Results tagged ‘ Justin Smoak ’
Lueke, Wilhelmsen Debut in Same Game
In a game just completed in Oakland, former LumberKings’ right-handers Josh Lueke (’07-’08) and Tom Wilhelmsen (’10) each made their Major League debuts in Seattle’s 7-1 loss to the Athletics.
Lueke came on in relief of starter Doug Fister with two gone in the bottom of the sixth and stranded two runners with a swinging strikeout of Cliff Pennington on a 93 mph heater, but then was lit up for four runs while retiring just one batter in the seventh. He loaded the bases on a double and two walks, then yielded a two-run single to Hideki Matsui. David Pauley came on to replace him, but then issued a bases-loaded walk and gave up a Kevin Kouzmanoff sac fly to add two more runs to Lueke’s line. Final line: 0.2 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K and a starting ERA of 54.00. He’s the 225th former Clinton player to make a Major League debut, even if the outing was forgettable. For further reading, check out this Mariners.com feature on Lueke as he prepared for his first big-league experience.
Wilhelmsen, #226, came on in relief of Pauley in the eighth and fared much better. The 27-year-old delivered his first pitch at a level above low-A — a 96 mph fastball for ball one — but then retired Coco Crisp on a groundout to first-baseman Justin Smoak (’08), worked back from a 3-0 count to get Daric Barton to fly out and then froze David DeJesus looking at a curveball for strike three. Final line: 1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K and a starting ERA of 0.00.
Special thanks to the revamped MLB Gameday feature, which I relied on heavily for this post.
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Wilhelmsen, Lueke Reportedly on Mariners’ Opening Day Roster
I saw it first on the Everett AquaSox Facebook page, then saw it again at Larry LaRue’s blog for the Tacoma News Tribune, and saw it once more on Geoff Baker’s blog for the Seattle Times.
Are you sitting down for this one? Ok. Right-hander Tom Wilhelmsen (’10), the feel-good reclamation story and former LumberKings’ starter, has reportedly made the Seattle Mariners’ Opening Day roster. Right-hander Josh Lueke (’07-’08) is coming with him, also to make a Major League debut. And first-baseman Justin Smoak (’08) will be there, too.
We all know the Wilhelmsen backstory by now, but to enhance the Disney-movie-worthy script even further, he’ll be making the move to the Majors having last pitched professionally here in Clinton. No high-A, no double-A, no triple-A. That doesn’t happen too often, but in Tom’s case, his age and stuff have got him there on the Albert Pujols timetable.
The Mariners released this article and video on Wilhelmsen, penned by Greg Johns just yesterday. Do note that Seattle at this stage has not released their Opening Day roster officially, but given the credibility of the two news blogs reporting it, I think it’s safe to report.
Sounds like a great time to revisit my 2010 posts on Tom. Check them out:
- Tonight’s Interview: Tom Wilhelmsen (Vol. 1)
- Wilhelmsen’s Near Perfecto in Audio
- Tonight’s Interview: Tom Wilhelmsen (Vol. 2)
We should be hearing more on our roster here in Clinton shortly. I can’t break any news on that, unfortunately.
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Kings in Spring (March 25)
Well, it was nice to finally catch the Mariners in Cactus League action, even though it was from the dusty office TV as they played the Chicago Cubs on WGN rather than from my favorite seat down the left-field line at the Peoria Sports Complex. Still, it was nice to get a look at right-hander Tom Wilhelmsen (’10) in the #73 uni…aside for a minor hiccup in the way of a Blake DeWitt solo homer, he looked pretty comfortable in two innings of relief work. Wilhelmsen and Justin Smoak (’08), who went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, look like locks to make the Opening Day roster to me.
Another funny note from the game, former LumberKings infielder Kyle Seager (’09) got into the action at third base, wearing #92 with no nameplate. The 90′s numbers are normally given to the Minor League players called up to the big-league game for the day, but apparently that number was originally intended for Mario Martinez. As a result, Cubs’ broadcaster Len Kasper referred to Seager as Martinez for a couple defensive plays and a full at-bat. I doubt anyone aside from me, the Seager family and a few other Clintonites noticed or cared.
I didn’t catch the entire game, but Denny Almonte (’09) also made a cameo appearance, grounding out on one pitch in his lone at-bat.
In Texas Rangers news, and certainly a note not to be lost in the mix, it appears that former LumberKings’ third-baseman and one-time Futures Game hero John Whittleman (’06-’07) has been shipped to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for a player to be named later. That’s according to multiple sources, cited in an email I received from The Newberg Report. Whittleman, a second-round pick in ’05, struggled in ’06 but was an All-Star with the Kings in ’07. He remains the only active LumberKing ever to participate in an MLB All-Star Futures Game, something I covered earlier this offseason in an edition of The Interview Vault. If the reports are true, it’s a fresh start for Whit in the deepest Minor League system in baseball. He’s always been a favorite of mine, I hope this works out well for him.
As you can tell, I’m working late on a Friday night yet again. Such is life this close to the baseball season. We’re about 13 days and 15 minutes away from the first pitch.
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Kings in Spring (March 25)
Well, it was nice to finally catch the Mariners in Cactus League action, even though it was from the dusty office TV as they played the Chicago Cubs on WGN rather than from my favorite seat down the left-field line at the Peoria Sports Complex. Still, it was nice to get a look at right-hander Tom Wilhelmsen (’10) in the #73 uni…aside for a minor hiccup in the way of a Blake DeWitt solo homer, he looked pretty comfortable in two innings of relief work. Wilhelmsen and Justin Smoak (’08), who went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, look like locks to make the Opening Day roster to me.
Another funny note from the game, former LumberKings infielder Kyle Seager (’09) got into the action at third base, wearing #92 with no nameplate. The 90′s numbers are normally given to the Minor League players called up to the big-league game for the day, but apparently that number was originally intended for Mario Martinez. As a result, Cubs’ broadcaster Len Kasper referred to Seager as Martinez for a couple defensive plays and a full at-bat. I doubt anyone aside from me, the Seager family and a few other Clintonites noticed or cared.
I didn’t catch the entire game, but Denny Almonte (’09) also made a cameo appearance, grounding out on one pitch in his lone at-bat.
In Texas Rangers news, and certainly a note not to be lost in the mix, it appears that former LumberKings’ third-baseman and one-time Futures Game hero John Whittleman (’06-’07) has been shipped to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for a player to be named later. That’s according to multiple sources, cited in an email I received from The Newberg Report. Whittleman, a second-round pick in ’05, struggled in ’06 but was an All-Star with the Kings in ’07. He remains the only active LumberKing ever to participate in an MLB All-Star Futures Game, something I covered earlier this offseason in an edition of The Interview Vault. If the reports are true, it’s a fresh start for Whit in the deepest Minor League system in baseball. He’s always been a favorite of mine, I hope this works out well for him.
As you can tell, I’m working late on a Friday night yet again. Such is life this close to the baseball season. We’re about 13 days and 15 minutes away from the first pitch.
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Kings in Spring (March 19)
The Texas Rangers announced several roster moves involving former LumberKings today as they sent right-hander Eric Hurley (’05) to the AAA Round Rock roster, plus 1B/OF Chad Tracy (’07) and catcher Jose Felix (’08) to the AA Frisco roster.
The Rangers meet the Seattle Mariners in Surprise, AZ today. Ian Kinsler (’04) and Mitch Moreland (’08) bookend the starting lineup for Texas, while Justin Smoak (’08) hits fifth for the Mariners. Most notably in this game, right-hander Neftali Feliz (’08) makes the start for the Rangers in what will possibly be his last outing before Texas brass decide if he’ll remain the closer or join the rotation.
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Kings in Spring (March 8)
More news from Mariners camp today, where right-hander Tom Wilhelmsen (’10) contributed a scoreless inning to a seven-pitcher shutout in a 1-0 win over the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants.
Wilhelmsen struck out Eli Whiteside swinging, Darren Ford looking and induced Miguel Tejada into a 5-3 groundout. Justin Smoak (’08) walked and scored on a triple by Ryan Langerhans in the fifth for the only run in the game.
Over at Camelback Ranch, the Mariners’ “B” squad beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-1. Right-hander Yoervis Medina (’10) threw a scoreless inning of relief.
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Kings in Spring (March 3)
A few things via the Seattle Mariners to pass along…
Right-hander Yoervis Medina (’10) made his spring debut in relief for the Mariners yesterday following two sparkling innings from current “it” prospect Michael Pineda and another scoreless frame from Jamey Wright. Medina gave up two runs — both coming on a Juan Miranda homer — and a total of three hits over his one inning of work and took the loss as Seattle fell, 5-3. Justin Smoak (’08) went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts, dropping his Cactus League average to .125.
The Mariners (2-1-1) take on left-hander John Danks (’04), last year’s LumberKings bobblehead honoree, as they head to Camelback Ranch to face the Chicago White Sox today at 2:05 PM central. I visited Camelback Ranch last year and it quickly became my favorite spring facility.
In other news, the Mariners shipped infielder Matt Lawson (’08) to the Cleveland Indians along with cash in exchange for left-hander Aaron Laffey. The 25-year-old Lawson finds himself traded for the second time since July (he came to Seattle via the Texas Rangers in the Cliff Lee deal)…the former LumberKing hit .293 with 26 doubles, seven triples, nine homers and 56 RBI combined between double-A Frisco (Rangers) and double-A West Tenn. (Mariners). Laffey, meanwhile, was 2-2 with a 3.60 ERA in five starts with the Indians and also rehabbed at just about every level of their system last year — including Clinton foe Lake County.
Good luck to the Law-dog as he moves from Peoria to Goodyear. His move gives me another reason to check in with Indians’ camp aside from Grady Sizemore (’01).
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