Baseball in Fort Wayne

Posts Tagged ‘Todd Donovan’

After playing more than a decade in Minor League Baseball without so much as a cup of coffee in the Majors, former Fort Wayne Wizard Todd Donovan, is calling an end to his baseball playing career. Donovan’s extra innings will now ba as a scout with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In his scouting role, he’ll be monitoring the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays on the major league level, and Pawtucket, Rochester, New Britain and New Hampshire as part of his minor league assignment.

Donovan played in more than 800 professional games, collecting 800+ hits and a whopping 346 stolen bases. In 2005, the aggressive and speedy Donovan swiped 62 bags while with the Jacksonville Suns of the (AA) Southern League.

The eighth round selection (number 292 overall) of the San Diego Padres in the 1999 Amateur Draft, Donavoan appeared in 53 games with Fort Wayne in 2000. He hit .284 with 58 hits, 12 doubles and runs batted in. He also walked 25 times in 204 at-bats and compiled a .370 on base percentage. He swiped 18 bases and was caught stealing 9 times.

Related Posts:

• Todd Donovan Signs with Blue Jays
• Former Wizards Likely to Debut in 2009 – Part III
• Fort Fragments (Wizards): Donovan, Hunter, Condrey, Pierzynski, Soria, Perez

Been a while since I’ve done a Fort Fragments post, so ths one may get a bit long. Here’s some news and info tidbits related to Fort Wayne:

Former Wizard and Major League, Cory Doyne has signed with the Long Island Ducks.

Doyne joins the Ducks for his first season in the Atlantic League . . . Prior to last season, the Florida native spent eight years in the minors toiling in the Astros, Padres, Cardinals and Orioles organizations, earning a call up to the Major Leagues on June 16, 2007. The former eighth round draft selection appeared in five games for the Orioles that season, pitching three and two-thirds innings, while striking out three. He has 29 career minor league victories with a 3.32 ERA in 586 innings pitched.

Norwell native and current Arizona Diamondbacks’ farmhand, Jarrod Parker is ranked number twevle on Baseball America’s top 25 Prospects list. He’ll also pitch in the Baseball Future’s Game.

After a quick whip through the high Class A California League, Parker moved up to Double-A Mobile, where he has shown a fastball that can sit 92-96 mph with a plus slider and the makings of a potentially above-average changeup. A line drive off his wrist slowed the 20-year-old Parker down a bit, but he’s on pace to be one of the youngest pitchers in the big leagues by 2010 [Baseball America].

TinCaps in Full Motion: If you haven’t seen the commercial yet, take a look here (John King of Metta Audio).

Former (and recently retired) Wizard, Shawn Garrett is helping to develop players on an American League League roster.

I didn’t get to cover any of his visits to Parkview Field, but like Kyle Day, Justin Parker was wowed by the park when he visited with his South Bend Silverhawks.

“It’s a beautiful place,” Parker said Sunday. “I heard a lot of nice things about it, but I had no idea it was going to be this nice. It’s a really nice place.”

Former Fort Wayne Daisies player, Dr. Lois Youngen has endowed a baseball scholarship in honor of her father (Elden “Ty” Youngen) at Kent State University.

Baseball was quite prominent among the Youngen household. “Ty” Youngen was a member of the Kent State baseball team from 1924-26, earning three varsity letters and was a captain for his final season. Lois would follow in her father’s footsteps of playing baseball as she was a pitcher and catcher in the All-American Girls Professional League for the Fort Wayne Daisies and the South Bend Blue Sox.

In a game that involved many former Wizards/TinCaps, the Lake Elsinore Storm scored a 33-18 win over High Desert in Adelanto during late June. The Storm set league marks for RBIs, time of game (four hours, 10 minutes) and hits. Former TinCap Matt Clark went 5-for-6 with two doubles, a homer, five RBIs, two walks and scored a record-tying seven runs. Former Wizard, Felix Carrasco was 4-for-7 with two doubles, a triple, six RBIs and four runs. 

Left fielder Brad Chalk (4-for-9, two doubles, three RBI) . . . right fielder Sawyer Carroll (4-for-7, double, homer, three RBI, four runs scored) . . . third baseman James Darnell (4-for-7, two doubles, homer, three RBI, five runs scored). Center fielder Dan Payne (4-for-6, double, homer, three RBI, four runs scored). Second baseman Andy Parrino (2-for-6, two doubles, two RBI) . . . Left-handed reliever Matt Teague picked up the win allowing three runs on eight hits over 3 1/3 innings. Storm starter Jeremy McBryde allowed 11 runs on 13 hits over 4 2/3 innings. But he departed with a 22-11 lead.

Last season, after being released from the Yankees, former Wizard LaTroy Hawkins didn’t go home. He quitely came back to Fort Wayne. While back in town, he reconnected with agent, Matt Kinzer:

Kinzer is more than an agent. He’s a former major league pitcher and scout, and through the years has become the person who knows Hawkins as well as anyone . . Together, they studied video, did some bullpen sessions and attempted to rediscover the command of a fastball that has helped keep Hawkins in the big leagues for 15 years.

Memorial Stadium is pretty much long gone. Just some rubble left. The auction brought in about $20,000.

About 200 people attended the auction Saturday. Stadium general manager Randy Brown says the grand total for the day was $210,588. Aluminum bleachers along the third-base line brought the most money, selling for $65,000.

Former Wizard, Todd Donovan collected two hits off of future Hall of Famer, John Smoltz while the pitcher was rehabbing before making his season MLB debut with the Red Sox.

The TinCaps’ Blake Tekotte was the Midwest League Offensive Player of the Week for the week eneded June 29, 2009:

.538 (7-13), 2 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 SB, 1.154 SLG
Currently on a 10-game hitting streak, Padres prospect Blake Tekotte put together another week of impressive plate appearances. The center fielder homered in consecutive games on June 25 and 26, amassing six RBIs in those two contests. He also recorded three multiple-hit games this week.

A couple transactions you might have missed. The Padres released Josh Alley and Derek McDaid while the Blue Jays called up Dirk Hayhurst. Alley was hitting .192 with Triple-A Portland at the time and has since signed with the St. Paul Saints. McDaid was 0-2 with a 7.42 ERA with Double-A San Antonio. He has since signed with the Quebec Capitales of the Can-Am League. Brockton (also of the Can-Am League) has released former Wizard Stevie Delabar. Hayhurst has quietly been productive with Toronto. In eleven appearances, he has a 1.84 ERA with nine strikeouts over 14.2 innings.

Donovan: The Baseball Engine That Keeps Trying

Since the day the Padres drafted him in 1999, (Todd) Donovan has been an unwitting subject of a riveting novel. Cut a swath through the organization … injury. Repair and regenerate … Triple A … injury. Repair and regenerate … get to the 40-man roster and major league camp … injury. Repair and regenerate … set minor league records … injury.

Just so you know: Donovan’s ailments haven’t been Pavano-esque. He’s crashed into more walls than most NASCAR drivers. The unofficial list: two broken thumbs, two broken fingers, a broken bone in his hand and a torn elbow ligament.

And still … still! He’s at the ballpark an hour before his younger teammates to play a Double-A game.

Speed Burner

Missions manager Terry Kennedy admits he was surprised to see left fielder Luis Durango land on his Opening Day roster. The Panamanian, who played for his home country at the World Baseball Classic, is widely regarded as the fastest player in the San Diego Padres farm system but at 22 is a raw talent.

Prospect’s speed has Pads intrigued

A switch-hitter signed out of Panama for $12,000, Durango has reached base in about 42 percent of his some 1,400 plate appearances since debuting in the Venezuelan summer league five years ago.

“He’s got a chance to be an exciting guy,” said Grady Fuson, the Padres’ director of scouting and development.

Ocala woman enjoys a niche in baseball history

Mava Lee “Tommy” Thomas (Fort Wayne Daisies) went from local softball leagues to the heady world of professional fast pitch baseball, snagging herself a spot in baseball history along the way…

Thomas was determined to play, and her father, who knew league manager Max Carey, arranged an audition.

“He watched me play for about 15 minutes and told my dad I was in. I couldn’t believe I was going to get paid for playing a game I loved,” Thomas recalled.

Finally,  if you’re looking for professional photos of Parkview Field that don’t fit the norm that the umpteen other blogs out there have posted, check out Anna Lynch McClary’s blog.

Here’s some good articles about former Fort Wayne Wizards:

Kevin Gray’s On Baseball: He still plays like a kid (UnionLeader.com)

A look at Todd Donovan, now a Blue Jays farmhand, and why he has not yet made a big league roster.

“I’ve tried not to talk about it as much as I can, but the conversation always seems to come up,” said Donovan, drafted in the ninth round by the Padres in 1999. “There’s a lot of built-up frustration. I’m not young anymore. I’m not a prospect anymore. I basically have to prove myself every single day.”

 Beckett sparks bench-clearing brawl (ESPN.com)

Angels center fielder Torii Hunter was ejected by West and had to be restrained by teammate Howie Kendrick.

Manuel: Phillies’ Condrey ‘a staff saver’ (SportingNews)

The 33-year-old Philadelphia Phillies pitcher gets the ball after Cole Hamels and before Brad Lidge. He’s a middle reliever that lacks the unhittable pitch or the highlight-reel flash of his more popular starter and closer teammates.

Sox love Pierzynski even if others don’t (MLB.com)

“Certain events that have occurred have led people to believe I’m a certain way, and I can’t control that. What I can control is how I prepare myself to play for this team, and that’s all I worry about.”

Joakim Soria:

Soria now one of Majors’ elite closers (MLB.com)
Hardly anyone in the Major Leagues was better at nailing down games last season than Soria, who converted 42 of 45 save chances, or 93.3 percent. The only closers topping that were the Phillies’ Brad Lidge (41-for-41, 100 percent) and the Yankees’ Mariano Rivera (39-for-40, 97.5 percent).

Soria dispels doubts with save (MLB.com)
“I remember when Trey first got here and saying to me, ‘That’s going to be our closer, huh?’ Just for the fact that he wasn’t sharp yet,” McClure said. “And he goes on to get 42 saves, but we had seen him pitch; I didn’t know he’d get 40, but you knew that he’d save a lot of games. So to me, he looks behind.”

Oliver Perez:

• Mets’ Oliver Perez is wild in appearance against Tigers – 3/25/09 (SportingNews)
• Mets’ Perez believes World Baseball Classic put him behind – 3/26/09 (SI.com)
• Johan talks to Perez after tough outing – 3/26/09 (MLB.com)
• Praise all around for Perez – 3/30/09 (MLB.com)
• Perez sharp in Mets’ 2-1 victory against Orioles – 3/30/09 (SportingNews)
• Perez shows rust in spring finale – 4/3/09 (MLB.com)

This is the thrid and final part of a series on former Fort Wayne Wizards that I think will debut in Major league Baseball during the 20009 season. In part one, I presented the “sure things” who I think will break camp with their parent clubs or get called up relatively early. Part two presented the “warning track” players who are knocking on the door and waiting for an opportunity at the big league level. Today, I reveal the players I think will have an outside shot or are dark horse candidates to make their debuts:

Jose Lobaton (Padres)
My gosh. We’ve seen a lot of catchers come through Fort Wayne that are either in the Majors or close to it. Colt Morton, Nick Hundley and Luke Carlin are the most recent to go along with Javier Valentin, A.J. Pierzynzki, Chad Moeller, Matt LeCroy and others. Jose Lobaton will most likely be the next on that list. With the Wizards in 2006, he hit .279 with 17 hits in 61 at bats. Over 20 games, he collected three doubles, one homer and 11 runs batted in. He also drew 12 bases on balls. He’s got a great arm, handles the staff well and tends to hit in streaks (ending his Wizards run with an eight game hitting streak). We’ll see him in September if not sooner.

Neil Jamison (Padres)
Neil Jamison was the sixth round pick (number 188 overall) by the Padres in the 2005 Amateur Draft. he San Diego native was a teammate of former Wizards starting pitcher Cesar Ramos while at Long Beach State University. With the Wizards in 2005, Jamison appeared in seven games to post a 1-1 record to go along with 12 strikeouts and a 2.70 ERA. The following year, he got into four games with the Wizards while posting a 0-0 record to match a 0.00 ERA and collecting 3 saves. He’s steadily progressed at each stop but had seen his ERA rise each year until his wonderful 2008 season was stopped short because of an elbow injury. In 29 games with Double-A San Antonio, Jamison posted a 2.55 ERA while pitching exclusively in relief. He’ll probably start the year at Triple-A or maybe again at Double-A before moving up. If he can stay healthy, he’d make a good fill-in candidate for a big leaguer who isn’t, but a September call-up is more likely (although they’d have to make room for him on the 40-man roster first).

Josh Alley (Padres)
Alley is another Padres farmhand with breakthrough potential who is not on the 40-man roster. Also like Jamison, Alley spent parts of 2005 and 2006 in Fort Wayne. In 2005, he hit .263 with 40 walks to just 26 K’s over 45 games to collect a.411 OBP. In 2006, he hit .205 in 234 at-bats over 67 games. Alley also hit two home runs and collected 23 runs batted in while swiping 11 bases in 17 attempts. He’s made it as high as Triple-A (albeit a short stint in the end of the 2007 season). 2008 was spent at Double-A San Antonio where he put up respectable but not stellar numbers. Hi patience and good eye are solid assets that might give him a chance when September call-ups take place. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him debut with a team other than the Padres though.

Ernesto Frieri (Padres)
Unlike the previous two, Ernesto Frieri is on the 40-man roster. At just 23-years-old, Frieri is a 4-year veteran of the minor leagues after being signed as an undrafted free agent. Perhaps his best stint in the minors was with Fort Wayne in 2007 (he also appeared in a Wizards Uniform form one game in 2006). In 2007, he appeared in 40 games with the Wizards, all in relief. He posted a 1-2 record to go with a 2.64 earned run average. Frieri struck out 64 and walked 23 over 64.1 innings pitched. He will probably start at 2009 at Double-A San Antonio. Last year, he went 8-6 with a 4.00 ERA at Lake Elsinore. A switch from the starting role to relief might produce a solid opportunity for him to crack through the big league roster though.

Ray Chang (Pirates)
He’s a dark horse this year – maybe not so much next year. He’s playing in the World Baseball Classic for China, so let’s pay attention. Who the heck is Raymond (Ray) Chang? Glad you asked. Read more here. I’m really rooting for this former Wizard.

Todd Donovan (Toronto)
This is perhaps the darkest of the dark horses. Some might even contend it’s more than a bold prediction, but I won’t go there. Todd Donovan has been around Minor League baseball for a while. Since 1999 to be exact. That’s right, he enters his eleventh Minor League Baseball season in 2009. He does so with the Toronto Blue Jays, who are his eight organization. The San Diego Padres selected him in eighth round (number 262 overall) of 1999 amateur draft.  With the Wizards in 2000, Donovan hit .284 with 58 hits, 23 runs batted in, and 25 stolen bases. That later stat is probably what has kept Donovan around so long. The dude has stolen a lot of bases in his day, including 40 in 1999 with Idaho Falls (rookie league), 31 in Double-A Mobile in 2003, a whopping 62 with Jacksonville in 2005 and 37 last year with Oakland’s Double-A team in Midland. In his career, he has over 300 minor league stolen bases. Would be a good pinch runner late in the season.

For more on Todd Donovan, see also:

• Baseball runs deep for Donovan

The Toronto Blue Jays have added another former Wizards player in outfielder Todd Donovan. The veteran Minor Leaguer was recently in his hometown of East Lyme, Connecticut for the World Baseball Coaches’ Convention. The Jays’ bench coach Brian Butterfield kicked off the event by telling those in attendance that he would like to get Donovan in a Toronto uniform and came through on his hope.

Donovan was the eighth round pick (number 292 overall) of the San Diego Padres in the 1999 Amateur Draft. With Fort Wayne in 2000, he appeared in 53 games. During that span, he hit .284 with 58 hits, 12 doubles and runs batted in. He also walked 25 times in 204 at-bats and compiled a .370 on base percentage. He swiped 18 bases and was caught stealing 9 times.

In ten minor league seasons, Donovan has 309 stolen bases; including 62 in 1995 while with the Jacksonville Suns of the (AA) Southern League. Yeah, that’s a record and yeah, that still stands today.

Note: The following links were used as references in producing this post:

• Local Roundup: East Lyme’s Donovan signs with Blue Jays (Norwich Bulletin)
• Major League Legends of Past Meet Future Stars: CT Dugout Club comes to Groton (The Lyme Times)