Baseball in Fort Wayne

Archive for February, 2009

The Cubs have insisted that they are still looking for another utility infielder – even after inviting former Wizards Luis Rivas and Bobby Scales to spring training. Now you can add Corey Koskie to the former Wizards mix.

The Chicago Cubs Koskie agreed to terms on a 2009 minor league deal that includes and invitation to their Spring Training camp. Obviously, the deal is pending a physical.

Koskie will report to Cubs’ camp following his participation with team Canada in the World Baseball Classic (WBC).

He has not played since July 5, 2006 following a concussion that was suffered while with the Brewers. He had been working out with the Minnesota Twins in preparation. Koskie joined the Fort Wayne Wizards in 1995 as a 26th round draft selection of the Minnesota Twins. While in Fort Wayne, he appeared in 123 games; posting a .310 batting average, 143 hits, 78 runs batted in and 16 home runs.

The 35-year-old Koskie is a career .275 hitter (936-for-3399) with 223 doubles, 124 home runs and 506 RBI in all or part of nine major league seasons with Minnesota (1998-2004), Toronto (2005) and Milwaukee (2006), covering 989 games. The left-handed hitter recorded 20 or more doubles in each of his last eight big league campaigns, including a career-high 37 doubles in 2001 and 2002. Koskie owns a career .367 on-base percentage and .458 slugging percentage, good for a .825 OPS (on-base plus slugging).

Luis Rivas played with the Wizards in 1997, appearing in 121 games while hitting .239 with 100 hits and 30 runs batted in over 419 at-bats. He played last season wiht the Pirates. More about Rivas can be found on page 58 of Baseball in Fort Wayne (Koskie is featured on page 108).

Bobby Scales played the full 2008 season within the Cubs organization at Triple-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. Why he has not already made it to the Majors is a big question mark in my mind.

Photo is couresy of the Fort Wayne TinCaps.

Related BBIFW Posts:

• Cubs Invite Scales and Rivas to Spring Training
• Free Agent Koskie Thinking Return for 2008

Tickets for the TinCaps home opener at Parkview Field sold out in 28 minutes. In actuality, there were still a few lawn section tickets available, but all the fixed seat tickets sold out fast. Glad I got mine. The new on-lien ordering system is great.

Another blogger to watch this season is Anna Lynch McClaryMc. I suspect we’ll be seing some great shots of the TinCaps and Parkview Field once the season gets underway.

Hot-Prospects has a nice little write-up on Blake Tekotte, who is likely to be among the innagural TinCaps squad:

The speedy U of Miami alum had a power outbreak in 2008 belting 13 HR with the Hurricanes prior to being drafted in the 3rd round by the Padres . . . is a scrappy player who gets the most out of his skills and strives to refine every aspect of his game.

Fort Wayne Native and current Gulf Coast Community College player, Mike Morrison is battling a sore back that has had him out of several games lately. He’s a key component of the Commadore’s offense, which has been struggling since he’s been on the mend:

“That’s a huge loss for us,” (Mike) Kandler said. “He’s a middle-of-the-lineup guy and not easily replaced.”

According to Baseball America, former Wizards Pitcher, Jon Huber has signed a Minor League deal with the Detroit Tigers:

Huber, 27, appeared poised to earn a place in the Mariners’ bullpen following a breakout 2006 campaign at Triple-A Tacoma. But a strained forearm—sandwiched between 44 ineffective innings in Triple-A and the majors—cut short his ’07 follow-up. Another shaky season with Tacoma in ’08 preceded his first foray into minor league free agency. The Tigers (and their flimsy bullpen) seem like a suitable landing place for Huber, who despite a lofty ERA and WHIP figures in Triple-A (5.60 and 1.55, respectively) has managed a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk (122-to-40) ratio in 144 2/3 innings. That, coupled with a four-pitch mix (his curve and change are vestiges of his early career as a starter), could spell back of the bullpen material.

The Times and Democrat (Orangeburg, SC) has a wonderful article about former Wizards pitcher, Wynn Pelzer. Pelzer was a lot of fun to watch at the Castle last season – and to listen to during his guest appearances on the Bear. A lot of folks don’t know that Pelzer came to Fort Wayne pretty fresh off a significant leg injury:

A line-drive shattered his knee cap, causing him to spend part of last offseason with a cast running from the top of his hip down his leg. There was nothing wrong with that arm, and for most pitchers that’s a good thing. But Pelzer generates his fastball with his base. So when it was time to head to Peoria, Ariz., last year and start doing some professional pitching in spring training, Pelzer didn’t know exactly what to expect from his body.

There’s also some good video of the interview here.

Another Major Leaguer with Fort Wayne ties – one that many don’t realize – is Boston hurler, Justin Masterson:

His father was a youth pastor in Fort Wayne, Indiana, before taking the post as Dean of Students at Jamaica Theological Seminary (where he had once been a foreign exchange student).

If I remember correctly, during their time in Indiana, the Masterson family lived in or around Bluffton.

Blake McKnight, a homeschooled student from Missouri recently signed a letter of intent to play baseball for Evangel University in Springfield. Last year, McKnight and the traveling team founded by his father won the National Homeschool Baseball Tournament that was held in Fort Wayne. He was also was named tournament MVP. He’s going to take a break from baseball to go on a mission trip to Nicaragua.

Here’s a video of the Fort Wayne trip that I found on YouTube. Congrats Blake! I look forward to following your career.

Imagine being 21-years-old and taking the mound against tried and true Major Leaguers during your first Major League Spring Training Camp after a year in the minors that was hampered by injuries. That’s gotta be nerve racking and memorable no matter the situation.

But imagine taking he mound to start the fourth inning, only to be greated by the likes of Victor Martinez. That’s exactly the sitaution Mat Latos experienced today. After three quick passes that missed the zone, Martinez didn’t give the kid any slack:

Anticipating a fat fastball on the 3-0 pitch, Martinez got one and unloaded. The ball soared in the hot, thin air, cleared the 380-foot sign in right-center and went at least another 100 feet.

Latos seemed to take it well, even after giving up another solo shot to Ben Francisco and a single before inducing an inning ending double play.

Welcome to the big leagues Mat. Hope we get to see you regroup this April in the Fort. We’ll have a much better facility for you this time around!

Saturday morning on Talkin’ Sports, We’ll be talking high school hockey with Northrop coach Dave Rogers as he prepares the Bruins for the 2A State Championship on Sunday in Carmel.

We’ll also hear from Indiana Tech’s Ed Karasek, who is assembling the first women’s lacrosse program at the school. Men’s lacrosse is also becoming a Warriors collegiate sport as well.

We’ll also preview IHSAA Girls Semistate basketball games, highlight the final evening of boys basketball regular season play and preview IHSAA Sectional pairings. The PSI/111 Design Athlete of the Week will be named and we’ll be taking your  phone calls at 447-8500 with comments, questions, rants and opinions.

Tune in Saturday mornings at 9 for Talkin’ Sports on WKJG-ESPN Radio 1380.

Talkin Sports. Local Guests. Local Topics. Local Opinion.

Many former Fort Wayne Wizards are getting early Spring Training action or have hit the headlines for various teams. Here’s a quick recap:

Luis Cruz (Pirates) sustained a left hip flexor in the first hour of practice today and is expected to miss a week (Pittsburgh Post Gazette).

Leo Rosales (Diamondbacks) earned a save in Arizona’s first Grapefruit League game (Kansas City Star).

David Freese (Cardinals) is experiencing tightness in his Achilles’ tendon, which stems from an injury that occured during a one-car January auto accident. He was on his way to a bowling fundrasier at the time (STLToday).

The incident totaled Freese’s vehicle, which skidded into a ditch and suffered a badly damaged front end. The impact twisted his left foot, which became increasingly sore.

Eddie Bonine’s (Tigers) first pitch of the seventh inning was hit over the right field wall by 22-year-old Jordan Schafer. It put the Braves up 4-3, but Detroit won the game 5-4 (TheLedger.com)

Dale Thayer (Rays) pitched a perfect eight inning against the Yankees (MVN).

Jake Peavy (Padres) pitched an inning and Kyle Blanks (Padres) won it in the tenth with an RBI hit. Chase Headley (Padres) also threw out a runner in the game (MLB.com).

The next day, Chad Huffman (Padres) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to force in a run. Drew Macias (Padres) tied the game in the ninth inning with an RBI double (MLB.com).

Jack Cassel had a rough start to his Indians career, giving up four runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings (MLB.com).

Luis Rivas (Cubs) and Bobby Scales (Cubs) are battling for a backup infielder role, presumably as Aramis Ramirez’s bacuck at third. Scales started at third, and Rivas finished. Both played again yesterday.

Former Wizards and current Angels outfielder, Torii Hunter, has gotten a few headlines this spring. In response to Alex Rodriguez’s admission of steroid use, Hunter expressed his sadness after learning the news. He has known Rodriguez since their teen years while playing in the Junior Olympics.

“With the talent he had, he didn’t have to take anything.”

Last year, Hunter created and staged a national tournament for inner-city youth in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He is currently working to rally the troops of friends and fellow players to make it an anual event.

“We had 14 teams flown in from the Bronx, Virginia, the South Side of Chicago, Texas, Florida … all over the country,” Hunter said. “It was a tremendous feeling.

Hunter was also recently a Bad Wax subject.

And according to his newsletter, tonight Hunter “will be participating in CNBC’s airing of “NEWBOs: The Rise of America’s New Black Overclass”; a one hour primetime documentary. The documentary is about the growing wave of young and successful African Americans coming out of the sports, media and entertainment industries.

It’s your chance to learn more about Hunter and take on many subjects.  The documentary will premiere Thursday, February 26th at 9PM & 1AM ET on CNBC.

Related Torii Hunter posts at BBIFW:

• Torii Hunter Project Update
• Torii Hunter Diamond Cuts Winner, “Luv Of Da Game”
• Torii Hunter Does His Best Superman Impression
• Torii Hunter – a Perfect (Angels) Fit
• A Tale of Two Hunters

Former Fort Wayne Wizards outfielder, Freddy Guzman broke the hammate bone in his right hand during Seattle’s intrasquad game yesterday. He was in the Mariner’s camp trying to win a bench role with the team. He will require surgery to remove the bone and will likely miss 4-6 weeks.

“I just swung, hit a foul ball and felt the pain,” Guzman said. “I knew something was wrong.”

The hamate bone is a wedge-shaped bone that is located near the wrist. Ken Griffey Jr. had a similar injury in his right hand in 1996 and returned in just three week’s time.

Guzman is a non-roster invitee of the Mariners this spring. Guzman was highly regarded by Baseball America for his game-changing speed when he came up in the Padres system. While playing in Fort Wayne during the 2002 season, he hit .279 with 53 hits and 39 stolen bases over 190 at-bats. He was San Diego’s #3 ranked prospect in 2004 and #2 in 2005. But he missed that whole season with an elbow injury and his prospect status dimmed.

The Padres brought him back on a one-year contract in 2006, but traded him along with Cesar Rojas that May to the Texas Rangers for Vince Sinisi and John Hudgins. A year later, the Texas Rangers traded Chris Shelton to the Texas Rangers for Freddy. Last year with Detroit, he stole 71 bases while splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A.

This is the second in a three part series on former Fort Wayne Wizards that I think will debut in Major league Baseball during the 20009 season. In part one, I presented the “sure things” who I think will break camp with their parent clubs or get called up relatively early. Today, I present the “warning track” players who are knocking on the door. All it will take is some good play early in the season and an opportunity at the big league level:

Jon Link (White Sox)

The San Diego Padres drafted pitcher Jon Link in the 26th round of the 2005 draft. Link was traded to the White Sox for Rob Mackowiak in 2007. The 24 year-old spent last season at Double-A Birmingham, where he compiled a 3.02 ERA, struck out 66 batters and collected 35 saves. With the Wizards in 2006, Link appeared in 53 games with a 4.91 EAR while striking out 57 over 62.1 innings pitched to go with a 5-5 record. Link will undoubtedly be assigned to Triple-A to start the season, but I suspect he is being groomed as the closer of the future. While he’s a more sure bet for 2010, he’s knocking on the door and we may get to see him a bit this year.

For more on Link, see also:

• Prospects Could Be Late-Round Steals
• Link & Loman – 2 Longshots to Make the White Sox

Peter Ciofrone (Padres)

Peter Ciofrone started 2008 at AA and ended at Triple-A. During that stint in Portland, he impressed. He was named Pacific Coast League Batter of the Week for May 19-25. During that span, he batted .429 (12-for-28) with four homers, three doubles, 10 RBIs, 10 runs scored and a .964 slugging percentage in seven games.

With Fort Wayne in 2005, he hit .301 with 20 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 59 runs batted in over 104 games. He also drew 50 walks and compiled a .391 OBP.

As one BBIFW commenter suggested, Ciofrone should have been a September call-up last season. I’m not sure where he’ll start the year, though I suspect it will be Triple-A. He’ll get a shot this year as long as he stays healthy and continues to put on a show. Just don’t know when.

Says Geoff at Ducksnorts:

The 24-year-old Ciofrone has decent on-base skills and some pop (although probably not as much as he’s showing this year), and can play multiple positions. The latter skill may eventually get him to the big leagues. Ciofrone exhibits no appreciable platoon splits and has improved his numbers as the season has progressed, which is always a good sign. He’s not a future star, or even a future regular, but he could have a career.

For more on Ciofrone, see also:

• Prospect of the Month: Peter Ciofrone (25 Years of Baseball)

Kyle Blanks (Padres)

For Blanks, it is probably not a matter of “if” but “when”. The dude can flat out hit and was one of my favorites to watch at the Castle while he was there. He will start the year at Triple-A Portland after spending all of 2008 in Double-A.

With Fort Wayne in 2006, Blanks appeared in 86 games. He hit .292 with 10 home runs and 52 runs batted in while drawing 36 bases on balls. His production really took off in 2007 and continued to develop in 2008.

If he didn’t have Adrian Gonzalez blocking him cheaply at first base in San Diego, I’d say they would bring him up mid-season. But barring an out-of-the-ordinary trade or injury, that won’t happen. Probably a September call-up.

For more on Blanks, see also:

• Kyle Blanks the Hottest Prospect in Baseball
• Kyle Blanks 1b (Paddletales)

Greg Burke (Padres)

When it became apparent that Trevor Hoffman was not returning to San Diego, I boldly predicted that Greg Burk would take on the closer’s role. I’m probably a year or two ahead of things, but I still think he’ll get there.

He’s been used mostly as a middle relief guy except for last season, when he saved 23 games for Double-A San Antonio. With the Wizards in 2006, Burke appeared in 24 games where he compiled a 3.57 ERA with 87 strike out sin 121 innings pitched. He had an ERA above 5.00 over two combined stints with Lake Elsinore. But something must have clicked when he got into the closers role, where he drastically lowered that to 2.24 on the year.

“I felt this was do-or-die coming into last season,” Burke said. “I needed to show someone something, I needed to shock people to make the Double-A team and open eyes.”

I see him coming up sometime during the 2009 campaign to soak up some innings for injured middle relief Friars.

For more on Burke, see also:

• Batting Around with Greg Burke

Cesar Ramos (Padres)

In seven games with Fort Wayne in 2005, Cesar Ramos put together a 3-2 record with a 4.19 ERA and 32 strike outs. He progressed in each area during stops stop of Lake Elsinore and Double-A San Antonio over the next two years. Last year didn’t go so well. He posted a 9-11 record with a 5.15 ERA over 149.2 innings pitched at Triple-A Portland. To make the show, he’s going to have to come back big in 2009. He may get a spot start near the tail end of the season like Dirk Hayhurst did before getting the heave-ho out of the organization.

Brett Dowdy (Padres)

Brett Dowdy will be entering his seventh minor league season; having played in Fort Wayne in 2005. He’s hardly a prospect, but he’s progressed through the system, splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A each of the last two season. He’s got a career .269 batting average with 23 home runs and 168 runs batted in over more than 1,700 at-bats. 2009 is a make or break year for Dowdy. He’s probably a dark horse of this bunch, but you never know.

In part three, I’ll present the “outside shot” and more “dark horse” candidates.

From the TinCaps’ newsletter:

The Fort Wayne TinCaps individual game tickets will be available for purchase starting at 10:00am EST on Tuesday, February 24th. The TinCaps offer three options when purchasing tickets for the 2009 season.
PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE

The TinCaps have partnered with Streamline Ticketing, a Nashville, Tennessee-based technology firm, to create a customer-friendly online ticket purchasing experience. First, fans will select their desired game date. Then fans will be able to select their exact section, row and seat with the TinCaps interactive Parkview Field ballpark diagram. Once fans have selected their desired seats, the third and final step will be completing the transaction by selecting their preferred payment option. An additional feature allows fans to print their tickets at home. Save time and select your specific seats, all from the comfort of your computer. The TinCaps online ticketing system will go live at TinCaps.com at 10:00am EST on Tuesday, February 24th.

PURCHASE TICKETS BY PHONE

The TinCaps will also be accepting ticket orders by phone beginning at 10:00am EST. Call the TinCaps administrative office at (260) 482-6400 to purchase your tickets.

PURCHASE TICKETS IN PERSON

If purchasing your tickets online or by phone on the 24th is not an option, the TinCaps will be setting up a temporary ticket office at the Grand Wayne Center on Tuesday, February 24th beginning at 10:00am EST. This temporary ticket office will be available Tuesday only from 10:00am till 5:00pm. Any walk-up ticket transactions after the 24th will take place at the TinCaps newly completed Administrative Offices located at 1301 Ewing Street, at Parkview Field. Please call (260) 482-6400 for directions and parking instructions while the final stages of construction at Parkview Field are still in progress.

TinCaps Job Fair – Saturday, February 28th
10:00am – 2:00pm  at the Grand Wayne Center – Fort Wayne

The Fort Wayne TinCaps will be hosting the team’s 2009 Job Fair at the Grand Wayne Center on Saturday, February 28th. The event, which will begin at 10:00am and run until 2:00pm, will take place in the Calhoun Room, located on the 2nd floor of the Grand Wayne Center, located in downtown Fort Wayne, directly across from the North Entrance to Parkview Field.

In response to increased staffing needs at the soon to be completed Parkview Field, the TinCaps are looking to fill over 200 seasonal and part-time positions during the team’s Job Fair on February 28th. “We are expanding the level of customer service at Parkview Field, both during games and at additional special events,” said team Vice President, Brian Schackow. “Our staffing needs have escalated for the 2009 season and we looking for qualified individuals to join our part-time and seasonal staff. There are a wide variety of positions available. We encourage anyone interested in applying to come by the Grand Wayne Center on February 28th.”

The TinCaps are looking for applicants in the following categories: Ushers, Ticket Takers, Parking Lot Attendants, Ticket Office Sales, Merchandise Sales, Video Production, In-Game Promotions, Field Maintenance, Special Events, Food Preparation and Service Staff. Applicants must be 16 years of age or older. Certain positions require specific skills and previous experience. Most positions do not require previous experience.

Applicants that are not available to attend the Job Fair are welcome to stop by the TinCaps Administrative Offices located at Parkview Field during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm). Please call (260) 482-6400 for directions and parking information.