiz, and Brian Buscher, who all could be in a Red Wings uniform to start the season, have hit home runs already in big league camp.
WHO'S KING OF THE HILL?: Denard Span, Jason Pridie, and Carlos Gomez are battling it out this spring for the stating center field spot with the Twins. Pridie is currently leading the battle, hitting .400 (4-10) while Span is hitting .286 (2-7) and Gomez is at .154 (2-13).
SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE YANKEES
SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE SPRING FEST: The Yankees will host second annual "Spring Fest" at PNC Field on Saturday, March 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It will be the first opportunity for fans to purchase single game tickets for the 2008 season. Former Yankee great Tommy John will be on hand to meet with fans and sign autographs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Fans can also get clubhouse tours at PNC Field as well as getting their first look at the "Fun Zone," which is new for 2008. The "Fun Zone" consists of a bounce house, carnival size pop a shot, speed pitch and a hitting challenge area for fans to test their skills and enhance their visit to a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees game and PNC Field.
MEET THE YANKEES DINNER SLATED FOR APRIL 2: Fans will have their first opportunity to "Meet the Yankees" when the entire team will be on hand at a preseason dinner sponsored by the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees and Northeastern Baseball, Inc. The dinner will be held on Wednesday, April 2, at Genetti's Manor in Dickson City, PA. The event will commence at 6:00 p.m., when players, coaches, and the manager will be available to greet fans and sign autographs. A full course dinner will be served at 7:15 p.m. promptly, and will be followed by the program and introduction of the 2008 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees team.
SWB YANKEES ON THE TUBE: Fans in Northeast Pennsylvania will have the chance to see 30 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees games televised in 2008. Five games will be carried lived on WNEP-TV (ABC Local Channel 16) including opening day on Thursday, April 3 vs. the Norfolk Tides. Blue Ridge Communications will carry an additional 25 SWB Yankees games during the 2008 season. The Yankees will announce the specific television schedule with a press release in the near future.
SYRACUSE CHIEFS
COACHING STAFF REMAINS INTACT: The Syracuse Chiefs will be led by manager Doug Davis for a second strait year. Davis begins his third season as a manager in the Toronto system. He will have the same coaching staff as Rick Langford and Al LeBoeuf also return. Langford has spent five previous seasons as the pitching coach, for the Chiefs. LeBoeuf served as hitting coach last season after joining the Blue Jays from the Kansas City Royals organization. Trainer Jon Woodworth will also be back. "Woody" begins his 12th consecutive season with the Chiefs and 16th overall in Syracuse.
"INSIDE PITCH" HEADING SOUTH: Inside Pitch, the weekly radio show hosted by Chiefs radio announcer Bob McElligott and General Manager John Simone, will air daily specials from Florida next week. The show, which normally airs Saturday mornings from 11:00 a.m. - Noon, will be heard Monday through Friday (March 10-14) from 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. on the Chiefs' new flagship station, Sportsradio 620 WHEN. In addition, the show can be heard at sportsradio620.com, or at syracusechiefs.com.
TOLEDO MUD HENS
HENS ON THE RADAR: Many of the probable Mud Hens are making the most of spring training. Through eight spring training games, five outfielders are showing promise with the bat. Brent Clevlen is 5-11, top prospect Matt Joyce has two doubles and two RBI, newcomer Freddy Guzman is 6-14 with an RBI, and returning Triple-A All-Star "Top Star" winner Timo Perez is 5-13 with a double. Wilkin Ramirez has also been tremendous at the plate. So far this spring, he is 7-14 with a team leading two home runs and seven RBI. Ramirez is expected to begin the season with Double-A Erie but might make an appearance in a Mud Hen uniform at some point this season. The offseason blockbuster trades that the parent club Detroit Tigers have made opened spots for a traditionally competitive pitching staff. Returning starters and rotation anchors Virgil Vasquez and Jordan Tata are trying to show they can earn a Major League spot start with their work throughout the spring. However, the pitchers out of the lime light getting the call from the Hen Pen this season are the story from camp so far. Through eight camp games, newcomers Armando Galarraga and Francis Beltran, flame throwing Denny Bautista, returning reliever Preston Larrison, starter Chris Lambert, and closer Aquilino Lopez have been stellar. They have combined for 21 innings pitched, 13 strikeouts, and no earned runs.
ITCHING TO CATCH: The injury of Tigers' backup catcher Vance Wilson (holding him up through the beginning of the season) leaves the door wide open for emergency help within the organization. It seems that Dane Sardinha is going to take that position until Wilson returns, as he has been building rapport with his potential Major League teammates this offseason. If Sardinha is shipped to Detroit, the backup backstop in Toledo is yet to be determined. Andrew Graham, Maxim St. Pierre, and Nick Trzesniak are among the leading candidates competing for Triple-A duties.
A NOTICEABLE LOSS: The Tigers were hoping to add some pitching depth to their organization with Major League-level talent this offseason. After signing former dominant closer free agent Matt Mantei, the organization came closer to addressing that need. Mantei was vying for a spot in a set-up role this year for Detroit, but was expected to "tune up" his game in Toledo during the first part of the 2008 season. The former Marlin and Diamondback 30-game saver has not pitched in a game since 2005 and was working toward a comeback after being plagued by injuries. From 2000-2004, Mantei needed ligament reconstruction surgery in his elbow, had bicep tendonitis, and also had bone spur removal which kept him from enjoying a full healthy season during that stretch. Then, in 2005, while making a comeback with the Red Sox, he turned his ankle on a play at third base and required season ending surgery. This spring training brought promise to Mantei as he has impressed his teammates, coaches, and manager with his accuracy and strong arm. However, during a spring game on March 3, Mantei felt something pull in his shoulder. A day later, the encouraging comeback of a Mud Hens set-up candidate ended with his official retirement.
TOLEDO IDOL: The Toledo Mud Hens are looking for budding superstars to sing the National Anthem during the 2008 season. On Saturday, March 8, team officials will be hosting the fifth annual "Oh Say Can You Sing" auditions from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to give soloists and singing groups the opportunity to sing prior to a 2008 Mud Hens home game. The one-time audition will consist of performing the anthem without accompaniment in front of a panel of team officials.
International League Stories from March 6, 2008
- International League News and Notes - IL1
- Grand Slam Kid Program Returns For 2008 - Gwinnett Stripers
- Get Your Double Play Combo Today - Columbus Clippers
- Tides single-game tickets on sale March 17 - Norfolk Tides
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.
