Happy Birthday to ~
RHP Francis Ramirez (23)
Ramirez was signed by Houston as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic and first played for the DSL Astros in 2009. In 2014, he pitched for Tri-City. In 15 games (eight starts), he was 2-5 with a 3.62 ERA and a 1.329 WHIP. He struck out 45 and walked 21 in 49+ innings pitched.
And two former Astros celebrate birthdays today ~
2B/OF Casey Candaele (54)
Obtained from the Montreal Expos in a trade for Mark Bailey, Casey Candaele played for Houston from 1988 to 1993, hitting .249/.311/.338 in 512 games. His mother, Helen Callaghan, played for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, giving Casey the distinction of being a part of the only mother/son combination ever to play professional baseball. Casey liked to keep things loose. In case you missed this interview from 2011, Casey talks about naked batting practice, the Moneyball movie and more. And then there was the break-dancing at the Astros Wives Gala. You may also enjoy this Jayson Stark column from 2000 (scroll down) in which Casey reveals his dream of joining the Latvian ski-jump team.
1B/OF Mike Simms (48)
A sixth round draft pick by the Astros in 1985, Simms played in 181 games for Houston from 1990 to 1992 and in 1994 to 1996, hitting .219/.298/.388. He went on to play for the Rangers from 1997 to 1999, hitting .281/.352/.555 in 149 games.
A LOOK AT THE ASTROS MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM
Showing posts with label Francis Ramirez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Francis Ramirez. Show all posts
Monday, January 12, 2015
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
A Video Interview with Tri-City's Francis Ramirez and Alfredo Gonzalez
On my recent trip to Tri-City, I was in my last day of the trip and had concluded all of my interviews, had taken all of my photos except for that night's game and was ready to sit back and relax for a few minutes in the media room at "The Joe." The door opened and in walked Media Director Chris Chenes accompanied by a petite ball of energy by the name of Doris Gonzalez.
I had heard about Doris (in glowing terms) from Assistant Director of Player Development Allen Rowin two years ago when I interviewed him about the Astros Dominican Academy. Doris is in charge of helping the Latin players learn English and refine their language skills as a part of acclimating them into playing in the U.S. (among other things).
Doris knew that I had done a video interview with Danry Vasquez and Teoscar Hernandez when I was in Lancaster in May. Danry was eager to do the interview, but Teoscar required a little coaxing. The result was a combined interview which helped Teoscar feel more comfortable speaking with me (by the way, his English was quite good).
Doris saw that as an opportunity. She would like all of her students to be able to handle interviews and saw me as a willing partner. We briefly discussed the language skills of the Latin players on the Tri-City team and quickly settled on RHP Francis Ramirez and C Alfredo "Fredo" Gonzalez and before you know it, I was back in the clubhouse with my video recorder at the ready.
I'm really looking forward to working with Doris again and determining which players are ready forthe big time a simple blog interview. Even if the questions and answers aren't exactly hard-hitting, it will help me (and my readers) get to know some of these players a little better.
First, a little background on the two. Francis Ramirez, 22, has been with the Astros since signing as an international free agent in November 2008. He is from the Dominican Republic. Fredo Gonzalez, also 22, signed with the Astros out of Venezuela in July 2008. Fredo actually stood out for me in watching the players during workouts. He is very strong and deceptively agile. His catching skills this season have been very good as well, throwing out 50% of would-be base stealers.
Without further ado, here is a brief interview with the two. Note that the sound isn't very good ... turn the volume up to high for the best results.
I had heard about Doris (in glowing terms) from Assistant Director of Player Development Allen Rowin two years ago when I interviewed him about the Astros Dominican Academy. Doris is in charge of helping the Latin players learn English and refine their language skills as a part of acclimating them into playing in the U.S. (among other things).
Doris knew that I had done a video interview with Danry Vasquez and Teoscar Hernandez when I was in Lancaster in May. Danry was eager to do the interview, but Teoscar required a little coaxing. The result was a combined interview which helped Teoscar feel more comfortable speaking with me (by the way, his English was quite good).
Doris saw that as an opportunity. She would like all of her students to be able to handle interviews and saw me as a willing partner. We briefly discussed the language skills of the Latin players on the Tri-City team and quickly settled on RHP Francis Ramirez and C Alfredo "Fredo" Gonzalez and before you know it, I was back in the clubhouse with my video recorder at the ready.
I'm really looking forward to working with Doris again and determining which players are ready for
First, a little background on the two. Francis Ramirez, 22, has been with the Astros since signing as an international free agent in November 2008. He is from the Dominican Republic. Fredo Gonzalez, also 22, signed with the Astros out of Venezuela in July 2008. Fredo actually stood out for me in watching the players during workouts. He is very strong and deceptively agile. His catching skills this season have been very good as well, throwing out 50% of would-be base stealers.
Without further ado, here is a brief interview with the two. Note that the sound isn't very good ... turn the volume up to high for the best results.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Happy Birthday - 1/12
Happy Birthday to ~
RHP Francis Ramirez (22)
Ramirez was signed by Houston as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic and first played for the DSL Astros in 2009. In 2013, he spent the majority of his season in the Gulf Coast League and then ended his season in Greeneville. In a total of 11 games (nine starts), he compiled a 5.59 ERA and a 1.552 WHIP. He struck out 40 and walked 21 in 38+ innings pitched.
And two former Astros celebrate birthdays today ~
2B/OF Casey Candaele (53)
Obtained from the Montreal Expos in a trade for Mark Bailey, Casey Candaele played for Houston from 1988 to 1993, hitting .249/.311/.338 in 512 games. His mother, Helen Callaghan, played for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, giving Casey the distinction of being a part of the only mother/son combination ever to play professional baseball. Casey liked to keep things loose. In case you missed this interview from 2011, Casey talks about naked batting practice, the Moneyball movie and more. And then there was the break-dancing at the Astros Wives Gala. You may also enjoy this Jayson Stark column from 2000 (scroll down) in which Casey reveals his dream of joining the Latvian ski-jump team.
1B/OF Mike Simms (47)
A sixth round draft pick by the Astros in 1985, Simms played in 181 games for Houston from 1990 to 1992 and in 1994 to 1996, hitting .219/.298/.388. He went on to play for the Rangers from 1997 to 1999, hitting .281/.352/.555 in 149 games.
RHP Francis Ramirez (22)
Ramirez was signed by Houston as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic and first played for the DSL Astros in 2009. In 2013, he spent the majority of his season in the Gulf Coast League and then ended his season in Greeneville. In a total of 11 games (nine starts), he compiled a 5.59 ERA and a 1.552 WHIP. He struck out 40 and walked 21 in 38+ innings pitched.
And two former Astros celebrate birthdays today ~
2B/OF Casey Candaele (53)
Obtained from the Montreal Expos in a trade for Mark Bailey, Casey Candaele played for Houston from 1988 to 1993, hitting .249/.311/.338 in 512 games. His mother, Helen Callaghan, played for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, giving Casey the distinction of being a part of the only mother/son combination ever to play professional baseball. Casey liked to keep things loose. In case you missed this interview from 2011, Casey talks about naked batting practice, the Moneyball movie and more. And then there was the break-dancing at the Astros Wives Gala. You may also enjoy this Jayson Stark column from 2000 (scroll down) in which Casey reveals his dream of joining the Latvian ski-jump team.
1B/OF Mike Simms (47)
A sixth round draft pick by the Astros in 1985, Simms played in 181 games for Houston from 1990 to 1992 and in 1994 to 1996, hitting .219/.298/.388. He went on to play for the Rangers from 1997 to 1999, hitting .281/.352/.555 in 149 games.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Astros Minor League Roster Moves
Corpus Christi
LHP Luis Cruz assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi
Lancaster
RHP Vincent Velasquez assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster
Quad Cities
RHP Andrew Walter assigned from Tri-City to Quad Cities
Tri-City
RHP Gonzalo Sanudo assigned from Greeneville to Tri-City
Greeneville Astros
RHP Francis Ramirez assigned from the GCL Astros to Greeneville
Gulf Coast League
RHP Alan Abreu assigned from Greeneville to the GCL
LHP Luis Cruz assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi
Lancaster
RHP Vincent Velasquez assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster
Quad Cities
RHP Andrew Walter assigned from Tri-City to Quad Cities
Tri-City
RHP Gonzalo Sanudo assigned from Greeneville to Tri-City
Greeneville Astros
RHP Francis Ramirez assigned from the GCL Astros to Greeneville
Gulf Coast League
RHP Alan Abreu assigned from Greeneville to the GCL
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Happy Birthday - 1/12
Happy Birthday to ~
RHP Francis Ramirez (21)
Ramirez was signed by Houston as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic and first played for the DSL Astros in 2009. In 2012, he started 13 games for the Greeneville Astros with a 5-4 record, a 4.05 ERA and a 1.463 WHIP. His 10.0 SO/9 for 2012 was the highest of his career so far.
OF Mesac Laguna (21)
A non-drafted free agent from Nicaragua, Laguna has now played three seasons with the DSL Astros. In 2012, he compiled a .248/.315/.374 batting line with 13 doubles and six home runs in 68 games. Against lefties, he hit .338/.395/.515.
Former Astros with birthdays today
2B/OF Casey Candaele (52)
Obtained from the Montreal Expos in a trade for Mark Bailey, Casey Candaele played for Houston from 1988 to 1993, hitting .249/.311/.338 in 512 games. His mother, Helen Callaghan, played for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, giving Casey the distinction of being a part of the only mother/son combination ever to play professional baseball. Casey liked to keep things loose. In case you missed this interview from 2011, Casey talks about naked batting practice, the Moneyball movie and more. And then there was the break-dancing at the Astros Wives Gala. You may also enjoy this Jayson Stark column from 2000 in which Casey reveals his dream to join the Latvian ski-jump team.
1B/OF Mike Simms (46)
A sixth round draft pick by the Astros in 1985, Simms played in 181 games for Houston from 1990 to 1992 and in 1994 to 1996, hitting .219/.298/.388. He went on to play for the Rangers from 1997 to 1999, hitting .281/.352/.555 in 149 games.
RHP Francis Ramirez (21)
Ramirez was signed by Houston as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic and first played for the DSL Astros in 2009. In 2012, he started 13 games for the Greeneville Astros with a 5-4 record, a 4.05 ERA and a 1.463 WHIP. His 10.0 SO/9 for 2012 was the highest of his career so far.
OF Mesac Laguna (21)
A non-drafted free agent from Nicaragua, Laguna has now played three seasons with the DSL Astros. In 2012, he compiled a .248/.315/.374 batting line with 13 doubles and six home runs in 68 games. Against lefties, he hit .338/.395/.515.
Former Astros with birthdays today
2B/OF Casey Candaele (52)
Obtained from the Montreal Expos in a trade for Mark Bailey, Casey Candaele played for Houston from 1988 to 1993, hitting .249/.311/.338 in 512 games. His mother, Helen Callaghan, played for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, giving Casey the distinction of being a part of the only mother/son combination ever to play professional baseball. Casey liked to keep things loose. In case you missed this interview from 2011, Casey talks about naked batting practice, the Moneyball movie and more. And then there was the break-dancing at the Astros Wives Gala. You may also enjoy this Jayson Stark column from 2000 in which Casey reveals his dream to join the Latvian ski-jump team.
1B/OF Mike Simms (46)
A sixth round draft pick by the Astros in 1985, Simms played in 181 games for Houston from 1990 to 1992 and in 1994 to 1996, hitting .219/.298/.388. He went on to play for the Rangers from 1997 to 1999, hitting .281/.352/.555 in 149 games.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Greeneville Astros Season Recap
Earlier this week, I took a look at the DSL Astros season (not so good) and the GCL Astros season (not so bad). Now let's look at the Greeneville Astros, the first of the three with a win percentage over .500 and a positive run differential. Here's a quick look at how the 2011 and 2012 teams compare.
2011 Win Percentage - .368
2012 Win Percentage - .529
2011 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 326 - 419 = (93)
2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 339 - 297 = 42
2011 Team ERA & WHIP - 5.12 & 1.487
2012 Team ERA & WHIP - 3.80 & 1.301
2011 Team Batting Line - .252/.330/.365
2012 Team Batting Line - .262/.328/.379
The differences are dramatic with an 11-game swing in the win column and a 135 run swing in the run differential. The biggest difference, statistically, is the pitching with this year's team ranking third in the Appy League in ERA (out of 10 teams) and fourth in WHIP while last year's team was ranked ninth out of ten in both of those categories. There is definitely improvement in batting categories as well, though, as the 2012 club's BA/OBP/SLG rank third, fifth and fifth respectively as compared to the eighth, seventh and tenth rankings of last year's club.
As far as individual players go, there are several standouts.
IF Jean Batista did so well at Greeneville, hitting .321/.345/.531, that he merited a mid-August promotion to Tri-City where he is currently hitting .302/.295/.372 over ten games. Batista ranked fourth in BA and second in SLG in the Appy League, and was also second in doubles and tied for tenth in hits despite not finishing the season with Greeneville. The 20-year old switch-hitter has played about half of his games at 1B with the remainder split between 2B and SS.
2B Brian Blasik, team MVP, finished the season with a .318/.346/.424 batting line, fifth in the league in BA and RBI and tied for third in hits. The 22-year old Blasik was signed as a non-drafted free agent this year.
RF Ariel Ovando won't be 19 until September 15th which makes his .287/.350/.444 batting line even more impressive. He was in the top three or four on the team in virtually every offensive category except for stolen bases. Unfortunately, he led the team in strikeouts as well.
CF D'Andre Toney was fifth in the Appy League in runs scored and was tied for sixth in stolen bases, and he led the Greeneville team in those two categories as well as in walks. The 20-year old Toney had a .252/.351/.326 batting line.
SS Carlos Correa only played in 11 games at Greeneville, but the 17-year old did quite nicely as he hit .371/.450/.600 with three doubles, a triple and a home run. His 11 doubles with the GCL tied him for 13th in the Gulf Coast League, despite having not played there since early August. His final combined line was .258/.305/.400 with 14 doubles, two triples, three home runs and six stolen bases.
18-year old 3B Rio Ruiz didn't make the adjustment from the GCL to Greeneville as well as Correa did. He hit .271/.361/.412 in 23 games with the GCL and .220/.291/.380 in 15 games at Greeneville.
RHP Daniel Minor was an absolute standout with Greeneville, leading the league in ERA (2.75) and WHIP (1.034). The 21-year old had a SO/BB ratio of 4.80.
20-year old RHP Francis Ramirez led the team in wins and was tied for third in the league in that category. He was team leader and fifth in the league in strikeouts. His 10.0 SO/9 was good. His 4.9 BB/9 was not.
19-year old RHP Adrian Houser was 12th in the league in ERA (4.19), ninth in the league in WHIP (1.310) and was tied for tenth in the league in strikeouts.
RHP Lance McCullers was under strict pitch/innings limits so we didn't see that much out of the 18-year old top prospect. He made four starts with the GCL (11 total innings) with a 1.64 ERA, 1.091 WHIP and 9.8 SO/9. He also made four starts with Greeneville (15 total innings) with a 4.80 ERA, 1.333 WHIP and 10.2 SO/9.
RHP Jordan Jankowski, at 23-years old, was one of the greybeards on the team, but he dominated. His 14.8 SO/9 easily led the team. He compiled 53 strikeouts in 32.1 innings, only six fewer than the team leader who needed 21 additional innings to get that extra six. Jankowski also led the team in appearances.
22-year olds RHP Mike Hauschild and LHP Scott Zuloaga (prior to his promotion to Tri-City) both had successful seasons in the bullpen at Greeneville as well. Hauschild had a 1.78 ERA, 1.022 WHIP, and 11.6 SO/9 in 19 appearances. Zuloaga had a 2.13 ERA, 1.105 WHIP and 11.4 SO/9 in 10 appearances; he has not allowed a run in seven appearances with Tri-City and has a very modest 0.800 WHIP.
No more season recaps until more seasons are over starting next week. I'm hoping a few of the remaining five teams can keep us waiting a while as they pursue Championships!
2011 Win Percentage - .368
2012 Win Percentage - .529
2011 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 326 - 419 = (93)
2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 339 - 297 = 42
2011 Team ERA & WHIP - 5.12 & 1.487
2012 Team ERA & WHIP - 3.80 & 1.301
2011 Team Batting Line - .252/.330/.365
2012 Team Batting Line - .262/.328/.379
The differences are dramatic with an 11-game swing in the win column and a 135 run swing in the run differential. The biggest difference, statistically, is the pitching with this year's team ranking third in the Appy League in ERA (out of 10 teams) and fourth in WHIP while last year's team was ranked ninth out of ten in both of those categories. There is definitely improvement in batting categories as well, though, as the 2012 club's BA/OBP/SLG rank third, fifth and fifth respectively as compared to the eighth, seventh and tenth rankings of last year's club.
As far as individual players go, there are several standouts.
IF Jean Batista did so well at Greeneville, hitting .321/.345/.531, that he merited a mid-August promotion to Tri-City where he is currently hitting .302/.295/.372 over ten games. Batista ranked fourth in BA and second in SLG in the Appy League, and was also second in doubles and tied for tenth in hits despite not finishing the season with Greeneville. The 20-year old switch-hitter has played about half of his games at 1B with the remainder split between 2B and SS.
2B Brian Blasik, team MVP, finished the season with a .318/.346/.424 batting line, fifth in the league in BA and RBI and tied for third in hits. The 22-year old Blasik was signed as a non-drafted free agent this year.
RF Ariel Ovando won't be 19 until September 15th which makes his .287/.350/.444 batting line even more impressive. He was in the top three or four on the team in virtually every offensive category except for stolen bases. Unfortunately, he led the team in strikeouts as well.
CF D'Andre Toney was fifth in the Appy League in runs scored and was tied for sixth in stolen bases, and he led the Greeneville team in those two categories as well as in walks. The 20-year old Toney had a .252/.351/.326 batting line.
SS Carlos Correa only played in 11 games at Greeneville, but the 17-year old did quite nicely as he hit .371/.450/.600 with three doubles, a triple and a home run. His 11 doubles with the GCL tied him for 13th in the Gulf Coast League, despite having not played there since early August. His final combined line was .258/.305/.400 with 14 doubles, two triples, three home runs and six stolen bases.
18-year old 3B Rio Ruiz didn't make the adjustment from the GCL to Greeneville as well as Correa did. He hit .271/.361/.412 in 23 games with the GCL and .220/.291/.380 in 15 games at Greeneville.
RHP Daniel Minor was an absolute standout with Greeneville, leading the league in ERA (2.75) and WHIP (1.034). The 21-year old had a SO/BB ratio of 4.80.
20-year old RHP Francis Ramirez led the team in wins and was tied for third in the league in that category. He was team leader and fifth in the league in strikeouts. His 10.0 SO/9 was good. His 4.9 BB/9 was not.
19-year old RHP Adrian Houser was 12th in the league in ERA (4.19), ninth in the league in WHIP (1.310) and was tied for tenth in the league in strikeouts.
RHP Lance McCullers was under strict pitch/innings limits so we didn't see that much out of the 18-year old top prospect. He made four starts with the GCL (11 total innings) with a 1.64 ERA, 1.091 WHIP and 9.8 SO/9. He also made four starts with Greeneville (15 total innings) with a 4.80 ERA, 1.333 WHIP and 10.2 SO/9.
RHP Jordan Jankowski, at 23-years old, was one of the greybeards on the team, but he dominated. His 14.8 SO/9 easily led the team. He compiled 53 strikeouts in 32.1 innings, only six fewer than the team leader who needed 21 additional innings to get that extra six. Jankowski also led the team in appearances.
22-year olds RHP Mike Hauschild and LHP Scott Zuloaga (prior to his promotion to Tri-City) both had successful seasons in the bullpen at Greeneville as well. Hauschild had a 1.78 ERA, 1.022 WHIP, and 11.6 SO/9 in 19 appearances. Zuloaga had a 2.13 ERA, 1.105 WHIP and 11.4 SO/9 in 10 appearances; he has not allowed a run in seven appearances with Tri-City and has a very modest 0.800 WHIP.
No more season recaps until more seasons are over starting next week. I'm hoping a few of the remaining five teams can keep us waiting a while as they pursue Championships!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Minor League Recaps
Wednesday's Games
DSL Indians over DSL Astros 7-1
Samil de los Santos gave up four runs in his three innings of work, but what caught my eye from the boxscore was that his successor, Juan Delis gave up three unearned runs on no hits. How did that happen you might ask.
GCL Astros over GCL Marlins 4-2
Jose Valdez pitched a perfect inning in another rehab outing and was followed by Raul Rivera with a two inning outing in which he gave up two runs. Michael Feliz pitched the final six innings for his fourth win as he gave up a miserly three hits and no walks with seven strikeouts. After the Marlins scored in the top of the second, the Astros immediately answered with a two-run home run from Teoscar Hernandez, his third home run in as many games. Thanks to Feliz' great pitching, Rio Ruiz' double scoring Carlos Correa in the third proved to be enough, but Carlos Correa drove in one extra run with a double in the seventh, just for good measure. Hernandez hit a double in addition to his home run, and Juan Santana went two-for-three with a walk and stole two bases.
Greeneville over Pulaski 4-1
Greeneville is now on a streak of its own winning six straight. Francis Ramirez pitched a terrific game, giving up just the one run on six hits and a walk with 11 strikeouts over six innings for his fourth win of the season. Jordan Jankowski and Michael Dimock (S, 3) were perfect in relief. I know this will come as a great shock but Brian Blasik was three-for-three with a double, a walk and two runs scored. What an unbelievable season he's having - Appy Astros digs a little deeper on Blasik here. Marc Wik was two-for-two with a walk and scored two runs for his birthday. And Angel Ibanez contributed a two-run double to the mix.
Tri-City over Lowell 9-2
Brady Rodgers pitched five scoreless innings before getting hit for a two-run home run in the sixth, but no harm, no foul as Tri-City had scored nine runs through the second to provide Rodgers with a very healthy margin. Juan Minaya and Brad Propst pitched three perfect frames to seal the deal. Andrew Aplin set the tone with a home run in his first at bat. He ended the night going two-for-three with a double, home run and two RBIs. Ryan Dineen (3 RBI) and Tyler Heineman (2 RBI) had very productive nights as well. Jarrod McKinney and Joe Sclafani were both two-for-four; McKinney also doubled and drove in a run. Preston Tucker, in his first game for Tri-City (after being signed about five seconds before game time), was one-for-four and scored a run.
Lexington - Off Day
Lancaster over San Jose 9-0
Nick Tropeano got his second win for Lancaster in a very fine performance in which he allowed only five hits and two walks with six strikeouts over six innings. Zach Grimmett and Brad Dydalewiz came in from the bullpen to keep the shutout intact. The JetHawks struck early and scored all nine of their runs by the end of the fourth inning. Grant Hogue was two-for-five and scored two runs; Kike Hernandez was two-for-four with a double and an RBI; and Domingo Santana hit his 15th home run of the season and drove in three. Hogue also stole his 17th base in only 27 games.
Midland over Corpus Christi 5-0 in 7 innings (Game 1)
Ross Seaton just simply had a bad night as he allowed five runs on fifteen hits over six innings to go to 6-6 on the season. The offense was held to eight singles and one walk and simply couldn't string enough together to score a run. Jon Singleton and Ben Orloff were both two-for-two and Adam Bailey was two-for-three.
Corpus Christi over Midland 4-1 in 7 innings (Game 2)
According to game day, Jake Buchanan was scheduled to start, but Erick Abreu got a spot start instead. Alex Sogard got the win in relief. Abreu, Sogard and Josh Zeid combined for three hits and no runs in their six innings of work. Jason Stoffel allowed the only Midland run in the seventh. Jake Goebbert drove in three of the Hooks runs, and Austin Wates scored the fourth one on a wild pitch. Wates and Goebbert both had two hit nights as did Jose Martinez.
Oklahoma City over Omaha 10-5
Brian Bass got the start, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits and five walks over five innings, and Aneury Rodriguez gave up another two runs before Adalberto Flores (W, 6-1) and Mickey Storey shut down Omaha's offense. It was a very good night for the Redhawks hitters. They just didn't get anything across until the fifth inning, but then singles from Travis Buck, J.B. Shuck and Landon Powell set the table for a Brandon Barnes grand slam. Omaha tied it up in the bottom of the seventh, but run scoring doubles from Matt Dominguez, Landon Powell and Brandon Barnes and a run scoring single from Travis Buck gave Oklahoma City a five-run cushion in the eighth. Fernando Martinez' solo shot in the ninth was just gravy. A look at some of the better offensive performances of the night:
Brandon Barnes - 3x5 2B HR 5RBI 2SO R
Fernando Martinez - 3x5 HR RBI R
Brett Wallace - 4x5 R
Travis Buck - 2x4 RBI R
J.B. Shuck - 2x4 2R
Landon Powell - 2x4 2B RBI 2R
Player of the Day: Brandon Barnes with five RBIs, including a grand slam, is the man. Look for something I'll be posting later today about Brandon.
Pitcher of the Day: While we've been focused on the more high profile players, Francis Ramirez, a 20-year old from the Dominican, has quietly gone about getting his fourth win for Greeneville. He ranks third in ERA, second in strikeouts and is tied for first in wins in the Appy League. His 11 strikeout performance last night was impressive.
DSL Indians over DSL Astros 7-1
Samil de los Santos gave up four runs in his three innings of work, but what caught my eye from the boxscore was that his successor, Juan Delis gave up three unearned runs on no hits. How did that happen you might ask.
- Juan De La Cruz grounds out to first baseman Frederick Serrano.
- Juan Carlos Moncion strikes out swinging, catcher Brian Pena to first baseman Frederick Serrano.
- Omar Sanchez strikes out swinging. Omar Sanchez advances to 1st, on throwing error by catcher Brian Pena.
- Francisco Miguel walks. Omar Sanchez to 2nd.
- Amauri Castillo walks. Omar Sanchez to 3rd. Francisco Miguel to 2nd.
- Pitcher Change: Geronimo Franzua replaces Juan Delis.
- Ordomar Valdez walks. Omar Sanchez scores. Francisco Miguel to 3rd. Amauri Castillo to 2nd.
- Yonathan Mendoza walks. Francisco Miguel scores. Amauri Castillo to 3rd. Ordomar Valdez to 2nd.
- Victor Cabral hit by pitch. Amauri Castillo scores. Ordomar Valdez to 3rd. Yonathan Mendoza to 2nd.
- Pitcher Change: Rauldison Rodriguez replaces Geronimo Franzua.
- Michael Depen strikes out swinging.
GCL Astros over GCL Marlins 4-2
Jose Valdez pitched a perfect inning in another rehab outing and was followed by Raul Rivera with a two inning outing in which he gave up two runs. Michael Feliz pitched the final six innings for his fourth win as he gave up a miserly three hits and no walks with seven strikeouts. After the Marlins scored in the top of the second, the Astros immediately answered with a two-run home run from Teoscar Hernandez, his third home run in as many games. Thanks to Feliz' great pitching, Rio Ruiz' double scoring Carlos Correa in the third proved to be enough, but Carlos Correa drove in one extra run with a double in the seventh, just for good measure. Hernandez hit a double in addition to his home run, and Juan Santana went two-for-three with a walk and stole two bases.
Greeneville over Pulaski 4-1
Greeneville is now on a streak of its own winning six straight. Francis Ramirez pitched a terrific game, giving up just the one run on six hits and a walk with 11 strikeouts over six innings for his fourth win of the season. Jordan Jankowski and Michael Dimock (S, 3) were perfect in relief. I know this will come as a great shock but Brian Blasik was three-for-three with a double, a walk and two runs scored. What an unbelievable season he's having - Appy Astros digs a little deeper on Blasik here. Marc Wik was two-for-two with a walk and scored two runs for his birthday. And Angel Ibanez contributed a two-run double to the mix.
Tri-City over Lowell 9-2
Brady Rodgers pitched five scoreless innings before getting hit for a two-run home run in the sixth, but no harm, no foul as Tri-City had scored nine runs through the second to provide Rodgers with a very healthy margin. Juan Minaya and Brad Propst pitched three perfect frames to seal the deal. Andrew Aplin set the tone with a home run in his first at bat. He ended the night going two-for-three with a double, home run and two RBIs. Ryan Dineen (3 RBI) and Tyler Heineman (2 RBI) had very productive nights as well. Jarrod McKinney and Joe Sclafani were both two-for-four; McKinney also doubled and drove in a run. Preston Tucker, in his first game for Tri-City (after being signed about five seconds before game time), was one-for-four and scored a run.
Lexington - Off Day
Lancaster over San Jose 9-0
Nick Tropeano got his second win for Lancaster in a very fine performance in which he allowed only five hits and two walks with six strikeouts over six innings. Zach Grimmett and Brad Dydalewiz came in from the bullpen to keep the shutout intact. The JetHawks struck early and scored all nine of their runs by the end of the fourth inning. Grant Hogue was two-for-five and scored two runs; Kike Hernandez was two-for-four with a double and an RBI; and Domingo Santana hit his 15th home run of the season and drove in three. Hogue also stole his 17th base in only 27 games.
Midland over Corpus Christi 5-0 in 7 innings (Game 1)
Ross Seaton just simply had a bad night as he allowed five runs on fifteen hits over six innings to go to 6-6 on the season. The offense was held to eight singles and one walk and simply couldn't string enough together to score a run. Jon Singleton and Ben Orloff were both two-for-two and Adam Bailey was two-for-three.
Corpus Christi over Midland 4-1 in 7 innings (Game 2)
According to game day, Jake Buchanan was scheduled to start, but Erick Abreu got a spot start instead. Alex Sogard got the win in relief. Abreu, Sogard and Josh Zeid combined for three hits and no runs in their six innings of work. Jason Stoffel allowed the only Midland run in the seventh. Jake Goebbert drove in three of the Hooks runs, and Austin Wates scored the fourth one on a wild pitch. Wates and Goebbert both had two hit nights as did Jose Martinez.
Oklahoma City over Omaha 10-5
Brian Bass got the start, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits and five walks over five innings, and Aneury Rodriguez gave up another two runs before Adalberto Flores (W, 6-1) and Mickey Storey shut down Omaha's offense. It was a very good night for the Redhawks hitters. They just didn't get anything across until the fifth inning, but then singles from Travis Buck, J.B. Shuck and Landon Powell set the table for a Brandon Barnes grand slam. Omaha tied it up in the bottom of the seventh, but run scoring doubles from Matt Dominguez, Landon Powell and Brandon Barnes and a run scoring single from Travis Buck gave Oklahoma City a five-run cushion in the eighth. Fernando Martinez' solo shot in the ninth was just gravy. A look at some of the better offensive performances of the night:
Brandon Barnes - 3x5 2B HR 5RBI 2SO R
Fernando Martinez - 3x5 HR RBI R
Brett Wallace - 4x5 R
Travis Buck - 2x4 RBI R
J.B. Shuck - 2x4 2R
Landon Powell - 2x4 2B RBI 2R
Player of the Day: Brandon Barnes with five RBIs, including a grand slam, is the man. Look for something I'll be posting later today about Brandon.
Pitcher of the Day: While we've been focused on the more high profile players, Francis Ramirez, a 20-year old from the Dominican, has quietly gone about getting his fourth win for Greeneville. He ranks third in ERA, second in strikeouts and is tied for first in wins in the Appy League. His 11 strikeout performance last night was impressive.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Minor League Schedule and Recaps
FRIDAY'S GAMES
In the interest of saving time now that there are eight teams to recap, I will start simply posting a link with the day's schedule. There are only so many hours in the day! Click on the link above to see the schedule.
Well, that didn't work. Let's try this.
Match-up to watch - Bobby Doran will make his Corpus debut against the very tough Barrett Loux (11-0) at Frisco.
THURSDAY'S RECAPS
DSL Astros at DSL Cardinals Postponed
GCL Marlins over GCL Astros 4-0
The hard-throwing lefty Reymin Guduan got the start giving up three runs on four hits and three walks and was charged with his first loss. He was followed by none other than Jandel Gustave who won my award for being the wildest pitcher in the Astros organization last season as he had 21 wild pitches and five hit batsmen in only 19.1 innings of work. Imagine my pride as he only had one wild pitch and one hit batter (and only gave up one run) in three innings of work! Andrew Walter gave up one hit in the final two. The offense won't take long. Yonathan Mejia and Javaris Reynolds each got a single. Other than four walks, that's pretty much it.
Tri-City over Vermont 5-3
Brian Holmes got the start followed by Tommy Shirley who got the win. John Neely made things a little interesting as he gave up two runs in the eighth to bring Vermont within two, but Blake Ford kept the door shut in the ninth and was rewarded with his first save. Tri-City got on the board in the second and never gave up the lead. Chase Davidson broke his hitting drought from the prior two games by going three-for-four with a double and an RBI. Jobduan Morales got his first stolen base of the season and Andrew Aplin and Justin Gominsky each had an outfield assist.
West Virginia over Lexington 9-4
Luis Cruz (L, 5-4) got touched for five runs (four earned) in his 5.1 innings of work and Gabriel Garcia allowed four in his inning. Lexington's early lead disappeared never to be seen again. Roberto Pena has slowly and quietly gotten his batting average up to .247, having hit .303 over the last ten (which is very welcome news). Jordan Scott and Matt Duffy each had two hits. Delino DeShields stole his 46th bag of the season (stolen bases for Brandon Meredith and Chan Moon as well). And Meredith hit his second home run of the season.
San Antonio over Corpus Christi 5-3 in 11 innings
Corpus Christi is going to desperately need their All-Star break next week after having participated in four extra inning games in their last five outings. Jose Cisnero allowed three runs on five hits and three walks. Josh Zeid and Alex Sogard kept the game close to give Corpus a chance, but the Hooks couldn't find the extra inning magic this time. Erick Abreu struck out the side in the tenth inning, but the 11th was his undoing as he gave up a walk and a walk off home run. Andy Simunic was three-for-five and Kody Hinze was two-for-four with an RBI.
Nashville over Oklahoma City 2-1
Armando Galaragga only pitched one scoreless inning before giving way to Aneury Rodriguez (L, 2-7) for five innings in which he gave up two runs to get charged with the loss. Chris Hicks pitched two innings and gave up only one hit to keep the Redhawks close, but they couldn't get a run across past the first inning. Fernando Martinez was two-for-two with an RBI in his first rehab outing.
Lake Elsinore over Lancaster 14-1
This one was a heartbreaker, not for Lancaster so much, but for me personally. It is painful for me to see a player struggle. I saw an extremely talented, fearless pitcher with a slider that made hitters look silly back in April in Lexington. He rarely walked anyone and wasn't afraid to pitch to contact. That pitcher, Jason Chowning, lost something on the way to Lancaster. He didn't lose his stuff. He lost his confidence. He tweeted something last night about being afraid of failure. You can't pitch scared, but that's what he's doing. And that is a very sad thing for me to see. Now back to the recap.
Lancaster only managed four hits against Lake Elsinore so even with solid pitching, this would have been a tough game to win, but the pitching was hardly that. Tyson Perez (four runs), Jason Chowning (six runs) and Brad Dydalewicz (four runs) just weren't able to find the key to the Lake Elsinore batters. Brian Streilein pitched a clean final frame but the damage was long done by then. Ben Heath was three-for-three and scored the sole Lancaster run via the long ball, and Rafy Valenzuela was one-for-three with a walk and a stolen base. That was the sum total of the Lancaster offense. This was truly a night to forget.
GAME OF THE DAY
Greeneville over Johnson City 10-3
For the second day in a row, Greeneville made Johnson City look silly. Francis Ramirez pitched a strong five innings in his first start for the win and the bullpen kept things well under control. About that offense. Wow. When Jean Batista's five-for-six outing isn't the best outing of the night, you know something is working well for you. Ariel Ovando and Jimmy Howick both had four hits and three RBIs and Ovando was just a home run shy of the cycle. When all was said and done, Greeneville had 19 hits, but almost better than that was the fact that there were no errors.
What went right: Ten runs, 19 hits and no errors with solid pitching.
Well, that didn't work. Let's try this.
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DSL Cardinals
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DSL Astros
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9:30 am
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GCL Nationals
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GCL Astros
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11:00 am
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Greeneville
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Kingsport
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6:00 pm
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Tri-City
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Connecticut
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6:05 pm
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Lexington
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West Virginia
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6:05 pm
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Corpus Christi
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Frisco
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7:00 pm
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Oklahoma City
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Nashville
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7:05 pm
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Lancaster
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Lake Elsinore
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9:05 pm
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Match-up to watch - Bobby Doran will make his Corpus debut against the very tough Barrett Loux (11-0) at Frisco.
THURSDAY'S RECAPS
DSL Astros at DSL Cardinals Postponed
GCL Marlins over GCL Astros 4-0
The hard-throwing lefty Reymin Guduan got the start giving up three runs on four hits and three walks and was charged with his first loss. He was followed by none other than Jandel Gustave who won my award for being the wildest pitcher in the Astros organization last season as he had 21 wild pitches and five hit batsmen in only 19.1 innings of work. Imagine my pride as he only had one wild pitch and one hit batter (and only gave up one run) in three innings of work! Andrew Walter gave up one hit in the final two. The offense won't take long. Yonathan Mejia and Javaris Reynolds each got a single. Other than four walks, that's pretty much it.
Tri-City over Vermont 5-3
Brian Holmes got the start followed by Tommy Shirley who got the win. John Neely made things a little interesting as he gave up two runs in the eighth to bring Vermont within two, but Blake Ford kept the door shut in the ninth and was rewarded with his first save. Tri-City got on the board in the second and never gave up the lead. Chase Davidson broke his hitting drought from the prior two games by going three-for-four with a double and an RBI. Jobduan Morales got his first stolen base of the season and Andrew Aplin and Justin Gominsky each had an outfield assist.
West Virginia over Lexington 9-4
Luis Cruz (L, 5-4) got touched for five runs (four earned) in his 5.1 innings of work and Gabriel Garcia allowed four in his inning. Lexington's early lead disappeared never to be seen again. Roberto Pena has slowly and quietly gotten his batting average up to .247, having hit .303 over the last ten (which is very welcome news). Jordan Scott and Matt Duffy each had two hits. Delino DeShields stole his 46th bag of the season (stolen bases for Brandon Meredith and Chan Moon as well). And Meredith hit his second home run of the season.
San Antonio over Corpus Christi 5-3 in 11 innings
Corpus Christi is going to desperately need their All-Star break next week after having participated in four extra inning games in their last five outings. Jose Cisnero allowed three runs on five hits and three walks. Josh Zeid and Alex Sogard kept the game close to give Corpus a chance, but the Hooks couldn't find the extra inning magic this time. Erick Abreu struck out the side in the tenth inning, but the 11th was his undoing as he gave up a walk and a walk off home run. Andy Simunic was three-for-five and Kody Hinze was two-for-four with an RBI.
Nashville over Oklahoma City 2-1
Armando Galaragga only pitched one scoreless inning before giving way to Aneury Rodriguez (L, 2-7) for five innings in which he gave up two runs to get charged with the loss. Chris Hicks pitched two innings and gave up only one hit to keep the Redhawks close, but they couldn't get a run across past the first inning. Fernando Martinez was two-for-two with an RBI in his first rehab outing.
Lake Elsinore over Lancaster 14-1
This one was a heartbreaker, not for Lancaster so much, but for me personally. It is painful for me to see a player struggle. I saw an extremely talented, fearless pitcher with a slider that made hitters look silly back in April in Lexington. He rarely walked anyone and wasn't afraid to pitch to contact. That pitcher, Jason Chowning, lost something on the way to Lancaster. He didn't lose his stuff. He lost his confidence. He tweeted something last night about being afraid of failure. You can't pitch scared, but that's what he's doing. And that is a very sad thing for me to see. Now back to the recap.
Lancaster only managed four hits against Lake Elsinore so even with solid pitching, this would have been a tough game to win, but the pitching was hardly that. Tyson Perez (four runs), Jason Chowning (six runs) and Brad Dydalewicz (four runs) just weren't able to find the key to the Lake Elsinore batters. Brian Streilein pitched a clean final frame but the damage was long done by then. Ben Heath was three-for-three and scored the sole Lancaster run via the long ball, and Rafy Valenzuela was one-for-three with a walk and a stolen base. That was the sum total of the Lancaster offense. This was truly a night to forget.
GAME OF THE DAY
Greeneville over Johnson City 10-3
For the second day in a row, Greeneville made Johnson City look silly. Francis Ramirez pitched a strong five innings in his first start for the win and the bullpen kept things well under control. About that offense. Wow. When Jean Batista's five-for-six outing isn't the best outing of the night, you know something is working well for you. Ariel Ovando and Jimmy Howick both had four hits and three RBIs and Ovando was just a home run shy of the cycle. When all was said and done, Greeneville had 19 hits, but almost better than that was the fact that there were no errors.
What went right: Ten runs, 19 hits and no errors with solid pitching.
What went wrong: Not enough to even mention.
Francis Ramirez - 5IP 3H 2R 1BB 2SO
Zachary Hardoin - 2IP 1H 1R 0BB 2SO 1HR
Christian Garcia - 1IP 3H 0R 0BB 1SO
Michael Dimock - 1IP 0H 0R 1BB 1SO
Jean Batista - 5x6 RBI R
Brian Blasik - 2x6 RBI 2R
Ariel Ovando - 4x5 2-2B 3B 3RBI SO 3R
Jimmy Howick - 4x5 2B 3RBI
Pitcher of the Day: Francis Ramirez wasn't glamorous but he was effective and on a day when many of the Astros pitchers struggled, effective was a very good thing.
Player of the Day: Ariel Ovando was ridiculous (and I mean that in a good way). Look for a first-hand report from Appy Astros who attended the game.
Francis Ramirez - 5IP 3H 2R 1BB 2SO
Zachary Hardoin - 2IP 1H 1R 0BB 2SO 1HR
Christian Garcia - 1IP 3H 0R 0BB 1SO
Michael Dimock - 1IP 0H 0R 1BB 1SO
Jean Batista - 5x6 RBI R
Brian Blasik - 2x6 RBI 2R
Ariel Ovando - 4x5 2-2B 3B 3RBI SO 3R
Jimmy Howick - 4x5 2B 3RBI
Pitcher of the Day: Francis Ramirez wasn't glamorous but he was effective and on a day when many of the Astros pitchers struggled, effective was a very good thing.
Player of the Day: Ariel Ovando was ridiculous (and I mean that in a good way). Look for a first-hand report from Appy Astros who attended the game.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Happy Birthday - 1/12
RHP Francisco Baso (21)
Originally from Panama, Baso was signed by the Astros as a non-drafted free agent and first played for the VSL Astros in 2008. 2011 was his first season with the GCL Astros, but he only pitched 3.2 innings over 3 appearances. In 2010 with the DSL, he had a 1.33 ERA and a 1.205 WHIP over 40.2 innings.
RHP Francis Ramirez (20)
Ramirez was signed by Houston as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic and first played for the DSL Astros in 2009. He split the 2011 season between the GCL Astros and the Greeneville Astros. Over 12 games (11 starts), he compiled a 4.78 ERA and a 1.286 WHIP. In his last four starts at Greeneville, he had a 2.89 ERA and a 0.750 WHIP.
OF Mesac Laguna (20)
A non-drafted free agent from Nicaragua, Laguna played his second season with the DSL Astros in 2011 and compiled a .267/.318/.349/.666 batting line with a .329 batting average with RISP. In August, he hit .357/.433/.446/.879.
Former Astros with birthdays today
UT Casey Candaele (51)
Obtained from the Montreal Expos in a trade for Mark Bailey, Casey Candaele played for Houston from 1988 to 1993. His mother, Helen Callaghan, played for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, giving Casey the distinction of being a part of the only mother/son combination ever to play professional baseball. Casey liked to keep things loose. In case you missed this interview from a couple of months back, Casey talks about naked batting practice, the Moneyball movie and more. And then there was the break-dancing at the Astros Wives Gala. You may also enjoy this Jayson Stark column from 2000 in which Casey reveals his dream to join the Latvian ski-jump team.
1B/OF Mike Simms (45)
Played in 181 games for Houston from 1990-1992 & 1994-1996
Originally from Panama, Baso was signed by the Astros as a non-drafted free agent and first played for the VSL Astros in 2008. 2011 was his first season with the GCL Astros, but he only pitched 3.2 innings over 3 appearances. In 2010 with the DSL, he had a 1.33 ERA and a 1.205 WHIP over 40.2 innings.
RHP Francis Ramirez (20)
Ramirez was signed by Houston as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic and first played for the DSL Astros in 2009. He split the 2011 season between the GCL Astros and the Greeneville Astros. Over 12 games (11 starts), he compiled a 4.78 ERA and a 1.286 WHIP. In his last four starts at Greeneville, he had a 2.89 ERA and a 0.750 WHIP.
OF Mesac Laguna (20)
A non-drafted free agent from Nicaragua, Laguna played his second season with the DSL Astros in 2011 and compiled a .267/.318/.349/.666 batting line with a .329 batting average with RISP. In August, he hit .357/.433/.446/.879.
Former Astros with birthdays today
UT Casey Candaele (51)
Obtained from the Montreal Expos in a trade for Mark Bailey, Casey Candaele played for Houston from 1988 to 1993. His mother, Helen Callaghan, played for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, giving Casey the distinction of being a part of the only mother/son combination ever to play professional baseball. Casey liked to keep things loose. In case you missed this interview from a couple of months back, Casey talks about naked batting practice, the Moneyball movie and more. And then there was the break-dancing at the Astros Wives Gala. You may also enjoy this Jayson Stark column from 2000 in which Casey reveals his dream to join the Latvian ski-jump team.
1B/OF Mike Simms (45)
Played in 181 games for Houston from 1990-1992 & 1994-1996
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