Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
April 8, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (0-0) @ POTOMAC NATIONALS (0-0)
April 8th, 2011 -- 7:05 PM
@ G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium
RHP Arodys Vizcaino (0-0, 0.00) vs. LHP Danny Rosenbaum (0-0, 0.00)
THE HILLCATS: Last season the Hillcats finished the 2010 season with an overall record of 61-77...In the first half the team posted a record of 29-41 and finished in last place in the four-team Northern Division...The second half of the season saw the 'Cats go 32-36 and finish in third...The 2011 campaign begins tonight with game one of a three-game series against the defending Carolina League Champion Potomac Nationals...Tonight's season opener is also the first of six straight games on the road to start the season for Lynchburg...
VS. POTOMAC: The Hillcats went 8-11 against the Nationals in 2010 and 4-6 at Pfitzner Stadium...Lynchburg holds the all-time advantage 162-146 and they are 75-80 in Woodrbridge...
AHHH, THIS TEAM IS JUST RIGHT: In 2011 the Hillcats begin their first season as the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Atlanta Braves...The Braves are the third different team in three seasons to serve as the parent club for the 'Cats...Lynchburg was the High A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds in 2010 after a 15-year relationship with the Pittsburgh Pirates ended after the 2009 campaign...The Braves are the tenth different Major League team that has been the parent club to Lynchburg...Prior to the Reds arrival in 2010, Lynchburg had only been affiliated with three different teams over a 34-year span (New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates)...
SECOND TO ONE: The Atlanta Braves farm system was ranked as the second best in all of baseball by Baseball America in their 2011 Prospect Handbook...It marks the fourth straight year and the ninth time in the last ten seasons the Braves have been ranked in the top ten by BA...It also was the first time since 2003 they have been ranked as high as second...Cincinnati, who served as Lynchburg's parent club in 2010, were ranked as the sixth best farm system in baseball...The Pittsburgh Pirates, who were the Hillcats Major League affiliate from 1995 to 2009, were ranked 19th...
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Tonight's season opener features the two teams that have combined to win the last three Carolina League Championships...The P-Nats won the Mills Cup in both 2008 and 2010...In 2009 the Hillcats earned their third league title with a three games to none sweep of the Salem Red Sox...
ROAD TO THE PROS: Two former Hillcats have made their Major League debut this season...RHP Nate Adcock pitched in the Kansas City Royals' season opener and threw a scoreless frame in relief...The former Pirates farmhand pitched for the Hillcats in 2009 and went 3-2 with a 5.25 ERA in seven games (four starts)...Prior to this season, the right-hander had never pitched above the Advanced-A level...RHP Michael Crotta made his MLB debut with the Pirates this season as well...The former 'Cats starter has come out of the bullpen three times and has not allowed a run in two and 2/3 innings of action...Crotta tossed for Lynchburg in 2008 and had a 9-10 mark with a 4.76 ERA in 28 starts for the Green & Gold...Their are now 89 Hillcats that have seen action at the Major League level...
BEST OF THE BRAVOS: Eight members of the Hillcats are ranked amongst the top 30 prospects in the Braves organization according to Baseball America...That list includes RHP Arodys Vizcaino (7), SS Andrelton Simmons (15), RHP David Hale (17), RHP Dimasther Delgado (18), OF Todd Cunningham (20), OF Adam Milligan (22), INF Joe Leonard (23) and 2B Phil Gosselin (25)...Vizcaino was tabbed the 93rd best prospect in all of baseball by BA as well...
DOWN BUT NOT OUT: The Hillcats 2011 Manager Luis Salazar is planning on managing his first regular season game on April 15th...Rick Albert will fill-in as Interim Manager for the first six games of the season...Salazar was struck in the head with a foul ball on March 9 while watching a spring training game...He is still recovering from three different surgeries he had to undergo following the incident, including a procedure that removed his left eye...
FAMILIAR LANDSCAPES: Of the 27 players on the Hillcats roster, 18 have played for the Danville Braves (Rookie affiliate of the Braves) at one point and five of those played for Danville last season...Pitching coach Derek Botelho and hitting coach Bobby Moore have also spent time in Danville as a coach...In addition, 14 of the current Hillcats played in the Carolina League for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Advanced-A affiliate of the Braves prior to this season) a year ago...
CAROLINA LEAGUE CONNECTION: Hillcats Manager Luis Salazar played in the Carolina League in 1977 and 1978 when he played for the Salem Buccaneers...He batted a combined .282 in 242 games in the CL...Pitching coach Derek Botelho pitched in the CL in 1978 when he went 13-5 with a 3.75 ERA in 26 starts with Peninsula...He also coached in the CL in 1996 with Winston-Salem...Interim Manager Rick Albert played in Lynchburg in 1975 as part of the Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves co-op team...That year with the Lynchburg Rangers he hit .281, was seventh in the Carolina League in average and was selected to the league All-Star team at shortstop...Albert also coached in Myrtle Beach the past four season and in the CL with Durham in 1994...Hitting coach Bobby Moore coached in the CL in 1998 with the Danville 97's...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: LHP Danny Rosenbaum was selected by Washington in the 22nd round of the 2009 draft out of Xavier University...After beginning his collegiate career at Indiana, he transferred and as a Musketeer he went 10-8 with a 4.58 ERA in 30 games (29 starts) and led the team in strikeouts in both of his seasons at Xavier... In 2009 he debuted for the GCL Nationals and went 4-1, with a 1.95 ERA in 11 games (eight starts)... Rosenbaum was named the GCL Nats Pitcher of the Month in August after going 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA (3 ER in 21 IP) in four starts...He started 2010 with Low-A Hagerstown where he went 2-5 with a 2.32 ERA in 18 starts...Rosenbaum was named to the SAL All-Star Team before his promotion to Potomac, where he finished the season with a 3-2 mark and a 2.09 ERA in eight games (seven starts) for the P-Nats...The lefty made one start against Lynchburg last season and he took the loss after allowing three runs in four and 1/3 innings of work...He enters this season as the 23rd ranked prospect in the Nationals system...
• Discuss this story on the Carolina League message board...
Carolina League Stories from April 8, 2011
- Ramirez, bullpen strong as offense bangs out 13 hits in Birds' victory - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Kinston Rally KO's Dash in Season Opener - Winston-Salem Dash
- Kinston Walks Off With 7-6 win in Extra Innings - Kinston Indians
- First-Inning Blues Doom Blue Crew, 3-1 - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Keys and Sox Rained out on Opening Night - Frederick Keys
- Rain Postpones Salem Sox Opener - Salem Red Sox
- Season Opener Rained out in Potomac - Lynchburg Hillcats
- P-Nats Rained out on Opening Day - Potomac Nationals
- Keys Opening Day Roster Is Set - Frederick Keys
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Opening Day Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes - Winston-Salem Dash
- Dash Opens 2011 Campaign - Winston-Salem Dash
- Salem Red Sox Game Notes - Salem Red Sox
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.
