Oklahoma City Redhawks Season Recap

So far we have looked at the DSL Astros season, the GCL Astros season, the Greeneville Astros season and the Lexington Legends season. Now let's take a look at the AAA Oklahoma City affiliate. Here's a quick look at how the 2011 and 2012 teams compare.


2011 Wins-Losses/Win Percentage: 68-75/.476
2012 Wins-Losses/Win Percentage: 78-65/.545

2011 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential: 619 - 717 = (98)
2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential: 764 - 758 = 6

2011 Team ERA & WHIP: 4.63 & 1.516
2012 Team ERA & WHIP: 4.91 & 1.508

2011 Team Batting Line: .260/.341/.381
2012 Team Batting Line: .282/.349/.434

It's hard to truly judge a AAA affiliate because those teams are generally a mix of lifetime minor leaguers who may get an occasional MLB callup to fill a hole, struggling major leaguers who have been sent down to work on things and a few true prospects. With that said, it's difficult to read too much into the results and season comparisons at this level.

So which players had standout seasons in Oklahoma City?

There were several position players whose 2012 seasons resulted in a call-up to the Astros, such as OF Brandon Barnes (.321/.381/.514 39-2B 1-3B 12HR between Corpus Christi and Oklahoma City), 3B Matt Dominguez (.298/.347/.398), IF Scott Moore (.318/.410/.555 26-2B 1-3B 10HR), OF Fernando Martinez (.314/.367/.507 23-2B 2-3B 13HR) and C Carlos Corporan (.286/.349/.447 15-2B 6HR).

But probably the most noteworthy of those getting call-ups was OF Jimmy Paredes. In 124 games, the 23-year old hit .318/.348/.477 with 28 doubles, seven triples, 13 home runs and 37 stolen bases (tied for second in the league). He was third in the league in hits with 161 and fifth in runs scored with 92.

Of the position players left behind, the best seasons belonged to SS Angel Sanchez (.320/.390/.407 13-2B 1-3B 5HR), OF Brad Snyder (.304/.375/.550 23-2B 3-3B 20HR) and the ever dependable albeit not flashy OF J.B. Shuck (.298/.374/.352 with 11-2B 3-3B). Sanchez ranked in the top 20 in the league in batting average and on-base percentage. Snyder was seventh in slugging, eighth in OPS and was tied for 11th in home runs.

The 34-year old journeyman IF Mike Hessman deserves his own paragraph. Although he only hit .231 with a .301 OBP, he was 13th in the league with a .515 slugging percentage, first in home runs with 35 (and third in strikeouts with 136), and was tied for 11th in the league in RBI.

Several relief pitchers shuttled back and forth from Oklahoma City to Houston and back again, such as Fernando Abad (now starting), Xavier Cedeno and Enerio del Rosario. But it was RHP Mickey Storey that opened some eyes with his performance at Oklahoma City and merited an August 3rd call-up. In 38 appearances, including two spot starts, Storey was 7-4 with a 3.05 ERA and a 1.169 WHIP. Another standout was RHP Jose Valdez who ranked third in the league in saves with 21. His season numbers do not impress at first glance, but if you throw out his June numbers when he was nursing an injury that would eventually land him on the DL, his ERA drops to 2.84 with a 1.237 WHIP for the remainder of the season.

LHP Dallas Keuchel (6-4 in 16 starts, 3.90 ERA, 1.213 WHIP) had a good season with OKC before his call-up and RHP Edgar Gonzalez (1-0 in 2 starts, 0.69 ERA, 0.615 WHIP) barely saw the inside of the clubhouse at OKC before his call-up.

Of the pitchers left behind, three in particular made that crucial step from AA to AAA during the season and showed good progress in their development. LHP Brett Oberholtzer (10-10 in 38 starts, 4.37 ERA, 1.356 WHIP combined) actually got stronger as the season progressed and ended the season at Oklahoma City with a 2.02 ERA and a 1.121 WHIP over his final five starts. RHP Jarred Cosart only made six appearances (five starts) with Oklahoma City, but had a very impressive 2.60 ERA and 1.410 WHIP. His combined numbers for the season were 6-7 with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.395 WHIP. RHP Jose Cisnero was 4-1 at Oklahoma City and ended the season with a 3.70 ERA and 1.409 WHIP (combined), and a 4.54 ERA and 1.764 WHIP at Oklahoma City -- not the most impressive of numbers but a decent first step.

I will continue with my look at the final three teams' seasons when they finish post-season play. I hope I have to wait a good long while!

Minor League Recaps

Monday's Results

DSL Royals 5 DSL Astros 7

The DSL Astros had a rollercoaster-ride of a game on Monday.  After scoring 3 in the first and another in the second, the Astros held the lead until the seventh inning when Juan Delis logged his third blown save of the season.  Delis was charged with 2 runs (0ER) and walked 4 batters in his 1 and 2 thirds innings of work.  Harold Arauz (1-1) came on next for 1 and 2 thirds frames of his own and picked up the win.  Arauz allowed 2 hits, walked 1 and struck out a pair in his time on the mound.  Victor Mesa came on to pitch the final 2 outs of the game and earned his fourth save, getting both batters he faced to ground out. Hector Roa was the big man at the plate Monday for the Astros.  Roa hit 2 for 4 with a two-bagger and a 3-run homer.  Roa was responsible for knocking in 5 of the Astros 7 runs.

GCL Cardinals 10 GCL Astros 11

This was another game Monday where the home team lost the lead in the 7th and managed to come back in the 8th to take the win.  The GCL Astros got off to a good start Monday, scoring 7 runs by the third inning (6 in the first).  Ambiorix De Leon got beat up in the seventh inning for 4 runs on 6 hits and the blown save, his second, while recording 1 out.  Gera Sanchez (1-0) picked up his first win after taking the helm to finish out the games remaining 2 and 2 thirds.  Sanchez recorded a pair of hits and 1 K.  Yoel Silfa had a good game, getting his first ABs since his promotion from the DSL he hit 2 for 3 with a double and 4 RBI.  Alfredo Gonzalez connected for 3 out of 4 and hit a double.  Silfa and Gonzalez had the only extra base hits of the game.

Lexington Legends 3 Savannah Sand Gnats 4

This was a tough loss for Lexington and just a tough game of baseball all around.  Lexington starting pitcher Chris Devinsky (7-6) took the loss after 5 innings on the mound, allowing all 4 runs on 6 hits, walking 4 and striking out 5. Devinsky balked in a run in both the first and third inning.  It was a tough night offensively as well.  The Legends had 4 hits overall, hit by 3 players: Chan Moon (2X5, RBI), Matt Duffy (1X3) and Jobduan Morales (1X3, BB, R).  Thomas Shirley pitched the final 3 frames for Lexington, allowing just 3 hits, walking 2 and K-ing 5 of his own.  Shirley now has 36 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched for Lexington and 44 strikeouts in 35 innings on the entire year. 

Springfield Cardinals 5 Corpus Christi Hooks 2

The Hooks couldn't get anything started at Whataburger Field on Monday.  Jake Goebbert and Andrew Simunic both went 2 for 4 at the plate and that accounted for half of the team's hits. Goebbert and Simunic also both cranked out doubles and Goebbert scored a run.  Jonathan Singleton went 1 for 4 at the plate with a double of his own, a run scored and a walk.  Paul Clemens (2-1) took the loss after working the first 6 frames, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits, walking a trio and striking out as many.

Sacramento River Cats 8 Oklahoma City RedHawks 5

The RedHawks have lost 10 in a row after a disappointing loss on Monday at home.  Oklahoma City led until the 6th inning when the game was tied at 5 by their opponents.  The RedHawks didn't score after the fourth inning, but got off to a strong start.  Mike Hessman (1X4) got the RedHawks on the board first with a solo shot in the second inning, his 30th homer of the year, which leads the Pacific Coast League.  J.B. Shuck went 3 for 5 at the plate, with a RBI and a run scored.  Mark Krauss went 2 for 4 and scored a run too.  Brian Sanches (0-2) picked up his first blown save and his second loss after coming on 2 outs into the sixth for an inning and 2 thirds on the bump.  Sanches allowed 1 run on 1 hit and walked 2.

Player of the Day:  Mike Hessman gets half a share for his 30th homer, that's a given, but I can't forget Hector Roa.  It's not often I get to brag on DSL guys and Roa is making it easy with his game yesterday that included a double, a 3-run homer and 5 RBI.   

Pitcher of the Day:  Thomas Shirley of Lexington gets the honor for closing out the last 3 frames of a tough game on Monday virtually unscathed.               

A Hypothetical Question

Let's look at Player A and Player B and let's decide together which of these players deserves a hypothectical callup by the Astros. I say hypothetical because the 40-man roster is full and unless and until some room is cleared, no one is going anywhere. These players don't play the same position, but each of the positions they play are in need of improvement offensively.


*Minor league stats only

So, how many of you picked Player B? Good. I see quite a few hands raised out there. That's shows you're paying attention. If you still picked Player A, please look at all the stats again. If you still pick Player A, then I have to assume that all you care about is home runs and nothing else.

If you hadn't already figured this out, Player A is Mike Hessman and Player B is Brandon Barnes. But Mike Hessman has major league experience, you may say. Yes he does. In 109 games in the majors, he hit .188/.272/.422 with a 31.6% strikeout rate. Next argument? But, Jayne, you used Barnes' combined numbers between AA and AAA, instead of just his AAA numbers. Yes, I did. But Barnes actually has a higher BA and OBP at AAA than he did at AA. His SLG% is lower, but is still a very healthy .524. Any other questions?

As far as defense, Barnes has a lifetime .978 fielding percentage and is actually .985 in Oklahoma City this season. You can't use defense as an excuse.

Mike Hessman is hitting .146 with ZERO home runs in his last 10 games. If the Twitter General Managers out there had their way, the Astros could have had that kind of production since the All-Star break, and they would have had the extra benefit of potentially losing a younger out-of-options player that could have helped us in the future so that a 32-year journeyman could get a few at bats. That is not how you rebuild a team.

A little unsolicited advice. Quit stressing over Brett Wallace. He's already on the 40-man roster and unless he is traded, he will be in Houston sooner rather than later. And instead of a #HessmanToHouston campaign on twitter, how about a #FreeBrandonBarnes campaign. That I can get behind.

Minor League Schedule and Recaps

WEDNESDAY'S GAMES

DSL Astros at DSL Mariners at 9:30 CST

GCL Marlins at GCL Astros at 11:00 CST

Vermont at Tri-City at 6:00 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Andres Avila (0-0, -.--) and RHP Juri Perez (0-0, -.--)

Greeneville at Johnson City at 6:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Richard Rodriguez (0-0, -.--) and RHP Victor de Leon (0-0, -.--)

Corpus Christi at San Antonio at 7:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Ross Seaton (5-3, 4.12) and RHP Hayden Beard (4-4, 6.96)
Available on MiLB.tv

Oklahoma City at Nashville at 7:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Brian Bass (1-1, 4.57) and RHP Seth McClung (1-8, 4.75)
Available on MiLB.tv

TUESDAY'S RECAPS

Carolina League over California League 9-1
Things didn't go as well as one would hope for All-Stars Bobby Doran and George Springer. Doran gave up three runs on three hits and a walk and was tagged with the loss while Springer was hitless with a RBI groundout, a walk, a strikeout and a stolen base. Of course, that one strikeout was against 2011 fourth overall draft pick Dylan Bundy. Overall, it was a battle of pitching vs. speed as the California League stole seven bases. Pitching won. This time. (Thanks to Buca Morris for his input.)

South Atlantic League North over South Atlantic League South 3-2
The results were a little more mixed for the Legends appearing on the South team. Mike Foltynewicz did what he does in his two inning stint to start the game for the South. He gave up no hits, no runs, no walks and recorded four strikeouts. Carlos Quevedo gave up one run on two hits with two strikeouts. DH Zach Johnson was hitless in three at bats with a strikeout; 3B Matt Duffy was two-for-two; and Delino DeShields was hitless with a walk, a strikeout and two errors. Nick Tropeano didn't see any action. Matt Duffy came in second place in the Home Run Derby.

DSL Mariners over DSL Astros 7-6
Luis Abad only pitched two innings giving up three runs on two hits and four walks before giving way to Rayderson Chevalier who pitched five strong innings. Unfortunately, he was in the game for 5.2 innings. Actually he wasn't that bad but Victor Mesa who followed him was the poster boy for what not to do. Here is how to lose the lead in 14 not-so-easy steps.

• Luis Caballero doubles (3) on a fly ball to right fielder Tomas De La Cruz.
• With Gabriel Guerrero batting, wild pitch by Rayderson Chevalier, Luis Caballero to 3rd.
• Gabriel Guerrero strikes out swinging, catcher Brian Pena to first baseman Mesac Laguna.
• Estarlyn Morales out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Jarico Reynoso. Luis Caballero scores.
• Ismael Alcantara singles on a ground ball to third baseman Randy Cesar.
• Pitcher Change: Victor Mesa replaces Rayderson Chevalier.
• Hersin Martinez singles on a line drive to left fielder Frederick Serrano. Ismael Alcantara to 2nd.
• Joshua Franco singles on a ground ball to center fielder Jarico Reynoso. Ismael Alcantara scores. Hersin Martinez to 2nd.
• Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Noe Berro replaces Angel Jimenez.
• With Noe Berro batting, Hersin Martinez advances to 3rd on a balk. Joshua Franco advances to 2nd on a balk.
• With Noe Berro batting, wild pitch by Victor Mesa, Hersin Martinez scores. Joshua Franco to 3rd.
• With Noe Berro batting, Joshua Franco scores on a balk.
• Noe Berro hit by pitch.
• Alexander Capriata grounds into a force out, shortstop Luis Reynoso to second baseman Yoel Silfa. Noe Berro out at 2nd.

That's right! Two wild pitches, two balks and a hit by pitch all in one inning. You've got to love the DSL. The Astros did actually lead this one prior to this eighth inning meltdown which resulted in four runs. Randy Cesar and Yoel Silfa were both two-for-four with an RBI and Mesac Laguna hit his second home run of the young season.

GCL Cardinals over GCL Astros 5-2
Brandon Culbreth got the loss as he allowed three runs on six hits over four innings; Agapito Barrios allowed two more runs in his three innings; and Rodney Quintero pitched an uneventful final frame. Brett Phillips was two-for-four with a triple, an RBI and and outfield assist, but also had a caught stealing. Juan Santana was one-for-three with a walk and a stolen base. The Astros had five errors - two for Culbreth, one for Carlos Correa and two for Javaris Reynolds.

Johnson City over Greeneville 4-2
Adrian Houser pitched well and got the hard luck loss in this one after giving up only one run on two hits over five innings, but there was the matter of four walks and a wild pitch and a hit batter. Zachary Hardoin, Christian Garcia and Mike Hauschild allowed one run each in their appearances out of the bullpen. Greeneville didn't get on the board until the eighth inning when Brian Blasik doubled and drove in D'Andre Toney and later scored from third on a double play. Toney and Terrell Joyce both had outfield assists. Marc Wik was two-for-four with a caught stealing.

Vermont over Tri-City 7-4
This was another game with a big ugly inning as Vermont scored five runs in the fifth, in part due to wild pitches by two different pitchers and two throwing errors. Aaron West, the starter, only went three innings but they were the only clean innings of the game. Juan Minaya got the loss as he was charged with four runs in his 1.1 innings; Tommy Shirley gave up one run over 2.2 innings and Kenny Long gave up the final two runs in the eighth. Tri-City came up with three runs in the top of the ninth but it was too little, too late. Joe Sclafini hit a two RBI double; Andrew Aplin was two-for-three; and Emilio King was two-for-four with a double and a run scored.

Oklahoma City over Nashville 10-6
Wes Musick only pitched one inning giving up two runs before giving way to Sergio Perez for four innings (two runs on four hits). Mickey Storey got the win in relief as the Redhawks lost their early lead but scored five in the final two frames to close the deal. Mike Hessman was two-for-five with a three-run home run. Jimmy Paredes was two-for-five with a two-run home run and stole his 22nd base.

GAME OF THE DAY

Corpus Christi over San Antonio 4-0
Jarred Cosart put up his strongest start of the season pitching seven scoreless innings. Cosart, Henry Villar, and Arcenio Leon (W, 2-0) combined to allow seven hits, no runs and one walk over 12 innings with 14 strikeouts. After only getting six hits and one walk in the first 11 innings, the Hooks managed three hits and three walks in the 12th. Kody Hinze drove in what proved to be the winning run in a three-for-five performance. After struggling much of the season, Hinze is hitting .296 with three home runs and eight RBIs in his last 10 games.

What went right: Excellent pitching and timely, if late, hitting.

What went wrong: Jonathan Villar's 21st error of the season and two errors on Andy Simunic which thankfully didn't lead to runs.

Jarred Cosart - 7IP 5H 0R 1BB 8SO
Henry Villar - 3IP 2H 0R 0BB 4SO
Arcenio Leon - 2IP 0H 0R 0BB 2SO

Jonathan Villar - 1x5 2RBI BB 2SO
Jose Martinez - 2x6
Kody Hinze - 3x5 RBI SO R

Pitcher of the Day: Jarred Cosart without a second thought - simply terrific outing.

Player of the Day: Mike Hessman hit his 20th home run of the season - that's enough for me.

Minor League Schedule and Results

Note: I will be on the road the next few days and will be subject to the whims of the Wifi gods when it comes to posting. Results will be later than usual (and probably sketchier as well), but I will do my best to keep you up to date on everything.  Thanks!

FRIDAY'S GAMES

Charleston at Lexington at 6:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Oliver Williams (1-1, 1.69) and LHP Luis Cruz (0-1, 6.23)
Available on MiLB.tv

Corpus Christi at Frisco at 7:00 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Jarred Cosart (1-0, 0.00) and RHP Justin Grimm (3-1, 2.01)

Round Rock at Oklahoma City at 7:05 CST
Probable Pitchers:  LHP Martin Perez (1-2, 4.03) and RHP Aneury Rodriguez (1-2, 5.19)
Available on MiLB.tv

Stockton at Lancaster at 9:00 CST
Probable Pitchers:  TBD

THURSDAY'S RESULTS

Lexington over Charleston 5-2
Mike Foltynewicz didn't dominate in this one, but put up a quality start nonetheless.  Jason Chowning earned his first win in relief and Dayan Diaz got his second save. Matt Duffy and Drew Muren had two hit nights, with Duffy and Zach Johnson getting doubles.  Johnson's two RBI's give him 26 over just 20 games.

Corpus Christi over Midland 5-4
Jake Buchanan gave up eight hits and four runs (three earned) in the start, Kevin Chapman got the win in relief and Jason Stoffel earned his second save.  Austin Wates had a 3x5 night, raising his average to .346. Kody Hinze was 2x5 with a double, a home run and two RBI. Jake Goebbert and Jonathan Singleton added doubles, and Jonathan Villar went 2x4.  As a matter of fact, everyone got in the hit column except for the recently torrid Brandon Barnes.

Rancho Cucamonga over Lancaster 5-4
Jorge de Leon made a spot start in place of the injured David Martinez and it took six pitchers to get through this one. Brad Dydalewicz and Kirk Clark were both charged with blown saves. No one really let it get out of control, but Pat Urckfitz was the only pitcher putting up a clean outing.  Kike Hernandez had a terrific night with a triple and a home run. Erik Castro also homered, George Springer and Domingo Santana had doubles and Rafy Valenzuela was 2x4.

GAME OF THE DAY
Oklahoma City over Round Rock 11-5

What went right:  Offense, Offense, Offense. Henry Sosa got the win despite giving up five runs on eight hits.  But it was the offense on this one -- three doubles and three home runs, including a grand slam from Mike Hessman, that put this one out of reach for Round Rock as OKC scored eight runs in the third inning.

Henry Sosa (W, 2-0) - 6.2IP 8H 5R 2BB 4SO 1HR
Sergio Perez - 1.1IP 1H 2SO
Xavier Cedeno - 1.0IP 0H 0R 0BB

Brian Bixler - 1x3 2B BB SO 2R
Fernando Martinez - 3x5 HR 2RBI 2SO 2R
Scott Moore - 2x5 2B 2RBI 2SO R
Justin Ruggiano - 2x4 2B RBI R
Brad Snyder - 3x3 HR RBI BB 2R
Mike Hessman - 1x4 HR 4RBI 2SO R

What went wrong: Landon Powell was the only starter not to get a hit, Brian Bixler had a throwing error and Justin Ruggiano had a caught stealing, but who am I to nitpick?

PITCHER OF THE DAY
Jason Chowning for getting his first win of the season (on top of three saves) and for still maintaining his 0.00 ERA after seven appearances.

PLAYER OF THE DAY
I'm not a fan of Mike Hessman, but I suppose you have to give it to the guy that hits the grand slam. So be it.

In Luhnow We Trust?

Despite the extreme angst from bloggers and tweeps over Jeff Luhnow's off-season signing of Jack Cust, I really didn't have a huge problem with it because of what I'd seen from the way that Luhnow had operated up to that point.  And, of course, Cust was subsequently released and the whole thing became a non-issue.  There were only two off-season Luhnow signings that were, to me, puzzlers ... Jose Martinez and Mike Hessman.

Let's start with 2B Jose Martinez.  After Martinez was signed, the first problem was figuring out which Jose Martinez, as Baseball-Reference currently lists 23 gentlemen with that name having played in the minor leagues.  Once I determined that this was the correct individual, I was immediately concerned with the holes in his resume.  He sat out all of 2009, only played 6 games in 2010 and sat out all of 2011.  So, what happened to Martinez? Bryan Trostel at Astros County performed his Google-Fu magic and found this.

Despite the injuries and tragedy in Martinez' past, Jeff Luhnow felt that there was enough talent there to give the 26-year old former Cardinals farmhand another chance.  How has Martinez repaid him for that chance?  Through nine games with Corpus Christi, Martinez has 11 hits, three doubles, one triple, one home run and thirteen RBI's (which leads the team).  His batting line is .333/.385/.576/.961 with four walks and only two strikeouts.  He has no errors.  Certainly it is too early in the season to know if Martinez will continue to perform at a high level, but he was certainly worth taking a chance on.

On the other side of the coin, we have the 34-year old 1B Mike Hessman.  Hessman is a career .231 hitter in 17 seasons in the minor leagues (.188 in 109 games in the majors).  He spent last season playing for the Orix Buffaloes in Osaka, Japan hitting .192.  He has 1942 strikeouts in 6010 AB's in the minor leagues.  What does he have going for him, you ask?  Home runs.  Hessman is the career active leader in the minors with 330.

In Hessman's first at bat for Oklahoma City, he hit a home run.  Is Luhnow on to something?  Not so much, at least not so far.  After hitting well in the first three games, Hessman is hitless in the last six.  He is hitting .194 with two walks and 13 strikeouts.  Obviously, the season is young and anything can happen but at this point, I would have much preferred to have seen Jimmy VanOstrand at first base in Oklahoma City.

Luhnow appears to be batting .500 on these two moves.  I will be interested to see if that changes during the course of the season.

Roster Moves and Other News

The Astros signed 33-year old IF Mike Hessman to a minor league only deal.  Zachary Levine has the story which also includes the details of a mini-camp for seven of the Astros minor league pitchers and updates on Vincent Velasquez (good news) and Chia-Jen Lo (bad news).  The seven pitchers invited to mini-camp are:

Jake Buchanan
Jarred Cosart
Mike Foltynewicz
Brett Oberholtzer
Ross Seaton
Jason Stoffel
Josh Zeid

In other news, Free Agent LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith has signed a minor league contract with the Cubs.