Wow! What a night. After the teams traded solo home runs in the fifth, there were no runs for nine innings. Finally in the bottom of the 15th, Greeneville walked off without the benefit of a hit. Tanner Mathis walked, and was moved to second on a sac bunt by Jack Mayfield. Darwin Rivera then hit a ground ball to first which should have just moved over Mathis to third but the K-Mets first baseman booted the ball. It rolled to the edge of the grass and Josh Bonifay took a risk and sent Mathis home. The throw was slightly up the line and the catcher had to stretch to take Mathis as he zoomed by. The glove appeared to hit Mathis shoulder and the ball dropped free allowing the winning run to score.
Here are my observations from the game.
On The Mound:
A great deal went right here. Just one run allowed in 15 innings with a team record 25 strike outs. Let's take a quick look at each pitcher.
Frederick Tiburcio had a solid start to the game. He fanned seven and gave up just two hits and walked one in five innings. The lone damage given up was a solo home run to left by 17 year old, Ahmed Rosario, whom the Mets signed for 1.7 million in the 2012 international signing period. It was his first professional home run.
Tiburcio threw an unofficial 67 pitches in five innings. To have that low of a pitch count with that many strike outs is impressive.
Tyler Brunnemann pitched the next two frames. This was my first time to see Brunnemann pitch. He has an extreme follow through. When he finishes his pitch his glove hand (left) and his left foot are both touching the ground as he falls toward first base. It is a violent motion that I didn't see him repeating very well. It was effective when repeated as evidenced by the four strike outs in two innings. But he also gave up two walks, both on full counts.
Ryan Connelly pitched the eight inning. The submarine pitcher was the only pitcher of the night not to record a strike out.
Gonzalo Sanudo came in for the next two innings. He pitched out of a jam in the ninth. After a lead off double and a ground ball to 2nd to move the runner over, he was faced with a runner at third and one out. He got Michael Bernal to strike out in a seven pitch at bat for the second out of the inning.
That at bat got circled in my score book as a key out of the game. Bernal had a rough night at the plate. He accounted for 20% of the teams strike outs, going 0-5 with 5 Ks. Sanudo ended the night with three Ks in his two innings.
Gerado Ramirez came in and may have had the outing of his life time. He pitched a career high four innings allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out nine K-Mets.
The final pitcher of the night was Christian Garcia. Garcia pitched the 14th and 15th innings fanning two batters in each inning. In each inning the lead off runner reached but never made it past first base.
At The Plate:
Tanner Mathis reached base in five of his six plate appearances: E1, single, and three walks. This is exactly what you want out of a lead off batter. Also my 13 year old son observed he has the best walk up music this season. He is going old school with some Run DMC - It's Tricky.
Wallace Gonzalez hit a towering home run in the fifth. They had success pitching him away but they left that pitch over the inner half of the plate and he made them pay. Gonzalez appears to be pulling out when he swings so outside pitches are going to be an issue for him. Gonzalez added a single later in the game.
Ariel Ovando and Jack Mayfield also had two hits.
In The Field:
Parker Hipp made a great play snagging a soft liner to start the game. I was sure that ball was going to fall for a hit.
Wallace Gonzalez had a nice outfield assist on a shallow fly ball to left. The runner was moving on the play and Gonzalez throw beat the runner back to first for a double play.
Jack Mayfield made an outstanding diving stop on a ball in the hole at shortstop. He popped up and made a good throw to first that Angel Ibanez made a nice stretch to complete the put out.
The defensive star of the night was Cristian Moronta. He was three for three in throwing out runners stealing second. Two of those were on balls that he blocked and runners broke when he had trouble locating them. Those three outs were huge in a ballgame this tight. One ended an inning and two were to nab the hitter who had reached to start the inning.
Final Thought: After the 25 game strike out performance, the G-Stros now lead the Appy League with 104 strikeouts in just nine games. That puts them 16 Ks above second place Johnson City.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
Jandel Gustave Making A Name For Himself
What an introduction the Greeneville Astros fans received to Jandel Gustave last night. The 20 year old from Pimentel, Dominican Republic pitched six no hit innings. He finished the night with a line of: 6 innings pitched, no hits, no runs, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 7 strike outs. That makes two solid outings for the year for Gustave. Let's look a little deeper into his outing and then get into his back ground.
Getting the lead off batter out wasn't Gustave's strong suit last night. He issued a walk to lead off batter Champ Stuart but despite Stuart stealing second, Gustave got out of the inning with no damage thanks to two strike outs and a fly out to center.
In the second, he hit the lead off batter but responded by striking out the next three batters.
In the third, the leadoff batter reached on a fielding error. Gustave got the next three out with a fly out, a ground out back to the pitcher, and a strike out.
In the fourth, he got the lead off batter out on a strike out but walked the next batter. He then induced a ground out and a fly out to end the inning.
The fifth was his only one, two, three inning and the first inning with no strike outs.
In the sixth, he again walked the lead off batter but one fly out and two ground balls later, the inning and Gustave's night were over. He finished the night with a game score of 76! Six of his seven strike outs were of the swinging variety.
We learned from the game story that Gustave was effective in locating two primary pitches. A fastball and a slider. Mike Elias, scouting director of the Astros, was at the game and tweeted that Gustave was hitting 99 MPH.
Background
Gustave signed as a international free agent on May 25, 2010 as a 17 year old. He spent the next two season in the DSL where his strike out numbers were encouraging (27 in 26 1/3 IP and 19 in 19 1/3 IP), but his control issues were very troubling. In 2011, in 19 1/3 innings, he walked 34 batters and had 21 wild pitches.
In 2012, he was promoted to the GCL. There he showed improved control. His BB per nine innings dropped from 15.8 in 2011 to 8.7 in 2012. His wild pitches dropped to seven while pitching 28 innings. His strike outs dipped slightly to 22.
Early indications (small sample size alert) are that he has turned a corner in 2013. After walking more batters than he struck out for three straight years, this year, he has four strike outs for each walk he has issued. What a turn around! Here are some things I will be looking for as the season progresses.
In his first three seasons, he appeared in 38 games but only started 10. This year in two starts, he has already thrown 11 innings. He has never thrown more than 28 in a season. So how he handles an increased workload is one of the things I will be watching.
The development of a third pitch. Pitchers with two pitches often wind up in the bullpen. To stay a starter, he really needs a third pitch. Not that there would be anything wrong in having a home grown late innings guy.
How he handles seeing a team for the second time. How does he adjust as they adjust.
He has just moved to the top of the list of players I am excited about this season.
Getting the lead off batter out wasn't Gustave's strong suit last night. He issued a walk to lead off batter Champ Stuart but despite Stuart stealing second, Gustave got out of the inning with no damage thanks to two strike outs and a fly out to center.
In the second, he hit the lead off batter but responded by striking out the next three batters.
In the third, the leadoff batter reached on a fielding error. Gustave got the next three out with a fly out, a ground out back to the pitcher, and a strike out.
In the fourth, he got the lead off batter out on a strike out but walked the next batter. He then induced a ground out and a fly out to end the inning.
The fifth was his only one, two, three inning and the first inning with no strike outs.
In the sixth, he again walked the lead off batter but one fly out and two ground balls later, the inning and Gustave's night were over. He finished the night with a game score of 76! Six of his seven strike outs were of the swinging variety.
We learned from the game story that Gustave was effective in locating two primary pitches. A fastball and a slider. Mike Elias, scouting director of the Astros, was at the game and tweeted that Gustave was hitting 99 MPH.
Background
Gustave signed as a international free agent on May 25, 2010 as a 17 year old. He spent the next two season in the DSL where his strike out numbers were encouraging (27 in 26 1/3 IP and 19 in 19 1/3 IP), but his control issues were very troubling. In 2011, in 19 1/3 innings, he walked 34 batters and had 21 wild pitches.
In 2012, he was promoted to the GCL. There he showed improved control. His BB per nine innings dropped from 15.8 in 2011 to 8.7 in 2012. His wild pitches dropped to seven while pitching 28 innings. His strike outs dipped slightly to 22.
Early indications (small sample size alert) are that he has turned a corner in 2013. After walking more batters than he struck out for three straight years, this year, he has four strike outs for each walk he has issued. What a turn around! Here are some things I will be looking for as the season progresses.
In his first three seasons, he appeared in 38 games but only started 10. This year in two starts, he has already thrown 11 innings. He has never thrown more than 28 in a season. So how he handles an increased workload is one of the things I will be watching.
The development of a third pitch. Pitchers with two pitches often wind up in the bullpen. To stay a starter, he really needs a third pitch. Not that there would be anything wrong in having a home grown late innings guy.
How he handles seeing a team for the second time. How does he adjust as they adjust.
He has just moved to the top of the list of players I am excited about this season.
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
The New Players Guide to GreenEville 2013 Edition
(Updated from last year's post because well things change)
I am very excited for opening day for the short season being less than a week away. Today, the players are supposed to be rolling in to town and getting settled before the season begins. This year, it looks like most of the players will be making their first trip to the Greeneville, I thought I would give them an inside look at the town, the fans and some unsolicited advice about your time in Greeneville and some ways to occupy you friends and family when they come to visit this summer.
GreenEville
The first thing you need to know is the big E is important here. Locals take pride that we are the only city in the country to have the e between the n and the v. That is because it is named for a person not the color. The person the town is named after is the revolutionary war hero Nathanael Greene. There is also a nuclear submarine named after the town, the USS Greeneville - it was the one that hit the fishing boat a few years ago if you remember the controversy.
History
Several big names have called Greeneville home and you will hear folks talk about them.
Davy Crockett was born in Greene County. There is a state park on this birthplace site in the east end of the county.
The 17th President Andrew Johnson moved here as a young person and started his political career here. There is a national historic site here. It is a great place to send your parents when they come visit while you are at practice. He is also buried in the national cemetery.
There are other cool history geeky kind of things to do and see in Greeneville. My favorite is the cannon ball church. Actually it is Cumberland Presbyterian Church on the corner of Church and Main. But because it has a civil war cannon ball stuck in its front wall, everyone just calls it the cannon ball church.
For baseball history, check out the little museum outside the front offices at the stadium. You get a flavor of baseball in Greeneville. You will learn about Greeneville's major leaguers Dale Alexander, who hit .331 over five seasons with the Tigers and the Red Sox, and about Rance Pless.
The latest big name to hail from Greeneville is the Country Pop group The Band Perry. Last season, they were the local bobblehead.
Let's Eat
Greeneville is not a very big town but there are plenty of places to eat, unfortunately most of them are not open after the games. Here are your options after games: Applebee's, Waffle House, fast food drive through (McD's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, DQ, etc) and Tipton's Cafe.
If your folks or girlfriend are in town and they are looking for good lunch spots. Let me recommend some local flavor - The Sandwich House (best burgers-but warning it is cash only), Salsa's (best mexican), The Bean Barn, Top Choice BBQ, and Peggy Ann's Bakery. There are other local places that are good too (Amy's Kitchen & Aunt Bea's) and it is a shame many players don't get eat at these places because they don't fit the ball players schedules but most are with in a mile or two of the hotel where the players stay.
For Saturday morning breakfast, I highly recommend The Farmer's Daughter. It is about 15 minutes out of town but this family style restaurant will fill you up with good southern cooking. They also serve lunch and dinner Friday-Sunday. (Cash or check only). While you are out there, Moms & Grandmas often enjoy going through the Mountain View Bulk Food store next door. The locals call it "the Mennonite store". They have great fresh baked items, a wonderful deli and spices and baking supplies in bulk.
If you are a coffee person, the Creamy Cup is very close to the stadium and they have good lemonaid as well.
For something nicer, Brumley's inside the historic General Morgan Inn in has a great lunch and weekend brunch. The General Morgan Inn is also a great place for parents to stay when they come into town. A bit pricey but beautiful. It is worth a walk through just to see the inside of the lobby.
The Fans
Greeneville has won the league attendance title every year since the team arrived in 2004. There are season ticket holders who know there baseball and there are folks who go just one time a year when someone they know is going to be on the field before the game. Most of the regular attenders are very friendly and will strike up a conversation with you. There is no formal host family system in Greeneville. However, some families might invite you over for a meal. Accept the invite if you can. A free home cooked meal is never a bad thing.
A little unsolicited advice
There are some players who played in Greeneville and you will hear fans talk about them with reverence. It is not so much what they did on the field, it is how they treated the fans.
If you are the guy who is warming up the right fielder and collects the balls from the guys warming up, please don't throw a ball to the kids who are begging like street children in a third world country. They are like stray cats. Feed them once and they never go away and more will come. Kids will be hanging around the dug out bothering you the whole game if you do it one time. The fans who sit in those sections appreciate your cooperation with this.
Foul balls are different, I don't know why but they don't tend to draw the attention of ball beggars as much. So feel free to throw foul balls up to kids.
On autographs, the first manager in Greeneville, Tim Bogar, told his players, "Sign every autograph you can, one day, no one will want your autograph." While this is good advice, I want to add to it. Sign the autographs that will make the other persons day the most. Kids first and guys with a duffle bag of stuff they plan to sell last. For many kids, they only come to a few games and you have just made their day with an autograph.
Again, welcome to Greeneville! The next two and a half months will be a whirlwind. I wish you the best of luck. See you at the park!
PS that little town you drove through when you got of of I-81, Moshiem. It is pronounced MossHyme not Mo Shium (I learned that when I moved here just over 10 years ago).
I am very excited for opening day for the short season being less than a week away. Today, the players are supposed to be rolling in to town and getting settled before the season begins. This year, it looks like most of the players will be making their first trip to the Greeneville, I thought I would give them an inside look at the town, the fans and some unsolicited advice about your time in Greeneville and some ways to occupy you friends and family when they come to visit this summer.
GreenEville
The first thing you need to know is the big E is important here. Locals take pride that we are the only city in the country to have the e between the n and the v. That is because it is named for a person not the color. The person the town is named after is the revolutionary war hero Nathanael Greene. There is also a nuclear submarine named after the town, the USS Greeneville - it was the one that hit the fishing boat a few years ago if you remember the controversy.
History
Several big names have called Greeneville home and you will hear folks talk about them.
Davy Crockett was born in Greene County. There is a state park on this birthplace site in the east end of the county.
The 17th President Andrew Johnson moved here as a young person and started his political career here. There is a national historic site here. It is a great place to send your parents when they come visit while you are at practice. He is also buried in the national cemetery.
There are other cool history geeky kind of things to do and see in Greeneville. My favorite is the cannon ball church. Actually it is Cumberland Presbyterian Church on the corner of Church and Main. But because it has a civil war cannon ball stuck in its front wall, everyone just calls it the cannon ball church.
For baseball history, check out the little museum outside the front offices at the stadium. You get a flavor of baseball in Greeneville. You will learn about Greeneville's major leaguers Dale Alexander, who hit .331 over five seasons with the Tigers and the Red Sox, and about Rance Pless.
The latest big name to hail from Greeneville is the Country Pop group The Band Perry. Last season, they were the local bobblehead.
Let's Eat
Greeneville is not a very big town but there are plenty of places to eat, unfortunately most of them are not open after the games. Here are your options after games: Applebee's, Waffle House, fast food drive through (McD's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, DQ, etc) and Tipton's Cafe.
If your folks or girlfriend are in town and they are looking for good lunch spots. Let me recommend some local flavor - The Sandwich House (best burgers-but warning it is cash only), Salsa's (best mexican), The Bean Barn, Top Choice BBQ, and Peggy Ann's Bakery. There are other local places that are good too (Amy's Kitchen & Aunt Bea's) and it is a shame many players don't get eat at these places because they don't fit the ball players schedules but most are with in a mile or two of the hotel where the players stay.
For Saturday morning breakfast, I highly recommend The Farmer's Daughter. It is about 15 minutes out of town but this family style restaurant will fill you up with good southern cooking. They also serve lunch and dinner Friday-Sunday. (Cash or check only). While you are out there, Moms & Grandmas often enjoy going through the Mountain View Bulk Food store next door. The locals call it "the Mennonite store". They have great fresh baked items, a wonderful deli and spices and baking supplies in bulk.
If you are a coffee person, the Creamy Cup is very close to the stadium and they have good lemonaid as well.
For something nicer, Brumley's inside the historic General Morgan Inn in has a great lunch and weekend brunch. The General Morgan Inn is also a great place for parents to stay when they come into town. A bit pricey but beautiful. It is worth a walk through just to see the inside of the lobby.
The Fans
Greeneville has won the league attendance title every year since the team arrived in 2004. There are season ticket holders who know there baseball and there are folks who go just one time a year when someone they know is going to be on the field before the game. Most of the regular attenders are very friendly and will strike up a conversation with you. There is no formal host family system in Greeneville. However, some families might invite you over for a meal. Accept the invite if you can. A free home cooked meal is never a bad thing.
A little unsolicited advice
There are some players who played in Greeneville and you will hear fans talk about them with reverence. It is not so much what they did on the field, it is how they treated the fans.
If you are the guy who is warming up the right fielder and collects the balls from the guys warming up, please don't throw a ball to the kids who are begging like street children in a third world country. They are like stray cats. Feed them once and they never go away and more will come. Kids will be hanging around the dug out bothering you the whole game if you do it one time. The fans who sit in those sections appreciate your cooperation with this.
Foul balls are different, I don't know why but they don't tend to draw the attention of ball beggars as much. So feel free to throw foul balls up to kids.
On autographs, the first manager in Greeneville, Tim Bogar, told his players, "Sign every autograph you can, one day, no one will want your autograph." While this is good advice, I want to add to it. Sign the autographs that will make the other persons day the most. Kids first and guys with a duffle bag of stuff they plan to sell last. For many kids, they only come to a few games and you have just made their day with an autograph.
Again, welcome to Greeneville! The next two and a half months will be a whirlwind. I wish you the best of luck. See you at the park!
PS that little town you drove through when you got of of I-81, Moshiem. It is pronounced MossHyme not Mo Shium (I learned that when I moved here just over 10 years ago).
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