Astros Farm Report: 11-13

Checking in on the Astros playing fall and winter ball plus an update on a former Astro, but first things first ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Here are this week's birthdays. All November birthdays can be found here.

11-12: RHP Charlie Morton (34)
11-13: RHP Chris Devenski (27)
11-14: OF J.J. Matijevic (22)
11-14: LHP Nathan Thompson (24)
11-15: RHP Luis de Paula (21)
11-16: IF Alfredo Angarita (21)
11:16: C Juan Centeno (28)
11-17: OF Jon Kemmer (27)
11-18: C Anthony Hermelyn (24)
11-18: RHP Angel Ortega (18)
11-18: OF Ronaldo Urdaneta (19)

TRANSACTIONS/ROSTER MOVES

Here are the latest transactions. I have also started my ongoing offseason transaction post here and will keep that updated and linked on the front page of the blog.

11-6: 2B Colin Walsh (Fresno) elected free agency
11-6: C Eduardo de Oleo (Fresno) elected free agency
11-6: RHP Kevin Comer (Fresno) elected free agency
11-6: SS Reid Brignac (Fresno) elected free agency
11-6: OF Rico Noel (Fresno) elected free agency
11-6: RHP David Martinez (Fresno) elected free agency
11-6: RHP Jumbo Diaz (Fresno) elected free agency
11-6: RHP Jandel Gustave (Houston) activated from the 60-day DL
11-6: RHP Brady Rodgers (Houston) activated from the 60-day DL
11-6: RHP David Paulino (Houston) activated from the 60-day DL
11-2: RHP Tyler Clippard (Houston) elected free agency
11-2: LHP Francisco Liriano (Houston) elected free agency
11-2: DH Carlos Beltran (Houston) elected free agency
11-2: RHP Luke Gregerson (Houston) elected free agency
11-2: OF Cameron Maybin (Houston) elected free agency

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE (AFL)

Framber Valdez - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

The Mesa Solar Sox currently have the best record in the AFL at 15-10-1; they are in first place in the AFL East division, two and a half games in front of the Salt River Rafters with four games remaining in the season. If the standings hold, Mesa and Peoria would face off in the Championship game on Saturday.

Kyle Tucker is the only active Astros position player remaining active and, since I last wrote, he continued to scuffle until he (and the Solar Sox) broke out on Saturday, going 3-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored as Mesa stomped Salt River 16-2.

Framber Valdez had a very nice start on Thursday, contributing four shutout innings for Mesa. He allowed four hits and one walk while striking out two. Dean Deetz (1.0IP 2SO) and Riley Ferrell (2.0IP 1H 2BB 1SO) contributed one and two scoreless outings, respectively, since my last post.

RHP Dean Deetz - 7G 6.00 ERA/1.333 WHIP 9.0IP 3BB:19SO
RHP Riley Ferrell - 8G 4.15ERA/1.615 WHIP 8.2IP 9BB:6SO
RHP Brendan McCurry - 5G 4.05 ERA/1.350 WHIP 6.2IP 3BB:5SO (last played 10/30)
LHP Framber Valdez - 5G/5ST 3.45 ERA/1.723 WHIP 15.2IP 6BB:9SO
1B Yordan Alvarez - 4G .313/.353/.438 3B 1BB:6SO (last played 10/14)
3B/2B Nick Tanielu - 2G .000/.000/.000 (last played 10/16)
OF Kyle Tucker - 19G .222/.325/.319 5-2B 3B 9RBI 9BB:18SO 2SB:0CS

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE (LVBP)

Alfredo Angarita, a 20-year old Venezuelan signed by the Astros in November 2015, made it as far as the Gulf Coast League in 2017. Based on his ability to hit in the highly competitive LVBP, look for him to start rising a bit more rapidly in 2018! Over his last five appearances he is 6-for-18 with two RBI, four walks, four runs scored and a stolen base. He has hit safely in 17 of his 20 games.

Aguilas de Zulia (15-12 3rd place)
3B Arturo Michelena - Has not appeared yet
SS Kristian Trompiz - 10G .227/.320/.227 3BB:4SO (last played 10/28)
RHP Elieser Hernandez - 5G/5ST 2.11 ERA/0.844 WHIP 21.1IP 6BB:22SO (last played 11/6)

Bravos de Margarita  (10-18 8th place)
2B Alfredo Angarita - 20G .329/.420/.371 2B 3B 7RBI 11BB:17SO 4SB:3CS

Leones del Caracas (17-12 2nd place)
RHP Diosward Gonzalez - 2G 6.75 ERA/2.251 WHIP 1.1IP 2BB:0SO (last played 10/19)
RHP Yoanys Quiala - 4G/2ST 7.45 ERA/1.448 WHIP 9.2IP 5BB:8SO (last played 10/31)
C Gabriel Bracamonte - 3G .125/.125/.125 0BB:2O (last played 10/28)

MEXICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LMP)

Jacob Dorris - April 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Jacob Dorris showed up in the LMP on Friday and was tagged with a run on an inherited runner after issuing a walk and hitting a batter, but he settled down in his second appearance Sunday, stranding a runner and contributing 1.1 scoreless innings. Akeem Bostick had an abbreviated outing on Wednesday, exiting the game after only one inning for what the game recap characterized as an injured foot.

Caneros de la Mochis (13-16 Tied for 6th)
RHP Akeem Bostick - 6G/6ST 2.78 ERA/1.103 WHIP 22.2IP 7BB:25SO

Naranjeros de Hermosillo (16-13 Tied for 2nd)
RHP Jacob Dorris - 2G 5.40 ERA/1.800 WHIP 1.2IP 1BB:1SO

Charros de Jalisco (15-14 Tied for 4th)
OF Rico Noel (Free Agent) - 2G .200/.200/.200 0BB:3SO (last played 10/12)

Yacquis de Obregon (11-18 8th place)
IF Reid Brignac (Free Agent) - 11G .206/.364/.265 2-2B RBI 7BB:11SO

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LIDOM)

No active Astros have played since my last post.

Gigantes del Cibao (14-9 Tied for 1st)
C Eduardo de Oleo (Free Agent) - has not played yet

Toros del Este (9-14 Tied for 5th)
RHP Angel Heredia - has not pitched yet
RHP Jumbo Diaz (Free Agent) - 7G 4SV 2.70 ERA/1.200 WHIP 6.2IP 2BB:4SO (last played 11/6)

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LBPRC)

I haven't seen that the LBPRC winter season has been officially canceled yet, but with the devastation to that island from Hurricane Maria, I find it likely.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE (ABL)

The first game of the season will take place on 11/16. I have not seen official rosters yet, but Utility Player Rodrigo Ayarza who played for Quad Cities and Buies Creek in 2017 will appear on the Adelaide Bite roster. Ayarza, a 22-year old Panamanian switch-hitter, already made his mark by hitting a lead-off double for the Bite in their first exhibition game last week.

FORMER ASTRO UPDATE

Michael Dimock - June 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

As I have perused the winter league boxscores of late, I couldn't help but notice that Friend of the Blog Michael Dimock has been doing some good work in the Dominican Winter League. Since being traded by the Astros to San Diego in 2014, he has spent time with the Padres and Angels organizations, but currently finds himself to be a man without an MLB affiliation. It appears that he would like to change that and has been very impressive out of the bullpen for Toros del Este. In eight appearances, he is 1-0 with one save, a 0.00 ERA and a 0.750 WHIP. In 5.2 innings, he has allowed four hits and no walks, striking out six.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, May 17, 2014

Nashville 10, Oklahoma City 4

W- Alfredo Figaro (1-1)
L- Rudy Owens (2-3)

OKC home runs: None.

Welp.

The Sounds opened the scoring with 5 in the 3rd. OKC put up 3 in the top of the 4th, but Nashville responded with 4 more in the bottom of the inning to doom the RedHawks.

OKC's 3 in the 3rd came on RBI singles from Andy Simunic and Adron Chambers and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Domingo Santana. Gregorio Petit went 2-5 with an RBI single in the 7th. Chambers and Jonathan Meyer also had 2-hit nights.

Rudy Owens pitched just 3 innings and allowed 8 runs on 9 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Raúl Valdés came on and pitched 4 in relief, allowing a run on 3 hits while striking out 4. Chia-Jen Lo pitched the 8th and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1.

In the series finale, Mike Foltynewicz will take on Jimmy Nelson at 2:05.

Corpus Christi 5, Midland 4

W- Andrew Robinson (4-0)
L- Ryan Dull (3-2)

CC home runs: Preston Tucker (8, 3-run in 3rd)

The Hooks walked off with a pair in the bottom of the 9th. This came after they squelched a Midland threat in the top of the inning that kept it a 1-run game.

After Kent Matthes hit a 3-run shot off Matt Heidenreich in the top of the 3rd which made it 4-0 RockHounds, Preston Tucker answered with a 3-run shot of his own (8) in the bottom of the inning to put Corpus on the board and make it a 1-run game. That's how it stood until the bottom of the 9th.

Nolan Fontana led off with a single, and then before you knew it, Andrew Aplin joined him on the bases with a walk. They would both advance on a sac bunt from Matt Duffy, and then Tucker was intentionally walked to set up a double play possibility at any base. Well, that turned out to work in the Hooks' favor, as a pair of singles from Joe Sclafani and Leo Heras tied the game, and won it, respectively. Fontana posted his 4th consecutive multi-walk game as he went 2-3 with a run scored and 2 walks. Aplin went 1-3 with 2 runs scored and 2 walks. In addition to his blast, Tucker also drew 2 walks. Sclafani went 2-5 to log his 6th straight multi-hit game, and Heras finished 4-5 with the game-winner.

Matt Heidenreich went 4 innings and allowed 4 runs on 6 hits (3-run homer), walked 4, and struck out 3. The bullpen picked him up as 2 relievers combined to throw 5 scoreless. Michael Dimock allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3 over 3 scoreless. Dimock has made 7 appearances and has posted zeros in 6 of those 7. Andrew Robinson tagged in for 2 scoreless and gave up 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3.

In game 3, Mike Hauschild and Luis Cruz will face Nate Long at 1:10.

Lancaster 10, Rancho Cucamonga 3

W- Lance McCullers (2-2)
L- Jharel Cotton (0-2)
S- Kent Emanuel (1)

Lancaster home runs: Jordan Scott (1, 3-run in 2nd)

The Quakes got 2 in the 1st off Lance McCullers, but Lancaster seized control of this one with a 10-1 run the rest of the way.

The JetHawks offense was powered by Jordan Scott, who at one point was their offense. He answered Corey Seager's 2-run shot off McCullers in the 1st with a 3-run homer in the 2nd, then added a 2-run triple in the 4th and, one batter later, scored on Roberto Peña's single. He also hit another triple in the 6th, but was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice.

Rio Ruiz was 2-4 with a 2-run single in the 5th and 2 runs scored. Lancaster got a pair in the 6th on an RBI single from Teoscar Hernandez, who scored on a Carlos Correa double. Correa's 2 hits were both doubles, while Hernandez and Scott also scored 2 runs.

Outside of the 2-run homer from Seager, McCullers was rather good in his 5 innings. He allowed just 2 other hits, walked 2, and struck out 9. Kent Emanuel tagged in to finish it out; he allowed a consolation solo homer to Chris Jacobs in the bottom of the 9th. In his 4 innings, Emanuel allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 3.

Game 3 of this series features Chris Devenski on the mound as he takes on Tom Windle. First pitch is at 2:05 Pacific.

Kane County 3, Quad Cities 0

W- Tyler Skulina (2-1)
L- Andrew Thurman (2-3)
S- Nathan Dorris (2)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits did not have a hit, and they only had 3 baserunners: Chan-Jong Moon and Conrad Gregor walked, and Gregor also reached base after getting hit by Skulina.

Andrew Thurman went 4.1 innings and allowed 3 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Pat Christensen was the first man out and pitched 1.2 scoreless, allowing 2 hits and striking out 1. And, in his season debut, Frederick Tiburcio struck out 4 over 2 perfect innings.

In the series finale, Jandel Gustave will face Daury Torrez at 1:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Preston Tucker, OF, Corpus Christi

1-3, 3-R HR (8), 2 BB as the DH

2.

Leo Heras, LF, Corpus Christi

4-5, GW RBI single

1.

Jordan Scott, LF, Lancaster

3-4, 2 3B, 3-R HR (1), 5 RBI, 2 R

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Lance McCullers, RHP, Lancaster

W (2-2), 5 IP, 3 H (2-run HR), 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

Photo courtesy of Bryan Green

Kent Emanuel, LHP, Lancaster

Save (1), 4 IP, 2 H (solo HR), ER, BB, 3 K

2.

Michael Dimock, RHP, Corpus Christi 

3 IP, H, BB, 3 K

Andrew Robinson, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (4-0), 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K

1.

Photo courtesy of Bryan Green

Frederick Tiburcio, RHP, Quad Cities

2 IP, 4 K

Tweet of the Day

Dogs with clothes are my weakness
— Michael Dimock (@slimdim23) May 12, 2014

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, April 25, 2014

Nashville 5, Oklahoma City 3

W- Mike Fiers (4-0)
L- Jake Buchanan (1-2)

OKC home runs: Kiké Hernandez (1, solo in 4th; 2 season)

The RedHawks offense was mowed down by Mike Fiers, who struck out 10 of them. Kiké Hernandez went 2-4 with a solo homer (1) in the 4th and scored 2 of the 3 OKC runs. They got a pair of RBI groundouts from Robbie Grossman and Ronald Torreyes in the bottom of the 9th. Gregorio Petit went 2-5, and Andy Simunic finished 3-4.

Jake Buchanan went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs (all on a homer from Hunter Morris) on 6 hits and struck out 2. 5 relievers pitched an inning each: Darin Downs (5th) gave up a run on 2 hits and struck out the side. Chia-Jen Lo (6th) worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless inning. Ditto for Jason Stoffel (7th), who struck out 1. Kevin Chapman (8th) allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 1, and Josh Zeid struck out the side in order in the 9th.

The series continues at 7:05 with Ross Seaton and Nick Tropeano taking on Brad Mills.

Corpus Christi 6, Frisco 4

W- Troy Scribner (1-0)
L- Jerad Eickhoff (1-2)
S- Jorge De Leon (1)

CC home runs: None.

With Jayne in attendance, the Hooks jumped out tot a 6-1 lead, although it got a little close for comfort at the end righ there. I don't know the exact record of all Astros affiliates when she's in attendance, but I'm pretty sure she's the good-luck charm.

The Hooks went all relievers in this one, although the guy that started has done so in the past. Jordan Jankowski got the start as the starting pitchers got an extra day of rest. He went 3 innings and gave up a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. The first man out of the bullpen was Troy Scribner, fresh from Kissimmee. Clearly not fazed from the effects of going straight to the Texas League from extended spring training, Scribner tossed 2 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 2, and striking out 1 in the process. The organization's top facial hair prospect, Michael Dimock, was next, and he threw 2 scoreless. He allowed a hit and struck out 1. Pat Urckfitz allowed 2 unearned runs on 2 hits and struck out 1 as he got 2 outs in the 8th, 1 via strikeout. Jorge De Leon did allow an unearned run in the 9th, but was able to get the 4-out save, allowing a hit and striking out 1.

The Hooks got the scoring started in the 1st as Andrew Aplin scored on an error that allowed Preston Tucker to reach. After Frisco tied it with 1 in the top of the 2nd, the Hooks responded with a Tyler Heineman RBI single and a 2-run double from Nolan Fontana. Jio Mier chipped in with a 2-run double of his own in the 6th inning. Preston Tucker and Chris Epps had 2 hits apiece, while Leo Heras was 1-2 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Brady Rodgers will take the mound in game 2 of this series; he'll be opposed by Luke Jackson. First pitch is at 7:10.

Lancaster 6, Rancho Cucamonga 3

W- Kyle Smith (4-0)
L- Geoff Brown (0-1)
S- Lance McCullers (2)

Lancaster home runs: Carlos Perdomo (1, solo in 5th)

The JetHawks were held in check by Clayton Kershaw for 5 innings. Let's see... the reigning Cy Young winner against a Class A Advanced lineup... that's to be expected, right?

Well, someone forgot to tell Carlos Perdomo that. On his 24th birthday, he had both of the JetHawks' hits off Kershaw, including a home run to lead off the 5th (1) that put them on the board, down 2-1. Perdomo was the only player on either side to have a multi-hit game; both teams only had 5 apiece.

After Kershaw exited, they got themselves going and finished on a 6-1 run. Rio Ruiz tied it with a double in the 6th and wound up scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Ruiz wasn't done yet; he drew a bases-loaded walk in the 7th, and Brandon Meredith provided some separation with a 2-run single. In the process, they rocked Julio Urias, the 17-year-old phenom from Mexico who was rated by Baseball America as the Dodgers' #3 prospect.

Kyle Smith fought hard against Kershaw. The result was a very solid outing for him, and he got the W to boot. In 5 innings, Smith gave up 2 runs (both on solo homers), one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 5. Lance McCullers had a bit of a scare, as he slipped on the mound and was favoring his elbow (initially leg) a little in the 9th.

Grounder to McCullers and he slips on the mound and is pain. Looks to be holding his right leg. #JetHawks
— Eric Smith (@Eric_L_Smith) April 26, 2014

McCullers said he's fine. Landed on his right elbow and was scared for a second. #JetHawks #Astros
— Eric Smith (@Eric_L_Smith) April 26, 2014

At the time of this incident, there was 2 outs in the 9th. He shook it off and got that last out. McCullers went 4 innings and gave up a run on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3.

Game 3 of this series has Chris Devenski and Josh Hader taking on TBA; the JetHawks game notes has Lindsey Caughel as the starter. First pitch is at 7:05.

Peoria 8, Quad Cities 4

W- Jimmy Reed (1-1)
L- Kent Emanuel (0-1)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits were victimized by the multi-run homer in this one; namely the 3-run home run and the grand slam. Peoria only scored in 2 innings, but they put up 4 in both of them.

Brian Holberton went 2-4 and put QC on the board first in the 1st with a 2-run double. James Ramsay hit an RBI single in the top of the 6th, and Conrad Gregor went 3-5 with an RBI double in the 7th. Chan-Jong Moon was 1-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 steals (6).

Kent Emanuel went 4 innings and gave up 4 unearned runs on 5 hits (3-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 3. Chris Cotton allowed a grand slam and struck out 2 in the 5th. Jandel Gustave allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 in 2 scoreless, and Tyler Brunnemann struck out the side in order in the 8th.

In the middle game of this series, Michael Feliz and Evan Grills will face Silfredo Garcia at 1:00.

Three Stars: Pitchers

3. Corpus FNGs

Photo courtesy of Bryan Green

Troy Scribner, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (1-0), 2 IP, H, 2 BB, K

Michael Dimock, RHP, Corpus Christi

2 IP, H, K

2. Striking out the side in order

Photo courtesy of John Whinery (greenevilleastrosphotos)

Tyler Brunnemann, RHP, Quad Cities

IP, 3 K

Josh Zeid, RHP, Oklahoma City

IP, 3 K

1.

Photo courtesy of Bryan Green

Kyle Smith, RHP, Lancaster

W (4-0), 5 IP, 3 H (2 solo HRs), 2 ER, BB, 5 K

Lance McCullers, RHP, Lancaster

Save (2), 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Brian Holberton, C, Quad Cities
2-4, 2B, 2 RBI

2.

Enrique Hernandez, 2B/OF, Oklahoma City

2-4, solo HR (1, 2 season), 2 R

1.

Carlos Perdomo, SS, Lancaster

2-4, solo HR (1)

Tweet of the Day

It's a great day to be alive.
— Michael Dimock (@slimdim23) January 29, 2014

The Trailblazers, Part 3: Jamaine Cotton, Michael Dimock and Joe Musgrove Weigh In On The Experience

Several Astros minor leaguers ventured to Venezuela to play in the Liga Paralela's winter league late last year. Part 1 of the series introduced you to The Trailblazers and explained the reasoning behind their journey. Part 2 explored that journey in great detail from the eyes of one of those players, OF Brett Phillips. Today we're going to hear briefly from three of the other players who participated -- RHP Jamaine Cotton, RHP Michael Dimock and RHP Joe Musgrove.

Cotton was the only American player who was with the program from Day 1 all the way through until the plane took off from Caracas on Day 74. And he was probably the least prone to the culture shock that impacted the other players to varying extents as Cotton hails from the U.S. Virgin Islands, a U.S. territory that lies closer to Caracas than it does to Houston. Cotton set himself apart with his fine bullpen work in Venezuela and was singled out by Astros GM Jeff Luhnow in my November interview as a player who had really opened his eyes.

Dimock and Musgrove, along with four other players, left the program early due to some of the issues and concerns I alluded to in Part 2 of this series. But they were there long enough for the experience to leave an indelible impression.

I reached out to the three players via email and asked them the same set of questions. Here is what they had to say ~

JH: Can you tell me a little about actually playing ball down there, the facilities, the atmosphere, the competition, the fans, that kind of thing?

JC: Playing ball in Venezuela was a good experience for me to get more reps in. I played with/against guys with age range anywhere from 16-25 years old. Guys that play in the upper levels that didn't make the big league club there came down to paralela league to continue playing with the hope of getting the chance to play for the big club. That basically made the competition pretty good, but of course you're going to have your up and down games.

The facilities weren't bad at all. We played in mlb/milb academies there and where we played our home games it was turf. Obviously though they do things a little different due to finances. For the first time I've seen a motorcycle being used to drag a baseball field haha! The atmosphere wasn't up to par with that of the big clubs of course when it comes to the fans, but on the field it's always the same when it comes to baseball.

MD: The baseball aspect of being in Venezuela was great, obviously the reason for us being down there. The facilities that we played and practiced at was about a 10 minute bus ride from where we lived and it consisted of four baseball fields, a batting cage, a few covered basketball courts, and a workout complex. The fields were turf outfield and dirt infield. The surroundings outside of the athletic complex were amazing, mountains overlooking the field and the one thing I enjoyed the most was the weather, hot and sunny every day. Concerning our fan base, there weren't many fans at our games because we played at 10 a.m. on week days and had most of the weekends off to ourselves.

JM: The guys that we played with were all very talented. Some extremely young. It was very cool getting to play with guys who had such raw talent but maybe weren't as experienced with the mental part of the game and the fine details. I enjoyed getting to share thoughts and experience time with the Latin players. Not only did we teach them, but they had plenty to share with us. The crowds were never very big but we saw the same fans at the same fields. Very loyal ha ha.

The fields were nothing like the quality fields that we have in the US but our home field was decent.

JH: What was the funniest thing that happened to you or one of your teammates or that you saw while you were there?

JC: Hmmm, the funniest thing I have to say is that laugh of my 'Stros teammate Brett Phillips. That laugh of his is hilarious and gives you that eye along with it. It really brightened up those guys faces also because they really enjoyed being around him, making him laugh so they can laugh along with him.

MD: As a group we had lots of memorable moments and experiences that we will always remember. One memory that stands out to me and probably a few of us was one day we went to the mall to get food and see the culture. After walking around exhausted and wanting food Blair Walters and a few others and myself tried the challenge of ordering food on our own without an interpreter. Since neither of us spoke Spanish very well we tried ordering the most American thing we could find, pizza. We walked up to the pizza counter and began the difficult process of speaking broken Spanish (which included very very basic Spanish) to the employee. Proudly I thought I had this whole Spanish thing covered and took the reigns of ordering one small cheese pizza for myself. To my surprise when my order arrived it turned out to be two extra large pepperoni pizzas. Needless to say I did not eat the entire meal and had plenty of leftovers for everyone else. Probably one of the most embarrassing moments is when I was walking around the mall with a giant pizza box, very American.

JM: I couldn't say there was one funny moment that stood out more than others, but I found our days at the field were hilarious. I found watching some of the Americans who couldn't speak any Spanish try to communicate with the Latin guys. Most of the time the Americans would just reply with an "oh yeah" or "sí sí" without having any idea what the guys were saying. Half the time they'd be cracking jokes about us and we'd agree and nod our heads because we had no idea what they were saying .

JH: What was the biggest disconnect or barrier for you as an American in Venezuela? Language? Food? Something else?

JC: Honestly there wasn't any really besides not perfectly knowing the language and the internet there. I managed to learn a good bit of Spanish while being there, and you also have those guys trying to learn English themselves. We just tried to help each other out when it came to learning a different language. On the food side of things, it wasn't much of a difference for me because I come from a Caribbean island myself.

MD: Definitely one of the biggest disconnects I had was the language barrier, seeing as it was my first time being in a Spanish speaking country and my level of Spanish was juvenile at best. Since the last time I was in Spanish class or spoke it was years before, I had trouble communicating. Whenever I traveled around I would try bringing people who knew the language or had a better feel for it than I did.

JM: I've taken a few years of Spanish and at the time was going through the Rosetta Stone program so I was one of the few Americans who could get by with what I knew so the language wasn't much of a problem for me. Not having Wifi was a big disconnect for most of us just for the fact that it was our only way to communicate with our families or anyone for that matter. We had no phone plans so having Wifi was our only way to have anything to connect with. I somewhat enjoyed it though. I was a lot more productive without my phone or computer ha ha. I read 3 full books in 3 weeks out there which is more than I usually do. I did a lot of writing. I did my Rosetta Stone daily, etc. It was just tough not being able to share all the daily experiences with my family and friends.

JH: What did you take away from the experience that you can use in your day-to-day life or in your baseball life?

JC: What I took out of being there is that I have to continue getting as much reps in. Those guys play baseball all year round and some from the ages of 15/16. The more game reps you can get is so beneficial to you as a player because it's different from practice once your adrenaline is going. In terms to using something from being in Venezuela as an everyday life kind of thing, it would be Spanish. Now I can be able to communicate a little more with my Latin teammates, and in the process continue learning and getting better.

MD: One thing that I took away from my time being in Venezuela was just to be thankful for the things that myself and many other Americans enjoy, even down to the smallest things of having warm water to shower in every day which we often take for granted. It was a growing experience for myself and it showed a different way of life. It made me realize that the true things in life that we should cherish are friendships and relationships with others instead of material things. It really puts life into perspective of how blessed we baseball players are living the American dream playing baseball.

JM: There are a lot of things that I can truly appreciate more now after spending time out there. Having power outages daily, sometimes no running water, not having hot water available to shower with, not having cold bottled water available whenever you want, even not being able to eat on your own schedule. All those things are things that I never thought about, or was really all that grateful for until I made my trip to Venezuela. I would say that trip was a huge eye opener, and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to go and experience all I did.

I received a follow-up email from Joe Musgrove. He wanted to share this story ~

I happen to be, as is my family, a big animal lover. While in Venezuela, I adopted a stray dog that roamed our field daily. I named him Taco. Taco looked extremely hungry, matted, had fleas covering him, raw hot spots from scratching, and in need of some serious companionship. Not having the time or facilities to bathe or manicure Taco, I took the bus to the store and bought a big bag of dog food. I would daily, grab a big handful of dog food and put it in a ziploc bag that I traveled with. Taco and I would meet at the "Snack Bar" for his breakfast. Taco somewhat became our team mascot, ha ha...and his energy levels sky rocketed! He was running on the field with us before practice, fetching balls, and after practice I'd give him the other half of the bag of food for his evening meal. Every morning Taco waited for me at that snack bar, and certain mornings I'd bring him a bone from the dinner we had eaten the night before. Taco was my friend out there and it was tough having to say goodbye to him. It brought so much joy to me to be able to add a good 3 weeks to his life.

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

As I mentioned before, Venezuela isn't for everyone. For some Americans, it's not an easy place to navigate or communicate. The crime rate is problematic. The food situation can leave American tummies longing for home. But these 11 intrepid souls helped pave the way for a possible return to a robust, beneficial relationship that can help the Astros for years to come.

Jeff Luhnow would like to send American players to play in the Liga Paralela in Venezuela again this fall. His job now is to find ways to insulate the players enough to keep them healthy and safe while still allowing them to learn and grow as individuals and as ballplayers, and to take memories and experiences with them that will last a lifetime.

Happy Birthday - 10/26

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Michael Dimock (24)
Drafted in the 37th round in 2012 out of Wake Forest, Dimock split his second season between Quad Cities and Lancaster. In 37 appearances out of the bullpen, he was 9-1 with a 3.88 ERA and a 1.162 WHIP. He walked 14 batters while striking out 51 in 53+ innings. It being his birthday just gives me an excuse to use this picture again (like I need an excuse).

Michael Dimock - Spring Training 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Tweet of the Day

The adventure of playing winter ball in Venezuela continues ...

No lights, no TV, no water. What's next? I have nothing left to give besides my dignity
— Michael Dimock (@slimdim23) October 8, 2013

Roster Moves/Transactions

Oklahoma City
RHP Jorge de Leon assigned from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City

Corpus Christi
RHP Jonas Dufek assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi
According to Jason Schwartz, RHP Brady Rodgers is also being assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi for what is anticipated to be a spot start.

Lancaster
RHP Michael Dimock activated from the DL

Greeneville
SS Thomas Lindauer tweeted that he is being assigned from Tri-City to Greeneville

GCL
SS Jose Fernandez assigned from Tri-City to the GCL
OF Trevor Crowe to the GCL for a rehab assignment

International Free Agent Signing
SS Wilson Amador from the Dominican Republic

Tweet of the Day

Michael Dimock ‏@slimdim23
It's a Christmas in July miracle. Raining in Lancaster?

An Interview with RHP Michael Dimock

I'll admit it. I first became intrigued by Michael Dimock because of this ~

Michael Dimock - Spring Training 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

A quality mustache and an ironic eyebrow raise will win my heart every time. But then I looked beyond the outstanding facial hair and found a pitcher who has been having a pretty darned good season. In 10 appearances out of the bullpen with Quad Cities, Dimock had a 3.09 ERA and a 0.771 WHIP. In 10 appearances at Lancaster, he has a 3.55 ERA and a 0.868 WHIP. Erase his one tough outing at Lancaster and that becomes a 1.54 ERA and a 0.686 WHIP. He has walked only five batters all season and has held batters to a .174 batting average.

Lancaster Pitching Coach Don Alexander likes what he sees in Dimock so far, "He's been here a short amount of time, but in the time he's been here, I've been very impressed with his work. Not afraid to challenge hitters in the strike zone, works at the bottom of the zone real well. Nice fastball/slider combination. Fastball's got a little movement down in the zone. Uses both sides of the plate well. Slider's got some late bite to it. Mixes in an occasional change up, probably his third pitch, but it has some effectiveness when he uses it."

I caught up with Dimock recently and talked to him about his season so far and what he's been working on among other things (edited for brevity and clarity) ~

What has he accomplished and what is he working on?: "Obviously, I don't think that I'm nearly as good as I could be. There's more room for improvement in all aspects of the game. Here, with the wind, I've learned to keep the ball down. That's the main key. In Quad Cities and other places, you can really get away with it. You can let balls get a bit higher in the zone, but once you get here, you need to really bear down in the zone and really work getting ground balls, work getting weak contact. [Does pitching at Lancaster help you learn how to pitch?] It really distinguishes between the guys who can get away with a little more velocity and the guys who can spot up and get the weak contact, get the weak fly ball, weak ground ball. It's a lot different. It's a tough way of making you learn. If you leave a ball high up, you're going to get let known and it's going to stick with you for the rest of the night, but really if you bear down and work down in the zone, [you'll be fine]."

On his small number of walks this year: "That's the thing that I've really worked on. Especially from last year, my walks went up and after the season, I kind of looked at everything, all my stats and I looked at the stuff I wanted to improve and that was the main thing. I wanted to become more of a contact pitcher. Instead of missing bats, I wanted to let them make weak contact so I can get under four pitches and out of there."

On having better numbers against lefties this year: "It's actually not normal. Normally, I've been really good against righties. My slider's been my out pitch against them, but so far I've really worked on things with Donny [Don Alexander] and I've kind of worked on my change up too and that's really helped me get lefties out. I've worked on my two-seamer a lot and I just run it in and out. Keep[ing] them off-balance has been the key."

How is he adjusting to his first full season?: "I'm kind of used to playing a lot of games, from playing college to summer ball to winter, fall league and all that stuff, [but] it's still an adjustment. It's just all about working hard in the off-season so you feel prepared enough to take the daily grind of the 140-game season."

Which Astros pitcher has a pitch he'd like to steal?: "Honestly, I think I'd take T.J. Geith's change up. It's filthy. That's the only way I can really describe it. He gets a lot of swing and misses and it's just very deceptive."

Which Astros pitcher would he least like to face?: "Right now, Preston Tucker. He's a tough out. Every time I watch him, it seems like he's always on first or second base. Really, nobody can get him out. It's really impressive to watch him hit, but I try to figure out how I could get him out and I don't know if I can."

What would he do if he couldn't play baseball?: "I'd be on the PGA tour. Straight up. I love golf and I like the sport. It's relaxing. It's fun. It's very frustrating, but ... [Are you any good?] Not too bad. I'd like to think I'm better than I am."

Who on the team makes you laugh?: "What type of laugh? Joe Sclafani. I have good conversations with him. I really enjoy talking to him. Smart guy. Went to Dartmouth. I feel like I can relate to him a little bit."

Something that most people don't know about him: "Actually, I was home-schooled until I was in 8th grade. Almost no one knows that. I went to Pre-K and all that stuff, and then I was home-schooled from about 3rd grade on to about 8th grade. No one ever knows that."

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

Dimock scared me when he tweeted out that he had shaved the mustache to change things up and get some good luck going during the JetHawks' losing streak at the end of the first half. I'm happy to say that the mustache, along with a goatee, is rapidly making a return. And I'm also happy to say that I have looked beyond the 'stache and found a pretty good pitcher.

Thank you for your time, Michael, and best of luck as the season continues to unfold.

Tweet of the Day

Michael Dimock ‏@slimdim23
No need to stretch after this bus ride I'm already loose #toohot #milbprobs

Tweet of the Day

Michael Dimock ‏@slimdim23
Naps are good for the soul

Tweet of the Day

Jayne ‏@whattheheck57
My heart is officially broken. @jasondschwartz reported tonight that the @slimdim23 'stache is no more. pic.twitter.com/xQOIxXBubm


[Editor's Note: Michael Dimock subsequently reported to me that he shaved the 'stache to mix it up and to bring the 'Hawks some luck. After losing 8 straight, it couldn't hurt.]

Roster Moves

Lancaster
RHP Michael Dimock assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster

(Although I haven't seen anything official, this tweet from this morning seems to confirm the move.)

Michael Dimock ‏@slimdim23
Good luck to my fellow river bandits. Next stop LAX, so long davenport #blessed #hardworkpaysoff

I will update with any corresponding moves as they become available.

The Man, The Myth, The Moustache

There is currently a friendly competition at Quad Cities as several of the players are working on the facial hair component of their games. I can only surmise that this was inspired by the legendary caterpillar of Michael Dimock.

Ryan Dineen's offering is coming along quite nicely.

As is Jesse Wierzbicki's (but he's not exactly helped out by the light blonde hair).

Daniel Minor impressed me with this Fu Manchu that he assures me is only two weeks in the making.

He is followed in the pecking order by Catfish Elkins. I might rank Elkins higher, but with a nickname like Catfish, he needs to have more impressive whiskers (but he's working on it).

Lance McCullers is working on his as well and should benefit from his darker hair color (he and Elkins posed for this quick shot on my phone).

After that, the quality drops off considerably. Thankfully, Carlos Correa is better at fielding his position than he is at growing moustaches.

And finally I bring you the Rio Ruiz moustache, a work in progress. After I took this photo, he asked to see it, and then he ran off excitedly into the dugout, "You can see it! You can see it!" Ummm, yeah, well, kinda ...

Carry on gentlemen. I wholeheartedly approve. The quality 'stache and baseball go hand-in-hand. And baseball is nothing without tradition.

Tweet of the Day

Michael Dimock ‏@slimdim23
#DjangoUnchained must be a jaw dropping movie @JJ_Jankowski33 @BHolmes130 pic.twitter.com/LkpW7zLJi1

Tweet of the Day

Michael Dimock‏@slimdim23
So much for the boys of summer, looks like we are playing in the snow today

Astros Minor League Recaps

Tuesday's Games

Clinton over Quad Cities 6-3 in 7 innings (Game 1)
Lance McCullers would probably just as soon forget this start as he allowed six runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk while striking out one in two and a third innings of work. A Joe Sclafani error came back to hurt McCullers, but so did a bases-loaded hit batter. Mitch Lambson came on to put out the fire with one out in the third and pitched three and two-thirds scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts and Cameron Lamb finished it off with a scoreless frame, but the damage was already done by that point. Quad Cities only had one hit (a Chase Davidson double in the first) through the first six innings and didn't manage to get on the board until that frame. That the River Bandits managed to score at all was pretty impressive considering they only had two hits in the game, the second being a Terrell Joyce RBI double in the seventh. They were, however, helped out by their nine walks (Sclafani with three of them) which allowed runs to score on a Jesse Wierzbicki sac fly and a Carlos Correa ground out. Davidson got his first stolen base of the season and Joyce was credited with an outfield assist.

Quad Cities over Clinton 3-2 in 7 innings (Game 2)
Daniel Minor got the start and gave up two runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts in four innings pitched before giving way to Michael Dimock who shut the door beautifully with three perfect frames in which he struck out four. The Bandits did all their scoring in the fifth inning on an RBI single from the just promoted Austin Elkins and a two-run double from Ryan Dineen. Quad Cities was held to five hits -- two of them belonged to Jesse Wierzbicki.

High Desert over Lancaster 6-5 in 11 innings
Aaron West cruised through his first four innings very effectively before giving up two solo jacks in the fifth inning. Luis Cruz then turned a 5-2 lead into a 5-5 tie in his three innings of work. Cruz was followed by a phenomenal performance from Travis Ballew who proceeded to collect six straight swinging strikeouts in the ninth and 10th innings. The 'Hawks were unable to convert a bases loaded situation in the top of the 11th, and Tommy Shirley's one pitch exited stage right for a walk-off. Preston Tucker was 3-for-5 with a home run, and Drew Muren was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI single. Andrew Aplin, Zach Johnson and Matt Duffy also doubled in the game.

Tulsa over Corpus Christi 9-3
A double, triple, single, wild pitch and throwing error was all it took to put the Hooks in a 3-0 hole in the first inning as R.J. Alaniz ultimately allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out three in five innings. But that line looked great compared to the five runs allowed by Matt Heidenreich on three home runs in only one and a third innings. Lefties Pat Urckfitz and Alex Sogard took it the rest of the way with scoreless outings. Corpus finally hit the run column in the seventh inning courtesy of a two-run home run from Rene Garcia, his first of the season. George Springer followed with a solo home run in the eighth. Austin Wates was 2-for-5 with a triple.

Round Rock over Oklahoma City 8-6
If Brett Oberholtzer could just erase the third inning, he would have had a terrific outing, as he allowed only one hit and one walk in the other four innings he pitched. Unfortunately, he allowed four hits and a walk and all five of those runners scored on a Jurickson Profar three-run home run and a Joey Butler two-run shot. No tandem pitching for OKC last night, though, as five relievers took their turns. Kevin Chapman was charged with three runs (one earned) as Josh Zeid allowed two inherited runners to score. Eric Berger saw his first action as an Astro, facing three batters and walking one. The RedHawks took an early lead scoring four in the second, but the lead was shortlived. Two additional runs scored on a Marc Krauss double in the eighth (the only extra base hit) that brought OKC within striking distance. Jake Elmore was running wild on the bases, stealing two and getting caught once. Che-Hsuan Lin and Jimmy Paredes each stole a base as well.

Player of the Day: Ryan Dineen's two-run RBI for Quad Cities was the ultimate game winner.

Pitchers of the Day: It's another tie as two relievers deserve acknowledgment. Travis Ballew simply dominated the High Desert crew with his six strike outs swinging and gave them the chance to win, a chance which was unfortunately not cashed in. And Michael Dimock's three perfect frames for Quad Cities preserved their tenuous 3-2 lead.

Tweet of the Day

Michael Dimock ‏@slimdim23
Never thought I'd say this, but dang I wish I had a snuggie