Playoff Bound
Published on June 24, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release
CORPUS CHRISTI - On June 11, Corpus Christi had dropped four of six games. Meanwhile, it seemed like Frisco couldn't and wouldn't lose. The Hooks led the Texas League South Division by just one game over the RoughRiders with six to play. A photo finish appeared inevitable, but pitching pulled through for Corpus Christi as it had all season.
Mike Foltynewicz and David Martinez kicked off a four-game winning streak with a gem at San Antonio. Then, after two more wins in Frisco, the Hooks needed to win just one of their remaining four games to clinch the first-half title. The odds did not appear to favor the Hooks on June 14 at Dr Pepper Ballpark, as Corpus Christi sent the tandem of Ruben Alaniz and Jorge De Leon to the mound, a pair with a combined 2-7 record and a 5.54 ERA.
But they kept the Hooks in the extra-inning affair, which Domingo Santana eventually won with an 11th-inning home run, by allowing two runs through the first nine innings.
"That's the way this business works," pitching coach Gary Ruby said. "It's amazing that would be the night, if you looked at the track record, you'd be really concerned because they'd both been struggling."
With their extra-inning win in Frisco that night, the Hooks clinched the Texas League South, guaranteeing a playoff spot come September.
"(Winning the first half) kind of takes the monkey off your back a little bit," manager Keith Bodie said. "It gives you the opportunity to bear down and focus in on individuals, not that we don't do that any way, but look at strengths and weaknesses and improving the players and going out and continuing to do the things that we've done in the first half."
The Hooks have won back-to-back halves in the South Division, finishing the second half in 2012 with a 44-26 record. The tide has started to turn for an Astros minor league system that has gone from one of baseball's worst to one of the best.
"When Jeff Luhnow came on board, he had a mission," Hooks president Ken Schrom said. "He had a mission to stockpile the minor league system and he's done that. Lancaster won the first half; we won the first half; Oklahoma City is in the hunt, they're playing well. I think it bodes well for our future."
Several things come to mind when looking back on the first half. Domingo Santana's three-run home run game, the first in Hooks history. Michael Burgess' eight-RBI night, another club record. Icona Pop's "I Love It" blasting through the Whataburger Field speakers. And the tandem starting rotation.
No organization had tried to place starting pitchers in pairs above the Class-A level that anyone could remember, so when Houston announced its Double-A and Triple-A clubs would deploy the piggyback system, it raised some eyebrows.
"It's played out great for us because our starting pitching has been pretty much what carried us most of the half," Ruby said. "If they weren't then maybe I'd complain about it, but so far so good."
"To this point we've been lucky because we've stayed away from injuries," Bodie said. "But at this point in the season we can see some of the wear and tear on some of the guys and that extra day of rest can really come in handy."
Eleven different pitchers started games for Corpus Christi in the season's first half. Bobby Doran began the season 6-1. Asher Wojciechowski mowed down hitters for six games before a call-up to Triple-A. Mike Foltynewicz lit up the radar gun.
But no one could match Texas League All-Stars Jake Buchanan and David Martinez.
After a demotion to the bullpen in 2012, Buchanan went 7-2 with a 2.09 ERA. He did not allow a run in nine of his 18 appearances and did not permit a single earned run in May. Houston announced his promotion to Triple-A Sunday.
"I haven't seen a turnaround like that in a long, long time and I haven't seen anybody that dominant in a long, long time," Ruby said. "His first half has been phenomenal, he's matured as a pitcher, his stuff is better. Right now he's on the right track to be a big-league pitcher."
Martinez leads the league with 10 wins and has a 2.09 ERA. He has climbed through Houston's minor league system, advancing one level each season, but he has never had a year like this.
"David Martinez is probably the biggest surprise besides Jake because he's been absolutely incredible. I've watched him since four years ago. The way he's developed is a great story," Ruby said. "Right now his weapons are absolutely big-league weapons, down in the zone, and he's got a big-league slider going. The pace he works at and attacks hitters, he's got no fear of the bat."
Outfielder George Springer, another TL All-Star, has led a powerful Corpus Christi lineup that leads the Texas League in home runs. Springer entered 2013 as one of Houston's most highly-touted prospects and he has not disappointed. He ranked among TL leaders in batting, home runs, RBI, runs scored and more at the time of his Sunday night promotion to Triple-A and provided plenty of defensive magic in centerfield.
"The man can do it all, it's obvious and evident that he's a five-tool player, he's a future big leaguer," hitting coach Tim Garland said. "He brings passion, he brings a good work ethic, he's a great clubhouse guy, always coming to the ballpark in good spirits and willing to work hard and continue to try to get better."
The Hooks offense struggled early in the season, when the pitching carried most of the load, hitting just .229 in April with 217 strikeouts. The hitters turned things around in May, though, batting .278 and scoring twice as many runs as they did in April. Garland noted with regulars like Erik Castro, Jonathan Meyer, Jiovanni Mier and Domingo Santana making the jump to Double-A from the Advanced-A California League, an adjustment period was expected.
"This league is much more competitive, with better talent and it was just a matter of those young guys getting settled in and recognizing that this is man's league," Garland said. "This league will make you grow up quick."
Away from the diamond, Ryan-Sanders Baseball sold the Hooks to Astros owner Jim Crane, while former Ryan-Sanders CEO Reid Ryan was named Houston's team president.
"I've had multiple conversations with Reid and I think his vision is that this franchise being owned by the Astros only strengthens our position here," Schrom said. "I really agree with that, I think having a major league franchise that's tied in for the long haul, I think it's really positive."
One inevitability of successful minor league teams is that their players tend to get promoted to the next level.
"That's life in the minor leagues, you want your guys to do well and you want them to go to the next level and ultimately play in the big leagues, but selfishly we all want them to stay here all year," Schrom said.
Bodie guided a new-look roster to a playoff berth in last season's second half and said he's not worried about who will don the Hooks uniform.
"I hope they all move up," the skipper said. "I hope they send another crew over and we'll get them to the point where they know how to play the game and they're good."
Texas League Stories from June 24, 2013
- Playoff Bound - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Gotay Named Player of Week; Wyatt Heading to All-Star Game - Springfield Cardinals
- Neil Ramirez Wins Texas League Pitcher of the Week - Frisco RoughRiders
- Late All-Star Replacements Include Hernandez - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Limited Number of Premium & Reserved Tickets Remain for All Star Game - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
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.
