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.
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.