Opening Day is April 6
Published on April 4, 2006 under International League (IL1)
Pawtucket Red Sox News Release
EVERY GAME MEANS SOMETHING! APRIL 6 vs. Indianapolis 7:05 PM Opening Night First 5,000 fans will receive an Opening Day PawSox Legends Poster sponsored by Alphagraphics & NBC 10.
APRIL 7 vs. Indianapolis 7:05 PM PawSox Scheduled Starter: David Wells
APRIL 8 vs. Indianapolis 1:05 PM Candy Hunt Easter Candy Hunt on-field for kids following the game sponsored by Brooks Pharmacy, Mars & LITE Rock 105.
APRIL 9 vs. Indianapolis 1:05 PM All fans will receive a PawSox Schedule Poster sponsored by 790 The Score & John Calvino Law Associates. Also following the game kids can Run The Bases courtesy of the New England Ford Dealers & B101.
APRIL 10-13 vs. Rochester Red Wings
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY! CLICK HERE: http://www.pawsox.com/tickets/order/
NEW FACES IN PAWTUCKET
With a new season, come new faces. Here's a look at some players who will wear a PawSox uniform for the first time this spring.
Pitcher Jermaine Van Buren, 25, acquired in a trade with the Cubs Dec. 1, 2005, for outfielder Matt Ciaramella, throws a fastball in the 90-95 mph range, a slider, and a changeup. He is considered very competitive, with an excellent work ethic. Baseball America rated him as the 21st-best prospect in the Sox system before this season. In six games with the Chicago Cubs last season, Van Buren was 0-2, with an ERA of 3.00. Prior to that, he appeared in 52 games with the Iowa Cubs, compiling a record of 2-3 (1.98 ERA) with 25 saves and 65 strikeouts in 55 innings. The right-hander, a native of Mississippi, appeared in two games this spring (through March 30), pitching 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and no earned runs. "He has a live fastball and good curveball to go along with excellent deception," said Ben Cherington, Red Sox vice president of player personnel. "He's had a lot of success the last couple of years and will be pitching in a meaningful role in Pawtucket to start the year."
Catcher/Infielder/Outfielder Trent Durrington, 30, signed as a minor league free agent Dec. 9, 2005, is a 13-year veteran and was a Pacific Coast League All-Star last season with the Brewers Triple-A affiliate, batting .300 with 61 runs scored and 30 steals in 92 games. The Australia native represented his country in the World Baseball Classic.
His versatility did not go unnoticed this spring.
"We love him," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "He's got energy. He can play all over the field. He's handled himself well. He's professional. He's hilarious.
"He's a very versatile player with good offensive skills," Cherington said. "He's a great teammate and hard-nosed player. He has added catching to his repertoire and that only increases his value to the organization."
Durrington, who did not play baseball until the age of 14, has spent parts of five seasons in the major leagues, with the Brewers and Angels. He has 14 career stolen bases in the big leagues, 330 in the minors. In 2001, with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, and in 2004 with the Brewers, he added pitching to his repertoire, combining for 1.1 innings, two runs and two hits.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Durrington is the first major leaguer with the first name Trent.
Infielder Rodney Nye, 29, signed as a minor league free agent Feb. 1, having spent his career in the Mets system, where he hit .279, with 56 home runs and 382 RBI in 810 games over seven seasons. In 2005, he hit .288 with 19 doubles, 4 triples, 8 homers, and 54 RBI in 108 games. With runners in scoring position, the native of Fort Smith, Ark., hit .315 (34-for-108), including .556 (5-for-9) with the bases loaded. In 51 games in June and July, Nye hit .341 (62-for-182).
"Rodney's a solid defensive third baseman with a year of Triple-A experience," Cherington said. "He's been a productive hitter throughout his minor league career and we look forward to seeing him hit in McCoy."
In 10 games this spring, Nye hit .385 (5-for-13), with six runs scored and a slugging percentage of .538 and on-base percentage of .529.
Outfielder Luke Allen, 27, signed as a minor league free agent Nov. 11, 2005. Last season he hit .287 with 23 home runs and 92 RBI, while stealing 13 bases, in 128 games with the Angels Triple-A affiliate. He played 62 games in right field, 30 in left, two in center, one at third, and 26 as the designated hitter.
In 2005, he hit .312 (44-for-141) with 66 RBI with runners in scoring position, and was 8-for-18 (.444) with 20 RBI with the bases loaded.
Allen, who made big league appearances in 2002 with the Dodgers and 2003 with the Rockies, added pitching to his resume in 2004 and '05, compiling a record of 2.0 innings pitched, allowing one run on two hits, while striking out two, for an ERA of 4.50
"Luke's a hard nosed player with good power," said Cherington. "He can play either corner outfield spot and also first base."
Allen, who bats left and throws right, was not signed out of high school in 1996 mostly because of his size. He was 5-feet, 9-inches and 170 pound in high school. But the native of Covington, Geo., grew to 6-feet, 1-inch and 205 pounds that summer. On his 18th birthday, Aug, 4, 1996, just after his American Legion team had lost in the Georgia state playoffs - one game short of the final - Allen signed as a free agent with the Dodgers.
In nine minor league seasons, Allen has hit .291 with 109 home runs and 569 RBI in 1,064 games.
Outfielder Ron Calloway, 29, signed as a minor league free agent Dec. 9, 2005. Last season, with the Mets' Triple A Norfolk Tides, he hit .263, with 25 doubles, 10 home runs, and 44 RBI in 110 games, with a season-high 10-game hitting streak
In 2003 he spent the entire season at the big league level, with the Expos, batting .238 with nine home runs and 52 RBI. He has a career 116 stolen bases, 155 in the minors and 11 in the major leagues.
"Cally is a professional hitter with a good stroke from the left-hand side," Cherington said. "He gives a very consistent at-bat and has had good success as a pinch hitter at the major league level."
Calloway, who bats and throws left-handed, quit baseball for six years after Little League, concentrating on football and basketball. That didn't stop the Diamondbacks from taking him with their eighth pick in the 1997 draft.
Calloway, a native of San Clara, Calif., was named a First-Team Junior College All-American his sophomore year at Canada Junior College in Redwood City, Calif., in 1997.
Pitcher Jimmy Serrano, 29, signed as a minor league free agent Feb. 1, split 2005 between the Reds and A's organizations, positing a combined record of 12-7 (3.84 ERA). He averaged nearly a strikeout per inning, fanning 159 batters in 161.2 innings pitched. The right-hander held batters to a .197 average (31-for-157) with runners in scoring position, including .148 with runners in scoring position and two outs. Serrano recorded eight strikeouts in a start six times, including a season-high 10 against Colorado Springs June 18.
Serrano, a native of Grand Junction, Colo., made his major league debut Aug. 7, 2004, starting for the Royals against the Angels, allowing four runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings. He recorded his first big league win Sept. 7, with three innings of scoreless relief against the Tigers.
"Jimmy had a good run of success in the big leagues with Kansas City at the end of the 2004 season," Cherington said. "He is a great competitor and is very durable. He'll be a big part of the Pawtucket rotation to start the season."
In five games this spring, Serrano was 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA. In six innings, he struck out eight batters, allowing just two walks, while holding hitters to a .250 average.
Pitcher Matt Ginter, 28, signed as a minor league free agent Dec. 29, 2005, has spent parts of six seasons in the major leagues. He split last season between Detroit, where he opened the season, and Triple-A Toledo.
The right-hander, who throws a fastball in the low 90s, along with a slider and changeup, has a career major league record of 4-4 (5.46 ERA) with 120 strikeouts in 211 innings. In the minors, he compiled a record of 27-26 (2.97 ERA) with 391 strikeouts in 521.1 innings.
"Matt is an experienced major league pitcher with a good pitch mix and feel," Cherington said. "He will be in Pawtucket to start the year and gives us good veteran major league depth along with Serrano in our Triple-A rotation."
The native of Winchester, Ky., was the closer for Team USA in 1998 and was the No. 1 pick (22nd overall) of the White Sox in 1999, out of Mississippi State.
Outfielder Dustan Mohr, 30, signed as a minor league free agent Jan. 23, spent all or parts of the last five seasons in the big leagues with Minnesota, San Francisco, and Colorado -- with 121 games in 2003 with the Twins a season high. Mohr began the spring as a non-roster invitee with an option that would allow him to leave the Red Sox on March 30 if another major league team showed interest. He decided to stay in the Red Sox organization, knowing that he would be sent to Pawtucket, but with the hope that he would be in Boston soon.
"I just kind of feel like at this time that I'll go (to Pawtucket) and play my (behind) off and I expect to be back (with the big league club)here soon," Mohr said before the team's last spring training game Thursday.
"There are options, but that's just what I want to do. I want to be a Red Sox. I intend to be a Red Sox. I don't expect to be in Pawtucket all year or for a lengthy amount of time. But that's what I'm going to do right now. I'm just going to play and see how things shake out. But I expect to be back here pretty soon."
Mohr hit .351 (13-for-37) with 3 home runs and 7 RBIs in 16 games this spring (through Friday).
"He's done a really good job this spring," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "He handled competing before we made the trade (for outfielder Wily Mo Pena) and after we made the trade. He really handled himself professionally. He's a great kid. I am really glad he's staying. I told him that."
"Dustan had a great camp and is a bona fide major league outfielder," said Cherington. "We have the luxury of keeping him in the organization to start the year. He's an excellent defensive outfielder at all spots and a power threat from the right-hand side."
International League Stories from April 4, 2006
- Opening Day is April 6 - Pawtucket Red Sox
- Indians announce 2006 television schedule - Indianapolis Indians
- Braves announce opening homestand promotions - Gwinnett Stripers
- Champion Hens Get A New Look - Toledo Mud Hens
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.
