2012 Lexington Legends Update: Moving On

NOV 3rd, 2013-Baseball is a beautiful game. It's a play in nine innings on green diamonds and dirt fields, a traveling show making appearances worldwide. There's simply nothing quite like it.

But it's not all peanuts and Cracker Jack. There are parts of the game at the professional level which are hard to accept; the worst of these necessary evils is the premature end of a player's career.

Every year, dozens of players are handed their walking papers. Sometimes, they're players who have been in the game for years and never made it to the top; often, they've been pros for little more than one or two seasons. For many reasons, reasons which are moot from the player's point of view, they are sent home with the pieces of their broken dreams crammed into their equipment bags. Veteran or rookie, none are immune to the dreaded Unconditional Release.

Now that the 2013 season has drawn to a close (congratulations to the Red Sox; they certainly earned it), some of the boys who graced our field here at The Bank have suffered this very fate. The needs of the organization, and so on and so forth. Hardly matters when you're the one who's been told that your services are no longer needed. Some of this will be old news for you folks, but I like to catch up with the guys when I am able. (Note: some of these players were released before the 2013 season began.)


Batters:

Jay Austin, CF
2013 Stats: none

Drafted in 2008 by the Astros in the 2nd round, Austin was a speedy outfielder who stole 54 bases in 2010 with the Lancaster JetHawks. However, he bounced between Class A Lexington and High-A Lancaster from 2011-12 and never truly seemed to progress with the bat. While he may still catch on with another team, his chances are now limited at best. He's a 23 year-old OF with no time above High-A; he'd have a long road ahead of him, if he came back now.

James Howick, SS
2013 Stats: none

A 21st round pick in 2011, Howick had a great deal of trouble adjusting to pro pitching. At times he seemed out-matched in the field, as well. One thing I noted about him, however, is that he could do the little things very well; hitting the runner over or laying down a bunt was well within his ability. I still feel like he could have progressed into a reliable utility infielder, but without his being able to produce offensively he won't get that chance with the Astros.


Zach Johnson, 1B
2013 Stats: 62 games, 232 PA, 12 R, 16 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 27 RBI, .271/.339/.440

Now here's one that I don't understand. Johnson was a bonafide run producer (38 2B, 15 HR, 108 RBI with the 2012 Legends), and he drew a lot of walks without sacrificing ABs or becoming too passive with the bat. He handled first base adeptly and I figured he'd at least project as an above-average DH in the Majors. With Houston now in the AL, he could have been a useful bat to have in such an anemic lineup. Just can't figure that one out. (Timothy De Block and the fine, fine crew at The Crawfish Boxes have info on this move on their August 9th podcast.)

Jordan Kreke, 2B
2013 Stats: none
(Obtained via trade with Atlanta prior to the 2012 season)

A 13th round pick by the Braves in 2009, Kreke appeared to be on his way to developing into a useful and steady glove off the bench. As often happens with middle infield specialists, the glove was willing but the bat was weak (apologies, Jordan). I felt like he could have been utilized a bit more than he was, but while his 49 PA in Class AAA Oklahoma City were promising (.273 BA, .347 OBP), he was a victim of the number crunch; younger players coming up, and no real place for him on the ML roster. I would like to have seen what he could have done with even half a season at Triple-A.


Pitchers:

Tanner Bushue, RHP
2013 Stats (Low-A Tri-City ValleyCats): 3-4, 5.14 ERA, 13 G, 7 GS, 49 IP, 40 HA, 28 ER, 7 HRA, 13 BB, 40 K, 5 HBP

What The Heck, Bobby? reported on Bushue's voluntary retirement a few days ago. I know that he had struggled with injuries as far back as 2011 (strained hip, if I remember correctly), and it seems that he never was truly healthy after that. His overall numbers and peripherals weren't all that bad (7.3 HA/9, 2.4 BB/9, 7.3 K/9), but what concerned me about him was his slight build. Bushue has a smallish frame, especially for his height, but I think he'd be a great asset in the 'pen. He's still only 22, and if he chose to come back (assuming he is healthy, again) I think most any team would be lucky to have him in their system. Bushue had one of the best curves I've ever seen come through Lexington, and he could change speeds well.


Dayan Diaz, RHP
2013 Stats (AZL Cubs, Daytona Cubs, Tennessee Smokies): 3.00 ERA, 13 G, 5 GF, 21 IP, 16 HA, 7 ER, 9 BB, 29 K)

Diaz had an explosive fastball and a hard-breaking slurve, and lit up the radar gun at The Bank on a regular basis. A mid-to-high 90's heater will make you stand up and take notice. He pitched with the Cubs organization in 2013 but struggled with injuries for much of the season. If he could get his health back on track, he'd certainly be worth a second look. At 24 now, however, the numbers game is not working in his favor.


Nathan Pettus, RHP
2013 Stats: none

Another player with whom Father Time caught up, Pettus had his struggles with the 2012 Legends. While his overall numbers weren't great, I felt like he was a valuable middle reliever and occasional short man. His 37 walks in 63 innings tended to come back and bite him, but he was most certainly a fighter on the mound.

Scott Zuloaga, LHP
2013 Stats: none

Zuloaga is on the voluntarily retired list, having dealt with injuries throughout 2012. A lefty sidearmer, he pitched in only 5 games with Lexington. Personally, I'd love to have a port-side submarine slinger in my 'pen. He's only 23, so he could potentially sign on with another organization (assuming he's healthy). Again, the numbers game is against him.


This was just a tiny bit about the 2012 Legends who are no longer in the game. Some of it may come across as a little too frank for some folks, and I can understand that. I'm as big a fan of the game of baseball as anyone you're likely to meet, but sometimes the game can be cruel. There's no real way to sugarcoat a player's release or retirement. Every player who turns pro is aware of this fact, and for many of them there is a deep-seated fear that they harbor: the fear that their career will be cut far shorter than they ever imagined. That, unfortunately, is the nature of professional baseball. Some players are advanced, others are released, and sometimes there's no obvious reason for either transaction.

Whatever happens for these former pros, we wish them all the best in their future endeavors. If I could offer them any advice (if they were desperate enough to ask me), I would remind them that they are all far more than just baseball players; they all have their whole lives ahead of them, and I hope that they find success and happiness in whatever the future brings.

Player Interview: Murilo Gouvea, RHP, Houston Astros (MiLB)

MAY 28th, 2013-With the introduction of the World Baseball Classic, there have been a number of memorable performances. On the biggest stage imaginable, players who many of us have never seen before have made amazing defensive plays, slugged moonshots against dominant pitchers, and carved up batting orders like your Dad carved the turkey at Thanksgiving.

On that subject (pitching, not Thanksgiving), one such pitching performance in this past WBC tournament was especially memorable for fans of the Lexington Legends. That performance came during a pivotal game in the qualifying round for a team who had yet to make it to the Tournament proper: that was Team Brazil, an emerging baseball power with a great deal of talent on its roster, already. Indeed, the Seattle Mariners have just signed Brazilian 17 year-old RHP Daniel Missaki to a minor-league contract (terms are thus far undisclosed), who pitched in the 1^st round of the WBC vs. Team China. While he made only one appearance in the tournament, it was one in which he entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs. Missaki induced a ground-out from China RF Yanyong Yang to escape trouble (more on other Brazilian signees, later).

Gouvea brings it for the Legends

For you Legends fans out there, the big moment came in the qualifying round when RHP Murilo Gouvea hit the mound in relief against a heavily-favored Team Panama, who Brazil had already narrowly beaten in the first game of the round by a score of 3-2. In fact, Brazil was considered least-likely to advance beyond the qualifier, but strung together three straight victories against favored opponents to advance for the first time, ever.

Gouvea had already dealt properly with Panama once in the first game, when he went 3 1/3 strong innings, allowing only two hits and striking out three in shutting down Panama's offense entirely. He threw 29 of 48 pitches for strikes in this outing, recording 8 of his 10 outs on either grounders or strikeouts. In their second time around against the Panamanians, Gouvea held them scoreless for 2 1/3 innings, striking out two and inducing 4 ground-outs before giving way to to closer (and Mariners prospect) Thyago Viera, who allowed a single from Carlos Ruiz. This put runners on first and third for Viera, who had only made it so far as rookie Venezuelan ball in the States (this being his first pro season).

Viera then struck out Carlos Lee and Ruben Rivera to save the game, and push Brazil into the first round of the WBC.

Perhaps I should place as much importance on Viera's appearance as I do on Gouvea's, but I am admittedly bias toward Gouvea in this case. After seeing him here in Lexington in 2011 and 2012, I have to say that I think the Astros have a solid pitching talent in him.

However, every player will hit a bump in the road here and there. Gouvea has hit that bump this year; coming out of Spring Training, he has experienced some soreness in his pitching elbow which has held him back in extended. The team has worked with him to help him past this issue, recently ordering an MRI to rule out serious injury.

Murilo is, as Legends fans already know, a class act. He's shown that he can handle the pressure of world-wide audiences, as well as being an integral part of the success of his nation's team. It's my feeling that he will be remembered in Brazil (and by international fans, as well) for his contribution to a history-making year.

Murilo was kind enough to give me a few minutes of his time, yesterday, to update his fans here in The Lex on his recent injury, his experience in the WBC, and his most memorable moment in pro ball in the US:

Can you tell me about your latest progress? Just something about what you were doing before you got posted to Lancaster, and what happened before you were to report?

Well, I played on the WBC first , but after that I was just practicing normally in Spring Training, got to pitch in a few games and my arm started to hurt. I was supposed to go to Lancaster , but I stayed in Florida for rehab, then got better, started to pitch again and when I was about to leave my elbow hurt again.

Have they told you anything definite about what's going on with your elbow? Any official diagnosis? Or are they saying it's a strain?

Not yet. I had an MRI and I'm waiting for the doctor to tell me what's wrong and what's gonna happen.

Well, it's good that they're going to have an answer soon. About the WBC: what was the atmosphere like in Brazil when you beat Panama to qualify for the tournament?

It was an amazing feeling. Nobody expected that we were gonna beat Panama and Colombia, and it was really important for us and for the sport in Brazil to have the opportunity to play (in) the WBC.

Brazil is certainly an emerging power in the world of baseball, as they are in so many other areas. Playing the role you were in will be something many Brazilian fans talk about for years to come. However, how would you compare it to your time and potential future in American pro ball? Are there parallels between the two?

I think one helps the other....playing for my country on a big championship like the WBC can inspire other players in Brazil and also everybody (elsewhere), or every team here in the States can see me playing and I think that helps me to show them what I'm capable to do.

That's a smart answer. It's the biggest stage in the game, the WBC, and a precursor to a true World Series in the future. As for your time in the Astros system, what would you say has been your most memorable moment so far?

I would say when we won the NY-Penn League in 2010, but also last year, that I had more chances to pitch and in more pressure situations.

Who has made the greatest impression on you as far as coaches are concerned, so far?

Theres some of them...Gary Ruby was a good one when i was I in (Rookie League) Tri-City.

How do you like to pass the time when you're not on the field?

Getting some rest mostly of the times. Go somewhere to eat, or something like that.

Any favorite movies, books or music?

I like almost everything; I could say comedy and action movies a little bit more.

I'm a sci-fi guy, for the most part. Saw the new Star Trek recently. Two and a half stars, at most. Seen The Hangover Pt III yet?

No I haven't seen yet, but i really want to.

The first one was the best, I think. But supposedly the third is even better. One last question: If you had any one thing to say to future baseball stars in Brazil, what would it be?

Just , if they really want to play pro ball, keep working hard and they'll have their chance. And if there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it

You'd probably be a great coach, something I hope you consider doing in the future.

Well...thanks...haha

All the best to you, and thanks for taking time to do this!

Thank you and no problem...anytime.

Lexington Legends Update: A Look At The 2012 Legends This Year, Part Two

MAY 10^th, 2013-Most of our players from 2012 are now in High-A Lancaster under the leadership of former Legends manager Rodney Linares, and several of them are off to hot starts:

Matt Duffy, 3B

Stats:

28 games, 122 PA, 19 R, 6 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 25 RBI, .267 BA, .364 OBP, .840 OPS

Duffman is lighting up the scoreboard in what is known as a hitter's park, but runs are runs no matter where you score them. The 24 year-old third sacker has accounted for 44 of them, thus far. While the batting average is a little lower than you'd want to see, his OBP of .364 is excellent. In a full year at Lancaster, I'd expect no less than 20+ HR, 90 RBI and 30 doubles from him. Duffy has advanced a level each year since his 2011 pro debut, and there's no reason to expect he won't continue to make steady progress.

Nolan Fontana, SS

Stats:

31 games, 151 PA, 29 R, 41 H, 7 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 6 SB, .353 BA, .487 OBP, 1.030 OPS

Fontana, last year's 2^nd round pick out of the University of Florida, is blowing up for the JetHawks. His .353 BA is first on the team among full-time players, as is his .487 OBP. He also leads the team with 30 walks; this shouldn't be surprising, as he drew an outrageous 65 in only 49 games last year here in Lexington. So far, it looks like the Astros may have hit the bulls-eye on this draft pick.

Zach Johnson, 1B

Lancaster JetHawks (20 games); Corpus Christi Hooks, Class AA, Texas League (7 games)

Stats (combined):

27 games, 116 PA, 28 H, 10 2B, 2 HR, 20 RBI,

.275 BA, .342 OBP, .813 OPS

Johnson is starting a little slower than he did last year, but he's made his AA debut and will need time to adjust like any player would. The run producer extraordinaire and All-Star from 2012's Legends, he will face much stiffer pitching in the Texas League. It will be interesting to see how he handles it.

Chris Epps, LF

Stats:

19 games, 75 PA, 3 2B, 8 RBI, .206 BA, .311 OBP

The athletic Epps has struggled in the California League in 2013, batting only .206 in his 19 games. My concern here is that his 13 homers in 82 games in 2012 may have him thinking he's a power hitter; that's not his game, or rather it shouldn't be. Epps profiles better as a gap-to-gap doubles hitter with better-than-average speed who can swipe you around 10-15 bases and hit #2 or #7 in the lineup, setting the table for the guys behind him. He did hit the High-A league with gusto in 2012, going .285-10-32 with 6 triples in 46 games after his promotion, so there's plenty of reason to think he'll heat up soon. However, as a 45^th round pick in 2011 and already 24 years old, he's behind the eight-ball as it is.

Brandon Meredith, OF

Stats:

24 games, 95 PA, 14 R, 4 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI,

.221 BA, .347 OBP

Meredith hasn't done a whole lot in Cali, as of yet. One thing I noticed is that he's actually hit better vs. older pitchers than younger ones. While this may not mean much, it can sometimes be an indication of how a player will do at higher levels. Also, his OBP is 126 points higher than his BA, so it's good that he's at least getting on base. That may be a stretch this early on in the season, but I know he's better than he appears right now. Give him time.

Delino Deshields, 2B

Stats:

21 games, 100 PA, 16 R, 4 2B, 4 3B, 4 RBI, 5-11 SB, .241 BA, .344 OBP

This 1^st round pick from 2010 will, no doubt, fill the statline up by the end of the year. I would expect that he'll spend most, if not all, of 2013 in Lancaster. He's only 20 now, ahead of schedule development-wise, and with his speed and (soon to develop) power he'll be one player who you'd do well not to worry too much about. A guy with this much speed always helps his case by drawing walks, especially if he might not hit for a high average. Again, Deshields will probably hit at least .270 at the higher levels, so no worries here.

Interesting that he's batting so much higher at home (.277) than on the road (.194), though many JetHawks are hitting better at Lancaster than elsewhere. Thankfully, speed doesn't slump; those numbers will pick up as the year progresses.

Luis Cruz, LHP

Stats:

1-3, 5.83 ERA, 8 games (4 starts), 1 SV, 29 1/3 IP, 19 ER, 5 HRA, 16 BB, 35 K, 2.19 SO/BB ratio

Cruz has done much better as a starter than as a reliever. He's 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 4 starts, while in 4 appearances in relief he's 0-2 with a bloated 11.32 ERA through 10 1/3 IP. Paradoxically, his ERA is 3.38 at home (in Lancaster, which is a launching pad) vs. 7.88 on the road. He's striking out a lot of batters but also walking way too many. It's notable that he's averaged way more walks in relief than as a starter, and as a lefty he shouldn't be having quite as much trouble vs. left-handed batters as he is now (.232 BAA vs. RHH; .286 BAA vs. LHH). It's pretty clear that he's being groomed to ultimately be a starter, and this is where he's shone most brightly.

Chris Devenski, RHP

Stats:

2-1, 5.28 ERA, 8 games (4 starts), 30 2/3 IP, 18 ER, 11 BB, 26 K, 2.36 SO/BB ratio

Author of “The Game” last year in the Sally League (9-1-2012: 9 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 16 K and a LOT of happy fans), Devenski has performed noticeably better as a reliever than as a starter thus far. Again, it's very early in the year, so this is based only on the numbers so far. He's allowed a .333 BAA as a starter, and only a .239 as a reliever. The problem with viewing him as a reliever is that hitters have batted .396 with runners on base in 55 PA. While many relief pitchers will allow a somewhat higher BAA with runners on, this is way higher than you'd care to see in any league. After seeing how he destroyed Kannapolis last year on Sept. 1^st, I know there's more to him than what we've seen. This month will be telling as far as how he'll adjust.

Jonas Dufek, RHP

Stats:

0-1, 4.20 ERA, 12 games (all in relief), 15 IP, 16 HA, 7 ER, 3 HRA, 6 BB, 16 K, 2.67 SO/BB ratio

Pitching out of the pen exclusively in 2013, Dufek has yet to allow a run in 7 innings this month (4 games). He's been lit up at home, allowing a .357 BAA and 1.121 OPS in Lancaster, while on the road batters have been limited to a .194 BA and

.576 OPS. My own feelings for that home park aside (not a fan), Dufek still has room to grow into his 6'5” frame, and I think he's going to be able to adjust well to the league. He turns 25 on June 30^th, however, so time is limited for him.

David Rollins, LHP

Stats:

2-3, 4.46 ERA, 8 games (4 starts), 2 SV, 34 1/3 IP, 17 ER, 7 BB, 31 K, 4.43 SO/BB ratio

Rollins is another guy who's performed noticeably better as a reliever than as a starter; .173 BAA as a reliever vs. .301 as a starter tells part of the story. The other part? .355 BAA with runners on, which is a concern. His primary stats are pretty solid, but how he handles ducks on the pond will go a long way to determine how he advances.

Tommy Shirley, LHP

Stats:

0-3, 5.25 ERA, 7 games (2 starts), 12 IP, 7 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 3.8 SO/9IP

Very small sample size here, so not a lot to draw from. After seeing him in Lexington for parts of two seasons, I have to say I like him much better as a short reliever out of the pen than as a starter. Indeed, he's allowed a .400 BAA with the bases empty this year, vs. a miniscule .167 BAA with runners on. Again: very small sample size. But this is more of a gut call on my part. I can definitely see him fitting in as a short man at the higher levels. This is a pivotal year for Shirley, as well; he's 24 now, and after spending two years in Low-A ball, he'll need to show plenty of progress in the California League in order to get that opportunity at AA and beyond.

That's it, for now. Next I'll be scanning the roster at Corpus Christi, Class AA in the Texas League. 

Lexington Legends Update: A Look At The 2012 Legends This Year, Part One

MAY 10^th, 2013-As we've had ample opportunity to see our new players this year out of the Royals system, I think it's important that we remember the guys we knew from the final year of our Astros affiliation, as well. Many of you are probably keeping tabs on them, but I wanted to post a quick update on their progress this year, along with their current team and stats.

Here's an update on some of the fellas we had with us in 2012, this post covering the Class A Quad Cities River Bandits:

Jesse Wierzbicki, 1B

Stats:

29 games, 131 PA, 21 R, 30 H, 8 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 3 SB, 14 BB, .273 BA, .374 OBP

Jesse is in the beginning of his first full year at Class A, having spent the bulk of 2012 at Tri-City (Low-A, Short Season, NY-Penn League), and is certainly acquitting himself well thus far. With 24 RBI in 29 games, along with 8 doubles and 21 runs scored, Wierzbicki is proving to be quite the run producer for the River Bandits. Granted, he is old for the level (24), but if he continues on his current pace he's not likely to spend a lot longer in the Midwest. With his size and eye at the plate, he could light up the California League with the JetHawks.

Teoscar Hernandez, CF

Stats:

28 games, 135 PA, 23 R, 34 H, 8 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 9 SB, .281 BA

Hernandez was only with us for 8 games in 2012 as he spent the bulk of the year in the GCL. At only 20 years old, he is more than holding his own with the Bandits; eight doubles are more a reflection of his speed than his power, but either way a double's a double. He is a perfect 9-for-9 in steals, and stole 11 in 59 total games in 2012. He has consistently shown good judgment in swiping bags since he made his pro debut in 2011, and is now 36-for-41 in steals for his career. He should end up pilfering 25 bags this year, and 30 is not out of the question.

Roberto Pena, C

Stats:

18 games, 79 PA, 13 R, 25 H, 4 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, .352 BA, .883 OPS

Pena has spent parts of the past three seasons with the Legends, and made his High-A debut last year. At first glance I wasn't sure he would be any more than a 2^nd or even 3^rd-string catcher at the higher levels, but he's continuing to develop some pop and his .352 average in 18 games so far has me wondering if he could exceed those expectations. It's still too early to tell for sure, but he's ahead of the curve in 2013.

Mitchell Lambson, LHP

Stats:

0-1, 1.32 ERA, 8 G, 13 2/3 IP, 7 HA, 6 BB, 12 K

One of my favorite players in the Astros system, Lambson has rolled the competition in 2013. He spent nearly all of 2012 with Lexington, recording a 2.72 ERA in 36 1/3 IP, so his early performance with Quad Cities should be no surprise to those who saw him with the Legends. The lefty with the wicked change-up could be climbing the ladder before the All-Star Break.

In my next post I'll be jumping to the High-A Lancaster JetHawks, where most of last year's Legends now reside. Stay tuned.