Baseball in Fort Wayne

Archive for January, 2008

Keith Law ranked his top 100 Major League Baseball prospects for ESPN.com. Fort Wayne Native, Jarrod Parker came in at number 36. Not too bad for having just graduated high school. Here’s what Law had to say:

Parker offered the best package of any high school pitcher in this draft. A 6-foot right-hander from rural Indiana, he sports a 92-97 mph fastball and a hard 83-86 mph slider with outstanding tilt. He worked primarily as a two-pitch pitcher in high school, but he has an average changeup with decent fading action and flashes a curveball with good depth, giving reason to believe he will have a repertoire at least three pitches deep in the majors. He has a very quick arm and a clean delivery, and his only problem is his height, or lack thereof, which means he struggles to work down with his fastball and can get under his slider at times. Of course, Roy Oswalt is shorter than Parker, and he has done all right for himself, so there’s plenty of cause for optimism in Arizona.

Also on the list are a handful of former Fort Wayne Wizards; Chase Headley (43), Kyle Blanks (66), Matt Antonelli (93)

[tags]Jarrod Parker, Chase Headley, Kyle Blanks, Matt Antonelli[/tags]

Tune in to Talkin’ Sports on Y-100 (100.1 FM) Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. as we’ll be talking with Kent Hormann, Director of Broadcasting at IPFW as the Mastodons host North Dakota State in a basketball doubleheader at the Coliseum. The Women tip off at 1, followed by the men at 4 and admission is just $5, good for both games. Kent will give details on the efforts by IPFW to increase Breast Cancer awareness during the days events.

I’ll also be checking in with Lorie Ailor of the Mad Anthony’s Children’s Hope House as she prepares for a huge youth basketball tournament next weekend at Spiece Fieldhouse. It’s the Kids Helping Kids tournament that will attract more than 1,500 youth basketball players from all over the Midwest to the Fort Wayne area.

I’ll also be recapping Friday night’s scores, previewing Saturday contests and most importantly, taking your calls on sports of all sorts. Call 1-800-946-9689, pound 100 on a Centennial wireless connection or star 1001 on a Verizon phone.

This week, give us your opinion: Since the new stadium is under construction, should we add another sports venue downtown? Too shy to talk on the radio? No problem. E-mail your opinion and we’ll read it on the air. Either way, let’s hear from you, Saturday mornings at 10:00, we’re Talkin’ Sports on Y-100 (100.1 FM).

[tags]Jim Shovlin, Talkin Sports, Y-100[/tags]

A few days ago, I stumbled onto Smaller Indiana. I joined and created the Northeast Indiana Baseball group. I suggest you do the same.

You might also be interested in the Fort Wayne group and the Classic City Observed group (I created that one too ).

[tags]Smaller Indiana, Baseball, Fort Wayne[/tags]

Last week, former Wizards player, Michael Cuddyer and the Minnesota Twins agreed to a $2.75 million signing bonus in addition to salaries of $5 million this year, $6.75 million in 2009 and $8.5 million in 2010. Minnesota also has a $10.5 million club option for 2011. The signing comes on the heels of a 2007 season where Cuddyer emerged as a dependable run producer in the middle of the lineup. In 2006, he hit .276 with 16 homers and 81 RBIs. He led the AL with 19 outfield assists.

Through his career, he has bounced around from second base to third base, and even played a little at first, before settling in at right field two years ago. However, with the departure of another former Wizards alumnus, Torii Hunter, the Twins may use Cuddyer to fill the void in the center if prospects, Denard Span and Jason Pridie, don’t prove they are ready

Michael Cuddyer was a first round draft choice of the Minnesota Twins in 1997, going ninth overall. As a Wizards player in 1998, he compiled batted .276 with 82 runs and slugged a team best 12 home runs. He had 81 RBI’s and swiped 16 bases.

Baseball America declared him the Twins top prospect and he represented the Wizards at the Midwest League All-Star Game that year. Cuddyer is featured on page 59 of Baseball in Fort Wayne.(Photograph courtesy of the Fort Wayne Wizards)

This week also saw other Wizards alumni make news as they earned organizational honors from the Sand Diego Padres. 2007 National League Cy Young Award winner, Jake Peavy, received the Clyde McCullough Award as the club’s top pitcher in 2007. Chase Headley took the Minor League Player of the Year Award, while Josh Geer was named the Pitcher of the Year.

Geer was selected by San Diego Padres in 3rd Round (98th overall) of 2005 amateur entry draft. While in Fort Wayne over parts of two seasons (2005 & 2006), he compiled a 7-3 record in 17 games; striking out 69 batters and walking 22. He tossed a complete game shutout during the 2006 campaign.

Former Wizards skipper, Randy Ready, who led the San Antonio Missions to the Texas League championship in his first season, was selected as the Jack Krol Award winner for contributions in player development. [Read More at MLB.com]

[tags]Baseball America, Baseball in Fort Wayne, Chase Headley, Jake Peavy, Josh Geer, Michael Cuddyer, Midwest League, Randy Ready, Wizards[/tags]

A few links of interest to the Wizards and other local ties that I want to spotlight today:

• Harrison Square: Downtown Fort Wayne to get a new ballpark for the Wizards. Also condos, retail and a hotel – Indiana Business Magazine (via Entrepreneur.com) takes a look at the Harrison Square development (ballpark AND condos, retail, hotel lodging). Kudos to Downtown Fort Wayne Baseball for catching this one.
• Mets invite Valentin to Spring Training – The former Wizards player and longtime MLB veteran switch hitter, has agreed to a minor league contract with hopes of breaking through the New York Mets’s 2B stockpile. He underwent surgery to repair a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament September 25, but is progressing well. He played with the Wizards during the 1995 season where he hit .321 with 19 dingers and 65 runs batted in over 383 at-bats. He appeared in 51 games with the Mets in 2007. Thanks Geoff!
• Headley making strides in outfield – After earning 2007 Texas League Player of the Year honors, the 23-year-old former Wizards third baseman has added the outfield to his repertoire in hopes of cracking the 25-man roster. Headley appeared in just 4 games with the Wiz-kids at the end of the 2005 season. He spent 2006 at High-A Lake Elsinore and most of 2007 at Double-A San Antonio. Also in 2007, Headley made his big league debut with the Padres on June 15th.
• Infield prospects eyed for outfield – Former Wizards palyer, Matt Antonelli, is also trying to make the transition to outfield. Former Wizards, Chad Huffman is also mentioned in this article. Like Headley, Antonelli and Huffman’s stints in Fort Wayne were brief; just 5 games.

[tags]baseball in fort wayne, ft. wayne, Wizards, Chase Headley, Matt Antonelli, Chadd Huffman, Harrison Square, Jose Valentin[/tags]

[source: Fort Wayne Wizards Website]: The 2008 Fort Wayne Wizards will have a familiar manager. Grady Fuson, the San Diego’s Vice President for Scouting and Player Development announced on Monday that Doug Dascenzo would return for his second year as the team’s manager.

Dascenzo is in his 10th season in the Padres’ minor league organization and third year as a manager. He will be joined in the dugout by pitching coach Tom Bradley, who held the same role with Fort Wayne in 2006 and was with the Eugene Emeralds last year. Tom Tornincasa, who was the team’s hitting coach from 2000 though 2004, will serve in that capacity for the 2008 squad.

“The coaching staff coming to Fort Wayne this year is very strong,” Wizards General Mike Nutter said. “All three of our coaches have extensive experience in the San Diego system and all three are familiar with Fort Wayne.”

Former Wizards manager Randy Ready and former hitting coach Max Venable were both assigned to the Portland Beavers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Padres. Former pitching coach Steve Webber was named the pitching coach of San Antonio and Wally Whitehurst, who was the Fort Wayne pitching coach in 2007, will serve as pitching coach for the Lake Elsinore Storm of the California League.

Jim Shovlin e-mailed me a few days ago to share some great news. WNUY-FM (Y-100), the radio home of Indiana University football and basketball will begin a new “Talkin’ Sports” show in the 10-11 a.m. timeslot on Saturdays, beginning January 26th.

Shovlin will serve as the show’s host and content will include a heavy local flavor that details sports around the area; including professional the Wizards, Komets, Freedom and Mad Ants in addition to area collegiate high school and amateur athletics. Local sports personalities and standouts will be invited as guests each week and, Y-100 also plans to bring back the ability for sports fans to call in and give their opinions. That’s an element that has been missing from local radio for almost 5 years.

[tags]Talkin’ Spports, Y-100, WNUY, Sports Talk Radio, fantasy sports[/tags]

Yesterday, Jonathan Mayo posted his perspective regarding a Baseball Hall of Fame for Minor League Baseball. At the conclusion, he states; “[a]s with the annual Cooperstown announcement, I hope at the very least it sparks some interesting discussion.”

This post is my attempt to add to that “interesting discussion” and is my personal attempt to begin a rally cry for the MiLB HOF advocates and proponents to consider Fort Wayne as the ideal location.

Mayo does a wonderful job of arguing the fact that there is a place in the baseball world for a honor to Minor League Baseball – even if does not travel the same road of a Hall of Fame. That said, I will not add to the argument. But here is why I believe Fort Wayne is the ideal place to locate it:

• Fort Wayne’s Baseball History: The first professional game was played in Fort Wayne in 1871. It currently home to the Fort Wayne Wizards and has been since 1993. During the time in between, Fort Wayne has seen many incarnations of professional and semi-professional baseball; both on “major” and “minor” levels.
• The All-American Girls: While the AAGPBL was technically a “major” league, it’s history and impact is relevant and there were minor associations (ever hear of the Junior Daisies?). This league was based out of the Midwest and deserves to have a legacy where it was established.
• World Baseball Academy (WBA): Imagine a World Baseball Classic for little leaguers where they not only played in a tournament, they received professional instruction. Caleb Kimmel, Steve Sotir and others have quietly been laying the groundwork for an international World Baseball Academy that could see it’s first action in 2010.
• Wildcat Baseball: In the 1960’s, Fort Wayne – and Dale “Mr. Mac” McMillen Sr. revolutionized the world of little league baseball with a simple philosophy; “Everybody Makes the Team.” Over the years, it has received national attention in the press and been visited by several baseball immortals. Today, Wildcat Baseball as vibrant a baseball resource as ever.
• Harrison Square: Whether you are for it or against it, Harrison Square is an amazing development that will produce a tremendous attraction and multi-use facility. A MiLB HOF is the perfect addition.
• #1 Minor League City: As we all know, in August, Street & Smith’s Sports Journal named Fort Wayne, Indiana as the #1 Minor League City in the country. That’s gotta account for something.

So who’s with me!

[tags]minor league baseball hall of fame, MiLB, Fort Wayne, HOF[/tags]

The radio voice of the Fort Wayne Wizards, Mike Maahs recently was interviewed MadFriars.com about the highlights of his experiences with the club.

Mike Maahs has covered the Wizards in one capacity or another since they began playing in Fort Wayne (radio and newspaper reporting from 1993 through 2001, official scorer in 2002, 2003, and 2004; and the team’s radio broadcaster since 2005).

In the interview, he discusses the recent season, the standouts, and tells his choice for offensive player and pitcher of the year. You can read the interview here.

[tags]Mike Maahs, Fort Wayne Wizards, MadFriars, Baseball in Fort Wayne, Padres[/tags]

The 4th Annual Eric Wedge Baseball Camps will be taking place on Saturday, January 19th at The Academy of Sports & Health (ASH) Centre. These events continue to serve as a fund raising event for the Fort Wayne Sports Corporation, a non profit organization focused on improving life through sports. Eric Wedge, the 2007 American League Manger of the Year with the Cleveland Indians, donates his time to make these events a huge success for all of the players, parents, coaches, fans, and community leaders involved.

On Saturday morning, there will be a Hitting Camp for 1st Grade through 9th graders. Instructors will include Wedge, former Major Leaguer and 2007 NEIBA HOF inductee Dave Doster, Caleb Kimmel, Steve Sotir, Manny Lopez, Jamey Gordon, and several baseball instructors from the Fort Wayne community. The Hitting Camp takes place from 8:30 – 11:30 A.M. Cost: $60/participant.

On Saturday afternoon, there will be a College Exposure Camp for High School Athletes in grades 10 through 12. This camp features collegiate and professional scouts from 10 universities and multiple professional teams. The College Exposure Camp takes place from 12:30 – 4:30 P.M. Costs $80/participant.

For more information on the camps feel free to contact Caleb Kimmel at 260-437-9349 or go to www.btlsports.org. You can print a brochure and registration form by clicking here.

[tags]Eric Wedge Baseball Camp, baseball camps, Eric Wedge, Baseball in Fort Wayne, ASH Centre[/tags]