IL1 International League

International League News and Notes

Published on July 18, 2008 under International League (IL1) News Release


BUFFALO BISONS

STEVENS IS AN OLYMPIAN: USA Baseball has selected Bisons RHP Jeff Stevens to the 24-man roster they plan to take to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China later this summer. Stevens played for Team USA in the World Cup in Taiwan in 2007 and recorded the save over Cuba in the championship-clinching game. Stevens was promoted to the Bisons on June 2 and has pitched in 14 games. He is 0-1 with a 3.92 ERA and five saves. He began the 2008 season with the Double-A Akron Aeros and was 5-1 with a 2.51 ERA and one save in 17 relief appearances.

ALL-STAR OUTING: Bisons LHP Rich Rundles didn't waste much time in his All-Star appearance on Wednesday night. The reliever needed just eight pitches to get through a scoreless 6th inning for the International League. Rundles got the first two PCL batters to ground out weakly to the mound. He then capped off his impressive outing by striking out Albuquerque OF John Gall on just three pitches. On the season, Rundles is 5-4 with a 3.46 ERA and one save in 37 games with the Bisons.

SOLID STRETCH: Last night, OF Todd Linden picked up right where he left off before the break. Linden went 3-5 with a pair of doubles and four RBI in Buffalo's 10-2 victory over Richmond. He has now hit in nine straight games, averaging .389 (14-36) with six doubles and seven RBI since July 7. Going back even further, Linden has reached base in 28 of his last 30 games since June 15. During that span, the outfielder has hit .294 (32-109) with nine doubles, three home runs and 14 walks.

CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS

STARTING THE SECOND HALF: The Knights began the second half of the season just 4.0 games out of 1st place. The Knights entered the All-Star break as the hottest team in the IL having won 9 of 11 games. The Knights also finished up their most successful homestand of the season going 8-2 vs. Durham, Rochester and Richmond. In addition to three players being named to the IL All-Star Game (Childers, Eldred, Getz) the Knights also have two of the League's top starting pitchers in LHP Clayton Richard (6-0, 2.37 ERA) and LHP Wes Whisler (10-5, 3.46 ERA). The Knights have 18 games remaining against their division, with six vs. Durham (4 home, 2 road), four vs. Richmond (2 home, 2 road) and eight vs. Norfolk (4 home, 4 road).

RICHARD NAMED TO U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM: Knights LHP Clayton Richard was named to U.S. Olympic Baseball team over the All-Star break. Richard is currently 6-0 with a 2.37 ERA in six starts with the Knights. Richard was the starting pitcher for Team USA in the 2008 MLB Future's game. Richard pitched one inning allowing one hit, one walk, and an unearned run. He took the loss for Team USA in the Futures Game.

ROSTER CHANGES: The White Sox have optioned RHP D.J. Carrasco back to Charlotte. The Knights also received INF Javier Colina from

Double-A Birmingham. Carrasco appeared in one game for Chicago on July 11 at Texas and pitched 5.1 innings of relief and allowed one run on four hits. Carrasco was 1-1 with one save and a 2.38 ERA in 7 games with the Knights. Colina comes to the Knights after hitting .216 with 3 home runs and 14 RBI with Birmingham. Colina began the season with Class-A Winston-Salem where he hit .306 in 59 games. INF Javier Castillo and RHP Carlos Torres were transferred to Birmingham, and the Knights roster sits at 24.

COLUMBUS CLIPPERS

ZIMMERMAN COMES TO TOWN: Ryan Zimmerman was transferred to Columbus to continue his rehab yesterday. Since having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, "Zim" played in two games for the Potomac Nationals, going 3-10 with two doubles. Last night he made his Triple-A debut, going 1-3 with an RBI double, after having skipped from Double-A straight to the Majors in 2005, his first year in professional ball. He was the 2nd Clipper to make his Triple-A debut after already having Major League experience this season (Jesus Flores, selected in the Rule 5 draft in 2007 and played all last season for Washington, skipping Triple-A). With the Nats, Zimmerman was hitting .257 (53-206) with 8 HR and 27 RBI in 50 games.

SENATORS IN THE CAPITAL: With the addition of Luis Antonio Jimenez yesterday, there are now 12 players from Harrisburg's opening day roster that are currently on the Columbus roster. Of the 24 players that were active for Harrisburg's first game, 15 have played with the Clippers at some point this year, with an additional three having been Clippers last season. Overall, 27 players have been a part of both teams this year (14 pitchers, 13 position players).

CURACAO CONNECTION: The arrival of Roger Bernadina on July 11 has given the Clippers three players from the island of Curacao, off the Venezuelan coast. He joins fellow countrymen Yurendell de Caster and Shairon Martis. Both de Caster and Martis have been named to the Olympic team for the Netherlands. Former Clipper great and current Indianapolis hitting coach, Hensley Meulens, is also from Curacao.

DURHAM BULLS

COMEBACK KIDS: Durham opened play after the break with a 4-1 come-from-behind win over Syracuse yesterday to open an eight-game road trip.  Durham scored all of its runs in the 8th, three of them with two out.  The win was Durham's fourth this season when the club trailed after the 7th inning.  Three of those wins have come on the road, two of them this month.

DYNAMITE DEBUT: Catcher John Jaso went 3-4 with a double and a run scored in his first game for the Bulls.  He was promoted from Montgomery after competing in the Southern League All-Star Game on Monday.  RHP Wade Davis also came from Montgomery, and will join the Durham rotation on Sunday.

ROAD WARRIORS: Durham yesterday began an eight-game road trip against Syracuse and Lehigh Valley.  With a win, the Bulls are an impressive

28-19 (.596) on the road, among the top winning percentages on the road in the International League. The Bulls are 24-28 (.462) at home after dropping seven of their last nine at the DBAP.  That's the most home losses in the IL. 

ON THE MOVE: Durham's transaction total soared to 127 over the break.  Southern League All-Stars Wade Davis (RHP) and John Jaso (catcher) joined Durham after spending pre-All-Star Break play with Montgomery.  LHP Mike Prochaska went to Montgomery, while Hector Gimenez moved to Vero Beach to make room for the 42nd and 43rd different players to suit up for the Bulls this year.  In addition, Reid Brignac was optioned to Durham.  To make room for him, Josh Labandeira was placed on the DL.  The current total compares to only 97 moves the entire 2007 season, including the playoffs.  The multiple changes began early, in part because Durham's parent team, Tampa Bay, had nine players on the DL at one point.  That number is now at four: SS Jason Bartlett, RHP Troy Percival, RHP Chad Orvella,  and OF Rocco Baldelli.  Orvella had season-ending surgery on May 23.

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

WE WILL RUN ON YOU: Indianapolis leads the International League with 134 stolen bases. The Indians have paced the IL in thefts in each of the past three seasons. The Tribe has recorded 93 swipes over the last 60 contests (1.55 pg) while its opponents have tallied just 49 (0.81 pg). Indianapolis is just one of three teams in all of professional baseball to have six players with at least 10 stolen bases this season. OF Nyjer Morgan (29), OF Andrew McCutchen (24), 1B/OF Adam Boeve (13), INF Brian Bixler (11), INF Josh Wilson (10) and INF Matt Kata (10) have all reached double digits in steals this season. Wilmington of the Carolina League and Cedar Rapids of the Midwest League also feature six individuals with at least 10 swipes.

LET'S GO STREAKING: Indianapolis OF Nyjer Morgan extended his hitting streak to a team-best 17 games by going 2-5 with two runs in the first game of the four-game series against Columbus on July 17. The 28-year-old is hitting .347 (25-72) during the stretch with 14 runs and seven RBI. The streak is his longest since hitting safely in 21 straight contests for Class-A Lynchburg during the 2006 season.

AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS: OF Andrew McCutchen ranks among the International League's leaders for stolen bases (5th, 24), games played (T-6th, 93), walks (6th, 47), hits (T-6th, 100) and on-base percentage (8th, .372). He owns a team best .282 batting average with eight homers and 34 RBI.

EVAN NOT SO MEEK: Indians RHP Evan Meek has posted a 0.64 ERA over his last seven relief appearances (1 ER in 14 IP). The 25-year-old has not allowed a run in 9.1 innings, while striking out eight and walking just one during the stretch.

LEHIGH VALLEY IRONPIGS

CHILDERS DEALING: RHP Matt Childers has a 13.1 scoreless IP streak (9+ G, 6 SV, retiring 36 of last 42 BF) and hasn't allowed an ER in his last

15 games (1-0, 7 SV in 19.2 IP), retiring 54 of his last 66 BF (81.8%).

 

.400 CLUB!: With their win last Saturday, the 'Pigs have gone above .400 winning percentage (39-58, .402) for just the second time in franchise history -- tying their mark of .402 on July 7(37-55) which was the first time the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate was above .400 since July 23, 2007 (when Ottawa was 40-60). The IronPigs are now sitting at .404 (40-59).

 

WHO'S HOT (BATTERS): OF T.J. Bohn has hit in his last 4 G (8-17, 4 RBI) & in 11 of his last 16 (20-57, .351-1-6, 7 2B)...OF Brandon Watson has hit in 10 of 11 G (14-45, .311-1-1) and scored a R in 9 of 10 G (11 R)... SS Mike Rouse has hit in 9 of his last 11 G (15-41, .366-0-4) & in 11 of his last 15 (22-58, .379-0-6, 6 2B, 7 multi-hit G)... INF Oscar Robles has hit in 8 of his last 11 G (16-39, .410-1-6)... OF Rich Thompson has hit in 6 of 9 G (11-36, .306-1-8, 6 R)... In his last 36 G, 1B Andy Tracy is batting .364-6-28 (48-132)... OF Jon Knott has homered in 8 of his last 24 G & hit in 25 of last 34 (40-129, .310-6-26, 10 2B)... C Jason Jaramillo has hit in 32 of his last 38 G (.322-3-20, 46-143, 21 R).

 

WHO'S HOT (PITCHERS): The bullpen is 3-2, 4 SV, 2.10 (51.1 IP, 12 ER) in the last 15 G... RHP John Ennis has allowed just 1 R in his last 7 G, going 0-0, 2 H, 0.87 (10.1 IP, 1 ER). He has stranded 16 of his last 18 inherited runners... LHP Stephen Randolph has not allowed an ER in his last 6 G (6.0 IP) -- retiring 17 of his last 24 BF (0 H, 6 BB, HBP)... LHP Travis Blackley is 5-2, 3.00 (54 IP, 18 ER) in his last 7 GS. In addition, the 'Pigs are 9-2 in the last 11 G he has started -- all after he came off the DL (groin) on May 19... In his last 4 GS, LHP Les Walrond has gone 2-0, 1.86, SHO (29 IP,

6 ER) after an 8-start winless streak.

LOUISVILLE BATS

FIRST PLACE!: The last time the Bats were in 1st place at the All-Star Break was during the 2003 season when they were 59-38. The 2003 season was the last time the Bats made the playoffs.

STREAKING AT SEVEN: The Bats have now won seven in a row for their longest wining streak of the season. The last time they won seven in a row was June 23-29, 2006 and the last time the Bats won eight straight was also the 2006 season (June 11-18). The last time a Louisville team had nine consecutive wins was the 2003 season when that team set the franchise record, winning 12 straight (May 18-31).

15 OVER: Louisville is 15 games over .500, which is the most all season. The last time the Bats were 15 games over was the end of the 2003 season when the team finished 79-64. Louisville's high water mark was 21 games over .500 at the All-Star Break (59-38) that season.

ROAD WARRIORS: The Bats road record of 31-21 (.596) is tops in the IL. Columbus is next in road wins (29-21) and Durham is 2nd in winning percentage (.587, 27-19). The last time Louisville had a winning road season was 2001 when the RiverBats were 38-34 which is also a franchise record for road victories on a season.

BATS ALL-STARS: RHP Jon Adkins, C Ryan Hanigan, Manager Rick Sweet and Trainer Chris Lapole represented the Bats in front of a sellout crowd (13,131) at Louisville Slugger Field Wednesday night in the 2008 Meijer Triple-A All-Star Game. Adkins pitched the 3rd inning (1.0 IP) and allowed one hit while striking out one. Hanigan came on in the 7th inning as a defensive sub and went 1-2 and scored a run; he also threw out Oklahoma's Nelson Cruz trying to steal second base.

NORFOLK TIDES

HIT MEN: Tides catcher Omir Santos, who represented the Tides in the Triple-A All-Star Game Wednesday night, has hit safely in 34 of his last 38 games, and the 27-year-old has hit .364 (51-140) with a homer and 15 RBI over that span. After hitting .195 in April, Santos hit .316 in May and then hit .329 in June, and he's hit .438 (14-32) thus far in July. Oscar Salazar has also had a hot stretch at the plate, as he's hit safely in 23 of his last 25 games, hitting .340 (35-103) with 4 homers and 22 RBI over that stretch. Salazar has had six different hitting streaks of at least six games this season, and he enters play tonight first in the IL with 28 doubles and tied for 4th in the League with a .309 average.

WE LIKE TIKE: Tike Redman has hit safely in seven straight games, hitting .379 (11-29) with a homer and four RBI over that stretch. Redman has also reached base safely in 30 straight contests, which is the longest on-base streak by a member of the Tides this season. Redman has posted an on-base percentage of .377 over his 30-game streak, and he has also scored at least one run in 12 of his last 15 games, plating 16 runs over that stretch. Redman's 30-game on-base streak is the fourth-longest in the IL this year , while the longest run in the IL is a 44-game stretch by Toledo's Brent Clevlen.

WE LIKE MIKE: Tides infielder Mike McCoy has hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games with an at-bat, and he's hit .389 (21-54) with two homers and

11 RBI over that stretch. Over that 15-game span, McCoy has raised his average from .214 to .276, and he's collected multiple hits in seven different contests.

PAWTUCKET RED SOX

WELCOME BIG PAPI: The 1st-place Pawtucket Red Sox, buoyed by the presence of a legend named David Ortiz on "loan" from the 1st-place Boston Red Sox, opened a 4-game series vs. the Toledo Mud Hens last night with a 15-6 victory before a season-high crowd of 12,893 at McCoy Stadium to improve their best record in the League (62-37) and the best home mark in the IL (34-16). The PawSox host the Mud Hens tonight, tomorrow night, and Sunday afternoon and the plan is for the Boston Red Sox slugger to play in all three of those games as well as he embarks on his injury rehab assignment while recovering from a partially torn tendon sheath in his left wrist suffered on a swing in the May 31 game at Baltimore (he was placed on Boston's 15-day disabled list on June 3 - retro to June 1).

PAPIPALOOZA: Ortiz, a five-time American League All-Star DH, made his PawSox and McCoy Stadium debut last night and certainly did not disappoint with a line-drive solo HR in his second at-bat leading off the 4th-inning to give the PawSox a 1-0 lead they would never relinquish. His arrival in Pawtucket prompted four of the quickest sell-outs in PawSox history as all four games this week and weekend were sold-out for all intents and purposes within a matter of a day.

MORE ON BIG PAPI: David Ortiz, 32, is hitting .252 with 10 2B, 13 HR and 43 RBI in 54 games for the Red Sox this season. His career average with the Red Sox (2003-2008) is .298 (879-for-2948) with 217 2B & 221 HR in 791 games. He is the Red Sox all-time single season HR record holder (54 HR in 2006) and also has had the 4th most RBI (148 in 2005) and 4th most 2B (52 in 2007) in a single season in Red Sox annals. Ortiz, who prior to last night had last played a Minor League game in July of 2001 with New Britain (Double-A Twins) while on rehab from right wrist surgery, played parts of three seasons in Triple-A with Salt Lake (Minnesota) of the Pacific Coast League from 1997-99. He had never played a Minor League game with the Red Sox - until last night. Heading into this season, David was the Major League leader in both HR (177) and RBI (541) over the past four years (from 2004-2007). He has 16 walk-off hits in his career (13 with the Red Sox) including three post-season walk-off hits during the 2004 playoffs (2 of which were homers). He is the owner of a .317 career post-season average with 11 HR & 42 RBI in 52 career playoff games.

A HALL OF FAME LIST OF REHABBERS: David Ortiz joins an illustrious group of Major League stars who have spent time with the PawSox on an injury rehab assignment over the years. The impressive list includes (in part): Marty Barrett (1989), Ellis Burks (1989), Jose Canseco (1995 & '96), Sean Casey (2008), Roger Clemens (1993 & '95), Dennis Eckersley (1998), Nomar Garciaparra (2001), Mike Greenwell (1995 & '96), Mike Lowell (2008), Ramon Martinez (1999), Daisuke Matsuzaka (2008), Willie McGee (1995), Kevin Mitchell (1996), Trot Nixon (2004), Manny Ramirez (2002), Bret Saberhagen (1997 & 2000), Curt Schilling (2005 & '07), Bob Stanley (1988), Mike Timlin (2007 & '08) and John Valentin (2001).

RICHMOND BRAVES

EX-BRAVE ON TEAM USA: The Braves did not have a player picked for the U.S. Olympic baseball team, but former R-Brave Mike Hessman

(2002-04) was named to the squad.  One current R-Brave, Scott Thorman, will play for Canada.  Thorman will be joined by four former R-Braves on the Canadian squad (Rheal Cormier, Stubby Clapp, Adam Stern, and Pete Orr).  Thorman's selection marks the second straight Olympics that will feature an active R-Brave.  Orr played for Canada in 2004 while also helping Richmond to a spot in the Governors' Cup Finals.

A LONG, STRANGE TRIP: The Braves are in the middle of a season-high 12 game road trip interrupted by the All Star Break.  The Braves are away from The Diamond from July 10-24.  The Braves will play 26 of their final 38 games at home starting July 25.

SHUFFLE BACK TO BUFFALO: The Braves played a game in Buffalo Thursday for the first time since April 21, 2006.  Richmond did not play at Buffalo last season due to snow and cold wiping out all of a season-opening four game series in April of 2007.  It was the second time in three years that a Buffalo-Richmond match-up was dramatically altered by weather/field conditions.  The Braves and Bisons played all of the 2004 Governors' Cup Finals at Buffalo due to field conditions at The Diamond.

ROCHESTER RED WINGS

REALLY HOT WING: Infielder/Designated hitter Randy Ruiz has a Red Wings season-high 23-game hitting streak batting .391 (34-87) with six doubles, one triple, four home runs, 13 RBI and 16 runs scored.  Ruiz has hit safely in 25 of his last 26 games (.362, 38-105), has 113 hits on the season (1st in IL) and has a team leading 13 home runs.  Ruiz's 23-game hitting streak is the longest in the IL this season.  Ruiz's 23-game hitting streak is also the longest by a Red Wing since Rochester individual player day-to-day records began in 1979.

REALLY HOT WING: Infielder/Designated hitter Randy Ruiz's 23-game hitting streak is tied for the fifth longest hitting streak in Minor League Baseball this season.  All these hitting streaks (with the exception of Ruiz's) have ended:

Evan Frey (South Bend-23 games)                   Archie Gilbert (Stockton-25 games)

Andres Torres (Iowa-24 games)                       Michael Jones (Greenville-28 games)

Vinny Rottino (Nashville-24 games)

DIGGING INTO THE RECORD BOOK: Since 1928 when the Rochester franchise became known as the Red Wings, the team's longest hitting streak is 31 games by OF George Puccinelli back in 1932.  The Rochester franchise record is 42 games by Rochester Hustler OF Jack Lelivelt in 1912.

WELCOME BACK: LHP Francisco Liriano is rounding into his 2005 form.  In his last nine starts Liriano is 8-0 with a 2.65 ERA.  In 57.2 innings of work, Liriano has allowed 18 runs (17 earned) on 50 hits while walking just 10 and striking out 61.  Liriano has been really good at Frontier Field this season going 5-2 with a 2.74 ERA and has allowed just five earned runs in his last 40.2 innings pitched at Frontier (1.11 ERA last five starts at home).

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE YANKEES

MC CUTCHEN CONTINUES TO IMPRESS: After dropping his first four decisions as a Triple-A starter, Dan McCutchen has settled down and appears to be getting the hang of the International League.  The right hander has dropped his ERA from 5.01 to 3.58 in his last seven starts, posting a 4-2 record with a 2.87 ERA.  McCutchen is the only pitcher in the IL with two complete game shutouts and has won his last three starts posting a 2.66 ERA.  In 20.1 IP, McCutchen has struck out 23 and walked two.

 

MILTON JOINS THE YANKEES: The New York Yankees signed Eric Milton and assigned him the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, placing him on the seven day DL.  Milton was originally a first round selection of the New York Yankees (20th overall pick) in the 1996 draft out of the University of Maryland.  Milton pitched one season in the minors for the Yankees (1997) with Class-A Tampa and Double-A Norwich before being traded with a package of players to Minnesota for Chuck Knoblauch.

 

THE MOVES JUST KEEP ON COMING: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre made a franchise high 170 roster moves in 2007 and is well on the way to surpassing that total in 2008.  With Brian Bruney joining the team on a Major League rehab assignment in Lehigh Valley, SWB has made 127 transactions this season. The 2007 Yankees averaged 1.11 roster moves per day while the 2008 club is slightly ahead of last year's pace averaging 1.19 moves per day.  On the current pace, SWB will make 182 moves this season.  The most in 18 seasons as a Philadelphia affiliate (1989-2006) was 119.   

SYRACUSE CHIEFS

PURCEY PERFECT: Left-handed pitcher David Purcey pitched 2.0 scoreless innings and struck out three batters in Louisville at the Triple-A All Star Game on Wednesday.  Purcey was named the Bank of America Pitcher of the Game.  His next start will be in Louisville on Monday when the Chiefs begin a eight game road trip.

RICHMOND GOES TO CHINA: Chiefs right-handed pitcher Scott Richmond signed with the Blue Jays as a free agent over the winter after playing the past three years with Edmonton in the Northern League.  He began the season in New Hampshire and was promoted to Syracuse in June to replace John Parrish.  Despite an 0-2 record, Richmond has a 1.67 ERA in four starts.  His next start will be Louisville and then it's on to China with Team Canada for the 2008 Olympics.  The Vancouver native was added to the team this week.

MARCUM & DIAZ JOIN DUNEDIN: Jays right-handed pitcher Shawn Marcum, out for the past three weeks with arm soreness, will make a start tonight in Dunedin on rehab as he hopes to return to the Blue Jays rotation next week.  In addition, Chiefs catcher Robby Diaz was assigned to Class-A Dunedin as he works his way back from his May 3 ankle injury.

SANDOVAL RETURNS TONIGHT: Infielder Danny Sandoval injured his ankle last week and has been out of action since then.  He is scheduled to return tonight vs. Durham.  Since joining the Chiefs in May Sandoval is batting .329 with 27 RBI.

TOLEDO MUD HENS

ALL-STARS: The Mud Hens had quite a representation in the 2008 All-Star Game with three of the top vote getters. 3B Mike Hessman (0-5, RBI), OF Brent Clevlen (1-4, SB), and closer RHP Blaine Neal took center stage in the 6-5 loss to the Pacific Coast League All-Stars. Hessman and Clevlen account for 44 HR and 125 RBI for the Mud Hens. Neal, who has only blown two save opportunities in his IL best 23-save season, allowed five runs in the 9th while protecting a 2-0 lead and suffered the loss.

OLYMPIANS: The United States Olympic Team has announced its roster for the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, China. Power-slugging third baseman Mike Hessman and shut-down closer Blaine Neal will serve their country on a veteran-stacked team. They will join a team assembled on experience including 14 from Triple-A, seven from Double-A, one from Single-A, and one from the collegiate level. All players not on an active Major League 25-man roster were eligible for the selection process. Team USA takes on Korea in the opening round August 13. The medal rounds will begin August 23, a day before the closing ceremonies.

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International League Stories from July 18, 2008


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