Releases Hit Home

With spring training on the horizon, I am always excited to see the season start.  However, one of the things that comes at this time of the year is the last few releases.  In the last round of releases, there were four former G-Stros who were released.  The players whose time in the Astros organization ended were:

Kellen Kiilsgaard - The 30th round pick for 2010 played for Greeneville after having a .159 average in Tri Cities.  He appeared in 8 games for the G-Stros.

Colton Pitkin - A lefty who was a 41st round draft pick in 2007.  He spent 2007 and 2008 in Greeneville. 

Frederico Hernandez - One of the most exciting catchers to play in Greeneville, made his stateside debut in 2008.  He was viewed as a top catching prospect making it to AA in 2010. However, he struggled in 2011 and hit under .200 in both AA and high A.  Of the bunch, I feel he is the most likely to catch on with another organization.

Hector Rodriguez - Hector was a utility guy in 2010 for Greeneville.  That season, he got consistent playing time due to injuries and hit .303 for the year.  In 2011, he bounced between Tri Cities, Lexington and Lancaster where he hit a combined .163 in just 35 games. 

Releases are a part of minor league ball.  However, as a fan, you get to know some of these kids and when their name makes the Baseball America transactions page, it hits home.  Hector's release was expected but it was still hard to read about.  Hector and my son became friends in 2010. Despite a significant language barrier, they both enjoyed spending time together.  Because Hector was so kind to my child, he became a favorite of mine too. 

Best of luck to Hector and the rest of these men.

Liga Paralela - The Minor Leagues in Venezuela

In Venezuela, there isn’t just the LVBP season going on .  There is also the Liga Paralela, the Venezuelan minor leagues.  Here is an update on the former G-Stros who are playing minor league winter ball. 

MAGALLANES

Frederico Hernandez – Has started five games and is hitting .227 in 22 at bats.  He has played 1^st base in most of his games.

Ernesto Genoves – Has played in four games but started just three.  In 12 at bats, he has three hits for a .250 batting average.  One of those hit was a home run.  He has put in an appearance at 3rd base in one game. 

David Martinez – Has pitched in four games, three of them as a starter.  In 14 innings pitched, he has yet to allow an earned run.  He has allowed just five hits and two walks for a 0.500 WHIP.  He has fanned 8 of the 44 batters he has faced. 

Carlos Quevedo – Has pitched in relief in six games.  He has given up five runs in nine innings pitched but only one of those runs was earned.  So he is sporting a snazzy 1.00 ERA.  He has given up seven hits and fanned three batters.

CARACAS

Yuri (Juri) Perez – Has pitched in five games, three of them as the starter.  In 21 innings, he has given up 20 hits and eight walks.  He has struck out 16 batters.  His ERA is 3.86

NAVEGANTES

Luis Alvarez – Is hitting .282 in 12 games.  He has three doubles and a home run.  He has walked three times and has struck out only three times in 39 at bats.  He has caught four out of six base thieves.

This is all that I can locate on the rosters.  Just last year, Jose Altuve started winter ball in this league and he finished Winterball in the Venezuelan big leagues.  Maybe the same will happen for a few of these guys this year. 

2008 Greeneville Astros Progress Report

What a difference a year makes.  The 2008 Greeneville Astros finished the year 30-36.  While not quite at .500, they were 13 games better than the previous year's team.  This was a young team with 18 of the 38 players still in the teen years when the season began.  Three of them were still 17 (Jay Austin, Jordan Lyles & Luis Cruz).  In 2011, 58% (22 out of 38) of the 2008 roster were still playing affiliated baseball. In fact 12 of the 18 teenagers were still active.

Let's look at this group based on the highest level they played at this year.  The percentage is of the 2008 full roster.

MLB 2 (5%)

Jose Altuve  - Started in Lancaster and hit .408 prior to being moved to Corpus Christ where he hit .361. Then he was promoted to Houston.  In the big leagues, he hit a respectable .276 in 221 at bats in 57 games.  He appears to have locked down the starting 2nd base position for 2012 at the ripe age of 22.

Jordan Lyles -  While Altuve's sudden climb was a bit of a surprise to some, Lyles ascendance was expected.  He was sent to AAA to start the year after a solid spring training but was called up to the quickly to the majors and spent most of the season there.  He started 15 games before being moved to the pen to keep his inning count down.  He finished with a 2-8 record and a 5. 36 ERA.  He has locked up a rotation position for 2012 at age 21.

AAA 2 (5%)
 Patrick Urckfitz - Urckfitz bounced around earning frequent flier miles this year.  He was in AA to start the season.  Then got some brief time in at  AAA before heading back to AA. Next came a short time in hi A before return to AA to wrap up the season.  In four games at AAA he amassed a 17.47 ERA.  In AA 5.08 in 31 games. In hi A, he appeared in 10 games with a 2.02 ERA.  Gotta love a NDFA reaching this level.  he will be 23 at the start of next season.

Henry Villar - Started the season in AAA but was moved to AA in June.  In AAA, he made 7 starts but that experiment ended and he spent the rest of the year in the pen.  Pitched just 76 innings worth of ball between the two for a combined 5.45 ERA. Villar had a brief appearance in the big leagues in 2010. He will be 24 at the start of next season. 

AA  5 (13%)
Kody Hinze  - Had a break out year.  He started in Lancaster, where he hit .323 with 22 HR. He was promoted to CC where he hit 281 with 7 HR.  He is getting extra at bats in the Arizona Fall League right now.  Another solid Non Drafted Free Agent (NDFA) signing. He will be 24 in spring training.

Federico Hernandez - It was a rough year for Freddy.  He struggled at the plate both at AA and at High A after he was sent down to Lancaster.  In both stops he hit less than .200.  He will turn 24 just before pitchers and catchers report.

Ross Seaton - Spent the year in Corpus Christi, 4-9 with a  5.23 in 28 starts.  He continues to climb a level a year even thought the results aren't spectacular. He will just be 22 when spring training starts.

Kyle Greenwalt & Arcenio Leon  see the 2007 write up.

Hi A  7 (18%)
Jay Austin - The former 2nd round draft pick repeated Lancaster to start the season.  After not showing much progress over last season, he was sent to Lexington to finish the year and he continued to struggle.  He is getting more at bats int the Arizona Fall League right now.  He will be just 21 when the 2012 minor league players report to camp.

Rene Garcia  - The 35th round pick from 2008 spent this season in the California league where he hit hit .242 with only 41 K in 326 AB.  He threw out 30% of base stealers. He will turn 22 during spring training next year.

Luis Cruz - The 9th round pick in 2008 made 4 starts in Lancaster where he got shelled (ERA over 14).  But found moderate success back in Lexington where he went 5-4 with a 4.45 era.  He had 92 strike outs in 91 IP in Lex but gave up 15 HR. He will still be 21 when next season ends!

Colton Pitkin - see the 2007 write up

 
Zachary Grimmett - He split time between the starting rotation and the bullpen this year in Lancaster.  As a starter 7.35 ERA in 18 games (85 2/3 IP) as a reliever 5.34 in 12 games (32 IP). He will turn 22 before he reports to spring training.

Jose Trinidad  - Season shorted to just 10 games due to an injury. He will start the season on the DL at age 24.

Wander Alvino  - Had 73 K in 73 IP (46 games).  His 4.19 ERA isn't bad when you consider the location. His walks per 9 jumped from 2.8 in Lex in 10 to 6.3 in Lancaster.  Alvino will turn 25 before he reports this spring.



Low A 3 (8%)
Jorge De Leon - The former shortstop now converted to pitcher went 6-4 with a 3.42 ERA in 43 games (55 1/3 IP).  He struck out 51 to just 13 walks while giving up 5 long balls. He will be 24 next season. 


Brad Dydalewicz - The 8th round pick of the 2008 draft had a rough season.  In  only 29 2/3 innings pitched between GCL & Lexington, he amassed a 10.86 ERA.  He will turn 22 during spring training next season. 


Jeiler Castillo - After being drafted by the A's in the rule 5 draft; Castillo started in the Midwest league (Low A) but was sent back to Vermont (SS A) for his 4th season in short season ball.  He was released after the season.

Short Season 1 (3%)
Wilton Infante  - The former outfielder tried to make the move to pitcher.  After six outings in the GCL, he was released

DL/Rehab 2 (5%)
Albert Cartwright - see the 2007 write up.

Nathan Pettus - The former 27th round pick of the 2008 draft spent most of 2011 on the DL.  He appeared in 5 games at the GCL Astros rehabbing his way back from an injury.  He will be 23 when the new season starts. 

We would expect the number of active players to continue to rise while we look at more recent teams but the jump from five to 22 in one year tells us that something changed in the Astros farm system in 2008.  Oh yeah, Bobby Heck joined the Astros staff in October of 2007.  You think that change made a difference?

What To Watch For In 2011 - Former G-Stros Catchers

For those of us who live in short season towns, spring training is just a tease. Our seasons don't begin until the middle of June. So to keep me occupied until then, here are some of the things I am going to be looking for from former Greeneville Astros. The year they played in Greeneville will be in parenthesis along with their age at the start of the season and the highest level they played at last season.

Catcher
Contrary to what the Bleacher Report says, I think this is one of the deepest positions in the farm system. The three players added in the 2010 draft (Heath, Pena, Wallace) should all be challenging at positions on full season squads. This makes this a big spring for several players who have been in the system for a few years.

Frederico Hernandez - (2008 - 23 - AA) - Can he hit at AA? Can he improve his caught stealing percentage?

Rene Garcia - (2008 - 21 - High A) - Can he continue to throw out base stealers at a 41% clip as he moves up a level to High A?

Roberto Pena - (2010 - 18 - Low A) - Lexington or Tri Cities? Can the bat improve? Can he keep up the 44% caught stealing percentage?

Chris Wallace - (2010 - 22 - SS A) - How fast can he progress through the system? Can he keep up the 45% caught stealing percentage?

Bubby Williams - (2009-10, 22 - Low A) - This is one of the guys I was talking about when I said it is an important year to show progress. Can he show more progress this year with the bat?

J. R. Towles - (2004 - 26 - MLB) - Yesterday, I posted a retrospective of his journey. Can he recapture the hitting magic of 2007? Can he stay healthy? Will he be traded?

Placement Predictions

Oklahoma
Towles

Corpus Christi
Hernandez

Lancaster
Garcia

Lexington
Wallace
Pena

Tri Cities
Williams

What are your thoughts?

"The Farm" A Short Film Featuring Former G-Stros

Two "minor league" film makers, Alex Jablonski & Michael Totten, set out to make a short film every month for a year. In July, they visited the Lancaster JetHawks because they wanted to do a film about other people who were " in a similar situation, folks blessed and cursed with the onus of potential in a situation where their performance would determine their future."

The result of this visit was episode 10 of the endeavor "The Farm".

Sparrow Songs - Episode 10 - The Farm from Sparrow Songs on Vimeo.

I loved watching this because it gives a pretty true picture of minor league baseball. It also allowed me to see some of the guys who have played in Greeneville and are now on the other side of the country. Some of the Greeneville former players who appear are: Frederico Hernandez (interviewed), Leandro Cespedes (pitching & getting lit up), & Brandon Barnes (swinging a bat in the dugout).

Get a small bag of popcorn (it's only 9 minutes long) and enjoy.

Altuve Tearing Up LVBP & Other Updates

Jose Altuve is tearing up the Liga Venezuela Biesbol Profesional. He has hit in nine of the 10 games he has played in with four multi hit games. His average is .361, OPS is .378, and Slugging is .500. Out of his 13 hits, he has three doubles and a triple. He has executed three sacrifices and stolen three bases in four attempts. The only areas that are not strong are his strike outs and hitting into double plays (three). He has struck out six times in 36 at bats. One out of six isn't a bad ratio for most players but it is a big drop from one in almost eight at bats he had during his minor league season. Altuve's play is garnering a great deal of attention in Venezuela. Here is a google translated quote from a recent interview in Diario Ojo Pelao

"My short career has been a constant struggle, as you know, I'm a small player, my height is 1.68 (meters) and when he refused to sign the professional, many scouts did not take into account, they thought it was incapable of hitting, fielding and making what needs to be to be professional. Finally, the organization of the Houston Astros gave me the chance I desired, in time, I have shown it can do the job and it's amazing because I come from playing 125 games in the minors that year, "said the novice player.

For those who are curious, 1.68 meters = 5' 5"

Altuve's make the most of the playing time he will get. In December, many major league players start returning to the LVBP rosters and that will likely move him to the bench.

How cool is it to see that a Jose Altuve base hit drove in former Houston Astro Richard Hildago?

Altuve is also teammates on Navegantes del Magallanes with Frederico Hernandez. Freddy has struggled at the plate this winter, getting only four hits in 31 at bats (.158). But he has taken six walks and has scored six times. So when he gets on base, he is making the most of the opportunity.

Another former Greeneville Astro & current Navigator making a good showing is Gabriel Garcia. Garcia has entered in relief nine times. He carries a 3.60 earned run average in 10 innings pitched. The one area of improvement that jumps out at me is he is keeping the ball in the park. He surrendered two HR in his 16 1/3 innings in Greeneville this year.

Other former G-stros on LVBP rosters aren't getting much playing time but you can check out their stats here.

Winter Ball Update

The first week of the Winter/Fall Seasons are wrapped up for the stateside AFL & the Venezuelan Winter League (LVBP). Here is an update on how some former Greeneville Astros are doing:

LVBP:

Frederico Hernandez has played in two games, hitting .286 with a double and two RBI.

Gabriel Garcia has pitched in two games and has yet to give up an earned run in two innings pitched.

Wlad Sutil has appeared in one game but has not gotten a hit yet.

Antonio Noguera has appeared in three games, giving up two earned runs in 2 2/3 innings pitched.

AFL:

Brandon Barnes played in one game and went 1 for 4 (.250)

Koby Clemens has played in four games. He has four hits, four strike outs and four RBI.

Jay Austin has played in four games. He is batting just .154 with two RBI. The good news is he has more BB than K (3/2). The bad news is he has been caught stealing three out of four times.

Kyle Greenwalt made his first start and went two innings giving up two runs.

Patrick Urckfitz has appeared in two games. He has given up two runs in three innings

Federico Hernandez To Be Opening Day Catcher In Ven.

More Winterball News today. Frederico Hernandez appears to be the opening day starter for Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Here is what is being said about him (translated through google translator so syntax is not correct but you get the idea).

Luis Blasini, Manager of Electric Sports said, "I have no concern whatsoever that Federico Hernandez will do a great job this season, he neglected a bit of their offensive in recent years but I must say that after the mid-season like everyone behaved a double A-class player. "

The linked post also talks about former Houston Astro Richard Hildago who will be patrolling RF for the Navigators