I hate this time of year, because every once in a while I get an email from the parent club (in this case, the Diamondbacks) announcing the release of minor league players.
The first wave of releases hit my email inbox roughly 10 minutes ago, and it always leaves you with a horrible feeling inside. I'll try to seperate my emotions from these posts and think of it from the baseball side, but it's hard when you become friends with these guys over the course of the season.
With that said, here is who was released today:
Brendan Duffy -- Probably the most surprising name on the list in my opinion. I thought Brendan was a tremendous ballplayer whose game (slap hits and speed) plays at every level. That being said, Duffy was a 41st round pick and was "old" for the level he was at this year since he is already 24, and I'm guessing the Diamondbacks decided that he wasn't in their future plans so they should make way for younger guys.
Nelson Gomez -- Nelson might have been the biggest disappointment on the Silver Hawks this season, if only because he led Missoula in home runs and RBIs in 2008. The power numbers were never quite there this season, and he had trouble keeping his starting job. An up and down season for a 23-year old first baseman that wasn't showing a lot of power is a bad combination. Arizona has apparently decided they have better options at the corners with Parker, Wheeler, Conner, and a few others coming up through the ranks.
Jordan Meaker -- Meaker is another player who had a great 2008 and struggled in 2009. After posting a 1.47 ERA with Yakima in 2008, Jordan came back with a 5.67 ERA this season. I thought Jordan showed great growth towards the end of the year, but it wasn't enough apparently. I know I said I'd keep emotion out of it, but I'll say this for Jordan: He was arguably the nicest guy on the team, and I have no doubt that if he doesn't latch on with another team, that he will be successful in whatever field he chooses to go into. He was just a tremendous person to talk to and be around.
Houston Summers -- Houston was the knuckleball reliever that joined the staff for a few games in the middle of the season. He was converted from a position player to a pitcher after a year in the system, and just never quite found the right role. He spent a lot of time bouncing between extended spring training, Missoula, and Yakima. Houston also has the achievement of winning the first ever MiLB.com Moniker Madness tournament.
In addition to those four that played with the Silver Hawks in 2009, the following players were also released from the Diamondbacks organization:
Ariel Brea
Ben Dollar
Astolfo Inciarte
Pedro Rodriguez
Clayton Suss
Greg Thomson (played with South Bend in 2006)
Showing posts with label Brendan Duffy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brendan Duffy. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
'09 Alumni Report
Thought we'd take a quick look at what guys that played here in South Bend this season are doing at other levels:
Double-A Mobile:
Chris Davis has not yet played for the BayBears
High-A Visalia:
Brendan Duffy hitting .280, o HR, 4 RBI, 5 SB, 2 doubles, 1 triple
Trevor Harden is 1-7 with a 4.26 ERA in 11 starts. 61.1 IP, 84 H, 34 K's, 12 BB's
Short-Season A Yakima
Rafael Quezada is 0-3 with a 9.13 ERA in 6 starts. 22.2 IP, 36 H, 11 K's, 19 BB's
Houston Summers is 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 5 relief appearances. 12.0 IP, 12 H, 2 K's, 4 BB's
Brad Wilson is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 6 relief appearances. 9.o IP, 5 H, 13 K's, 1 BB
Rookie Missoula
Keny Sosa is 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA in 4 starts. 21.1 IP, 26 H, 15 K's, 6 BB's
Double-A Mobile:
Chris Davis has not yet played for the BayBears
High-A Visalia:
Brendan Duffy hitting .280, o HR, 4 RBI, 5 SB, 2 doubles, 1 triple
Trevor Harden is 1-7 with a 4.26 ERA in 11 starts. 61.1 IP, 84 H, 34 K's, 12 BB's
Short-Season A Yakima
Rafael Quezada is 0-3 with a 9.13 ERA in 6 starts. 22.2 IP, 36 H, 11 K's, 19 BB's
Houston Summers is 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 5 relief appearances. 12.0 IP, 12 H, 2 K's, 4 BB's
Brad Wilson is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 6 relief appearances. 9.o IP, 5 H, 13 K's, 1 BB
Rookie Missoula
Keny Sosa is 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA in 4 starts. 21.1 IP, 26 H, 15 K's, 6 BB's
Monday, June 15, 2009
Duffy Promoted to Visalia
The full story can be read here.
Good for Duffy. Bad for the Silver Hawks. He was a heck of a leadoff guy and led the team in a number of offensive categories (runs, hits, average, on-base percentage, stolen bases to name a few).
My Analysis: With no one taking his place right now, it leaves it open to a lot of speculation. Obviously South Bend is not going to play with only 24 total players and three outfielders the rest of the year. So who comes here? And perhaps more importantly, when?
I think the answer comes in the next week, or over the all-star break at the latest. As for who, I'd imagine it would be an outfielder drafted from a college last week. Typically, you won't send a high school player to A-ball just after being drafted.
Potential candidates:
1) A.J. Pollock - First rounder from Notre Dame
2) Marc Krauss - Second rounder from Ohio U
3) A player that's been in extended spring all season that the Diamondbacks had been planning to put in Yakima/Missoula and instead will send to South Bend. I don't have a list of players in extended, but this is always an option as well.
Good for Duffy. Bad for the Silver Hawks. He was a heck of a leadoff guy and led the team in a number of offensive categories (runs, hits, average, on-base percentage, stolen bases to name a few).
My Analysis: With no one taking his place right now, it leaves it open to a lot of speculation. Obviously South Bend is not going to play with only 24 total players and three outfielders the rest of the year. So who comes here? And perhaps more importantly, when?
I think the answer comes in the next week, or over the all-star break at the latest. As for who, I'd imagine it would be an outfielder drafted from a college last week. Typically, you won't send a high school player to A-ball just after being drafted.
Potential candidates:
1) A.J. Pollock - First rounder from Notre Dame
2) Marc Krauss - Second rounder from Ohio U
3) A player that's been in extended spring all season that the Diamondbacks had been planning to put in Yakima/Missoula and instead will send to South Bend. I don't have a list of players in extended, but this is always an option as well.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
May Players of the Month
South Bend, IN – The Arizona Diamondbacks have selected the organizational Players of the Month for May, with LHP Taylor Sinclair chosen as South Bend's Pitcher of the Month and OF Brendan Duffy selected as the Hitter of the Month for the Silver Hawks.
Double-A Mobile's Daniel Stange won the overall organizational award for Pitcher of the Month, with Mobile's Cyle Hankerd taking the overall Player of the Month award.
Sinclair spent the month of May splitting time between the bullpen and the rotation, yet excelled in both roles. In six total games (three as a starter), Sinclair was 2-0 in May with a 2.05 ERA. The left-hander threw 26.1 innings, allowing just 20 hits with 26 strikeouts and only eight walks. He is now in the bullpen, and is expected to pitch in tonight’s game against the Dayton Dragons.
Duffy has been at the top of the lineup all season and continues to get on base at a blistering pace. The outfielder hit .323 for the month, including 31 hits, while also walking 17 times and being hit by a pitch twice. That adds up to a .435 on-base percentage for the month of May.
Duffy currently ranks seventh in the Midwest League with a .327 batting average and is fifth with a .425 on-base percentage.
The Silver Hawks are currently on the road in Dayton, Ohio, where they will play game three of the four game series tonight with a 7:00 PM Eastern Time first pitch. RHP Ryan Cook (5-1, 2.85 ERA) will be starting for the Silver Hawks in his first game since coming off the disabled list.
The Silver Hawks next home game is Monday, June 8th against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Game time is at 7:00 PM Eastern Time with pregame coverage beginning at 6:40 on 1620 ESPN Radio. Monday is also a Dollar Monday sponsored by U93 and Pepsi, with reserved seat tickets, hot dogs, and Pepsi products on sale for $1 each. For more information about the Silver Hawks or to get your tickets, please log on to www.silverhawks.com.
Double-A Mobile's Daniel Stange won the overall organizational award for Pitcher of the Month, with Mobile's Cyle Hankerd taking the overall Player of the Month award.
Sinclair spent the month of May splitting time between the bullpen and the rotation, yet excelled in both roles. In six total games (three as a starter), Sinclair was 2-0 in May with a 2.05 ERA. The left-hander threw 26.1 innings, allowing just 20 hits with 26 strikeouts and only eight walks. He is now in the bullpen, and is expected to pitch in tonight’s game against the Dayton Dragons.
Duffy has been at the top of the lineup all season and continues to get on base at a blistering pace. The outfielder hit .323 for the month, including 31 hits, while also walking 17 times and being hit by a pitch twice. That adds up to a .435 on-base percentage for the month of May.
Duffy currently ranks seventh in the Midwest League with a .327 batting average and is fifth with a .425 on-base percentage.
The Silver Hawks are currently on the road in Dayton, Ohio, where they will play game three of the four game series tonight with a 7:00 PM Eastern Time first pitch. RHP Ryan Cook (5-1, 2.85 ERA) will be starting for the Silver Hawks in his first game since coming off the disabled list.
The Silver Hawks next home game is Monday, June 8th against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Game time is at 7:00 PM Eastern Time with pregame coverage beginning at 6:40 on 1620 ESPN Radio. Monday is also a Dollar Monday sponsored by U93 and Pepsi, with reserved seat tickets, hot dogs, and Pepsi products on sale for $1 each. For more information about the Silver Hawks or to get your tickets, please log on to www.silverhawks.com.
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