Wednesday's Games
Oklahoma City over Omaha 11-4
Starter Brad Peacock pitched the first six innings and left a 2-4 deficit behind him as he allowed eight hits, including two home runs; he walked one and struck out six. Philip Humber pitched three perfect innings, striking out four, for the win. A two-run Brandon Laird (2x4 2R) home run represented all the RedHawks scoring going in to the eighth inning, but five singles, a double, a wild pitch, a throwing error and a Ruben Sosa (2x4 2RBI) inside-the-park home run later, the RedHawks were leading 9-2. Two more came across in the ninth. Jose Martinez, George Springer and Jimmy Paredes all had three hit nights; Martinez had two doubles and Springer had one.
Corpus Christi over San Antonio 5-0
Mike Foltynewicz was straight dealing in his eight shutout innings (6H 2BB 8SO). Reports were that he hit 100 mph on the radar gun on his 109th and final pitch of the game to get a swinging strikeout. He threw 80 of those 109 pitches for strikes. Time of game? A crisp 2:28. Be still, my beating heart! Chia-Jen Lo pitched the final frame, allowing one hit and striking out one. The Hooks put up one in the first as Ronald Torreyes scored on a Max Stassi sac fly. Stassi got another RBI in the fourth on a solo home run. Drew Muren was two-for-four with an RBI double in the fourth and Zach Johnson tacked on another run with a solo shot in the seventh.
Lancaster over San Jose 8-7
From all reports, the playoff atmosphere continued as Lancaster took on the Northern Division leading San Jose team for the second in the series. Tommy Shirley (8H 4R 4BB 5SO) left the game after seven innings with a 7-4 lead, but no lead is really safe at The Hangar. Cameron Lamb loaded the bases in the eighth as one batter reached on a Nolan Fontana fielding error, the next one walked and the third was hit by a pitch. Exit Cameron Lamb and enter Kenny Long. A swinging strikeout and an RBI single later, Travis Ballew came in to get two strikeouts and keep the lead at 7-5, but gave up two on an RBI double in the top of the ninth for a 7-7 tie. With two outs in the ninth, Tyler Heineman doubled, Brandon Meredith walked and Chris Epps provided the magic with a walk-off RBI single. Delino DeShields (2x3 BB 2R 2SB), Andrew Aplin (1x4 SF 2RBI), Joe Sclafani (2x5 RBI R), Matt Duffy (2x5 2B R) and Chris Epps (3x4 2B BB 2RBI) all had great games, but Tyler Heineman was on another planet. See the Player of the Day for details on his heroics.
Quad Cities over Burlington 8-5
Lance McCullers gave up two hits in the first inning, including a two-run homer, but then didn't allow another hit in his five innings of work. He walked four, struck out six, hit a batter and had one wild pitch. Juri Perez gave up two additional runs in his inning and was followed by two scoreless frames from Gera Sanchez. Jordan Jankowski allowed the final run to score in the ninth. The River Bandits countered the Burlington two-run first with a five-run second, featuring a Rio Ruiz (1x2 3B 2RBI R) RBI triple and a Teoscar Hernandez (2x4 BB) two-run home run. They went on to score two more in the seventh and one in the ninth to secure the lead. Roberto Pena was two-for-four with a double and scored a run. Austin Elkins doubled as well. Dan Gulbransen was one-for-three with a walk, RBI and two runs scored.
Tri-City over Hudson Valley 4-0
Chris Cotton (5.1IP 3H 1BB 4SO), Andrew Walter (2.2IP 2H 3SO) and J.D. Osborne (1IP 1H 1BB 3SO) combined for the shutout. The ValleyCats did all their scoring in a four-run fifth inning. Brett Booth scored on a Adam Nelubowich sac bunt and a throwing error, and Conrad Gregor (1x4 2RBI) and Mike Martinez (2x4 RBI) drove in the other three with RBI singles. A Chan Moon double and a James Ramsay triple were the only two extra base hits.
Greeneville over Johnson City 9-7 in 13 innings
The streak is alive. Greeneville has now won 12 straight games with the latest win coming in walk-off fashion. Edison Frias (5IP 4H 3R/1ER 1BB 6SO) got the start and was followed by two scoreless innings from Chris Munnelly (1H 3SO). Tyler Brunneman then took the bump and got charged with his first blown save as he allowed three runs in the eighth (Brunneman had not allowed a run in his prior eight outings). Krishawn Holley threw three and allowed the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th, but was spared a loss as Jack Mayfield (2x6 HR 3RBI) drove in a run to re-knot the game in the bottom of the frame. Gerardo Ramirez pitched the final two innings and was rewarded with his first professional win. Greeneville drove in two in the first with RBI singles from Edwin Gomez (3x5 2B BB 2RBI R) and Darwin Rivera (2x5 2BB), added on three more in the fifth with RBI singles from Gomez, Ricky Gingras and Brian Holberton (1x3 2BB 2RBI), one in the seventh on a Holberton bases-loaded walk, tied it back up in the 11th on the Jack Mayfield single, and then capped it off with a two-out two-run walk-off dinger from Mayfield to end it. Juan Santana was two-for-five with a double, two walks and scored two runs.
GCL Astros at GCL Braves suspended after the top of the fifth
The game is scheduled to be completed today, but note that Brian Holmes, in his second rehab start, pitched four innings giving up only one single and striking out six batters, three looking and three swinging. I would say that he is probably ready to rejoin the Quad Cities crew. I predict that Mark Appel will be on his way after one more scheduled start for Quad Cities today, and that Brian will rejoin the River Bandits at that point. That is a pure guess, though, and I may be totally off-base, but it makes sense to me.
DSL Astros over DSL Red Sox 3-2
Elieser Hernandez gave up only one single, didn't walk a batter and struck out two in his five innings of work, but didn't get the win. Javier Saucedo allowed the meager 1-0 lead slip to a 3-1 deficit during his three-inning watch, and he ultimately got the win when the Astros scored two in the ninth. Victor Mesa got his fourth save of the season. The Astros put up one in the first on a Randy Cesar (2x4) single and waited until the ninth to get two more on a Luis Payano (2x5 2R) home run. Kristian Trompiz was two-for-four with a double and a walk, and Jean Estrella was two-for-three with a walk and scored a run.
Player of the Day: Tyler Heineman was four-for-five with three doubles, a home run, three RBI and scored two runs, including the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. He is my WTHB Overachiever of the Day!!! Jack Mayfield gets honorable mention for keeping the Greeneville streak alive in heroic fashion. And how can you not acknowledge an inside-the-park home run? Honorable mention goes to Ruben Sosa as well.
Pitcher of the Day: What can you say to a pitcher who throws strikes, throws gas, doesn't allow a run over eight inning and does it all quickly? You say, Mike Folltynewicz, you are my Pitcher of the Day!
A LOOK AT THE ASTROS MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM
Showing posts with label Tyler Heinemen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tyler Heinemen. Show all posts
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Tweet of the Day
Theron Geith @TheronJoe@theineman13 is a ridiculous artist. Had him draw my GSP. #Picasso pic.twitter.com/sDuCZ9NgG0
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Appy Astros - Catcher Development - Throwing Out More Runners
The other day I saw this tweet:
#qctimes @QCRiverBandits Roberto Pena throws out 3 LumberKings attempting to steal. He's denied 30 of 53. In '02 here, Joe Mauer 46-of-107That is an impressive stat and puts him in impressive company. It got me thinking about how well Roberto Pena has been throwing out runners this season and it made me curious about how much growth this showed. The growth with Pena was significant and I wondered if it was just him or were other catchers in the Astros organization showing similar growth. So I went back and looked across the system at each catcher who had caught in at least 20 games this season and compared their 2012 stolen base percentage (SB%) to their 2013 SB%. Click here to find out what I learned.
— Steve Batterson (@sbatt79) July 3, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Astros Minor League Recaps
Wednesday's Games
Oklahoma City - Off Day
Corpus Christi over Springfield 13-1
R.J. Alaniz got his first "post-piggyback" win, pitching six scoreless innings and allowing only five hits and two walks. Kenny Long allowed the sole Springfield run in his two innings of work, and Carlos Quevedo pitched the final frame, allowing only one hit. Every Hooks starter got at least one hit as the team banged out 17 of them in this lopsided victory. Jonathan Meyer (HR 2RBI BB), Zach Johnson, Michael Burgess (2B HR), Jio Mier and Drew Muren had two hits a piece, but it was Max Stassi who went crazy in this one, going four-for-five with a double, two home runs (including a grand slam) and EIGHT RBI. Preston Tucker was one-for-five in his AA debut.
Lancaster over Bakersfield 11-7
Tommy Shirley got the start and pitched four scoreless, allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out five. Cameron Lamb was touched for two runs in the fifth without recording an out before being bailed out with a perfect frame from T.J. Geith. Aaron West gave up five runs, including a three-run home run in the ninth, an inning in which he was unable to record an out. Michael Dimock replaced West in the ninth to end the threat. Lancaster held a thin margin until they broke things open with a five-run eighth, powered in large part by a two-RBI double from Joe Sclafani and a two-RBI single from Tyler Heineman. In addition to the big single from Heineman, he also hit two home runs in the game and drove in a total of five runs. Andrew Aplin was two-for-four with a walk and scored a run; Telvin Nash was two-for-three with a double, a solo home run and three runs scored; and Chris Epps was two-for-four with a home run and two RBI. Epps replaced Tucker in right field and M.P. Cokinos was pressed into service to play left field in the game as Brandon Meredith is still on the DL.
Peoria over Quad Cities 3-1
All good things must come to an end and such is the case with the Quad Cities' six-game win streak. Only one of the three runs allowed by Jordan Jankowski (5IP 3H 2R/1ER 5SO) and Mike Hauschild (2IP 3H 1R/0ER 1BB 3SO) was earned as two of the three Quad Cities' errors took their toll. Gera Sanchez pitched a perfect eighth. The lone River Bandit's run came in the sixth as Jordan Scott scored on a Teoscar Hernandez ground out. The team only managed six singles in the game; no player had more than one.
Tri-City over Lowell 9-4
Randall Fant allowed one run on five hits over four innings and Zach Morton allowed three in his one and a third innings. Although Richard Rodriguez allowed one of Morton's runs to score, he settled in for two and two-thirds scoreless with three strikeouts. Chia-Jen Lo pitched the ninth and has not allowed a run in five outings thus far this season. The two-run home run from Dan Gulbransen (2x4 2B) in the third, the two RBI double from Ronnie Mitchell (2x4) in the fifth, and the three-run bomb from James Ramsay (2x4 BB 3R) in the eighth accounted for most of the offense.
Greeneville over Kingsport 5-3
Christopher Lee gave up all three Kingsport runs in his four and two-thirds innings before giving way to scoreless outings from Krishawn Holley, Tyler Brunneman and Gonzalo Sanudo. Greeneville got on the board in the third on Jack Mayfield's first home run of the season and then tied it up in the bottom of the eighth. An Ariel Ovando two-run walk-off home run in the ninth kept the game from extras. Alfredo Gonzalez went two-for-three with a stolen base, and Juan Santana was one-for-four with an RBI double.
GCL Astros over GCL Yankees 5-4 in 10 innings
Joe Bircher got his first rehab start and allowed two runs on four hits in one and two-thirds innings and was followed by Ambiorix de Leon who allowed another the remaining two runs in his four and a third innings. Raul Rivera and Jose Montero each pitched two scoreless innings and Montero earned his first win of the season. The Astros were behind the entire game until a three-run inning in the eighth tied things up. Javaris Reynolds (1x5 2RBI) drove in the winning run in the 10th with an RBI single. Jason Martin was two-for-five with an RBI; Tyler White was two-for-five with a double; Yonathan Mejia was two-for-five and scored two runs; and Jacob Nottingham was two-for-four with a double, walk, stolen base and two runs scored.
DSL Dodgers over DSL Astros 9-2
Starter Junior Garcia only lasted two and two-thirds innings in which he allowed five runs on six hits. Juan Hernandez (2H 3BB 5SO) fared better in his five and a third innings, but let two more runs across (one earned). The final two runs (both unearned) came in the ninth off Robert Corniel. The lone Astros runs scored in the sixth on a passed ball and a Brauly Mejia (2x3 2B) sac fly. Jean Estrella went three-for-four and scored a run.
Player of the Day: Is there any doubt? Max Stassi was in beast mode last night. A single, a grand slam, a two-run double and a two-run home run ... four hits and eight RBI in the first five innings. Honorable mention goes to Tyler Heineman for his two homer, five RBI night.
Pitcher of the Day: It was R.J. Alaniz' first chance to get stretched out and he did it in style with six scoreless innings.
Oklahoma City - Off Day
Corpus Christi over Springfield 13-1
R.J. Alaniz got his first "post-piggyback" win, pitching six scoreless innings and allowing only five hits and two walks. Kenny Long allowed the sole Springfield run in his two innings of work, and Carlos Quevedo pitched the final frame, allowing only one hit. Every Hooks starter got at least one hit as the team banged out 17 of them in this lopsided victory. Jonathan Meyer (HR 2RBI BB), Zach Johnson, Michael Burgess (2B HR), Jio Mier and Drew Muren had two hits a piece, but it was Max Stassi who went crazy in this one, going four-for-five with a double, two home runs (including a grand slam) and EIGHT RBI. Preston Tucker was one-for-five in his AA debut.
Lancaster over Bakersfield 11-7
Tommy Shirley got the start and pitched four scoreless, allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out five. Cameron Lamb was touched for two runs in the fifth without recording an out before being bailed out with a perfect frame from T.J. Geith. Aaron West gave up five runs, including a three-run home run in the ninth, an inning in which he was unable to record an out. Michael Dimock replaced West in the ninth to end the threat. Lancaster held a thin margin until they broke things open with a five-run eighth, powered in large part by a two-RBI double from Joe Sclafani and a two-RBI single from Tyler Heineman. In addition to the big single from Heineman, he also hit two home runs in the game and drove in a total of five runs. Andrew Aplin was two-for-four with a walk and scored a run; Telvin Nash was two-for-three with a double, a solo home run and three runs scored; and Chris Epps was two-for-four with a home run and two RBI. Epps replaced Tucker in right field and M.P. Cokinos was pressed into service to play left field in the game as Brandon Meredith is still on the DL.
Peoria over Quad Cities 3-1
All good things must come to an end and such is the case with the Quad Cities' six-game win streak. Only one of the three runs allowed by Jordan Jankowski (5IP 3H 2R/1ER 5SO) and Mike Hauschild (2IP 3H 1R/0ER 1BB 3SO) was earned as two of the three Quad Cities' errors took their toll. Gera Sanchez pitched a perfect eighth. The lone River Bandit's run came in the sixth as Jordan Scott scored on a Teoscar Hernandez ground out. The team only managed six singles in the game; no player had more than one.
Tri-City over Lowell 9-4
Randall Fant allowed one run on five hits over four innings and Zach Morton allowed three in his one and a third innings. Although Richard Rodriguez allowed one of Morton's runs to score, he settled in for two and two-thirds scoreless with three strikeouts. Chia-Jen Lo pitched the ninth and has not allowed a run in five outings thus far this season. The two-run home run from Dan Gulbransen (2x4 2B) in the third, the two RBI double from Ronnie Mitchell (2x4) in the fifth, and the three-run bomb from James Ramsay (2x4 BB 3R) in the eighth accounted for most of the offense.
Greeneville over Kingsport 5-3
Christopher Lee gave up all three Kingsport runs in his four and two-thirds innings before giving way to scoreless outings from Krishawn Holley, Tyler Brunneman and Gonzalo Sanudo. Greeneville got on the board in the third on Jack Mayfield's first home run of the season and then tied it up in the bottom of the eighth. An Ariel Ovando two-run walk-off home run in the ninth kept the game from extras. Alfredo Gonzalez went two-for-three with a stolen base, and Juan Santana was one-for-four with an RBI double.
GCL Astros over GCL Yankees 5-4 in 10 innings
Joe Bircher got his first rehab start and allowed two runs on four hits in one and two-thirds innings and was followed by Ambiorix de Leon who allowed another the remaining two runs in his four and a third innings. Raul Rivera and Jose Montero each pitched two scoreless innings and Montero earned his first win of the season. The Astros were behind the entire game until a three-run inning in the eighth tied things up. Javaris Reynolds (1x5 2RBI) drove in the winning run in the 10th with an RBI single. Jason Martin was two-for-five with an RBI; Tyler White was two-for-five with a double; Yonathan Mejia was two-for-five and scored two runs; and Jacob Nottingham was two-for-four with a double, walk, stolen base and two runs scored.
DSL Dodgers over DSL Astros 9-2
Starter Junior Garcia only lasted two and two-thirds innings in which he allowed five runs on six hits. Juan Hernandez (2H 3BB 5SO) fared better in his five and a third innings, but let two more runs across (one earned). The final two runs (both unearned) came in the ninth off Robert Corniel. The lone Astros runs scored in the sixth on a passed ball and a Brauly Mejia (2x3 2B) sac fly. Jean Estrella went three-for-four and scored a run.
Player of the Day: Is there any doubt? Max Stassi was in beast mode last night. A single, a grand slam, a two-run double and a two-run home run ... four hits and eight RBI in the first five innings. Honorable mention goes to Tyler Heineman for his two homer, five RBI night.
Pitcher of the Day: It was R.J. Alaniz' first chance to get stretched out and he did it in style with six scoreless innings.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Happy Birthday - 6/19
LHP Sebastian Kessay (20)
Drafted by Houston in the 22nd round in 2013 out of Scottsdale Community College, Kessay will start his professional career playing for the Greeneville Astros Rookie League club.
LHP Cristhopher Santamaria (17)
I have no information on Santamaria other than the fact that he has pitched one perfect inning for the DSL Astros in his one appearance so far this season.
C Tyler Heineman (22)
Drafted by Houston in the eighth round in 2012 out of UCLA, Heineman spent his first short season with Tri-City winning the New York-Penn League batting title with a .358 average which earned him a promotion to Hi-A Lancaster for 2013. In 49 games for the JetHawks so far this season, he is hitting .274/.373/.390.
Former Astros with birthdays today ~
3B Bob Aspromonte (75)
Aspro the Astro was one of the original Colt .45s and Astros players, having been obtained in the expansion draft in October of 1961. In seven seasons with the Astros, Aspromonte hit .258/.313/.345 with his best season being 1967 when he hit .294/.354/.401. He was traded in December 1968 to Atlanta for utility player Marty Martinez. He led the National League in fielding percentage in 1964 and 1971.
LHP Jerry Reuss (64)
A second round pick by the Cardinals in 1967, Reuss came to Houston in a trade in April 1972, was traded away in October of 1973 and came back to Houston as a free agent 17 years later in 1990 toward the end of a 22-year major league career (but didn't pitch for Houston again at the major league level). In 1972 and 1973, Reuss was 25-26 in 74 games for the Astros with a 3.91 ERA and a 1.375 WHIP. He won 18 games in three different seasons and was an All-Star in two of those, in 1975 for the Pirates and in 1980 for the Dodgers. He came in second in Cy Young voting in 1980 to Steve Carlton.
2B Craig Smajstrla (51)
Originally drafted in the fourth round in 1981 by the White Sox, Smajstrla (can I buy a vowel?) came to Houston as a free agent in November of 1987. His eight games for the Astros in 1988 constituted his entire major league career. Used mostly as a pinch runner, he scored two runs but never got a hit in his three at bats.
LHP Bruce Chen (36)
Atlanta signed Chen as a free agent out of Panama in 1993. He came to Houston as a free agent in March of 2003 and only pitched in 11 games before being placed on waivers. In 12 innings, he had an ERA of 6.00 and a WHIP of 1.833. He is currently pitching for the Kansas City Royals.
Drafted by Houston in the 22nd round in 2013 out of Scottsdale Community College, Kessay will start his professional career playing for the Greeneville Astros Rookie League club.
LHP Cristhopher Santamaria (17)
I have no information on Santamaria other than the fact that he has pitched one perfect inning for the DSL Astros in his one appearance so far this season.
C Tyler Heineman (22)
Drafted by Houston in the eighth round in 2012 out of UCLA, Heineman spent his first short season with Tri-City winning the New York-Penn League batting title with a .358 average which earned him a promotion to Hi-A Lancaster for 2013. In 49 games for the JetHawks so far this season, he is hitting .274/.373/.390.
Former Astros with birthdays today ~
3B Bob Aspromonte (75)
Aspro the Astro was one of the original Colt .45s and Astros players, having been obtained in the expansion draft in October of 1961. In seven seasons with the Astros, Aspromonte hit .258/.313/.345 with his best season being 1967 when he hit .294/.354/.401. He was traded in December 1968 to Atlanta for utility player Marty Martinez. He led the National League in fielding percentage in 1964 and 1971.
LHP Jerry Reuss (64)
A second round pick by the Cardinals in 1967, Reuss came to Houston in a trade in April 1972, was traded away in October of 1973 and came back to Houston as a free agent 17 years later in 1990 toward the end of a 22-year major league career (but didn't pitch for Houston again at the major league level). In 1972 and 1973, Reuss was 25-26 in 74 games for the Astros with a 3.91 ERA and a 1.375 WHIP. He won 18 games in three different seasons and was an All-Star in two of those, in 1975 for the Pirates and in 1980 for the Dodgers. He came in second in Cy Young voting in 1980 to Steve Carlton.
2B Craig Smajstrla (51)
Originally drafted in the fourth round in 1981 by the White Sox, Smajstrla (can I buy a vowel?) came to Houston as a free agent in November of 1987. His eight games for the Astros in 1988 constituted his entire major league career. Used mostly as a pinch runner, he scored two runs but never got a hit in his three at bats.
LHP Bruce Chen (36)
Atlanta signed Chen as a free agent out of Panama in 1993. He came to Houston as a free agent in March of 2003 and only pitched in 11 games before being placed on waivers. In 12 innings, he had an ERA of 6.00 and a WHIP of 1.833. He is currently pitching for the Kansas City Royals.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Astros Minor League Recaps
Tuesday's Games - It was another sweep in the minors with all teams getting a "W" on Tuesday.
Oklahoma City over Omaha 5-2
Jarred Cosart got the start and the win, his fifth, as he allowed two runs on three hits in five innings. It wasn't exactly a pretty win for Cosart though as he walked seven batters, including the first batter in three separate innings and was charged with two wild pitches as well. Jason Stoffel picked him up though by pitching three perfect innings in relief and Jose Valdez converted his 11th save of the season. The RedHawks got all the runs they needed in the first as Fernando Martinez drove in two with a triple and Che-Hsuan Lin scored Martinez on a single, but they added a pair in the second for good measure. Brett Wallace was two-for-three with a walk, RBI single and run scored, and Marc Krauss was two-for-three with a double and a walk.
Corpus Christi over Northwest Arkansas 6-3
David Martinez allowed two runs (one earned) in his five innings and was followed by four very strong innings from Mike Foltynewicz in which Folty gave up one run and struck out six batters for the win, his first AA win. The Hooks didn't get on the board until late, scoring one run in the sixth on a Michael Burgess (2x4 2R) home run, his third in the last two days. Then the flood gates opened up in the seventh as the Hooks scored five in an inning that featured a lead-off double from Jonathan Meyer (2x4 R), three wild pitches, one walk, a sac fly and four consecutive singles. Ben Orloff (3x5 2RBI R) and Rene Garcia (2x5 2RBI) had good outings at the plate as well.
Lancaster over Rancho Cucamonga 10-2
The 'Hawks were controlling this one from the start as Brady Rodgers and Chris Devenski combined for eight shutout innings before Devenski allowed two runs in the ninth. Rodgers only allowed two hits and a walk while striking out four in his five innings and was rewarded with his fourth win. The scoring got started in the second as Tyler Heineman drove in Telvin Nash in a rather unusual inside-the-park home run as described by Aaron West:
Aaron West @WestAaron14
I saw a 200 foot inside the park homerun today. Thanks @theineman13 for showing me anything is possible.
Aaron West @WestAaron14
In all fairness to the people who didn't see @theineman13 homerun the left fielder stopped to play musical chairs before throwin the ball in
Aaron West @WestAaron14
But a homerun is a homerun no matter how it happens.
Aaron West @WestAaron14
And when I say musical chairs I mean the bullpen stood up like bowling pins and the left fielder tried to knock them all over.
Another run scored in the frame following the "Heine Homer" as a Raoul Torrez (2x4 R) doubled and then scored on a Chris Epps (2x4 2B R) single and an error. Andrew Aplin (2x3 BB 3R) tripled in the third and scored on a Preston Tucker single. Tucker drove in two more in the fifth with a double and three more in the ninth with a three home-run, the other run in that frame coming from a Brandon Meredith RBI single. Yes, Preston Tucker drove in six runs last night. He is hitting .488/.542/.780 over his last 10 games. Aplin, Meredith and Joe Sclafani each stole a base.
Quad Cities over Kane County 7-5 in 5-1/2 innings (completed early due to rain)
Daniel Minor got the start allowing two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three in his four innings of work. He was followed by Richard Rodriguez who gave up a three-run home run in the fifth and then Lance McCullers who earned his first professional win in a rather unusual manner. He only pitched one inning before the game was called, but it was a good one. After walking the first batter, he promptly proceeded to issue three consecutive swinging strikeouts and then the game was called due to rain. The other big story of the game was the return of Jon Singleton from the restricted list. He homered in his first at-bat and then followed up with an RBI single and a walk. The first run of the game came across in the first as Teoscar Hernandez walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, stole third base and came home on a throwing error. He was followed by the Singleton home run. In the third, the River Bandits added on another pair on a Carlos Correa RBI single and the Singleton singleton driving in Hernandez. Carlos Correa drove in two more in the fifth on an RBI double and was followed with a Miles Hamblin sac fly RBI. Correa is hitting .342/.432/.500 with four doubles, a triple and 11 RBI in his last 10 games.
Player of the Day: Six RBI in one game? Say no more. Preston Tucker is The Man.
Pitcher of the Day: Lance McCullers gets all my love today. It took a long time for him to get that elusive first professional win, but he never got discouraged. I think now that the floodgates are open, the wins will start coming fast and furious.
Oklahoma City over Omaha 5-2
Jarred Cosart got the start and the win, his fifth, as he allowed two runs on three hits in five innings. It wasn't exactly a pretty win for Cosart though as he walked seven batters, including the first batter in three separate innings and was charged with two wild pitches as well. Jason Stoffel picked him up though by pitching three perfect innings in relief and Jose Valdez converted his 11th save of the season. The RedHawks got all the runs they needed in the first as Fernando Martinez drove in two with a triple and Che-Hsuan Lin scored Martinez on a single, but they added a pair in the second for good measure. Brett Wallace was two-for-three with a walk, RBI single and run scored, and Marc Krauss was two-for-three with a double and a walk.
Corpus Christi over Northwest Arkansas 6-3
David Martinez allowed two runs (one earned) in his five innings and was followed by four very strong innings from Mike Foltynewicz in which Folty gave up one run and struck out six batters for the win, his first AA win. The Hooks didn't get on the board until late, scoring one run in the sixth on a Michael Burgess (2x4 2R) home run, his third in the last two days. Then the flood gates opened up in the seventh as the Hooks scored five in an inning that featured a lead-off double from Jonathan Meyer (2x4 R), three wild pitches, one walk, a sac fly and four consecutive singles. Ben Orloff (3x5 2RBI R) and Rene Garcia (2x5 2RBI) had good outings at the plate as well.
Lancaster over Rancho Cucamonga 10-2
The 'Hawks were controlling this one from the start as Brady Rodgers and Chris Devenski combined for eight shutout innings before Devenski allowed two runs in the ninth. Rodgers only allowed two hits and a walk while striking out four in his five innings and was rewarded with his fourth win. The scoring got started in the second as Tyler Heineman drove in Telvin Nash in a rather unusual inside-the-park home run as described by Aaron West:
Aaron West @WestAaron14I saw a 200 foot inside the park homerun today. Thanks @theineman13 for showing me anything is possible.
Aaron West @WestAaron14In all fairness to the people who didn't see @theineman13 homerun the left fielder stopped to play musical chairs before throwin the ball in
Aaron West @WestAaron14But a homerun is a homerun no matter how it happens.
Aaron West @WestAaron14And when I say musical chairs I mean the bullpen stood up like bowling pins and the left fielder tried to knock them all over.
Another run scored in the frame following the "Heine Homer" as a Raoul Torrez (2x4 R) doubled and then scored on a Chris Epps (2x4 2B R) single and an error. Andrew Aplin (2x3 BB 3R) tripled in the third and scored on a Preston Tucker single. Tucker drove in two more in the fifth with a double and three more in the ninth with a three home-run, the other run in that frame coming from a Brandon Meredith RBI single. Yes, Preston Tucker drove in six runs last night. He is hitting .488/.542/.780 over his last 10 games. Aplin, Meredith and Joe Sclafani each stole a base.
Quad Cities over Kane County 7-5 in 5-1/2 innings (completed early due to rain)
Daniel Minor got the start allowing two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three in his four innings of work. He was followed by Richard Rodriguez who gave up a three-run home run in the fifth and then Lance McCullers who earned his first professional win in a rather unusual manner. He only pitched one inning before the game was called, but it was a good one. After walking the first batter, he promptly proceeded to issue three consecutive swinging strikeouts and then the game was called due to rain. The other big story of the game was the return of Jon Singleton from the restricted list. He homered in his first at-bat and then followed up with an RBI single and a walk. The first run of the game came across in the first as Teoscar Hernandez walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, stole third base and came home on a throwing error. He was followed by the Singleton home run. In the third, the River Bandits added on another pair on a Carlos Correa RBI single and the Singleton singleton driving in Hernandez. Carlos Correa drove in two more in the fifth on an RBI double and was followed with a Miles Hamblin sac fly RBI. Correa is hitting .342/.432/.500 with four doubles, a triple and 11 RBI in his last 10 games.
Player of the Day: Six RBI in one game? Say no more. Preston Tucker is The Man.
Pitcher of the Day: Lance McCullers gets all my love today. It took a long time for him to get that elusive first professional win, but he never got discouraged. I think now that the floodgates are open, the wins will start coming fast and furious.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Tweet of the Day
Tyler Heineman Great time at the pediatrics ward with
Friday, May 17, 2013
Photo Friday - Lancaster Edition
I haven't labeled my Lancaster trip photos yet. I haven't even finished weeding out the bad ones, but if you're game to look through a ton of photos, you can find them here. In the meantime, here are some of my favorites.
All Rights Reserved*
Brady Rodgers
Chris Devenski
T.J. Geith
Delino DeShields
Luis Cruz
Tyler Heineman
David Rollins
Telvin Nash
Brady Rodgers
Photos by Jayne Hansen
All Rights Reserved*
*The players featured in these photos are hereby granted permission to use these photos for personal use. All other uses require permission and acknowledgment.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Astros Minor League Recaps
Thursday's Games
New Orleans over Oklahoma City 10-8 in 15 innings
New Orleans was leading 6-1 going in to the bottom of the ninth inning. The RedHawks came back to tie it up with a big five-run frame and they tied it up again in the 13th, but finally fell short in the 15th. Jarred Cosart got roughed up a little bit in this one, allowing five runs (four earned) in the first inning. He settled in quite nicely after that until he faced a bit more traffic in the fifth inning and one of his runs came across under Kyle Hallock's watch. The bullpen in the form of Hallock, Josh Zeid, Wes Musick and Kevin Chapman then shut the door on New Orleans, but Jose Valdez ended up allowing his first runs of the season and Lance Day was charged with the loss two innings later (and almost five hours after things got started). There were only two extra base hits in this one, doubles from Brett Wallace (2x6 BB R) and Trevor Crowe (1x6 BB R SB). As could be expected in a 15-inning affair, everyone got in the hit column, but the most productive players were Jimmy Paredes (3x6 2BB), Andy Simunic (3x7 2RBI) and Jonathan Villar (2x8 3RBI).
Midland over Corpus Christi 6-0
The pitchers weren't exactly helped out by errors as three of the six Midland runs were unearned in Thursday's game. Starter R.J. Alaniz allowed one unearned run in three and two-thirds and was followed by a scoreless frame from Jorge de Leon. Second half starter Matt Heidenreich did not fare as well as he was charged with five runs (three earned) in his two and a third innings. Andrew Robinson inherited a bases juiced situation to get the final two outs, but not before one of the runs scored. But it really didn't matter at that point because the Hooks offense could never really get any traction in the game as they were limited to seven singles and four walks. Carlos Perez (2x4) and Rene Garcia (2x3 BB) had the only multi-hit games. Jonathan Meyer stole a base and committed two errors in a one-for-four outing.
Lake Elsinore over Lancaster 9-8
Lancaster trailed 9-4 going into the ninth inning on the road in Lake Elsinore and came close to tying it up with a four-run outburst, but fell just short. Both halves of the tandem gave up big innings, Aaron West with a four-run fourth and Luis Cruz with a five-run seventh. In between, Jonas Dufek and T.J. Geith put up zeroes. Tommy Shirley came in with bases loaded in the seventh to get the final out of the inning and stayed in to pitch an uneventful eighth. The 'Hawks got on the board in the second with an impressive solo home run from Telvin Nash, his first of the season, but were unable to get anyone else across until RBI doubles from Nolan Fontana (3x4 BB 2RBI R) and Andrew Aplin in the seventh. Matt Duffy and Preston Tucker (2RBI) started the scoring with two outs in the ninth on RBI singles, but despite a gallant attempt at a comeback, Lancaster came out on the losing side. Tyler Heineman was four-for-four with a double and a run scored in his first game since coming off the DL.
Lansing over Quad Cities 6-2
Jordan Jankowski had his best start of the season thus far, allowing one run on a home run in his five innings. Brian Holmes (2IP 3H 3R BB 2SO HR) and Michael Dimock (1IP 2H 2R BB SO) didn't fare quite as well and a 1-1 tie quickly turned into a 6-1 deficit. The Quad Cities crew scored their first run in the fifth due in large part to three wild pitches from Lansing starter Roberto Osuna (he had a total of four wild pitches, but still struck out eight batters), and then scored one more time in the ninth on a Ryan Dineen single. But the bats were mostly quiet as the Bandits collected only five singles and an Austin Elkins double. There were, however, four stolen bases -- from Elkins, Teoscar Hernandez, Dineen and Jordan Scott. Carlos Correa wore a golden sombrero for the evening.
Player of the Day: Tyler Heineman gets the nod for his excellent return from the DL.
Pitcher of the Day: Jordan Jankowski, come on down! Other than the solo homer, he only allowed five scattered singles, walked zero batters, picked off a runner at first and struck out three.
New Orleans over Oklahoma City 10-8 in 15 innings
New Orleans was leading 6-1 going in to the bottom of the ninth inning. The RedHawks came back to tie it up with a big five-run frame and they tied it up again in the 13th, but finally fell short in the 15th. Jarred Cosart got roughed up a little bit in this one, allowing five runs (four earned) in the first inning. He settled in quite nicely after that until he faced a bit more traffic in the fifth inning and one of his runs came across under Kyle Hallock's watch. The bullpen in the form of Hallock, Josh Zeid, Wes Musick and Kevin Chapman then shut the door on New Orleans, but Jose Valdez ended up allowing his first runs of the season and Lance Day was charged with the loss two innings later (and almost five hours after things got started). There were only two extra base hits in this one, doubles from Brett Wallace (2x6 BB R) and Trevor Crowe (1x6 BB R SB). As could be expected in a 15-inning affair, everyone got in the hit column, but the most productive players were Jimmy Paredes (3x6 2BB), Andy Simunic (3x7 2RBI) and Jonathan Villar (2x8 3RBI).
Midland over Corpus Christi 6-0
The pitchers weren't exactly helped out by errors as three of the six Midland runs were unearned in Thursday's game. Starter R.J. Alaniz allowed one unearned run in three and two-thirds and was followed by a scoreless frame from Jorge de Leon. Second half starter Matt Heidenreich did not fare as well as he was charged with five runs (three earned) in his two and a third innings. Andrew Robinson inherited a bases juiced situation to get the final two outs, but not before one of the runs scored. But it really didn't matter at that point because the Hooks offense could never really get any traction in the game as they were limited to seven singles and four walks. Carlos Perez (2x4) and Rene Garcia (2x3 BB) had the only multi-hit games. Jonathan Meyer stole a base and committed two errors in a one-for-four outing.
Lake Elsinore over Lancaster 9-8
Lancaster trailed 9-4 going into the ninth inning on the road in Lake Elsinore and came close to tying it up with a four-run outburst, but fell just short. Both halves of the tandem gave up big innings, Aaron West with a four-run fourth and Luis Cruz with a five-run seventh. In between, Jonas Dufek and T.J. Geith put up zeroes. Tommy Shirley came in with bases loaded in the seventh to get the final out of the inning and stayed in to pitch an uneventful eighth. The 'Hawks got on the board in the second with an impressive solo home run from Telvin Nash, his first of the season, but were unable to get anyone else across until RBI doubles from Nolan Fontana (3x4 BB 2RBI R) and Andrew Aplin in the seventh. Matt Duffy and Preston Tucker (2RBI) started the scoring with two outs in the ninth on RBI singles, but despite a gallant attempt at a comeback, Lancaster came out on the losing side. Tyler Heineman was four-for-four with a double and a run scored in his first game since coming off the DL.
Lansing over Quad Cities 6-2
Jordan Jankowski had his best start of the season thus far, allowing one run on a home run in his five innings. Brian Holmes (2IP 3H 3R BB 2SO HR) and Michael Dimock (1IP 2H 2R BB SO) didn't fare quite as well and a 1-1 tie quickly turned into a 6-1 deficit. The Quad Cities crew scored their first run in the fifth due in large part to three wild pitches from Lansing starter Roberto Osuna (he had a total of four wild pitches, but still struck out eight batters), and then scored one more time in the ninth on a Ryan Dineen single. But the bats were mostly quiet as the Bandits collected only five singles and an Austin Elkins double. There were, however, four stolen bases -- from Elkins, Teoscar Hernandez, Dineen and Jordan Scott. Carlos Correa wore a golden sombrero for the evening.
Player of the Day: Tyler Heineman gets the nod for his excellent return from the DL.
Pitcher of the Day: Jordan Jankowski, come on down! Other than the solo homer, he only allowed five scattered singles, walked zero batters, picked off a runner at first and struck out three.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Roster Moves
OKLAHOMA CITY
2B Raoul Torrez assigned from Lancaster to Oklahoma City
LANCASTER
C Tyler Heineman activated from the DL
RHP Tyson Perez placed on the Temporary Inactive List
QUAD CITIES
DH Chase Davidson assigned from Quad Cities to Extended Spring Training
LHP Colton Cain assigned from Quad Cities to Extended Spring Training
3B Ryan Dineen assigned from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities (just sent to EST 4 days prior)
C Miles Hamblin assigned from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities
Also, Grant Hogue tweeted today that he was moving on. Hogue is a terrific individual that was well loved by teammates and fans alike. I met him on a couple of occasions and could see why. Those who are privileged to have Grant in their midst next will definitely be the richer for it.
2B Raoul Torrez assigned from Lancaster to Oklahoma City
LANCASTER
C Tyler Heineman activated from the DL
RHP Tyson Perez placed on the Temporary Inactive List
QUAD CITIES
DH Chase Davidson assigned from Quad Cities to Extended Spring Training
LHP Colton Cain assigned from Quad Cities to Extended Spring Training
3B Ryan Dineen assigned from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities (just sent to EST 4 days prior)
C Miles Hamblin assigned from Extended Spring Training to Quad Cities
Also, Grant Hogue tweeted today that he was moving on. Hogue is a terrific individual that was well loved by teammates and fans alike. I met him on a couple of occasions and could see why. Those who are privileged to have Grant in their midst next will definitely be the richer for it.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Roster Moves
Lots of movement in the minors yesterday:
OKLAHOMA CITY
2B Ruben Sosa assigned from Oklahoma City to Extended Spring Training (EST)
3B Andy Simunic assigned from EST to Oklahoma City
LANCASTER
2B Carlos Perdomo assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster
C Tyler Heineman placed on the 7-day DL (ankle)
LF Chris Epps activated from the Temporary Inactive (TI) list
RHP Alex Gillingham placed on the 7-day DL
QUAD CITIES
LHP Joe Bircher assigned from Quad Cities to EST
2B Austin Elkins assigned from Tri-City to Quad Cities (had been at EST)
1B Chase Davidson activated from the TI list
OKLAHOMA CITY
2B Ruben Sosa assigned from Oklahoma City to Extended Spring Training (EST)
3B Andy Simunic assigned from EST to Oklahoma City
LANCASTER
2B Carlos Perdomo assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster
C Tyler Heineman placed on the 7-day DL (ankle)
LF Chris Epps activated from the Temporary Inactive (TI) list
RHP Alex Gillingham placed on the 7-day DL
QUAD CITIES
LHP Joe Bircher assigned from Quad Cities to EST
2B Austin Elkins assigned from Tri-City to Quad Cities (had been at EST)
1B Chase Davidson activated from the TI list
Monday, April 1, 2013
Tweets of the Day
Travis Ballew 
Kenny Long Opening day baseball it's a beautiful thing
Bobby Doran Baseballs Back!!
Marc Krauss Lets go
Rafael Valenzuela Nothing like
Kenny Long The Astros are playing some
Travis Ballew Ranger fans.. How about them
Delino DeShields So the Astros just turning up on the rangers right now lol
Joe Musgrove Big boys puttin a beating on Texas on opening night
Tyler Heineman Well done Astros!!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Astros Minor League Depth - Catcher
As Spring Training approaches, I've been looking at the Astros minor league depth, position by position. Today, we look at the catchers in the organization who had the best seasons in 2012.
One thing strikes me immediately when looking at this list -- youth. Except for Ben Heath and Chris Wallace who are each 24 years old, the rest of these players range from 20 to 22.
Tyler Heineman leads the list in his first year with the organization. The 2012 eighth round draft pick also leads this list in batting average and OPS. He was the New York-Penn League batting champion for 2012 as well. But Heineman isn't just a good hitter. He's also a great defensive catcher and had one of the top caught stealing percentages in the Astros minor league system at 41%. M. P. Cokinos would certainly have gotten much more attention for his offensive output had he not been playing alongside Heineman.
Another catcher who has everyone excited since he came into the system as a part of the 10-player Houston-Toronto trade in July is Carlos Perez. Much like Heineman, he looks to be the complete package offensively and defensively and boasted a 47% caught stealing rate at Lancaster (34% overall).
Also relatively new to the organization is Jobduan Morales who came to the Astros organization in the Justin Ruggiano trade with Miami. Morales' bat was valuable enough that he frequently appeared as a DH when he wasn't used behind the dish. That was true of his winter season in Puerto Rico as well.
Max Stassi just came in to the Astros organization this week as a part of the Jed Lowrie/Fernando Rodriguez trade with Oakland. He ranks in the middle of the pack with his on-base skills. It is his power potential that sets him apart from the rest of the group as he hit 18 doubles and 15 home runs on the way to a .468 slugging percentage. In 2012, he had a 24% caught stealing rate.
There are a couple players on this list whose playing time was very limited and many might question their inclusion. Luis Alvarez didn't see a great deal of playing time during the season, but put up some very good numbers. He followed up with an outstanding winter season with the Liga Paralela in Venezuela. That is enough to keep me interested in Alvarez. Pedro Coa was one of the few offensive bright spots on the DSL team in 2012. That, coupled with a 60% caught stealing rate, has me looking forward to seeing what he will do in 2013.
Heath and Rene Garcia were both having good years when injuries shortened their seasons. Roberto Pena was promoted to Lancaster largely due to injuries putting a strain on the catching staff throughout the system. Pena is widely regarded as a premium defensive catcher, but he struggled offensively after the promotion. I think the 20-year old will start to catch up with the more advanced pitching in the coming season if he is given regular playing time.
Chris Wallace had an uneven season offensively, but overall hit extremely well in the second half of the season. What he needs to focus on most, though, are base runners. He only managed a 12% caught stealing rate in 2012.
Ernesto Genoves' offensive output fell off from the prior season, but reports (from Appy Astros) are that he became much more solid defensively. I'm still intrigued by Genoves' potential, but he is going to have to show me that he is capable of getting to the next level developmentally in the coming season.
Tuesday: Lefty Starters
Wednesday: Lefty Relievers
Carlos Perez and Roberto Pena
Lancaster - August 2012
Photo by Jayne Hansen
The embedded chart shows catchers in the organization ranked from high to low in terms of OBP. I have noted their current age and the last level at which they played.
One thing strikes me immediately when looking at this list -- youth. Except for Ben Heath and Chris Wallace who are each 24 years old, the rest of these players range from 20 to 22.
Tyler Heineman leads the list in his first year with the organization. The 2012 eighth round draft pick also leads this list in batting average and OPS. He was the New York-Penn League batting champion for 2012 as well. But Heineman isn't just a good hitter. He's also a great defensive catcher and had one of the top caught stealing percentages in the Astros minor league system at 41%. M. P. Cokinos would certainly have gotten much more attention for his offensive output had he not been playing alongside Heineman.
Another catcher who has everyone excited since he came into the system as a part of the 10-player Houston-Toronto trade in July is Carlos Perez. Much like Heineman, he looks to be the complete package offensively and defensively and boasted a 47% caught stealing rate at Lancaster (34% overall).
Also relatively new to the organization is Jobduan Morales who came to the Astros organization in the Justin Ruggiano trade with Miami. Morales' bat was valuable enough that he frequently appeared as a DH when he wasn't used behind the dish. That was true of his winter season in Puerto Rico as well.
Max Stassi just came in to the Astros organization this week as a part of the Jed Lowrie/Fernando Rodriguez trade with Oakland. He ranks in the middle of the pack with his on-base skills. It is his power potential that sets him apart from the rest of the group as he hit 18 doubles and 15 home runs on the way to a .468 slugging percentage. In 2012, he had a 24% caught stealing rate.
There are a couple players on this list whose playing time was very limited and many might question their inclusion. Luis Alvarez didn't see a great deal of playing time during the season, but put up some very good numbers. He followed up with an outstanding winter season with the Liga Paralela in Venezuela. That is enough to keep me interested in Alvarez. Pedro Coa was one of the few offensive bright spots on the DSL team in 2012. That, coupled with a 60% caught stealing rate, has me looking forward to seeing what he will do in 2013.
Heath and Rene Garcia were both having good years when injuries shortened their seasons. Roberto Pena was promoted to Lancaster largely due to injuries putting a strain on the catching staff throughout the system. Pena is widely regarded as a premium defensive catcher, but he struggled offensively after the promotion. I think the 20-year old will start to catch up with the more advanced pitching in the coming season if he is given regular playing time.
Chris Wallace had an uneven season offensively, but overall hit extremely well in the second half of the season. What he needs to focus on most, though, are base runners. He only managed a 12% caught stealing rate in 2012.
Ernesto Genoves' offensive output fell off from the prior season, but reports (from Appy Astros) are that he became much more solid defensively. I'm still intrigued by Genoves' potential, but he is going to have to show me that he is capable of getting to the next level developmentally in the coming season.
Tuesday: Lefty Starters
Wednesday: Lefty Relievers
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
An Interview with C Tyler Heineman
Drafted out of UCLA by the Astros in the eighth round in 2012, C Tyler Heineman immediately made his mark playing for the Tri-City ValleyCats in 2012. Heineman hit .358/.452/.430 with 14 doubles in 55 games on his way to winning the New York-Penn League batting title. He drew 26 walks to only a dozen strikeouts, and he swiped six bases himself while catching 41% of opposing base stealers. A catcher with a good arm that can also hit, doesn't strike out a lot and can steal an occasional base? Be still, my beating heart!
Tyler did this interview with Baseball Life 365 a couple months back that has some great background information on him. I tried not to cover the same ground when I "talked" with him via email. Here's what he had to say (edited for clarity only) ~
WTH: Did you know that the Astros were interested in you before they drafted you in the 8th round? Had you heard from other teams? Did you think your lack of playing time prior to your junior year might lead to your being undervalued in the draft? (I ask this because one site called you the most underappreciated catcher in college baseball.)
TH: Yeah, I knew that I had one of the best batting averages in the league. I didn't know what my average was, but when I would get interviewed after games they would tell me that stuff. I didn't really take it as pressure. More of a challenge to see if I could go out and continue to hit well game by game. By focusing one game at a time and one at-bat at a time, it made me not think ahead five games from now or how the other top hitters in the league were hitting that day. So, no pressure, just tried to take it one game at a time and make every game a season in and of itself. What I mean by that is if I go 2-for-4 in a game, I'm hitting .500 on the season. Not bad. Then it starts over the next day. Makes every day and every game interesting. Helps me not waste at-bats.
WTH: For Tri-City, you hit .333 vs. LHP and .366 vs. RHP. Have you always been that consistent from both sides of the plate?
TH: I usually feel more comfortable when I am hitting left-handed. But ever since I got to pro ball, the extra batting practice that I was allowed to take enabled me to switch off and hit more right-handed than I was used to doing in the past. I was a natural right-handed hitter in high school until I decided to try and switch hit when I was a sophomore.
WTH: The 2012 Tri-City team was stacked with good pitching. What was the best part and the most challenging part in working with that staff? What are the biggest challenges for you overall as a catcher?
TH: Again, I would have to say Cokinos and Tucker. Tucker was my roommate so we had some good times together. But any time you came into the locker room, you would look around for me or MP and you would see us together laughing. Almost every time.
WTH: What are you doing in the off-season? How are you preparing for the full season grind?
WTH: Can you tell me something about yourself that most people don't know and might be surprised to hear?
TH: I am a pretty good artist. I took AP art in high school and I did really well. I try and draw things so they look as close to the actual picture or object as possible. A photorealist. Not very many people know that about me.
Tyler did this interview with Baseball Life 365 a couple months back that has some great background information on him. I tried not to cover the same ground when I "talked" with him via email. Here's what he had to say (edited for clarity only) ~
WTH: Did you know that the Astros were interested in you before they drafted you in the 8th round? Had you heard from other teams? Did you think your lack of playing time prior to your junior year might lead to your being undervalued in the draft? (I ask this because one site called you the most underappreciated catcher in college baseball.)
TH: I received interest from all 30 teams via questionnaire or talking on the phone to scouts or both. So I knew the Astros were interested in me, but I felt like they were not one of the top teams interested in me. I talked to about five other clubs every week leading up to the draft so I thought one of those teams was going to draft me. I am not sure if my lack of playing time led me to be undervalued in the draft. I would like to say 'yes' but who knows! I wouldn't change my road to getting drafted at all because I loved playing for UCLA and Coach John Savage. Learning from him and the other coaches for three years really helped my growth tremendously as a ballplayer.
WTH: Were you aware that you were in the running for the NYPL batting title? If so, how did you handle that pressure?
WTH: Were you aware that you were in the running for the NYPL batting title? If so, how did you handle that pressure?
TH: Yeah, I knew that I had one of the best batting averages in the league. I didn't know what my average was, but when I would get interviewed after games they would tell me that stuff. I didn't really take it as pressure. More of a challenge to see if I could go out and continue to hit well game by game. By focusing one game at a time and one at-bat at a time, it made me not think ahead five games from now or how the other top hitters in the league were hitting that day. So, no pressure, just tried to take it one game at a time and make every game a season in and of itself. What I mean by that is if I go 2-for-4 in a game, I'm hitting .500 on the season. Not bad. Then it starts over the next day. Makes every day and every game interesting. Helps me not waste at-bats.
WTH: For Tri-City, you hit .333 vs. LHP and .366 vs. RHP. Have you always been that consistent from both sides of the plate?
TH: I usually feel more comfortable when I am hitting left-handed. But ever since I got to pro ball, the extra batting practice that I was allowed to take enabled me to switch off and hit more right-handed than I was used to doing in the past. I was a natural right-handed hitter in high school until I decided to try and switch hit when I was a sophomore.
WTH: The 2012 Tri-City team was stacked with good pitching. What was the best part and the most challenging part in working with that staff? What are the biggest challenges for you overall as a catcher?
TH: Everyone on our staff was great and really fun to work with. I would say the best part was knowing that almost every guy had more than one good pitch that could get guys out so it made calling a game pretty fun. There weren't really any challenges working with the staff in Tri-City. I really enjoyed every pitcher and I learned a lot from them and I hope they learned some things from me as well. The biggest challenge for me as a catcher is tough. But again, I think of each thing like a game that I try and get better at each time I do it. I really enjoyed calling my own game for the first time since high school. It forces you to think multiple pitches, sometimes even hitters ahead. And that part of the game is extremely fun and addicting. But I love every bit about catching there is. I don't think there is any position like it.
WTH: What surprised you most about playing professional baseball? What was the best part of the season for you?
WTH: What surprised you most about playing professional baseball? What was the best part of the season for you?
TH: Nothing really surprised me. I knew a lot coming in just by asking friends of mine how it was that were drafted before me. So I wasn't surprised. One thing that I had to get used to was playing everyday as opposed to four times a week. Those three extra games make a difference and really make you focus on eating right and working out the right way in order to feel good later on down the road. The best part of the season was the playoffs. Just as a whole team striving for one goal and pulling for each other, it is a really good bonding experience.
WTH: Which pitcher from the Tri-City team would you least like to face in the batter's box?
WTH: Which pitcher from the Tri-City team would you least like to face in the batter's box?
TH: Wow, that's a tough one. We had a ton of tough guys. From Travis Ballew and [John] Neely out of the 'pen to [Brady] Rodgers, [Aaron] West, and [Vince] Velasquez in the rotation. Even Kenny Long before he got promoted. I would have to say Vince Velasquez though. He has an electric fast ball and I think it would be real fun to face him. Plus we would always joke around with each other about me facing him.
WTH: Was there a player or pitcher on the team that you just enjoyed sitting back and watching?
WTH: Was there a player or pitcher on the team that you just enjoyed sitting back and watching?
TH: Probably Preston Tucker and M.P. Cokinos. I loved watching Tucker take BP. Just the way the ball came off the bat and had so much back spin and [how it would] fly out of the park on a dead line was fun to watch. I just loved the energy Cokinos brought out on the field every day. He has so much fun on the field and you can tell [that].
WTH: Who on the team made you laugh?
TH: Again, I would have to say Cokinos and Tucker. Tucker was my roommate so we had some good times together. But any time you came into the locker room, you would look around for me or MP and you would see us together laughing. Almost every time.
WTH: What are you doing in the off-season? How are you preparing for the full season grind?
TH: Training hard with a personal trainer making sure my body is ready to go for the full season. I am learning so much about how to prepare the body the right way by nutrition and stretching before and after competition that I believe will really help my game. And just coming back as strong as I possibly can be.
WTH: Can you tell me something about yourself that most people don't know and might be surprised to hear?
TH: I am a pretty good artist. I took AP art in high school and I did really well. I try and draw things so they look as close to the actual picture or object as possible. A photorealist. Not very many people know that about me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It doesn't take a photorealist to draw the conclusion that Tyler Heineman has a very bright future in the Astros organization.
Thank you for your time, Tyler, and the best of luck in the 2013 season. I hope to see you play in person very soon.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Tweet of the Day
Congrats to my bro Tyler @theineman13 for being awarded first year minor league player of the year tonight at Angel Stadium! You're th man T
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After I saw this tweet, I looked up the details and saw that Tyler Heineman won the First Year Minor League Player of the Year from the Professional Baseball Scouts of Southern California at their annual awards dinner. Jon Singleton won the Minor League Player of the Year as well. Congratulations guys!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Tri-City ValleyCats Season Recap
So far we have looked at the seasons for the DSL Astros, the GCL Astros, the Greeneville Astros, the Lexington Legends, the Oklahoma City Redhawks, and the Corpus Christi Hooks. Now let's take a look at the Short-Season A Tri-City ValleyCats. Here's a quick look at how the 2011 and 2012 teams compare.
2011 Wins-Losses/Win Percentage: 33-42/.440
2012 Wins-Losses/Win Percentage: 51-25/.671
2011 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential: 345 - 343 = 2
2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential: 414 - 251 = 163
2011 Team ERA & WHIP: 3.78 & 1.393
2012 Team ERA & WHIP: 2.75 & 1.170
2011 Team Batting Line: .247/.335/.349
2012 Team Batting Line: .271/.355/.391
Tri-City fell just one game short of winning the 2012 New York-Penn League Championship.
The 2012 Tri-City team improved over the 2011 team in every single area and they shone in the New-York Penn League as they led the league in batting average (a tie for first), on-base percentage, slugging, home runs and stolen bases. They ranked second in the league in runs scored, hits, RBI, walks, team ERA and saves, and were in fourth place in WHIP and strikeouts. It was also very telling that as a team, the batters ranked 13th out of 14 in strikeouts and the pitchers ranked 12th out of 14 teams in issuing walks. In other words, the batters didn't swing at bad pitches, and the pitchers threw strikes. You can't ask for much more than that.
There were several outstanding season performances from position players on the team. Let's just look at a few.
It is easy to see why 1B Jesse Wierzbicki was named team MVP as he was among the league leaders in runs (4th), RBI (tied for 5th), stolen bases (7th), hits (8th), OBP (9th), batting average (12th) and slugging (12th). He also led the Tri-City team in runs, hits and RBI, and the 23-year old finished the season with a .297/.376/.422 batting line.
21-year old C Tyler Heineman earned the New York-Penn League batting title with his league-leading .358 batting average. His on-base percentage (.452) ranked second in the league and his slugging percentage (.430) was ninth. He was also terrific behind the dish with a 41% caught stealing rate. He hit .304 in post-season play.
Since CF Andrew Aplin was promoted to Lancaster for the final 22 games of the season, he doesn't qualify as a league leader in the NYPL, but his .348/.441/.537 batting line would have him ranked at second in batting average, third in on-base percentage and first in slugging percentage if he did qualify. Despite being gone from the league for almost a month, he was still tied for third in the league in triples and was tied for fourth in the league in stolen bases. The 21-year old finished the season with a combined batting line of .313/.386/.493 with 13 doubles, seven triples, seven home runs and 24 stolen bases.
RF Preston Tucker is another player who does not qualify as a league leader in batting stats due to the number of games played, but he would rank highly as well with a .321/.390/.509 batting line. The 22-year old was, however, tied for fifth in home runs and seventh in RBI despite limited playing time.
2B Austin "Catfish" Elkins ranked fifth in the league in runs scored and eighth in stolen bases, and the 21-year old was in the top 20 in the league in hits, home runs and on-base percentage as well. He finished the season with a .272/.360/.398 batting line, 13 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 18 stolen bases. In the post-season, he hit .435 with a home run and four RBI.
SS Joe Sclafani was tied for eighth in the league in walks (first on the Tri-City team) and ninth in stolen bases (fourth on the team) and was in the top 20 in the league in runs, hits and RBI. He is 22. Sclafani hit .273, stole a base and drove in six runs in the post-season.
Also of note were LF Dan Gulbransen who tied for 10th in RBI and 11th in home runs in the league and IF/OF Neiko Johnson who tied for 10th in stolen bases. Gulbransen hit .273 with a home run and three RBI in the post-season while Johnson hit .333.
As far as pitchers go, there are several that have me very excited about the future.
RHP Aaron West was seventh in ERA (2.04) and WHIP (0.957) out of all pitchers qualifying as league leaders and was tied for 11th in the league in strikeouts. He walked only nine batters in 61+ innings and ended the season with a fantastic 6.56 SO/BB ratio. In the post-season he had a 2.45 ERA and a 0.909 WHIP. He is 22.
LHP Brian Holmes flirted with no-hitters all season and came incredibly close to a perfect game as well. He ranked sixth in the New York-Penn League in strikeouts and was 11th in ERA (2.56) and eighth in WHIP (0.960). Holmes tied for third in the league with seven wins. He won't turn 22 until January.
RHP Brady Rodgers turns 22 today. He was tied with teammate Brian Holmes for third in wins in the league and was in the top 15 in ERA (2.89) and WHIP (1.139). Rodgers was also stingy with the walks as he gave up only 11 free passes in 62+ innings.
RHP Lance Day lacked the requisite number of innings to qualify as a league leader, but the 22-year old was 6-1 with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.139 WHIP in 11 games (8 starts).
LHP Kenny Long pitched so well with Tri-City (1.88 ERA and 0.628 WHIP in 17 appearances) that he merited a promotion to Lancaster where he put up a 1.12 ERA and a 0.625 WHIP in 12 appearances and got the final out to clinch the California League Championship. He is 23.
Other pitchers of note include 22-year old RHP Juri Perez. Perez did not pitch enough innings to qualify as a league leader, but his very stingy 1.81 ERA in nine appearances (8 starts) would certainly rank highly. He had a 2.16 ERA and a 0.840 WHIP in two post-season appearances. 24-year old RHP Blake Ford was tied for first in the league with 14 saves. 21-year old RHP Travis Ballew was 5-1 with a 1.62 ERA and a 1.026 WHIP in 23 appearances with 10.2 SO/9. 24-year old LHP Jeremiah Meiners was 4-2 with a 1.98 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP in 20 appearances. RHP Vincent Velasquez, at 20 years of age, was one of the team leaders in strikeouts with a 10.1 SO/9 rate.
Frankly, it's hard to single out the top pitching performers on your team when only two on the staff have ERA's higher than 3.35! This pitching staff wasn't just good, it was also very deep in talent.
I will look at the final team, the Lancaster JetHawks, later this week.
2011 Wins-Losses/Win Percentage: 33-42/.440
2012 Wins-Losses/Win Percentage: 51-25/.671
2011 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential: 345 - 343 = 2
2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential: 414 - 251 = 163
2011 Team ERA & WHIP: 3.78 & 1.393
2012 Team ERA & WHIP: 2.75 & 1.170
2011 Team Batting Line: .247/.335/.349
2012 Team Batting Line: .271/.355/.391
Tri-City fell just one game short of winning the 2012 New York-Penn League Championship.
The 2012 Tri-City team improved over the 2011 team in every single area and they shone in the New-York Penn League as they led the league in batting average (a tie for first), on-base percentage, slugging, home runs and stolen bases. They ranked second in the league in runs scored, hits, RBI, walks, team ERA and saves, and were in fourth place in WHIP and strikeouts. It was also very telling that as a team, the batters ranked 13th out of 14 in strikeouts and the pitchers ranked 12th out of 14 teams in issuing walks. In other words, the batters didn't swing at bad pitches, and the pitchers threw strikes. You can't ask for much more than that.
There were several outstanding season performances from position players on the team. Let's just look at a few.
It is easy to see why 1B Jesse Wierzbicki was named team MVP as he was among the league leaders in runs (4th), RBI (tied for 5th), stolen bases (7th), hits (8th), OBP (9th), batting average (12th) and slugging (12th). He also led the Tri-City team in runs, hits and RBI, and the 23-year old finished the season with a .297/.376/.422 batting line.
21-year old C Tyler Heineman earned the New York-Penn League batting title with his league-leading .358 batting average. His on-base percentage (.452) ranked second in the league and his slugging percentage (.430) was ninth. He was also terrific behind the dish with a 41% caught stealing rate. He hit .304 in post-season play.
Since CF Andrew Aplin was promoted to Lancaster for the final 22 games of the season, he doesn't qualify as a league leader in the NYPL, but his .348/.441/.537 batting line would have him ranked at second in batting average, third in on-base percentage and first in slugging percentage if he did qualify. Despite being gone from the league for almost a month, he was still tied for third in the league in triples and was tied for fourth in the league in stolen bases. The 21-year old finished the season with a combined batting line of .313/.386/.493 with 13 doubles, seven triples, seven home runs and 24 stolen bases.
RF Preston Tucker is another player who does not qualify as a league leader in batting stats due to the number of games played, but he would rank highly as well with a .321/.390/.509 batting line. The 22-year old was, however, tied for fifth in home runs and seventh in RBI despite limited playing time.
2B Austin "Catfish" Elkins ranked fifth in the league in runs scored and eighth in stolen bases, and the 21-year old was in the top 20 in the league in hits, home runs and on-base percentage as well. He finished the season with a .272/.360/.398 batting line, 13 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 18 stolen bases. In the post-season, he hit .435 with a home run and four RBI.
SS Joe Sclafani was tied for eighth in the league in walks (first on the Tri-City team) and ninth in stolen bases (fourth on the team) and was in the top 20 in the league in runs, hits and RBI. He is 22. Sclafani hit .273, stole a base and drove in six runs in the post-season.
Also of note were LF Dan Gulbransen who tied for 10th in RBI and 11th in home runs in the league and IF/OF Neiko Johnson who tied for 10th in stolen bases. Gulbransen hit .273 with a home run and three RBI in the post-season while Johnson hit .333.
As far as pitchers go, there are several that have me very excited about the future.
RHP Aaron West was seventh in ERA (2.04) and WHIP (0.957) out of all pitchers qualifying as league leaders and was tied for 11th in the league in strikeouts. He walked only nine batters in 61+ innings and ended the season with a fantastic 6.56 SO/BB ratio. In the post-season he had a 2.45 ERA and a 0.909 WHIP. He is 22.
LHP Brian Holmes flirted with no-hitters all season and came incredibly close to a perfect game as well. He ranked sixth in the New York-Penn League in strikeouts and was 11th in ERA (2.56) and eighth in WHIP (0.960). Holmes tied for third in the league with seven wins. He won't turn 22 until January.
RHP Brady Rodgers turns 22 today. He was tied with teammate Brian Holmes for third in wins in the league and was in the top 15 in ERA (2.89) and WHIP (1.139). Rodgers was also stingy with the walks as he gave up only 11 free passes in 62+ innings.
RHP Lance Day lacked the requisite number of innings to qualify as a league leader, but the 22-year old was 6-1 with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.139 WHIP in 11 games (8 starts).
LHP Kenny Long pitched so well with Tri-City (1.88 ERA and 0.628 WHIP in 17 appearances) that he merited a promotion to Lancaster where he put up a 1.12 ERA and a 0.625 WHIP in 12 appearances and got the final out to clinch the California League Championship. He is 23.
Other pitchers of note include 22-year old RHP Juri Perez. Perez did not pitch enough innings to qualify as a league leader, but his very stingy 1.81 ERA in nine appearances (8 starts) would certainly rank highly. He had a 2.16 ERA and a 0.840 WHIP in two post-season appearances. 24-year old RHP Blake Ford was tied for first in the league with 14 saves. 21-year old RHP Travis Ballew was 5-1 with a 1.62 ERA and a 1.026 WHIP in 23 appearances with 10.2 SO/9. 24-year old LHP Jeremiah Meiners was 4-2 with a 1.98 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP in 20 appearances. RHP Vincent Velasquez, at 20 years of age, was one of the team leaders in strikeouts with a 10.1 SO/9 rate.
Frankly, it's hard to single out the top pitching performers on your team when only two on the staff have ERA's higher than 3.35! This pitching staff wasn't just good, it was also very deep in talent.
I will look at the final team, the Lancaster JetHawks, later this week.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Tri-City All-Stars
Seven players from the Tri-City squad made the New York-Penn League All-Star team. The All-Star game will take place next Tuesday, August 14th.
OF Andrew Aplin
Aplin is hitting .348/.441/.547. His batting average leads the league (based on a minimum number of appearances) and his OBP and SLG rank second. He also leads the league in runs and stolen bases.
C Tyler Heineman
Heineman doesn't have enough plate appearances to qualify as a league leader, but his .377 batting average leads the ValleyCats team as does his .459 OBP. His SLG of .465 ranks third on the team.
2B Austin "Catfish" Elkins
Elkins is hitting .310/.378/.454 and is among the team leaders in those categories. He is second on the team in stolen bases.
C Jobduan Morales
Morales' SLG ranks sixth in the league and he is hitting .294/.366/.484. He leads the team in home runs.
RHP Aaron West
West leads the league in WHIP (0.760), is second in the league in ERA (0.90) and is tied for wins with six. He has 49 strikeouts to only five walks allowed.
LHP Brian Holmes
Holmes is tied for second on the team with five wins and is fourth in the league with a 0.895 WHIP. He is one of only two pitchers in the league with a complete game. His ERA is 2.40.
RHP Blake Ford
Ford leads the league in saves with 12. He has a 2.95 ERA and a 1.219 WHIP.
Congratulations and Good Luck!!!
OF Andrew Aplin
Aplin is hitting .348/.441/.547. His batting average leads the league (based on a minimum number of appearances) and his OBP and SLG rank second. He also leads the league in runs and stolen bases.
C Tyler Heineman
Heineman doesn't have enough plate appearances to qualify as a league leader, but his .377 batting average leads the ValleyCats team as does his .459 OBP. His SLG of .465 ranks third on the team.
2B Austin "Catfish" Elkins
Elkins is hitting .310/.378/.454 and is among the team leaders in those categories. He is second on the team in stolen bases.
C Jobduan Morales
Morales' SLG ranks sixth in the league and he is hitting .294/.366/.484. He leads the team in home runs.
RHP Aaron West
West leads the league in WHIP (0.760), is second in the league in ERA (0.90) and is tied for wins with six. He has 49 strikeouts to only five walks allowed.
LHP Brian Holmes
Holmes is tied for second on the team with five wins and is fourth in the league with a 0.895 WHIP. He is one of only two pitchers in the league with a complete game. His ERA is 2.40.
RHP Blake Ford
Ford leads the league in saves with 12. He has a 2.95 ERA and a 1.219 WHIP.
Congratulations and Good Luck!!!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Roster Moves - 6/28
UPDATES IN BOLD
Oklahoma City/Houston
LHP Xavier Cedeno was assigned to Oklahoma City to make room for RHP Bud Norris as he is activated from the DL.
OF Travis Buck cleared waivers and has accepted his assignment to Oklahoma City.
SS Marwin Gonzalez has sent to Oklahoma City for a rehab assignment.
RHP Jose Valdez is being placed on the DL.
Corpus Christi
OF Austin Wates has been activated from the DL.
Lancaster
RHP Nick Tropeano was assigned from Lexington to Lancaster.
RHP RJ Alaniz went on the 7-day DL with shoulder soreness.
Lexington
2B Ruben Sosa was assigned from Greeneville to Lexington.
OF Justin Gominsky was assigned from Tri-City to Lexington.
LHP Tommy Shirley was assigned from Tri-City to Lexington.
LHP Mitch Lambson was assigned from Greeneville to Lexington.
Tri-City
C Tyler Heinemen was assigned to Tri-City.
Greeneville
RHP Euris Quezada was assigned from Lexington to Greeneville.
GCL
3B Rio Ruiz was assigned to the GCL.
DSL
RHP Rauldison Rodriguez was assigned to the DSL.
Oklahoma City/Houston
LHP Xavier Cedeno was assigned to Oklahoma City to make room for RHP Bud Norris as he is activated from the DL.
OF Travis Buck cleared waivers and has accepted his assignment to Oklahoma City.
SS Marwin Gonzalez has sent to Oklahoma City for a rehab assignment.
RHP Jose Valdez is being placed on the DL.
Corpus Christi
OF Austin Wates has been activated from the DL.
Lancaster
RHP Nick Tropeano was assigned from Lexington to Lancaster.
RHP RJ Alaniz went on the 7-day DL with shoulder soreness.
Lexington
2B Ruben Sosa was assigned from Greeneville to Lexington.
OF Justin Gominsky was assigned from Tri-City to Lexington.
LHP Tommy Shirley was assigned from Tri-City to Lexington.
LHP Mitch Lambson was assigned from Greeneville to Lexington.
Tri-City
C Tyler Heinemen was assigned to Tri-City.
Greeneville
RHP Euris Quezada was assigned from Lexington to Greeneville.
GCL
3B Rio Ruiz was assigned to the GCL.
DSL
RHP Rauldison Rodriguez was assigned to the DSL.
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