Baseball in Fort Wayne

Archive for the ‘TinCaps’ Category

Random notes and signings involving Fort Wayne players and other local ties:

Former Wizard, David Pauley has signed a minor league deal with the Mariners. The 26-year-old spent 2009 in the Orioles system, posting a 4.37 ERA in 152.1 Triple-A innings. (h/t MLBTradeRumors)

The Padres have invited a slew of former WizCaps to spring training, including; Simon Castro, Ernesto Freiri, Mat Latos, Jackson Quezada, Wynn Pelzer, Wade LeBlanc, Steve Garrison, Cory Luebke, Mitch Canham, James Darnell, Lance Zawadzki, Matt Antonelli, Kyle Blanks, Luis Durango, Chad Huffman, and Will Venable. I don’t think this is an all inclusive list. You’ll also note that Michael Ekstrom and Greg Burke are on the list. Neither are with San Diego any longer. Ekstrom was snatched by the Rays off waivers and Burke has been placed on unconditional waivers and will likely be claimed or become a free agent.

The honors keep coming for the Fort Wayne TinCaps; recently being named MiLB.com’s Team of the Year. The Midwest League champion won a record 101 games in 2009 and beat out Triple-A Durham, Double-A Akron and Advanced-A San Jose for the overall Team of the Year award.

“Nobody could’ve dreamed for a better opening to Parkview Field in 2009 and our team on the field was a big part of that,” TinCaps President Mike Nutter said. “The guys went out and won more games than anybody in the minors this year. They were talented players but the team chemistry was what put them on another level. We can’t thank the San Diego Padres enough for their support.”

In all, the TinCaps broke sixteen franchise records, including wins in a regular season (94) and wins in a half-season (49) and longest winning streak when they opened the season with 10 straight wins.

Additional honors on the season included infielder, James Darnell and right hander Simon Castro being named Padres’ Minor-League Player and Pitcher of the year while Manager Doug Dascenzo won the Padres’ award for top player development staffer. The TinCaps’ front-office staff also received the Midwest League President’s Trophy.

The Fort Wayne TinCaps’ apple logo has earned honors as national Co-Logo of the Year by BallparkDigest.com. The emblem debuted in October 2008 and has become one of the most popular brands in all of Minor League Baseball.

“We liked the logo when we first announced the name change, and it’s been well-received,” TinCaps president Mike Nutter said. “The apple, the colors and the TinCaps name do a great job of conveying what this organization is all about: affordable fun for the whole family.”

The logo was shares the honor with the swashbuckler logo of the Shreveport-Bossier (La.) Captains of the independent American Association.

In making thier selection, BallParkDigest used several criterion. Among them, the logo should provide an “instant identity for a baseball team” and be “appropriate for a variety of uses” while portraying “the team’s marketing image in a positive, forceful way.” Finally, the logo should “transcend the local market.”

“We saw the appeal of the [TinCaps] brand during a June 2009 visit to Yellowstone National Park, where we saw not one, not two, but three different tourists wearing TinCaps apparel at different places in the park. That told us the logo was working.”

See Also:

• 2009 BPD Logos of the Year: Fort Wayne and Shreveport-Bossier - BallParkDigest
• Sky Design – the Atlanta firm who designed the TinCaps logo
• TinCaps’ Logo Named Best of the Year – TinCaps.com/MiLB.com

Related Baseball in Fort Wayne Posts:

• All About the Fort Wayne TinCaps
• TinCaps Have Top New Logo

The San Diego Padres on Tuesday announced Jose Flores will manage the 2010 Fort Wayne TinCaps. Pitching coach Bronswell Patrick comes to Fort Wayne from Short-A Eugene while Tom Tornincasa returns for his seventh season as hitting coach and athletic trainer Nate Stewart is back after a brief stopover in 2009.

“This entire field staff comes with high praise from the Padres,” TinCaps president Mike Nutter said. “We know Tom has done a great job every year he’s been here, Nate was excellent when he helped us out last year and I’ve heard nothing but good things about Jose and Bronswell. We expect these guys to come in and help the players fulfill their potential.”

Flores, 36, managed the Padres’ Arizona Rookie League club the last two seasons, finishing with a combined record of 61-51. Prior to making his managerial debut, he served as the hitting coach for the Short-A Eugene Emeralds in 2007. Flores was a 34th-round pick in the 1994 draft out of the University of Texas and played professionally as an infielder in the minor leagues for parts of 13 seasons in seven organizations. He played 16 games in the major leagues with the Oakland Athletics (2002) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2004). Flores completed his playing career after the 2006 season. He has managed notable players including RHPs Mat Latos and Brad Brach, C Robert Lara and Arizona Rookie League MVPs Jaff Decker and Cody Decker.

Patrick, 39, will log his third season as a pitching coach in 2010, all with the Padres. He spent the 2008 season as Flores’ pitching coach in the Arizona Rookie League and moved to Short-A Eugene in 2009. Both seasons, Patrick’s pitching staffs issued the fewest walks in the league. He was drafted by Oakland in the 23rd round in 1988 out of Conley High School in Winterville, N.C. Patrick pitched 12 seasons in the minor leagues, including parts of two seasons with the Midwest League’s Madison Muskies. He made it to the major leagues in 1998 with the Brewers and 1999 with the
Giants. Patrick played parts of four seasons in the Mexican League and one in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. In 2003, he went 13-2 to lead the Mexico City Red Devils to their 14th league title. Patrick finished his playing career in 2005.

Tornincasa, 54, returns for his seventh season as Fort Wayne’s hitting coach. His first stint came from 2001-04 and he returned in 2008. This is Tornincasa’s 11th season coaching in the Padres’ organization. He has coached as high as the Double-A level, helping San Antonio to a Texas League title in 2007. Last year under Tornincasa’s tutelage, Fort Wayne’s hitters led the Midwest League by drawing 681 walks (4.9 per game) and scoring 736 runs (5.3 per game). Tornincasa joined the Padres’ organization in 2000 as a coach with the Arizona Rookie League Padres. After spending 2001-04 with Fort Wayne, he made his way to Advanced-A Lake Elsinore for 2005-06. Two of his teams have won championships: the 2007 San Antonio Missions and the 2009 Fort Wayne TinCaps.

Tornincasa played shortstop in college at Stanislaus (CA) State, appearing in the 1978 Division III World Series. He played professionally for two seasons in Mexico and coached at the collegiate level for Cal Baptist in Riverside, CA.

Stewart has served as a trainer in the Padres’ organization for the last four seasons, all with Short-A Eugene. He filled in with Fort Wayne for approximately a month during the 2009 season after Ernesto Vega, Jr. accepted a job outside of baseball. Stewart earned his degree in Kinesiology from Arizona State University in 2002. He spent a year as a high-school health teacher and athletic trainer in Arizona before joining the Padres’ organization.

Doug Dascenzo, the TinCaps’ 2009 manager and the franchise’s winningest manager, moves to Double-A San Antonio. Tom Bradley, the TinCaps’ pitching coach in 2009, moves to Short-A Eugene.

TinCaps 2010 Staff in Short:

Manager Jose Flores
Born: June 28, 1973, in New York, N.Y.
College: University of Texas
Seasons Coaching: 3 (2010 will be his fourth, his third as manager, all with Padres)
2009 Assignment: Manager, Peoria Padres, Arizona Rookie League
Managerial Record:
Year Team Organization Record
2008 AZL Padres (Rookie-level) Padres 33-23
2009 AZL Padres (Rookie-level) Padres 28-28_
Total 2 Seasons 61-51
Playing Background: 34th-round pick by the Phillies in the 1994 draft; 13 pro seasons in seven
organizations (.278-34-442). Played 16 games in the major leagues with the Oakland Athletics
(2002) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2004).
Trivia: Tied for the Texas Longhorns’ team lead in 1994 with 21 stolen bases.

Pitching Coach Bronswell Patrick
Born: September 16, 1970, in Greenville, N.C.
Seasons Coaching: 2 (2010 will be his third, all as pitching coach, all with Padres)
2009 Assignment: Pitching Coach, Eugene Emeralds, Short-A Northwest League
Playing Background: 23rd-round pick in the 1988 draft; 12 pro seasons in five American
organizations. Pitched 38 games in the major leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers (1998) and San
Francisco Giants (1999), combining for a 5-1 record, 5.04 ERA.
Trivia: Played in the Chinese Professional League in 2005 for a team called the Brother Elephants.

Hitting Coach Tom Tornincasa
Born: July 2, 1955
Seasons Coaching: 10 (2010 will be his 11th, all as hitting coach, all with Padres)
2009 Assignment: Hitting Coach, Fort Wayne TinCaps, Class-A Midwest League
Playing Background: Played shortstop at Stanislaus (Calif.) State University, leading the club to
the 1978 NCAA Division-III College World Series. Played two seasons professionally in Mexico.
Trivia: Under Tornincasa’s tutelage, Fort Wayne hitters have led the Midwest League in walks the
last two seasons.

The Fort Wayne TinCpas have captured thier first MidWest League championship in the franchise’s history. Congrats on an amazing season.

Parkview Field to play ESPN Radio 1380AM broadcast

While the TinCaps travel to Burlington, Iowa fans in Fort Wayne have the chance to follow the team on ESPN Radio 1380AM as Dan Watson describes the championship action.

The Fort Wayne TinCaps will be extending Parkview Field’s normal hours to allow fans the opportunity to listen to the game together at the ballpark.

Parkview Field will be open to the public each of the remaining games of the 2009 Midwest League Championship Series, beginning Thursday night. A limited concessions menu will be available for fans to enjoy during the broadcast. There will be no cost for admission. Fans are encouraged to enter through the ballpark’s south gate at the corner of Brackenridge and Ewing.

REMAINING CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES SCHEDULE
Thursday, September 17 @ 7:30pm (EST) – Game #3
Friday, September 18 @ 7:30pm (EST) – Game #4 (if necessary)
Saturday, September 19 @ 7:30pm (EST) – Game #5 (if necessary

The Fort Wayne TinCaps leveled the best-of-three Eastern Division Championship Series with a 9-4 victory over the Great Lakes Loons, Sunday at Parkview Field. Justin Baum went 3-for-4, drove in four runs and finished a triple shy of the cycle. RHP Stiven Osuna and LHP Rob Musgrave combined on a strong pitching performance.

Decisive Game 3 is set for Monday at 7:05pm at Parkview Field.

The TinCaps jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd when Baum ripped a one-out single to left to plate Cole Figueroa, who doubled to lead off the inning. Blake Tekotte singled Baum home with two outs.

In the 3rd, Vince Belnome pounded a one-out double and scored later on an error. Baum plated Dykstra with a double into the right-field corner to make it 4-0.

The Loons chipped into the lead when Nick Buss hit a two-out solo homer in the 4th inning. RHP Stiven Osuna ran into potential trouble in the 5th and was lifted for LHP Rob Musgrave. The lefty walked Jaime Pedroza to load the bases with two outs, but struck out Anthony Hatch to short-circuit the rally and keep the TinCaps ahead by three runs.

In the bottom of the 5th, the TinCaps took advantage of a key error. Belnome singled and on what appeared to be a tailor-made double-play ball to second, the Loons made an error to put two on with one out. Allan Dykstra stroked a two-run, opposite-field double into the left-field corner to make it 6-1.

The Loons climbed back into the game with a pair of runs in the top of the 6th, but Fort Wayne bounced back with a run of its own in the bottom of the 6th to push the lead to 7-3.

In the 7th, Dykstra hooked another double, this one down the right-field line, off LHP Roberto Feliciano. Baum followed with a titanic home run over the left-field wall to make it 9-3.

Great Lakes scored an unearned run in the 9th on a double by Esteban Lopez, but Musgrave retired Dee Gordon to end the game and force a third game of the series. Musgrave (3-4) was the winning pitcher; he went 4.1 innings, allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits, walked one and struck out five. RHP Bobby Blevins (11-11) took the loss.

The TinCaps improved to 97-48 for the season and tied the best-of-three series at a game apiece. Great Lakes dropped to 84-61 overall.

Fort Wayne and the Loons (Class-A Los Angeles Dodgers) play Game 3 of the Eastern Division Championship Series, Monday at 7:05pm at Parkview Field in downtown Fort Wayne. It is a Family Feast Night, with selected concessions items on sale for one dollar each. The winner of Monday’s game advances to the Midwest League Championship Series; Fort Wayne has never advanced to the championship round in 17 years as a franchise.

The Fort Wayne TinCaps finished the regular season on Monday with a record of 94-46, the best record in all of Minor League baseball and the best season in the Midwest League in 22 years. The last time a team won 94 games in the MWL was in 1987 when the Springfield (Illinois) Cardinals went 94-46.

A key player on the Springfield team was Bien Figueroa, father of TinCaps INF Cole Figueroa.

In another odd twist, Springfield did not win the playoff championship in 1987; that went to the Kenosha Twins, who went on to become the Fort Wayne Wizards, now known as the TinCaps.

The TinCaps’ 94-46 season is the best in all of Minor League Baseball since the 2003 Lake County Captains (Class-A Cleveland Indians). The Captains featured future Major Leaguers including RHP Fausto Carmona, OFs Ben Francisco and Michael Aubrey. Also on the Lake County roster was Clayton McCullough, now manager of the Midwest League’s Lansing Lugnuts (Class-A Toronto Blue Jays).

Fort Wayne won both the first-half and second-half Eastern Division championships and open a best-of-three series against the South Bend Silver Hawks (Class-A Arizona Diamondbacks) Wednesday at 6:30pm at South Bend’s Coveleski Stadium.

The next game at Parkview Field is scheduled for Thursday at 7:05pm. If necessary, a winner-take-all Game three would be played on Friday at Parkview Field at 7:05pm.

The winner of the Fort Wayne-South Bend series will take on the winner of the Great Lakes-West Michigan series beginning Saturday, September 12th.

Fort Wayne clinched its first playoff berth since 2006 by winning the first-half Eastern Division championship, going 45-25 before the All-Star break. The 45 wins in a half were a franchise record until the TinCaps won 49 games on their way to a second-half championship.