Former Hawk Called Up to the Majors

The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today that former South Bend Silver Hawks pitcher Ryan Cook has been called up to the Major Leagues.

When he appears in a game, he will become the 124th former South Bend White Sox/Silver Hawks player to make the Majors. He joins Josh Collmenter, Evan Scribner, and Bryan Shaw as former Hawks to debut this year in the Majors. Cook is also the first player from the 2009 squad to make the big leagues.

Cook was with South Bend for 25 games in 2009, going 11-11 with a 3.66 ERA, all as a starter. He was pitching in relief with double-A Mobile before getting the call.

Pitchers and Catchers Report

Ah yes...the four greatest words in the English language:  Pitchers and Catchers Report. 

This happened for the Diamondbacks on Sunday, leading us to a barrage of links today.  Away we go...

1)  Steve Gilbert's official take for MLB.com.

2)  Steve Gilbert has more info on his blog.

3)  Nick Piecoro has a lot of information on his blog, including Clay Zavada being a no-show and considering retirement.

4)  Nick again with the D'Backs working on their identity.  Odd, I thought they were still going to be the Diamondbacks :) 

5)  Finally, here's a story about how the Diamondbacks need to be positive.  You know what makes you positive?  Winning more games.

Haley Honored by Diamondbacks

Congratulations to manager Mark Haley, who has been given the inaugural Joe Garagiola, Jr., Award as the organization's Player Development Person of the Year for 2010 from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Hales received the award at the organizational meetings in Arizona this week, and we all know it is a much deserved honor.  As we have often discussed, it's rare to find someone that is as devoted to a single-A team as Mark is to the Hawks.  It's even rarer for those at the lower levels of the minors to receive awards for their dedication, as usually that is given to someone in AA or AAA who has been around longer.

Congrats Hales!

Read the full story here.

Diamondbacks Have Been Busy Today

Some news from the parent club on this Monday afternoon:

First of all, the Diamondbacks traded for Armando Galarraga -- the former Tigers pitcher who famously had a perfect game fall apart on an admitted bad call by umpire Jim Joyce.  They gave up two minor league pitchers, neither of whom pitched for South Bend.

Secondly, they signed Micah Owings to a Minor League contract.  Owings (no relation to former Silver Hawks infielder Chris Owings) played for Arizona in the past, then spent the last couple of seasons in the Cincinnati Reds organization.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Sorry that it's been almost two days since I last posted. Things have been quite hectic the last few days.

To fill you in, here's a bunch of links for you:

-The Arizona Diamondbacks continued to be major players at the Winter Meetings, resigning Mike Hampton yesterday and then drafting a player in the Rule 5 Draft this morning.

-Reaction on the Diamondbacks moves can be found here and here.

-I gave a speech on behalf of the Silver Hawks to a career day at West Side Middle School in Elkhart yesterday morning. If you want to book a Silver Hawks speaker for your school, group, or business, go here.

-I also joined Swoop yesterday at the University Park Mall. We were guests of Sunny 101.5 FM as part of their Giving Trees promotion. Please stop by their tables and vote for your favorite tree -- all proceeds to to charity.

-Finally, we are still waiting on the Diamondbacks to announce the field staff for their Minor League affiliates. I think it's a safe bet that Mark Haley is returning, but we don't know the rest of the staff as of yet. Obviously, as soon as we know something, the information will be on http://www.silverhawks.com/.

Notes from the Parent Club

It's kind of a slow day around the blog the last few days, but I can always count on the parent club Diamondbacks to be in the news. Here's a rundown on some good reads about what Arizona has been doing the last few days:

-First of all, I know some people are planning on attending Spring Training at the new facility. Here's a schedule of when the Diamondbacks will play in the Cactus League.

-Yesterday, the Diamondbacks inked former Dayton Dragons star Wily Mo Pena to a Minor League deal. He's an option in left field, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.

-Arizona also has to make some decisions on whether to tender contracts to eight players. See the list here.

Did You Know...

...that the Diamondbacks have two of the top seven picks in next June's draft? I was browsing the Baseball America website, and saw the list of who would be picking where next year.

It looks like the Silver Hawks should continue to see a lot of top talent in the years to come.

If you want to check out the list, go to this link.

Back At It

I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend and got a chance to spend time with family and friends.

To say that I had a great Thanksgiving would be an understatement. I proposed on Wednesday night to an amazing woman, and thankfully, she said yes. I'm a very lucky man and couldn't be happier.

In other baseball-related news since I last posted:

-The Diamondbacks acquired Zach Duke from the Pirates for a player to be named later. The PTBNL will be announced after the Rule 5 Draft takes place on December 9th because rosters are currently frozen. This doesn't necessarily mean that the player is eligible for Rule 5 selection, and according to the link above, indicates that he is a low-level player. I have no inside knowledge at all, but I'm guessing that when we find out who it is, it's going to be someone who played in South Bend within the last year or two.

-Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has more analysis on Duke and the deal on his blog, which you can read here.

-I saw this a few weeks ago, and am just now posting it. Here's a chart of the PDC status for every MLB club and their affiliates from the Baseball America website. It'll let you know when you might see affiliation changes around the MiLB landscape.

Diamondbacks Coaching Staff

A lot of times, fans will complain when their favorite teams hire a coach that they have never heard of before. It's not to say the "no-name" coaches aren't good at what they do, and in fact, many times they can be better than the "name" guys (and if you need an example, think Leo Mazzone).

However, if you're a Diamondbacks fan, you don't have to worry about the "no-name" coaches according to today's reports.

Arizona is rumored to be bringing on Don Baylor as hitting coach, Charles Nagy as pitching coach, and Alan Trammell as bench coach. That is a wealth of experience on the staff, but let's just hope it translate to success on the field.

More Diamondbacks Changes

Here's the first paragraph of a press release I just received from the Arizona Diamondbacks:

(PHOENIX) — The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today Mike Berger has transitioned into the role of Director, Professional Scouting while Quinton McCracken joined the organization as Assistant Director, Player Development and Mark Weidemaier as Major League Advance Scout, according to D-backs’ Senior Vice President, Scouting & Player Development Jerry Dipoto. The club also announced Susan Webner rejoined the organization as Manager, Minor League Administration.

Just a couple of thoughts:

1) I'm glad to see that Mike Berger stayed with the club. He's a great guy and will be a benefit to the organization.

2) I get excited anytime a player from my childhood moves into a coaching/scouting/front office role somewhere. I actually once had a fantasy baseball team that was named "What's McCracken Quinton" (which in my sophomoric mind, is completely hilarious).

3) Susan Webner coming back is a huge plus to every affiliate of the Diamondbacks. She makes my life, plus the lives of many others in the Silver Hawks office, so much easier with her prompt emails and attention to detail.

Should We Have Expected This?

The Arizona Diamondbacks just announced that Rico Brogna will take over as Director of Player Development and that Mike Berger has been reassigned to a scouting role within the organization.

I guess when you have a change in General Managers (Kevin Towers) like Arizona did, this shouldn't come as a shock. Even still, I thought Mike Berger had been doing a decent job and would stay in the same role for at least another year. He had only been in this current position since June of 2009, which is not a long time to evaulate someone's ability.

Things certainly are interesting in the desert....

(Note: Most of you know that I have to approve comments before they are posted. As long as they aren't terribly offensive, completely demeaning to one individual, or just ridiculously stupid, I approve them. Just know that if you want to comment on this over the weekend, they probably won't be posted until Monday morning because I have another commitment this weekend).

Lunchtime Links

Some stuff for you to read today:

-Nick Piecoro has another Minor League notebook on his blog, this one features Bobby Borchering , Chris Owings, and Wade Miley among others.

-Also from Nick, a look at what could have been Brandon Webb's final time pitching for the Diamondbacks.

-The Arizona Fall League starts tomorrow. I'll try to keep you updated on what the former Silver Hawks are doing.

-Finally, some changes at the top with the Arizona Diamondbacks as Peter Woodfork and Tom Allison have been relieved of their duties. Despite not getting the GM job, Jerry Dipoto has decided to stay with Arizona, which most people say is a huge benefit to the Diamondbacks. Look for Dipoto to have a shot at a GM job in the near future.

Arizona May Not Offer First Rounder Loux Contract

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected pitcher Barret Loux with the 6th overall pick in June's MLB Draft, but it doesn't appear he'll ever suit up in the organization. Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports wrote an article chronicling the situation, as the Diamondbacks may not offer Loux a contract due to injury concerns.

The motivation for the Diamondbacks is that they would receive a compensation pick in next year's first round, the 7th overall pick, in addition to the first round pick they'll get based on how they finish this season. The article is a great read that examines both sides of the issue; the Diamondbacks' unwillingness to give big money to a pitcher with arm injuries, and a young kid who feels like he can throw just fine. The deadline for draft picks to sign is August 16.

Edwin Jackson Traded from Diamondbacks to White Sox

Just a few days after dealing Dan Haren, the Diamondbacks traded away another starting pitcher. Edwin Jackson was dealt to the White Sox for starting pitcher Daniel Hudson, the third ranked prospect in the Sox' organization according to Baseball America, and 19 year old left-handed pitcher David Holmberg.

Jackson did throw a no-hitter on June 25, but the season overall has been a bit of a struggle for the righty. Even with the no-no, Jackson is 6-10 with a 5.16 ERA. There is speculation that the Sox will trade Jackson to the Nationals in a deal for Adam Dunn, but we'll see what happens before tomorrow's trade deadline.

Holmberg was selected in the 2nd round of the 2009 draft by the White Sox. So far this season, Holmberg is 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA in eight games started for Great Falls of the Pioneer League (same league that Missoula plays in). Holmberg was rated as the eighth best prospect in the White Sox' organization according to Baseball America.

Enright Pitching Well for Diamondbacks

A few weeks ago we posted that former Silver Hawk Barry Enright was going to make his Major League debut for the Diamondbacks after being called up straight from Double-A. Enright's stint with Arizona has been a success thus far, as he holds a 2-2 record and 2.66 ERA through four starts.

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic writes that Enright is making a case to remain in the rotation throughout the year and in to next season. The article also contains some information on Enright's background and his path to the Diamondbacks.

Enright pitched for the Silver Hawks in 2007, throwing 2.0 scoreless innings in one appearance before being promoted to Visalia.

First Place!!!!!

Good morning...and what a good morning it is. The South Bend Silver Hawks are tied for first place with the Great Lakes Loons in the Eastern Division (and since the Loons have already wrapped up a playoff spot, that means the Silver Hawks are alone in first ahead of all the other teams still in the hunt).

Now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. There are still 64 games to be played in the second half. But I'd much rather be in first place after six games than in last place.

A quick update from the parent club: The Diamondbacks fired manager AJ Hinch and GM Josh Byrnes last night. Kirk Gibson will take over as the interim manager and Jerry Dipoto will serve as the interim GM.

As of now, this doesn't really impact the Silver Hawks. However, once a permanent GM is selected, then that could have a fallout effect that reaches down all the way to the lower levels of the minors. We'll wait and see what happens in that regard.

In the meantime, enjoy first place!

Diamondbacks Sign Two More Picks

The Diamondbacks have signed their second (J.R. Bradley) and third round (Robby Rowland) selections from this year's draft. They have been assigned to play for Missoula. You can read more about the players here.

First-round pick Barret Loux is still unsigned.

Montero Activated from DL

This happened a couple of days ago, but former Silver Hawk catcher Miguel Montero was activated from the disabled list on June 12th. Montero was off to a good start this season, hitting .500 (6/12 in four games) with 3 RBI before he hurt his knee trying to beat out a grounder.

In two games since his activation, Montero has gone 2/5 with an RBI, double, walk, and run scored. Here's an article talking about how the Diamondbacks hope the return of their catcher will provide a much needed spark.

Montero played with the Silver Hawks in 2004, hitting .263 with 11 HR and 59 RBI in 115 games.

20 More Draft Picks

Below is the press release from the Arizona Diamondbacks about their final day of the MLB draft.

D-BACKS SELECT 20 PLAYERS ON FINAL DAY OF 2010 DRAFT
6 Local Products Among Players Selected

(PHOENIX) — The Arizona Diamondbacks announced that they selected an additional seven pitchers, seven infielders, four outfielders and two catchers in rounds 31-50 on the final day of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft. The D-backs completed the draft with 25 pitchers (20 right-handed and 5 left-handed), 14 infielders, eight outfielders and three catchers.

Of the 50 players the D-backs selected in the draft, 39 come from the college ranks.

"We are extremely excited about the quality of arms we were able to select throughout the draft,” said D-backs’ Director, Scouting Tom Allison. “We are also excited about the depth of athletic position players we were able to add. All of these young men were identified by our scouting staff as future Major Leaguers. We look forward to signing many of them and watching their careers develop. I would like to thank all of our scouts and the many others within the organization that worked so diligently to allow for us to select these 50 young men. I also would like to thank Josh Byrnes, Derrick Hall and ownership for their continued support of the scouting department."

Highlights from today’s selections include:
• Catcher Andrew Whittington (33rd round) broke the Gulf South Conference’s 12-year-old hit streak record after collecting a hit in 37 straight games this season with Southern Arkansas University. He was named a 2010 Division II third team All-American by Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), Daktronics and National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association (NCBWA).
• Six players with Arizona ties were selected: right-handed pitcher Konner Wade (35th round) hails from Chaparral High School in Scottsdale; infielders Derek Casillas (40th round) and Jorge Flores (46th round) were selected from Hamilton High School in Chandler; right-handed pitcher Casey Upperman (47th round) was chosen from Yavapai College in Prescott; and right-handed pitcher Kenneth Sigman (48th round) and infielder Trey Ford (50th round) were selected from South Mountain Community College in Phoenix.
• Infielder Michael Weber (37th round) was named a Primetime Performer of the Week by CollegeBaseball360.com twice during the 2010 season with Washington State University.
• Right-handed pitcher Michael McGee (41st round) was named a 2010 Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I third team All-American and All-ACC first team selection for Florida State University. He was also named one of 30 semifinalists for the 2010 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award and a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, which honors the nation’s top collegiate player, after posting a 4-0 record with 9 saves and a 0.41 ERA on the mound, while also leading the Florida State Seminoles with 14 home runs and 64 RBI.
• Outfielder Christopher Jarrett (42nd round) was named to the 2010 American Baseball Coaches Association All-American second team, as well as receiving the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player and first team All-Mideast Region honors with Anderson University.
• Infielder Eric Groff (46th round) was named to the All Colonial States Athletic Conference first team for Keystone College.

This is Arizona’s 15th First-Year Player Draft since being awarded an expansion team from Major League Baseball in 1995.

More on the Draft Picks

(Another press release from the Diamondbacks about their day 2 draft picks.)

D-BACKS SELECT 29 PLAYERS IN SECOND DAY OF 2010 DRAFT
Arizona Selects 18 pitchers in First 30 Rounds

(PHOENIX) — The Arizona Diamondbacks announced that they selected an additional 17 pitchers in rounds 2-30 of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft today after drafting Texas A&M right-handed pitcher Barret Loux with the sixth overall pick yesterday. The D-backs also selected a catcher, four outfielders and seven infielders today.

Of the 30 players the D-backs have selected in the draft thus far, 24 have come from the college ranks.

“We felt this draft pool was very deep in pitching going into the spring, especially in the high school ranks,” said D-backs’ Director, Scouting Tom Allison. “We tried to identify the positive physical and mental attributes of Major League pitchers and we were fortunate to select many prospects that we feel met this criteria in the top few rounds. We look forward to watching them develop as baseball players and young men.”

Today’s selections of note include:
• Right-handed pitcher James (J.R.) Bradley (2nd round, 56 overall), who was named the 2010 West Virginia Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year and 2010 Kanawha Valley Player of the Year following his senior season at Nitro High School (W. Va.). He compiled a 12-0 record with a 0.67 ERA and 102 strikeouts over 63.0 innings on the mound, while posting a .500 batting average with 12 home runs, 15 doubles, 51 RBI and 49 runs scored.
• Right-handed pitcher Robby Rowland (3rd round, 88 overall), who is the son of former Major Leaguer Rich Rowland, tossed a perfect game on April 14 and earned Redwood Empire’s Overall Athlete of the Year.
• Right-handed pitcher Kevin Munson (4th round, 121 overall), who was named the 2010 All-Colonial Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year with James Madison University, as well as being named a Louisville Slugger Third-Team All-American.
• Left-handed pitcher Cody Wheeler (5th round, 151 overall) was named a Louisville Slugger Second-Team All-American at Coastal Carolina University after going 10-0 with a 4.05 ERA with 101 strikeouts in 15 starts this season. He played for the Team USA National Collegiate team last summer after earning Big South Pitcher of the Year honors that season.
• Right-handed pitcher Blake Perry (6th round, 181 overall) was named a Rawlings Honorable Mention and All-Florida Region Preseason All-American.
• Right-handed pitcher Jeffrey Shields (7th round, 211 overall) led the Alabama Community College Conference with 12 wins while his 1.60 ERA and 98 strikeouts were second during his final season at Chattahoochee Valley Community College.
• Right-handed pitcher Blake Cooper (12th round, 361 overall) earned Collegiate Baseball’s Third-Team All-American honors at University of South Carolina-Columbia.
• Left-handed pitcher Kevin Ziomek (13th round, 391 overall) earned the 2010 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year honors at Amherst Regional High School.
• Right-handed pitcher Derek Eitel (17th round, 511 overall) was a dual-sport star at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology where he set several school records as the starting quarterback.
• Infielder Raoul Torrez (21st round, 631 overall) was selected from Arizona State University.
• Infielder Nicholas Gallego (27th round, 811 overall), son of former Major Leaguer Mike Gallego, was chosen from UCLA.
• Right-handed pitcher Jake Floethe (29th round, 871 overall) out of Cal-State Fullerton is the son of Chris Floethe, who played in the Oakland Athletics’ system from 1968-74, and cousin of Taylor Twellman, who plays soccer for MLS’ New England Revolution.

This is Arizona’s 15th First-Year Player Draft since being awarded an expansion team from Major League Baseball in 1995.

The draft concludes tomorrow with rounds 31-50.