Baseball in Fort Wayne

Archive for January, 2009

Today, the Southern Illinois Miners announced the signing of former Wizards pitcher, Tyler Davis:

“I am very excited to add Tyler to our bullpen this season,” Miners Manager Mike Pinto said. “He has had great success along the way and has been a very effective ground ball pitcher. It really gives us another strong arm late in the game. This is a really nice signing for us.”

Davis was a 21st round draft choice (657th overall) of the San Diego Padres in 2007. Until last year’s 1-4 and 4.18 ERA stint with the Wizards, Davis seemed to have the right stuff. In 2007, he appeared in 16 games at the rookie league level and posted a 3-0 record with a 0.83 ERA. He was promoted to Fort Wayne and posted a 1.16 ERA over eight innings pitched in six games. He did get a short stint with Triple-A Portland before the end fo the season and was ultimate released by the Padres in November 2008. 

The Miners play in the independant Frontier League.

Photos and image editing by Chad Gramling.

Jarrod Parker has been named the top prospect in the Arizona Diamondback’s organization by Baseball America. It’s hardly a surprise. He’s been highly touted since being selected number nine overall in the 2007 Amateur Draft. During his first professional season last year, he faired very well in the Midwest League, including dominating his hometown Fort Wayne Wizards for several shutout innings in the last game in Memorial Stadium history.

BA also selected Parker for the “Best Fastball” and “Best Slider” categories as well as slotting as the number two starter in the projected 2012 rotation behind current ace, Brandon Webb.

While many predict he’s at least another year away from arriving in the Majors, BA speculates that might be a bit pessimistic:

It wouldn’t be shocking to see 2007 first-rounder Jarrod Parker . . . in the big leagues at some point this year.

And while we are on the topic of Baseball America prospect rankings, a couple former Wizards have shown up in with their current organizations:

• Luis Cruz (Pirates) – Best Defensive Infielder
• Jon Link (White Sox) – Best Slider
• Yordany Ramirez (Astros) – Best Outfield Arm
• David Freese (Cardinals) – 9th Overall Top Prospect
• Kyler Burke (Cubs) – Best Outfield Arm

In case you are wondering Baseball America will unveil their ratings for the Padres organization on February 2nd.

Taylor head baseball coach Kyle Gould announces the signing of Chuck Weaver to the Trojan club for the 2009-10 school year.

Weaver will graduate from Homestead High School in Fort Wayne this spring. The 6’5″ right-handed pitcher also plays third base and helped his team to a 4A State Runner-Up finish in 2008 for coach Steve Sotir.

Ranked as the #71 prospect in the State of Indiana by Prep Baseball Report, Weaver hit .349 as a junior and played in the summer for the Fort Wayne Cubs.

Coach Gould is excited about Weaver joining the Trojan roster,

“Chuck is a very versatile player with a lot of potential. He posses great size, a power arm, good defensive instincts and the ability to hit the ball with some power. He has had great success playing on one of the top high school teams in the state of Indiana as well as in the summers with the Fort Wayne Cubs. He has the ability to be an impact player both on the mound and at third base for us during his time at Taylor.”

The Toronto Blue Jays have added another former Wizards player in outfielder Todd Donovan. The veteran Minor Leaguer was recently in his hometown of East Lyme, Connecticut for the World Baseball Coaches’ Convention. The Jays’ bench coach Brian Butterfield kicked off the event by telling those in attendance that he would like to get Donovan in a Toronto uniform and came through on his hope.

Donovan was the eighth round pick (number 292 overall) of the San Diego Padres in the 1999 Amateur Draft. With Fort Wayne in 2000, he appeared in 53 games. During that span, he hit .284 with 58 hits, 12 doubles and runs batted in. He also walked 25 times in 204 at-bats and compiled a .370 on base percentage. He swiped 18 bases and was caught stealing 9 times.

In ten minor league seasons, Donovan has 309 stolen bases; including 62 in 1995 while with the Jacksonville Suns of the (AA) Southern League. Yeah, that’s a record and yeah, that still stands today.

Note: The following links were used as references in producing this post:

• Local Roundup: East Lyme’s Donovan signs with Blue Jays (Norwich Bulletin)
• Major League Legends of Past Meet Future Stars: CT Dugout Club comes to Groton (The Lyme Times)

The Taylor University Athletic Department plans to broadcast live stats for most home softball and baseball games this Spring.  Fans who cannot make it to the live events will be able to follow the live, play-by-play action by clicking on the Live Stats icons that appear on the Taylor athletics website.  These images can be found on the right hand side of the athletics website (www.taylor.edu/athletics) or by clicking on the ‘Schedule and Scores’ section of each team’s home page.

After clicking the Live Stats link, the page will automatically refresh every 30 seconds with the updated time, stats, play-by-play, and score.

The school is currently providing live stats on the Internet for all remaining home contests for the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Plans are being made to provide coverage next fall for Trojan football and volleyball, along with men’s and women’s soccer games.

The Taylor University baseball team features several area standouts, including; Nate Hillary (Junior – Fort Wayne North), Ryne Otis (Freshman – Norwell), Travis Carsten (Freshman – Homestead), Taylor Kinzer (Sophomore – Homestead), and Chris Howell (Sophomore – Bishop Dwenger)

A couple days ago, the Detroit Tigers signed former Wizards pitcher, Jaun Rincon to a minor league contract. Today, the Tigers announced they have signed relievers Brandon Lyon and Scott Williamson in an obvious effort to shore up their bullpen. One might even become the closer when the season starts.

Unfortunately, the moves also pretty much means a Detroit end for another former Wizards pitcher. Eddie Bonine was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot.

Bonine made his Major League debut last season, coming up in the wake of Dontrelle Willis’s failure and subsequent demotion to the minors.

With the Wizards in 2004, Bonine went 2-1 with a 1.98 ERA over five games (all of them starts). He struck out 31 and walked three in 27 innings pitched. Bonine was originally drafted by San Diego in 2003 and the Tigers later got him as a Rule 5 Draft selection.

Related BBIFW posts you might want to read:

• Bonine Set to Debut; Become 65th Wizard Big Leaguer
• Bonine Wins Debut; Becomes 65th Wizard to Reach MLB
• Bonine Has Shot at Number 5 Spot
• Twins Cut Juan Rincon – Updated 6/13
• Juan Rincon Signed by Tribe, Sent to Triple-A

One storyline I’ll be watching closely in Spring Training and throughout the 2009 is how former Wizard infielder, David Freese, develops and when/if he cracks the St. Louis Cardinals lineup.

He was originally drafted in the ninth round of the 2006 amateur entry draft by San Diego with the 273rd overall pick. He went right to work, hitting .379 with five home runs and 26 runs batted in over 58 at-bats at Eugene before joining the Wizards 53 games in 2006. During that stint, Freese hit .299 with eight home runs and 43 runs batted in and drawing 21 walks in 204 at-bats. The following season, he produced similar numbers over the full season at High-A Lake Elsinore, and even inched his on base percentage up over .400.

Then, in December 2007, the Padres traded Freese to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Jim Edmonds. As Edmonds floundered with the Padres, was released and ultimately put in a solid year with the Chicago Cubs, the Cards put Freese at Triple-A Memphis, where he started turning heads with his outstanding production – especially considering he had never played about A ball before the season began.

In 2008, with the Memphis Redbirds, Freese hit .306 with a .361 OBP. He also clubbed 26 home runs while driving in 91 and walking 39 times over 464 at-bats in 131 games. Not too shabby.

Given that production, the question on many observers’ minds is not whether Freese will play with the parent club in 2009, but it he will be on the Opening Day roster. Obviously, how he performs at Spring Training will have a lot to do with the answer to that, but there are other variables that we must consider. For one, Troy Glaus is already the incumbent third baseman and probably still has a lock on the spot for now – although he is injured and will miss some time to begin the season.

But the second wrinkle is the fact that Freese has some stiff competition. He’s not the only hot prospect at the corner. He’s not even one of two; he’s one of three!

The Cardinals have three third-base prospects in the upper levels of the Minor Leagues: David Freese, Brett Wallace and Allen Craig. They’re all pushing hard, and it’s extremely difficult to envision a 2010 Cardinals club that doesn’t include at least one of them. That’s especially true if it’s the difference between, say, Wallace at the Major League minimum and Glaus at eight figures per year [mlb.com].

Odd are, Freese will get some playing time at another position, maybe first, while the Wallace and Craig may also get tryouts in other spots too. Either way, Glaus’s injury can’t be good news for him with these three breathing down his neck.

In fact, the reason I write this post now is more in response to Glaus’s injury than Freese’s emergence. I think most observers have been quietly monitoring this situation. However, when news of Glaus’s surgery and the fact that he’ll miss 12 weeks came out, Freese’s name started popping up with a much greater frequency than it had been.

A sample of what many are saying shows a mixed opinion on who will get the nod:

• I think Freese will be a very good MLB third basemen, but he’s not quite my pick. ~ The Bid Dead Sidebar
• David Freese, 26, might get an extended audition a year early as a result of Glaus’ surgery… ~ OCregister
• David Freese, who hit well at AAA last season, will be given all the chances to show he can replace Glaus. ~ Reilly Mcshane @ BuzzNewsRoom
• David Freese has the inside track on the job (for all you, NL-only guys), but top prospect Brett Wallace is the guy to watch ~ Fantasy Ball Junkie
• David Freese seems like a much better option as he showed great skills in AAA last year with 26 homers, 5 steals and a .306 batting average. ~ Roto Savants

The St. Louis Register seems to be on board with Freese too:

Well, David Freese figures to get the first shot to fill the void. It seems that it’s his turn. Freese isn’t a baby. He’s 26. He’s more mature than other prospects. The Cardinals coveted him when the traded Edmonds to San Diego last winter; they agreed to pay $1 million more of Jimmy Baseball’s salary so they could get Freese instead of another, lesser prospect being dangled by the Padres. And Freese, the hometowner, responded to his move to the Cardinals organization by making the jump from high Class A to Class AAA and batting .306 with 26 homers and 91 RBIs for Memphis. He made only 10 errors at 3B and impressed the Cardinals with his defense. If Freese isn’t given the opportunity to run with this job until Glaus returns, then I must ask: what was the point of the trade?

What more would Mister Freese have to do to earn a shot? If he has an awful spring, then that’s a different matter. But what if he goes to Jupiter and hits well, and fields crisply? He deserves the chance. The Cardinals have made a priority of player development, and they have pitched the concept aggressively to their fan base. If they leave Freese standing on the side now, when there is a clear need for his skill set at the major-league level, then this PR campaign over player development will be exposed for what it is.  Mostly talk. I don’t care where the Cardinals’ farm system is ranked by Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus or ESPN. If a player who has put up those kind of numbers in his first AAA season can’t get a shot when the big-league club has an emergency, then the joke is on us.  Which reminds me: I complained at the time, and I will repeat it now: Freese should have been called up to STL last September. The experience would have been valuable to him. Think of the jump-start he would have gotten by playing some games in the bigs late in 2008. Freese has work to do. He must improve his plate discipline and ratchet up his walk rate to have a fighting chance for quick big-league success. I wish him well. 

You might also find this synopsis of one of Freese’s interviews interesting.

What do you think? Will Freese break the starting lineup out of Spring Training? Comment on this post!

The Chicago Cubs have included two former Wizards, Luis Rivas and Bobby Scales, on their list of non-roster Spring Training invitees.

Rivas is the most known and experienced of the two. He has previously played with the Twins, Indians, Rays and most recently, the Pirates. When he came through Fort Wayne with the Wizards in 1997, he was a considered their number one prospect. He debuted in 2000 but saw his career largely derailed at the hands of several injury-plagued seasons.

Last season, Rivas won an opening day spot with the Pittsburgh Pirates, in part due to Freddy Sanchez being injured. On that season, he hit .218 over 206 at-bats and 76 games.

With the Wizards in 1997, Rivas appeared in 121 games and hit .239 with 100 hits and 30 runs batted in over 419 at-bats. More about Luis Rivas can be found on page 58 of Baseball in Fort Wayne.

Bobby Scales played the full 2008 season within the Cubs organization at Trople-A Iowa. The 31-year-old infielder set career highs in batting average at .320 and had 94 runs, 59 walks to go along with a .415 on-base percentage over 121 games.

He finished tied for eighth in the Pacific Coast League batting race and finished tied for second in runs scored. A switch-hitter and right-handed fielder, he begins his 11th pro season after he was originally selected by San Diego in the 14th round of the 1999 Draft [DesMoinesRegister.com]

In addition to San Diego and Chicago, Scales has played in the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies organizations.

You may also be interested in reading these posts:

• Rivas Seeking Spot with Pittsburgh
• Rivas Secures Roster Spot; Condrey Close; Others Not So Lucky
• Rivas Adjusting to Short

Photograph of Luis Rivas is courtesy of the Fort Wayne TinCaps.

Many former Fort Wayne Wizards are taking part in the 2009 edition of the World Baseball Classic (WBC).

• George Kottaras – Boston (CAN)
• Eric Cyr – Free Agent (CAN)
• AJ Pierzynski – Chicago White Sox (USA)
• Joakim Soria – Kansas City (MEX)
• Luis Cruz – Pittsburgh (MEX)
• Oliver Perez – Free Agent (MEX)
• Ray Chang - Pittsburgh (CHN)
• Luke Carlin – San Diego (CAN)
• Peter Ciofrone – San Diego (ITA)
• Luis Durango – San Diego (PAN)
• Jake Peavy – San Diego (USA)
• Juan Rincon – Free Agent (VEN)
• Javier Valentin – Free Agent (PUR)

This was a quick look, so I may have missed a couple. Drop me a comment if you know of any I missed.

Former Wizards pitcher, David Pauley is now a former Red Sox pitcher. The 25-year-old right hander was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles today for another 25-year-old pitcher, Randor Bierd. Tis comes on the heals of Pauley being designated for assignment last week ino order to make room on the roster for the recently signed John Smoltz.

The trade might work out well for Pauley, who may get a chance to become more than a September call up:

Pauley obviously will be given a chance to win a job in the rotation. If nothing else, he’ll be a phone call away at Triple-A Norfolk, as one of those “veteran” pitchers who could enable the Orioles to keep their younger prospects in the minors if they need an injury replacement. The idea is to avoid rushing Chris Tillman, Brad Bergesen, David Hernandez, Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz, Brandon Erbe, etc. [MASNsports.com]

In 2001, the San Diego Padres drafted David Pauley out of high school in the eighth round. He posted a 7-7 record with a 3.29 earned run average to go along with 117 strikeouts and 38 bases on balls over 117.2 innings pitched with the Wizards in 2003. The next year, he was rated the seventh best prospet in the Padres organization by Baseball America and was shipped to the Boston Red Sox with Jay Payton and Ramon Vazquez plus cash for Dave Roberts.

You might also be interested in reading these posts:

• Wizards Where R They? – David Pauley
• September Callups Feature Former Wizards
• Half Way There: A Mid-Season Look at Estranged Friars