Baseball in Fort Wayne

Archive for October, 2008

Back in 2006, one of my favorite Wizards was Eddie Pena. He was a sidearmer who came out of the bullpen brimming with excitement and reminding me of J.J. Trujillo.

He appeared in 27 games for the Wizards after spending 2005 in the Can-Am League with the Worchester Tornadoes.

In 2006, he bounced around all levels – extended spring training to Fort Wayne, to Double-A and to Triple-A  – and not necissarily in the order you would consider logical or normal.

With Fort Wayne, he compiled an aggregate 0-2 record that included a 3.99 earned run average and 38 strikeouts over 47.1 innings pitched.

“I was in Ft. Wayne for about a month and a half, as a long reliever,” said Pena. “I got a bunch of two or three-inning stints and totaled about 20 innings and worked to an earned run average of just above four. I lived in an apartment with two other guys during my stay. The Padres signed a couple of free agents so they sent me back to extended spring training. I was a little bummed about it (getting sent down) but I understand this is a business” [source: Georgetown University]

That’s a pretty rough way to go into the Midwest League. But in two games at Double-A Mobile that year, he gave up no runs over 3.2 innings while striking out 2 and surrendering 2 hits. At Triple-A Portland, he got blasted for five hits, four earned runs and five walks over 6.1 innings pitched to put together a 5.69 ERA.

By 2007, Pena was back in the Can-Am League, again with the Worchester Tornadoes. He went 5-3 with a 5.56 ERA and 36 strikeouts over 45.1 innings pitched. In 2008, Pena’s contract was sold to the Chicago White Sox, but he was released that April rather than being assigned to any of their farm teams. with Worchester he went 6-5 with a 3.42 ERA and 44 strikeouts over 79 innings pitched. He also picked up the first nine saves of his career; eeight coming in the second half.

Pena was simply phenomenal out of the Tornadoes bullpen in the Second Half of ’08, posting a 3-2 record, a stingy 1.97 ERA and 8 Saves after the midpoint of the season.  The sidewheeling sinkerballer finished the year with a 3.42 ERA, good for 7th-best in the league and the only relief pitcher to crack the top-10. [Source: Worchester Tornadoes]

They’ve already exercised their option on him for 2009. Perhaps if he can continue to pitch the same as he did int he second half of 2008, another MLB team will come calling for his services and give him one more shot!

A few days ago, I reported on some of the performances of former Wizards in the Arizona Fall League. MiLB did the same today.

Padres’ vice president of scouting and player development, Grady Fuson had encouraging words for many of the recent Wizards. Selected, relevant portions of the article are below:

[Jeremy] Hefner was in Arizona to work on converting his slider to a curveball, a pitch the Padres think will prove a more than capable complement to his fastball.

Outfielder Brad Chalk, 22, was in Arizona to refine his swing. Chalk hit .275 in 104 games at Class A Fort Wayne last season with a .354 on-base percentage.

The most improved position players were outfielder Danny Payne…

The Padres also handed out a new award that recognized the player who exemplified leadership among his peers. The recipient was outfielder Brian Joynt, who hit .304 as a third baseman with Lake Elsinore but will likely end up in the outfield.

Pitcher Nick Schmidt, the Padres’ No. 1 Draft pick in 2007 who missed the 2008 season after having elbow surgery, is pitching in the Dominican instructional league.

Pitcher Matt Bush, the former No. 1 Draft pick who made the conversion from shortstop to pitcher in 2007, had a sore triceps and was shut down before the end of instructional league. He’ll be ready for Spring Training.

Some other players mentioned – such as Outfielder Blake Tekotte, infielder Edinson Rincon and pitcher Gary Pointer – are young talents who have not yet played above Low-A ball and may be on their way to Fort Wayne as part of the innagural TinCaps sqaud that begins play in April 2009.

With us being on the verge of closing the book on the 2008 MLB year, I thought now would be a good time to introduce what is sure to be one of the biggest Wizards Alumni topics.

If you don’t maintain a blog about Fort Wayne Baseball or are not an avid fan of the San Diego Padres, you may not be aware that the Padres are considering dealing their ace, former Wizard Jake Peavy.

It’s certainly a notion the organization must consider. After a miserable season, rumors of a sale in the wake of an ownership divorce and what appears to be a conscious decision to rebuild with youth, Peavy would pretty much be a wasted talent for a large portion of his remaining contract; which runs through 2013. They might as well see what they can land on the market in terms of prospects who will be Major League ready when the team is ready to truly compete again.

The Friars initially courted five teams; Atlanta, St. Louis, the Chicago Cubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros.

Reportedly, Peavy said at the regular season’s end that he would not consider waiving his no-trade clause for a trade to an AL team. He’d also require a full no-trade clause wherever he ultimately ends up.

Peavy, 27, has full no-trade rights through 2010 per the three-year, $52 million extension he signed in December. But in 2011 he can be traded without his consent to 14 clubs, and in 2012-13 can block a trade to only eight clubs.

“The Astros inquired about Peavy in July and appeal to the pitcher, whose close friends include Astros ace Roy Oswalt” [SignOnSanDiego]. However, before Astros fans even had a chance to get excited about the news, reports soon surfaced that it is unlikely Houston would have the pitching prospects that San Diego seeks in return.

The Atlanta Branves quickly emerged as a likley candidate to land the former Cy Young Winner’s services. However, Braves GM, Frank Wren, issued a statement to the Associated Press that insists the “Braves won’t trade their most valued prospects.” 

With the Cardinals choosing to decline their option on Mark Mulder and the uncertainty sorrounding the comeback of Chris Carpetner, one might speculate that St. Louis would at least have interest. A trade to St. Louis would probably take top prospect Colby Rasmus and two pitching prospects. That said, they are still not considered a serious contender:

…the Cardinals and Padres have had only one conversation concerning Peavy, and the discussion didn’t lead to any follow-up negotiations.  And so the chances of the Cardinals getting Peavy appear to be pretty cold right now. 

As for the Cubs, a deal involving Peavy does not appear likely, but Phil Rogers hints that GM Jim Hendry might try to pull off an Adrian Gonzalez for Derek Lee trade. I’ll file that in the “I’ll beleive it when I see it,” category. But now I am thinking of a rotation that starts with Peavy, Zambrano, and Harden!

I personally think they should make the trade if the Cubs would throw in Rich Hill or Sean Marshall. Then, they can flip Lee at the mid-season trade deadline for more prospects while bringing up Kyle Blanks for the rest of the season and have him ready to go as the incumbant first baseman in 2010.

As the Padres continue to explore other teams not on the initial list that Peavy indicated he’d accept a trade to, the Yankees have emerged as a slight possibility. But they would have to give up Phil Hughes; which the probably would not consider. The other New York team, the Mets have shown no interest in a deal.

And naturally, if the Yanks are intersted, so are the Boston Red Sox:

If the Sox were to include highly regarded first baseman Lars Anderson in a package with two of their best pitching prospects, talks between the clubs would certainly become interesting. But officials with other clubs believe the Sox consider Anderson to be virtually untouchable.”

Other AL teams that Peavy might consider include the Angels and Rangers – but they’d have to pay a steep price given his preference to remain in the NL. Yet and it is assumed that Peavy has already vetoed a deal to the Rangers. While the Padres insist they are in no hurry to deal the ace, others speculate it could happen as early as the Winter meetings.

Finally, while Peavy is not officially on the trading block, Padres’ GM Kevin Towers makes it no secret that he’s been talking to clubs in preliminary discussions. He plans to “slow things down” a bit and share his preliminary talks with Peavy and Peavy’s agent (Barry Axelrod) before getting into serious discussions.

But alas, many wonder why the Padres would consider trading Peavy when they have him under contract for so long and he’s been so good. The easy answer is money.  Peavy is to be $22 million in 2013, with a buyout worth $4 million.  

As the Padres move forward, they’re planning to put together a winning team. They beleive they have the position players in their farm, so they’re seeking some high-level pitching talent in return. Paul DePodesta explained it succinctly…

As far as Jake’s particular situation, we have him under contract for the next four years with an option for a fifth year. Our task, then, is to determine whether what we would receive in exchange for him would outweigh the benefits of having him for those five years (presumably some player(s) we would get in return could be of service for more than five years, so that needs to be factored in as well). Make no mistake, however – we place tremendous value on Jake’s presence here. That is why any offers for him in past years and every day up until this writing have been rejected.  

Each year as the Major League Baseball season comes to a close, teams start looking toward the next season. Presumably, that process begins with the teams’ prospects and where they will fall into place come the end of Spring Training.

Each August, Major League clubs determine which prospects will go to Arizona to take part in the Arizona Fall League. Most are Double-A and Triple-A players, but a Class A player may sneak through from time to time. The idea is that key players will be able to receive additional instruction and practice to accelerate their ascent to the Majors and perhaps even jump them a classification along the way.

Eacy year, many of the AFL participants are former Fort Wayne Wizarrds. However, this year’s class includes a couple local ties.

Jarrod Parker earned the distinction of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Most Valuable Pitcher from the team’s field coordinator Jack Howell:

Parker’s slider has progressed to the point that farm director A.J. Hinch considers it the best in the organization.  Combine that with his unanimously-named best four-seamer in the organization and his veteran-like command, and you have one of the best pitching prospects in all of baseball.  This Most Valuable Pitcher Award will be the first in a long line of honors for the promising youngster; he’d better clear some room on his mantle [source: futurebacks.com (scout.com subscription required)].

Eric Wedge earned an historic disction this year when he was indcuted into the AFL Hall of Fame. He “became the first member of the Hall of Fame to be inducted for his Major League success as a manager but whose AFL experience was solely as a player [source: MLB.com]. He is also the first former AFL player to have gone on to become a Major LEague Manager.

“I take that as a great honor,” Wedge said before the ceremony. “I was done playing by the time I was 30 years old because of problems with my legs and elbow, but that gave me an opportunity to start managing, and I’ve had the chance to manage some fantastic young ballplayers.”

Former Wizards Danny Payne, Brian Joynt also took part in the AFL and garnered club honors. Payne was named the most improved player; hitting over .300 and leading the team with 21 walks whild putting up some good defense. Joynt earned a leadership award, who went from the cusp of being cut in extended Spring Training to putting together solid numbers at Lake Elsinore and having a chance to be San Antonio’s starting first baseman next season. The award “encompasses everything: desire, professionalism, leadership on and off the field, everything [source: MadFriars.com (Scout.com subscription required)].

Kellen Kulbacki likley would have been on the roster had he not injured his shoulder during the playoff run in Lake Elsinore. Instead of getting playing time after an tremendous 2008 that saw him hit .332 with 20 dingers after getting promoted from Fort Wayne, he’s reahabbing. He’s expected to be fully recovered in time for Spring Training.

Other former Wizards taking part in the AFL this year were Greg Burke, Mike Ekstrom, Wilton Lopez, Kyle Blanks, Mike Baxter, Chad Huffman and Sean Kazmar.

Former Wizards pitcher, Josh Geer, made his major league debut this season, garnering a win in his first MLB start. Overall, he wnet 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts with the Padres after being promoted from Triple-A Portland. He’s expected to go into Spring Training and complete for one of the starting gigs in the 2009 rotation. However, the concern now is a frayed ligament in his elbow, which could mean simple rest, or it might mean he’s heading to Tommy John Surgery.

Geer had an MRI in San Diego on Wednesday that revealed fraying to his UCL, said general manager Kevin Towers. Towers said it’s too soon to know if surgery will be needed.

The right-hander was selected by the San Diego Padres in round three (98th overall) of the 2005 draft. He joined the Wizards for 5 games that year and collected a 1-1 record with a 4.25 ERA. He struck out 23 and walked nine in 29.2 innings pitched.

He spent about half of 2006 with the Wizards too. In 12 games, he went 6-2 with a 3.10 ERA while striking out 46 and walking 13 over 72.2 innings pitched. He also had one complete game.

Hoepfully, it will just take a couple weeks of rest and not an appointment for Tommy John surgery. The latter would sideline the young pitcher for at least 12 months, meaning we wouldn’t see him throwing again until Spring Training of 2010 or perhaps in instructional league play similar to Matt Bush and Nick Schmidt’s recoveries this year.

I was just visiting the old Fort Wayne Wizards website. On the homepage, there is a picture of the new TinCaps logo. My four-year-old daughter happened to look at the screen just before I navigated to a new page. Here’s the conversation…

Daphne: “Hey, that’s the appleseed!” [I quickly flipped back recognizing I can do a bit of an experiment].

Chad: “Yep, that’s right honey. Do you like the apple?”

Daphne: “No.”

Chad: “You don’t?” [I was genuinely surprised]

Daphne: “Nope.” [Emphatically, as she shook her head]

Chad: “Well, why not?”

Daphne: “Cus he’s got a pan on his head.” [I laughed. She has no idea what the name of the team is.]

Chad: “Yes, honey. He does have a pan on his head.”

Daphne: “That’s mudiculous.” [that's not a typ-o. She said "mudiculous"]

Chad: “That’s the team we’re going to watch this year instead of the Wizards. Do you still want to go?”

Daphne: “Uh, yeah. Duh.”

A true baseball (and Dippin’ Dots) fan. I guess she has the same thoughts on the new name that I do.

Several members of the Fort Wayne Men’s Adult League (MABL) and Men’s Senior Baseball League (MSBL) will be participating in national tournaments in the coming weeks.

Nine local players from the 35-and-older MSBL will be playing for the Rancho Cucamonga California A’s team in the in the 45+ division of the MSBL World Series to be held in Phoenix, Arizona starting October 27th. A’s team members include Barry Ault, Tony Didier, Dan Eash, Dean Ehle, Glenn GErke, Mark Phipps, Jim Shovlin, Dave Talley and Tim Tasser.

Two weeks later, the Fort Wayne Expos will compete in the MABL Fall Classic’s 25+ division in Clearwater, Florida. The Expos roster includes 18-and-older MABL players Richard Berich, Jeremy Sassanella, Jeremy Downs, Ryan Cook, Zach Hosier, Jeff Willey, Stu Nordvik, Grant Berry, John Gayday, Matt Zehring, Chad Goheen, Shane Goheen, Joe Bogden and Ryan Dellinger. The pitching staff includes former pros, Justin Livey and Keith Shepherd as well as fomer colleger pitchers Matt Rodeffer, Ryan Keefer, Tony Von Dolteren and Jeremy Ummel.

Several of the players that will be participating in the two tournaments were also part of the Fort Wayne Rangers, who brought home a national championship in 2006.

See also: Men’s Baseball Seniors Play On (News Sentinetl)

Things will probably slow down here for a while now that the offseason is pretty much here. As news pops up and I am able to produce some interesting content, I’ll post. But probably not on a regular basis.

While I would be flattered if you were to visit this site daily, but I am also a realist. Here are some good ways for you to stay connected (or at least connect as I do).

If you are a user of RSS and RSS feeds, this blog has one. Simply click either of the links on the top of the right side of the page to add this blog’s feed to your preferred service (you can also click here).

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Whichever method you choose, I do you you will visit the site often and – as always – your comments are welcomed. You can either use my contact form to send me a private e-mail, or get some good dialogue going with all the blog’s readers by using the COMMENTS link that accompanies every post.

And, if all esle fails . . . follow me on Twitter.

This week a full 90-minute version of Talkin’ Sports on FM 100 Talks will feature Fort Wayne Komets President Michael Franke, as the Turner Cup Champion Komets open their 57th home season Saturday night at the Memorial Coliseum against the Flint Generals. The puck drops at 7:30 P.M.

We’ll also check in with “The Judge” Phil Houk, host of Fighting Irish Preview and color analyst for University of St. Francis football and get a mid-season report card on both of the Cougars and Notre Dame.

We’ll recap the high school football games in the area from Friday night, and preview 1st round sectional action as well and we’ll preview the IU/Illinois matchup (hear all IU games on FM 100 Talks!) as well as Purdue/Northwestern.

If you have a local sporting event or sports fund raiser to publicize, let us know by e-mailing us at talkinsports@wnuy.com.

We’re Talkin’ Sports, Saturdays at 10:30 A.M on FM 100 Talks, WNUY-100.1FM.

Former Wizards pitcher, Dirk Hayhurst has had one heck of an eventful 2008. He’s gone from being a “non-prospect” scribe to Major League pitcher, only to be released and snatched up by another team just days into his marriage.

I’ve heard a few folks say they don’t like his style of wit when he writes. Perhaps that’s becuase he’s real.

Two fine examples popped into my headlines today. The first is his latest Non-Prospect Diary entry. He describes what he’s going through mentally as he performs some public service at a children’s cancer ward. The second is a very insightful interview with Geoff at Ducksnorts.

Think all Major Leaguers are spoiled stars who have no perspective? Think again…

baseball’s most dangerous side effect is its ability to make you think you are above or beyond the world around you. Baseball may feel like it’s everything, and it may demand you to take a knee in its presence, but it’s not. It’s a job with a steeper list of sacrifices and a media industry magnifying all its production, but a job nonetheless. Baseball can’t tell you who you are. If it does, you’re in trouble. Baseball has a tendency to tell you you’re a failure more often than not. Untrue. You can be a poor baseball player and a fantastic human being or a fantastic baseball player and a terrible human being. I’m sure you can cite some individuals? My advice: Work on being a fantastic human being while doing your best at baseball.