Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

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Matt
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Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

#1 Post by Matt »

Early Spring update

Despite a slew of trades over the winter, the Calzones still appear to be working the phones quite hard on the eve of spring training. Among the targets, a right handed power hitting corner outfielder to platoon with Brooks Erickson, and possibly an offensive upgrade to the middle of the infield.

In recent days rumors about the Calzones possibly in discussions with Aurora about Mark "Ice Cold" Richardson have surfaced, but Calzones GM Matt Higgins has categorically denied the rumors. "No, we don't have the juice to bring in a Richardson," he told us. "It's always nice to dream, but reality is we could never find a way to get that done. We are exploring some options to improve our offense in the middle of the infield right now, but I can say without doubt that Mark Richardson is NOT one of them".

GM Higgins went on to tell us that most options for left field have already been explored without bearing fruit, but he still has one or two discussions ongoing that may yet land the Calzones the platoon mate they seek for Erickson. "It's been a bit frustrating on that front," GM Higgins confided to us. "On one hand, we have some young options who could fill the role, but on the other hand we really need a little more pop out of that spot to complement our big guns in the middle of the lineup. Earlier in the offseason we might have concentrated too much on finding an everyday guy for that spot, which led us to pass on some servicable platoon type bats. Now we are re-visiting the idea of a platoon there, and seeing what might be available. There are probably one or two guys I regret passing on earlier this winter, but that's life. But we think we will find a way to get something done yet."

Asked if there might yet be a "spring surprise" blockbuster from the Calzones, GM Higgins remained non-committal. "It would surprise me if we didn't get something done before the start of the season," he told us. "But blockbuster, I'm not really seeing that right now."
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Re: Calzones Corner

#2 Post by Borealis »

When asked about reports coming out of Laredo about discussions between Aurora and the Calzones centered around Mark Richardson, Aurora GM Will Topham replied that he "neither confirms nor denies that said talks have occurred."
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis
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Re: Calzones Corner

#3 Post by Bill »

Borealis wrote:When asked about reports coming out of Laredo about discussions between Aurora and the Calzones centered around Mark Richardson, Aurora GM Will Topham replied that he "neither confirms nor denies that said talks have occurred."
The Fanslator says:
"We've already bought the plane tickets and changed the code on the keys to his hotel. Adios amigo - hope you like tamales!"


Editor's Note: The Fanslator is a running joke on the sports radio afternoon show in Raleigh for how the public translates a public comment from a sports figure. They also have a sound drop with beeps and boops when they do it. It is most useful to translate certain Twitter comments, especially since they are very short and vague.
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Re: Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

#4 Post by Matt »

Calzones Corner

Spring Farm Report

The Calzones minor league system has undergone an almost complete overhaul, with a lot of older players pushed out in favor of a strong youth movement. While a lot of the dead wood has been aside, it also means that every team in the system will be relatively young with many players in over their head. at their level.

The offseason saw a large influx of free agents from south of the border into the Calzones system, though none really stick out. In short, they only thing they have going for them is they are younger mediocre players than the ones jettisoned. The biggest highlight among off season acquisitions at the minor league level is relief pitcher Tse-Peng Yong, a 19 year old crafty lefthander whom the scouts feel has some real upside despite his lack of velocity.


AAA Joplin Red Racers

Rotation - the rotation is not bad talent wise, but it's not overpowering either. Former 1st round pick Luis Rodriguez arrives ahead of schedule, joined by lefties John Miller, Zheng-xin Tai, and Pedro Hernandez, all of who are considered at least capable of pitching at the PEBA level. Rounding out the rotation are Fred Chase and Augusto Cervantes, a pair of dark horse candidates to ever reach the PEBA level. If the rotation has anything going for it, it is that it contains four soutpaws. On the downside, these guys are all relatively young for the level, ages 23 and 24.

Bullpen - like the rotation, the pen also contains four southpaws. While all six members of the bullpen are considered marginal candidates to make it to the PEBA level, at this point it is questionable whether any of the six would have much success. Antonio Estronza (26) and Takahiro Masuda (25) are the elder statesmen of the pitching staff. Estronza will open the season as the teams closer, with Masuda joined in the setup role by young righthander Jose Gonzalez. Right hander Jose Saenz will be joined in the middle of the pen by southpaws Angel Garcia and Alberto Ayala.

Catchers - Jeff Richard, former 2nd rd pick, and Roberto Luna, are both fine defensive catchers who have both dissappointed with the stick. The less experienced Richard will take over the starting role this season, while Luna becomes the caddy. That said, if the Calzones need a catcher in the event of injuries, the likely call goes to the more experienced Luna as he is on the 40 man roster. Both catchers are just 24 years old.

Infield - The infield contains a couple of veterans 4A types in Kenneth Bridges and recent wiaver wire poach Rich Bryant, both of whom are 27 yrs old. Both have been kept around to provide the team some veteran depth in the middle of the infield should injuries arise. Expect Bridges to work mostly at 2b, while Bryant works mostly at SS, as these are the players weaker positions and the organization would like both prepared to work anywhere in the infield in the event disaster strikes. 24 yr old Rich Gilligan is the third basemen of the future for the Calzones, the only question is how soon that future will come. Gilligan is nearly ready, and there are a number of scenarios which could see Gilligan make it back to the big club in short order. 24 yr old free swinging Mike Beasley starts the season at 1b. 22 yr old speedster Jesus Rodriguez will work in the middle of the infield, though how much playing time he gets early on could be in question. Rodriguez has been at AA for what seems like forever, and he has tremendous speed, but his bat has been slow to catch up. Rounding out the infield is 22 yr old James McJannett, drafted in the 6th round last season. McJannett quieted any critics with his meteoric rise through the Calzones system in what was basicly just half a season, and finds himself at AAA to begin his second full season. McJannett will have to earn his playing time, but should see starts at 1b and DH on occassion until a regular spot opens up.

Outfield - the outfield contains one veteran 4A type in Gustavo Correa, brought back to the system because of his defensive abilities and the Calzones troubles with keeping outfielders healthy last season. 25 yr old Ben Page is the prospect in waiting, as his tremendous defense, great speed, and solid minor league numbers have him in line to join the major league roster if a roster spot arises in the near future. Just how soon he rises to the PEBA level could be determined by how well Cruz and Flores perform in their new uniforms, but in a worst case scenario Page could be expected to replace Brooks Erickson on the roster by next season. 23 year old Bobby Wilder, a switch hitter with good plate discpiline is the third outfielder. He visited the big club for an extended stay during the plague of injuries last season, but is back at AAA for more seasoning. 24 year old Dale Higgins is the 4th outfielder at the moment, he's a talentless hack whose acquisition reaks of nepotism. Norm Bruce rounds out the outfield, a 24 yr old lefty swinger with a decent bat and a cursed glove. Bruce will spend most of his time at DH. Waiting join this outfield is Lorenzo Castro, injured in spring training. His return from the DL in another week will cause some shuffling of the outfield, with Higgins the likely odd man out.

Outlook - the Red Racers are very young, especially in the rotation. While there is some talent on the team that will eventually make it to the PEBA level, there is little in the way of standout talent that can carry a team. A below .500 finish is to be expected, all part of the process with an organization in a youth movement. But there is enough talent spread around the team that it shouldn't be a horrendous season, simply a trying one.


AA Monterey Sea Lions

Rotation - the Sea Lions rotation will be even younger than the Joplin rotation. Worse, there isn't much in the way of proven talent here. Almost the entire starting cast is new to the organization. 21 yr old southpaw Ted Goddard might be the most promising of the bunch, as it is very hard not to like a southpaw who can hit 98mph on the radar gun. But his numbers playing in Mexico were nothing to get excited about. 21 year old Miguel Delgado was signed out of the Dominican Republic where he had received zero playing time in 5 seasons. Delgado has good size, hits 97 mph, and has three decent pitches. But will be getting into his professional action, and is starting at the AA level. Not a recipe for success. 22 yr old right hander Carlos Luna spent 6 yrs in Puerto Rican baseball without ever seeing the mound, and also starts the season at AA. He can touch 95 on the gun, and throws fastball, cutter, slider, throwing stars, chairs, kitchen sink, etc. Jacob Short is another refugee from Puerto Rican baseball after 6 seasons, none of them spent on a mound. He can touch 23 on the gun, but the only real thing he has going for him is that he is young at 22 yrs of age. John Wood is the second southpaw in the rotation, a 22 yr old who was a 10th round selection of the Calzones just last year. Rushed to AA already in the youth movement, Wood seems to highlight just how ugly things might get for Monterey this season as the Calzones audition any pitcher with an attached limb. 22 yr old Sadayoshi Yamamoto was signed by the Calzones after his release from Kure last September. Yamamoto actually had some decent numbers in 5 seasons in A ball in Japan, posting a career 2.79 era and showing some marked improvement in his k/w ratio the last two seasons. How well that experience translates to the AA level in America remains to be seen.

Bullpen - the bullpen is only slightly less disastrous looking than the rotation, though again, it is populated with youth as every member of the bullpen is 22 yrs of age. Luis Cantu, yet another refugee from Puerto Rico, assumes the closer role. He can touch 98 on the gun, the only thing he really has difficulty with is touching the plate. Aurelio Aguilar is the primary setup man. Discovered in Mexico 2 seasons ago, Aguilar has an electric arm, as he struck out 79 in 65 innings last season at A ball. He throws a fastball and a forkball, and obviously both of them are very straight as he allowed 14 HR in those 65 innings. Greg Jones is the left handed setup man. He was a 9th round selection last season and did very well in his first season of pro ball, striking out 25 and walking just 4 in 24 innings between SS and A ball. Still, he's at the AA level quite prematurely. In the middle of the pen, Alberto Gonzalez should be the primary guy to get the call in the middle innings. He hits 96 mph on the gun, and his first two pro seasons have been decent enough. Joining him in the middle innings will be Roberto Rea, a hard thrower with little talent, and Robert Dowd, a soft tosser with little talent.

Catchers - 23 yr old Jose Gonzales is the starter, while 21 yr old Frank Nichols is the caddy. Both are solid defensively, and that's the best that can be said about them.

Infield - 22 year old Antonio Marquez is the first basemen, after 3 seasons at A ball in the Gloucester system he should be ready to blossom at the AA level. 21 yr old Pi-ao Chen was the other player to come over from Gloucester in that trade, and he will man the hot corner. Not nearly as ready as Marquez, Chen could struggle in his first taste of AA ball. 22 yr old Roy McGuire, who lasted all of a week in the Palm Springs organization after being selected in the 15th round of last years draft, will skip over A ball after just 18 AB at short season ball and split time between DH and 1b where he will give Marquez an occassional rest. 20 yr old Victor Garcia, a mexican baseball refugee, and 22 yr old left hand hitting Tom Wilson, a 9th rd draft pick last season, will split time at 2b and the utility roles. 22 yr old Carlos Dominguez, a 14th round pick of the Calzones way back in 2011, will be starting his 4th season at the AA level. Dominguez has always over achieved with the bat at the minor league level, hitting for a decent average and showing some speed. The question mark around Dominguez is his defense, and this year he will be asked to play shortstop to build up his versatility. Continued decent showing with the bat could eventually see him getting a trip to winter ball to work on his defense in the hope that he could be a utility player at the PEBA level someday.

Outfield - more youth. More question marks. 23 yr old left handed hitting Dennis Waters will be the primary left fielder. He has 152 career at bats at the minor league level. He possesses speed, defense, and a complete lack of hitting ability. 23 yr old Roberto Lugo looks to be the center fielder this season. Acquired in trade from Manchester, Lugo is a solid defensive player with some pop in his bat. 22 yr old Juan Aguilera, acquired this week from Kentucky, is slated to start in right field. Aguilera has a cannon for an arm and some speed, with maybe average power, and has put up some decent numbers in his minor league career. 22 yr old Jeffrey Young is another refugee from Mexican baseball, getting his first chance at American ball. Young has blazing speed, solid defense, and a huge question mark around his bat. He's the teams 4th outfielder this season. 22 year old Sergio Moya is the teams 5th outfielder, he has excellent speed, plays solid defense, and has a decent eye at the plate, which is just enough to make a marginal organizational soldier at this point.


Outlook - not good. This team is way too young, and lacks much of anything resembling real talent. 1st baseman Maquez is the only real prospect, with the organization hoping to find a diamond or two amongst a pile of rubble. The Sea Lions final record might be obscene enough to merit a parental warning.


A Drumright Tornadoes

Rotation - say ouch. All 20 and 21 yr old kids. Southpaw Jesse Travis has the most experience, but his 6.69 ERA in two seasons at Taku do little to inspire much more than a general numbness. The other southpaw in the rotation is Pablo Calderon, who has zero experience, a 96mph fastball, and nothing that even resembles talent. Another mexican refugee, Bartolo Piniera, might be the most intriguing young pitcher on the staff, as he can hit 98 mph on the radar gun with 4 pitches and good stamina. Whether he is anything more than a batting practice dummy remains to be seen. 21 yr old Cuban Jose Nunez can bring heat at 96 mph, but is also getting his first professional action, and is eventually more suited to a bullpen role. A pair of soft tossers, 20 yr olds Ramon Encarnacion and Francisco Enriquez, complete the rotation. It is rumored that neither can return to their native Mexico because they are under indictment for impersonating pitchers.

Bullpen - things look somewhat better out in the bullpen, though leads to protect will likely be scarce. 20 year old Jose Tovar is the teams closer. He was the organization pitcher of the year last year while dominating batters at Taku. It's hoped he can repeat that success this season. The teams two best talents are actually sharing the setup duties. 19 yr old Allen Guthrie figures to be a solid starting pitcher someday, but because of his young age he will get his feet wet in the Drumright bullpen. He was solid in a mostly relief role at Taku last year, and should be in line to move to the Drumright rotation by next season. Another 19 yr old, southpaw Tse-peng Yong, will be the other half of the setup tandem. Yong barely clips 87 mph on the gun, but scouts are very high on his ability to pitch. If he adds a few mph to his fastball he could be absolutely dominating someday. The middle of the pen features a pair of hard throwers in Ricardo Ganoa and Jose Silva. The 20 yr old Ganoa can hit 96 on the gun but is getting his first taste of ball in the States. 21 yr old Jose Silva had a solid season at Taku last year, 7-3 2.75, in a mostly relief role. He can touch 97 mph on the gun, and could eventually see a starting role. Vincent Robles is the final member of the pen. The 21 yr old has a 94 mph fastball, but control was an issue at Taku last year, as he walked 19 in 32 innings of work.

Catchers - At this point, 21 yr old Carl Head might be the best catching prospect in the Calzones system. Not exactly inspiring. 21 yr old David Aguilera is his caddy.

Infield - 21 yr old Jesus Espinoza is probably the teams best hitting prospect at A ball this season, and that's not saying much. Espinoza has good size and scouts believe he will develop plus power in time. 20 yr old switch hitting Grant Kelly, recently acquired from Yuma, will start at second base. Kelly has some power, some speed, but huge holes in both his glove and his swing. Kanne Nijland will start at 3b. He hit 20 HR with 52 RBI last season at Taku, but the 21 yr old is not terribly gifted with the glove and might never learn to hit enough to progress much further. 21 year old mexican refugee Aurelio Torres will handle shortstop. He might possess average power somedaybut his glove is not exactly inspiring. Andre Johnson, a 21 yr old who went undrafted last season, has been brought in a reserve infielder. He has a strong arm and maybe some power potential, but it's hard to see him being much more than a career minor leaguer. 22 yr old Juan Carlos Flores was drafted in the 8th round last season but appears to be a slow learner. He'll also start the season in a reserve role, and could even see some time in the outfield.

Outfield - Luis Martinez is a 21 yr old with good speed, an ability to make contact, and great range in the outfield. Getting his first taste of baseball in the states. He will start the season in left field. 20 yr old left handed batter Will Owen will start the season in CF. Owen will be in his 3rd pro season, and posted a decent .362 obp last year at Taku. He has great speed and could eventually be a threat on the basepaths. 20 yr old switch hitter Carlos Arroyo will also be in his 3rd pro season. He's a modest talent at best at this point, who plays average defense, is weak in the speed department, and needs to learn to drive the ball more. 20 yr old left handed batter Reginald Brown will probably spend some time at DH, though he has good skills in the outfield and good speed. Another player in his 3rd pro season, Browns bat might possess the most upside of anyone in this group. Hector Dominguez is the teams 5th outfielder. Another player in his 3rd pro season, Dominguez surprised by showing a decent eye at the plate last season, though hits were harder to come by. Dominguez has good speed, but his defensive ability is only slightly above average and whether he will ever hit remains to be seen.

Outlook - yuck. A decent enough bullpen, but combine that with an inexperienced and talentless rotation and a lineup that includes but one prospect, and a meager one at that, and this has all the makings of a disaster. At least the Titanic had lifeboats.


Short Season Taku Winds

The Winds will not begin play until after the June draft. The team is guaranteed to be very young, as the organization has stockpiled very young players in the hopes of finding something that resembles a ballplayer. The team desperately needs to bring in talent, but on the first day of the draft will hold just 3 picks, one in the first round and two more in the third. The Calzones will begin the second day of the draft with 5 picks in the 8th round, but that means just more of the same in the way of mediocre hopefuls impersonating as ballplayers. Expect the short season to be way too long, again.
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Re: Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

#5 Post by Matt »

The Calzones started the season with a sweep of Kentucky and finish the week with a 3-1 mark, good for second place in the Dixie Division, 1.5 games in back of West Virginia.

An Elysian Fields record crowd of 39,695 showed up on Opening Day to watch the Calzones newest ace, Roberto Alonso, and 4 relievers outduel hard-luck Brad Bland 1-0. The Calzones would score an unearned run in the bottom of the first, when Thoroughbreds centerfielder Rich Cunningham dropped a routine fly ball off the bat of Jorge Roman. Jose Hernandez would follow with a double that would plate the only run of the day. Alonso would go 7 innings, scattered 5 harmless singles while walking 1 and striking out 4. Roberto Rosado worked the 9th inning to pick up the save. Brad Bland would go the distance for the Thoroughbreds, allowing just the unearned run in the tough luck loss.

Hamilton Cole, who had a marvelous spring, made his Calzones regular season debut in fine style, going the distance in the Calzones 9-2 victory in game 2 of the series. Cole allowed 7 hits but did not walk a batter while striking out 6. He gave up a pair of solo HR, both to Tbreds RF Pete Wills. Leading the way offensively for the Calzones was former Tbred Dan Howard, who was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 2 rbi. Howard appears to be adjusting fine to the leadoff role after having spent last season almost exclusively in the 2 hole.

The Calzones would need a huge 3 run rallly in the 9th inning to complete the sweep. Trailing 5-3 entering the final frame, and with Kentucky closer Ricardo Diaz on the mound, the Calzones would get things started in a hurry when SS Luis Gonglas drilled a 2-0 pitch from Diaz over the imposing right field wall for his first career home run. Dan Howard drew a walk, and was sacrificed to second by Bill Kennedy, putting the tying run at second base with one out. Jorge Roman followed with a single to left that put runners on the corners. Jose Hernandez would draw a walk on a 3-2 pitch that loaded the bases. With the Kentucky infield playing half way, Fernando Flores hit a slow chopper to first basemen William Peterson, who threw home to force Dan Howard for the second out of the inning. On the cusp of escaping the jam, Diaz couldn't find the plate against Angel Gonzalez and walked in the tying run. Austin McKee followed with a hard hit ground ball between third and short for a game winning base hit that scored Jose Hernandez that sent the frenzied crowd of nearly 35000 home happy.

The Calzones would take their first loss in the opener of the series with New Jersey, despite a solid first start from Danny Hendricks. 'Livewire' would pitch into the 9th, but would leave after issuing a 1 out walk and the game tied at 2-2. Rookie Sheng Yep came on in relief, and did not retire any of the 3 batters he faced. But despite allowing a double, an intentional walk, and a run scoring single, the game was still within reach at 3-2. It would be Roberto Rosado coming in to attempt to put out the fire, but instead issuing a bases loaded walk and a bases clearing double to Mario Tessier for the final margin of 7-2 in favor of New Jersey.

The season opening home stand will continue with 2 more games against NJ before Connecticut visits for three games, and at the end of the week the Calzones will take to the road for the first time this season to begin a 4 game series at Florida. Xavier Gomes will make the start today for the Calzones, with Alonso going in the finale against New Jersey.

After just 4 games, the Calzones pitching staff leads the league in ERA and starters ERA, both trends that the Calzones would love to see continue as the season continues to unfold. Offensively, there is some concern that the offense has managed but 2 HR on the season through the first four games, but a lot of encouraging signs in the 16 walks (4th in IL) and .340 OBP (also 4th in IL).

Calzones rookie manager Taizo Sugano hinted at a bullpen shakeup after last night's meltdown against New Jersey. "Yep only good for janitor," Sugano was quoted as saying. "Get him mop."

On the injury front, PJ Thomas is making decent progress and appears to be healing quickly from the fractured bone in his foot. The Calzones are expecting he could be back in the lineup no later than the next home stand, targeting April 25 against London for his return. Outfielder Lorenzo Castro returns from the DL and will be optioned to AAA Joplin.

Calzones Corner will issue the first player of the week award to LF ALex Cruz, who made life difficult for opposing pitchers by posting a .750 obp and drawing 5 walks in 3 games. There are already rumblings that the patient and powerful Cruz could pick up a few more of the at bats at DH over the next few weeks in an effort to keep his bat in the lineup.

The pitcher of the week will go to Hamilton Cole for his fine complete game debut performance for the Calzones.

In other news, the Calzones won exclusive negotiating rights with 17 yr old southpaw reliever Mario Chavez from the Dominican Republic. Chavez is a lefty who works off a meage fastball but has a devastating changeup. He displays excellent movement on his pitches, but needs to work on his control. The Calzone see him as highly developed for his age and if he can add a few feet to his fastball he could become a prospect within a couple of seasons. The Calzones hope to have him signed and in the minor league camp by next week.


AAA Joplin Red Racers

The Red Racers got the season off on the right foot with 3 straight wins, but closed out the week with a pair of losses to finish the week at 3-2, good enough for a first place tie with Cheasapeake. The Red Racers have two more games on tap at Chesapeake before starting a 4 game set with Jefferson City.

On the injury front, Pedro Hernandez left his start after 4 innings with a sprained ulanar collateral ligament and will miss about a month. Hernandez has pitched very well in his AAA debut, allowing 2 hits and one walk while striking out 5 over 4 innings and not allowing a run. Matt Howard, recently claimed on waivers from Duluth, will get moved into the rotation to replace Hernandez. With the more veteran Howard joining the rotation, Luis Rodriguez's first start of the season will be pushed back a few days. Howard will start today in place of Rodriguez, with Luis moving back two days as the organization tries to go easy on the youngster's arm this season.

SS Jesus Rodriguez has been demoted back to AA Monterey, to make room for another recent claim from Duluth, 3b Will George. George joins a solid group of infielders vying for the chance to make it San Antonio. George will take over as the primary shortstop for now as the team tries to find him some at bats, with Rich Bryant moving into a utility role full time. With Lorenzo Castro returning from the DL, Dale Higgins has also been demoted to AA. Castro will take over full time in centerfield where he did a nice job last season, with Gustavo Correa moving to the 4th outfielder role.

The Red Racers pitcher of the week goes to Augusto Cervantes, who pitched 8 solid innings in a 4-1 win over Newport News. Cervantes allowed 4 hits, and just a single run on a solo HR. He walked 3 and struck out 2.

The Red Racers batter of the week goes to Rich Gilligan, who batted .278 with 3 2b, a HR, and 5 RBI.



AA Monterey

The season started about as expected in Monterey, long the red headed step child of the Calzones organization, with 4 straight road losses before finally picking up a win in the home opener to finish the week at 1-4.

The pitcher of the week award goes to John Wood, who allowed 2 ER over 6 innings in his AA debut, allowing 7 hits, walking 1, and punching out 7. The southpaw Wood was a 10th rd draft pick just last season, and made only 4 starts at SSA Taku and 8 starts at A Drumright before being prematurely rushed to AA to begin 2015.

The hitter of the week goes to 3b Pi-ao Chen, who batted .353 for the week with 2 HR and 6 RBI. Still a bit young for the AA level, Chen should benefit from last years experience at AA at the premature age of 20 with no A-ball experience.


With Jesus Rodriguez being demoted back to AA, he will take over at 2b, while Tom Wilson and Carlos Dominguez will platoon at shortstop. 2b Victor Garcia has been demoted back to A ball to create the roster room. With Dale Higgins demotion to Monterey, Sergio Moya has returned to A Drumright. Higgins will assume the 4th outfielder role. Also in the outfield, Jeffrey Young struggled badly in centerfield and will move over to RF, while Dennis Waters will move into centerfield. Roberto Lugo will move over to left field.

The Sea Lions will continue the home stand with 2 more games against Rockville and then a 4 game set against Hampton.

A Drumright

With CF Sergo Moya and 2b Victor Garcia being demoted from AA, 3b Juan Carlos Flores and LF Hector Dominguez were returned to the minor league camp in Taku.

The Tornadoes will begin play on April 20 with a 4 game set against Jackson Hole.
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Re: Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

#6 Post by Matt »

San Antonio

After a 5-2 run to start the season, the Calzones have dropped thier last 4 to fall to 5-6 on the young season. The biggest issue has been an offense that is barely sputtering along. The Calzones were nearly no-hit by Roberto Cordova, only Luis Gonglas second career home in the 8th prevented Cordova from achieving the feat.

With the offense sputtering, the Calzones are abandoning the platoon at 3rd base and have called up Rich Gilligan for full time duty at the hot corner. Angel Gonzalez will move into a utility role, while Bill Kennedy will be given his unconditional release. Kennedy just didn't fit in a utility role, and the time to play Gilligan is now according to Calzones officials.

PJ Thomas is out for at least another week. Though he could come off the DL now, he has just begun taking batting practice and won't be ready for at least a few days. The Calzones, ever cautious with thier injured players, have circled the second game of the home series with London on the 25th of April for Thomas return.

Another huge concern for the Calzones right now is the defense in CF. With Flores struggling to adapt to center, look for Cruz to see some time there as well. Flores and Cruz will also split the leadoff role, depending on who is in the lineup on a given day. Dan Howard will return to the 2 hole where he performed so well last season. Until PJ THomas gets back, C Roman or DH Hicks will bat in the 3 hole, mainly depending on which catcher is in the lineup. With the struggles of Flores in CF, the Calzones are considering when and if they might bring up defensive wizard Ben Page to solve the problem.

More and more, it's looking like Lonnie Davis will be the odd man out when Thomas returns from the DL next week. Manager Sugano seems to be ready to hand the first base job to Austin McKee at any moment. Said one Calzones insider "Taizo just loves the guy, he's convinced McKee will be a star, and on the other side he's not a fan of Davis approach at the plate." With Davis having an option, he could be on the shuttle to Joplin when we write this column next week.

The Calzones also made a move on the pitching side, demoting Sheng Yep to AAA and calling up John Miller. The team wasn't really down on Yep, he hadn't pitched enough innings yet to get a real read on him, but was more concerned about having a secoond lefthander out in the bullpen to keep Ed Stanley from having to shoulder too big a load.

Since there has to bea batter of the week, let's hand it to Luis Gonglas, who hit .278 for the week with 2 doubles, a HR, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored.

The Pitcher of the week goes to closer Roberto Rosado, who picked up both Calzones wins on the week. In three appearances he pitched 3.1 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits, 0 walks, and punching out 4.

In other news, former Calzones pitcher Jerry Whitfield, who was the ace of the Calzones staff in their lone playoff season of 2007, has signed a 5 year deal with the organization. Though Whitfield's first duties will be as the hitting instructor at short season Taku, sources in the organization have told us they believe Whitfield will eventually be working in the scouting department.

The Calzones have 2 games remaining at Florida before a 3 game set at New Orleans. After an off day, the Calzones will return home for a weekend series against London.






AAA Joplin

The Red Racers were 5-2 on the week, raising their record to 8-4 on the season, good for first place and a one game lead over Chesapeake Bay. The Red Racers began the week by splitting a pair with Chesapeake, before throttling Jefferson City in a four game sweep. The week ended with a tough 8-7 loss at Raleigh. The Red Racers have two more at Raleigh before they come home for a 3 game set with New Brunswick.

The hitting star of the week goes to DH Norm Bruce, who was 7 for 13 on the week with a pair of solo HR. Bruce is batting .389 on the season, with 3 HR and a team leading 9 runs scored. Bruce has reached based safely in all 10 games he has played, and has a hit in 9 of the 10 games.

The pitching star of the week goes to Zheng-xin Tai, who picked up a victory in an 8-2 win over Jefferson City. Tai pitched 7 innings, allowing just 2 er while walking 1 and striking out 10.

Recently LF Raymond Hooper has been assigned to AAA Joplin. CF Gustavo Correa, who leads the team with 4 HR has been sent back to the minor league camp and could be designated for assignment in the near future. Hooper is 3 years younger, and it makes sense for the Calzones to replace an older guy like Correa with a younger and similiarly talented player. Hooper will assume the 4th outfielder role with Joplin.

With the off day on the 20th, Luis Rodriguez will be skipped in the rotation and have his next start pushed back to the 25th. The organization simply refuses to take any chances with the youngster's arm.

With the promotion of Gilligan to the big club, Jesus Rodriguez has been called back up to AAA Joplin and will return to the leadoff spot and play second base. Rodriguez had a fine one week 'vacation' in Monterey, hitting 3 doubles and 3 home runs while driving in 8.

With John Miller called up to the big club, Angel Garcia will move into the rotation in his spot for now, though the move is likely temporary. With 3 reasonable pitches, the organization would like to see if they can stretch Garcia out a bit and turn him into a left handed swing man. But considering that Garcia has not started a game on the mound since junior high school, the odds of him making that kind of transition seem long.




AA Monterey

3-4 for the week to bring the record to 4-8 on the season.

Batter of the week Jesus Rodriguez, whose 3 doubles, 3 HR, and 8 RBI paced the offense. For that, Jesus was recalled to AAA Joplin.

Pitcher of the week to Carlos Luna, who allowed 2 unearned runs in 6.1 innings in picking up his first win of the season. Goddard walked just 1 while striking out 3.


A Drumright

The Tornadoes will begin play this week, and all eyes will be on 19 yr old Allen Guthrie, who will pitch the opener. He had been slated to work out of the bullpen this year, but the team is excited enough by what they have seen this spring to let him pitch in the rotation. Rumors out of the organization are that Guthrie could be at AA by midseason, as the team see's no reason to hold him back if he proves he is ready.
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Re: Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

#7 Post by Matt »

The Calzones offense continues to sputter, and the team was just 2-4 for the week, lowering the overall record to 7-10 on the young season. The offense has managed more than 3 runs just 4 times since bolting out of the gate with a 3-0 start. Not surprisingly, the Calzones are 4-10 in that period.

The pitching staff, particularly the rotation, has been more than up to the task. The starters have allowed 2 or less runs in 11 of the Calzones 17 games, but have been victimized by lack of run support and more than occassional defensive lapses.

The Calzones offense will get a boost with the return of DH PJ Thomas from the disabled list. The Calzones have sorely needed his consistent veteran bat in the lineup in the 3 hole, and it is hoped that his return can energize the Calzones offense. To make room for Thomas on the roster, 1b Lonnie Davis was optioned to AAA Joplin, and young Austin McKee will take over at 1b on a full time basis.

The Calzones made one other roster move that the team hopes will help both offensively and defensively. Defense has been a huge concern early in the season, as the Calzones have allowed 13 unearned runs, matched only by Canton in all of PEBA for most unearned runs allowed. The teams -4.6 ZR is better than only the ZR numbers of Kentucky and Connecticut in the IL. And the main (and ONLY) trouble spot has been the key defensive position of centerfield, where Flores (-7.1) and Cruz (-1.8) have combined for a negative -8.9 ZR at the position. CF Ben Page was called up from Joplin to take over in centerfield for Fernando Flores, who has struggled with the transition to center. Flores will move over to left field, where he is much more experienced and should be a defensive plus (+18.2 ZR in RF with Yuma last season), giving the Calzones a much better defensive outfield alignment. With almost every other fielder on the Calzones having a plus or neutral ZR, if Page can solidify the defense in centerfield it should make the Calzones a much better team. The move of Flores to left will bump Brooks Erickson to the bench, while the promotion of Page resulted in Alex Cruz demotion to AAA Joplin. The Calzones would love to have kept Cruz on the roster, but with the need to fortify the defense Cruz became the odd man out for the moment. With Hicks out of options and Flores possessing strong defensive abilities at the corner outfield spot, Cruz lost out in the numbers game.

Calzones manager Sugano has indicated that the Calzones will re-work the lineup with the return of Thomas and the addition of Page. Look for Luis Gonglas, who has been the teams most consistent hitter this season, (.288, 4 doubles, 2 HR, 5 rbi) to move into the leadoff spot. Dan Howard will remain in his customary spot in the two hole, while Thomas will bat 3rd. Flores will shift back into the 5 hole where he started the season, behind Hernandez in the cleanup spot. Catcher Roman will bat 6th, with Mckee batting 7th, and the two recent rookie callups, Gilligan and Page, batting 8th and 9th respectively.

Because of the off day the Calzones had on the 23rd, Xavier Gomes will back up a day in the rotation, allowing Roberto Alonso to start on his normal 4 days of rest. With the off day on the 30th, Alonso will jump in front of Hendricks on the 2nd to again stay on his schedule, while Cole will this time jump over Gomes to again give the youngster an extra day of rest.


The hitting star of the week goes to RF Jose Hernandez, who has hit in 7 straight games to raise his average from .189 to .239. He has 3 doubles, 1 HR, and 3 RBI over that period.

The pitching star of the week goes to SP Danny 'Livewire' Hendricks, who pitched 8 shutout innings in an eventual 1-0 11 inning win over New Orleans. Hendricks allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2. In three starts this season, Hendricks has allowed 4 ER in 23.2 ip, a 1.52 ERA, allowed 15 hits and 7 walks for a 0.93 whip and .176 opponents avg. The poster boy for the non-support recieved by the starting staff early this season, all Hendricks has to show for his efforts is an 0-2 record. He has received a total of 2 runs of support in his three strips to the mound this season.

By the numbers - the 9 home runs allowed by the Calzones staff is the fewest allowed by any pitching staff in either league.

The Calzones continue the home stand with 2 more against London and 3 versus Arlington before departing on thier longest road trip of the year beginning friday in Kentucky, a 13 game trip that will also see them visit Charleston, Manchester and New Jersey.


AAA Joplin

The Red Racers were 3-3 for the week, bringing thier record on the young season to 11-7, good for first place as they retain a 1 game lead over both Fayetteville and Chesapeake Bay.

Angel Garcia's one start lasted 2.2 innings, and he has been shifted back to the bullpen. Joe Parsons will assume the rotation spot for now, at least until the return of Pedro Hernandez in a couple of weeks. Another recent waiver wire claim, Mal Mitchell, will move into the bullpen, while reliever Jose Saenz will be given an opportunity to start. Starter Fred Chase has been reassigned to the minor league camp and could be on his way out of the organization before too long. With Lonnie Davis demotion to AAA Joplin to make room for PJ Thomas on the Calzones roster, infielder Rich Bryant has been sent back to the minor league camp. Bryant, who turns 28 in July, is likely to be released before the amatuer draft barring an injury that would create a roster spot for him. Catcher Felix Garcia, a San Angelo, Texas native and a recent claim off the waiver wire, has been assigned to AAA Joplin and will assume share catching duties with Jeff Richard. To make room on the roster, Roberto Luna was demoted to AA Monterey where he could get more regular at bats in a starting role.

The hitting star of the week goes to SS Jesus Rodriguez, who batted .364 with a double and 5 stolen bags in the last 5 games since returning from AA Monterey.

The pitching star of the week goes to closer Antonio Estronza, who pitched 3 perfect in 3 appearances to notch 3 saves. He allowed no hits and no walks while punching out 3. In 8 appearances this season, Estronza has pitched 8 innings, allowed 4 hits and 1 ER, walking 2 and punching out 6. In those 8 appearances, he has notched 1 win and 7 saves. Estronza, who was picked up off waivers from Gloucester in December, is being given a long look by the team. While the scouting staff is not particularly high on Estronza, his numbers over his minor league career show a fair amount of success. Some in the Calzones organization believe he could be quite effective in a situational lefty role at the PEBA level.

By the numbers - The Red Racers rank first in the AML in slugging percentage with a .461 mark.

The Red Racers have two more games at Providence before coming home for a 3 game set against Jersey City. The Red Racers will then head right back out on the road for a weekend series at Allentown.


AA Monterey

The Sea Lions stumbled along to a 1-5 record this week, dropping their record to 5-13 on the season. Most dissappointing is the 4 losses by one run this week, bringing the total number of 1 run losses to 8 on the season for the struggling Sea Lions.

The hitting star of the week goes to 1b Roy McGuire. McGuire, drafted in the 15th round by Palm Springs last year, was released a week later and signed a minor leage contract with San Antonio in September. After just 18 at bats with short season Taku in September, (.500/.609/.889, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 BB), McGuire skipped A ball and started the season at AA. Over his last 5 games McGuire is 13 for 20 (.650) with a double, 3 HR, and 6 RBI. He has now batted safely in 9 straight games, and is batting .373 on the season with 3 HR and 11 RBI.

The pitching star of the week goes to hard throwing young left hander Ted Goddard, who held Delaware to 1 run on 4 hits over 6.1 innings. He would walk 1 and strike out 5 in the outing. The bullpen would eventually allow a 9th inning run to lose the game 2-1. Goddard is now 1-1 with a 1.86 ERA on the season, allowing just 4 ER in his 3 starts covering 19.1 innings. He has allowed just 4 walks while striking out 13. Goddard, who struggled with his control while playing in Mexico, has opened eyes with his quality work so far this season, especially the ability to throw strikes. A southpaw with a 98 mph heater, Goddard could be a valuable commodity if he continues to show good control.

By the numbers - starters ERA of 5.99 is 12th in the AMAL. Outside of Goddard, the young staff has really struggled day in and day out.

With Roberto Luna's demotion to AA, C Frank Nichols was reassigned to A Drumright.

The Sea Lions have two more games at Delaware before coming home for a 6 game homestand against Maine and Beufort.


A Drumright

The Tornadoes opened the A ball season with a 3-2 mark over the first 5 games. All eyes were on 19 year old Allen Guthrie as he made his A ball debut in the opener, but a long rain delay would cut his first start short. He did pitch 3.2 innings of shutout ball, allowing 3 hits, not walking a batter, and punching out 4. However, because of the nature of that start, with the long rain delay, the Calzones organization will err on the side of caution and back Guthrie up a day in the rotation, allowing him an extra day of rest as well as the opportunity to again start at home instead of on the road.

The pitching star of the week goes to Jose Silva who appeared in all 5 games this week, notching 2 of the teams 3 wins, and allowing just 1 run 4.1 innings. He allowed 3 hits and did not walk a batter while punching out 7.

The hitting star of the week goes to Reginald Brown, who batted .368 for the week, with 3 doubles, a triple, and a HR. He had 2 RBI, walked 4 times, and scored 8 runs. The tenth round pick in 2013 batted .344 at Taku last season, and appears to be picking up where he left off. An honorable mention has to go to Sergio Moya, who had 5 at bats for the week. All in pinch hit roles. 2 hits. Both pinch home runs. The first, a pinch hit grand slam on the 21 st, would account for the final 4 runs of the Tornadoes 9-6 victory over Jackson Hole. The second home run, a 2 run shot, would turn a 10-9 deficit into an 11-10 lead in an eventual 13-10 Tornadoes victory. Despite just 5 at bats on the young season, Moya leads the team in HR with 2 and RBI with 6.

Reliever Ricardo Ganoa has been placed on the disabled list with a mild shoulder strain and should only miss two weeks. Reliever Vicente Robles was called up from the minor league camp to take his place. C Frank Nichols return to A ball has resulted in David Aguilera returning to the minor league camp. Nichols will assume the caddy role behind starting catcher Carl Head. Another roster change this week has 3b Juan Carlos Flores returning to Taku while 1b Miguel Sanchez gets called up to Drumright to assume the DH role. The organization is reluctant to keep the 22 yr old Flores at Taku for another season, but they aren't happy with his lack of progress to this point in his career. "It's a tough call with Juan Carlos," one Calzones insider told us. "When a player comes out of college, the Calzones expect him to play at Taku for one season. No more, no less. Despite what the scouts think of his potential with the bat, he's just not ready to unseat any of the guys we have at Drumright. And with Salazar and Murillo, a pair of younger guys who both show better power potential, better defense, and better speed, Flores is in danger of being out of a job by draft day if he doesn't make some quick progress in the minor league camp."

In addition to the demotion of Flores, 3b Andre Johnson was also demoted, while SS Glenn Hendricks was called up. The team felt Hendricks was more ready than Johnson to handle time at the A ball level, and made the switch.

The Tornadoes have two more games at Porstmouth before returning home for a 4 game set with Cary.



SS-A Taku

It's still more than 6 weeks until the first year player draft on June 7th, but the organization is busily evaluating talent at all levels as it formulates draft strategy. The biggest rumblings we have heard from the organization is that they might be willing to trade down with their pick at #24 in the first round. "Depth is the issue," one Calzones insider told us. "The organization is leaning towards the idea of moving that 1st round pick to get a couple picks a little lower, if they can find a reasonable deal. Some in the organization just aren't happy with the depth in the pitching ranks in particular."

The team is likely to concentrate heavily on pitching in the draft, though skill positions like SS, C, and CF may not be overlooked if they can find the right player available in their draft slots.

A position by position breakdown of the Taku Winds.

Catcher - the organization always carries 3 catchers at the lowest level. Unless the Calzones draft a catcher from the college ranks, 21yr old Carlos Ortiz could get the starting nod. The organization likes his defense and speed on the basepaths, as he is not typically slow as most catchers are. But they have serious doubts about his bat, and will have to answer those questions in a hurry. 19 yr old Antonio Ayala is likely to be the backup. Ayala has some decent power potential, but the 6th rd pick from last season still has a long way to go with the bat. He batted .095 in limited at bats last season after having hit 10 HR while batting .405 in his senior year of high school. Dani Mendoza is an 18 yr old with at least some power, but his defense is somewhat below the Calzones standards at this point. His bat is considered a little more developed than Ayala, and he could at some point jump Ayala in the pecking order.

First base - the Winds have three 1b on the roster right now, but are likely to carry only two. The insiders for the 1b job are the two Octavio's, Padilla and Ortega, as both have plus power potential. But the organization isn't rulling out David Aguilera making the squad as a 1b. Aguilera is being asked to convert from catcher, and while he doesn't have the power potential of Padilla, he does seem to have the potential to be a more well rounded batter.

Second base - with 3 on the roster and only two likely to make the squad, Jose Balderas and Maximo Lopez would seem to have the inside track. Balderas has a very selective eye at the plate and good range, while Lopez is a guy who makes consistent contact. The 18 yr old Roberto Martinez has more speed than either, but is projected to lack power or real on base skills.

Third base - it's virtually a given that Carlos Salazar and Antonio Murrillo make the squad, as both possess plus speed, howitzer arms, and some power potential, as well as leadership abilities. Which likely leaves the slow developing Juan Carlos Flores and Andre Johnson hoping for an opening at Drumright or looking for jobs elsewhere. Give Johnson the edge on the first opening that arises, with Flores needing a bit more help.

Shortstop - Javier Rodriguez has the inside track to one roster spot, by virtue of his defense and speed. The other spot is impossible to handicap, as Alejandro Gomez and Hugo Morales both have their strengths and weaknesses. Both are solid defensively, though Morales a tad better, while Gomez has a little better speed.

Outfield - a plethora of candidates, 17 to be exact, on the roster right now, and the Winds are likely to carry only 8. Breaking the candidates down into three categories. Those looking for a promotion, those likely to make the squad in a perfect world, and those who should be working on their resumes.

Looking for a promotion - Lucio Salinas has great speed and good range, but he also turns 21 prior to the draft and his small stature works against him in the Calzones organization. He likely won't be sticking around at Taku as the team is likely to go younger, so he would need an opening at Drumright to get a shot. Juan Soto has two seasons of short season ball under his belt and has great speed, but will 21 after the season and not likely to fit in with the youngish roster the Winds are forecast to field. Hector Dominguez is another guy with two seasons under his belt, and he has shown a surprising eye at the plate as well as good speed. The Calzones would love to have him stick around, but he really needs the promotion to do it. Likely to be first in line for an opening.

Likely to make the squad - 17 yr Anastacio Valencia projects to hit for at least decent contact, have plus speed, and passable defense, and the organization can easily seeing him growing into something more. He likely has a bench role as one of the 8 outfielders. Call him #8. 19 yr old RF Juan Carlos Mercado projects to have plus discipline at the plate, solid hands in the field, and the Calzones like his leadership ability. He gets knocked a bit for his lack of range or true speed, so it is hoped that his power will develop. Call him #7. Pedro Guzman was a 16 yr old kid our scouts likened to Willie Mays when we signed him to an absurd contract last August. This spring they are not quite as high on him as they were 8 months ago, but he still projects to have some power, speed, and defense, though not enough to justify what we are paying him. (Or what we are paying the scouting department, for that matter.) But he sticks around for now, we did manage to sneak him off the 40 man roster and won't have to burn those remaining options for a while, so he gets a chance to develop. Guzman is #6. 17 yr old Ramon Mendoza can be projected as a future leadoff hitting centerfielder, he has great speed, the ability to make contact, and great range in the outfield. The team also likes the way he handles himself in the clubhouse. Mendoza is #5. 19 yr old Jose Varaza has good power potential, but lacks speed and might only be an adequate corner outfielder. But if he develops into the power some scouts think he might have, he is worth keeping around. Call Varaza #4. 18 yr old Bong-hwan Kim has been in the organization for two years. He has passable speed, is sort of lumbering in the outfield, and he hasn't caught fire with the bat yet. But he will be given a third year at the tender young age to prove himself, as at least some scouts expect big things from his bat someday. Likely to be the starter in left field, call Kim #3. Sergio Ortiz had a solid senior season of high school ball before the Calzones drafted him with the first pick of the 8th round last season. He didn't do much in limited at bats, but he has plus speed and a cannon for an arm. The Calzones are still hopeful that the bat can grow into something they hoped to see with those fine HS numbers in 2014. Call Ortiz #2, and the likely starter in RF. And who is #1 and plays CF? Good question. Could it be answered on draft day, or will the centerfielder come from one of the group on the bubble? Only time will tell, though there rumblings in the organization to bring in a solid centerfielder this draft.



Should be working on their resumes - after a fine senior year of high school ball, Pat McCain regressed at the pro level and scouts are beginning to take notice. Coupled with the fact that he bats from the left side, and his days are numbered. Luis Sandoval has some power, but that is combined with little speed, no range, and a huge hole in his swing. Mario Otero will turn 21 prior to the short season commencing, and is in much the same boat as 3b Flores in that he is rather undeveloped for his age. Francisco Vasquez has good speed and a strong arm, but his lack of range and meager plate discipline as well as left handed bat make him a borderline candidate at best to hang around. He should start typing. Raul Flores has power, speed, defense, and a huge hole in his swing. Unlikely to stick around. Andres Maynes has some power potential, but his speed and defense are adequate at best and his ability to hit for average might hold him back. Domingo Lopez clearly lacks talent and will be gone as well.
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Re: Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

#8 Post by Matt »

The loss of Danny Hendricks for the remainder of the season leaves us much too clinically depressed to write Calzones Corner this week. :cry:
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Re: Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

#9 Post by Matt »

And Roberto Alonso this week, adios season. :cry:

The rotation will now be headed up by Millard Wooten. Yeah, this won't be pretty. :-P
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Re: Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

#10 Post by Matt »

No time for a full Calzones Corner for at least the next two sim cycles. (Thanks Toyota, I'm loving working around the clock. :evil: ) So just the highlights.

3-3 week, 2 of the wins complete game shutouts by Cole and Bush. The Calzones lead PEBA with 7 shutout victories (have I mentioned at least a thousand times that the first five were all 1-0).

Hamilton Cole has been superb, despite the 2-4 record he has an era of an even 3.00, 7 of his 9 starts have been quality, and even one of the non-quality was a complete game loss (8 ip, 4 er). His only clunker of the year came....at.....MANCHESTER. That park is just a house of horrors for Cole, for whatever reason.

Cole leads PEBA in complete games with 4. Cole had been mentioned in trade rumors, but insiders say that with the Calzones suddenly 2 games back of first in an upside down Dixie Division, they may be reluctant to trade the rejuvenated Cole "just yet".

Miller will get another start in the rotation after a fair outing, while Gomes will shift into the bullpen for a bit with Valentin getting another run at the rotation. The team prefers Valentin in the bullpen where he has performed very well, but worry about asking Gomes to work too many innings at his young age, especially just off an injury to close last season.

Brooks Erickson has worn out his welcome. Brought in to be half a platoon, he's been a complete buffoon. .221 and no HR, coming to a waiver wire near you. Bobby Wilder called up as well as Fernando Flores, while Ben Page sent back out. With SS Gonglas coming back from the DL, the team will be farming Lonnie Davis to make room. Will George will move over to 1b. George posted a .400 obp in his first week with the team and helped spark the offense.

19 of next 25 on the road for the Calzones.
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Re: Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

#11 Post by Matt »

It's rumored that SP Albert Bush may not be going anywhere after all. As one Calzones insider told us, the price is just too high, scaring off most teams. The insider told us the Calzones are looking for a very specific type of deal, one which would land them a young middle infielder who can help "very soon", a second prospect, and a 1st AND 2nd rd draft choice.

"PEBA GM's are notoriously cheap" the insider told us. "No way that pay that price. For one, very few teams have that young middle infielder that can help the team now. But all indications are Trader Matt just won't move Bush for the sake of moving him. With a pitcher like Bush, who a team could plug into their rotation for the rest of the decade at least, he's looking to get a deal that really helps the team in multiple areas. Otherwise he will just hold onto Bush. He see's no reason to make a deal just to make a deal."
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Re: Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

#12 Post by John »

Just you wait, 'Enry 'Iggins. We'll see how long GMs keep playing hardball as the trade deadline looms closer and divisions are still as bunched up as they are. It only takes one dance partner...

-- posted by farelaydee07 @ 3:04 p.m.
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Re: Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

#13 Post by Matt »

Calzones Corner
July 5th, 2015
Part 1

A few interesting signings of note over the last couple of weeks by the Calzones. Let's lead off with the most interesting of them. This past week the team signed 19 year old middle reliever Enrique Cruz out of San Juan Puerto Rico. The lanky right hander can tip 95 mph on the radar gun, and has a nasty splitter that he mixes in with his heater. He worked mainly as a starting pitcher in college in Puerto Rico (where evidently kids start college at 14?), and in 2013 he posted a 6-3 mark with a 3.70 ERA and 100 K in 99.2 ip, while ealking 39. Some scouts rate his stuff off the chart, but he may need to work on his control. Projected as a possible setup man someday by the Calzones scouting department, they did point out that it is worth remembering that he started in college and he has the stamina to possibly do so again, provided he learns a 3rd pitch. Even more interesting, they say, is that if the pitching thing doesn't work out, he also projects fairly well in the outfield, as he batted .318 with a .369 obp and hit 9 Hr with 46 RBI and 32 SB in 49 games in the outfield in college. He has good range in the outfield, projects to average power, and has world class speed. Asked about their plans for Cruz, one Calzones official smiled and told us "Think Brooks Kieschnick". The Calzones gave Cruz a 3 year major league contract at approx 914k per year. He will start the season in Taku, and split time between middle relief and left field.

The second most interesting signing was that of LF Felix Mendez. The 27 year old switch hitting Mendez was released by the Bakersfield organization on June 14th, and 8 days later signed a 3 yr contract with an avg value of 814k with the Calzones. Despite having never played at the PEBA level, Mendez was plugged right into left field as the Calzones were missing Jose Hernandez and Sherman Hicks who were on the DL. Mendez batted .320 in his first week in PEBA, with 2 doubles, an RBI, 2 stolen bases, and 6 runs scored, giving the Calzones flat-lining offense a weak flutter of a heartbeat for a change. Mendez hit 25 HR and knocked in 80 in 2014 at AA, batting .293 with a .383 OBP. He also chipped in 17 stolen bases. Granted, he was 26 yrs old, but it's hard to snicker at 25 HR and 80 RBI no matter the level or age. He has a plus arm in the outfield, but his range limits him to a corner position. He's not a burner, but his speed is a plus and he has great instincts on the basepaths. He will struggle against a left handed pitcher, but he has a good enough skill set that if he doesn't become over exposed he could have decent success. With Hernandez owning RF and Page seemingly in charge in CF, Mendez will join a crowd vying for time in left field that includes Hicks, Bobby Wilder, Lorenzo Castro, and Fernando Flores. For now Hicks remains on the DL and Flores is at AAA Joplin learning the centerfield position, but Mendez addition definately gives the team multiple options in their crowded outfield.

The last interesting signing was that of 23 yr old 1b Brian King, also a refugee from the Bakersfield organization. King moves well around the bag for a big man, and his defensive abilities could one day earn him an all-leather award. More importantly, he shows tremendous power potential. Despite somewhat limited at bats, his numbers in the Bakersfield organization were quite good. At A ball in 2014, King amasses 176 at bats, hitting 14 doubles, 10 HR, 45 RBI, while walking 38 times producing an average of .318, obp of .447, and VORP of 23.6. And that was just 50 games. At AA in 2015, 206 at bats have produced 16 doubles, 10 HR, 49 RBI, 24 walks, a .316 avg, .394 OBP, and 21.4 VORP in 58 games. Scouts aren't drooling all over King. YET. But the numbers suggest the scouts may be behind the curve with this young thumper.

The Calzones are 11-9 over thier last 20 games, and at least some insiders on the team have suggested that the jettisoning of cancerous veterans Millard Wooten and Brooks Erickson may be at least partly responsible for the Calzones recent run of success. The team remains dead least in the IL in most offensive categories, but over the last 12 games they have scored 65 runs, or 5.42 per game. Much of that surge could be contributed to 3b Rich Gilligan, but he has now gone on the DL for the next month with a quadriceps strain. Gilligan was extremely hot in the month of June, batting .397 in 19 games, with 5 doubles, 3 HR, and 12 RBI while scoring 13 runs. His bat will be sorely missed by the Calzones meager offense. Gilligan will be replaced for now by journeyman Josh Emery. Emery was claimed this week off waivers from Manchester. The veteran has 3 30+ HR/100+ RBI seasons to his credit, but his .300 career obp is less than inspiring. He's also a left handed batter, not the best fit for the Calzones given the home ballpark dimensions, but he is a veteran and he can add some pop to a lineup that has lacked a consistent home run threat all season long.

The Calzones MVP to this point in the season is without a doubt closer Roberto Rosado. Without Rosado's lights out performance late in games, the Calzones are likely buried a lot a deeper than what they presently are. On the season Rosado have made 32 appearances, posting a 6-2 record, compiled 18 saves, posted an 0.92 ERA and 0.82 WHIP. He has allowed just 3 ER all season, has not allowed a HR, and has blown only one save opportunity. Without a doubt, not only should Rosado be the Calzones representative at this season's all-star game, he deserves to be voted in, not selected by the all-star manager merely to represent the Calzones.

Rumors surrounding the possible trade of San Antonio native and Calzones de facto ace Albert Bush continue to circulate, with the most recent rumor that the Calzones were engaged in negotiations with the Manchester Maulers and that a deal was imminent. When we asked Calzones GM Matt Higgins about the rumor, he stated "nothing could be further from the truth."

Despite the denials, it's hard to not believe there is at least some truth behind the rumors. With Calzones owner Cledus Snow refusing to give the GM a vote of confidence this past week, it's thought that Trader Matt is coming under increased pressure to get things turned around, and soon. A Calzones insider explained to us that there has been "an immense amount of tension" in the front office the last few weeks. "Look" the insider told us, "Snow wants results. He still has faith in his GM, but he's been putting a boot in his behind to get it done. Snow doesn't want excuses."

When I pressed the insider about why the Calzones would deal their ace, he explained. "The Calzones don't want to deal Bush. The GM doesn't want to deal Bush. But he wants to keep his job. Bush is his most marketable piece, and with the playoff races as wide open as ever in 3 of the 4 divisions, he see's an opportunity to get a good value. When we went over what we had and what we need, it came down to marketing Bush as the best way to get from point A to point B. We see guys like Stanley and Hernandez developing better than expected, and view them as viable options in the rotation much more than we did at the beginning of the season. We also like the progress Luis Rodriguez is making at AAA, and he could be ready to join the bullpen later this season and eventually work his way into the rotation next year. We still have Gomes and Valentin. Miller is also an option, and Guthrie down at A ball looks like he will be a quick study and ready in two more years. We should have Alonso and Hendricks ready and healthy at the beginning of next season. So we have options. But we aren't just looking for any deal. The boss has made it clear that he's looking for a win on this deal or Bush is staying put."

The Calzones are 11th in PEBA in total attendance, but with slightly fewer home games so far than some teams, a more telling statistic is that the Calzones are 6th in PEBA in attendance per game, and not trailing the 5th spot by all that much. The team is 13th in the league in gate revenue and also 13th in the league in merchandising. The Calzones are actually on a pace to have thier best attendance ever, but whether they can maintain that pace remains to be seen. With popular but unproductive players like Brooks Erickson and Millard Wooten gone, it remains to be seen if fans will continue to fill the park as the team slides it's way towards another losing season. The team does seem to be marketing agressively, but it might be hard to draw 36000+ in late August if the team does not find a way to make things on the field interesting for the long haul.

The Calzones will send the struggling Xavier Gomes to the bullpen yet again. Sergio Valentin will move back into the rotation for now. Jose Hernandez comes off the DL this week, and is expected to just DH his first week back. Expect Fernando Flores to go to AAA Joplin to work on his defense "for a while".
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Re: Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

#14 Post by Matt »

Calzones Corner
July 5th, 2015
Part 2


San Antonio -

Pitcher star of the week - Albert Bush. Bush was absolutely masterful in his complete game victory over Manchester, allowing just 5 hits, not walking a batter and striking out 5 in the Calzones 6-1 victory. The only run allowed by Bush was on a solo HR to Carlos Magana in the 9th inning. Magana had 3 of the 5 hits off Bush. Bush needed just 88 pitches to dispose of the Maulers. It was Bush's second complete game of the season, ironically the other was also against the Maulers on May 24th, an 8-0 Calzones victory. In that outing Bush allowed 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 6. It appears Mr. Bush has OWNERSHIP of the Maulers. Bush is now 7-3 on the season with a 3.12 ERA. Bush has been a notorious slow starter in his first few seasons with the Calzones, but appears to have caught his groove much earlier this season.

Honorable mention goes to Ed Stanley, who started twice, pitched 11.1 innings, allowed just 2 ER and picked up one victory.

The hitting star of the week - CF Ben Page, who batted .320 with a HR and 9 RBI for the week. Page has 2 HR and 10 RBI in his last 8 games overall.On the season Page is batting .266 with 4 HR, 21 RBI, and 11 stolen bases.


Honarable mentions go to rookie Felix Mendez who batted .320 for the week and SS Dan Howard who also batted .320 for the week with a .393 OBP.



AAA Joplin -

Pitching star of the week - Luis Rodriguez. Rodriguez, the former first round pick, allowed 1 ER in 7.1 ip in the Red Racers 7-3 victory over Raleigh on July 1st. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while punching out 6. Rodriguez is now 5-4 on the season in 11 starts, posting a 3.57 ERA in 80.2 innings while walking 21 and and punching out 72. Rodriguez, who stumbled early in his minor league career and suffered from so notorious bad luck, has seemingly found his groove over the course of the last two seasons. The Calzones are ready to move him into the bullpen as early as September (or sooner?) and have slated him for a rotation spot by 2017.


Hitting star of the week - RF Juan Aguilera. Shuffled to Joplin due to injuries at the upper levels of the organization, Aguilera had a huge first week at Joplin, batting .440 with 3 HR and 7 RBI. The team would like Aguilera to return to AA for more seasoning when other outfielders get more healthy, but a demotion is going to be hard to justify if he keeps hitting like he did this past week.

Honora ble mentions - 1b James McJannett and LF Norm Bruce. McJannett, a 6th round draft choice just last season, hit .467 this past week with a double, triple, and 4 RBI. Having spent a good part of the early season on the bench, McJannett is batting .260 with 3 HR and 12 RBI in 100 AB. LF Bruce batted .385 with 6 doubles and 1 HR for the week. Widely scene within the organization as the team's eventual DH in Laredo, Bruce has batted .309 on the season with 24 doubles, 7 hr, and 26 RBI in 220 AB.


AA Monterey -

Pitching star of the week - SP Mark Walker. Walker pitched 8.1 innings to pick up the victory on June 29th, an 8-2 win over Hampton. Making his debut for Monterey, Walker allowed just 2 runs on 6 hits while walking 2 and striking out 5. The 23 yr old southpaw, a native of Houston, Texas, was an 11th round selection of the Crystal Lake organization in 2013 and an A ball all star in 2014, but was released by the Sandgnats on June 14th. The Calzones, who see Walker as a project with possibly enough potential to someday make the very bottom of the rotation, signed Walker on June 22nd.

Hitting star of the week - CF Bob Moran. A 4th round draft choice just weeks ago, Moran made his debut at AA after a mere 10 plate appearances in the low minors. He responded by batting .346 in his first week, with a .433 obp, chipping in a double, a triple, 3 RBI, and stealing 6 bases.

Honorable mention - 1b Jorge Mojica. Mojica batted .450 in his debut week at AA. A left handed hitter with decent power, Mojica has shown a much better eye at the plate than scouts credit him for, and at just 20 yrs old could combine that plate discipline with his plus power to someday be considered a prospect.



A Drumright -

Pitching star of the week - MR Lorenzo Portillo. Portillo pitched in all 7 games this week, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing 1 unearned run on 5 hits, 0 walks, and 2 strikeouts.

Hitting star of the week - 2b Tom Swanson. This years 5th round pick by the Calzones, Swanson made his debut at Drumright and batted .333 for the week, with 3 doubles, a HR, 3 RBI, and he also pilfered two bags.


SSA Taku

Pitching star of the week - MR Mario Chavez. A 17 yr old southpaw who was signed on the International market this past off season, the soft tossing Chavez piched 5 shutout innings in 4 relief appearances this week, allowing just 1 hit and 2 walks while fanning two batters. On the season Chavez has allowed just 5 hits in 11.2 innings and posted a 1.54 ERA.
honorable mention - MR Dan Hipfl, who pitched 5.1 innings of shutout ball in 4 appearances out of the bullpen. Hipfl has a 1.29 ERA in 7 appearances on the young season.

Hitting star of the week - LF Bong Hwan Kim. The 18 yr old 3rd year player batted .296 with a .387 OBP this past week, with 2 doubles and 3 triples as well as 4 RBI.
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Re: Calzones Corner - A baseball blog

#15 Post by Matt »

One of the more pleasant surprises to this point in the season has been the work of young southpaw Pedro Hernandez. Called up to the big club after just 3 starts at Joplin, Hernandez served briefly in the bullpen before moving to the rotation. He has allowed 2 or fewer earned runs in 5 of his 6 starts, with just one clunker at Manchester mixed in. Even more impressively for the rookie, 5 of those 6 starts have been on the road and he has held his own just nicely. Originally signed with the idea that he might develop into a setup man, we chose to ignore the scouting department and simply ride the horse that was producing, and so far it is paying off. Hernandez is 3-2 2.63 so far in his young career.

Another pitcher who has been hot of late has been southpaw Ed Stanley, another guy we envisioned in the bullpen who has begun to bloom in the rotation. After some rockiness in his first stint in the rotation, Stanley recently returned from an extended exile to the bullpen and has really opened some eyes. In his last four starts, Stanley has allowed 3 ER over 26.2 innings. Stanley is 4-2 3.45 on the season.

Luis Rodriguez joins the bullpen this week. The former 1st round pick has opened eyes at Joplin this year, and looks as if he is ready to finally blossom. In 12 starts at Joplin, Rodriguez posted a 6-4 mark with a 3.40 ERA. With the departure of Bush, Luis will be given a chance to get some work in out in the bullpen over the remainder of the season, and could compete for a rotation slot as early as next spring.
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