Busy day of posting capped off with the Opening Day Roster for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Former Silver Hawks are bolded.
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks announced a number of roster moves today to complete their 25-man roster prior to Friday’s Opening Day game against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.
To complete the Opening Day roster, the D-backs outrighted infielder Tony Abreu to Triple-A Reno and optioned infielder Brandon Allen and right-handed pitcher Esmerling Vasquez to Reno. The club released right-handed pitcher Carlos Rosa for the purpose of selling the player to Japan.
The Opening Day roster includes 12 pitchers, seven infielders, four outfielders and two catchers.
Pitchers (12): Sam Demel, Barry Enright, Armando Galarraga, Juan Gutierrez, Aaron Heilman, David Hernandez, Daniel Hudson, Ian Kennedy, Kam Mickolio, Joe Paterson, J.J. Putz and Joe Saunders.
Infielders (7): Willie Bloomquist, Russell Branyan, Stephen Drew, Kelly Johnson, Juan Miranda, Melvin Mora and Ryan Roberts.
Outfielders (4): Xavier Nady, Gerardo Parra, Justin Upton and Chris Young.
Catchers (2): Henry Blanco and Miguel Montero.
Left-handed pitcher Zach Duke and infielder Geoff Blum will start the season on the 15-day disabled list.
Showing posts with label Gerardo Parra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gerardo Parra. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Owen's Spring Training Report - Thursday Afternoon
This afternoon was spent at the Major League stadium, watching the Diamondbacks battle the Oakland A's. Unfortunately, the A's did most of the battling, beating up on a handful of pitchers (including former Silver Hawk Jordan Norberto) on their way to a 15-7 victory.
A.J. Pollock had the best game amongst former Silver Hawks, going 2-for-2 with 2 doubles and a RBI. Ryan Wheeler was 1-for-2 with a double, RBI and two runs. Miguel Montero had a hit and a RBI also. Justin Upton and Gerardo Parra played but went hitless.
I had the chance to talk to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic for a while, and also met Mark McClune from Fox Sports Arizona. Both were great guys and willing to talk to me for a long time about the Silver Hawks, my job, etc.
You all know Nick from my frequent links to his blog (found here).
Tonight, we're going to try to find a sports bar to watch some basketball games. Tomorrow, we're likely going to travel to the Giants camp to watch the minor leaguers play a game, and then who knows tomorrow evening.
Below, enjoy a few more pictures from today.
A.J. Pollock had the best game amongst former Silver Hawks, going 2-for-2 with 2 doubles and a RBI. Ryan Wheeler was 1-for-2 with a double, RBI and two runs. Miguel Montero had a hit and a RBI also. Justin Upton and Gerardo Parra played but went hitless.
I had the chance to talk to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic for a while, and also met Mark McClune from Fox Sports Arizona. Both were great guys and willing to talk to me for a long time about the Silver Hawks, my job, etc.
You all know Nick from my frequent links to his blog (found here).
Tonight, we're going to try to find a sports bar to watch some basketball games. Tomorrow, we're likely going to travel to the Giants camp to watch the minor leaguers play a game, and then who knows tomorrow evening.
Below, enjoy a few more pictures from today.
The closest I've ever been to a cactus in my life.
What a view!
Unreal views.
A.J. Pollock on one of his two doubles today.
Friday, December 17, 2010
D'Backs Sign Two More Free Agents
I just recently received an email from the Diamondbacks, announcing the signing of Xavier Nady and Henry Blanco.
I post information like this for two reasons:
1) It obviously is big news for the parent club of the Silver Hawks
2) It directly impacts some former Silver Hawks who are trying to get to the majors
Today's signing could directly impact Gerardo Parra and Konrad Schmidt -- both of whom played in South Bend.
Parra's somewhat disappointing big league numbers are the reason why Arizona was looking for left field help. Nady will most likely be the starting left fielder, bumping Parra to the fourth outfielder spot (with Chris Young in center and Justin Upton in right).
Konrad Schmidt got a taste of the big leagues with a September call-up in 2010, and I guess you could say he had an outside shot of being the backup to Miguel Montero in 2011. However, with the addition of Blanco, Schmidt will likely go back to AAA Reno and not be a mainstay in the majors until 2012 at the earliest.
Oddly, only two (Montero and Upton) of the projected starting eight position players for Arizona would have spent time with the South Bend Silver Hawks.
I post information like this for two reasons:
1) It obviously is big news for the parent club of the Silver Hawks
2) It directly impacts some former Silver Hawks who are trying to get to the majors
Today's signing could directly impact Gerardo Parra and Konrad Schmidt -- both of whom played in South Bend.
Parra's somewhat disappointing big league numbers are the reason why Arizona was looking for left field help. Nady will most likely be the starting left fielder, bumping Parra to the fourth outfielder spot (with Chris Young in center and Justin Upton in right).
Konrad Schmidt got a taste of the big leagues with a September call-up in 2010, and I guess you could say he had an outside shot of being the backup to Miguel Montero in 2011. However, with the addition of Blanco, Schmidt will likely go back to AAA Reno and not be a mainstay in the majors until 2012 at the earliest.
Oddly, only two (Montero and Upton) of the projected starting eight position players for Arizona would have spent time with the South Bend Silver Hawks.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Former Hawks with Arizona (Updated)
From time to time, I'll need to switch something up on the blog from the usual posts, and I'll put up information on former Silver Hawks at the various levels throughout the Diamondbacks system. Today, we start with former Hawks playing with the big league club (includes only players that are currently with the club...as of last night's games):
Miguel Montero: 6-for-12, but on the disabled list currently with a right knee strain.
Gerardo Parra: .265, 0 HR, 7 RBI
Mark Reynolds: .242, 9 HR, 24 RBI
Justin Upton: .218, 5 HR, 15 RBI
Daniel Stange: 0-0, 9.00 ERA in two games.
Cesar Valdez: 1-0, 1.80 ERA. Got the win in his only start so far this season (his MLB debut).
Esmerling Vasquez: 0-0, 3.12 ERA in six games. I forgot him on the first post, so thanks to Pete for the comment below to remind me about him.
As best I can tell, those are the only former Silver Hawks with Arizona as of today. Let me know if I missed anyone (other than Brandon Webb, who is on the DL and hasn't pitched at all this season).
Miguel Montero: 6-for-12, but on the disabled list currently with a right knee strain.
Gerardo Parra: .265, 0 HR, 7 RBI
Mark Reynolds: .242, 9 HR, 24 RBI
Justin Upton: .218, 5 HR, 15 RBI
Daniel Stange: 0-0, 9.00 ERA in two games.
Cesar Valdez: 1-0, 1.80 ERA. Got the win in his only start so far this season (his MLB debut).
Esmerling Vasquez: 0-0, 3.12 ERA in six games. I forgot him on the first post, so thanks to Pete for the comment below to remind me about him.
As best I can tell, those are the only former Silver Hawks with Arizona as of today. Let me know if I missed anyone (other than Brandon Webb, who is on the DL and hasn't pitched at all this season).
Monday, January 18, 2010
Q and A with Nick Piecoro (Part One)
Nick Piecoro is the Diamondbacks beat writer for the Arizona Republic. I frequently link you to his blog. A little bit ago, I sent him some questions about the Diamondbacks, and also about the Minor League system. Since these are somewhat lengthy, I decided to break it into two parts.
Today's focus is on the Diamondbacks, and tomorrow, we'll focus on the minors.
And away we go....
1) Can the Diamondbacks turn it around in one season and compete for a playoff spot next season? Or are they looking at a multi-year rebuilding process?
Nick Piecoro: Can they? Sure. Will they? We’ll see. You can say what you want about the moves they made this off-season, but nothing approaches the importance of having a healthy Brandon Webb. Before 2009, he had been among the top two or three best pitchers in baseball for three years running. There’s no understating the importance of having a pitcher of that caliber make 33-34 starts for a team. If he’s close to the Webb of old, they probably contend.
Edwin Jackson is probably an upgrade over Max Scherzer in the rotation. A healthy Conor Jackson (and his .370ish on-base percentage) will be a huge lift. And if guys like Stephen Drew and Chris Young and the recently acquired Kelly Johnson can have some form of bounceback seasons, they’re going to be much improved offensively.
That’s a lot of ifs, but if some of them come in – most importantly Webb, of course – then, yeah, they can contend.
2) Did you see a lot of growth in A.J. Hinch as a manager throughout the season? Is he the right guy for the job?
NP: I think Hinch’s comfort level increased with every game. It seemed like he was able to develop a better relationship with his players as the year went on and after an off-season in which he put a lot of energy into building relationships, things should be even stronger there. Is he the right guy for the job? Again, we’ll see. He’s certainly more on the same page with General Manager Josh Byrnes than the previous manager, Bob Melvin. It’s pretty hard to judge Hinch based on the club he was running out there last season, but if everyone’s healthy we should get a better understanding of his capabilities.
3) I was greatly impressed with Gerardo Parra when he played for South Bend in 2007. What were your overall impressions of Parra this season? Are we looking at a future MVP? A future All-Star? Or just a solid player that fills out a roster?
NP: My guess is he’s closer to just a solid player who fills out a roster, but there are people in the organization who feel otherwise. I’m going to need to see Parra hit left-handed pitching better, something he was never able to do even in the minor leagues, before I’m willing to call him anything more than a nice fourth outfielder/platoon partner type. I will say this: He plays a very good left field and has an excellent arm and I like the skills he brings -- like hitting for average and putting the ball in play – particularly in how it compares to his teammates. He’s a nice fit for the roster.
4) How important was it for the young pitchers (Zavada, Gutierrez, Vasquez, Augenstein) to get big league experience this year?
NP: Pretty important. We’ll see what kind of roles those guys end up with this season, but it’s good for the organization – and for the pitchers themselves – to know they can get big league hitters out. It’s not out of the question for any of those guys above not named Gutierrez to start the season in the minor leagues. The additions of Bob Howry and Aaron Heilman give the Diamondbacks better depth than they enjoyed last season. But it wouldn’t surprise me if Gutierrez ends up being the most important pitcher in the bullpen in 2010.
Again, we'll have part two for you tomorrow with the focus more on the minor leagues. My thanks to Nick for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer these questions and provide some great content for this blog.
Today's focus is on the Diamondbacks, and tomorrow, we'll focus on the minors.
And away we go....
1) Can the Diamondbacks turn it around in one season and compete for a playoff spot next season? Or are they looking at a multi-year rebuilding process?
Nick Piecoro: Can they? Sure. Will they? We’ll see. You can say what you want about the moves they made this off-season, but nothing approaches the importance of having a healthy Brandon Webb. Before 2009, he had been among the top two or three best pitchers in baseball for three years running. There’s no understating the importance of having a pitcher of that caliber make 33-34 starts for a team. If he’s close to the Webb of old, they probably contend.
Edwin Jackson is probably an upgrade over Max Scherzer in the rotation. A healthy Conor Jackson (and his .370ish on-base percentage) will be a huge lift. And if guys like Stephen Drew and Chris Young and the recently acquired Kelly Johnson can have some form of bounceback seasons, they’re going to be much improved offensively.
That’s a lot of ifs, but if some of them come in – most importantly Webb, of course – then, yeah, they can contend.
2) Did you see a lot of growth in A.J. Hinch as a manager throughout the season? Is he the right guy for the job?
NP: I think Hinch’s comfort level increased with every game. It seemed like he was able to develop a better relationship with his players as the year went on and after an off-season in which he put a lot of energy into building relationships, things should be even stronger there. Is he the right guy for the job? Again, we’ll see. He’s certainly more on the same page with General Manager Josh Byrnes than the previous manager, Bob Melvin. It’s pretty hard to judge Hinch based on the club he was running out there last season, but if everyone’s healthy we should get a better understanding of his capabilities.
3) I was greatly impressed with Gerardo Parra when he played for South Bend in 2007. What were your overall impressions of Parra this season? Are we looking at a future MVP? A future All-Star? Or just a solid player that fills out a roster?
NP: My guess is he’s closer to just a solid player who fills out a roster, but there are people in the organization who feel otherwise. I’m going to need to see Parra hit left-handed pitching better, something he was never able to do even in the minor leagues, before I’m willing to call him anything more than a nice fourth outfielder/platoon partner type. I will say this: He plays a very good left field and has an excellent arm and I like the skills he brings -- like hitting for average and putting the ball in play – particularly in how it compares to his teammates. He’s a nice fit for the roster.
4) How important was it for the young pitchers (Zavada, Gutierrez, Vasquez, Augenstein) to get big league experience this year?
NP: Pretty important. We’ll see what kind of roles those guys end up with this season, but it’s good for the organization – and for the pitchers themselves – to know they can get big league hitters out. It’s not out of the question for any of those guys above not named Gutierrez to start the season in the minor leagues. The additions of Bob Howry and Aaron Heilman give the Diamondbacks better depth than they enjoyed last season. But it wouldn’t surprise me if Gutierrez ends up being the most important pitcher in the bullpen in 2010.
Again, we'll have part two for you tomorrow with the focus more on the minor leagues. My thanks to Nick for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer these questions and provide some great content for this blog.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Diamondbacks Top 10
Baseball America has released the Arizona Diamondbacks Top 10 Prospects today.
If you want to read what they have to say about the farm system, click here.
If you want the Silver Hawks side of the story, click here.
Or if you just want the list and my opinion, keep reading:
1) Jarrod Parker
2) Bobby Borchering
3) A.J. Pollock
4) Brandon Allen
5) Daniel Schlereth
6) Chris Owings
7) Mike Belfiore
8) Marc Krauss
9) Ryan Wheeler
10) Collin Cowgill
My unsolicited opinions:
-I'm not surprised Jarrod Parker is number one, nor should any of you. He's clearly the best pitcher in the system, even with recent surgery.
-Borchering is young, and likely a Silver Hawk in 2010. Baseball America always gives preferences to younger players over older ones, because their ceilings are always higher.
-I was surprised to see A.J. Pollock at #3. He had a fine year, just not an overwhelming one. However, I think you'll see Pollock dominate the Cal League in 2010, and then it's just a matter of making the proper adjustments to continue to see success on the way up.
-Allen was acquired via a trade, so we don't have a lot to go on with him.
-Schlereth comes in fifth, but that's irrelevant now since he just was traded (see previous post). I would imagine Baseball America would update this list before publishing their top 30 Prospect Handbook.
-Owings and Belfiore are the real deal from what I hear. And they should both be in South Bend on Opening Day 2010.
-Krauss is a guy I struggle with at #8. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it, or that he's not good. He has enormous power and showed some ability to hit for average. However, he was limited due to ankle injuries, and I don't think we saw everything he could do. I'd like to see him play a full season at 100% before I judge his prospect rating.
-Ryan Wheeler should be higher than #9. In my book, he's top 5 in the system (and that's coming from only seeing him play about two weeks). His swing is so smooth that it's hard for me to imagine his average ever being below .300, and the power numbers will be there as well. He's the real deal.
-Collin Cowgill at #10 is fine. Like Krauss, he had an injury last season that limited him. Again, a full season should help us determine whether the top 10 ranking is justified.
Notable players that dropped out of last year's top 10:
#2 Gerardo Parra (no longer a prospect since he made it to the Majors)
#4 Mark Hallberg (hit .257 for Mobile -- should still be in top 30 I would imagine)
#5 Wade Miley (will still be in top 30, but not a surprise he dropped out of top 10)
#6 Kevin Eichhorn (pitched just 10 games for Missoula)
#7 Cesar Valdez (went 7-6 with a 4.78 ERA in Reno)
#8 Billy Buckner (majors)
#10 Reynaldo Navarro (I actually thought he improved this year. Would like to see his average higher, but he should still be ranked between 11-15 at worst, I would think)
If you want to read what they have to say about the farm system, click here.
If you want the Silver Hawks side of the story, click here.
Or if you just want the list and my opinion, keep reading:
1) Jarrod Parker
2) Bobby Borchering
3) A.J. Pollock
4) Brandon Allen
5) Daniel Schlereth
6) Chris Owings
7) Mike Belfiore
8) Marc Krauss
9) Ryan Wheeler
10) Collin Cowgill
My unsolicited opinions:
-I'm not surprised Jarrod Parker is number one, nor should any of you. He's clearly the best pitcher in the system, even with recent surgery.
-Borchering is young, and likely a Silver Hawk in 2010. Baseball America always gives preferences to younger players over older ones, because their ceilings are always higher.
-I was surprised to see A.J. Pollock at #3. He had a fine year, just not an overwhelming one. However, I think you'll see Pollock dominate the Cal League in 2010, and then it's just a matter of making the proper adjustments to continue to see success on the way up.
-Allen was acquired via a trade, so we don't have a lot to go on with him.
-Schlereth comes in fifth, but that's irrelevant now since he just was traded (see previous post). I would imagine Baseball America would update this list before publishing their top 30 Prospect Handbook.
-Owings and Belfiore are the real deal from what I hear. And they should both be in South Bend on Opening Day 2010.
-Krauss is a guy I struggle with at #8. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it, or that he's not good. He has enormous power and showed some ability to hit for average. However, he was limited due to ankle injuries, and I don't think we saw everything he could do. I'd like to see him play a full season at 100% before I judge his prospect rating.
-Ryan Wheeler should be higher than #9. In my book, he's top 5 in the system (and that's coming from only seeing him play about two weeks). His swing is so smooth that it's hard for me to imagine his average ever being below .300, and the power numbers will be there as well. He's the real deal.
-Collin Cowgill at #10 is fine. Like Krauss, he had an injury last season that limited him. Again, a full season should help us determine whether the top 10 ranking is justified.
Notable players that dropped out of last year's top 10:
#2 Gerardo Parra (no longer a prospect since he made it to the Majors)
#4 Mark Hallberg (hit .257 for Mobile -- should still be in top 30 I would imagine)
#5 Wade Miley (will still be in top 30, but not a surprise he dropped out of top 10)
#6 Kevin Eichhorn (pitched just 10 games for Missoula)
#7 Cesar Valdez (went 7-6 with a 4.78 ERA in Reno)
#8 Billy Buckner (majors)
#10 Reynaldo Navarro (I actually thought he improved this year. Would like to see his average higher, but he should still be ranked between 11-15 at worst, I would think)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Three Former Hawks to D'Backs
South Bend, IN – The Arizona Diamondbacks have added three former Silver Hawks to their major league roster in recent days, with all three having a chance to make their debut in tonight’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.
Bryan Augenstein was a pitcher for South Bend in 2008. The right-hander was 5-0 with a 0.78 ERA in six games for double-A Mobile, and will make his major league debut in a starting role tonight against the Reds. Augenstein will be facing a former Midwest League star as Cincinnati sends former Dayton Dragons pitcher Johnny Cueto to the mound tonight. Augenstein was 5-1 with a 2.16 ERA in 13 starts with South Bend in 2008.
Also joining the Diamondbacks is left-handed reliever Clay Zavada. Zavada pitched for South Bend in 2008 as well, going 3-1 with a 0.51 ERA in 24 appearances. He allowed just two earned runs in 35.1 innings for the Silver Hawks in 2008. This season with Mobile, Zavada was 1-0 with a 2.51 ERA in nine games. He is expected to join the Diamondbacks bullpen and will be in uniform for tonight’s game.
Finally, joining the offense for Arizona is outfielder Gerardo Parra, a Silver Hawk from 2007. Parra was hitting .361 in Mobile at the time of his promotion. While with South Bend, Parra batted .320 with six home runs and 51 RBI. Parra was a Midwest League all-star in 2007 and had a career average of .319 in four minor league seasons heading into 2009.
Arizona recently fired manager Bob Melvin and named A.J. Hinch to the managerial role. Hinch was the Vice President of Player Development for the Diamondbacks, and is very familiar with each of the three players that have been recently added to his team.
The Diamondbacks will be in action tonight at 9:40 PM Eastern Time.
The Silver Hawks were rained out Wednesday, but will play a doubleheader Thursday with a special 10:30 AM start for a School Day at the Cove. For more information on the Silver Hawks or to purchase tickets, fans are invited to visit www.silverhawks.com or call the front office at (574) 235-9988.
Bryan Augenstein was a pitcher for South Bend in 2008. The right-hander was 5-0 with a 0.78 ERA in six games for double-A Mobile, and will make his major league debut in a starting role tonight against the Reds. Augenstein will be facing a former Midwest League star as Cincinnati sends former Dayton Dragons pitcher Johnny Cueto to the mound tonight. Augenstein was 5-1 with a 2.16 ERA in 13 starts with South Bend in 2008.
Also joining the Diamondbacks is left-handed reliever Clay Zavada. Zavada pitched for South Bend in 2008 as well, going 3-1 with a 0.51 ERA in 24 appearances. He allowed just two earned runs in 35.1 innings for the Silver Hawks in 2008. This season with Mobile, Zavada was 1-0 with a 2.51 ERA in nine games. He is expected to join the Diamondbacks bullpen and will be in uniform for tonight’s game.
Finally, joining the offense for Arizona is outfielder Gerardo Parra, a Silver Hawk from 2007. Parra was hitting .361 in Mobile at the time of his promotion. While with South Bend, Parra batted .320 with six home runs and 51 RBI. Parra was a Midwest League all-star in 2007 and had a career average of .319 in four minor league seasons heading into 2009.
Arizona recently fired manager Bob Melvin and named A.J. Hinch to the managerial role. Hinch was the Vice President of Player Development for the Diamondbacks, and is very familiar with each of the three players that have been recently added to his team.
The Diamondbacks will be in action tonight at 9:40 PM Eastern Time.
The Silver Hawks were rained out Wednesday, but will play a doubleheader Thursday with a special 10:30 AM start for a School Day at the Cove. For more information on the Silver Hawks or to purchase tickets, fans are invited to visit www.silverhawks.com or call the front office at (574) 235-9988.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Parra Reassigned to Minor League Camp
Click here for Steve Gilbert's story on Diamondbacks.MLB.com
Or here are the highlights:
The D-backs reassigned outfielders Chris Roberson and Gerardo Parra to Minor League camp.
Both of those moves were expected, but the club also announced that it had informed pitcher Travis Blackley that he would not make the team and allowed him to leave camp.
and...
Parra, who hit .301 at Class A Visalia and .275 at Double-A Mobile last season, certainly made an impression this spring. The 21-year-old hit .478 with two home runs and six RBIs in 23 Cactus League at-bats.
"I don't think we have a better position-player prospect in our organization," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said.
Parra will likely start the year in Mobile, but could move up quickly.
"He's one of those guys that plays up to the competition, which is a good thing," Byrnes said.
I bolded the quote from Bob Melvin, because I think that's the most important part of the story. If the big league manager is saying you are the best position-player prospect, that means you are going somewhere. Expect Parra to see some time in the majors at some point in 2009.
Or here are the highlights:
The D-backs reassigned outfielders Chris Roberson and Gerardo Parra to Minor League camp.
Both of those moves were expected, but the club also announced that it had informed pitcher Travis Blackley that he would not make the team and allowed him to leave camp.
and...
Parra, who hit .301 at Class A Visalia and .275 at Double-A Mobile last season, certainly made an impression this spring. The 21-year-old hit .478 with two home runs and six RBIs in 23 Cactus League at-bats.
"I don't think we have a better position-player prospect in our organization," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said.
Parra will likely start the year in Mobile, but could move up quickly.
"He's one of those guys that plays up to the competition, which is a good thing," Byrnes said.
I bolded the quote from Bob Melvin, because I think that's the most important part of the story. If the big league manager is saying you are the best position-player prospect, that means you are going somewhere. Expect Parra to see some time in the majors at some point in 2009.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
More from the WBC
Impressive 10-2 win last night by Korea over Venezuela. The Korean team advances to the Finals where they will play the winner of the USA/Japan matchup.
As expected, Gerardo Parra did not play last night. However, after a tough start by Venezuelan pitcher Carlos Silva, former Silver Hawk Enrique Gonzalez ('01-'03) was summoned from the bullpen. Gonzalez continued his impressive classic by allowing only one unearned run in 3.2 innings, giving up just one hit and striking out two.
Interestingly enough, even though the Red Sox pulled some players off the USA team because of the injury risk, they decided to let Gonzalez stay and pitch the entire classic. I would have to imagine Boston is both happy and impressed with his 0.00 ERA in 9.2 innings.
Be sure to watch the USA/Japan game tonight at 8 PM on ESPN. I'll give an update tomorrow morning on the game, including some of the former players for the USA that played in the Midwest League.
Also, since we're in the final weeks of spring training, I'll start giving some more updates from Diamondbacks camp, including which former Silver Hawks might make the 25-man Opening Day roster.
Check back often.
As expected, Gerardo Parra did not play last night. However, after a tough start by Venezuelan pitcher Carlos Silva, former Silver Hawk Enrique Gonzalez ('01-'03) was summoned from the bullpen. Gonzalez continued his impressive classic by allowing only one unearned run in 3.2 innings, giving up just one hit and striking out two.
Interestingly enough, even though the Red Sox pulled some players off the USA team because of the injury risk, they decided to let Gonzalez stay and pitch the entire classic. I would have to imagine Boston is both happy and impressed with his 0.00 ERA in 9.2 innings.
Be sure to watch the USA/Japan game tonight at 8 PM on ESPN. I'll give an update tomorrow morning on the game, including some of the former players for the USA that played in the Midwest League.
Also, since we're in the final weeks of spring training, I'll start giving some more updates from Diamondbacks camp, including which former Silver Hawks might make the 25-man Opening Day roster.
Check back often.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
WBC Update
We're down to four teams in the World Baseball Classic, with the semifinal matchups set to begin tonight. At 8 PM tonight, it's South Korea vs. Venezuela, followed by the USA vs. Japan at 8 PM on Sunday.
I mentioned Gerardo Parra playing for Venezuela in an earlier post, but I missed out on another former Silver Hawk on the Venezuelan roster. With South Bend from 2001-2003, Enrique Gonzalez (now with the Boston Red Sox organization) has thrown 6.0 scoreless innings in the classic. Gonzalez is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, allowing just one walk and striking out four in one start and one relief apperance.
Meanwhile, Parra picked up his first hit in the classic, and is now 1-for-9. He's the fifth outfielder on the Venezuelan team, behind Bobby Abreu, Gregor Blanco, Endy Chavez, and Magglio Ordonez. Since the other four are all currently in the majors, don't expect Parra to get a lot of playing time in the semis, unless it's a complete blowout or a pinch-running situation.
I mentioned Gerardo Parra playing for Venezuela in an earlier post, but I missed out on another former Silver Hawk on the Venezuelan roster. With South Bend from 2001-2003, Enrique Gonzalez (now with the Boston Red Sox organization) has thrown 6.0 scoreless innings in the classic. Gonzalez is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, allowing just one walk and striking out four in one start and one relief apperance.
Meanwhile, Parra picked up his first hit in the classic, and is now 1-for-9. He's the fifth outfielder on the Venezuelan team, behind Bobby Abreu, Gregor Blanco, Endy Chavez, and Magglio Ordonez. Since the other four are all currently in the majors, don't expect Parra to get a lot of playing time in the semis, unless it's a complete blowout or a pinch-running situation.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
What a game!
I realize we are in the middle of college basketball's postseason (and trust me, I love March Madness as much as anyone), but did you catch that World Baseball Classic game last night between the USA and Puerto Rico? Down by two in the bottom of the ninth, the USA scores three times to walk-off with the win and advance to the semifinals. David Wright was the hero for the USA, going 3-for-4 including the game winning two-RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.
FYI...Former Silver Hawk outfielder Gerardo Parra is on the Venezuelan team, but isn't playing very much. He's 0-for-5 in the Classic, with one stolen base. Parra is a guy that I'd love to see do well. When he was in the Midwest League in 2007, he absolutely owned the Dayton Dragons (the team I was broadcasting for at the time). Come to think of it, I'm sure he owned a lot of teams in the league that year. Parra hit .320 for the year, then hit .301 in high-A to start the '08 season, and finished up in double-A hitting .275.
It'll be interesting to see where the D-Backs start Parra in '09. I'd like to see him make the jump to triple-A, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him start in double-A for a month or two. Baseball America still has Parra rated as the #2 prospect in the Diamondbacks system, behind '08 Silver Hawks pitcher Jarrod Parker.
FYI...Former Silver Hawk outfielder Gerardo Parra is on the Venezuelan team, but isn't playing very much. He's 0-for-5 in the Classic, with one stolen base. Parra is a guy that I'd love to see do well. When he was in the Midwest League in 2007, he absolutely owned the Dayton Dragons (the team I was broadcasting for at the time). Come to think of it, I'm sure he owned a lot of teams in the league that year. Parra hit .320 for the year, then hit .301 in high-A to start the '08 season, and finished up in double-A hitting .275.
It'll be interesting to see where the D-Backs start Parra in '09. I'd like to see him make the jump to triple-A, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him start in double-A for a month or two. Baseball America still has Parra rated as the #2 prospect in the Diamondbacks system, behind '08 Silver Hawks pitcher Jarrod Parker.
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