Astros Minor League Roster Moves/Transactions

Here are some of the moves you may have missed from over the weekend.

OKLAHOMA CITY

6/1 - UT Joe Sclafani assigned from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City

6/1 - UT Andy Simunic released

6/1 - LHP Brett Oberholtzer optioned from Houston to Oklahoma City

6/1 - RHP Paul Clemens recalled from Oklahoma City to Houston

CORPUS CHRISTI

5/31 - RHP Brady Rodgers placed on the 7-day DL

6/1 - UT Carlos Perdomo assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi

LANCASTER

5/31 - RHP Mark Appel assigned from Extended Spring Training to Lancaster

6/1 - IF Jack Mayfield assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster

QUAD CITIES

5/31 - OF Tanner Mathis activated from the DL

6/1 - 2B Austin Elkins activated from the DL

In a related note, I would just like to say that it was my privilege to get to know Andy Simunic, even though it was just a little. He was and is a special person and will be greatly missed by his teammates.

Someone's about to pick up one heck of a "super utility" and even better person. Best of luck to the funniest person I've met @AndySimunic
— Jarred Cosart (@JarredCosart) June 2, 2014

Great teammate and even better person @AndySimunic I'll miss playing with you but even more I'll miss those dance moves #stankyleg #AJStank
— Alex Sogard (@ASoggyBottom) June 2, 2014

Not an easy day today! Promise to take the Super Utility position to the next level! I'll truly miss my sidekick! @AndySimunic #StankNation
— Enrique Hernandez (@kikehndez) June 2, 2014

You will never be forgotten @AndySimunic! True class act and a great teammate! #skip
— Bobby Doran (@B_Doran43) June 2, 2014

Great ball player and teammate! Great person! Plays the game as hard as he can and plays the right way! Gonna miss @AndySimunic
— Asher Wojciechowski (@AsherWojo) June 2, 2014

Nothing but the best for my skipper @AndySimunic . One of the all-time best
— Max Stassi (@MaxStassi10) June 2, 2014

One of the best dudes and teammates I have ever met is @AndySimunic . Only great things ahead brother
— Brett Wallace (@brettwallace29) June 2, 2014

Lost a good teammate today. Hope he gets picked up. Just an over all great guy
— brandon meredith (@bmeezytrain) June 1, 2014

Sad sad sad day here for the Astros Organization #iloveandy #stankyhead #bestteammate #imissyoualready
— Kevin Chapman (@ChapStarr) June 1, 2014

Thank u for all the support...grateful to the Astros for opportunity and blessed to have made so many great friends along the way..Jer29:11
— Andy Simunic (@AndySimunic) June 1, 2014

Best of luck, Andy.

Tweet of the Day

Little photo action with our mentor!! #TommyBallgame @AndySimunic http://t.co/fsvbMcMC1o pic.twitter.com/MLnfSkiJ8x
— Enrique Hernandez (@kikehndez) May 31, 2014

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, May 4, 2014

Class debuts!

Omaha 4, Oklahoma City 1

W- Sugar Ray Marimon (3-1)
L- Rudy Owens (2-1)
S- Kameron Loe (1)

OKC home runs: Andy Simunic (1, solo in 7th)

The OKC offense has really hit a rut; this was the 6th straight game in which they've scored 3 runs or fewer, and they've scored just 10 runs over their last 6 contests.

Andy Simunic went 2-3, and his solo homer (1) in the 7th inning accounted for the RedHawks' lone run. Jon Singleton also went 2-3 with a double and a bunt single.

Rudy Owens threw 6 innings and allowed 4 runs (both on 2-run doubles) on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Jason Stoffel walked 2 in the 7th, but also struck out 2 in the inning. Josh Zeid worked around a walk to strike out the side in the 8th.

The series finale will take place later this morning, as Mike Foltynewicz will face Ramon Troncoso at 11:05 A.M.

San Antonio 6, Corpus Christi 4

W- Devin Jones (4-1)
L- Kyle Smith (0-1, 4-1 season)
S- Johnny Barbato (7)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks fought back from an early 6-0 deficit, but ran out of steam.

All 4 Hooks runs came in the 5th. Matt Duffy ignited the rally by drawing a walk, and he scored the first run of the game on a double from Preston Tucker. An error allowed Jio Mier to reach while Tucker took 3rd; they both came home on Tyler Heineman's 2-run triple. Heineman would score on an M.P. Cokinos groundout. Duffy and Heineman had 2 hits apiece.

The Missions greeted Kyle Smith rather rudely in his AA debut. He went 5 innings and gave up 6 runs on 9 hits (3 solo homers) and struck out 6. Alex Sogard allowed 3 hits and struck out 1 over 3 scoreless, and Jorge De Leon worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th.

Game 3 of this series has Tommy Shirley on the mound, and he'll be taking on John Hussey. First pitch is at 7:10.

Lancaster 8, San Jose 6

W- Dan Minor (2-1)
L- Jorge Bucardo (0-2)
S- Mitch Lambson (2)

Lancaster home runs: Teoscar Hernandez (4, solo in 2nd)

The power of the 7th-inning stretch. The JetHawks erased a 5-2 deficit with a 6-run bottom of the 7th to take the series finale and 2 of 3 in the series.

Roberto Peña went 2-4 and hit an RBI single in the 4th to put the JetHawks on the board, down 3-1. Teoscar Hernandez went 3-5 with a solo homer in the 5th (4). After seeing his average drop to .234 on April 30, Hernandez has responded by going 7-12 with a couple of 3-hit games in the series to raise his average to .269.

Danry Vasquez, Ruben Sosa, and Tony Kemp all walked to begin the 7th, and Hernandez promptly sent them all home with a double that tied the game. Teoscar was credited with 2 RBI, as an error was committed on the play. Carlos Correa then hit a single and advanced to 2nd on a throw to 3rd. Rio Ruiz walked to re-load the bases. After Dan Gulbransen and Peña became the first 2 casualties of the inning, Carlos Perdomo came through with a 2-run single. Vasquez, who went 2-3 with a double and started all of this with a leadoff walk, came back up and hit an RBI single. Carlos Correa was 2-5 with 2 runs scored.

Kent Emanuel went 4.2 innings and allowed 5 runs on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3 in his High-A debut. Dan Minor threw 2.1 scoreless, allowing a walk while fanning 2. Mitch Lambson was taken deep by Mitch Delfino to begin his outing... but no matter. After the homer, Lambson struck out the side in the 8th, and worked around a hit batter to close it out. He struck out 4 in 2 innings, and Delfino's home run was the only hit he gave up.

The JetHawks will now hit the road to begin a 4-game series in Lake Elsinore. Lance McCullers gets the start in the opener; his opponent will be Joe Ross. First pitch is at 6:05.

Beloit 6, Quad Cities 3

W- Junior Mendez (1-2)
L- Adrian Houser (0-1)
S- Sam Bragg (2)

QC home runs: None.

Well, the crooked-numbered inning bit Quad Cities once again, as a 4-run 5th was the difference for the Snappers.

Chan-Jong Moon hit a 1-out single in the top of the 1st, stole 2nd (8), and came around to score on a Conrad Gregor single. That would be QC's only run until Chase McDonald hit a 2-run single in the 8th. Jack Mayfield was the only River Bandit with a multi-hit day, going 2-5 with a double and a run scored. Mayfield is now on a 6-game hitting streak. Brett Phillips extended his hitting streak to 5 with a single in the 3rd.

Adrian Houser pitched 3.2 innings and gave up 5 runs on 5 hits, walked 5, and struck out 2. 4 of those 5 runs came in the 5th and came in the form of a Tyler Marincov grand slam. Tyler Brunnemann struck out 1 over 1.1 perfect innings, and Gonzalo Sañudo allowed a run on a force out in the 8th, a hit, and walked 2 in 3 innings.

The River Bandits will return home to open up a 3-game series against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. TBA (was Kent Emanuel's spot in the rotation) will take on Ethan Mildren at 7:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Tyler Heineman, C, Corpus Christi

2-4, 3B, 2 RBI, R

2.

Andy Simunic, Utility, Oklahoma City

2-3, solo HR (1) in 7th

1.

Teoscar Hernandez on Twitter: @TeoscarH

Teoscar Hernandez, CF, Lancaster

3-5, 2B, solo HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 R

Honorable Mentions: Jon Singleton, Danry Vasquez, and Carlos Correa


Three Stars: Pitchers

The bullpens of all 4 teams combined to allow just 2 runs on 7 hits.

4. Quad Cities

Tyler Brunnemann on Twitter: @TBruno35

Tyler Brunnemann, RHP

1.1 IP, K

Gonzalo Sañudo, RHP

3 IP, H, ER, 2 BB

He walked 2?!!!?!!???????

3. Lancaster

Dan Minor, RHP

W (2-1), 2.1 IP, BB, 2 K

Mitch Lambson, LHP

Save (2), 2 IP, H (solo HR), ER, 4 K

2. Corpus Christi

Alex Sogard, LHP

3 IP, 3 H, K

#180229888 / gettyimages.com

Jorge De Leon, RHP
IP, H

1. Oklahoma City

Jason Stoffel, RHP
IP, 2 BB, 2 K

Josh Zeid, RHP

IP, BB, 3 K

Astros Roster Moves/Transactions

OKLAHOMA CITY REDHAWKS

1B/DH Japhet Amador was placed on the 7-Day disabled list retroactive to 4/13. 

2B/OF Andy Simunic was assigned to OKC from Extended Spring Training.

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS

LHP T.J. Geith was activated from the 7-Day disabled list.

LHP David Rollins was placed on the 7-Day disabled list.

Tweet of the Day

Team rehab shows no mercy to little kids in Lazer tag! @AlannaWojo12 @AndySimunic pic.twitter.com/iSVHmfZcSX
— Asher Wojciechowski (@AsherWojo) April 12, 2014

Tweet of the Day

@AndySimunic thanks nappy appreciate the kind words man. Keep me updated on you joining the dad ranks. #superutilitydad
— Marc Krauss (@MarcKrauss25) April 1, 2014

Tweet of the Day

It's the 4th of July everyday in my house #ProudAmerican pic.twitter.com/EUQlvjKz8c
— Andy Simunic (@AndySimunic) February 20, 2014

Tweet of the Day

An Ohio State-FSU title game is about as exciting as watching me in a HomeRun Derby #aintnobodywatching
— Andy Simunic (@AndySimunic) December 1, 2013

Tweet of the Day

.@AsherWojo congrats on 40 man...and yes I'll let u treat me to dinner in spring as celebration for ur accomplishment! #friendsinhighplaces
— Andy Simunic (@AndySimunic) November 21, 2013

Tweet of the Day

Nothing like showing up the pitcher on ur first hit of the series...btw u normally do that if it goes over the fence #Disgrace
— Andy Simunic (@AndySimunic) October 15, 2013

Happy Birthday - 8/7

Happy Birthday to ~

LHP Wade LeBlanc (29)
If you were on vacation in June, you might have missed this guy completely. Originally drafted by the Blue Jays in the second round in 2006, LeBlanc was claimed off waivers from Miami on June 8th, pitched in three games (3.2IP with a 9.82 ERA and a 1.909 WHIP) and was DFA'd on June 24th. He is currently plying his wares in Oklahoma City. In nine games (seven starts), he is 3-1 with a 4.89 ERA and a 1.448 WHIP.

IF/OF Andy Simunic (28)
Drafted by Houston in the 17th round in 2008 out of the University of Tennessee, Simunic has a batting line of .278/.346/.299 in 44 games for Oklahoma City this season. The ultimate utility player, Simunic has done everything in his minor league career except catch. I found him to be one of the more entertaining interviews I've conducted this year. You can read my June interview with him here.

LHP Ambiorix de Leon (22)
A NDFA out of the Dominican Republic, de Leon is in his fourth season in the Astros organization and his second season with the GCL Astros. In five games (three starts), he is 1-0 with a 2.82 ERA and a 1.209 WHIP.

MGR Rodney Linares (36)
Linares is in his seventh season managing in the Astros minor league system. He managed the Greeneville Astros from 2007 to 2009, Lexington from 2010 to 2011 and is now in his second season managing the Hi-A Lancaster club in the California League. He guided the team to its first California League Championship and has already assured a return to the playoffs in 2013.

One former Astro with a birthday today ~

RHP Don Larsen (84)
Larsen came to Houston from the Giants and pitched in 30 games for the Colt .45's in 1964 and in one game for the Astros in 1965 before being traded to Baltimore. In those 31 games (11 starts), he was 4-8 with a 2.40 ERA and a 1.132 WHIP. In 1956, he pitched a perfect game in the World Series for the Yankees, an accomplishment that I personally find to be one of the greatest single accomplishments in the history of baseball.

An Interview with Astros Utility Player Andy Simunic

Back on August 2, 2011, Andy Simunic made his professional pitching debut at Lancaster in what ended up being a 20-7 blowout loss to Bakersfield. It wasn't the best debut as Andy allowed three runs on three hits and two walks in his inning of work. Fast forward to June 14, 2013. Andy was again called upon to save the bullpen in an 11-2 loss, and did much better in his second outing, allowing only one hit and no runs in one and a third innings.

Obviously, Andy is not a pitcher. But he is versatile. Very versatile. In six minor league seasons, he has played every position except catcher, including one game at DH and two games as pitcher. And he is a good teammate, well respected by his fellow players not only for his work on the field, but for his good humor and ability to keep the clubhouse loose.

I talked to Andy on Saturday, the day after his latest outing on the mound, and I found him to be funny, self-effacing and very sincere. Here is what he had to say (edited for brevity and clarity) ~

Andy Simunic - June 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

On his limited experience as a pitcher: "The first one [in 2011], I got roughed up. Last night was good. I got a little tender with my elbow and it scared me a little bit so I shut it down, but any time [I can] help the team out and save the bullpen, I'll get out there and do what I can. It was a blast. You never want to be in that position, getting beat or not being able to have the real pitchers out there, but it is fun. Thinking about pitching in a triple A game is pretty funny, but it was a good experience."

On his season so far: "It's been great. I started in Extended, had a setback with my finger in Spring Training. I tore a ligament so that kind of stunk but I got to come up here, got the opportunity to play and I'm having a great time. It's a great group of players and I'm really just enjoying being here."

On his versatility being the key factor in potentially making it to the majors: "That's how I've always looked at it. I was always taught at a young age that the more you can play, the more chances you have of being in the lineup. I've just continued that through high school, college and even in pro ball. I enjoy what I do and I think it's fun to come to the ballpark and [to] never know where you're going to be playing. [It makes it kind of exciting] when you come to the park."

On the dance studio that he and his wife own in Nashville: "We have about 200 girls ... girls from ages 3 to 18. We have five teams that travel and compete. My wife, she runs all the day-to-day stuff and all the classes. And I'm the head janitor and I guess security guy. (The mom's get pretty crazy in there.) It's been a really cool experience. I knew nothing about dance. I still don't know a whole lot. I get pretty excited when we go to competitions and see the girls do well. I get pretty excited and it's a really neat thing."

On his own rumored dance moves in the locker room: "I do a lot of dancing. Most of it is pretty awful, but I have a good time. I try to keep the locker room light wherever I'm at. That's just kind of my personality. My wife definitely does not endorse my dance moves because they're pretty bad. I have a good time and try to have fun with whatever I'm doing."

I asked Andy about a game delay in Corpus Christi last season when the lights went out, in which he and Kiké Hernandez took to the field and entertained the crowd with some dance moves: "The guys, knowing me and knowing my personality, came to me and offered money. And I was going to do it and Kiké's got some actual good moves so he wanted to join in. I told him I'd split the profits with him. He got out there and, thank goodness, because I'd have struggled doing a solo act. I did all right with the duet. It was fun. Again, just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Simunic has been the answer in a number of my interviews as to who makes some of our minor leaguers laugh. So, who makes him laugh?: "In Corpus, Kiké. He's pretty funny. Here, I think [Austin]  Wates makes me laugh because he knows how to push my buttons. We're really good friends so we have a good time. He's hard on me, gives me a hard time a lot. He keeps me laughing. He's a great friend."

What Astros pitcher would he least like to face?: "I think Folty [Mike Foltynewicz], he looks pretty tough. I've seen him throw in some games, but I haven't faced him. I have faced Joe Valdez and he made me look like a little leaguer. Throwing that nasty splitter. I'll never forget, facing him in Spring Training and just being overwhelmed. I had no chance. I wouldn't want to face him too many times because he's got some nasty stuff."

If he couldn't play baseball, what would he do? Keep helping out with the dance studio?: "That would definitely be a big part of my life still, but I'd probably go into law enforcement. That's something I always wanted to do outside of baseball. I studied it at the University of Tennessee. I was a criminal justice major. I think that's something that I'd really get a lot of enjoyment out of being able to help people. That's probably the avenue I'd go if I wasn't playing ball."

Something that most people don't know about him and might be surprised to hear: "Well, I didn't technically play baseball in high school until my senior year. I got cut my freshman and sophomore year, and I got to be the scorekeeper and the bullpen catcher. I try to encourage people who have struggled, if they haven't made a team or stuff like that, I think it's a good story to tell people that if you work hard and you really want to do something, you can do it."

Would he like to add an inning or so as a catcher to his resume?: "I caught my freshman year of college. It's always in the back of my mind. I could do it. It probably wouldn't be good. Might as well. If I've got eight, I might as well do nine. I always wanted to be a catcher when I was a kid. At five, I had my first set of catcher's gear. [He's not exactly built like a catcher.] I'm built more like a sprint runner."

In case you missed it, here is Andy getting a fly out from Round Rock's Greg Miclat in his June 14th outing.



Thank you for your time, Andy, and best of luck as the season unfolds. I'll be watching the boxscores and hoping to see a "C" by your name one of these days. Might as well do nine.

Random Thoughts on My Oklahoma City Trip

This trip wasn't as successful for me, karma-wise, as most of my minor league sojourns have proven to be. I only brought the RedHawks one win out of three games, but I was still able to get a few pictures and grab a couple of interviews that I'll be posting over the next few days. In the meantime, a few random thoughts and pictures to tide you over ...

First off, do yourself a favor if you go to Oklahoma City to catch a few games. Stay at the Hampton Inn in Bricktown in one of the ballpark view rooms. Here was my view:

It took all my self-control not to run back to the room on Sunday to watch the game rather than sitting through Sunday's excess heat and humidity (with nary a breeze to be found).

By the way, Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark is a very nice park and really incorporates a great deal of Oklahoma baseball history into the park with statues of Johnny Bench, Warren Spahn and Mickey Mantle adorning the exterior, among many other nods to the past.

Note to self: You are apparently allergic to Oklahoma City. Pack extra allergy meds next time.

[NOTE: Serious baseball people, i.e., those with no sense of humor, may want to skip this next part.] I've never seen so many players with beautiful blue eyes on one team before. In particular, I kept staring at Ross Seaton and Robbie Grossman. I was already feeling stalkerish with the camera, but dang, they have pretty eyes. (The picture of Seaton does not do his eyes justice!)

Ross Seaton - June 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Robbie Grossman - June 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Note to Self: Getting on an early morning flight back to Houston and then trying to work a 10-hour day? Bad idea.

I tweeted on Friday that Justin Maxwell was NOT wearing high socks, a fact that caused much consternation among some of his Houston fans who follow me on twitter. I asked him about it the next day, and he had a very simple explanation. He didn't have the right socks to wear with the RedHawks uni. His orange socks would have clashed.

Josh Zeid and Brett Oberholtzer are both really nice guys. I enjoyed talking with both of them about all things baseball. I also met Zeid's wife of roughly five months. Let me just say this ... he did good (and they are going to have some very tall children).

I really enjoy watching Jake Elmore play. He puts maximum effort into everything he does and he has fun doing it. Jonathan Villar also stood out for me. Not only was he pretty impressive with the bat, he now also seems much more comfortable in the field. I have been tough on Villar in the past, but he looks much more polished and ready now than what I've seen from him in the past.

Note to Self: Traveling two weekends in a row? Another bad idea.

It seems as though something noteworthy always happens when I visit a minor league venue. On Sunday I got to see Jon Singleton's AAA debut in which he hit two doubles that were very close to leaving the ballpark.

Jon Singleton - June 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

But it was Friday night's pitching that was probably the most unusual feature of my visit. The game was a lopsided losing proposition and the bullpen was taxed by extra innings from the prior night, so outfielders Andy Simunic and Che-Hsuan Lin were called upon to pitch and did quite nicely, thank you very much! I recorded a portion of the action. I also talked to Andy the next day and my interview with him will be coming out later this week. 

In addition to the interview with Simunic, I'll have interviews with Jarred Cosart and Asher Wojciechowski coming out this week as well. Many thanks to Alex and Lisa for their assistance!

Astros Minor League Recaps

Thursday's Games

Oklahoma City over Sacramento 7-2
Because of the tornadoes in the Dallas area on Wednesday night, the RedHawks ended up taking a bus to Dallas early Thursday morning to catch a flight, only to encounter more delays. Several team members barely made it to Sacramento before game time.

Andy Simunic ‏@AndySimunic
24 hrs later....we finally made it to California....that was some kind of travel day #canwedoitagain

CJ Fick ‏@chuckiefick
@AndySimunic we are in California too. Except, you're in Sacramento, and we are still in LA.

Andy Simunic ‏@AndySimunic
Minor detail

All of which makes their win Thursday night even more impressive. Brett Oberholtzer (4.1IP 4H 4BB 4SO) gave up the only two runs of the game before handing things off to the bullpen. Four relievers combined (Alex Sogard, Josh Zeid, Rhiner Cruz and Eric Berger) to allow only one hit the rest of the way. And that was a good thing because OKC trailed most of the way and the bullpen gave them the chance to get on top with a four-run seventh in which Andy Simunic (3x5 2R) hit a three-run double before scoring on a passed ball and error. Brett Wallace (2x5) added on a pair in the ninth with a two-run double. Jonathan Villar (2x4 2B BB R) and Austin Wates (2x4 R) also had good nights at the plate.

San Antonio over Corpus Christi 6-2

Starter R.J. Alaniz allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five in his four and two-thirds innings. Matt Heidenreich finished off the frame. Josh Fields pitched a perfect sixth with one strikeout in his rehab appearance. Jorge de Leon allowed four runs, including a three-run homer, in his three innings of work. The Hooks offense struck early with an RBI single from Erik Castro in the first and late with a Rene Garcia (3x4) home run in the eighth. But in between, they were unable to capitalize on two Jio Mier doubles and a Jonathan Meyer double.

Visalia over Lancaster 6-5

David Rollins got the start, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five in three innings and was followed by two scoreless innings from T.J. Geith. The 'Hawks took the lead in the seventh, but Tyson Perez (3IP 3H 2R 1BB 1SO) surrendered two runs in the eighth to give the lead back to Visalia and was charged with the loss. Matt Duffy drove in two in the fourth and one in the seventh as he went three-for-five. Tyler Heineman (2x5) and Preston Tucker (1x4 BB) drove in the other two. Joe Sclafani went two-for-four with a double, walk and two runs scored. Sclafani is hitting .346/.433/.423 in his eight games with Lancaster. Andrew Aplin was two-for-three with two walks and a stolen base.

Quad Cities over Wisconsin 3-1
Colton Cain put up a solid four and a third innings, allowing the only Wisconsin run on five hits and two walks. Cain's tandem partner, Mike Hauschild came in with one out and one on in the fifth and gave up a single before inducing a double play ball. In three and two-thirds innings he allowed four hits while striking out three. John Neely pitched the ninth for his seventh save of the season. The River Bandits put up a trio of runs in the fifth by playing a little small ball. Austin Elkins scored on a throwing error, Carlos Correa drove in a run on a ground out and Miles Hamblin contributed an RBI single. There were no extra base hits in the game and Ariel Ovando had the only multi-hit game, hitting two singles.

Player of the Day: Despite all the travel delays and lack of sleep, Andy Simunic came through in the clutch with a two-out bases-clearing double for OKC in a very nice three-for-five night.

Pitchers of the Day: The OKC bullpen gets some love today for keeping the RedHawks in the game. Congratulations in particular go to Alex Sogard for a great AAA debut and Josh Zeid for his third win of the season in relief.

Roster Moves

Lots of movement in the minors yesterday:

OKLAHOMA CITY
2B Ruben Sosa assigned from Oklahoma City to Extended Spring Training (EST)
3B Andy Simunic assigned from EST to Oklahoma City

LANCASTER
2B Carlos Perdomo assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster
C Tyler Heineman placed on the 7-day DL (ankle)
LF Chris Epps activated from the Temporary Inactive (TI) list
RHP Alex Gillingham placed on the 7-day DL

QUAD CITIES
LHP Joe Bircher assigned from Quad Cities to EST
2B Austin Elkins assigned from Tri-City to Quad Cities (had been at EST)
1B Chase Davidson activated from the TI list

Tweet of the Day

Max Stassi ‏@MaxStassi10
My roommate @AndySimunic ready for duck dynasty! pic.twitter.com/HhKsfskwol

Roster Moves

I missed this Baseball America transaction post from over the weekend. Apparently, Kyle Weiland is NOT a figment of our imagination:

Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Murilo Gouvea, RHP Chia-Jen Lo, RHP Kyle Weiland, LHP Sergio Escalona, LHP Kenny Long, C Max Stassi, 3B Andy Simunic, 3B Brandon Wikoff, OF Grant Hogue, OF Telvin Nash

In addition, RHP Edgar Gonzalez was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays and 2B/LF Ruben Sosa was assigned to Oklahoma City.

Rumors have been floating about Paul Clemens coming to Houston, but nothing official has been announced by the team.

UPDATES:

• RHP Paul Clemens is indeed headed to Seattle to join the team as RHP Josh Fields goes on the DL with forearm tightness.
• RHP Ross Seaton is being sent to Oklahoma City from Corpus Christi.
• RHP Carlos Quevedo is being sent to Corpus Christi from Lancaster.
• RHP Michael Dimock is headed from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities.
• According to Daniel Makarewicz (who covers the Quad Cities team), RHP Jordan Jankowski is being sent from Quad Cities back to Extended Spring Training.
• LHP Tommy Shirley activated from the temporary inactive list for Lancaster.

Corpus Christi Hooks Season Recap

So far we have looked at the seasons for the DSL Astros, the GCL Astros, the Greeneville Astros, the Lexington Legends, and the Oklahoma City Redhawks. Now let's take a look at the AA Corpus Christi Hooks. Here's a quick look at how the 2011 and 2012 teams compare.

2011 Wins-Losses/Win Percentage: 50-90/.357
2012 Wins-Losses/Win Percentage: 81-59/.579

2011 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential: 605 - 761 = (156)
2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential: 736 - 628 = 108

2011 Team ERA & WHIP: 5.01 & 1.460
2012 Team ERA & WHIP: 4.07 & 1.332

2011 Team Batting Line: .258/.320/.388
2012 Team Batting Line: .268/.342/.410

This team not only won 31 more games than last season, they also had a 264-run swing in their run differential and made their first post-season appearance since 2006. I knew they would be a better team than last season, but Wow! In the Texas League, Corpus ranked first (out of eight teams) in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs, hits, doubles and RBI.

Let's look at just a few of the outstanding position players for the Corpus team.

1B Jon Singleton finished the regular season hitting .284/.396/.497 with 27 doubles, four triples and 21 home runs. He was second in the league in walks and runs, and in the top 10 in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, doubles, home runs and RBI.

The triumverate of 2B Jose Martinez, OF Austin Wates and OF Jake Goebbert tied for fourth in the league in batting average. Martinez' .304/.362/.464 was good enough to land him in the top 10 in the league in SLG and OPS, and although he was at Oklahoma City for the final 23 games of the season, he was still in the top 10 in runs and RBI. Wates was tenth in the league in OBP with a batting line of .304/.375/.429. Goebbert quietly went about hitting fourth in the league in OBP, sixth in OPS and eighth in SLG as he hit .304/.399/.473 with 23 doubles, six triples and nine home runs. 3B Andy Simunic (.297/.349/.345) also ranked in the top 10 in batting average.

I will look at CF George Springer and 2B Kike Hernandez when I look at the Lancaster team since they played the majority of the season there, and we'll see how their stats stacked up in the California League.

Other players of note include SS Ben Orloff who only played in 39 games for the Hooks after playing the bulk of the season in Lancaster. He hit .295/.360/.352 at Corpus and .288/.362/.316 at Lancaster. And OF Drew Locke, playing in 68 games for the Hooks after a June pick-up, hit .295/.347/.456 and, it should be noted, provided the fans with a little extra excitement as he hit grand slams in back-to-back games.

As far as pitchers go, there were several very good pitchers for Corpus Christi who were promoted to Oklahoma City (Jarred Cosart, Jose Cisnero and Brett Oberholtzer) and I looked at their seasons in conjunction with the Oklahoma City season recap. However, one other starter at Corpus who came into his own this season was RHP Ross Seaton. Seaton was young for the Texas League last season. It showed at times and he repeated the level. In 25 starts for the Hooks this season, he was 8-8 with a 4.07 ERA (11th in the league among qualified pitchers) and a 1.274 WHIP (tied for 6th) and was also 7th in strikeouts. He dipped a toe in with four starts at Oklahoma City and was 0-1 with a 3.09 ERA and a 1.329 WHIP in those starts.

The relief corps was dominated by the one-two punch of LHP Kevin Chapman and RHP Jason Stoffel who pitched many an eighth and ninth innings for the Hooks with great results. Chapman was 6-3 with a 2.64 ERA and a 1.397 WHIP in 49 appearances while Stoffel was 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA, a 0.982 WHIP and a league-leading 27 saves in 56 appearances.

In limited time for the Hooks, newcomers RHP Asher Wojciechowski and RHP Matt Heidenreich had good results. Wojciechowski was 2-2 in eight starts with a 2.06 ERA and a 1.008 WHIP while Heidenreich was 3-1 with a 3.93 ERA and a 1.340 WHIP in eight games (seven starts). RHP Paul Clemens also fared well in his return to Corpus, after struggling in Oklahoma City this season, as he went 3-2 with a 3.98 ERA and a 1.248 WHIP in seven starts to end the season. I will look at RHP Bobby Doran in conjunction with the Lancaster recap.

Although the playoffs were disappointing, LHP Rob Rasmussen's performance was outstanding as he pitched seven shutout innings with a 1.143 WHIP.

I will look at the final two teams, Lancaster and Tri-City, when they finish post-season play.

Tweets of the Day

Greg Rajan ‏@GregRajan

Oh my. Enrique Hernandez and Andy Simunic are dancing on the field to some disco tune. Quite a disturbing sight. #cchooks

Mark Magowan ‏@_magowan

So this is happening in Corpus Christi @cchooks ....http://pic.twitter.com/oCUzwR9L

Happy Birthday - 8/7

3B Andy Simunic (27)
Drafted by Houston in the 17th round in 2008 out of the University of Tennessee, Simunic has excelled this season in his time at Corpus Christi, hitting .308/.359/.367 in 84 games.

LHP Ambiorix de Leon (21)
A NDFA out of the Dominican Republic, de Leon is in his third season in the Astros organization and his first season with the GCL Astros. In 12 appearances out of the bullpen this season he is 1-2 with a 2.87 ERA and a 1.340 WHIP. He is holding left-handed batters to a .167 batting average.

MGR Rodney Linares (35)
Linares is in his sixth season managing in the Astros minor league system. He managed the Greeneville Astros from 2007 to 2009, Lexington from 2010 to 2011 and is now in his first season managing the Hi-A Lancaster club in the California League. (He's also a very nice guy who spent almost an hour talking to me about the Lancaster players and the Astros farm system for which I am very grateful.)

One former Astro with a birthday today ~

RHP Don Larsen (83)
Larsen came to Houston from the Giants and pitched in 30 games for the Colt .45's in 1964 and in one game for the Astros in 1965 before being traded to Baltimore. In those 31 games (11 starts), he was 4-8 with a 2.40 ERA and a 1.132 WHIP. In 1956, he pitched a perfect game in the World Series for the Yankees, an accomplishment that I personally find to be one of the greatest single accomplishments in the history of baseball.