Baseball America's Minor League Transactions came out yesterday and confirmed that some of the players not on rosters were in fact on the disabled list. Here is the list of Astros minor leaguers on the DL. The former G-Stros are underlined.
RHP Murilo Gouvea
RHP Chia-Jen Lo
RHP Kyle Weiland
LHP Sergio Escalona
LHP Kenny Long
C Max Stassi
3B Andrew Simunic
3B Brandon Wikoff
OF Grant Hogue
OF Telvin Nash
If they are not on this list or on a roster, they are likely in extended spring training.
In other transaction news, it appears that Ralph Henriquez has been released by the Rockies. Leaving Brandon Barnes the only player from the 2005 team who is still in affiliated baseball.
Showing posts with label Gouvea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gouvea. Show all posts
Monday, April 8, 2013
Monday, July 2, 2012
Appy Astros Alumni of the Month - June 2012
It has been a fun month of June. Several former G-Stros are making serious progress and the new bunch is winning games. Let's look at how the former Greeneville Astros did this month.
Tri Cities ValleyCats
Pitcher of the Month - Vincent Velasquez made three starts in June and had a 1.76 ERA in 15 1/3 IP with 16 K. What makes this more impressive is these were his first three starts after missing all of 2011 with Tommy John surgery.
Honorable Mention - Juri Perez - two scoreless starts to start his second season in the NYPL. Jamaine Cotton - made five scoreless relief appearances before surrendering two runs on 6/30.
Hitter of the Month - There are only three former G-Stros on the roster in TriCities, none of which are setting the woods on fire. This months award goes to Jesse Wierzbicki who hit .260 for the first 14 games of the season.
Lexington Legends
Pitcher of the Month - Murilo Gouvea had a stellar month out of the pen. Allowing just one earned run in 14 1/3 ip (10 games) with 14 strike outs. He only allowed five hits during that stretch but allowed 10 walks. His June ERA was 0.61.
Honorable Mention - Mike Foltynewicz amassed a 2.97 ERA in five starts. He had a rough outing to end the month, otherwise, he numbers would have been much stronger. Still 2.97 is not to shabby.
Hitter of the Month - I think those who follow Astros minor league ball would come after me with pitch forks and torches if I chose anyone but Delino DeShields Jr. as the Lexington hitter of the month. DDJ hit a solid .303 for the month. He also took 16 walks which helped boost his OPB to .407. He showed some pop with seven extra base hits and when he did find him self on first, he often managed to get to second via one of his 25 stolen bases.
Honorable Mentions - Chan Moon really appears to have put it together at the plate. The South Korean Shortstop hit .276 in June with a .403 OBP. Roberto Pena also had a solid June hitting .329 and hitting seven doubles during the month where he turned 20.
Lancaster JetHawks
Pitcher of the Month - Jose Trinadad had a great month out of the pen. In eight games (seven relief and one start) he allowed 19 hits in 21 innings pitched. His ERA for the month was .043. His last appearance of the month was spreading seven hits over seven shut out innings in his third start of the year. His ERA as as start this season is 1.13
Honorable Mention - Pat Urckfitz who allowed four earned runs in 15 innings pitched for a 2.40 ERA in June.
Hitter of the Month - I normally put those who haven't played a full month in the Honorable Mention category but what Grant Hogue put together in limited playing time is impressive. He played the first nine games of the month and then missed about two weeks on the DL returning to get in for the final few games of the month. During his 11 games, Hogue hit .667 (21 out of 34). Hard to ignore that production.
Honorable Mention - Rafael Valenzuela hit .298 in 17 games with a .403 OBP. Rene Garcia hit .321 in 16 games. Ben Orloff hit .283 and had just four strike outs in 99 at bats during the month.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Pitcher of the Month - Jose Cisnero is the easy choice this month. In five starts, he allowed just eight walks and eight earned runs while striking out 31 in 33 innings pitched. He allowed no home runs in June. He pitched a complete game two hitter on June 16th. He held opponents to a .215 batting average for the month.
Honorable Mention- Henry Villar pitched in 8 games (16 1/3 IP) in June with a 2.70 ERA. During that span, he fanned 16 while only issuing two free passes.
Hitter of the Month - Kody Hinze rebounded from a rough May (.106 in 22 games) to hit for a solid .306 in 24 games in June. Seven of his 22 hits in the month went for extra bases.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Pitcher of the Month - Vacant - there were no former G-Stros pitching in Oklahoma City in June except Fernando Abad who was on rehab assignment.
Hitter of the Month - Brandon Barnes is the only RedHawk who played in Greeneville but this award isn't given by default. Barnes has earned it! He hit .333 with nine doubles and three home runs in June. He also walked eight times and struck out just 18 in 108 at bats (28 games). If the 26 year old Barnes can keep this up, he might get a shot at the bigs in a September call up or as an injury replacement.
Minors Outside Astros System
Pitcher of the Month - Slingin Sammy Gervacio continues to tear up the Mexican League (unaffiliated AAA). In June, he appeared in 15 games (15 2/3 IP), issued just four walks and nine hits while fanning 23 batters. He earned 12 saves during the month.
Hitter of the Month - Albert Cartwright had a bounce back month after hitting below the Mendoza line for May, he hit .306 with four doubles and three home runs in the Florida State League (Phillies High A).
Major Leagues
Pitcher of the Month - While Jordan Lyles and Fernando Abad had good months, the best month by a former Greeneville Astro pitcher in the Majors was by Troy Patton of the Orioles. Patton appeared in 11 games (14 2/3 IP) in which he fanned 15 batters while allowing only nine hits and four walks. Opponents hit just .190 off Patton during the month.
Hitter of the Month - While you can debate my list choice, I don't think there is much of a debate when it comes to selecting Jose Altuve as the hitter of the month. During June, he hit .291 with five doubles and two home runs.
Quick break down of the number of former G-stros in the Astros system:
Tri Cities - 8
Lexington - 16
Lancaster - 17
Corpus Christi - 6
Oklahoma City - 1
Houston - 4
Tri Cities ValleyCats
Pitcher of the Month - Vincent Velasquez made three starts in June and had a 1.76 ERA in 15 1/3 IP with 16 K. What makes this more impressive is these were his first three starts after missing all of 2011 with Tommy John surgery.
Honorable Mention - Juri Perez - two scoreless starts to start his second season in the NYPL. Jamaine Cotton - made five scoreless relief appearances before surrendering two runs on 6/30.
Hitter of the Month - There are only three former G-Stros on the roster in TriCities, none of which are setting the woods on fire. This months award goes to Jesse Wierzbicki who hit .260 for the first 14 games of the season.
Lexington Legends
Pitcher of the Month - Murilo Gouvea had a stellar month out of the pen. Allowing just one earned run in 14 1/3 ip (10 games) with 14 strike outs. He only allowed five hits during that stretch but allowed 10 walks. His June ERA was 0.61.
Honorable Mention - Mike Foltynewicz amassed a 2.97 ERA in five starts. He had a rough outing to end the month, otherwise, he numbers would have been much stronger. Still 2.97 is not to shabby.
Hitter of the Month - I think those who follow Astros minor league ball would come after me with pitch forks and torches if I chose anyone but Delino DeShields Jr. as the Lexington hitter of the month. DDJ hit a solid .303 for the month. He also took 16 walks which helped boost his OPB to .407. He showed some pop with seven extra base hits and when he did find him self on first, he often managed to get to second via one of his 25 stolen bases.
Honorable Mentions - Chan Moon really appears to have put it together at the plate. The South Korean Shortstop hit .276 in June with a .403 OBP. Roberto Pena also had a solid June hitting .329 and hitting seven doubles during the month where he turned 20.
Lancaster JetHawks
Pitcher of the Month - Jose Trinadad had a great month out of the pen. In eight games (seven relief and one start) he allowed 19 hits in 21 innings pitched. His ERA for the month was .043. His last appearance of the month was spreading seven hits over seven shut out innings in his third start of the year. His ERA as as start this season is 1.13
Honorable Mention - Pat Urckfitz who allowed four earned runs in 15 innings pitched for a 2.40 ERA in June.
Hitter of the Month - I normally put those who haven't played a full month in the Honorable Mention category but what Grant Hogue put together in limited playing time is impressive. He played the first nine games of the month and then missed about two weeks on the DL returning to get in for the final few games of the month. During his 11 games, Hogue hit .667 (21 out of 34). Hard to ignore that production.
Honorable Mention - Rafael Valenzuela hit .298 in 17 games with a .403 OBP. Rene Garcia hit .321 in 16 games. Ben Orloff hit .283 and had just four strike outs in 99 at bats during the month.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Pitcher of the Month - Jose Cisnero is the easy choice this month. In five starts, he allowed just eight walks and eight earned runs while striking out 31 in 33 innings pitched. He allowed no home runs in June. He pitched a complete game two hitter on June 16th. He held opponents to a .215 batting average for the month.
Honorable Mention- Henry Villar pitched in 8 games (16 1/3 IP) in June with a 2.70 ERA. During that span, he fanned 16 while only issuing two free passes.
Hitter of the Month - Kody Hinze rebounded from a rough May (.106 in 22 games) to hit for a solid .306 in 24 games in June. Seven of his 22 hits in the month went for extra bases.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Pitcher of the Month - Vacant - there were no former G-Stros pitching in Oklahoma City in June except Fernando Abad who was on rehab assignment.
Hitter of the Month - Brandon Barnes is the only RedHawk who played in Greeneville but this award isn't given by default. Barnes has earned it! He hit .333 with nine doubles and three home runs in June. He also walked eight times and struck out just 18 in 108 at bats (28 games). If the 26 year old Barnes can keep this up, he might get a shot at the bigs in a September call up or as an injury replacement.
Minors Outside Astros System
Pitcher of the Month - Slingin Sammy Gervacio continues to tear up the Mexican League (unaffiliated AAA). In June, he appeared in 15 games (15 2/3 IP), issued just four walks and nine hits while fanning 23 batters. He earned 12 saves during the month.
Hitter of the Month - Albert Cartwright had a bounce back month after hitting below the Mendoza line for May, he hit .306 with four doubles and three home runs in the Florida State League (Phillies High A).
Major Leagues
Pitcher of the Month - While Jordan Lyles and Fernando Abad had good months, the best month by a former Greeneville Astro pitcher in the Majors was by Troy Patton of the Orioles. Patton appeared in 11 games (14 2/3 IP) in which he fanned 15 batters while allowing only nine hits and four walks. Opponents hit just .190 off Patton during the month.
Hitter of the Month - While you can debate my list choice, I don't think there is much of a debate when it comes to selecting Jose Altuve as the hitter of the month. During June, he hit .291 with five doubles and two home runs.
Quick break down of the number of former G-stros in the Astros system:
Tri Cities - 8
Lexington - 16
Lancaster - 17
Corpus Christi - 6
Oklahoma City - 1
Houston - 4
Friday, March 9, 2012
What To Watch For In 2012: Former G-Stros Relief Pitchers
So we have come to the bullpen at last. Eighty percent of the players listed below, pitched in Greeneville in 2009, 2010 or 2011. Relievers are the longest shots to make it to the majors. Let's see who is still around and what I will be watching for in 2012 as the full season teams start up next month.
The player's year(s) with the G-Stros, highest level and age on opening day will be in parentheses.
Relief Pitchers
Fernando Abad (2007, MLB, 26) - Abad didn't live up to expectations in 2011. I suspect he pitched too much in winter ball and wasn't rested for spring training. This year, he only pitched 16 innings of winter ball and is off to a good start in spring training. Will he be with the big club when camp breaks? Can he have a breakout year?
Wander Alvino (2008, Hi A, 25) - Alvino had fairly impressive numbers for Lancaster in '11. He fanned 73 batters in 73 innings but did have an increase in walks. How will he handle AA hitters?
Ryan Cole (2010, SS A, 24) - Cole was the closer in Tri Cities last season. Will he be in Lancaster before the year is out?
Jermaine Cotton (2010, 11, SS A, 21) After being a reliever in 2010, he was pressed in starting in 2011. He did well as a starter and earned a promotion to Tri Cities where he made five starts. Will he start or relieve in Lexington in 2012? Can he continue to show the improvement he showed in 2011?
Zachary Dando (2011, Rookie, 21) - Had an up and down season in Greeneville but more up than down. Can he make the jump to Lexington in 2012?
Victor Garate (2005, MLB, 27) - Garate pitched in AAA for the Marlins last year putting up an impressive 2.72 ERA out of the pen. He was signed by the Brewers as a minor league free agent and is expected to be AAA depth. Will he get another crack at the bigs this year.
Murilo Gouvea (2009, Lo A, 23) - The Brazilian right hander, who was acquired from the White Sox for cash in 2009, put up solid numbers in Lexington in 2011 out of the pen. How will he fair in Lancaster? Can he have more K's than IP for the third straight year?
B. J. Hyatt (2009, Rookie, 23) - He hasn't pitched in two seasons due to an injury. Will he make a comeback in 2012?
David Martinez (2009, Lo A, 25) - Had a descent season in Lex and then pitched in the LVBP in his home country of Venezuela. How will he fair in Lancaster? Can this be a two level year for him?
Steve Martin (2011, Rookie, 24) - A Tale of two months. July (1.38 ERA ) and August (11.45 ERA). Had less than 20 innings pitched at Texas A&M. Will we see a jump in the learning curve in 2012?
Jeremiah Meiners (2011, Hi A, 23) - Meiners showed significant growth from 2010 to 2011 and earned a late season promotion to Lancaster from Greeneville. Will he be back in Lancaster to start 2012 or will he be in Lexington?
Juan Mojica (2011, Rookie, 23) - Only made one appearance in G'ville. He has only pitched 30 2/3 IP since missing all of 2009 with injury. Will he be ready for full season ball in 2012?
Nathan Pettus (2008,09, Lo A, 23) - Pettus missed most of 2010 and 2011 with injuries. Will he be healthy enough to make a roster? Will injuries have claimed his career?
James Propst (2011, Rookie, 22) - Descent season in Greeneville in 2011. Will he show progress against advanced hitters in higher levels?
Rodney Quintero (2010, 11, Rookie, 22) - Quintero repeated Greeneville in 2011 and was not that impressive. Will he be on a roster in 2012?
Paris Shewey (2011, Rookie, 23) - Really struggled at the end of the year in Greeneville. Will he make it out of spring training?
Matson Smith (2011, Rookie, 23) - Smith was one of the older members of the G-Stros in 2011. He has put up solid numbers in two season of short season ball. Will he get a chance a full season ball this year?
Brian Streilein (2010, Lo A, 23) - Was great in June (2.12 ERA) and July (1.35 ERA). Not as much in May (7.71 ERA) and August (7.80 ERA). Will he have a consistent 2012?
Pat Urckfitz (2008, AAA, 23) - Urckfitz had a great 2010 and then struggled in 2011. I think he needs to ditch the contacts and go back to the rec specs! Can he recover the 2010 stuff? AA or AAA this year?
Scott Zuloaga (2011, Rookie, 22) - This sidewinder finished strong with a 2.45 ERA in August for Greeneville. He is a specialist with a 1.00 ERA verses right handed batters and a 14.29 ERA verses lefties. Will he be in Lexington in 2012? Will he get the chance to improve his numbers against righties?
Projected placement of those still in the Astros organization:
MLB:
Abad
Oklahoma City (AAA)
Urckfitz
Corpus Christi (AA)
Alvino
Lancaster (Hi A)
Gouvea
Martinez
Lexington (Lo A)
Cole
Cotton
Meiners
Mojica
Pettus
Quintero
Streilein
Zuloaga
Extended Spring Training
Dando
Hyatt
Martin
Propst
Shewey
The player's year(s) with the G-Stros, highest level and age on opening day will be in parentheses.
Relief Pitchers
Fernando Abad (2007, MLB, 26) - Abad didn't live up to expectations in 2011. I suspect he pitched too much in winter ball and wasn't rested for spring training. This year, he only pitched 16 innings of winter ball and is off to a good start in spring training. Will he be with the big club when camp breaks? Can he have a breakout year?
Wander Alvino (2008, Hi A, 25) - Alvino had fairly impressive numbers for Lancaster in '11. He fanned 73 batters in 73 innings but did have an increase in walks. How will he handle AA hitters?
Ryan Cole (2010, SS A, 24) - Cole was the closer in Tri Cities last season. Will he be in Lancaster before the year is out?
Jermaine Cotton (2010, 11, SS A, 21) After being a reliever in 2010, he was pressed in starting in 2011. He did well as a starter and earned a promotion to Tri Cities where he made five starts. Will he start or relieve in Lexington in 2012? Can he continue to show the improvement he showed in 2011?
Zachary Dando (2011, Rookie, 21) - Had an up and down season in Greeneville but more up than down. Can he make the jump to Lexington in 2012?
Victor Garate (2005, MLB, 27) - Garate pitched in AAA for the Marlins last year putting up an impressive 2.72 ERA out of the pen. He was signed by the Brewers as a minor league free agent and is expected to be AAA depth. Will he get another crack at the bigs this year.
Murilo Gouvea (2009, Lo A, 23) - The Brazilian right hander, who was acquired from the White Sox for cash in 2009, put up solid numbers in Lexington in 2011 out of the pen. How will he fair in Lancaster? Can he have more K's than IP for the third straight year?
B. J. Hyatt (2009, Rookie, 23) - He hasn't pitched in two seasons due to an injury. Will he make a comeback in 2012?
David Martinez (2009, Lo A, 25) - Had a descent season in Lex and then pitched in the LVBP in his home country of Venezuela. How will he fair in Lancaster? Can this be a two level year for him?
Steve Martin (2011, Rookie, 24) - A Tale of two months. July (1.38 ERA ) and August (11.45 ERA). Had less than 20 innings pitched at Texas A&M. Will we see a jump in the learning curve in 2012?
Jeremiah Meiners (2011, Hi A, 23) - Meiners showed significant growth from 2010 to 2011 and earned a late season promotion to Lancaster from Greeneville. Will he be back in Lancaster to start 2012 or will he be in Lexington?
Juan Mojica (2011, Rookie, 23) - Only made one appearance in G'ville. He has only pitched 30 2/3 IP since missing all of 2009 with injury. Will he be ready for full season ball in 2012?
Nathan Pettus (2008,09, Lo A, 23) - Pettus missed most of 2010 and 2011 with injuries. Will he be healthy enough to make a roster? Will injuries have claimed his career?
James Propst (2011, Rookie, 22) - Descent season in Greeneville in 2011. Will he show progress against advanced hitters in higher levels?
Rodney Quintero (2010, 11, Rookie, 22) - Quintero repeated Greeneville in 2011 and was not that impressive. Will he be on a roster in 2012?
Paris Shewey (2011, Rookie, 23) - Really struggled at the end of the year in Greeneville. Will he make it out of spring training?
Matson Smith (2011, Rookie, 23) - Smith was one of the older members of the G-Stros in 2011. He has put up solid numbers in two season of short season ball. Will he get a chance a full season ball this year?
Brian Streilein (2010, Lo A, 23) - Was great in June (2.12 ERA) and July (1.35 ERA). Not as much in May (7.71 ERA) and August (7.80 ERA). Will he have a consistent 2012?
Pat Urckfitz (2008, AAA, 23) - Urckfitz had a great 2010 and then struggled in 2011. I think he needs to ditch the contacts and go back to the rec specs! Can he recover the 2010 stuff? AA or AAA this year?
Scott Zuloaga (2011, Rookie, 22) - This sidewinder finished strong with a 2.45 ERA in August for Greeneville. He is a specialist with a 1.00 ERA verses right handed batters and a 14.29 ERA verses lefties. Will he be in Lexington in 2012? Will he get the chance to improve his numbers against righties?
Projected placement of those still in the Astros organization:
MLB:
Abad
Oklahoma City (AAA)
Urckfitz
Corpus Christi (AA)
Alvino
Lancaster (Hi A)
Gouvea
Martinez
Lexington (Lo A)
Cole
Cotton
Meiners
Mojica
Pettus
Quintero
Streilein
Zuloaga
Extended Spring Training
Dando
Hyatt
Martin
Propst
Shewey
Monday, November 7, 2011
2009 Greeneville Astros Progress Report
The 2009 G-Stros were the first bunch that were the sandwich short season team. Below them, the new GCL Astros were playing at the spring training complex. And the ValleyCats were playing above them in the NY- Penn League. In Greeneville, the fans didn't know what to expect from the new set up in the lower minors. What we saw was a mix of high draft pick high school players and low round/free agent college players. This edition of the the G-Stros had just seven teenagers and all seven were still active this year.
Of the 35 players who graced the roster that year, 63% (22) were still active on an affiliated roster at some point this season. Let's look at how high they climbed. They are listed by the highest level they appeared in and the percentage by each level is out of the full roster.
MLB (2- 6%)
Jose Altuve - see 2008 write up
J. D. Martinez - made a brief stop in Greeneville on his rapid climb to the majors. He hit .403 during just 14 games in Greeneville. This year, he hist .274 in 53 games in the big leagues. He made the fastest climb of any G-Stros position player to the majors.
AAA ( 0 - 0%)
AA (0 - 0%)
Altuve & Martinez appeared at this level but made it the the show to end the season.
High A (6- 17%)
Miguel Arrendell - The utility man appeared at five positions for Lancaster (RF, LF, SS, 2B, 3B) while hitting .281 in 50 games. He was moved back to Tri Cities for the last month of the season to sure up their middle infield where he hit just .219 in 18 games. Arrendell will turn 24 during spring training next season.
Grant Hogue - Hogue was a fan favorite during his time in G'ville for his hustle and easy going nature with fans. After playing in CF exclusively in 09 & 10, he spent time in all three outfield positions in Lancaster in 2011. He spent 76 of the 106 games in right field, where he amassed 11 of his 15 assist. He hit .269 on the season. He will be 25 when he reports to spring training.
Jonathan Meyer - Meyer continues to show improvement as he climbs the ladder. In Lancaster in 2011, he hit .264 with 14 home runs. He had only hit 5 in his previous two seasons. Next year will determine if the power is the result of Lancaster or his maturation as a hitter. He will be 21 when he reports next season.
Jio Mier - He evenly split his season between Lexington and Lancaster, playing 57 games at each stop. He hit .245 at Lexington, an improvement over 2010's .235, before moving to Lancaster where he hit .233. Mier is still considered a solid SS prospect and will be 21 when next season rolls around.
Jose Cisnero - is the pitcher from 2009 who has climbed the highest. He pitched in Lancaster and amassed a 6.06 ERA. However, when you average 11.09 strike outs per 9 innings (152 in 123 1/3 IP), that means there is something happening good there. Cisnero will be turn 23 next April.
Luis Cruz - see 2008 write up.
Low A (7 - 20%)
Garrett Bullock - the tall lefty made just three appearances in Lexington before returning to short season ball in Tri Cities. Those three outings were not that impressive. However, his 2.51 ERA in Tri Cities was solid. Bullock is old for the levels he has been playing. He will start the season at 25.
Jeiler Castillo - see 2008 write up.
Gabriel Garcia - after two seasons in G'ville, Garcia moved up to Lexington where he was solid. In 69 1/3 IP (37 games), he had a 3.76 ERA which is lower than his ERA in either season in Greeneville. He struck out 68 batters and had a WHIP of just 1.212 which is the lowest of his career. He is pitching well in winter ball in Venezuela right now. He will be 22 when spring training begins.
Murilo Gouvea - spent most of the season in Lexington with a brief time in Tri Cities. In Lex, he amassed a 3.98 ERA in 30 games (74 2/3 IP). He had more than a strike out an inning with 83. He struggled keeping the walks down. He will be 23 when next season begins.
David Martinez - was a man in search of a role this year. He pitched in 37 games. He started five and finished 17. In 66 2/3 IP, he fanned 44 batters while walking 17. He will be 24 at the beginning of spring training.
Yuri Perez - like Bullock, he had a less than memorable brief stint at Lexington. He made 15 starts for TriCities where he had a 5.48 ERA. Perez missed most of 2010 after elbow surgery. He is still working his way back. We hope he can regain the form he had in 2009 for Greeneville. He will be 21 at the start of spring training.
Carlos Quevedo - really struggled to keep the ball in the park. He gave up 22 home runs in Lexington this season in 151 innings pitched. That equates to 1.3 HR every nine innings. He gave up more home runs than walks. Quevedo walked 19 batters for an average of 1.1 per nine innings pitched. Quevedo will be 22 at the start of spring training.
Short Season A (3 - 5%)
Bubby Williams - the catcher with the cool name,spent 2011 in the New York Penn League. His showed power, leading the team with six home runs but struggled making consistent contact. He hit .206 in 36 games for the ValleyCats. He will be 22 at the start of spring training next year.
Joan Belliard - repeated the NYPenn league in 2011 but only pitched in 18 2/3 innings. His strike out numbers are still strong but is still struggling with walks. He will be turning 23 in March.
Travis Smink - after two seasons in G'ville, he moved to Tri Cities this season. In 23 games, he had a 4.37 ERA. He will turn 25 next April.
Rookie Ball & DL (4 - 11%)
Luis Alverez - returned to Greeneville after missing 2010 with a bad knee injury. Alverez hit .271 in 38 games. He only struck out 19 times in 151 plate appearances. He turns 22 just before minor leaguers report to spring training.
B J Hyatt - listed on the roster for Greeneville but never was in uniform. Still rehabbing from surgery after the 2009 season.
Wilton Infante & Nathan Pettus - see 2008 write up.
Summary
Like the 2008 edition, the 2009 team still has 22 active players. Unlike them, it is the position players who have climbed faster than the pitchers. A few of the players in this group will not be back for spring training but the core of this bunch should be at AA and High A to start next year.
Of the 35 players who graced the roster that year, 63% (22) were still active on an affiliated roster at some point this season. Let's look at how high they climbed. They are listed by the highest level they appeared in and the percentage by each level is out of the full roster.
MLB (2- 6%)
Jose Altuve - see 2008 write up
J. D. Martinez - made a brief stop in Greeneville on his rapid climb to the majors. He hit .403 during just 14 games in Greeneville. This year, he hist .274 in 53 games in the big leagues. He made the fastest climb of any G-Stros position player to the majors.
AAA ( 0 - 0%)
AA (0 - 0%)
Altuve & Martinez appeared at this level but made it the the show to end the season.
High A (6- 17%)
Miguel Arrendell - The utility man appeared at five positions for Lancaster (RF, LF, SS, 2B, 3B) while hitting .281 in 50 games. He was moved back to Tri Cities for the last month of the season to sure up their middle infield where he hit just .219 in 18 games. Arrendell will turn 24 during spring training next season.
Grant Hogue - Hogue was a fan favorite during his time in G'ville for his hustle and easy going nature with fans. After playing in CF exclusively in 09 & 10, he spent time in all three outfield positions in Lancaster in 2011. He spent 76 of the 106 games in right field, where he amassed 11 of his 15 assist. He hit .269 on the season. He will be 25 when he reports to spring training.
Jonathan Meyer - Meyer continues to show improvement as he climbs the ladder. In Lancaster in 2011, he hit .264 with 14 home runs. He had only hit 5 in his previous two seasons. Next year will determine if the power is the result of Lancaster or his maturation as a hitter. He will be 21 when he reports next season.
Jio Mier - He evenly split his season between Lexington and Lancaster, playing 57 games at each stop. He hit .245 at Lexington, an improvement over 2010's .235, before moving to Lancaster where he hit .233. Mier is still considered a solid SS prospect and will be 21 when next season rolls around.
Jose Cisnero - is the pitcher from 2009 who has climbed the highest. He pitched in Lancaster and amassed a 6.06 ERA. However, when you average 11.09 strike outs per 9 innings (152 in 123 1/3 IP), that means there is something happening good there. Cisnero will be turn 23 next April.
Luis Cruz - see 2008 write up.
Low A (7 - 20%)
Garrett Bullock - the tall lefty made just three appearances in Lexington before returning to short season ball in Tri Cities. Those three outings were not that impressive. However, his 2.51 ERA in Tri Cities was solid. Bullock is old for the levels he has been playing. He will start the season at 25.
Jeiler Castillo - see 2008 write up.
Gabriel Garcia - after two seasons in G'ville, Garcia moved up to Lexington where he was solid. In 69 1/3 IP (37 games), he had a 3.76 ERA which is lower than his ERA in either season in Greeneville. He struck out 68 batters and had a WHIP of just 1.212 which is the lowest of his career. He is pitching well in winter ball in Venezuela right now. He will be 22 when spring training begins.
Murilo Gouvea - spent most of the season in Lexington with a brief time in Tri Cities. In Lex, he amassed a 3.98 ERA in 30 games (74 2/3 IP). He had more than a strike out an inning with 83. He struggled keeping the walks down. He will be 23 when next season begins.
David Martinez - was a man in search of a role this year. He pitched in 37 games. He started five and finished 17. In 66 2/3 IP, he fanned 44 batters while walking 17. He will be 24 at the beginning of spring training.
Yuri Perez - like Bullock, he had a less than memorable brief stint at Lexington. He made 15 starts for TriCities where he had a 5.48 ERA. Perez missed most of 2010 after elbow surgery. He is still working his way back. We hope he can regain the form he had in 2009 for Greeneville. He will be 21 at the start of spring training.
Carlos Quevedo - really struggled to keep the ball in the park. He gave up 22 home runs in Lexington this season in 151 innings pitched. That equates to 1.3 HR every nine innings. He gave up more home runs than walks. Quevedo walked 19 batters for an average of 1.1 per nine innings pitched. Quevedo will be 22 at the start of spring training.
Short Season A (3 - 5%)
Bubby Williams - the catcher with the cool name,spent 2011 in the New York Penn League. His showed power, leading the team with six home runs but struggled making consistent contact. He hit .206 in 36 games for the ValleyCats. He will be 22 at the start of spring training next year.
Joan Belliard - repeated the NYPenn league in 2011 but only pitched in 18 2/3 innings. His strike out numbers are still strong but is still struggling with walks. He will be turning 23 in March.
Travis Smink - after two seasons in G'ville, he moved to Tri Cities this season. In 23 games, he had a 4.37 ERA. He will turn 25 next April.
Rookie Ball & DL (4 - 11%)
Luis Alverez - returned to Greeneville after missing 2010 with a bad knee injury. Alverez hit .271 in 38 games. He only struck out 19 times in 151 plate appearances. He turns 22 just before minor leaguers report to spring training.
B J Hyatt - listed on the roster for Greeneville but never was in uniform. Still rehabbing from surgery after the 2009 season.
Wilton Infante & Nathan Pettus - see 2008 write up.
Summary
Like the 2008 edition, the 2009 team still has 22 active players. Unlike them, it is the position players who have climbed faster than the pitchers. A few of the players in this group will not be back for spring training but the core of this bunch should be at AA and High A to start next year.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Wet Trip To Lexington & the End of the Season
Took a road trip with the family to Lexington to try to catch the last two games of the season. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. I got to spend about 4 hours at Whitaker Bank Ballpark but didn't get to see any baseball. However, their grounds crew pulled the tarp impressively.
Sunday night was rained out and they planned a double header to start at 11:00 on Monday. Monday, we were able to chat with a few players while waiting out the rain delay. For guys who are away from home, sometimes a familiar face can make them smile. Several of the former G'ville players recognized us and chatted. We chatted about the weather and how their seasons had gone. We talked about home. One of the players heading to instructs said he was going to get 12 days at home before he had to report. He was trilled with the idea of time at home.
However, as a family, we had decided that 2:30 would be our departure time for G-ville. Sure enough, 1st pitch of the double header was shortly after 2:30 PM. We were already on the road and were able to listen to a few of the innings via radio.
When I got home, I hated we had to leave. The box score showed a good showing by former G-Stros in the double header sweep. In game 1, Hector Rodriquez went 1-2 with an RBI, Emilio King went 1 for 3 with an RBI and Jorge De Leon got his 16th save. In game 2, former G-Stros accounted for all three RBI (King, Nash & Sosa), the win (Alaniz), a hold (Gouvea) and the save (Streinlein).
Thanks to Ryan (@eFIVE Tweets) for all his help during the trip. It is great that you can travel to an unfamiliar place and have some one who makes sure you have a great time regardless of the weather.
Hopefully next season we can make a visit for an actual game.
The End of the Season
Baseball America today put the end of the season well:
The Legends were supposed to have a 12:00 start time on Sunday. Those driving home could have been on the road by 4:00. Several of those flying had 5:30 fights. Due to having to play both halves of the double header, their plans changed. By the time they played both games, it was after 6:30. Some were frustrated by the events. Yet, several of the players still took time out to talk to fans. My son left with a few extra souvenirs. He also got to spend time with some guys who put their frustrations aside to make an 11 year olds day. So today we give a special thank you to Hector Rodriguez, Domingo Santana, Ben Heath, and Jhonny Medrano for going above and beyond on a cold wet day when their thoughts were on home.
Sunday night was rained out and they planned a double header to start at 11:00 on Monday. Monday, we were able to chat with a few players while waiting out the rain delay. For guys who are away from home, sometimes a familiar face can make them smile. Several of the former G'ville players recognized us and chatted. We chatted about the weather and how their seasons had gone. We talked about home. One of the players heading to instructs said he was going to get 12 days at home before he had to report. He was trilled with the idea of time at home.
However, as a family, we had decided that 2:30 would be our departure time for G-ville. Sure enough, 1st pitch of the double header was shortly after 2:30 PM. We were already on the road and were able to listen to a few of the innings via radio.
When I got home, I hated we had to leave. The box score showed a good showing by former G-Stros in the double header sweep. In game 1, Hector Rodriquez went 1-2 with an RBI, Emilio King went 1 for 3 with an RBI and Jorge De Leon got his 16th save. In game 2, former G-Stros accounted for all three RBI (King, Nash & Sosa), the win (Alaniz), a hold (Gouvea) and the save (Streinlein).
Thanks to Ryan (@eFIVE Tweets) for all his help during the trip. It is great that you can travel to an unfamiliar place and have some one who makes sure you have a great time regardless of the weather.
Hopefully next season we can make a visit for an actual game.
The End of the Season
Baseball America today put the end of the season well:
The final day of a minor league season feels a whole lot like the last day of the year at a college.The Legends had last place locked up, to them the games were meaningless. However, they impacted the standings and the league office said they must be played. Sometimes those of us who follow minor league baseball forget these players are humans with families and friends they miss. There is nothing worse that expecting to be home by a certain time and getting delayed. It doesn't matter if that delay is via travel conditions, weather, demanding bosses or the league office saying you have to play a game.
Bags are packed, some parents are milling around to help load up cars. Goodbyes are given along with promises to keep in touch.
And the reality is that some of the players heading home may never be back. For six months, a baseball team is a large family. They travel together, eat together and spend hours wiling away the dead time before games or during rain delays. Then at the end of the season, everyone heads to their respective homes. Some will be back together again next year. But others will be traded, or sign elsewhere as minor league free agents, or get released.
It makes for one of the stranger days of the season. Players who have been grinding their way through a 140-game season and more than six months away from friends and family understandably are excited about the idea of heading home.
By an hour after the game, the bags are packed and the clubhouse is beginning to look like a ghost town. Players are used to traveling light, so with a couple of duffel bags and bat bags loaded up, most of them are ready to hit the road.
The Legends were supposed to have a 12:00 start time on Sunday. Those driving home could have been on the road by 4:00. Several of those flying had 5:30 fights. Due to having to play both halves of the double header, their plans changed. By the time they played both games, it was after 6:30. Some were frustrated by the events. Yet, several of the players still took time out to talk to fans. My son left with a few extra souvenirs. He also got to spend time with some guys who put their frustrations aside to make an 11 year olds day. So today we give a special thank you to Hector Rodriguez, Domingo Santana, Ben Heath, and Jhonny Medrano for going above and beyond on a cold wet day when their thoughts were on home.
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