It only counts as one win in the standings but it was a solid statement. Greeneville stretched its two game lead to three with an all around dominate performance. Here are the highlights:
The night got off to a good night when Little Appy and I got our Jose Altuve give away t-shirts when we walked in the gate.
On The Mound
When a team scores 17 runs in a game, it can be tempting to overlook the pitching but that would be a mistake. Jordan Mills started the game for the G-Stros and pitched five solid innings facing just one batter over the minimum. His line read: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K.
Unofficially, I had him at 58 pitches with 43 of them for strikes! Of the seven strikeouts, five were swinging and two were looking. The two hits were both doubles. One was a ball that bounded over third baseman Tyler White down the left field line. The other was another ball down the left field line.
Austin Chrismon relieved Mills and pitched the next three innings. The first pitch he delivered was deposited over the wall for a solo HR. After that, he settled down allowing just one more hit. He struck out three and walked one. He threw several very nice curves on the night.
Tyler Brunnemann finished off the game with a rather eventful ninth. After striking out the first batter, he walked the next batter on four pitches. He the gave up a double down the right field line that luckily went under the gate for a ground rule double. Otherwise it is a run scoring triple. He walked the next batter on a full count pitch to load the bases before getting a visit from the pitching coach. The very next pitch went for a 4-6-3 double play to wrap up the game.
At The Plate
15 hits. 6 BB. 1 HBP and 1 reached on a drop third strike. That is 23 base runners on the night and 17 scored. The team was 7-10 with runners in scoring position. Every Astro who played scored a run. Even Angle Ibanez who struck out in his only at bat. He reached when the third strike got by the catcher and he reached first safely. It was just one of those nights.
Marc Wik went 4 for 5 with three singles and a bases clearing stand up triple to the gap in right center. Wik scored three runs on the night to lead the team.
Tyler White was 2 for 4 with a two run homer before leaving the game in the seventh.
Chase McDonald went 3 for 4 - all singles - plus a walk. The one time he got out required a nice play by the shortstop. McDonald hit the ball toward left field. The SS dove to his right and threw from his knees to nab McDonald or he perfect night.
Juan Santana only had one hit but it was a big hit. A three run HR to left field. He also had a sac fly to plate the final run of the game.
Ariel Ovando went 2 for 4 on the night and led the team with five RBI. He had three run HR to RF that got out in a hurry. He latter had a hustle double on a ball hit in shallow center. He rounded first and realized that both the shortstop and the second baseman had gone out to try to catch the ball and 2nd was unattended. He cruised in for a stand up double on a ball that was just out of the reach of the second baseman. He later walked in the game with the bases loaded for his final RBI of the night.
Brian Holberton was 2 for 4 with both of his hits coming in the seven run third inning. He lead off the inning with a single to left and then added a double down the right field line later in the inning. He added a walk in the ninth.
The game was out of hand in the ninth but the K-Mets couldn't get the Astros out so they resorted to bringing in their closer who got a double play ball with the bases loaded to put an end to the massacre.
In The Field
Tyler White made several nice plays at third. He made a leaping grab of a line drive and a nice play ranging to his left in the third. He added another good play to his left in the fourth. He also applied a tag to catch a runner attempting stealing third in the first. The runner was out by two feet thanks to a great throw by Brian Holberton.
The other play I have circled in my score book as a 3-6-1 double play to end the seventh. First baseman McDonald fielded the ball moving to his right. He made the throw to the SS Thomas Lindauer who threw back to pitcher Austin Chrismon covering first. Just like you work on in in PFPs.
The one error of the night was charged to Lindauer on a ball that was hit up the middle. He got to the ball in time but couldn't field it cleanly to make the throw. It would have been a very nice play had he pulled it off. He made a similar play later in the game.
Showing posts with label 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013. Show all posts
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Friday, August 2, 2013
Appy Astros Alumni Of The Month - July 2013
The short season is in full swing and both Greeneville and Tri Cities lead their divisions. The rest of the farm isn't doing to shabbily either with both Corpus Christi and Lancaster leading their divisions in the second half of the season.
Here is your monthly look at how former Greeneville Astros are doing in the Major Leagues, the Astros' farm system and in other minor league affiliates.
Tri-City ValleyCats (short season A ball)
Hitter
Chan Moon was bumped back down to short season ball after spending most of last season in Low A and even getting a taste of High A. The fact that he is in Tri Cities shows you the depth at SS in the organization. In July, he hit .299/.365/.358 with seven stolen bases.
Pitcher
Michael Feliz has been dominate in the NY/Penn League. In 20 1/3 innings in July, he fanned 23 batters and offered free passes to just three. His season ERA is 1.49 with 42 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings pitched.
Quad Cities River Bandits (Low A)
Hitter
Carlos Correa hit .295/.378/.474 for the month of July. He added two HR and eight doubles. His season average of .314 shows he is ready for the next challenge.
Honorable mention to Rio Ruiz. He hit .279 for July with 10 extra base hits (six doubles, one triple and three HR). He has rebounded from a rough start to raise his season average to .251.
Pitcher
Vincent Velasquez made four starts in July and finished with an impressive 2.35 ERA. He fanned 21 batters in 23 innings pitched while maintaining a WHIP of 0.783.
Sharing the honor this month is Jordan Jankowski who made two starts and four relief appearances for a combined 19 1/3 innings pitched. During July, his ERA was 1.86 and he allowed just 13 hits and one walk for a 0.656 WHIP.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter
Delino DeShields was hot for July hitting .349/..407/.500 with 19 stolen bases. He took 10 walks and only struck out 16 times in 106 at bats.
Pitcher
Mike Hauschild has only spent a part of the month in Lancaster be he has been solid in his first three outings. In 14 innings pitched (two starts and one relief appearance) he struck out 12 batters and only issued two walks. His Lancaster ERA was 3.86.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Hitter
Rene Garcia gets the nod before he heads off to AAA. For July, he hit .327/.358/.423. During his time in Corpus Christi he has thrown out 51% of would be base stealers.
Jonathan Meyer gets honorable mention for his solid month. He hit .315/.411/.446. After hitting .165 in April, his season average is up to .274.
Pitcher
Who else but David Martinez. In 5 starts for July (36 1/3 IP) he had a 1.98 ERA with two complete games.
Ruben Alaniz gets honorable mention for his solid month. In four starts, he posted a 2.59 ERA in 24 1/3 innings.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Hitter
Ruben Sosa earns this spot despite being the only position player on the roster who played in Greeneville. He appeared in 19 games in July and hit an impressive .368 with three triples.
Pitcher
Jorge De Leon gets the nod by virtue of three strong relief appearances after his call up from Corpus Christi. He has not allowed a run in the four innings he has thrown so far.
Outside The Astros Org.
Hitter
Albert Cartwright had a very solid month for Reading (Phillies AA). He hit .306/.328 /.417 bringing his season average up to .268.
Pitcher
Victor Garate made five starts for Saltillo of the Mexican League (AAA). His ERA for July was 1.74. He fanned 33 batters in his 31 innings of work.
MLB
Hitter
J.D. Martinez gets the honor by hitting .288 in 17 games this month. Honorable mention goes to Brandon Barnes for hitting for the cycle this month.
Pitcher
Fernando Abad continues his solid work this season. In July, he amassed a 1.86 ERA in 10 games (9 2/3 IP) out of the Nationals bullpen. Home runs have always been Abad's Achilles heel, but this year, through 24 1/3 innings, he has not surrendered a long ball.
Here is your monthly look at how former Greeneville Astros are doing in the Major Leagues, the Astros' farm system and in other minor league affiliates.
Tri-City ValleyCats (short season A ball)
Hitter
Chan Moon was bumped back down to short season ball after spending most of last season in Low A and even getting a taste of High A. The fact that he is in Tri Cities shows you the depth at SS in the organization. In July, he hit .299/.365/.358 with seven stolen bases.
Pitcher
Michael Feliz has been dominate in the NY/Penn League. In 20 1/3 innings in July, he fanned 23 batters and offered free passes to just three. His season ERA is 1.49 with 42 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings pitched.
Quad Cities River Bandits (Low A)
Hitter
Carlos Correa hit .295/.378/.474 for the month of July. He added two HR and eight doubles. His season average of .314 shows he is ready for the next challenge.
Honorable mention to Rio Ruiz. He hit .279 for July with 10 extra base hits (six doubles, one triple and three HR). He has rebounded from a rough start to raise his season average to .251.
Pitcher
Vincent Velasquez made four starts in July and finished with an impressive 2.35 ERA. He fanned 21 batters in 23 innings pitched while maintaining a WHIP of 0.783.
Sharing the honor this month is Jordan Jankowski who made two starts and four relief appearances for a combined 19 1/3 innings pitched. During July, his ERA was 1.86 and he allowed just 13 hits and one walk for a 0.656 WHIP.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter
Delino DeShields was hot for July hitting .349/..407/.500 with 19 stolen bases. He took 10 walks and only struck out 16 times in 106 at bats.
Pitcher
Mike Hauschild has only spent a part of the month in Lancaster be he has been solid in his first three outings. In 14 innings pitched (two starts and one relief appearance) he struck out 12 batters and only issued two walks. His Lancaster ERA was 3.86.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Hitter
Rene Garcia gets the nod before he heads off to AAA. For July, he hit .327/.358/.423. During his time in Corpus Christi he has thrown out 51% of would be base stealers.
Jonathan Meyer gets honorable mention for his solid month. He hit .315/.411/.446. After hitting .165 in April, his season average is up to .274.
Pitcher
Who else but David Martinez. In 5 starts for July (36 1/3 IP) he had a 1.98 ERA with two complete games.
Ruben Alaniz gets honorable mention for his solid month. In four starts, he posted a 2.59 ERA in 24 1/3 innings.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Hitter
Ruben Sosa earns this spot despite being the only position player on the roster who played in Greeneville. He appeared in 19 games in July and hit an impressive .368 with three triples.
Pitcher
Jorge De Leon gets the nod by virtue of three strong relief appearances after his call up from Corpus Christi. He has not allowed a run in the four innings he has thrown so far.
Outside The Astros Org.
Hitter
Albert Cartwright had a very solid month for Reading (Phillies AA). He hit .306/.328 /.417 bringing his season average up to .268.
Pitcher
Victor Garate made five starts for Saltillo of the Mexican League (AAA). His ERA for July was 1.74. He fanned 33 batters in his 31 innings of work.
MLB
Hitter
J.D. Martinez gets the honor by hitting .288 in 17 games this month. Honorable mention goes to Brandon Barnes for hitting for the cycle this month.
Pitcher
Fernando Abad continues his solid work this season. In July, he amassed a 1.86 ERA in 10 games (9 2/3 IP) out of the Nationals bullpen. Home runs have always been Abad's Achilles heel, but this year, through 24 1/3 innings, he has not surrendered a long ball.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Eyewitness Report: 7/28/13 Greeneville 10 - Pulaski 1 - How A Pitchers Duel Turned Into A Blow Out
When you get to the game and the starters ERAs are 1.83 and 1.59 respectively, you settle in for a pitchers duel. That is how the game played out for the first five innings. But then Greeneville's bats exploded for 10 runs in their last three at bats to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 10-1 victory. Here are more observations from the game.
On The Mound
Jandel Gustave only allowed one hit in six innings but he walked six batters. The walks came in pairs, with two each in the first, third and fifth innings. He wasn't wild, just missing by little bits. I had his pitch count at 75 with only 35 for strikes. Despite his control issues, he still fanned four batter and only allowed one of his walks to score. He left after five innings down 1-0.
Chris Munnelly made his Greeneville debut pitching two innings of no hit, shut out ball. He struck out two hitters and walked one. The only other runner reached on an error when the ball was knocked out of a glove on a tag play at first. Munnelly's curve ball appeared to be his best pitch tonight.
Krishawn Holley closed out the game with an effective inning, allowing just one hit.
It was quite an outing from the pitching staff.
At The Plate
The Astros bats were kept in check for the first five innings. Pulaski starter, Eddie Campbell, used effective location of multiple pitches.
In the first five innings, the Astros batters were 3 for 15 with one walk and five strike outs.
In the final three at bats, the G-Stros batters were 11 for 18 with three walks, four strike outs and 10 runs scored - all earned.
Chase McDonald reached base in each of his four plate appearances. He had a single, a double, two walks, two RBI and two runs scored.
Brian Holberton hit his first HR at Pioneer Park; a two run blast in the sixth that gave Greeneville the lead 2-1. He also singled and scored in the 8th.
Brett Phillips laid down one of the sweetest bunt hits I have seen for one of his two singles on the night. Phillips pushed a bunt past the pitchers out stretched glove and no play at first was made. He later scored two runs after reaching via a walk and single.
Three other G-Stros had two hits. Tanner Mathis and Thomas Lindauer both produced a single and a double and Juan Santana had two singles.
Only Edwin Gomez didn't join the hit parade for Greeneville. He went 0 for 4 with 4 Ks. The part of that that concerned me was that he only saw 13 pitches on the night. The first pitch he saw of the night was a ball, after that it was twelve straight strikes and four straight Ks. Obviously something is wrong there.
In The Field
Mathis gets the Oscar for selling a sliding short hop grab as a catch in the second inning. From my vantage point, it appeared the ball bounced into his glove. The Pulaski manager and bench agreed with me. But Mathis raised his glove high and the home plate ump signaled out.
Lindauer started a nice 6-4-3 double play in the fifth inning. The ball was hit to his right. He ranged over, grabbed the ball and threw across his body to start the double play. Juan Santana made a nice quick turn to complete the twin killing.
The other nice play was made by McDonald at first on a high pop fly in foul territory. He adjusted to the ball at the last minute making a lunge to his right to secure the ball to end the sixth inning.
The only error of the game was charged to McDonald. He was playing in anticipating a bunt from the speedy Aaron Barbosa. Barbosa didn't bunt. He chopped a ball down the first baseline that McDonald had to retreat to retrieve. When he did, Munnelly had not made it in time to cover first. McDonald made an attempt to tag Barbosa before he reached the bag safely but the ball was knocked out of McDonalds glove during the attempt. Heck of an effort but charged with the error none the less.
Overall
Nice team win for the G-Stros. The pitching was very good, the offense produced late in the game and the defense was solid. They end the series against a very good Pulaski team two games in front of the streaking Kingsport Mets. They start a three game series against the Burlington Royals (17-19) tomorrow.
On The Mound
Jandel Gustave only allowed one hit in six innings but he walked six batters. The walks came in pairs, with two each in the first, third and fifth innings. He wasn't wild, just missing by little bits. I had his pitch count at 75 with only 35 for strikes. Despite his control issues, he still fanned four batter and only allowed one of his walks to score. He left after five innings down 1-0.
Chris Munnelly made his Greeneville debut pitching two innings of no hit, shut out ball. He struck out two hitters and walked one. The only other runner reached on an error when the ball was knocked out of a glove on a tag play at first. Munnelly's curve ball appeared to be his best pitch tonight.
Krishawn Holley closed out the game with an effective inning, allowing just one hit.
It was quite an outing from the pitching staff.
At The Plate
The Astros bats were kept in check for the first five innings. Pulaski starter, Eddie Campbell, used effective location of multiple pitches.
In the first five innings, the Astros batters were 3 for 15 with one walk and five strike outs.
In the final three at bats, the G-Stros batters were 11 for 18 with three walks, four strike outs and 10 runs scored - all earned.
Chase McDonald reached base in each of his four plate appearances. He had a single, a double, two walks, two RBI and two runs scored.
Brian Holberton hit his first HR at Pioneer Park; a two run blast in the sixth that gave Greeneville the lead 2-1. He also singled and scored in the 8th.
Brett Phillips laid down one of the sweetest bunt hits I have seen for one of his two singles on the night. Phillips pushed a bunt past the pitchers out stretched glove and no play at first was made. He later scored two runs after reaching via a walk and single.
Three other G-Stros had two hits. Tanner Mathis and Thomas Lindauer both produced a single and a double and Juan Santana had two singles.
Only Edwin Gomez didn't join the hit parade for Greeneville. He went 0 for 4 with 4 Ks. The part of that that concerned me was that he only saw 13 pitches on the night. The first pitch he saw of the night was a ball, after that it was twelve straight strikes and four straight Ks. Obviously something is wrong there.
In The Field
Mathis gets the Oscar for selling a sliding short hop grab as a catch in the second inning. From my vantage point, it appeared the ball bounced into his glove. The Pulaski manager and bench agreed with me. But Mathis raised his glove high and the home plate ump signaled out.
Lindauer started a nice 6-4-3 double play in the fifth inning. The ball was hit to his right. He ranged over, grabbed the ball and threw across his body to start the double play. Juan Santana made a nice quick turn to complete the twin killing.
The other nice play was made by McDonald at first on a high pop fly in foul territory. He adjusted to the ball at the last minute making a lunge to his right to secure the ball to end the sixth inning.
The only error of the game was charged to McDonald. He was playing in anticipating a bunt from the speedy Aaron Barbosa. Barbosa didn't bunt. He chopped a ball down the first baseline that McDonald had to retreat to retrieve. When he did, Munnelly had not made it in time to cover first. McDonald made an attempt to tag Barbosa before he reached the bag safely but the ball was knocked out of McDonalds glove during the attempt. Heck of an effort but charged with the error none the less.
Overall
Nice team win for the G-Stros. The pitching was very good, the offense produced late in the game and the defense was solid. They end the series against a very good Pulaski team two games in front of the streaking Kingsport Mets. They start a three game series against the Burlington Royals (17-19) tomorrow.
Eyewitness Report - 7/27/13 - Pulaski Pulls Out Two Wins From G-Stros
In what could be a potential play off preview, the Pulaski Mariners pulled out two late comebacks to defeat the Greeneville Astros twice Saturday night. The first game was the conclusion of Friday's suspended game. The Mariners scored four runs in the in the seventh to take a 5-4 decision. Then in the seven inning night cap, they got a two run homer in the sixth to secure a 2-1 win. Here is a closer look at what I observed last night.
Game 1 - Pulaski 5, Greeneville 4
The game picked up with Greeneville up 2-1 in the bottom of the 2nd.
On the Mound
Christian Garcia threw three very effective innings. His fast ball sat in the upper 80's but he mixed speeds well and keep batters guessing. He fanned five in the three innings and retired the first 8 batters he faced. He had a walk and a hit batter but no base hits.
Sidewinder Ryan Connolly came in next and was effective in the 6th before the wheels came off in the 7th. He struck out a batter to start the 7th but then a short hop couldn't be handled by Tyler White at third for an E-5. The next three batters followed with a triple, a single and a triple. An inning that started as a 4-1 lead ended with a 5-4 deficit.
Tyler Brunnemann finished off the game. I was pleased to see that some improvement in his mechanics. When I saw him earlier in the year, he would touch the ground with his glove on his follow through. Now he tucks the glove to his chest as he follows through. He is not repeating the tuck perfectly as it was sometimes at his chest and sometimes at his hip but it shows improvement. He only had one strike out but induced three ground balls and two pop outs to short. He gave up one hit, a double.
At the Plate
Brett Phillips started the third off with a hard ground ball inside the bag at third for a double. It is fun to watch him run. He is fast! He also reached on a walk.
Edwin Gomez reached base three times with a walk and two singles. However he was .500 in getting out of base running goofs. In the third, with the bases loaded, Tyler White hit a fly ball to shallow right field. Phillips was tagging on the play but did not try to advance. However, Gomez took off from second and was almost to third when the throw reached the catcher. The catcher threw to second to try to get Gomez coming back to the bag but the ball ended up in center and both Phillips and Gomez scored.
He wasn't as fortunate in the seventh. He scorched a ball that appeared to be leaving the yard but bounced off the top of the fence. He was nabbed at second with a great throw from the left fielder. Some people sitting around me said Gomez had started his home run trot, I don't know if this is accurate because I was trying to follow the trajectory of the ball. If he was, I am sure the coaching staff will let him hear about it. If not, it was a great play by the Mariners.
Those three were the only players with hits for the continuation portion of the game. Ariel Ovando and Darwin Rivera both took walks but no one else reached base.
In The Field
Other than the error by White on a tough play coming in on a short hop, the defense looked pretty good. Darwin Rivera was at 2nd and looked pretty comfortable there. More so than he has looked at third.
Game 2: Pulaski 2 - Greeneville 1:
This game was a seven inning game due to the completion of the suspended game.
On The Mound
Chris Lee was impressive last night. Lee's fastball was sitting in the 93-95 range (thanks to the scout two rows in front for holding his radar gun in a position so I could peek) and his slider was getting a great many swings and misses. His delivery was smooth and effortless. I had him at 78 pitches when he was pulled with one out in the sixth with 53 being for strikes (68%). I also had him with first pitch strikes to 17 of the 24 batters he faced (71%).
He led off the second striking out the Pulaski clean up hitter on three pitches. The final pitch resulted in the Pulaski hitter winding up on the seat of his pants after an unsuccessful attempt to check his swing. He ended up striking out five batters on the night. All of them swinging.
He was helped by the ground rules in the fourth. After striking out the first two batters, the next batter reached on a hit to short stop. Thomas Lindauer made a nice backhanded play on a sharply hit ball but couldn't recover for the throw. The next batter hit a ball into the right field corner that went under the gate for a ground rule double. If not for the gate being there, it would have been an RBI triple - Pulaski's third of the evening.
In the sixth, Lee had a different kind of luck. After hitting the first batter, he induced a ground ball to second. Marc Wik had to come in to field the ball and made a swipe at the runner going by before throwing to first. The umpire ruled Wik didn't tag the runner going to second. Both Wik and Lindauer were adamant the tag had been made. From my angle, it appeared the umpire made the safe sign before Wik even attempted the tag.
Lee had the next batter in a 1-2 count and left a pitch up in the zone that was sent over the left field wall. After giving up a bunt hit to the next batter, his night was done. He deserved a better fate than taking the loss.
Gonzalo Sanudo came into finish off game getting five straight outs. Four of them were air outs and three went to the outfield.
At The Plate
When you get three hits as a team, there is not too much to write about here.
Thomas Lindauer had the big hit of the night, a RBI double to left that scored Wallace Gonzalez from first.
Marc Wik singled in the first after fouling off five pitches. He was in an 0-2 whole and ended up seeing a total of eight pitches that at bat before reaching on a bouncer up the middle. He was robbed of another single by a nice play by the second baseman to lead off the sixth.
Tyler White had a solid single to left to lead off the fourth but was erased on a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Angel Ibanez hit a ball hard up the middle that the short stop made a nice play on to prevent him from having a hit on the night.
A bit of good news - the Mariners are second in the league in most strike outs by their pitchers. They came into the games just two K's behind the G-Stros pitchers. In the 16 innings played in the series so far, G-Stro batters have just five strike outs. Meanwhile the G-Stro pitchers added 15 to their total.
In The Field
Lindauer also made the play of the game in the field as well. He climbed the ladder and nabbed a line drive to end the fifth inning.
Ibanez made a nice play at third in the sixth. With a runner on third, he fielded a ground ball on a short hop and made a nice throw to catcher Ricky Gingras to get the runner who had been going on contact.
Tyler White made a nice play at first on a hard hit ball in the second inning.
Overall
After being 10-1 in one run games, they lost two last night. Just not enough offense to get the job done.
Game 1 - Pulaski 5, Greeneville 4
The game picked up with Greeneville up 2-1 in the bottom of the 2nd.
On the Mound
Christian Garcia threw three very effective innings. His fast ball sat in the upper 80's but he mixed speeds well and keep batters guessing. He fanned five in the three innings and retired the first 8 batters he faced. He had a walk and a hit batter but no base hits.
Sidewinder Ryan Connolly came in next and was effective in the 6th before the wheels came off in the 7th. He struck out a batter to start the 7th but then a short hop couldn't be handled by Tyler White at third for an E-5. The next three batters followed with a triple, a single and a triple. An inning that started as a 4-1 lead ended with a 5-4 deficit.
Tyler Brunnemann finished off the game. I was pleased to see that some improvement in his mechanics. When I saw him earlier in the year, he would touch the ground with his glove on his follow through. Now he tucks the glove to his chest as he follows through. He is not repeating the tuck perfectly as it was sometimes at his chest and sometimes at his hip but it shows improvement. He only had one strike out but induced three ground balls and two pop outs to short. He gave up one hit, a double.
At the Plate
Brett Phillips started the third off with a hard ground ball inside the bag at third for a double. It is fun to watch him run. He is fast! He also reached on a walk.
Edwin Gomez reached base three times with a walk and two singles. However he was .500 in getting out of base running goofs. In the third, with the bases loaded, Tyler White hit a fly ball to shallow right field. Phillips was tagging on the play but did not try to advance. However, Gomez took off from second and was almost to third when the throw reached the catcher. The catcher threw to second to try to get Gomez coming back to the bag but the ball ended up in center and both Phillips and Gomez scored.
He wasn't as fortunate in the seventh. He scorched a ball that appeared to be leaving the yard but bounced off the top of the fence. He was nabbed at second with a great throw from the left fielder. Some people sitting around me said Gomez had started his home run trot, I don't know if this is accurate because I was trying to follow the trajectory of the ball. If he was, I am sure the coaching staff will let him hear about it. If not, it was a great play by the Mariners.
Those three were the only players with hits for the continuation portion of the game. Ariel Ovando and Darwin Rivera both took walks but no one else reached base.
In The Field
Other than the error by White on a tough play coming in on a short hop, the defense looked pretty good. Darwin Rivera was at 2nd and looked pretty comfortable there. More so than he has looked at third.
Game 2: Pulaski 2 - Greeneville 1:
This game was a seven inning game due to the completion of the suspended game.
On The Mound
Chris Lee was impressive last night. Lee's fastball was sitting in the 93-95 range (thanks to the scout two rows in front for holding his radar gun in a position so I could peek) and his slider was getting a great many swings and misses. His delivery was smooth and effortless. I had him at 78 pitches when he was pulled with one out in the sixth with 53 being for strikes (68%). I also had him with first pitch strikes to 17 of the 24 batters he faced (71%).
He led off the second striking out the Pulaski clean up hitter on three pitches. The final pitch resulted in the Pulaski hitter winding up on the seat of his pants after an unsuccessful attempt to check his swing. He ended up striking out five batters on the night. All of them swinging.
He was helped by the ground rules in the fourth. After striking out the first two batters, the next batter reached on a hit to short stop. Thomas Lindauer made a nice backhanded play on a sharply hit ball but couldn't recover for the throw. The next batter hit a ball into the right field corner that went under the gate for a ground rule double. If not for the gate being there, it would have been an RBI triple - Pulaski's third of the evening.
In the sixth, Lee had a different kind of luck. After hitting the first batter, he induced a ground ball to second. Marc Wik had to come in to field the ball and made a swipe at the runner going by before throwing to first. The umpire ruled Wik didn't tag the runner going to second. Both Wik and Lindauer were adamant the tag had been made. From my angle, it appeared the umpire made the safe sign before Wik even attempted the tag.
Lee had the next batter in a 1-2 count and left a pitch up in the zone that was sent over the left field wall. After giving up a bunt hit to the next batter, his night was done. He deserved a better fate than taking the loss.
Gonzalo Sanudo came into finish off game getting five straight outs. Four of them were air outs and three went to the outfield.
At The Plate
When you get three hits as a team, there is not too much to write about here.
Thomas Lindauer had the big hit of the night, a RBI double to left that scored Wallace Gonzalez from first.
Marc Wik singled in the first after fouling off five pitches. He was in an 0-2 whole and ended up seeing a total of eight pitches that at bat before reaching on a bouncer up the middle. He was robbed of another single by a nice play by the second baseman to lead off the sixth.
Tyler White had a solid single to left to lead off the fourth but was erased on a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Angel Ibanez hit a ball hard up the middle that the short stop made a nice play on to prevent him from having a hit on the night.
A bit of good news - the Mariners are second in the league in most strike outs by their pitchers. They came into the games just two K's behind the G-Stros pitchers. In the 16 innings played in the series so far, G-Stro batters have just five strike outs. Meanwhile the G-Stro pitchers added 15 to their total.
In The Field
Lindauer also made the play of the game in the field as well. He climbed the ladder and nabbed a line drive to end the fifth inning.
Ibanez made a nice play at third in the sixth. With a runner on third, he fielded a ground ball on a short hop and made a nice throw to catcher Ricky Gingras to get the runner who had been going on contact.
Tyler White made a nice play at first on a hard hit ball in the second inning.
Overall
After being 10-1 in one run games, they lost two last night. Just not enough offense to get the job done.
Friday, July 26, 2013
G-Stros Pitching Leads Way
The 2013 Greeneville Astros got off to a 1-5 start. During that stretch, they allowed 40 runs. That is averaging giving up 6.67 runs per game. In the 27 games since then, the G-Stros are 22-5 and have only given up 67 runs. That is an average of 2.48 runs per game. That is a dramatic difference and points to the strength of this edition of the Greeneville Astros. Pitching. Let's look closer at the team pitching stats.
Leading The League As A Team
Team ERA is 2.51, which leads the league by a comfortable half a run margin.
They are tied for the most shutouts with four.
The bullpen has the most saves with 14 and the most holds with 13.
They are second in the league allowing just 233 hits and tied for the fewest walks with 89. But together, they lead the league with the lowest WHIP with 1.11.
They lead the league with 312 strikeouts.
They have allowed the second fewest HR with 9.
They have given up the second fewest runs with 107 but have given up the fewest earned runs with 81.
The only area they are not in first or second is in hit batters. They have hit 17 batters which is the fifth most.
Individual Leaders
Despite leading the league as a team in ERA by a large margin, only Frederick Tiburcio is listed in the league leaders for ERA. He is 2nd with a 1.09 ERA.
Only Chris Lee is in the top 10 for strike outs. He is tied for 5th with 32 Ks. Tiburcio is 11th with 30.
Gonzalo Sanudo and J.D. Osborne are tied for second in saves with six each. Osborne has already been promoted.
Tyler Brunnemann is in second with three holds, while Krishawn Holley and Austin Chrismon are tied for third with two each.
There is no G-Stro in the top 22 for hits allowed!
Team Effort
The domination of the pitching staff with the relatively light representation on the individual leader board shows that this is definitely a team effort.
Nine pitchers have more strike outs than innings pitched.
Fourteen pitchers have a WHIP under 1.20.
Ten pitchers have an ERA below 3.00.
Jordan Mills highlights this team effort. He has appeared in eight games with four of them being starts. He has a hold and a save as well. In 25 innings pitched, he has a 1.08 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP and 26 strikeouts. Whatever he has been asked to do for this team he has done it and done it well.
Definitely a fun pitching staff to watch.
Leading The League As A Team
Team ERA is 2.51, which leads the league by a comfortable half a run margin.
They are tied for the most shutouts with four.
The bullpen has the most saves with 14 and the most holds with 13.
They are second in the league allowing just 233 hits and tied for the fewest walks with 89. But together, they lead the league with the lowest WHIP with 1.11.
They lead the league with 312 strikeouts.
They have allowed the second fewest HR with 9.
They have given up the second fewest runs with 107 but have given up the fewest earned runs with 81.
The only area they are not in first or second is in hit batters. They have hit 17 batters which is the fifth most.
Individual Leaders
Despite leading the league as a team in ERA by a large margin, only Frederick Tiburcio is listed in the league leaders for ERA. He is 2nd with a 1.09 ERA.
Only Chris Lee is in the top 10 for strike outs. He is tied for 5th with 32 Ks. Tiburcio is 11th with 30.
Gonzalo Sanudo and J.D. Osborne are tied for second in saves with six each. Osborne has already been promoted.
Tyler Brunnemann is in second with three holds, while Krishawn Holley and Austin Chrismon are tied for third with two each.
There is no G-Stro in the top 22 for hits allowed!
Team Effort
The domination of the pitching staff with the relatively light representation on the individual leader board shows that this is definitely a team effort.
Nine pitchers have more strike outs than innings pitched.
Fourteen pitchers have a WHIP under 1.20.
Ten pitchers have an ERA below 3.00.
Jordan Mills highlights this team effort. He has appeared in eight games with four of them being starts. He has a hold and a save as well. In 25 innings pitched, he has a 1.08 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP and 26 strikeouts. Whatever he has been asked to do for this team he has done it and done it well.
Definitely a fun pitching staff to watch.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Eyewitness Report: 6/25/13 Elizabethton 8 Greenevillle 4
Finally made it to Pioneer Park for my first game of the season. What was a pretty good game for six innings dissolved in the seventh into a rout. Here are some of my observations from the game:
On The Mound:
Starter Enderson Franco did not get off to a great start. A four pitch walk to the lead off batter is not the way to start a game. After a stolen base and a ground out, the runner scored on a two out single to give the E-Twins an early lead. Lead off walks will kill you every time.
The second inning was when Franco impressed me the most. After the third baseman booted the first batter's attempt. The next batter hit a tailor made 5-4-3 double play ball that was dropped by the second baseman. So instead of two outs. It was runners at first and second with no outs. Franco induced a 3-1 ground out before walking a batter to load the bases. He then got a pop to third in foul territory and a strike out to avoid any damage. However the side effect of giving a team two extra outs in the inning is Franco threw 18 pitches that inning instead of just seven.
In the third, he only faced three batters but threw 20 pitches. The inning went three pitch strike out looking, eight pitch F8 and nine pitch strike out swinging.
In the fourth, Franco got a lead off strikeout and then allowed three straight singles to the bottom of the line up. He still got out of the inning with just one run scoring. His night was done after four innings. By my count, he threw 71 pitches, with 50 of the going for strikes. He fanned five batters and allowed four hits and two walks.
Franco needs to work on keeping base runners closer. In the first inning both runners who reached stole second and the throw never had a chance. He has a pretty good size leg kick in his stretch and it allows runners to get a good jump on him.
He was relieved by Edison Frias. Frias didn't pitch badly, he just doesn't have an out pitch. He faced five batters who fouled off at least one ball after a two strike count. None of those at bats ended in a strike out. Most of them ended up in base hits. His breaking pitch was in the dirt and the E-Twins were not swinging at it. He needs an out pitch. He threw 74 pitches in 3 2/3 innings with 49 of the pitches for strikes. He struck out two batters and walked one. He allowed nine hits with five going for extra bases.
Ryan Connolly got the last four outs for the G-Stros. He is an extreme side arm pitcher. No balls got out of the infield off him. One was hit well but a nice play by Borchering at first took care of it.
At The Plate:
Tanner Mathis did what you want a lead off to do. He got on base. He went 1-3 but also reached on a walk and a HBP.
Edwin Gomez had the two big hits for the night for Greeneville. A RBI triple in the 4th and a two run homer in the 8th. The home came on the seventh pitch of the at bat with a full count. Both hits were to right center.
Ricky Gingras had two hits, including a double to lead off the fourth.
Juan Santana added two singles.
Ariel Ovando looked very off balance at the plate. He has a big step in the load of his swing and I believe it makes it hard for him to adjust to off speed pitches. He was getting a heavy diet of breaking balls. He struck out swinging twice and hit two grounders to first. The only good contact was on a couple of foul balls.
Bobby Borchering looked out of sorts as well. He had one good hit that was smothered by the E-Twins 6'7" first baseman. But otherwise, it was strikeouts and a pop out to short.
In The Field:
Other than the nice snag by Borchering on a line drive at first, there weren't too many stand out plays. Gingras did a nice job behind the plate keeping the ball in front of him on several balls in dirt from Frias.
For the second straight night defense at third was an issue. Angel Ibanez made two errors at third. One on a well hit but routine grounder that got in on him. The other was a throw on a tough play coming in. The throw sailed on him and ended up in the seats.
The other error came on a missed catch by second baseman Parker Hipp. The throw was low to start the 5-4-3 double play but it appeared to catch him in the palm of the glove and he couldn't squeeze it.
The outfield got lots of practice chasing after balls over their head. Cut off throws were pretty effective and defensive position of cut off men looked sound.
I hope to make it out to another game this week if life doesn't get in the way.
On The Mound:
Starter Enderson Franco did not get off to a great start. A four pitch walk to the lead off batter is not the way to start a game. After a stolen base and a ground out, the runner scored on a two out single to give the E-Twins an early lead. Lead off walks will kill you every time.
The second inning was when Franco impressed me the most. After the third baseman booted the first batter's attempt. The next batter hit a tailor made 5-4-3 double play ball that was dropped by the second baseman. So instead of two outs. It was runners at first and second with no outs. Franco induced a 3-1 ground out before walking a batter to load the bases. He then got a pop to third in foul territory and a strike out to avoid any damage. However the side effect of giving a team two extra outs in the inning is Franco threw 18 pitches that inning instead of just seven.
In the third, he only faced three batters but threw 20 pitches. The inning went three pitch strike out looking, eight pitch F8 and nine pitch strike out swinging.
In the fourth, Franco got a lead off strikeout and then allowed three straight singles to the bottom of the line up. He still got out of the inning with just one run scoring. His night was done after four innings. By my count, he threw 71 pitches, with 50 of the going for strikes. He fanned five batters and allowed four hits and two walks.
Franco needs to work on keeping base runners closer. In the first inning both runners who reached stole second and the throw never had a chance. He has a pretty good size leg kick in his stretch and it allows runners to get a good jump on him.
He was relieved by Edison Frias. Frias didn't pitch badly, he just doesn't have an out pitch. He faced five batters who fouled off at least one ball after a two strike count. None of those at bats ended in a strike out. Most of them ended up in base hits. His breaking pitch was in the dirt and the E-Twins were not swinging at it. He needs an out pitch. He threw 74 pitches in 3 2/3 innings with 49 of the pitches for strikes. He struck out two batters and walked one. He allowed nine hits with five going for extra bases.
Ryan Connolly got the last four outs for the G-Stros. He is an extreme side arm pitcher. No balls got out of the infield off him. One was hit well but a nice play by Borchering at first took care of it.
At The Plate:
Tanner Mathis did what you want a lead off to do. He got on base. He went 1-3 but also reached on a walk and a HBP.
Edwin Gomez had the two big hits for the night for Greeneville. A RBI triple in the 4th and a two run homer in the 8th. The home came on the seventh pitch of the at bat with a full count. Both hits were to right center.
Ricky Gingras had two hits, including a double to lead off the fourth.
Juan Santana added two singles.
Ariel Ovando looked very off balance at the plate. He has a big step in the load of his swing and I believe it makes it hard for him to adjust to off speed pitches. He was getting a heavy diet of breaking balls. He struck out swinging twice and hit two grounders to first. The only good contact was on a couple of foul balls.
Bobby Borchering looked out of sorts as well. He had one good hit that was smothered by the E-Twins 6'7" first baseman. But otherwise, it was strikeouts and a pop out to short.
In The Field:
Other than the nice snag by Borchering on a line drive at first, there weren't too many stand out plays. Gingras did a nice job behind the plate keeping the ball in front of him on several balls in dirt from Frias.
For the second straight night defense at third was an issue. Angel Ibanez made two errors at third. One on a well hit but routine grounder that got in on him. The other was a throw on a tough play coming in. The throw sailed on him and ended up in the seats.
The other error came on a missed catch by second baseman Parker Hipp. The throw was low to start the 5-4-3 double play but it appeared to catch him in the palm of the glove and he couldn't squeeze it.
The outfield got lots of practice chasing after balls over their head. Cut off throws were pretty effective and defensive position of cut off men looked sound.
I hope to make it out to another game this week if life doesn't get in the way.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Getting to Know Your 2013 Greeneville Astros
[Note from AppyAstros: This is the beginning of some cross posting work I am doing with WhatTheHeckBobby?. I am thankful to Jayne for giving me the opportunity to expand my audience.]
The coaching staff is here. The clubbie is stocking the club house. The players are getting settled in their lodging for the next few months. Let's learn a little bit about the guys who will wear the G star on their caps this season.
This preliminary roster that was released only shows 22 players. I would expect more drafted and non-drafted free agents (NDFA) to join this group as we approach the start of the season.
PITCHERS
Alan Abreu (GCL) - This is a great story. Abreu was signed as a non drafted free agent out of Lander University by the Astros after a private workout in September of 2011 as a pitcher. They signed this guy who:
Tyler Brunnemann (40th Rd 2013) - Brunnemann was the final draft pick of 2013 for the Astros. He is out of Hardin Simmons University in Texas. The righty throws in the low to mid 90's with a curve, a change and is developing a slider. Pitching in tough situations shouldn't bother him much since he has already faced having a non-malignant brain tumor removed when he was 11!
William "Austin" Chrismon - (26th Round 2013) - Chrismon spent his first two college seasons at East Carolina before transferring to Christopher Newport University. He is the first player from CNU to be drafted. In one outing this season, the right hander struck out 18 batters in eight innings.
Enderson Franco (GCL) - The 20 year old right handed pitcher from Venezuela comes to Greeneville after spending two years in the GCL. He has pitched mostly as a starter and really improved his control in 2012, cutting his walks from 3.3/9 innings to 1.4/9 innings.
Jandel Gustave (GCL) - A 20 year old from the Dominican Republic. Appears to have good stuff with 22 Ks in 28 innings but struggles with control with 27 walks. Let's hope the young righty learns to harness the stuff.
Krishawn Holley (GCL) - A 39th round pick in 2009 by the Astros. He made just one appearance in the GLC in 09 due to signing late. He has spent the last two years in the GCL with limited action. When he has pitched, his numbers are impressive. In 31 innings as a pro, he has an ERA of 1.45 with 24K and a WHIP of 0.968. An intriguing right handed pitcher that I am excited to see in person.
Sebastian Kessay (22nd Round - 2013) - A lefty from Scottsdale Community College, Kessay fanned 98 in 72 innings this season.
Chris Lee (Greeneville) - This will be the 2010 4th round pick's third time to be in Greeneville. He has struggled to stay healthy. The lefty threw just 8 2/3 innings in 2012. Here's hoping the third time is the charm.
Jordan Mills (28th round 2013) - Was surprised to hear his name called on draft day. The tall (6' 5") left handed pitcher throws a fastball (88-92), a slider and a change up.
J.D. Osborne (36th Round 2013) - Another left handed pitcher, Osborne was a fifth year senior with Wofford prior to being drafted. He made 27 relief appearances for the Terriers with 37 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings pitched.
Frederick Tiburcio (Greeneville) - The second of our returners this season. Tiburcio showed flashes of promise last season. He struck out 55 batters in 58 1/3 innings pitched. He is a 22 year old right handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic.
CATCHERS
Ricky Gingras (Greeneville) - Gingras returns to Greeneville where he showed some pop hitting three HR in 29 games last season. He and Alfredo Gonzalez will split most of the catching duties.
Alfredo Gonzalez (GCL) - The 20 year old from Venezuela showed significant improvement in his second year in the GCL. He raised his average from .172 to .244 and cut his passed balls down from 15 to 9. He threw out 37% of base stealers in 2012.
Cristian Moronta (Greeneville) - The 23 year old from the Dominican Republic returns to Greeneville for his third season. It is likely he will likely see limited game action and will be the bullpen catcher. However, he brings some maturity and leadership to the team. He received the 2011 Oscar Pedron award for leadership.
INFIELDERS
Edwin Gomez (GCL) - Signed last season after being released from the Tigers system. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2009 draft and had made it as far as A ball before being released. He is a 21 year old from Puerto Rico who primarily played first for the GCL Astros but has history playing the corner outfield spots. That may come in handy with just three outfielders on the roster thus far.
Angel Ibanez (Greeneville) - Ibanez finished strong last season hitting .305 in 24 games in August. The 22 year old was drafted in the 28th round of the 2012 draft. He primarily plays third.
Jack Mayfield (NDFA 2013) A non drafted free agent signed out of the University of Oklahoma, Mayfield plays mostly 2nd base. He hit .254 in 2013 with seven HR in his senior season.
Darwin Rivera (GCL) - This is Rivera's second trip to Greeneville. He came here as an 19 year old and struggled in the field committing 30 errors. He spent last year in the GCL and hit well (.310) and made just 15 errors at 3rd.
Juan Santana (GCL) - He is a 19 year old out of the Dominican Republic who plays the middle infield positions. He hit .268 with 12 doubles for the GCL Astros last year.
OUTFIELDERS
Wallace Gonzalez (GCL) - Drafted in the 29th round of the 2011 draft, Gonzalez has spent two seasons in the GLC prior to coming to Greeneville. He showed more power in his second season raising his slugging percentage almost 100 points. Expect to see him manning the corner outfield spots.
Tanner Mathis (NDFA) - Mathis was drafted by the Astros in 2012 out of Ole Miss, but chose not to sign. After not getting drafted in 2012, he signed on with the Astros as a non drafted free agent.
Marc Wik (Greeneville) - Drafted in the 21st round of the 2012 draft, Wik played mostly left field in Greeneville last season, though he did play in right some and got a few games at 2nd. He started hot at the plate last year but faded as the year drug on.
Wik, Marc
The coaching staff is here. The clubbie is stocking the club house. The players are getting settled in their lodging for the next few months. Let's learn a little bit about the guys who will wear the G star on their caps this season.
This preliminary roster that was released only shows 22 players. I would expect more drafted and non-drafted free agents (NDFA) to join this group as we approach the start of the season.
PITCHERS
Alan Abreu (GCL) - This is a great story. Abreu was signed as a non drafted free agent out of Lander University by the Astros after a private workout in September of 2011 as a pitcher. They signed this guy who:
"never pitched in his two years at Lander. Nor did Abreu pitch for Eastern Kentucky University, where he played his freshman year. Abreu didn't even pitch in high school. Believe it or not, he never even pitched in little league ball."The right handed pitcher posses a 95 MPH fastball and is still learning to pitch. He was effective but not dominant in the GCL with just eight strike outs in 20 innings but still had a low 2.70 ERA.
Tyler Brunnemann (40th Rd 2013) - Brunnemann was the final draft pick of 2013 for the Astros. He is out of Hardin Simmons University in Texas. The righty throws in the low to mid 90's with a curve, a change and is developing a slider. Pitching in tough situations shouldn't bother him much since he has already faced having a non-malignant brain tumor removed when he was 11!
William "Austin" Chrismon - (26th Round 2013) - Chrismon spent his first two college seasons at East Carolina before transferring to Christopher Newport University. He is the first player from CNU to be drafted. In one outing this season, the right hander struck out 18 batters in eight innings.
Enderson Franco (GCL) - The 20 year old right handed pitcher from Venezuela comes to Greeneville after spending two years in the GCL. He has pitched mostly as a starter and really improved his control in 2012, cutting his walks from 3.3/9 innings to 1.4/9 innings.
Jandel Gustave (GCL) - A 20 year old from the Dominican Republic. Appears to have good stuff with 22 Ks in 28 innings but struggles with control with 27 walks. Let's hope the young righty learns to harness the stuff.
Krishawn Holley (GCL) - A 39th round pick in 2009 by the Astros. He made just one appearance in the GLC in 09 due to signing late. He has spent the last two years in the GCL with limited action. When he has pitched, his numbers are impressive. In 31 innings as a pro, he has an ERA of 1.45 with 24K and a WHIP of 0.968. An intriguing right handed pitcher that I am excited to see in person.
Sebastian Kessay (22nd Round - 2013) - A lefty from Scottsdale Community College, Kessay fanned 98 in 72 innings this season.
Chris Lee (Greeneville) - This will be the 2010 4th round pick's third time to be in Greeneville. He has struggled to stay healthy. The lefty threw just 8 2/3 innings in 2012. Here's hoping the third time is the charm.
Jordan Mills (28th round 2013) - Was surprised to hear his name called on draft day. The tall (6' 5") left handed pitcher throws a fastball (88-92), a slider and a change up.
J.D. Osborne (36th Round 2013) - Another left handed pitcher, Osborne was a fifth year senior with Wofford prior to being drafted. He made 27 relief appearances for the Terriers with 37 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings pitched.
Frederick Tiburcio (Greeneville) - The second of our returners this season. Tiburcio showed flashes of promise last season. He struck out 55 batters in 58 1/3 innings pitched. He is a 22 year old right handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic.
CATCHERS
Ricky Gingras (Greeneville) - Gingras returns to Greeneville where he showed some pop hitting three HR in 29 games last season. He and Alfredo Gonzalez will split most of the catching duties.
Alfredo Gonzalez (GCL) - The 20 year old from Venezuela showed significant improvement in his second year in the GCL. He raised his average from .172 to .244 and cut his passed balls down from 15 to 9. He threw out 37% of base stealers in 2012.
Cristian Moronta (Greeneville) - The 23 year old from the Dominican Republic returns to Greeneville for his third season. It is likely he will likely see limited game action and will be the bullpen catcher. However, he brings some maturity and leadership to the team. He received the 2011 Oscar Pedron award for leadership.
INFIELDERS
Edwin Gomez (GCL) - Signed last season after being released from the Tigers system. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2009 draft and had made it as far as A ball before being released. He is a 21 year old from Puerto Rico who primarily played first for the GCL Astros but has history playing the corner outfield spots. That may come in handy with just three outfielders on the roster thus far.
Angel Ibanez (Greeneville) - Ibanez finished strong last season hitting .305 in 24 games in August. The 22 year old was drafted in the 28th round of the 2012 draft. He primarily plays third.
Jack Mayfield (NDFA 2013) A non drafted free agent signed out of the University of Oklahoma, Mayfield plays mostly 2nd base. He hit .254 in 2013 with seven HR in his senior season.
Darwin Rivera (GCL) - This is Rivera's second trip to Greeneville. He came here as an 19 year old and struggled in the field committing 30 errors. He spent last year in the GCL and hit well (.310) and made just 15 errors at 3rd.
Juan Santana (GCL) - He is a 19 year old out of the Dominican Republic who plays the middle infield positions. He hit .268 with 12 doubles for the GCL Astros last year.
OUTFIELDERS
Wallace Gonzalez (GCL) - Drafted in the 29th round of the 2011 draft, Gonzalez has spent two seasons in the GLC prior to coming to Greeneville. He showed more power in his second season raising his slugging percentage almost 100 points. Expect to see him manning the corner outfield spots.
Tanner Mathis (NDFA) - Mathis was drafted by the Astros in 2012 out of Ole Miss, but chose not to sign. After not getting drafted in 2012, he signed on with the Astros as a non drafted free agent.
Marc Wik (Greeneville) - Drafted in the 21st round of the 2012 draft, Wik played mostly left field in Greeneville last season, though he did play in right some and got a few games at 2nd. He started hot at the plate last year but faded as the year drug on.
Wik, Marc
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Four Former G-Stros Make Opening Day Rosters As Gutierrez Claims Final Spot
Yesterday it was announced that J.C. Gutierrez claimed the final spot in the Royals' bullpen. He won it based on a solid performance in spring training and the fact that he was the only person vying for the spot who was out of options. The Royals didn't want to expose the ex -Astros formerly known as Juan Gutierrez to waivers.
With the announcement of Gutierrez winning his spot; there are four former Greeneville Astros on opening day rosters this season: Jose Altuve, Brandon Barnes, Troy Patton and J.C. Guttierez.
The could be one more former G-Stro who could be named to a roster as an injury replacement. News out of Houston is that Fernando Martinez might have to go on the DL for an oblique injury. If that happens, it is possible that J.D. Martinez will take his roster spot. Though I suspect the Astros will go with switch hitting Trevor Crowe to increase match up options on the bench.
With the announcement of Gutierrez winning his spot; there are four former Greeneville Astros on opening day rosters this season: Jose Altuve, Brandon Barnes, Troy Patton and J.C. Guttierez.
The could be one more former G-Stro who could be named to a roster as an injury replacement. News out of Houston is that Fernando Martinez might have to go on the DL for an oblique injury. If that happens, it is possible that J.D. Martinez will take his roster spot. Though I suspect the Astros will go with switch hitting Trevor Crowe to increase match up options on the bench.
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