More Pink Slips

I hate reporting on this, but it's part of the job. Three more former Silver Hawks were released by the Diamondbacks organization yesterday. The list:

Jo Jo Batten ('06, '08)
Gerardo Bustamante ('08)
Chance Wheeless ('08)

Batten's best season game in 2007, when he hit .290 at short-season Yakima. He's never hit above .250 at either South Bend or Visalia.

Bustamante played only 15 games with Silver Hawks last year, hitting .200. He's a career .202 hitter in four minor league seasons. While hitting isn't all that important for a catcher, defense is, and Bustamante threw out just 2 of 14 basestealers for South Bend last year.

Wheeless was your typical all-or-nothing type guy. He had 9 home runs and 41 RBI, yet hit only .181 for the season. He has a terrific baseball name, but that doesn't get you real far when you aren't producing. I still remember a bomb of a home run he hit against the Dragons last year at Fifth Third Field. Chance pulled it down the right field line, taking it completely out of the stadium and bouncing it on First Street that runs up the right field side. Impressive shot, to say the least.