Getting to Know Astros CF Frankeny Fernandez

When I spoke with Greeneville Astros Manager Josh Bonifay this week about his centerfielder, the first words that came to mind were, "Exciting young player." Later that evening, I would find that the words "Most Valuable Player" could also be used to describe Frankeny Fernandez as the 19-year old Dominican earned those honors for the Greeneville club.

Frankeny Fernandez - August 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Fernandez had a terrific freshman season in the Dominican Summer League in 2014, but was unable to replicate that in 2015. However, he displayed enough tools that I looked for a comeback year in 2016 and he didn't disappoint. Bonifay described Frankeny's season, "He's just been tremendous here all year. He's been a leader in the clubhouse. He leads our team in runs scored. He leads our team in RBIs. Tied for second in doubles with 10. I think he's got four homers, two triples [three after Wednesday's game]. He has 18 bags, going to try to get him to 20 bags [he accomplished this on Tuesday].

"He's been our most consistent player all year. The batting average isn't as high as you'd want, but when the game is on the line, you don't want anybody else at the plate. He's been just outstanding for us. Good leader. Good communicator. He helps with the staff in bridging the gap with some of the Latin players with the language barrier sometimes. Just very exciting. I love having him out in centerfield."

I really enjoyed getting to know Fernandez. He has an outgoing, charismatic personality and obviously loves playing baseball. And knowing that he mastered English in just one year should tell you everything you need to know about his work ethic. I would never, ever bet against his success.

Best of luck, Frankeny, and thank you for your time!

Tweet of the Day

Blessed 2 have been managed by 2 of the best Managers in MiLB @JCB28 @RondeyLinares this year! congrats on Manager of the year well deserved

— Joe Musgrove (@musgrove23Stros) August 27, 2015

Tweets of the Day

A very special day for the @QCRiverBandits as they win #80, @DeetzDean_12 w/ 7 no-hit IP & @GrandpaSteve1 closes it out w/ 1 hit in 2IP.

— Jayne Hansen (@JayneWTHB) August 25, 2015

Congratulations to Midwest League Manager of the Year Josh Bonifay (@JCB28) on Quad City's 80th win tonight, coming in grand fashion!

— Jayne Hansen (@JayneWTHB) August 25, 2015

Happy Birthday - 7/30

Wishing a Very Happy Birthday to ...

RHP Jorge Perez (22)
Perez was born on July 30, 1993 in Jamaica, New York, and was drafted by the Astros in the 30th round in 2013 out of Seminole State College in Seminole, Oklahoma. He is currently playing for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits.

Manager Josh Bonifay (37)
Bonifay was born on July 30, 1978 in Macon, Georgia. Originally drafted by the Pirates in 2006 out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Bonifay ended his minor league career in the Houston organization. After serving as a Hitting Coach in the Astros system for two seasons, he was the Manager of the Rookie League Greeneville Astros in 2013 and 2014. 2015 is his first season as the Manager for the Low A Quad Cities team.

Happy Birthday - 7/30

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Jorge Perez (21)
Drafted by Houston in the 30th round in 2013 out of Seminole State College in Seminole, Oklahoma, Perez started the 2014 season with the Greeneville Astros. In 10 games (16.1 innings), he has a 2.20 ERA and a 1.408 WHIP.

Greeneville Manager Josh Bonifay (36)
Josh Bonifay was drafted by the Pirates in 1999, but ended his minor league career with the Houston organization. After serving as Hitting Coach for Greeneville in 2011 and Lexington in 2012, Bonifay got his first Manager assignment with the Rookie level Greeneville Astros team in 2013, a role he is reprising in 2014. Bonifay is taking on a new role as well, having just become a new Dad for the first time earlier this month.

Two former Astros mark the day as well ~

3B Doug "The Red Rooster" Rader (70)
Rader was signed by Houston as an amateur free agent in 1965 and played for the Astros for nine seasons, from 1967 to 1975. In 1178 games, he hit .250/.318/.402 with 197 doubles, 20 triples, 128 home runs and 600 RBI. He won Gold Gloves five seasons straight from 1970 to 1974.

C Gus Triandos (died March 28, 2013 at age 82)
Triandos came to Houston from Philadelphia in June 1965 and played in only 24 games for the Astros at the end of his career, hitting .181/.244/.292. Triandos was a three-time All Star for Baltimore with a lifetime caught stealing percentage of 47%.

Tweet of the Day

Cora Catherine. 7/11/2014 @7:21pm. 6lbs 3 oz. Newest member #astrosfamily. Cora's first game and W! #blessed pic.twitter.com/Z7CWVmH9qF
— Josh Bonifay (@JCB28) July 21, 2014

An Interview with Greeneville Astros Manager Josh Bonifay

Earlier this month, I had a chance to sit down and talk with Greeneville Astros Manager Josh Bonifay. I first talked to Bonifay last year when he was the hitting coach for the Lexington Legends (and where he earned an All-Star nod as a coach). Our first conversation went well despite the fact that the Southern gentleman in him (born in Georgia, schooling and permanent home in North Carolina) insisted on ma'aming me and making me feel ancient.

I was impressed with the detail in which he described the various player's strengths and weaknesses in the batter's box. That detailed approach certainly has helped the first year Manager as his new team is on the cusp of earning a playoff berth under his direction and has earned him Manager of the Year honors in the Appalachian League.

Josh Bonifay (R) - August 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

After getting Bonifay's take on various players to use in my interviews and write-ups, I turned the conversation to him and his experience as a first year manager. Here is what he had to say, edited for brevity and clarity ~

Managing Philosophy
"You can see all that new gray hair coming in just this year but it’s been a lot of fun. I love doing it. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love being a part of the kids' lives. I want [them] to be true professionals. [That’s] what I really talk about. I want them to do the right things. I want them to respect the game of baseball. I want them to be a true professional. And I just want them to conduct themselves the way they should. I want to be involved in the community. We do a lot of community stuff here. I want them to be clean-shaven. I want them to learn that people respect people who do their job the right way; people respect people who take the time to clean up the dugout while we’re on the road. They respect that. And if they respect you, in life you’re going to be successful. And that’s what I want from them. I want them to get better on the field, and believe me we do a lot of work to get better on the field. I just want them to be good people too. I want them to understand that not everybody’s going to be a big-league baseball player, not everybody’s going to be a professional athlete their whole lives, but if they know how to be on time, if they know how to do things the right way, when they leave and go to a real job, nobody has to teach them how to do that anymore, and they’re successful in life. They know how to grind. They know how to get things done and work ethic. All those little things I love to teach, I love to talk about. You just want to be an impact on the kids' lives and I was fortunate to have a lot of coaches that took time for me and that made that a big priority, to be a good person, to be a good baseball player, just be a true professional is what I call it."

Being a New Manager
"I love it. I love it. The challenge is just understanding what all goes into it. My other thing [hitting coach] was watch video, look at numbers, see counts, see what they can hit, see what they can’t hit, what we need to work on mechanically. Now it’s just where do we need to be on bunt plays? Where do we need to be on defense? Watch the whole field. Is this guy getting ready on time? Is he moving with two strikes? Are we throwing through? Do I need somebody hot [to] pitch? Do we want to pinch hit? Where is our pitching staff? Do we have a bullpen? Is our bullpen available tonight?"

Managing Rookie Level Baseball
"That’s the beauty about minor league baseball, in my opinion. You’re going to make errors. We’re going to mess up. I’m going to mess up as manager. You’re going to make mistakes. And we’re all going to learn from it. These players have all the tools. If they learn, one day it clicks, and then they're in the big leagues. And you’re like, 'Gosh, I was with that dude a couple years ago and now he’s making 10 mill a year.'"

Working Close to His Home in Charlotte
"Love being close to home. My wife is [a physical therapist] in Charlotte and it’s been awesome [since she can set her own schedule and visit often]. I have a real good support group my first year. My wife’s here. I’ve got a lot of support, a lot of love from her, a lot of love from her family, a lot of love from my family and they’re all close. I love that."

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

I will leave you with a mental image I have of Josh from the trip. Early work and BP under his direction were extremely organized and efficient. There was no wasted time, effort or energy. One day when I was observing, the field drills were done and it was time for BP. Josh trotted over to the BP cage, grabbed it, dug in his heels and was quickly dragging it into place. Another staff member started to pull the L-screen in front of Josh, but I heard someone tell him, "Let him go. He will run you right over with that thing." Nobody should get in the way, either, of his desire to develop these players into men, first and foremost, and then into major league ballplayers.

Thank you for your time and insight, Josh. The best of luck to you in guiding your team to the playoffs!

Tweets of the Day

MiLB.com ‏@MiLB
Josh Bonifay named Appy Manager of Year http://atmilb.com/19Czi4O  @Astros skipper led @GvilleAstros to multiple club records | #astros

Jason Schwartz ‏@jasondschwartz
Congratulations to Rodney Linares on being named Cal League Manager of the Year. HC Darryl Robinson named Coach of the Year. #JetHawks

Jason Schwartz ‏@jasondschwartz
Matt Duffy (3B), Andrew Aplin (OF) and MP Cokinos (Utility) all named Cal League Postseason All-Stars. #JetHawks

Random Observations on my Greeneville Trip

It will take me a while to transcribe the interviews from my Greeneville trip so let me leave you with a few random observations to tide you over.

As I noted last year, Pioneer Park is simply beautiful. Located on the campus of Tusculum College, the park is first class all the way. One of my favorite things about the park are the concourse banners commemorating the MLB debut of players who have gone through Greeneville. Here you see the banners for Sammy Gervacio, Jose Altuve, Brandon Barnes and, if you look closely, the last one is for Izzy Hinojosa, the groundskeeper who made his Houston debut last September.

Josh Bonifay runs a tight ship in his first year as Manager. Everything is organized and everyone seems to know what is expected of them. There is virtually no wasted time or effort. Most of these players are only starting their careers and need that structure. With that said, the players also seemed relaxed and loose during practices. I liked the field dynamic that I was seeing.

One player who impressed me both on and off the field was Gonzalo Sanudo, the right-handed pitcher from Tabasco, Mexico, who came to the Astros in the Mike Kvasnicka trade. His command was impeccable the night I saw him and he easily worked around two hits over his two innings as he struck out six. And the sound his fastball made when he hit the catcher's glove was music to my ears. Off the field, he is a character with personality plus. His reaction as Kevin Ferguson came into the dugout before the game wearing a bright orange cap (on a day when the uniform called for dark caps) was priceless.

I was also very impressed by Jandel Gustave's and Chris Lee's work on the mound, and I loved watching Juan Santana, a Dominican infielder who won't turn 19 until later this week, who plays with joyful abandon. Santana's easy smile has earned him the nickname Smiley, according to Bonifay. I think it's appropriate that he currently wears Jose Altuve's number 27 because he is destined to be a fan favorite much like Altuve.

Now for a few VERY random observations. Chase McDonald is HUGE. Could there be a better cheer for someone named Parker Hipp than Hip Hip Hooray? Brett Phillips is another larger than life personality, very funny and charismatic. Here he does a deadpan imitation of Hitting Coach Cesar Cedeno.

And finally, I loved watching Tanner Mathis' great range playing centerfield and I enjoyed talking with him about our mutual college experiences in Mississippi, but the best thing about Mathis is his walk-up ritual. The toe dig, bootie wiggle, side kick and bat toe tap is repeated throughout every game. I particularly enjoyed one ardent female fan who "Wooooo'd" for every bootie wiggle. Highly entertaining.



I would like to thank Josh Bonifay for his time and generosity. I really enjoyed talking with him about his team. His energy and enthusiasm are infectious. And having met his lovely wife Tiffany as well, I can only say this. He done good!

Let me leave you with one of my favorite images from the weekend -- Angel Ibanez engaging in a deep discussion with one of his fans.

Happy Birthday - 7/30

RHP Jorge Perez (20)
Drafted by Houston in the 30th round in 2013 out of Seminole State College in Seminole, Oklahoma, Perez has pitched in eight games (10.2 innings) with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.686 WHIP.

Greeneville Manager Josh Bonifay (35)
Josh Bonifay was drafted by the Pirates in 1999, but ended his minor league career with the Houston organization. After serving as Hitting Coach for Greeneville in 2011 and Lexington in 2012, Bonifay got his first Manager assignment with the Rookie level Greeneville Astros team this season.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

3B Doug "The Red Rooster" Rader (69)
Rader was signed by Houston as an amateur free agent in 1965 and played for the Astros for nine seasons, from 1967 to 1975. In 1178 games, he hit .250/.318/.402 with 197 doubles, 20 triples, 128 home runs and 600 RBI. He won Gold Gloves five seasons straight from 1970 to 1974.

C Gus Triandos (died March 28, 2013 at age 82)
Triandos came to Houston from Philadelphia in June 1965 and played in only 24 games for the Astros at the end of his career, hitting .181/.244/.292. Triandos was a three-time All Star for Baltimore with a lifetime caught stealing percentage of 47%.

Lexington Legends Season Recap

Last week, I took a look at the DSL Astros season, the GCL Astros season, and the Greeneville Astros season. Now let's look at the Lexington Legends Lo-A affiliate. Here's a quick look at how the 2011 and 2012 teams compare.

2011 Win Percentage - .428
2012 Win Percentage - .500

2011 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 645 - 731 = (86)
2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 691 - 664 = 27

2011 Team ERA & WHIP - 4.63 & 1.413
2012 Team ERA & WHIP - 4.26 & 1.387

2011 Team Batting Line - .255/.327/.389
2012 Team Batting Line - .252/.344/.380

The results for Lexington are somewhat deceptive. As late as mid-August, they were substantially over .500 before hitting a skid in which they lost 16 of 18. I don't know if these players were simply out of gas after many of them participated in their first full professional season, but I'm sure that was a factor. And I'm certain that the loss of Delino DeShields as he was promoted to Lancaster in early August was a factor as well. The season-long chemistry established with DeShields at the top of the order had to be difficult to recreate.

There was a 10-game swing in the win column and a 113-run swing in the run differential. Although the pitching stats don't show a dramatic difference, the team went from toward the bottom of the pack in league ERA and WHIP to solidly in the middle, and went from 9th in saves and 12th in strikeouts (out of 14 teams) to second in the league in both of those categories. Team batting average and slugging percentage are roughly where they were last season. The biggest improvements are in on-base percentage (from 9th to 4th in the league), runs scored and RBIs (from 8th to 4th), and walks and stolen bases (from the bottom of the pack to 2nd in the league).

Here are some individual standouts from the team ~

I'll take a complete look at 2B Delino DeShields, Jr. when I write my season recap on the Lancaster team, but it bears noting that despite having been gone from the Lexington club for almost a month, DeShields is still a league leader in numerous categories, including stolen bases (1st), runs (2nd), OBP (7th) and walks (8th). He's also in the top 20 in the league in batting average, slugging, OPS and hits. He was recently named a South Atlantic League post-season All-Star.

3B Matt Duffy ended the season with a .280/.387/.447 batting line and a team leading 138 hits (7th in the league) and 16 home runs (tied for 9th in the league). He was also in the top 20 in the league in OBP, slugging, runs, RBI and doubles. He also held the dubious "honor" of being hit by pitch 41 times in the season, leading all of the minor leagues ... by far.

1B Zach Johnson led the team, and the league, in RBI with 108 and was tied for the lead on all Astros minor league teams with Erik Castro of Lancaster. He also led the team in walks (5th in the league) and doubles (tied for 3rd in the league), and was in the top three on the team in runs, hits and home runs. He ended the season hitting .238/.339/.406 and was also named to the South Atlantic League post-season All-Star team.

Although OF Brandon Meredith didn't play in enough games to qualify as a league leader in slugging, his .506 slugging percentage over 86 games was still impressive. In 48 fewer games than Zach Johnson and Matt Duffy, Meredith managed to tie Johnson in home runs and trail Duffy by just one. He was also in the top five on the team in runs, RBI, hits, doubles and triples. He ended the season with a .278/.377/.506 batting line.

RF/C Mike Kvasnicka was also limited in playing time due to injuries and similarly to Meredith managed to rank highly in several categories, including doubles, home runs and RBIs. SS Nolan Fontana led the team with a .464 OBP, albeit only over 49 games as he drew 65 walks, only 10 fewer than Zach Johnson who had played in 134 games.

RHP Mike Foltynewicz had an absolute breakthrough season. He turned a 5-11 2011 season into a 14-4 2012 campaign. He was tied for first in wins in the South Atlantic league, and was second in innings pitched, fourth in ERA, sixth in strikeouts and tied for 13th in WHIP among qualifiers. He also made the post-season All-Star squad. He ended the season with a 3.14 ERA and a 1.362 WHIP.

LHP Luis Cruz ended the season with a 9-8 record, a 4.05 ERA (tied for 13th) and a 1.357 WHIP (also tied for 13th). He was third in the league in strikeouts, fifth in innings pitched and tied for 11th in wins.

RHP Dayan Diaz was 5-4 with 19 saves in 41 appearances out of the bullpen. His ERA of 1.85 led the entire Astros system for pitchers making at least 30 appearances and was accompanied by a 1.200 WHIP. He was tied for third in the league in saves.

LHP Mitch Lambson started at Greeneville and was quickly promoted as he dominated the Appy League. His combined record for the season was 3-1 with a 2.15 ERA, a 0.975 WHIP, 10.6 SO/9 and a 5.40 SO/BB ratio. At Lexington, he had a 2.72 ERA and a 1.101 WHIP.

The sample size on RHP Chris Devenski (5 starts with Lexington) is too small for generalized conclusions, but I would be remiss if I didn't note his complete game no-hitter on his last start of the season, including his 16 strikeouts from that game. I would also be remiss if I didn't point out Hitting Coach Josh Bonifay's inclusion as a coach for the South Atlantic League post-season All-Star team (Hum you!)

I hope to have a post-season look at the Oklahoma City squad ready by the end of the week, but no promises.

Happy Birthday - 7/30

Hitting Coach Josh Bonifay (34)
Josh Bonifay was drafted by the Pirates in 1999, but ended his minor league career with the Houston organization. After serving as Hitting Coach for Greeneville in 2011, he was moved to Lexington for the 2012 season.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

3B Doug "The Red Rooster" Rader (68)
Rader was signed by Houston as an amateur free agent in 1965 and played for the Astros for nine seasons, from 1967 to 1975. In 1178 games, he hit .250/.318/.402 with 197 doubles, 20 triples, 128 home runs and 600 RBI. He won Gold Gloves five seasons straight from 1970 to 1974.

C Gus Triandos (82)
Triandos came to Houston from Philadelphia in June 1965 and played in only 24 games for the Astros at the end of his career, hitting .181/.244/.292. Triandos was a three-time All Star for Baltimore with a lifetime caught stealing percentage of 47%.

Mini-Profile on SS Alex Todd

I didn't get the opportunity to talk to SS Alex Todd while I was in Lexington, but I did talk to Hitting Coach Josh Bonifay about one of his most improved hitters. Last season in Greeneville, Todd hit .159/.287/.215 over 33 games but did show definite signs of improvement in his final 16 games at Lancaster with a .298/.310/.421 batting line. Through 18 games in 2012, Todd is hitting .300/.375/.414. He already has almost as many RBI's as he had all last season and is showing indications of much better power.

Coach Bonifay attributes the improvements to hard work, pure and simple. The key for Todd, according to Bonifay, is to work on keeping his lower half closed to create more torque in his swing. Todd has worked hard to make the adjustments and is seeing good results. "He works his butt off. He's in here early. He's in here often and he really grinds and and gets after it."

I also asked Jordan Scott, one of Todd's roommates, what Todd was doing differently this year. He said that Todd had tried about 15 or 20 different stances and swings last season and was really struggling. Now, according to Scott, Todd has found confidence in what he's doing at the plate and that has made all the difference for him.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Todd can do over a full season. [UPDATED TO ADD: I should never try to write in too big a hurry. I forgot to mention that Todd was a 27th round pick in 2011 out of Sonoma State, he's 22 and bats right-handed (although you can see that from the picture).]

Alex Todd April 2012

Tweet of the Day

Josh Bonifay ‏ @JCB28

Little snow shower on way to Lexington! Ready for home opener tomorrow night! #legends http://pic.twitter.com/mVZ56z3X