Baseball in Fort Wayne

Posts Tagged ‘Colorado Rockies’

Former Fort Wayne Wizards pitcher, Juan Rincon was designated for assignment Saturday by the Colorado Rockies to make room for right-hander Esmil Rogers.

Rincon is a 10-year MLB veteran.

“He was still here in the organization because of the way he was treated last year,” Colorado manager Jim Tracy said. “He gained respect as a player, as a man who poured his heart and soul into it the way he did last year. I’m a firm believer that the truth never hurt anybody. When I called him into the office, I just told him the truth.”

Rincon was in his second season with the Rockies and 10th as a Major Leaguer. He’s appeared in 443 games during stints with the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and Rockies. He has a career 4.04 ERA with 466 strikeouts over 506 innings.

Rincon, was once among the top setup men in the game. He signed with the Twins organization as a 17-year-old from Venezuela in 1996 and joined the Wizards in 1998. With the ‘zards that year, he went 6-4 with a 3.83 ERA and 74 strikeouts over 96.1 innings pitched.

Related BBIFW Juan Rincon Posts:

• Rincon to Rox
• Tigers Moves Bring in One Former Wizard, Oust Another
• McAnulty Demoted, Rincon Promoted
• Juan Rincon Signed by Tribe, Sent to Triple-A
• Twins Cut Juan Rincon – Updated 6/13
• Wayne the Wizard Reflects (Full Interview)

LaTroy Hawkins was designated for assignment by the New York Yankees following the trade that brought in Xavier Nady from Pittsburgh. Hawkins signed a one-year, $3.75 million contract last winter and had hoped to resurrect his career in New York following a handfull of rather disappointing seasons. Now, his DFA status means the Yanks must trade, release or send him to the minors within ten days of the move. On the season, Hawkins was 1-1 with a 5.71 ERA in 33 games.

“I’m fine,” Hawkins said as he left Fenway before Saturday’s game. “I’m disappointed in the way I pitched. That’s about the only thing I’m disappointed in.”

But if there is a silver lining to the story, it’s that Hawkins may receive yet another chance to turn things around. Several teams throughout Major League Baseball are seeking middle relief help.

One of his former teams, the Minnesota Twins, are interested in bringing him back. He pitched with the Twins from 1995 to 2003 and had been one of the team’s many “homegrown” talents over the years; having risen through the ranks of the team’s farm system.

With the Twins, he was a reliable and sometimes dominant set-up man. Now, with Pat Neshek down, the Twins are looking for help bridging the starters to closer gap. Hawkins just might be the answer.

While multiple teams are said to have interest, one of his other former  teams, the Rockies, aren’t among them. Colorado’s GM, Dan O’Dowd said bringing Hawkins back is not in his current plans.

With the Wizards in their inaugural season of 1993, Hawkins put together what may be the best individual season performance in the team’s history. Hawkins still holds Wizards records in ERA (2.06), wins (15), complete games (4), shutouts (2), strikeouts in a season (179) and strikeouts in a game (15). Even more impressive is the fact that Hawkins accomplished these totals during the first Wizards season and they still stand more than a decade later.

Photo courtesy of the Fort Wayne Wizards