Stockton Ports Announce 2009 Roster
Published on April 6, 2009 under California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release
STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports are pleased to announce the Opening Day roster and to welcome this year's squad to Banner Island Ballpark. The Ports players broke Oakland A's minor league camp on Sunday, and are gearing up to face the Sacramento River Cats (Triple-A,Oakland) in a two-game exhibition series on April 7 and April 8 before the season opener on April 9 at San Jose.
Leading the 2009 team will be new manager Aaron Nieckula, who managed the Kane County Cougars from 2006 to 2008, compiling a 214-202 record. He will be joined by new pitching coach Don Schulze and returning hitting coach Tim Garland.
There are currently 27 players on the Opening Day roster, with transactions to be made prior to April 9. Eleven regular season players from the 2008 California League title team, including Pat Currin, Derrick Gordon, Craig Italiano, Scott Mitchinson, Raul Padron, Matt Smith, Larry Cobb, Frank Martinez, Alex Valdez, Jermaine Mitchell and Matt Spencer, will return for the 2009 season.
Italiano, a second round draft pick in 2005, was a Midwest League All-Star in 2008 with Kane County, going 7-0 with a 1.16 ERA, before being promoted to Stockton in 2008. With the Ports, he threw 30 innings and struck out 33 batters. Currin, a 2007 California League All-Star, will help lead the relief corps this season. Gordon, who split time between the bullpen and the starting rotation in 2008, will also bring experience to the Ports pitching staff.
Spencer will help lead the Stockton offense this season. Acquired from Philadelphia in the Joe Blanton trade last season, Spencer had a great season at the plate for the Ports, finishing with a .333 average, with 12 doubles, eight home runs and 87 RBI. During the postseason, Spencer batted .302 with seven RBI. Mitchell also had a successful postseason, batting .326 with six RBI for Stockton, and he will look to do as well during the 2009 campaign.
Among the new players heading to Mudville is right-handed pitcher Tyson Ross, the second round pick from the 2008 First-Year Player Draft. Ross spent the 2008 season at Kane County, and struck out a season-high seven batters in 3.2 innings at Clinton on August 24. Ross, an Oakland, Calif. native and 2008 All-Pack 10 player, threw 10 innings and compiled a 0.90 ERA for the Ports in two postseason appearances.
Carlos Hernandez, who arrived in Stockton in September with Ross to help the Ports in the playoffs, will be with the team this season. Hernandez, another California product, started in two games and posted a 0.79 ERA in 11.1 innings in the postseason, helping the Ports secure their 11th league championship title.
Area fans might recognize Justin Friend among the new Ports pitchers. Friend, a 13th round pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, is a Manteca, Calif. native and East Union High School graduate, who will be appearing from the bullpen in 2009. A key pitcher for the starting rotation will be Scott Hodsdon, who with Kane County in 2008, ranked among Midwest League leaders in ERA and was ranked fourth in the Oakland A's farm system in ERA (2.93) in 2008.
Larry Cobb and Greg Dowling, two midseason Midwest League All-Stars, will be securing the infield for the Stockton Ports this season, along with Michael Richard. Richard ranked tied for second in the A's farm system in stolen bases in 2008 with 35. Todd Johnson and Shane Keough will be roaming the outfield along with Mitchell and Spencer this season.
For a full roster, please visit www.stocktonports.com . Season tickets, mini plans, and individual tickets can be purchased in person at the Ports Box Office, online at stocktonports.com, or by calling (209) 644-1900.
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