Baseball in Fort Wayne

Posts Tagged ‘Padres’

Though I have not seen any official transaction details yet, it appears that former Wizards, pitcher Ernesto Frieri and outfielder Luis Durango may soon be joining the MLB roster in San Diego. Reportedly, they were informed of their new assignments following the (Double-A) San Antonio Missions exit from the playoffs.

An overwhelmed Frieri bounced from handshake to handshake, on the brink of tears, all but speechless at the announcement of the news. Durango stood bewildered in front of his locker, quietly accepting congratulations from teammates and staff.

The duo join Cesar Ramos, who recently joined the team, as they await their first opportunities at the big league level.

Frieri appeared in one game with the Wizarads in 2006. He returned in 2007, where he appeared in 40 games, compiling a 1-2 record with a 2.64 ERA and striking out 65 while walking 23 over 64.2 innings piched.

Durango played most of the 2008 season in Fort Wayne with the Wizards, where he appeared in 93 games. He hit .305 with 56 runs and 14 stolen bases. This season wiht San Antonia, the speedy Durango swiped 44 bags.

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.

One Fort Wayne Wizard player that I loved to watch when he was here was Kyle Blanks. I’ve also enjoyed watching him progress through the system since that time. And now, the rest of the baseball world is finally getting to see this guy in action. Methinks that next year, we’ll be seeign the Kyle Blanks coming out party at the 2010 All-Star Game and Home Run Derby much like we did with Josh Hamilton last year.

Here’s a brief look at some recent Kyle Blanks headlines:

• Tae-Bo power! Padres’ Blanks delivers knockout punch to Cubs (Big League Stew)
• Hacksaw: Padres new ownership hitting home runs (SDNN.com)
•  Kyle Blanks Named as Next 2009 Topps Finest Rookie Redemption Subject (The Cardboard Connection)
• Fantasy Baseball: Kyle Blanks-Future 30 HR Hitter? (Fake Teams)

Here’s a brief look at some previous Kyle Blanks BBIFW posts:

• Kyle Blanks MLB Debut
• Kyle Blanks Promoted to MLB
• Former Wizards I’m Watching Heading into 2009
• 2009 Spring Training Update from Fort Wayne II
• Former Wizards Getting Early Spring Work
• Baseball America’s Top Padres Prospects
• Topps Honors Include Former Wizards
• Former Wizard, Possible Future T’Caps Earn Honors
• Kyle Blanks the Hottest Prospect in Baseball
• Several Former Wizards Selected as Double-A All-Stars
• Padres Heading to China Filled with Wizards
• Plenty of Wizards in MadFriars’s Top 20
• Wizards Watch: Former Wizards Contribute to 30-0 Rout

Note: You can read more about Kyle Blanks and other former/current Fort Wayne (and Northeast Indiana) stars in my book, Baseball in Fort Wayne (pages 75 & 76). Order now at a discounted price and I’ll sign it for you! A portion of the proceeds will go to the Northeast Indiana Baseball Assocation.

This photo was taken at Parkview Field during an Jeudy Valdez at-bat with the TinCaps on April 16th, 2009. Had it signed in person on July 5th, 2009.

This photo was taken at Parkview Field while Mike Watt was on the mound for the TinCaps on April 24th, 2009. Had it signed in person on July 5th, 2009.

This photo was taken at Parkview Field with Adam Zornes behind the plate for the TinCaps on April 24th, 2009. Had it signed in person on July 5th, 2009.

This photo was taken at Parkview Field during a Blake Tekotte at-bat with the TinCaps on April 16th, 2009. Had it signed in person on July 5th, 2009.

This photo was taken at Parkview Field during an Allen Dykstra at-bat with the TinCaps on April 24th, 2009. Had it signed in person on July 5th, 2009.

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.

Word over at MadFriars is Mat Latos – yes the same Mat Latos who started the year at Fort Wayne – is getting called up to San Diego in the near future. He’ll become the first player who wore both a Wizards and TinCaps jersey to make his MLB debut. More on this as it develops. Congratz Mat!

The San Diego Padres will call up right-hander Mat Latos to the big leagues in the coming days. On Monday he put together an impressive performance at the Futures Game.

Latos hit 96 mph five times during an eight-pitch inning, netting two ground outs and a fly out in his lone inning of work at the Futures Game.

He has not allowed a run in four of his nine starts across two leagues and has given up two runs or less in seven of those. He had a perfect game through five innings in his last outing with San Antonio before being removed due to pitch count.