International League preview

March 31, 2004 - International League (IL1) News Release

International League North Division


Buffalo Bisons Affiliate: Cleveland Indians
Years in IL: 90 Record: 6,572-6,173 Last Governors' Cup: 1998
2003 Finish: 73-70, T-third in North (-9.5)
Manager: Marty Brown (2nd year) Career – 7 yrs. 468-459
Coaches: Terry Clark (2nd year); Carlos Garcia (3rd year)
Stadium: Dunn Tire Park (18,150)
Probable Starters: 1B - Eric Crozier; 2B - Brandon Phillips; 3B - Chris Clapinski;
SS - Jhonny Peralta; C - Josh Bard/Dusty Wathan; LF - Coco Crisp; CF - Grady Sizemore; RF - Mark Little; DH - Ernie Young
Key Pitchers: Starters - RH Jeremy Guthrie, RH Francisco Cruceta, RH Kyle Denney,
RH Jason Bere. Relievers - RH Fernando Cabrera, Matt Dewitt, RH Kazuhito Tadano,
LH Cliff Bartosh, RH Roy Smith, LH Matt White, RH Luther Hackman
Top Prospects: OF Grady Sizemore - BA ranks him #1 for the Indians, #9 in all of the minors and #3 among OF. Has combination of speed, average and power. Was MVP of last year's Futures Game and was Rookie-of-the-Year in the Eastern League after hitting .304-13-78 (and adding 11 3Bs) for Akron. Hit .409 in big-league camp this spring for the Indians...RHP Fernando Cabrera (#5 in the system according to Baseball America) - 9-4, 2.97 at Akron with 115 Ks in 109 innings. Will be back-end reliever...RHP Jeremy Guthrie (#2) - Was Tribe's No. 1 draft pick in 2002 out of Stanford. Went 6-2, 1.44 last year at Akron before struggling at Buffalo (4-9, 6.52)...RHP Francisco Cruceta - Was 13-9, 3.09 last year at Akron. Led EL in strikeouts (134) and complete games (6). Led all Cleveland minor leaguers in innings (163.1) and strikeouts...OF Coco Crisp - .360 in 56 games for Herd last year, .266 in 99 games for Cleveland. Combined for 35 SBs. Great speed (34 2Bs, 12 3Bs) last season. Nosed out by Alex Escobar for final OF slot, return to health of Matt Lawton forced him back to Buffalo...2B Brandon Phillips - won Tribe's 2B job last year but hit just .208 in 112 games and was sent to Buffalo in July. Hit just .175 in 43 games for Herd and was only 2 of 16 this spring before demotion to minors. Can play 2B and SS. Needs to hit.
Other Organizational Prospects: 3B Corey Smith - No. 1 draft pick in 2000 hit .271 at Akron last year, his first in Double-A. Has had huge defensive problems (156 errors in first four pro seasons) that have to be ironed out. Hit .350 from July 19 to the end of the season last year.
Veterans to Watch: OF Mark Little and Ernie Young - Little, former Diamondback, Rockie and Met, was clubhouse leader in second half of last season. Young, a member of 2000 Olympic team, had big year in '03 at Toledo (.264-21-84)...Catchers Josh Bard and Tim Laker have both had big springs at the plate. Laker is out of options and likely to start in Cleveland. Dusty Wathan had solid season last year in Buffalo as backup to Bard and Victor Martinez and then the starter much of the time in August.
Items of Interest: Herd missed the playoffs last year for just the second time in nine seasons as a Cleveland affiliate and first time since 1999. Had 48-30 record in late June but finished season just 25-40 and suffered through 5-22 slide from late July into late August that doomed playoff hopes. Callups to Cleveland and the demotion of Phillips, who struggled to hit, were the major factors...First major renovation of Dunn Tire Park since 1990 took place in the off-season. Right field bleachers were demolished and replaced by multi-level party deck and grass berm. Stadium capacity was 21,050 but has been reduced by around 3,000. Stadium opened in 1988 and bleachers were expanded before '90 season...This is the 20th anniversary season of Buffalo's modern era of Triple-A baseball. Initial IL franchise folded and moved to Winnipeg in 1970. No baseball until Double-A team was born in 1979. Rich Products Corp. purchased that team in 1983 and moved into Triple-A in 1985. Franchise returned to the IL in 1998.
Strengths of the Club: Solid lineup. Except for Phillips, everyone expected to hit for average...Starting pitching. At least three and potentially five quality Triple-A starters
Weaknesses of the Club: Power. Young is truest power threat but remains to be seen if he'll accept Triple-A assignment with Cleveland...Bullpen. Cabrera and Tadano are untested young arms. Smith, White, Bartosh, Dewitt are veterans with up and down tendencies.

Ottawa Lynx Affiliate: Baltimore Orioles
Years in IL: 17 Record: 1,046-1,251 Last Governors' Cup: 1995
2003 Finish: 79-65, second in North (-4.0), won Wild Card, lost in Gov. Cup first round
Manager: Tim Leiper (2nd year - previously 2002) Career – 4 yrs. 258-227
Coaches: Steve McCatty (2nd year); Dave Cash (2nd year)
Stadium: Lynx Stadium (10,332)
Probable Starters: 1B - Carlos Mendez; 2B - Mike Fontenot; 3B - Jose Leon;
SS - Eddy Garabito; C - Robert Machado; LF - Chad Mottola; CF - Tim Raines Jr.;
RF - Darnell McDonald; DH - Pedro Swann. Others include: INF/OF Joey Hammond, INF/OF Napoleon Calzado, INF Luis Lopez, OF Keith Reed
Key Pitchers: Starters - RH John Stephens, RH Ruben Quevedo, RH Jeff Juden, RH Dave Borkowski, RH Mike Paradis. Relievers - RH Aaron Rakers, RH Eddie Rodriguez, LH Rob Ramsay, LH Tom Jacquez, LH Sean Spencer, RH Darwin Cubillan.
Top Prospects: 2B Mike Fontenot, the Baltimore Orioles 2003 Minor League Player-of-the-Year, comes to the Lynx after hitting .326 at Double-A Bowie in 2003. The Orioles' 2001 first round pick, Fontenot was also named an Eastern League All-Star in only his second professional season.
Other Organizational Prospects: RHP John Maine was named the Orioles' Minor League Pitcher-of-the-Year after a 2003 season in which he went 13-4 with an ERA of 2.33 and a strikeout to walk ratio of 185-38. He may start the year at Double-A, and if he continues to progress at a rapid rate, Lynx fans might be able to see him on the mound late this year...LHP Adam Loewen, the highest Canadian ever taken in Major League Baseball's June draft (he went 4th overall in 2002) signed at the last minute, and went on to pitch in seven games at short-season Aberdeen. Although he has a long way to go, if the stars align right Loewen could be on the fast track through the minors, and might stop in Ottawa...LHP Erik Bedard made the Orioles rotation out of spring training, after missing most of the 2003 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Bedard, who lives only minutes away from Lynx Stadium, could see time in Ottawa in 2004.
Veterans to Watch: OF Chad Mottola, a former IL MVP, comes to the Lynx to help sure up their outfield. Mottola's powerful bat should be a big part of an offense that has the potential to be one of the best in the IL...1B Carlos Mendez got off to a torrid start last year and was hitting .384 when he was recalled to Baltimore in late May. He later returned to the Lynx, and ended the season with a .347 average...C Robert Machado hit .335 in 59 games with the Lynx last year, while throwing out over 50% of runners attempting to steal...RHP John Stephens, coming off a season filled with nagging injuries, looks to rebound to the form that led him to an 11-5 record at Triple-A in 2002.
Items of Interest: Tim Leiper, an Ottawa resident, returns to manage the Lynx after spending the 2003 season with the Boston Red Sox organization. Leiper, who led the Lynx to a franchise record 80 wins in 2002, will also be leaving the club for a few weeks in August to help coach the Canadian Olympic Baseball team...Reliever Darwin Cubillan, in his 4th year with the Lynx, is only six saves and 17 appearances short of the Lynx all-time records. Last year he posted a career high 20 saves in an IL-leading 65 appearances...OF Darnell McDonald looks to have a strong return after a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder cut his 2003 season short. He had 45 hits and 20 RBI in 40 games with the Lynx last season.
Strengths of the Club: Offense. The Lynx, who tied for the IL lead in batting average last year, have another solid group of players who should allow the team to be one of the top scoring clubs in the League. With their mix of power, speed, and average, this group has the potential to be one of the best Lynx hitting clubs on record.
Weaknesses of the Club: Power. Lynx Stadium is not a park known for the long ball. The Lynx have been last or near last in homers every season since joining the IL in 1993, and the 2004 season should be no different...Starting pitching depth. If Matt Riley sticks with the big club in Baltimore, four of the five Lynx starters from last year's playoff team will not be back. If the staffs in Baltimore or Ottawa run into injuries, the Lynx may have to go out of the organization and find starting pitching in much of the same way they did with their bullpen in 2003.

International League North Division


Pawtucket Red Sox Affiliate: Boston Red Sox
Years in IL: 32 Record: 2,147-2,241 Last Governors' Cup: 1984
2003 Finish: 83-61, North Champions (+4.0); lost to Durham in Governors' Cup Finals
Manager: Buddy Bailey (7th year) Career – 16 yrs. 1,095-1,012
Coaches: Mike Griffin (2nd year); Mark Budaska (1st year)
Stadium: McCoy Stadium (10,031)
Probable Starters: 1B - Earl Snyder; 2B - Carlos Febles; 3B - Kevin Youkilis;
SS - Jimmy Alvarez; C - Kelly Shoppach; LF - Adam Hyzdu/Mike Curry;
CF - Jeremy Owens; RF - Hyzdu/Curry; DH - Andy Dominique.
Others include OF Justin Sherrod, 2B Trace Coquillette, INF Tony Schrager.
Key Pitchers: Starters - RH Jamie Brown, LH Phil Seibel, RH Frank Castillo,
RH Josh Stevens, LH Ed Yarnall. Relievers - RH Anastacio Martinez, RH Edwin Almonte, RH Matt Duff, RH Bryan Hebson, LH Bobby Jones, LH Mark Malaska, RH Ryan Cameron
Top Prospects: C Kelly Shoppach is rated as Boston's #2 Prospect by Baseball America. Selected in the 2nd Round of the 2001 June Draft, Shoppach was rated as the best defensive catcher in the Eastern League last season. He was no slouch at the plate as well, batting .282 with 12 HR and 60 RBI despite missing several weeks following rotator cuff surgery...3B Kevin Youkilis (#4) tied the minor league record by reaching base in 71 straight games for Double-A Portland and the PawSox in mid-season. Hitting .327 for the SeaDogs, Youkilis struggled upon his promotion to Pawtucket, batting just .165 in 32 games. He still finished third among all minor leaguers with a .441 on-base percentage...RHP Anastacio Martinez was traded to Pittsburgh last July only to return to Boston days later in a subsequent deal. Pitching extensively out of the bullpen for the first time in his career, he went 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA for the PawSox last year and a combined 5-2 with three minor league clubs. Overall, he averaged 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings...RHP Josh Stevens, originally a Yankees' farmhand, went 10-9 with a 3.85 ERA for Portland and pitched in the Eastern League All-Star Game...OF Justin Sherrod ranked third among all Boston minor leaguers with 74 RBI and fourth with 15 HR last season at Portland.
Other Organizational Prospects: SS Hanley Ramirez (#1) isn't expected to hit Pawtucket this season, but is one of Boston's brightest future stars. He hit .275 with 24 doubles, 8 HR, 50 RBI, and 36 stolen bases for Class A Augusta last season...RHP Manny Delcarmen (#10) had Tommy John surgery last May and could be back in action by June.
Veterans to Watch: LHP Ed Yarnall was the IL's Most Valuable Pitcher in 1999 with Columbus, going 13-4 with 146 strikeouts. After pitching in Japan in 2001-02, he returned to the U.S. last year, going 3-3 with a 3.76 ERA for Sacramento...OF Adam Hyzdu played for Pawtucket in 1997 & briefly in '99. The 32-year-old has split the last three seasons with Triple-A Nashville and Pittsburgh...RHP Frank Castillo has an 82-103 mark at the Major League level, including a 16-24 record for Boston in 2001-02. The 35-year-old begins his 18th professional season, after pitching for Sacramento and Richmond in 2003.
Items of Interest: Last year, the PawSox finished with the best record in the IL for the first time since 1984...Pawtucket will host the annual Triple-A All-Star Game in mid-July. The three-day baseball festival will include a celebrity home run derby on Monday, July 12, an All-Star FanFest in downtown Providence on Tuesday and the 17th annual game on Wednesday, July 14th. The game will be televised on ESPN2...Bailey was named IL Manager of the Year last season for the second time (he also won the award in 1996) to join Jack Tighe, Joe Altobelli, and Eddie Haas as the League skippers honored more than once.
Strengths of the Club: Solid starting pitching led by Castillo, Yarnall, and Brown - all experienced veterans...Edwin Almonte (82 saves over the past three seasons) and Bryan Hebson (19-2, 13 saves over the past two years) headline a deep bullpen...Power. Playing at McCoy Stadium, Snyder, Hyzdu, Shoppach, Sherrod, and Dominique all have 20+ homer potential.
Weaknesses of the Club: Youth. The PawSox have several players that are Triple-A rookies or have less than a full-season of experience, including expected key contributors Youkilis, Shoppach, Owens, Sherrod, Stevens, Seibel and Martinez.

Rochester Red Wings Affiliate: Minnesota Twins
Years in IL: 117 Record: 8,531-8,090 Last Governors' Cup: 1997
2003 Finish: 68-75, fifth in North (-14.5)
Manager: Phil Roof (2nd year) Career – 13 yrs. 961-893
Coaches: Bobby Cuellar (2nd year); Rich Miller (1st year)
Stadium: Frontier Field (10,840)
Probable Starters: 1B - Justin Morneau; 2B - Luis Rodriguez; 3B - Terry Tiffee;
SS - Jason Bartlett; C - Brandon Marsters; LF Josh Rabe; CF - Lew Ford;
RF - Michael Restovich; DH - Brian Simmons.
Key Pitchers: Starters - RH Joe Roa, RH Seth Greisinger, RH Matt Guerrier,
LH Carlos Pulido. Relievers - RH Jesse Crain, RH Micheal Nakamura, RH Jeromy Palki, LH Ryan Mills.
Top Prospects: 1B Justin Morneau (the Twins' #2 Prospect according to Baseball America) split the 2003 season between Double-A New Britain, Rochester and Minnesota. He hit a combined 26 homers with 71 RBI... RHP Jesse Crain (#5) has yet to allow a home run in two minor-league seasons. Slated to be the Wings' closer, he was named the Twins Minor League Pitcher-of-the-Year for 2003...SS Jason Bartlett (#6) hit .296-8-48 with 41 SB at New Britain last year...3B Terry Tiffee was the MVP of last summer's Eastern League All-Star Game. For the season, he hit .315 with 14 HR and 93 RBI.
Other Organizational Prospects: RHP J.D. Durbin (#4) went a combined 15-5 with a 3.12 ERA and 139 strikeouts last season between Class A Ft. Myers and Double-A New Britain. Over the past two seasons, Durbin has totaled 28 wins and over 300 Ks...OF Jason Kubel (#8) ranked among Florida State League leaders with a .298 average (4th) and 82 RBI (T-2nd) last season...RHP Boof Bonser came over from the Giants in the off-season. The 22-year-old was the South Atlantic Lg. Pitcher of the Year in 2001 when he went 16-4 for Hagerstown.
Veterans to Watch: RF Michael Restovich (#10) enters his third Triple-A season. He's a proven hitter with 69 homers the past three seasons and is already a fan favorite in Rochester...CF Lew Ford is the consummate center fielder/leadoff hitter. He hit.303 with the Wings and .329 in 34 games with the Twins... RHP Joe Roa pitched for four teams in 2003 - Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Colorado and San Diego. He's a terrific minor-league pitcher who posted a 17-3 record for Buffalo in 1995 and went 14-0 for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2002 (winning the IL Most Valuable Pitcher Award)...Veteran LHP Carlos Pulido returned from four seasons away from affiliated baseball to post a 12-5 record with a 3.56 ERA for the Red Wings last season.
Items of Interest: The Red Wings tied a franchise record with their sixth consecutive losing season last year (68-75), their first under the Twins. The 1942-47 Wings also endured six straight losing seasons. The Wings' last winning season was 1997, when they won the Governors' Cup (their record 10th) in their first season at Frontier Field...Former Red Wing Cal Ripken Jr. and his brother Billy will appear at Frontier Field on April 13 to sign autographs and promote their book on teaching kids baseball "the Ripken Way.'' Former Twins Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew will make an appearance on Aug. 19.
Strengths of the Club: Pitching was a weakness last year but the Twins signed a few free agents and have upgraded that department. Roa is a proven winner, and the bullpen is solid behind Palki, Nakamura and Crain...The outfield also is deep and talented, and 1B Morneau should be among the IL's top sluggers.
Weakness of the Club: The left side of the infield features a pair of Triple-A rookies in Jason Bartlett and Terry Tiffee...Other than Morneau and Restovich there is not a lot of power on the club.

International League North Division


Scranton/WB Red Barons Affiliate: Philadelphia Phillies
Years in IL: 16 Record: 1,083-1,062 Last Governors' Cup: None
2003 Finish: 73-70, T-third in North (-9.5)
Manager: Marc Bombard (8th year) Career – 21 yrs. 1,487-1,277
Coaches: Rich Dubee (1st year); Sal Rende (1st year)
Stadium: Lackawanna County Multi-Purpose Stadium (10,982)
Probable Starters: 1B - J.P. Roberge; 2B - Brian Hitchcox; 3B - Lou Collier;
SS - Anderson Machado; C - A.J. Hinch/Michel Hernandez; DH - Mark Smith;
LF - Jim Rushford; CF - Mark Budzinski; RF - Jorge Padilla
Key Pitchers: Starters - RH Ryan Madson, RH Josh Hancock, RH Brian Powell,
RH Shane Bowers. Relievers - RH Geoff Geary, RH Dan Giese, RH Cary Hiles,
LH Greg Kubes, RH Seung Lee.
Top Prospects: RHP Ryan Madson (#4 on Baseball America's list of Philadelphia's top prospects) excelled in his Triple-A debut last year, going 12-8 with a 3.50 ERA and 138 strikeouts and starting the Triple-A All-Star Game for the IL squad. The 6'6" right-hander is an imposing figure on the mound...Shortstop Anderson Machado has spent the last two seasons at Double-A Reading and set a career-high with 49 stolen bases last season. The defensive standout has great range and is a switch-hitter.
Other Organizational Prospects: 21-year-old right-hander Gavin Floyd (#2) was the fourth overall pick in the 2001 June Draft. He went 7-8 for Class A Clearwater in 2003 and could see time with Scranton/WB later in the season...First baseman Ryan Howard (#3) nearly won the Florida State League's Triple Crown in 2003, leading the Class A circuit with a .304 batting average and 23 HR, while finishing seven RBI behind the League leader. Howard is expected to start the 2004 season at Double-A Reading...RHP Keith Bucktrot (#5) went a combined 10-8 between Clearwater and Reading last year...3B Juan Richardson (#9) was leading the Eastern League with 15 HR when a severely sprained ankle ended his season in late June.
Veterans to Watch: 3B/OF Lou Collier, an IL mid and post-season All-Star last season, returns to the IL for the sixth straight season. He has previously played for Louisville ('99), Indianapolis (2000-01), Ottawa ('02) and Pawtucket ('03). Last year with the PawSox, Collier set a career-high with 69 RBI and tied his personal best of 14 HR...Veteran outfielder Mark Budzinski, a former Bison, Bat and Indian in the IL made his Major League debut in 2003 in his ninth professional season. He has been crushing the ball in Spring Training as he attempts to get back to the Majors...RH reliever Shane Bowers returns to the Red Barons after spending the 2001-02 seasons in Japan and pitching in Korea last year...OF Mark Smith begins his 14th season as a professional. He played in last year's Triple-A All-Star Game as a member of the Indianapolis Indians.
Items of Interest: Red Barons' skipper Marc Bombard has 1,487 wins during his career, the most of any active Minor League manager...The Red Barons missed the IL's Governors' Cup playoffs last year for the first time since 1999.
Strengths of the Club: Offense. Overloaded with 6-year free agent veterans, the Red Barons' line-up should score a lot of runs. Veterans Collier, Budzinski, and Smith provide a lot of firepower...The bullpen should be excellent with Geoff Geary in his first full-season as the team's closer. Geary won nine games and saved five for Scranton/WB last year out of the bullpen.
Weaknesses of the Club: Starting pitching. After Madson and Hancock (10-9 for the Red Barons in 2003) there is not a lot of depth.

Syracuse SkyChiefs Affiliate: Toronto Blue Jays
Years in IL: 90 Record: 6,024-6,498 Last Governors' Cup: 1976
2003 Finish: 62-79, sixth in North (-19.5)
Manager: Marty Pevey (1st year) Career – 7 yrs. 429-409
Coaches: Brad Arnsberg (1st year); Ken Landreaux (4th year)
Stadium: P & C Stadium (11,604)
Probable Starters: 1B - Simon Pond; 2B - Jorge Sequea; 3B - Glenn Williams/Howie Clark;
SS - Russ Adams; C - Guillermo Quiroz; LF - Gabe Gross; CF - Noah Hall; RF - Alexis Rios; DH - Chad Hermansen
Key Pitchers: Starters - RH Jason Arnold, LH Bruce Chen, RH Scott Cassidy, RH David Bush, maybe RH Dustin McGowan. Relievers - RH Mike Smith & RH Vinnie Chulk (former starters), RH Bob File (spent most of 2001 with Toronto), LH Mark Lukasiewicz & RH Jayson Durocher
Top Prospects: Syracuse could have the top four prospects in Toronto's farm system (No. 1 Rios, No. 2 McGowan, No. 3 Quiroz and No. 4 Gross) and six of the top nine (No. 7 Bush and No. 9 Adams). On Baseball America's List of the top 100 prospects, Rios is No. 6, McGowan is No. 18, Quiroz is No. 35 and Gross is No. 72...On BA's list of Toronto's top 30 prospects, Syracuse will also have No. 15 OF/1B John-Ford Griffin, who'll miss the start of the season with a hand injury; P Arnold (No. 16), P Chulk (No. 23), maybe P Cameron Reimers (No. 24) and 1B/3B Pond (No. 29)...The stud here is Rios, the Eastern League MVP in 2003 and the MVP of the Puerto Rican Winter League. He's been compared to Dave Winfield by some scouts because of his size (6-6, 200) and his ability to make contact (.352 batting average with .402 OBP at New Haven last year). The power is just now starting to develop, and although he has been a CF his entire career he's expected to move to right field for Syracuse because Toronto has Vernon Wells in center or, as they say in Toronto, centre.
Other Organizational Prospects: If McGowan does not make the SkyChiefs' opening day roster, he'll likely be in Syracuse by June. He's the organization's best pitching prospect...Bush could also start the year in Double-A, but he's on the fast track. Starter Brandon League (No. 10) and reliever Adam Peterson (No. 12) are expected to start in Double-A but could move quickly...Depending on how Adams fares at SS, Syracuse could also get SS Aaron Hill (No. 6) by the end of the season. Toronto is not enamored with SS Chris Woodward and 2B Orlando Hudson, so they're watching Adams and Hill closely. Adams and Hill, incidentally, are the team's two No. 1 draft picks in the GM J.P. Ricciardi era.
Veterans to Watch: Pond is a minor-league lifer who was signed as a free agent three years ago and was the darling of the Blue Jays' camp this spring. He'll be with Toronto at some point this year...Hermansen is a former No. 1 pick of the Pirates who has not panned out with three major-league teams (Pirates, Cubs, Dodgers)...Utility man Jeff Guiel is the brother of KC's Aaron Guiel.
Items of Interest: This is the most loaded Syracuse team in years in terms of prospects. The last time the SkyChiefs had this many legit prospects was in 1994, when Shawn Green, Alex Gonzalez and Carlos Delgado finished 1-2-3 on the post-season IL prospects list. That was also the last Syracuse team that won a playoff game (lost in championship series to Richmond; 1998 team made playoffs but got swept by Buffalo in first round)...Pond and Guiel are both Canadian and could leave the team for the Olympics because Canada qualified. Utility IF Williams is Australian and could also be Olympic-bound. Blue Jays roving instructor and former Chief Ernie Whitt is the manager of Team Canada.
Strengths of the Club: First-year manager Marty Pevey brings energy and enthusiasm to a team that was lacking both last year under Omar Malave, who had three losing seasons in his three years...The talent of the prospects (see above)...Pitching depth. Even without a clear-cut ace or bullpen closer, the pitching staff from top to bottom should be better than in recent years and there's more depth at Double-A when injuries and call-ups hit.
Weaknesses of the Club: Too young? Though talented, oftentimes experience wins out over talent in the IL...Adams at SS. He has played just 56 games above Double-A, and it remains to be seen how he'll handle the jump to Triple-A offensively and how he'll play on the Astroturf at P&C Stadium...No proven Triple-A closer. Peterson is being groomed for that job, but he'll probably start the year in Double-A...Lack of punch. If Pond doesn't make Toronto's opening day roster, he's the likely cleanup hitter. He had five home runs in 248 at-bats for Syracuse last year, and three of them were hit in the same game.

International League West Division


Columbus Clippers Affiliate: New York Yankees
Years in IL: 44 Record: 3,284-2,924 Last Governors' Cup: 1996
2003 Finish: 76-68, second in West (-3.5)
Manager: Bucky Dent (5th year) Career – 7 yrs. 519-460
Coaches: Neil Allen (2nd year); Jack Hubbard (2nd year); Kevin Long (1st year)
Stadium: Cooper Stadium (15,000)
Probable Starters: 1B - Todd Betts; 2B - Canobe Cosme/Homer Bush; 3B - Andy Phillips; SS - Felix Escalona; C - Sal Fasano; DH - Darren Bragg; LF - Mike Vento;
CF - John Rodriguez; RF - Mike Kelly
Key Pitchers: Starters - LH Alex Graman, RH Orlando Hernandez, RH Ramon Ramirez, RH Mike Thurman, LH Andy Beal. Relievers - RH Sam Marsonek, RH Bret Prinz,
RH Scott Proctor, RH Colter Bean.
Top Prospects: RHP Ramon Ramirez, ranked #5 in the organization by Baseball America, will begin his first full season at Triple-A in 2004 after appearing in two games for the Clippers in 2003. The 22-year-old began his professional career as an outfielder in the Texas organization in 1997. He was released in 1998 and was out of baseball until playing in the Japanese League in 2002. Last year, he signed with the Yankees and pitched at the Class A, Double-A, and Triple-A levels, then led the Arizona Fall League with a 1.44 ERA...3B Andy Phillips was a top prospect in the organization (28 HR/87 RBI in 2002) before injuries limited him to 17 games last year. He returns at full-strength this season and will move back to his natural 3B position after playing at 2B much of the past three seasons...RHP Sam Marsonek worked extensively out of the bullpen in 2003 for the first time in his professional career. The former Texas farmhand totaled a team-leading 18 saves for the Clippers.
Other Organizational Prospects: C Dioner Navarro (#1) ranked fourth among all minor league catchers with a .321 average last season. He began the year with Class A Tampa, hitting .299 with 3 HR/28 RBI, then improved to .341/4/37 upon a June promotion to Trenton...C David Parrish was selected by the Yankees out of the University of Michigan in the first round of the 2000 June Draft. He is the son of former Major League catcher Lance Parrish...Taiwanese RHP Chein-Ming Wang went 7-6 with 84 Ks for Trenton last season.
Veterans to Watch: OF Mike Kelly did not play during the 2000-02 seasons, but returned to action last year with Triple-A Omaha, batting .296 with 14 HR and 65 RBI and playing in the Triple-A All-Star Game. The 2nd overall selection in the 1991 June Draft (by Atlanta), Kelly has previously played for Richmond, Indianapolis, and Durham during a 10-year professional career and has Major League experience with the Braves, Reds, Devil Rays, and Rockies...RHP Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez won 53 games for the Yankees between 1998-2002 before arm injuries limited him to just a pair of starts at Class A Brevard County (Montreal) last year. He returns to the organization after signing as a free agent in the off-season...RH relievers Bret Prinz and John Proctor were acquired by New York last year in mid-summer trades. Prinz previously pitched in the Arizona chain, saving 18 games for Triple-A Tucson in 2002, while Proctor was originally in the Dodgers' system and posted a 2.33 ERA in 51 games between Jacksonville, Las Vegas, and Columbus last season.
Items of Interest: The Clippers will continue their annual BobbleHead giveaway series this year by featuring ex-International League players that have been inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Included in the series are legendary figures including Tom Seaver, Jim Palmer, Sparky Anderson, Satchel Paige, Willie Stargell, Bob Gibson, Nolan Ryan, Ferguson Jenkins and Roberto Clemente.
Strengths of the Club: The outfield of Vento, Kelly, Rodriguez, and Bragg have all had solid springs with the Yankees. Kelly and Bragg (13 professional seasons - spent most of 2002-03 with Atlanta) provide veteran leadership while youngsters Vento and Rodriguez each made their Triple-A debuts last year...The bullpen is solid as Marsonek, Proctor, Prinz, and Bean all return to their roles from last season.
Weakness of the Club: Starting pitching. Several starters are coming off injuries. In addition to Hernandez, southpaw Danny Borrell should be back in mid-season from shoulder surgery that sidelined him halfway through his first Triple-A season last year. Righty Eric Schmitt was 6-0 with the Clippers in 2003 before an arm injury ended his season. He could return to the club in late April.

Indianapolis Indians Affiliate: Milwaukee Brewers
Years in IL: 8 Record: 515-498 Last Governors' Cup: 2000
2003 Finish: 64-78, fourth in West (-14.5)
Manager: Cecil Cooper (2nd year) Career - 1 yr. 64-78
Coaches: Stan Kyles (1st year); Bobby Randall (1st year)
Stadium: Victory Field (15,500)
Probable Starters: 1B - Jeff Liefer; 2B - Luis Figueroa; 3B - Matt Erickson;
SS - J.J. Hardy; C - Chris Coste; LF - Jon Nunnally; CF - Dave Krynzel; RF - Corey Hart; DH - Scott Sheldon. Others include: OF Chris Magruder, C Mark Johnson, C Alex Delgado
Key Pitchers: Starters - RH Ben Hendrickson, LH Jorge De La Rosa, RH Travis Phelps, RH Pedro Liriano, RH Matt Wise. Relievers - RH Mike Adams, RH Jason Childers,
LH Mike Kusiewicz, LH Chris Michalak, RH John Novinsky, RH Victor Santos.
Top Prospects: SS J.J. Hardy (rated #3 in the organization by Baseball America), was a 2003 Southern League All-Star and played in the All-Star Future Games at U.S. Cellular Field. He was named the minors' third best shortstop by SportsTicker after hitting .279 with 12 HR and 62 RBI at Double-A Huntsville in just his third professional season...RF Corey Hart (#7) makes the transition from 3B after being named the 2003 Southern League MVP. He led the Double-A circuit with 40 doubles and 94 RBI in addition to a .302 average, 13 HR and 25 steals...RHP Ben Hendrickson (#8) had a solid 2003 season at Huntsville, going 7-6 with a 3.45 ERA, then pitching effectively in the Arizona Fall League...OF David Krynzel (#9) is speedy on the basepaths and in the field and earned selections to the Futures and Southern League All-Star Games last season.
Other Organizational Prospects: 2B Rickie Weeks (#1) made his ML debut in 2003 concluding a whirlwind year that began as a junior at Southern University. He was the second pick overall by Brewers in 2003 draft then appeared in 20 contests at Single-A Beloit, hitting .349 before a late season invite to Milwaukee....1B Prince Fielder (#2) had a stellar 2003 campaign, earning USA Today's Minor League Player of the Year, the Midwest League MVP and the Robin Yount Performance Award (Minor League Player-of-the-Year) by the Brewers. The son of ex-slugger Cecil, he hit .313 at Beloit with 27 HR and 112 RBI.
Veterans to Watch: DH Scott Sheldon played the past two seasons for the Orix Blue Wave in Japan. He has appeared in 141 ML games, mostly with Texas, where he hit .233 with 8 HR and 33 RBI. He was a 1999 PCL All-Star, leading Oklahoma with 28 HR and 97 RBI...OF Jon Nunnally returns to Indianapolis, where he played in 1998. The 12-year veteran combines speed with power. Last year he hit 25 HR at Memphis with 53 RBI, 19 stolen bases and a .269 average. He has appeared in 364 ML games with Kansas City, Cincinnati, Boston and the New York Mets.
Items of Interest: The Brewers were featured in Baseball America as having the top rated talent in Minor League Baseball. Six of the club's prospects were ranked among the top 100 prospects in all of baseball (tied with the Angels, Cubs and Blue Jays for the most). Weeks ranked #5 on the list, followed by Fielder (#10), Hardy (#19), 1B/OF Brad Nelson (#48), LHP Manny Parra (#69) and RHP Mike Jones (#84). Last year, Brewers' affiliates in Huntsville and Beloit played for their respective League Championships...The Indians, in their fifth season as a Milwaukee affiliate, have posted losing records each of the past three seasons after winning the 2000 Governors' Cup and Las Vegas Triple-A World Series. The last time the Indianapolis franchise had at least four straight losing seasons was 1909-1913.
Strengths of the club: Overall team speed, power. Four of the expected starters have hit at least 24 HR in a season with Liefer blasting 32 for Charlotte in 2004. Each of the projected starting outfielders has stolen at least 25 bases in a season. Krynzel swiped 43 last year...Solid starting pitching with mix of right-handers and southpaws.
Weaknesses of the club: Questionable depth in bullpen...Unproven talent at Triple-A. Of the projected starters and pitchers, Hardy, Krynzel, Hart, Hendrickson, Liriano, Adams, and Novinsky will all be making their Triple-A debuts.

International League West Division


Louisville Bats Affiliate: Cincinnati Reds
Years in IL: 12 Record: 823-761 Last Governors' Cup: 2001
2003 Finish: 79-64, West Champions (+3.5), lost to Durham in Governors' Cup first round
Manager: Rick Burleson (first full year) Career – 7 yrs. 421-363
Coaches: Mack Jenkins (3rd year); Smokey Garrett (2nd year); Jeff Young (1st year)
Stadium: Louisville Slugger Park (13,200)
Probable Starters: 1B - Gary Burnham: 2B - Aaron Holbert/Ray Olmedo:
3B - Jim Chamblee/Tim Hummel; SS - Felipe Lopez; C - Dane Sardinha; LF - Stephen Smitherman; CF - Reggie Taylor; RF - McKay Christensen; DH - D.T. Cromer
Key Pitchers: Starters - LH Brandon Claussen, RH Dustin Moseley, RH Matt Belisle,
RH Joe Valentine, RH Seth Etherton, LH Jung Bong, RH Bubba Nelson.
Relievers - LH Rigo Beltran, RH Brian Mallette, RH Aaron Myette, RH Scott Randall.
Top Prospects: Smitherman (#7 on Reds' Top Prospects as selected by Baseball America) was the Reds' 2003 Minor Leaguer-of-the-Year. A former 23rd Round draft pick, he hit the game-winning homer in last year's Futures Game...Claussen (#3) was acquired in the Aaron Boone trade last season. He had a 3.11 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 19 starts for four clubs last year...Moseley (#4) is a control artist who won the first game of last year's Governors' Cup playoffs against Durham...Sardinha was the Reds' second round draft pick in 2000. After two years at Double-A he needs to prove he can hit at this level...Valentine will begin his first year as a starter after saving 70 minor league games since 1999. He was acquired from the A's in last year's Jose Guillen trade...Nelson & Bong, 22 and 23 respectively, were acquired this spring from Braves in the Chris Reitsma trade...Lopez is a former first-rounder (1998) recovering from ankle injury in 2003.
Other Organizational Prospects: 3B Edwin Encarnacion (#2) hit a combined .294 with 11 HR and 65 RBI last year between Potomac and Chattanooga...LHP Ty Howington (#10) has battled injuries much of the past two seasons but is regaining the form that made him the 14th overall pick in the 1999 Draft...RHPs Luke Hudson & Josh Hall will each miss the start of the season following surgery.
Veterans to Watch: Taylor spent most of the last 2 years with parent Reds...Cromer played the last two years in Japan but was a Triple-A slugger before that (30 HR for Indy in 1999)...Beltran was a 2003 IL All-Star who pitched Mexico past the U.S. in the Olympic qualifying tournament last summer...Burnham hit .277 with 26 HR and 139 RBI for Syracuse over the past two seasons.
Items of Interest: The Bats enter their fifth season in Louisville Slugger Field... Rick Burleson begins his first full year managing at the Triple-A after taking over the team on July 29, 2003. Mack Jenkins and Smokey Garrett return as coaches. Newcomer Jeff Young joins the coaching staff as well. Steve Baumann takes over the trainer duties, moving up from Double-A Chattanooga.
Strengths of the Club: The Reds spent most of last summer trading veterans for young pitchers, and that means a slew of young arms at Triple-A. As of the last week of Triple-A camp, the Bats still had 18 pitchers in camp and more starters than they knew what to do with. Any five-man rotation including some combination of Claussen, Moseley, Etherton, Bong, Belisle, Nelson and Valentine will be formidable...The defense figures to be strong, especially up the middle with Sardinha, Lopez and either Holbert or Olmedo, and Taylor.
Weaknesses of the Club: Depth of position players is weak throughout the organization. The Bats lineup has potential but few proven commodities. Sardinha and Lopez in particular have struggled...There isn't much pop either, unless Smitherman develops and Cromer hits the way he did before going to Japan.

Toledo Mud Hens Affiliate: Detroit Tigers
Years in IL: 41 Record: 2,618-3,018 Last Governors' Cup: 1967
2003 Finish: 65-78, third in West (-14.0)
Manager: Larry Parrish (3rd year) Career – 5 yrs. 243-241
Coaches: Jeff Jones (10th year); Leon Durham (4th year)
Stadium: Fifth Third Field (8,943)
Probable Starters: 1B - Andy Barkett; 2B - Warren Morris; 3B - Jason Smith/Brant Ust; SS - Danny Klassen; C - Ben Petrick/Guillermo Rodriguez; LF - Jeff Inglin/Marcus Thames; CF - Nook Logan; RF - Cody Ross; DH - Jeff Inglin/Thames
Key Pitchers: Starters - LH Rob Henkel, RH Shane Loux, RH Matt Roney, RH John Ennis, LH Andy Van Hekken. Relievers - RH Franklyn German, RH Matt Anderson, RH Brian Schmack, RH Craig Dingman, LH Eric Eckenstahler, RH Chris Mears, LH Adrian Burnside.
Top Prospects: LHP Rob Henkel was rated Detroit's fourth-best prospect by Baseball America after posting a 9-3 record and 3.38 ERA in Double-A Erie last season. Originally drafted by the Marlins, he was traded to the Tigers in January of 2003...OF Nook Logan was ranked the Tigers 20th-best prospect by Baseball America; last season he hit .251 in Erie with 37 stolen bases...OF Cody Ross was named to Baseball America's Triple-A All-Star team last year after hitting .287 with 20 homers and 61 RBI for the Hens.
Other Organizational Prospects: OF Curtis Granderson, ranked as Detroit's eighth-best prospect by Baseball America, hit .286 at Class A Lakeland last season in his first full professional season...RHP Kenny Baugh (#10), the Tigers' top pick in 2001, looks to rebound from arm problems that cost him all of 2002 and part of 2003.
Veterans to Watch: OF Jeff Inglin led the Eastern League with 24 homers and 103 RBI last season with Reading...RHP Shane Loux was named to the IL's Triple-A All-Star club at mid-season and finished with an 11-6 record and 3.02 ERA for the Hens...IF Jason Smith helped lead Durham to the last two Governors' Cup titles, last season batting .285 with 15 homers and 75 RBI as well as a league-best 14 triples to earn a berth on the mid- and post-season IL All-Star teams...RHP Franklyn German has posted 17 saves and a 2.08 ERA in 47 appearances with Toledo the past two seasons.
Items of Interest: RHP Matt Anderson will begin the season in Toledo looking for the 100-mph fastball that helped him collect 22 saves for Detroit in 2001...Another veteran on the Toledo roster is RHP Ariel Prieto, who left his native Cuba in 1995 and was a first-round draft pick of the Oakland A's before spending parts of six seasons in the major leagues...A total of 25 Mud Hens games will be televised live with 25 more on tape delay this season; the broadcasts will be seen on a local all-sports station called Buckeye Cable Sports Network (BCSN)...The Hens have pre-sold more than 325,000 tickets for the 2004 season; that total already is the fourth-highest single-season total in Toledo baseball history. In the past two seasons, which were played at Fifth Third Field in downtown Toledo, the Hens have drawn 1,064,535 fans...This year's schedule includes 57 special events, including 24 fireworks shows and four School Day Celebration games (all of which will begin at 10:30 a.m.).
Strengths of the Club: The infield is filled with experienced players who have been successful at the Triple-A level, and the outfield has experienced hitters as well...The starting rotation boasts a solid blend of young talent and experience...The bullpen is full of experienced arms...Double-A Erie may provide pitching help as the season progresses.
Weaknesses of the club: Infield defense is a concern, as is catching depth...If the parent Tigers struggle again this season, the Mud Hens could lose a number of players –- just as they did last season...Double-A Erie is not expected to provide much help in terms of position players.

International League South Division


Charlotte Knights Affiliate: Chicago White Sox
Years in IL: 12 Record: 786-780 Last Governors' Cup: 1999
2003 Finish: 74-70, second in South (-1.0)
Manager: Nick Capra (3rd year) Career – 7 yrs. 446-462
Coaches: Curt Hasler (3rd year); Gregg Ritchie (1st year)
Stadium: Knights Stadium (10,000)
Probable starters: 1B - Mike Rivera; 2B - Bobby Smith/Mike Bell; 3B - Bryant Nelson;
SS - Kelly Dransfeldt; C - Carlos Maldonado; LF - Mario Valenzuela; CF - Jeremy Reed; RF - Joe Borchard; DH - Nate Rolison.
Key pitchers: Starters - RH Jon Rauch, RH Felix Diaz, LH Josh Stewart. Relievers -
LH Vic Darensbourg, RH Enemencio Pacheco, RH Ryan Kohlmeier, LH Dave Sanders,
RH Courtney Duncan.
Top Prospects: OF Jeremy Reed is considered the parent Chicago White Sox's top position prospect. Led the minors in hitting (.371) last season. Batted .333 in 65 games with Class A Winston-Salem then slashed out a .409 average in 66 games with Double-A Birmingham. In two professional seasons, the left-handed hitting Reed has averaged .356 in 188 games. He will most likely see playing time in center field and right field for the Knights...OF Joe Borchard had been the White Sox's top prospect until Reed continued his climb last season. The switch-hitting former Stanford quarterback enters his fifth professional season with a .276 minor league average. However, the bugaboo for Borchard is strikeouts. He has fanned an average of 105 times per season in his first four years. He still has the tools to reach the parent club.
Other Organizational Prospects: LHP Neal Cotts is rated by Baseball America as the #3 Prospect in the organization. He went 9-7 with a 2.16 ERA and 133 strikeouts last year at Birmingham...RHP Kris Honel (#2) is a rangy 21-year-old (6-foot-5) with a knuckle-curve who went a combined 10-7 last year between two clubs...LHP Ryan Wing (#6) has a cut fastball that is considered his best pitch. He went 9-7 with 107 Ks for Winston-Salem last year, combining with Honel to lead the Warthogs to the Carolina League Title.
Veterans to Watch: IF Bryant Nelson spent part of the 2003 season with the champion Fukuoka Daiei Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League. The switch-hitter has previous IL experience with Pawtucket (2002) and could be the starting third baseman...C Carlos Maldonado is a nine-year vet who adds solid depth behind the plate...OF Micah Franklin spent last season in Korea. A switch-hitter with power, Franklin can play in the outfield and be used as a designated hitter...IF Mike Bell is a versatile infielder who can play third base or second base. The brother of former Knights 3B David Bell (1994), Mike has played at the Triple-A level for Oklahoma, Norfolk, Louisville, Colorado Springs, and Tucson.
Items of Interest: Nick Capra returns as the Knights manager for his third season. He is the first manager to have a three-year stint with the Knights since the franchise moved up to Triple-A in 1993. Capra, who played for the Knights in 1995, is the only ex-Knight to manage the club...The Knights had first winning season (74-70) since 2000 last year...The 2004 season is the sixth consecutive year the Knights have been a White Sox affiliate. It is the longest partnership for the team since it became Triple-A. The Knights spent two seasons (1993-94) as a Cleveland Indians farm team and four (1995-98) with the Florida Marlins.
Strengths of the Club: Experience. The entire starting infield will be comprised of veteran six-year free agents. Starting pitching could be solid with Cotts, Rauch, Diaz and Stewart.
Weaknesses of the Club: Lack of speed with the exception of Reed who stole 45 bases in two stops last year.


Durham Bulls Affiliate: Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Years in IL: 7 Record: 471-387 Last Governors' Cup: 2002
2003 Finish: 73-67, first in South (+1.0), defeated Pawtucket for Governors' Cup
Manager: Bill Evers (7th year) Career – 17 yrs. 1,239-1,060
Coaches: Joe Coleman (5th year); Richie Hebner (3rd year)
Stadium: Durham Bulls Athletic Park (10,000)
Probable Starters: 1B - Ivan Cruz; 2B - Antonio Perez; 3B - Jared Sandberg;
SS - Jorge Cantu; C - Pete LaForest; LF - Jonny Gomes; CF - Anton French;
RF - Matt Diaz; DH - Ed Guzman/Brooks Badeaux.
Key Pitchers: Starters - RH Dewon Brazelton, RH Carlos Reyes, RH Jim Magrane,
LH Jon Switzer, RH Paul Stewart. Relievers - RH Rob Stanifer, RH Rich Loiselle,
RH Bartolome Fortunato, RH Jesus Colome.
Top Prospects: C Pete LaForest, age 26, who was drafted as a third baseman, has always had the offense (40 HR over the past two seasons) and is on the cusp of having major-league catching skills...SS Jorge Cantu, with five pro seasons under his belt at 22, is solid in the field with improving offense. He hit .295 with the Bulls the second half of last season....2B Antonio Perez, 24, has a stellar glove and had a cup of coffee with the Devil Rays last season. He was rated the organization's #9 prospect by Baseball America...RHP Dewon Brazelton, 24, was Tampa Bay's top draft pick in 2001 (third overall) and looks to get back after a rough rookie season in the majors last year...LHP Jon Switzer, 24, was the Devil Rays' second-round pick in 2001 and was dominant in his regular-season (1-0, 1.80 ERA) and playoff (1-0, 3.38 ERA, 16 Ks) starts for Durham last season...OF Jonny Gomes, 23, had 17 HR with Orlando during the season and 8 more in the Arizona Fall League.
Other Organizational Prospects: SS B.J. Upton, was Tampa Bay's top pick in 2002 and Baseball America's top shortstop prospect (and the #2 overall prospect in all of Minor League Baseball). He hit .302 for low-A Charleston, SC last season and didn't miss an offensive beat after a promotion to Double-A Orlando for August.
Veterans to Watch: RHP Carlos Reyes, who at 34 last season was selected to the Triple-A All-Star Game and earned a late promotion to Tampa Bay. Can he get back to the bigs and stick?...3B Jared Sandberg, who at 26 has already had three chances with the Devil Rays. Can he hit consistently enough to force the Devil Rays to give him another chance and then take advantage of it?...1B Ivan Cruz, who led the Minor Leagues with 35 HR for Memphis in 2002 and has 268 in his career. After struggling in Japan last year can he get back on track with a return to the IL? The 35-year-old previously played for Toledo ('91, ‘93-95) and Columbus (‘96-98).
Items of Interest: The Bulls will be celebrating their 10th season at Durham Bulls Athletic Park...In six seasons under Bill Evers, they have never had a losing season, failed to win the South Division just once and have won two straight Governors' Cups. One of just ten teams to win back-to-back Governors' Cup titles, the Bulls can join the 1979-81 Columbus Clippers as the only teams to win three in a row...The first phase of a major downtown revitalization project next to the park will be complete by June 1, and a USA-Canada baseball team series is scheduled in conjunction with the National Hockey League draft June 26-27 in the Triangle...Durham holds a .697 winning percentage in Governors' Cup play (23-10), the highest of any current or former IL club.
Strengths of the Club: Veteran manager Bill Evers (back-to-back Governors' Cup champions; five division titles and no losing seasons in six years with Durham)...Ability to play small or long ball...Proven starting pitching.
Weaknesses of the Club: Possible inexperience in the bullpen. Loiselle, had 29 saves for Pittsburgh in 1997, but has not pitched in the past two seasons.

International League South Division


Norfolk Tides Affiliate: New York Mets
Years in IL: 36 Record: 2,563-2,369 Last Governors' Cup: 1985
2003 Finish: 67-76, third in South (-7.5)
Manager: John Stearns (1st year) Career – 4 yrs. 238-257
Coaches: Dan Warthen (1st year); Al LeBoeuf (4th year)
Stadium: Harbor Park (12,067)
Probable Starters: 1B - Craig Brazell; 2B - Danny Garcia; 3B - Rodney Nye; SS - Chris Basak; C - Mike Jacobs; LF - Prentice Redman; CF - Jeff Duncan; RF - Victor Diaz;
DH - Esix Snead. Others include OF Eric Valent, OF Kenny Kelly, INF Mike Collins.
Key Pitchers: Starters - RH Aaron Heilman, RH Tyler Yates, RH Bob Keppel, RH Jeremy Griffiths, LH Randy Keisler, RH Pat Strange. Relievers - RH Jeremy Hill, RH Jason Roach, RH P.J. Bevis, RH Matt Ginter, RH Jason Anderson, RH Jose Parra, LH Royce Ring,
LH Pedro Feliciano.
Top Prospects: C Mike Jacobs won the Mets Sterling Award as the organization's top minor-leaguer last season. A former 38th Round draft pick (1999), Mike led the Eastern League with a .548 slugging percentage, was second with a .329 average and set career-highs with 17 HR and 81 RBI...OF Jeff Duncan appeared in 56 games last season with the Mets, going straight from Double-A to the majors, after injury-plagued team called him up. He started the season with Binghamton, batting .288 in 76 games...OF Victor Diaz (#8 on Baseball America's list of New York's Top Prospects) came to Mets in a mid-season trade from Dodgers' organization last year. While in the LA system, Diaz won the Gulf Coast League (2001-.354) and South Atlantic (2002-.350) batting titles. With a pair of Double-A teams last year, Diaz hit .314 with 16 HR and 78 RBI...RHP Bob Keppel (#6) was the Mets' top pick in the 2000 Draft. He tossed a no-hitter last season in Binghamton; as part of a 7-4 campaign.
Other Organizational Prospects: 3B David Wright is ranked the fifth best prospect in all of baseball by Baseball Prospectus (#2 with the Mets by BA). He hit .270 with 15 HR, 75 RBI and 19 steals as a second-year pro last year at Class A St. Lucie...RHP Matt Peterson (#3) went a combined 10-4 with 96 Ks and a 2.18 ERA for St. Lucie and Binghamton last season. In the Florida State League post-season, he posted a 0.64 ERA and a 2-0 record...C Justin Huber (#6) is a native Australian who had 15 HR and 72 RBI between Class A and Double-A last year.
Veterans to Watch: 2B Danny Garcia earned late-season promotion to the Mets last year after hitting ..263 with 23 doubles for the Tides...RHP Jeremy Griffiths (#7) represented Norfolk in last summer's Triple-A All-Star Game. He went 7-6 with a 2.74 ERA in his Triple-A debut season...RHP Aaron Heilman went 6-4 for the Tides last year before being promoted. The 18th overall pick in the 2001 draft, he went 15-0 with a 1.74 ERA as a senior at Notre Dame.
Items of Interest: OF Esix Snead set Tides' club record with 61 stolen bases last season, breaking Mookie Wilson's mark of 50 set in 1980. It marked the fifth consecutive season Snead had swiped at least 60 bags. He set his career-high of 109 in 2000 with Potomac...Manager John Stearns played for the Tides in 1976 & 1984, earning IL All-Star honors in ‘76 as he hit .310 with 45 RBI in 110 games.
Strengths of the Club: Tremendous amount of talented prospects...Solid bullpen. Led by RH Jose Parra (33 saves in 2002) and LH Royce Ring (26 between two clubs last year), every member of the bullpen except Roach has saved at least 10 games in a season....Catching behind Jacobs.
Weaknesses of the Club: Very, very young by typical Triple-A standards. Six members of the projected starting line-up have less than 40 games of Triple-A experience. Jacobs (0 games), Diaz (0), Nye (2), Duncan (4), Brazell (12), and Basak (36) are each starting their first full seasons at the classification.
Richmond Braves Affiliate: Atlanta Braves
Years in IL: 54 Record: 3,621-3,919 Last Governors' Cup: 1994
2003 Finish: 64-79, fourth in South (-10.5)
Manager: Pat Kelly (2nd year) Career – 16 yrs. 1,035-1,107
Coaches: Guy Hansen (5th year); Rick Albert (2nd year)
Stadium: The Diamond (12,134)
Probable Starters: 1B - Ryan Jackson/Mike Hessman/Russell Branyan; 2B -Nick Green; 3B - Wilson Betemit; SS - Jorge Velandia; C - Dave Nilsson/Joe Depastino;
DH - Nilsson/Hessman/Branyan; LF - Ryan Langerhans/Hessman/Branyan;
CF - Dewayne Wise; RF - Damon Hollins
Key Pitchers: Starters - LH Sam McConnell, RH Tim Drew, RH Ryan Glynn,
LH Steve Smyth. Relievers - RH Matt Whiteside, RH Mike Romano, LH Sean Fesh,
RH Travis Smith, RH Buddy Hernandez, RH Chuck Smith.
Top Prospects: 3B Wilson Betemit (#12 in the organization as chosen by Baseball America) was the organization's #1 Prospect in 2001 & 2002. This will be his third season with Richmond. The 23-year-old hit .245-8-34 in 2002 and .262-8-65 in 2003 and is being pushed in the system by Andy Marte...The Braves traded several pitching prospects expected to be with Richmond, including Bubba Nelson, Jung Bong, and Andy Pratt in mid-March to address needs in Atlanta.
Other Organizational Prospects: 3B Andy Marte is considered Atlanta's best prospect and the top third base prospect in all of Minor League Baseball. Last year, as a 19-year-old, he led the Carolina League in doubles (35) and extra-base hits (52) while hitting .285 for Myrtle Beach...SS Kelly Johnson (#10) had a stellar performance in the Arizona Fall League, batting .303 with 5 HR and 15 RBI. He worked out at 3B and in the outfield during the spring.
Veterans to Watch: C/DH Dave Nilsson, a former catcher with the Brewers, is making a comeback after retiring to play in the Olympics for his native Australia in 2000. He hit .284 with 105 HR and 470 RBI in parts of eight Major League seasons (1992-99)...OF/3B/DH Russell Branyan has 171 homers in minors and 853 strikeouts (in 2,200 at-bats)...1B Ryan Jackson led IL with 45 doubles last year for Governors' Cup Champion Durham. He is a two-time IL post-season All-Star.
Items of Interest: Pitcher Tim Drew has the chance to play with his brother, J.D., for the first time professionally. J.D., an outfielder, was obtained by Atlanta in a trade with St. Louis in the off-season. Tim, three years younger, signed as a minor-league free agent after spending last season in the Baltimore organization. They became the first brothers to be picked in the first round of the same draft (1997)...OF Damon Hollins is going for the lifer award; this will mark his seventh season (all or part) with Richmond. He is the franchise's career leader with 133 doubles... The Braves will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of The Diamond throughout the 2004 season. Included in the celebration will be the naming of an All-Diamond Team.
Strengths of the club: Assuming Atlanta doesn't keep some of these guys (it might), should be an older club that serves as insurance for the big club...Should have plenty of power if Branyan and Hessman come down and join Nilsson and Jackson...Lots of left-handed hitters...Outfield of Hollins, Langerhans and Wise is major-league caliber defensively ... Pitching is experienced and has some strong arms with Glynn and Drew. Relievers Whiteside, Romano, Fesh, Travis Smith and Chuck Smith all are Triple-A veterans.
Weaknesses of the club: On paper, this should be one of Richmond's better clubs in a while, if it stays together. Richmond has had just one winning season since 1995...Given some of the unknowns in Atlanta, the roster could change constantly...Team speed is average, at best.

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