Baseball in Fort Wayne

Posts Tagged ‘astros’

Until this season, Randy Ready was the winningest manager in the Fort Wayne franchise’s history. Since that time, he’s managed at all levels in the Sand Diego Padres system except for the Major Leagues. During the offseason last year, he interviewed with the Seattle Mariners after being named by Baseball America as the minor league manager who is most ready to take on a big league gig.

During the 2009 season, the Padres promoted Ready to hitting coach, but I am sure they knew it is only a matter of time before Ready is managing a Major League club – either in San Deigo or elsewhere. So it comes as no surpise that Randy Ready is one of 10 candidates on the Houston Astros’ list.

It has been confirmed that they have asked for and were granted permission to talk to Ready. He’ll interview with the Astros on Thursday.

“It’s nice to be wanted,” Ready said. “The last two months with the Padres were great. I think the veteran hitters —- Adrian (Gonzalez) and Kouz (Kevin Kouzmanoff) established themselves. And the young kids stepped up. I think the Padres are in a great position heading into 2010.

“But I have to pursue this opportunity. I’ve been grooming myself for a major-league job, and this is a great chance.

The Astros are replacing Cecil Cooper, who was fired on September 21. good luck Randy

Wilton Lopez became the 84th former Fort Wayne Wizard/TinCap to ascend to the Big Leagues on August 29th when he entered the game slated for long relief of starter Yorman Bazardo in the third inning for the Houston Astros. 

Probably a day he’ll always remember, but one that he may want to forget. He entered his first Major League appearance with an inherited runner on second and no outs. The Diamondback’s Brandon Allen singled, moving the runner to third before Alex Romero hit a three-run homer. Lopez also yielded a solo shot to Miguel Montero and rookie John Hester, which was his first Major League hit.

Overall, Lopez was tagged for six runs on eight hits, giving up three homers in four innings of work.

“I thought the kid did pretty well, considering the circumstances,” [Astro's manager Cecil] Cooper said. “It was a tough situation to put him in, but I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. He has a chance to be pretty good in the Major Leagues.”

Lopez is the eighth former Wizard/TinCap to debut in the MLB this year. He is the first from the 2007 squad.

Former Fort Wayne Wizards pitcher, Wilton Lopez was claimed off waivers from the San Diego Padres on April 10th this season. Today, he got called up from Double-A Corpus Christi and appears set to make his Major League debut. The 26-year-old righty is 4-5 with a 4.73 ERA in 29 games, including 15 starts on the season. Five of those starts came during August, where he boasts a 1.23 ERA and a 2-2 record.

Lopez is headed to the majors after a Class AA season which he started getting shelled in the bullpen after being claimed from San Diego. But since late June, he has been arguably the Hooks’ best starter, with 10 quality starts since June 23.

The move comes as the result of Astros reliever Alberto Arias being placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring. He’s set to join the team in Arizona as they begin a series with the Diamondbacks. 

With the Wizards in 2007, Lopez was 1-0 with a 3.30 earned run average. He appeared in 22 games, striking out 17 and walking two.  He was signed by the New York Yankees as a non-drafted free agent in 2002.

He is set to become the 84th alumnus of the Fort Wayne Wizards/TinCaps to make their way into a Major League Baseball game; the eighth of this season.