Results tagged ‘ John Housey ’
It didn’t count, but it was still baseball
The LumberKings hit the field for batting practice and a simulated game this evening in front of a crowd of die-hard fans. Seon Gi Kim and Edlando Seco got some work in against live hitters, two who already visited the Leinenkugel’s Lumber Lounge. Both Kevin Rivers and Julio Morban hit home runs…home runs that don’t count for much other than pride.
Still, it was a fun first-time experience. Probably not as fun as High Desert’s exhibition action against Victor Valley College last night. Nine Mavs pitchers, including former LumberKings Jimmy Gillheeney (’10), Nick Czyz (’10), Jon Hesketh (’09-’10), Ogui Diaz (’09), Jose Jimenez (’09-’10), John Housey (’10) and Chris Kirkland (’09-’10) threw a no-hitter in a 12-0 win over the Rams.
I doubt we’ll see a nine-pitcher no-no tomorrow night in the 2011 Opener against Burlington, but we’ll get a good look at Forrest Snow and some other solid arms as well. Here’s a look at the opening series rotation:
Thu: RHP Forrest Snow vs. RHP Seth Frankoff
Fri: LHP Anthony Fernandez vs. RHP Josh Bowman
Sat: RHP George Mieses vs. RHP A.J. Griffin
Sun: RHP Brandon Maurer vs. RHP Blake Hassebrock
Game notes will be up tomorrow along with an interview with likely interim manager Jesus Azuaje. See you here at Alliant Energy Field tomorrow!
-DL
Predicting the 2011 Roster (Part 1)
My third-annual educated guess at the next season’s LumberKings’ roster begins today with part one, looking at potential players from the 2010 West Division Champs that could be back for the pennant defense.
A warning first…these are my own thoughts and predictions and are based on no official reports from the Seattle Mariners. Sometimes I’m right, sometimes I’m wrong. Last year, I correctly named nine players from the 2009 roster that returned in ’10, although not all in the exact roles or timeframes I expected. Also, in the event I’ve named someone who has been released, signed elsewhere or retired, feel free to correct me in the comments section below. It’s happened before.
With that out of the way, here we go.
After a season as successful as last year, it’s safe to assume that most of the impact players will not return. If you enjoyed watching Nick Franklin, James Jones, Vinnie Catricala, Mickey Wiswall, Mario Martinez, Erasmo Ramirez, Tom Wilhelmsen and Yoervis Medina at Alliant Energy Field last season, you’ll be more likely to see them all out in Adelanto, CA or Jackson, TN this year. In the case of Wilhelmsen and Medina, you might sooner see them at Safeco Field. Both are on the 40-man roster.
That’s not to say that there won’t be some experienced players back from last year’s team. The one that I expect to return with the highest prospect pedigree will be catcher Steven Baron (pictured above). Seattle’s supplemental first-round pick (after Dustin Ackley and Franklin) in 2009, Baron was in over his head a bit with his Opening Day assignment to the LumberKings’ roster, but as expected, you could never tell by his raw defensive ability.
The Mariners lured Baron away from Duke University because of his surprising skills behind the plate, some of which we saw last season out of the 19-year-old. Baron nailed 27 of 64 attempting basestealers, a 42% rate. While his passed balls total was a little concerning (a team-high 11 in 45 games), it was his bat that truly needed work. Baron hit just .182 as a LumberKing, with just four of his 28 hits going for extra bases. He struck out over 30% of the time, looking overmatched against older Midwest League pitchers. At the All-Star Break, Baron was shipped down to short-A Everett to gain offensive confidence and did just that under hitting coach Scott Steinmann, hitting .253 with 12 doubles, three homers and 22 RBI in 53 games. After earning the Northwest League’s Post-Season All-Star award and a NWL Championship ring with the AquaSox, Baron returned to the LumberKings during the playoffs and looked like a far more confident player. I believe we’ll see him back as Clinton’s starting catcher in 2011 as he continues to grow as both a hitter and a backstop.
Continuing around the diamond to first base, it’s not likely we’ll see Wiswall back after his strong performance down the stretch (.301, 4 HR, 18 RBI in 33 regular-season games, .273, 2 HR, 5 RBI in 11 playoff games). Again, citing the logjam situation at that same position, it might be possible that Tim Morris returns to Clinton. Seattle’s 11th-round pick in 2009 out of St. John’s University, Morris hit .250 with 14 doubles, three triples, five homers and 46 RBI in 83 games last season. Depending on how he performs during the spring, the Mariners could elect to send him back to Clinton.
Shortstop Gabriel Noriega could headline the up-the-middle defense for the LumberKings in 2011 now that he won’t have to shift to second base for Franklin. Noriega was a sure-handed and strong-armed defender at both middle infield spots, but lacked poise at the plate until a hot month of August. Even with that surge (.281, 10 RBI in 96 at-bats), the 19-year-old Venezuelan hit .227, scored 47 runs and drove in 28 in 112 games. If Mariners’ 2010 second-round pick Marcus Littlewood doesn’t take over the position (Baseball America expects him to), Noriega might be sent back.
Versatile infielders Hawkins Gebbers and Carlos Ramirez also look like possible returnees. Gebbers hit .255 with a pair of homers and five RBI during a 19-game stint with the Kings, but spent most of the year with Everett. He hit .240 with 16 doubles, three homers and 22 RBI in 49 games. Ramirez is most famous for his two-out, two-strike, game-tying RBI single in the 12th inning of Game 2 of the MWLCS. Aside from that, he barely played at all in a Clinton cup-of-coffee. Ramirez was the VSL Mariners’ MVP in 2009 after hitting .336, but struggled offensively in the AZL last year (.234, 12 RBI in 40 games). I think we’ll see Gebbers and Ramirez both at some point in the year.
As for the outfield, I’ll mention only two names here from last year’s talented crop. Kalian Sams had arguably THE hottest start in the Midwest League last year with 12 home runs in his first 44 games, but fell off completely when pitchers stopped throwing him fastballs. Many folks in the Mariners’ system have called Sams the top power prospect in the organization (a definite honor considering Franklin, Greg Halman, Rich Poythress and Joherymn Chavez), but his .180 average and 132 strikeouts in 266 at-bats in his third Midwest League stint are more than a concern. We know he can hit the ball a long way, but unless Sams can consistently put the ball in play this Spring, we might see him back in Clinton again.
Ryan Royster, the 13th round pick in the ’08 draft, might also finally settle in with the Kings with Daniel Carroll, Matt Cerione, Jones and Catricala all gone. Royster was a huge boost to the offense two seasons ago when he hit .333 with two homers and seven RBI in eight games, leading me to bank on him becoming a regular in 2010. That didn’t happen, as he played in just 10 games (.238, HR, 3 RBI) and was primarily with Everett yet again. The Mariners have plenty in the outfield pipeline coming up, so we’ll see if that affects Royster again this year.
On the mound, there’s no surefire experienced starter set to come back the way Anthony
Vasquez did last year. Sixth-round pick Tyler Blandford (pictured right) has a live fastball and plenty of promise, but the right-hander went 1-2 with a 3.67 ERA in seven erratic starts with Clinton last year before missing the bulk of the season with arm issues. With all of the fantastic pitching that stepped forward throughout the system in 2010, Blandford now must improve his control (he walked 25 in 27 innings last year) and stay on the mound for a full year just to stay on the radar. If healthy, I think he’ll get that opportunity in Clinton.
Another starter looking to get back on track from injury will be right-hander Nolan Gallagher. A fourth-round selection in 2007, Gallagher missed all of 2009 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and was forced to shut it down in 2010 after experiencing soreness again. His 0-4, 6.32 marks didn’t tell the full story…Gallagher logged five-plus innings in four of his five starts before going on the disabled list in late July and then got hit hard late in the year when he returned. Maybe he’ll be back, rested and healthy as a veteran contributor in 2011.
I liked what I saw out of right-hander Jonathan Arias in his two spot-starts (0-1, 2.25 in 8.0 IP) and gutsy relief performance in the MWLCS Game 2 marathon. Does that prove he’s worthy of joining the rotation on a full-time basis this year? The 2011 season will be only his third as a pitcher after he started his career behind the plate. Either in the rotation or in the pen, I believe he’ll be a LumberKing again.
While the rotation is sure to look much different compared to last year, the bullpen should actually seem familiar. Right-hander John Housey went 5-4 with a 4.35 ERA in 25 games, including three spot-starts with the Kings until a late-July demotion to Everett. Aside from the occasional blow-up outing (he allowed four-plus earned runs in four appearances), Housey was a go-to reliever for a decent stretch of the season. Right-hander Jorden Merry (0-0, 4.91, SV in 13 games) and left-hander Jason Markovitz (0-0, 4.50 in 9 games) both had similar stats in brief stints with Clinton, leaving plenty of room for growth if they’re back.
The star of the pen could very well be Mariners’ 2010 fifth-round pick, right-hander Stephen Pryor. His 97 mph fastball proved effective against Midwest League hitters as he struck out 29 in just 17 innings, but Pryor’s control became a problem come playoff time as he walked five batters in just 1.1 innings. Baseball America
has projected him as the 21st-best prospect in the entire system and a candidate for a big-league bullpen spot as soon as 2012, but it’s possible that he returns to hone his curveball. Maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part, but I’d love to see Pryor saving games in Clinton.
If he’s not, the Kings might still have high-octane heat in right-hander Fray Martinez, who also has an overpowering fastball but struggled through control issues. Martinez went 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in 12 appearances, walked 11 batters, hit one and issued four wild pitches. The Santiago, Dominican Republic native was left off the playoff roster, but I think he’ll be back in the bullpen this year. Right-hander Matt Bischoff could join him for his first full season after coming to Clinton for the playoffs. Bischoff was dominant in his outings against Cedar Rapids and Kane County, but suffered through two tough relief performances against Lake County in the Championship Series, including a game one blown save and loss. The Purdue product will get a chance to redeem himself as a go-to arm this year.
In addition to the 2010 returnees, we could also see several players from the ’09 season come back. All-Star shortstop Terry Serrano (pictured left) hit .307 as a versatile everyday infielder for the AquaSox last year and could give Clinton a lift the same way Luis Nunez did last year. Infielder-turned-pitcher Ogui Diaz has apparently dropped his arm angle down and went 4-3 with a 5.12 ERA in his first full season on the mound with Everett last year. Names like Dwight Britton (.216 in 42 games with Everett) and Jetsy Extrano (.230 in 49 games with Pulaski) might pop up from time to time also.
Part two of my predictions on the 2011 roster will be posted next Tuesday. Then, I’ll be going over some of the players you might expect to see donning the black and green for the first time.
-DL
6/19 Notes
There’s no rain whatsoever expected for tonight, so twinbill baseball is a go for 5:00 PM. Left-hander Jon Hesketh (3-4, 4.55) is expected to throw game one, with right-hander John Housey (4-2, 2.88) getting the game two start.
Check out the Game Notes here:
6.19.10 kingsnotes.pdf
Listen to both games online on 1390kcln.com starting at 4:45 PM.
-DL
Crossing Enemy Lines: Brian Lariche
The LumberKings came undone in the sixth inning last night, losing their first-ever meeting with the Lake County Captains 8-2 at Alliant Energy Field. The Kings had taken a 2-1 lead on Welington Dotel’s RBI single in the fourth, but right-hander John Housey had uncharacteristic struggles with control and a crucial error by Nick Franklin at short opened the door for five unearned runs in the sixth.
On a positive note, the Quad Cities River Bandits also lost last night, keeping the Kings just 2.0 games out of the Wild Card spot with 11 left to play in the first half.
More on last night’s game, tonight’s match-up with the Captains and other facts in tonight’s Game Notes:
6.9.10 kingsnotes.pdf
Tonight, it’s time to learn more about the Captains, the other team that has made the move from the South Atlantic League to the Midwest League here in 2010. The Captains are the low-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians and play their home games at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio, just outside of Cleveland.
I catch up with the road voice of the Captains, Brian Lariche. We’ll talk about the history of the franchise, the close proximity to Cleveland, the first-place club under manager Ted Kubiak, tonight’s starting pitcher Vidal Nuno and more.
Listen Here:
Brian Lariche (LC Broadcaster) CEL Interview 6.9.10.mp3
The LumberKings look to get back on track (and hopefully a game closer to second place) with right-hander Taylor Stanton (5-2, 3.44) on the hill. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM, listen online at 1390kcln.com.
-DL
Happy Memorial Day!
It’s not the most picturesque day here in Geneva, IL after a pretty strong (yet brief) storm came through, but it looks like we’ll have baseball here on this Memorial Day.
It’s another “show-and-go” for your LumberKings, meaning an 11:00 AM bus and no batting practice. That also means that the pregame interview is on one-day hiatus.
Still, enjoy the highlights from last night’s 6-1 win over the Kane County Cougars, Clinton’s 14th in their last 16 games. Today’s red, white and blue Game Notes are also below.
- Kalian Sams belts a first-inning homer: Sams 3-R HR (#12) 5.30.10.mp3
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James Jones adds his own two-run shot:
Jones 2-R HR (#4) 5.30.10.mp3
- John Housey gets through 6.0 IP with some help:
4-6-3 DP behind Housey 5.30.10.mp3 -
Today’s Notes:
5.31.10 kingsnotes.pdf
Memorial Day baseball begins at 1:00 PM, it’s lefty Jimmy Gillheeney (3-3, 2.22) on the mound in search of the four-game sweep in his 11th start of the year. Listen online at 1390kcln.com starting at 12:45 PM.
-DL
On the Bright Side (May 5 Edition)
I didn’t want to do this again so quickly, but it’s time for my second edition of “On the Bright Side”, the segment all about feeling good after a tough loss.
In case you missed it, the LumberKings fell 2-0 to the Beloit Snappers at Alliant Energy Field last night, failing to put anything together against the combination of Tom Stuifbergen and three Snapper relievers. While the Kings haven’t scored against Beloit pitching over the last three meetings (30.0 innings)…
- At least Jimmy Gillheeney bounced back from his rocky outing at Cedar Rapids. Gillheeney gave up a run on four hits over 6.0 innings, lowering his ERA from 3.20 to 2.78. Still, he’s 1-3 on the season and has been given just 10 runs of support over six starts. Listen to Gilly strike out Aaron Hicks:
Gillheeney strikes out Hicks 5.4.10.mp3 - At least the bullpen is still outstanding. Right-hander John Housey worked 3.0 scoreless innings last night and has allowed just two earned runs over his last five outings (9.2 IP). The pen as a whole has an ERA of 2.41.
- At least there’s no rain expected for the second start for Erasmo Ramirez (0-1, 3.07) tonight. Ramirez had his last one shortened to 4.0 innings by rain in Peoria. At least that was considered a complete game by the MLBAM folks (I disagree).
- At least the new Deftones album is pretty good. “Diamond Eyes” came out yesterday. This has nothing to do with baseball, I know. Check it out on iTunes.
- At least you still get LumberKings Game Notes:
5.5.10 kingsnotes.pdf
No more of this tomorrow! Game time against Beloit is 6:30 tonight. Listen online at 1390kcln.com.
-DL
Cardiac Kings Win on Franklin Walk-Off Shot
Nick Franklin belts solo homer in 10th, LumberKings edge Burlington 4-3
Clinton, IA – The “Cardiac Kings” did it again on Tuesday night at Alliant Energy Field, rebounding from watching their three-run lead disappear in the ninth to win in walk-off fashion, 4-3 over the Burlington Bees in 10 innings. Clinton’s third walk-off home run of the year was the difference, this time coming from the bat of Nick Franklin.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Leading off the bottom of the 10th with a 3-3 score, Franklin crushed a Brendan Lafferty pitch over the wood wall in left-center for his third clout with Clinton, his first walk-off. Franklin (2-for-4, RBI) was mobbed by teammates at the plate as he became the second LumberKing to deliver a walk-off homer, joining Kalian Sams (twice, April 9 vs. Peoria and April 16 vs. Quad Cities).
The LumberKings built a 3-0 lead thanks in part to a Sams’ RBI double in the fourth, but could not hold it in the ninth. Right-hander Daniel Cooper (H, 1) yielded back-to-back doubles for a Burlington run and left the bases loaded for closer Brandon Josselyn. Josselyn couldn’t shut the door, issuing a bases-loaded walk and a game-tying single to Joey Lewis.
Right-hander John Housey worked out of a jam in the 10th to keep the game tied, leaving runners at second and third as he fanned Hilton Richardson. Housey (W, 2-0) struck out three over his inning of work.
Clinton starter Tyler Blandford enjoyed his best professional start, striking out a career-high eight batters over 5.0 scoreless innings. Righty Chris Kirkland (H, 1) also turned in 2.1 scoreless frames before Burlington was able to score a run.
Burlington starter Tyler Sample gave up three runs, two earned on six hits over 5.2 innings. Lafferty (L, 1-1) allowed one run on two hits over the final 3.1 innings.
Dennis Raben went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored to lead all hitters. Richardson (2-for-6) and Rene Oriental (2-for-5) led the attack for Burlington.
The LumberKings (6-7) continue the series against Burlington (3-10) tomorrow night, first pitch scheduled for 6:30 PM. Left-hander Jon Hesketh (0-1, 17.18) makes his third start of the season against the Bees. Listen to the game on AM 1390 KCLN or online at www.lumberkings.com.
-DL
Franklin Homers Twice, Falls Short of Cycle
Shortstop Nick Franklin belts homers from both sides of the plate, goes 4-for-4 in 8-2 win
Clinton, IA – Shortstop Nick Franklin homered twice and fell a single short of the cycle, leading the Clinton LumberKings to an impressive 8-2 victory over the Peoria Chiefs Saturday night at Alliant Energy Field. Seattle’s first-round pick in 2009 tripled and scored in his first at-bat, doubled and scored his second time around and then homered from the left and right sides in his final two at-bats to finish 4-for-4.
Highlights Here:
Franklin would have been the first Clinton player to hit for the cycle since Josh Spoerl did it against Kane County on July 19, 2000, however, his final at-bat produced an opposite-field clout just over the wood wall in right.
The first blast by Franklin came back-to-back with Daniel Carroll, who himself lifted his second two-run homer in as many nights to push the Kings’ lead to 5-2.
Vinnie Catricala also chipped in two RBI, finishing 1-for-4. Mario Martinez added an RBI single and James Jones registered his first hit with Clinton, an RBI triple scoring Dennis Raben in the seventh.
The big story heading into the game was the professional debut of Mariners’ fifth-round pick, right-hander Tyler Blandford. The Oklahoma State product stifled the Chiefs to just a hit over 4.1 innings, but also issued five walks. Blandford exited after allowing two runs, both earned.
Right-hander John Housey (W, 1-0) worked the next 3.2 innings, keeping Peoria off the scoreboard despite three more walks. Left-hander Jose Jimenez pitched a scoreless non-save ninth.
Peoria right-hander Jonathan Nagel (L, 0-1) gave up three of the Clinton runs on six hits over 3.0 innings. Right-hander Tim Clubb surrendered the Carroll and Franklin back-to-back blasts and lefty Jeff Beliveau gave up the second Franklin homer. Righty Andres Quezada did not allow a run over the final 1.2 innings.
The LumberKings (2-1) begin their first road trip of the season at Time Warner Cable Field in Wisconsin tomorrow night against the Timber Rattlers. Left-hander Jon Hesketh (0-0, 0.00) is slated to make his first start of the year beginning at 5:05 PM. Listen to the game on AM 1390 KCLN or www.lumberkings.com.
-DL
Predicting the 2010 Roster (Part 2)
The second and final installment of my look at the potential 2010 roster finally makes its way to the LumberBlog today. I had originally planned on getting it out before the Hot Stove, but last week was a busy one.
In a way, it’s nice to save this second part till now. I had the opportunity to talk with manager John Tamargo about the team during our car trips to and from the Quad City Airport in Moline, IL. It was good to pick his brain on some of the talent he had in Everett last year.
With that being said, I want to preface my following predictions. At this time, we do not know the 25-man LumberKings’ roster for next year. The Seattle Mariners will not finalize that until camp breaks in early April, and at that time we will know for sure. It is common for changes to be made even after that point. Many people didn’t know that Scott Savastano, the man who turned into the offensive MVP of the team last year, was a last-second add to the roster. Two years ago, Mitch Moreland was scratched from our Opening Day roster because of a minor injury. You just never know until the bus shows up.
A First-Rounder Not Named Ackley
In my post last week regarding the Top 10 Seattle Prospects as selected by Baseball
America, I mentioned a young man by the name of Nick Franklin (pictured right). While Dustin Ackley has attracted most of the spotlight, Franklin is also a rising star. The 18-year-old shortstop was Jack Zduriencik’s second first-round pick (taken 27th overall) out of Lake Brantley (FL) High and had a nice showing in six games with Tamargo’s AquaSox (.400, 3 XBH, 2 RBI in 20 at-bats). Seattle scouting director Tom McNamara liked his confidence and fielding ability in a brief workout with the big-league club last August. I don’t think you’ll see Ackley in Clinton next year, but Franklin could very well add some first-round flavor to the roster.
Franklin might not be the only talented shortstop to head here. South African-born Anthony
Phillips made 67 starts at short for Everett last season and put up some respectable power numbers at the plate. The 19-year-old hit .247 with 8 doubles, 7 HR and 28 RBI over 68 games in the Northwest League last season. Venezuelan shortstop Gabriel Noriega could also make the club, following an impressive second season at Pulaski. Noriega hit .311 with 14 doubles, 4 HR and 26 RBI in 61 games last year.
Avila Following the Gac Path?
Staying on the Everett infield, a lot of folks have asked me if Gerardo Avila (pictured left) might head to Clinton. As Midwest League diehards already know, Avila is a three-season veteran with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (’06-’08), but never hit above .260 and had just one career homer in the league in 63 games. Then, following the Ian Gac pattern, Avila went to High Desert in 2008 and found his way back to the Northwest League in 2009. There, he finally went off for a league-high 13 HR while also finishing first in slugging (.582), second in RBI (54) and third in hitting overall (.333). As Gac-like as this story is going, he could very well be in Clinton. However, he could also go back to the Cal League, where he hit .303 in nine games two seasons ago as a Maverick.
If Avila heads back to High Desert, Jharmidy DeJesus could be the man to fill first base. DeJesus was amongst my predictions for last year’s club and was the #8 prospect in the Mariners’ system prior to last year. Hailing from Jose Vallejo’s hometown of Bani, Dominican Republic, DeJesus hit .249 with 7 doubles, 4 HR and 24 RBI in 48 games with Pulaski last year. He made 30 starts at first base in a platoon situation with 11th round pick Tim Morris (.214, 4 HR, 24 RBI in 50 games).
Rounding Out the Infield
Second-baseman Hawkins Gebbers, Seattle’s 33rd round selection hit .301 with 13 doubles, 2 HR and 21 RBI in 54 games with Everett last year. Cesar Fuentes (.261, 4 HR, 20 RBI) and Fred Bello (.250, 5 triples, 2 HR, 12 RBI) each split time at second base in Pulaski. Third-baseman and 10th-round pick Vincent Catricala led Pulaski with 40 RBI, hitting .301 with 14 doubles and 8 HR in 59 games. Blake Trinkler played the utility role for Everett, hitting .229 with 18 RBI in 41 games.
The Backstops
Headlining the group of potential Clinton catchers is certainly Steven Baron, Seattle’s supplemental first-round pick (#33 overall) out of Ferguson (FL) High School. Baron struggled in his first pro assignment with Pulaski, hitting .179 with 2 HR and 13 RBI in 30 games. However, his numbers slightly improved towards the end of the season. Baron raised his average 39 points over his final seven games. Taking into consideration that ’09 LumberKing Nate Tenbrink hit just .198 with Everett in 2008 prior to batting .282 with 10 HR and 59 RBI last year, it’s possible that Baron comes to Clinton and improves at the plate. However, Tenbrink was older and more experienced than Baron will be heading into 2010. Tenbrink also didn’t have the added responsibilities of working with a pitching staff like Baron has.
If no Baron, 2009 draft picks Trevor Coleman (9th round) and Brandon Bantz (30th round) could catch for the Kings. Coleman struggled, hitting .184 in 32 games with Everett, while Bantz produced a solid .290, 3 HR, 15 RBI stint with the AquaSox. Given the fact that Juan Fuentes, Tommy Johnson and Henry Contreras all saw limited time behind the plate in Clinton last year and could be back, it’s quite possible that none of these three arrive in ’10.
A Wealth of Potential in the Outfield
When looking at the outfield of both Pulaski and Everett, it’s hard not to get excited about the
group that could be coming in. The AquaSox had both James Jones (4th round) and Matt Cerione (13th round) in their outfield last year, in addition to Jose Rivero (pictured right). Jones hit .311 over 45 games, mashing 3 HR and 24 RBI in that span. Cerione flashed a little more power with 7 HR, hitting .266 with 14 RBI over 43 games. Rivero finished third on the club in RBI behind Avila and Mario Martinez with 32, going along with his .251 average and 4 HR.
Brandon Haveman (29th round) was Pulaski’s standout outfielder thanks to a .339, 5 HR, 18 RBI campaign. Jarrett Burgess (.187, 5 HR, 22 RBI), Mark McGonigle (.283, 2 HR, 14 RBI) and Greg Waddell (.195, 2 HR, 6 RBI) all saw time in the Mariners’ outfield as well. Burgess is still trying to find his way after a 6th round selection in the 2008 June draft.
Much like the catching corps, it’s tough to say which of these players will be LumberKings this year. It’s more likely that we see the return of Ryan Royster, Welington Dotel, Dwight Britton and others at least at the beginning of the season.
The Rotation: A Tough Act to Follow
It’s no question that pitching was the key to success for the LumberKings last year, specifically starting pitching. At times last year, at least three Kings’ hurlers ranked amongst the league’s Top 10 in ERA. Kenn Kasparek finished the season as the ERA leader, Clinton’s first since Salomon Torres in 1991. Quite simply, it’s going to be hard to top last year.
Here’s some of the new names that might try. Right-hander Taylor Stanton (pictured left), Seattle’s 26th round pick in 2008, had a breakout year of sorts with Everett. In 15 starts, he went 5-3 with a 3.50 ERA. Most notably, he led the rotation in innings (87.1), WHIP (1.23) and wins (5). Outside of Stanton, only two other pitchers made at least 14 starts for the AquaSox…Chris Kirkland (a LumberKing briefly last year) and right-hander Luke Burnett. Like Stanton, Burnett was an ’08 draft pick (14th round) that finally saw action last year. He went 2-4, 4.66 in 14 starts.
Righty Taylor Lewis (3-1, 7.82 in 5 starts) and left-hander Nick Czyz (2-2, 3.34 in 5 starts) were also brief members of the Everett rotation. Lewis also logged one start for Pulaski.
Transitioning back to the Appalachian League, the Pulaski club featured four pitchers with eight-or-more starts. Thirty-sixth round right-hander John Housey (3-2, 2.62) was the most successful of that bunch, posting a 1.10 WHIP and a .194 opponent batting average. Righty Brandon Maurer (3-4, 3.61 in 12 starts, 1 CG) and Jean Tome (3-4, 5.18 in 10 starts) put up very similar numbers. Eighth-round lefty James Gillheeney is the top draft pick of the group (8th round), but he went 0-3, 4.84 over six games, four starts.
This is a resounding theme, but with Kirkland, Anthony Vasquez, Maikel Cleto, Andres Esquibel and Jon Hesketh all possible returnees, its not for certain who might join the rotation this year. One thing is for sure, they have their work cut out for them to match last year’s league-leading 3.35 team ERA.
Can the Pen Get Any Mightier?
Much like the conversation on the starting rotation, it’s fairly clear that next year’s bullpen will have big shoes to fill. Last year’s staff featured All-Stars Ruben Flores and Cheyne Hann,
plus solid set-up in guys like Brandon Josselyn, Jose Jimenez, Brian Moran and Matt Renfree.
Next year’s pen might very well consist of some of the pitchers mentioned in the above section, but here’s a few more to consider. Right-hander Christian Staehely (pictured right) went 4-2 with a pen-best 3.16 ERA in Everett, striking out 40 while walking only nine over 31.1 innings. Pulaski right-handers Jorden Merry (40th round in ’09) and Chris Sorce (26th round in ’09) were the most serviceable relievers in an otherwise lackluster pen. Merry led the club in saves, converting 5-of-6 in addition to his 2-1, 3.06 statline. Sorce was 2-1, 3.45 with a save in two chances over seven outings.
Some AZL Standouts
At about this point, I’m sure you’re thinking “what about the guys in Peoria?”. Well, many of the players listed above (Franklin, Rivero, Housey, etc.) did spend some time in the Arizona League last year. I’ll list a few more below who could see Clinton this year.
First-baseman Rich Poythress, last year’s second-round pick and a Golden Spikes finalist while at Georgia made his pro debut in AZ and hit .300 with a HR and 6 RBI over six games. It’s very possible Poythress’s college experience (.376, 25 HR, 86 RBI as a junior) will help him move directly to High Desert like fellow second-rounder Dennis Raben did a year ago. First-baseman Evan Sharpley, Seattle’s final draft choice in 2009 (50th round) had a nice showing over 37 games, hitting .333 with 12 doubles, 7 HR and 29 RBI. Second-baseman Kevin Mailloux (45th round) hit .311 with 14 doubles, 5 HR and 37 RBI before a brief call-up to Everett.
On the mound, Peoria’s most impressive man was their closer. Right-hander Jeff Breedlove went 2-1 with a 1.52 ERA and converted 10-of-12 saves. Opponents hit just .205 against him over his 20 appearances. In the rotation, Miguel Celestino (5-3, 4.73) and Chris Kessinger (5-3, 2.45) were the only pitchers with at least seven starts. Kessinger was a 37th-rounder last season.
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And there you have it, my preview is complete. Again, this is all speculation and we won’t know until early April who has actually made the 25-man roster. Once that announcement is out, you’ll see it here and on LumberKings.com before anywhere else. Finally, as I said at the finale of Part One, if there’s anyone I’ve overlooked, any mistakes you’ve caught or any differing opinions you might have, feel free to add your thoughts/comments.
-DL
davelezotte
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