Baseball in Fort Wayne

Posts Tagged ‘Ft. Wayne’

Tomorrow, Mat Latos will make his Major League debut when he takes the mound for the San Diego Padres against the Colorado Rackies. When he does so, he will have gone from A-Ball to the Majors is what amounts to half a season. Granted, this was not his first year in A-ball:

He made his professional debut with the short-season Single-A Eugene Emeralds in 2007, going 1-4 with a 3.83 ERA, although he struck out 74 in 56 1/3 innings. Latos was limited to 56 innings last season with three low Single-A and Rookie teams due to spending three months on the disabled list with a sore shoulder. After spending time in the Padres’ major league camp this spring, Latos’start of the season was slightly delayed by a sprained ankle. He opened with low Single-A Fort Wayne [signonsandiego.com].

The 21-year-old right hander was drafted by the Padres in the 11th round (333rd overall) of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft. In 2008, he appeared in seven games with the Wizards, going 0-3 with a 3.28 earned run average. He struck out 23 and walked eight over 24.2 innings pitched.

This year, he began the season with the TinCaps, where he compiled a 3-0 record and a miniscule .036 earned run average while striking out 27 and walking just three over 25.1 inning spitched.

Since his promotion to Double-A San Antonio, he has dominated nearly as much. In nine games that spans 47 innings, Latos is 5-1 with a 1.91 ERA, while striking out 46.

“He’s answered the call on everything we’ve asked him to do,” Padres vice president of scouting and player development Grady Fuson said after Latos was promoted to San Antonio in May. “He’s down in the strike zone, his velocity is great, his changeup is great. He’s ready to be challenged [MLB.com].

Latos’ debut will mark the 83rd Fort Wayne alumnus to make the Majors. He’ll be the seventh on the season and hold the distinction of being the first (and only for the moment) who played while wearing both a Wizards jersey and a TinCaps jersey.

UPDATE: TinCaps Issue Press Release:

“We knew Mat had huge potential, but this has even exceeded our expectations,” TinCaps team president Mike Nutter said. “I can’t express how proud we are of Mat’s maturation. He is a great example of the baseball talent our fans watch every night at Parkview Field.” 

Read the full release at TinCaps.com.

The holidays are close. Are you looking for that perfect gift for the history buff or person who is proud of their local Northeast Indiana roots? One thing I have tried to do at this site is help point you to resources about or involving the game of baseball on the local level. One way I have done so is by creating an astore at amazon. I guess it could be used for gift purposes too

Right now, it is fairly modest, thought I am adding to it whenever possible (feel free to suggest items to include if I have missed them). Just today, I added two baseball related tomes by local writer, Les Edgerton.

As you might notice, not all the selections are purely about baseball, but they do in fact have some connection.

On Monday, I brought you the MLB list of former Wizards free agents. Today, let’s talk about the MiLB version. The good folks at BaseballAmerica have compiled a Minor League list of free agents, so I went through and located as many of the former Wizards as I could.

An intersting note about the list:

A total of 561 minor league players were declared free agents on Nov. 6. Major League Baseball and the players’ union negotiated a later minor league free agency declaration date as part of the 2006 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Prior to that, minor leaguers entered the free agent market about two weeks before the big leaguers, on or about Oct. 15. Now both groups are free to sign with teams at roughly the same time.

Since there are so many different variables that go into filling Minor League spots, I’m not even going to attmept to predict which organization they’ll sign with, but I’ll try to follow them and report back on this blog as much as possible.

So, without further ado:

• Cory Doyne; P (AAA – Baltimore)
• Brett Bonvechio; 1B (Hi A – White Sox)
• Freddy Guzman; OF (AAA – Tigers)
• Jack Cassel; P (AAA – Astros)
• Eric Cyr; P (AAA – Dodgers)
• Jon Knott; P (AAA – Phillies)
• Paul Abraham; P (AA – Padres)
• Luke Carlin; C (AAA – Padres)
• Jon Schemmel; 2B (Hi A – Padres)
• Peter Ciofrone; OF (AAA – Padres)
• Paul McAnulty; OF (AAA – Padres)
• Travis Chick; P (AAA – Mariners)
• Jon Huber; P (AAA – Mariners)
• Shawn Garrett; OF (AAA – Mariners)
• Nick Trzesniak; C (AAA – Rangers)
• Dennis Tankersley; P (AAA – Nationals)

Matt Antonelli became the 71st former Fort Wayne Wizard to make his MLB debut on September 1, 2008. In the top of the second inning, he hit a one-out line drive off the Los Angeles Dodges’ Matt Kemp. He grounded out to short in the fifth and popped out to short in the seventh for his second and third at-bats. Then, he grounded out to short in thetop of the ninth to end the game.

The lineup’s five through eight spots featured former Wizards (Headley, Venable, Hundley and Antonelli). Get Kazmar in there on a day that Peavy or Hayhurst are pitching and you’d see a lineup that features 6 of the nine spots as former Wizards.

Antonelli was a first round pick (17th overall) in the 2006 draft.  He saw a total of five games with the Wizards in 2006, hitting .125 in 16 at-bats. He hit .314 the following year at Lake Elsinore before being promoted to Double-A San Antonio, where he hit .294. On the 2008 campaign, he’s hitting just .215 with 7 home runs and 39 RBIs in 128 games.

He is the tenth former Wizard to debut in MLB this year. One more ties a record set in 2002. That will probably happen when Wade LeBlanc, who was also recently called up, takes the mound later this week (I’m hearing Wednesday).

The Fort Wayne Revolution in San Diego seems to be in full effect as two more former Wizards are likely to be on their way up to the big show, joining several others who have already made their debuts this year. It’s very clear that the remainder of the season will basically be early auditions for the 2009 squad.

The Padres are releasing second baseman Tadahito Iguchi and pitcher Brett Tomko to open roster spots for second baseman Matt Antonelli and pitcher Wade LeBlanc.

Both Antonelli and LeBlanc are being called up from Triple-A Portland where they will join the Padres in Dodger Stadium, where the Friars will begin a three-game series on Monday.

Matt Antonelli was a first round pick (17th overall) in the 2006 draft.  He saw a total of five games with the Wizards in 2006, hitting .125 in 16 at-bats. He hit .314 the following year at Lake Elsinore before being promoted to Double-A San Antonio, where he hit .294. On the 2008 campaign, he’s hitting just .215 with 7 home runs and 39 RBIs in 128 games. The North County Times recently did a great piece on Antonelli that discusses his season of struggles and hope for redemption. I encourage you to check it out.

Wade LeBlanc  was also a high round pick by the Padres in 2006. Drafted in the second round (36th overall), LeBlanc joined the Wizards that year and saw action in seven starts. He posted a 4-1 record with a 2.20 ERA. In 32.2 innings pitched, he struck out 27 and walked ten. This season with Triple-A Portland, LeBlanc has rebounded from early season struggles and now boasts an 11-9 record with a  5.32 ER, 139 strikeouts and 42 walks over 138.2 innings pitched. He was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the week for the span inclusive of July 28-Aug. 3. He was 2-0 and allowed just four hits and no walks over 13.0 scoreless innings. He tallied 17 strikeouts over the combined two starts during that week.

Good luck guys. We’ll be watching!

Related Posts:

• Wade LeBlanc’s Changeup Still Attracting Attention (March 2, 2008)

Former Wizards Pitcher, Josh Geer made his Major League Debut tonight. He became the 71st Wizards player to reach the MLB level one night after another former Wizard, Will Venable became the 70th. Venable was also in tonight’s lineup, as was former Wizard Chase Headley.

Geer pitched 5 innings. He gave up two runs on five hits and walked three while striking out five. Thanks to some timely Friar’s offense, it was enough to garner his first MLB win.

“That’s special, to go out and win your first start,” said Padres catcher [and fellow former Wizard] Nick Hundley after the 9-4 win at Petco Park.

Geer, a 25-year-old promoted from Triple-A on Friday, escaped after the Rockies put runners on second base and third with none out in the first inning [source: SanDiegoOnline].

The right-hander was selected by the San Diego Padres in round three (98th overall) of the 2005 draft. He joined the Wizards for 5 games that year and collected a 1-1 record with a 4.25 ERA. He struck out 23 and walked nine in 29.2 innings pitched.

He spent about half of 2006 with the Wizards too. In 12 games, he went 6-2 with a 3.10 ERA while striking out 46 and walking 13 over 72.2 innings pitched. He also had one complete game.

After Fort Wayne, Geer quickly rose through the Padre’s ranks and had his best career year last season while at Double-A San Antonio where he went 16-6 with a 3.20 ERA. This year, he is 6-7 with a 4.08 ERA at Triple-A Portland.

Geer is the ninth Wizard to make his MLB debut this season. That number currently ranks second to 2002; which saw eleven former Wizards make their MLB debuts.

We’ve reached the half way point of the 2008 MLB season. I think that’s just cause to take a look at some of the seasons that former Fort Wayne Wizards are producing thus far. First up, the Estranged Friars. These former Wizards are no longer playing in the Padres organization but are still active in Minor League Baseball.

• 2002
  • Cassel, Jack (Astros AAA): The former Wizards pitcher has spent 2008 up and down between Triple A and the MLB level. He’s been at Triple-A Round Rock since June 1, and currently is on the disabled list. Interesting trivia: Cassel’s brother, Matt, is a backup quarterback for the New England Patriots and his brother, Justin, is a pitcher in the Chicago White Sox organization.
  • Knott, Jon (Phillies AAA): The former Wizards outfielder is currently with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs as they enjoy their inaugural season. He’s put together a .295 batting average with 8 home runs, 35 runs batted and scoring 29 runs over 190 at-bats.
  • Trzesniak, Nick (Tigers AAA): The former first round pick of the Padres (51st overall)in 1999 made it as high as AAA-Portland with the Friars before they released him in 2005. Since that time, the catcher has sojourned to Texas, to Florida, to Detroit, back to Texas, and currently is back in Detroit organization with Toledo. He’s got a .224 average with 3 dingers and 16 RBI’s over 32 games. He is currently on the disabled list.
• 2003
  • Cruz, Luis (Pirates AA): Playing for the Altoona Curve, Luis Cruz is hitting .263 with 3 home runs and 34 runs batted in over 274 at-bats. He’s struck out just 23 times despite only drawing 14 walks.
  • David Freese (Cardinals AAA): Thanks to David Freese, the Cubs were able to sign Jim Edmonds after the Padres released him. An odd way to pull a three team trade, but the Cubs are happy with how it worked out. Freese has spent the 2008 season at Triple-A Memphis where he is hitting .265 over 75 games with 12 home runs, 42 runs batted in and 22 walks. Maybe the Cubs would have taken him too; he’s hitting .426 in day games.
  • Guzman, Freddy (Tigers AAA): Guzman is another former Padres prospect who is getting renewed life in the Tigers organization. Guzman (who has appeared at the MLB level) is hitting .275 with 3 home runs and 22 RBIs over 77 games. He’s scored 69 runs and stolen 20 bases on the season that has seen him split time between Toledo (his current club) and Erie.
  • Hamilton, Clayton (Rangers AA): Following a promotion to AA Frisco, Hamilton has had a rough go of things. He’s appeared in 3 games, taken two losses and has a 27.00 ERA. He’s given up 9 runs, 6 of them earned in just two innings pitched. This follows on the heals of a 1-1 performance and 3.13 ERA at High-A. So maybe he’ll settle in.
  • Huber, Jon (Mariners AAA): He’ appeared in 29 games and has a bloated 6.03 ERA over 37.1 innings pitched. He’s struck out 27 and walked 13 for the Tacoma Rainiers.
  • Jones, Kennard (Orioles AA): The outfielder has a .257 batting average with 1 home run, 16 RBI’s and 6 stolen bases on the season.
  • Pauley, David (Red Sox AAA): He had a taste of MLB action in 2006 and finally got back for a bit this year. On the season at Pawtucket, Pauley is 10-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 16 starts. He’s struck out 59 and walked 26 while allowing 35 earned runs. He is on Boston’s 40-man roster and likely will see more MLB action before the season is up.
  • Thayer, Dale (Rays AAA): Playing in his second season with the storied Durham Bulls, the relief pitcher is putting together a solid season and is on the Triple-A All Star Roster (I’ll be there and I’ll get pictures). He’s got a 1.48 ERA with 1 win and 9 saves over 33 games. In 42.2 innings pitched, he has 53 K’s to just 14 walks. If the Rays continue to have bumps and bruises in their pitching staff, we might see him make his debut before the year is out. The Rays acquired him as the PTBNL in the deal that sent Russell Branyon to the Padres in 2006.
• 2004
  • Bonine, Eddie (Tigers MLB): Made his Major League debut on June 14 and looked pretty solid until today. For more info on Bonine, see my earlier post.
  • Bonvechio, Bret (White Sox A): After toiling in the indy circuit, he’s back with a MLB organization and playing at Class-A Charlotte for the Chicago White Sox. For more on Bonvechio, see my earlier post.
  • Chick, Travis (Mariners AA): Pitching for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, Chick has compiled a 4.72 ERA with a 2-4 record over 21 games; five of them starts. He’s struck out 47 and walked 28 over 61 innings pitched. Chick was drafted by the Marlins in 2002 and traded to the Padres in 2004, who traded him and Justin Germano to the Reds for Joe Randa in 2005. The Reds then traded Chick to the Mariners in 2006 in the deal that Eddie Guardado to Cincinnati. (Germano, also a former Wizard was later picked up off waivers from the Phillies, who traded Rheal Cormier to the Reds for him.)
  • Ciriaco, Juan (Giants A+): The shortstop is hitting just .176 with 15 hits, six RBI’s and five runs over 36 games for Class-A San Jose.
  • Kottaras, George (Red Sox AAA): The former Wizards catcher is hitting .233 with 16 home runs and 45 RBI’s over 253 at-bats for Pawtucket, his second season at Triple-A. He came into the Red Sox organization in 2006 as the PTBNL that sent David Wells to San Diego.
  • Rosales, Leo (Diamondbacks MLB): Leo Rosales made his MLB debut earlier this season. For more on Rosales, see my earlier post.
  • Wells, Jared (Mariners AAA): Wells was the first former Wizards player to debut in 2008. However, he was sent down to Triple-A Portland a short while later before being traded to the Mariners for Cha Seung Baek. He has since remained at Triple-A.
• 2006
  • Burke, Kyler (Cubs A). Haven’t heard much from this once promising prospect. After being traded to the Cubs in the Rob Bowen deal that also sent Michael Barrett to the Padres, Burke has pretty much dropped off the radar. He is currently playing in Class-A Short-Season Northwest League for the Boise Hawks. He has a less than stellar .139 average in 36 at-bats.
    
  • Link, John (White Sox AA): With the Birmingham Barons, Link is 4-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 31 strike-outs over 32 innings pitched; all of them in relief, where he has picked up 22 saves on the season. The White Sox acquired Link from the Padres last year for Rob Mackowiak.
  • Ramirez, Yordany (Astros AAA): Ramirez was an interesting signing by the Astros in the off-season that enabled Houston to make a trade with the Atlanta Braves to acquire Oscar Villarreal for center fielder Josh Anderson. On the season, he’s hitting .229 in 73 games with the Round Rock Express. He has 4 home runs, 25 RBI’s and 15 stolen bases.
• 2007
  • Pickett, Justin (Rangers A): Wizards fans didn’t see much of the catcher since he appeared in just two games. He was released by the Padres in spring training this year and signed by the Rangers, where he’s split time between Clinton of the Midwest League and Spokane of the Class A Short-Season Northwest League. Though he has appeared in just 18 games, he’s hitting .359 with 3 home runs and 19 RBI’s in 64 total at-bats. His 6 walks has help to inch his OBP up to .429. More on Pickett here.

The Houston Astros have called up former Fort Wayne Wizards pitcher, Jack Cassel from Triple-A Round Rock. He is 4-1 with a 2.17 ERA in seven starts for the Express and takes the spot of Wandy Rodriguez, who has been on the disabled list since April 19 with a strained groin muscle. That being the case, it may be a short stint with the parent club since Rodriguez is currently doing rehab work through minor league assignments.

He had been up between April 24th and 30th. On the season with the Astros, he is 1-0 with a 5.59 ERA, three strikeouts and 2 walks having started and appeared in two games.

Cassel was drafted in the 25th round of the 2000 draft and was released in 2006 before resigning with the Friars as a free agent. He appeared in Fort Wayne over three seasons (2000-2002), playing in 74 games and logging over 200 total innings pitched while compiling 148 strikeouts.