Bowie Baysox Blog

The Baysox open the season’s second series in Erie playing against an undefeated (4-0) SeaWolves team that features several interesting prospects.

Mon. April 13, 6:35 p.m. – Erie SeaWolves RHP Jason Berken (0-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. RHP Luis Marte (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Tue. April 14, 6:35 p.m. – Erie SeaWolves RHP Jake Arrieta (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Jonah Nickerson (0-0, 9.00 ERA)

Wed. April 15, 6:35 p.m. – Erie SeaWolves LHP Troy Patton (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Jon Kibler (0-0, 6.75 ERA)

When Spring Training opened, it looked as though the SeaWolves’ pitching staff would include Detroit’s top pitching prospects RHP Rick Porcello and RHP Ryan Perry. Instead, both opened year in the majors. Still, the SeaWolves have no lack of quality pitchers.

Jon Kibler’s 14-5 record and 1.75 ERA in the Low-A Midwest League in 2008 won him the Detroit Tigers Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Kibler will try to make the jump to Double-A with good command of a sinker, a slurve and a change-up.

Luis Marte entered the 2008 season as one of the Tigers’ top pitching prospects, but sprained his right elbow and was inconsistent when he returned in July. Marte brings good command and the willingness to challenge hitters into his second year in Erie.

RHP Cody Satterwhite has an explosive fastball and a slider that gives right-handers trouble out of the bullpen. Satterwhite closed for Team USA in 2007.

Erie’s offense is solid, if not spectacular, and features one player with an impressive pedigree.

Cale Iorg, son of big-leaguer Garth, was drafted in the sixth round in 2007 after spending two years away from baseball. Iorg has good power for a middle infielder and plays with intensity. However, he needs to work on making contact. (Iorg struck out 109 times in 376 ABs at High-A Lakeland in 2008 and has six strike outs in 16 at bats in 2009.)

Outfielder Casper Wells was drafted in the 14th Round of the 2005 draft out of Towson State. Wells was one of two players to hit at least 25 home runs and steal 25 bases in the minors in 2008. He has a career .577 slugging percentage and .958 OPS against left-handers in 298 at bats.

In 2008, first baseman Ryan Strieby led the pitcher-friendly Florida State League with 29 homers and 94 RBIs despite missing the last 19 games of the season with a broken hamate bone. That performance won Strieby the Detroit’s Minor League Hitter of the Year award in 2008. The hamate has not bothered the 6′5″ 235-pounder in 2009, as he leads the Eastern League in home runs (2) and total bases (14) in the young season.

The next stop on our tour of the Eastern League is Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Will Bentzel of Senators Fans Unite was kind enough to take us on a little tour of the renovations of one of the most unique parks in professional baseball, takes a stab at the Senators 2009 line-up, and what the Senators are doing to improve on the lowest average attendance in the Eastern League in 2008. 

Judging by your profile on Senators Fans Unite, you are a photography for MLB Advance Media and are and accountant. How do you find the time to blog about the Senators and what do you enjoy most about writing about the team?

Accountant was the closet thing from the drop-down list that blogspot allows you to pick from. I tend to wear many hats at my 8:30-5 job, but I’m classified as a Administrative Officer responsible for managing all aspects of purchasing (ordering, managing contracts, processing invoices for payment, stuff like that) and managing telecommunications (cost analysis, reviewing rate plans, troubleshooting and resolving issues for all wireless and landline service), as well as a bunch of other stuff classified as ‘other duties’.

During the season it is extremely difficult to find time to blog. Photography takes up a large chunk of time (taking the photos, editing them, posting game photos to MiLB’s Flickr page and then editing and posting them for Senators Fans Unite). My writing kind of has to take a back seat during the season but I try to make up for it when the season ends. I am going to try to get more player comments/interviews this year, as well as a few other ideas I’m kicking around, which should help keep things interesting.

Plus, I have a very understanding wife and children (ages 2 and 4). Without their love and support I wouldn’t be able to keep up with everything.

What’s your favorite Senators memory or moment?

My favorite moment on a personal level would have to be during the 1993 season. The Senators were stacked with prospects (Cliff Floyd, Rondell White, Shane Andrews, Glenn Murray, Joey Eischen, Gabe White, Ugueth Urbina and Kirk Reuter).  That was voted as one of the top top 100 MiLB teams of all time. I became friends with a infielder named Chris Martin and he arranged for me and a friend of mine to “warm up” with a few of the players. I ended up throwing with Cliff Floyd, Rondell White and Chris for at least 20-minutes on the field before a game.

Also, I will never forget the night Matt Stairs (1991) hit for the cycle (the homerun went OVER the light tower in RF). Stairs ended up giving me a bunch of stuff at the end of the season (hat, bats, baseball cards and other stuff) which I still have.

My son’s first game was during the 2007 season and that is very special.  I had been giving Nats prospect Zech Zinicola game photos to share with his family and friends.  We usually talked before every game.  This time he went back into the dugout and gave my son a brand new autographed ball and talked with him for a while. Of course we didn’t watch much of the game as he was only 2 and kept moving around.

Your photographs of the renovations to Commerce Bank Park are a lot of fun to see. What aspects of the stadium renovations are you most excited about?

Thanks, I appreciate the compliment. I enjoy taking the photos and can’t wait to see the finished product.

My favorite part of the renovations in Phase 1 is the boardwalk in the outfield. It will give me the opportunity to photograph the game from a different perspective and it’s been the focal point of talks with other Senators fans. Plus the view of the city from the outfield area should be amazing. The new video system is going to be fun and the upgraded scoreboard will be a huge improvement.

My absolute favorite feature in the new stadium is the dugout suites located on the 3rd base side which is scheduled to be completed in Phase 2 of the renovations. Essentially these suites are supposed to be field level seating that will allow fans to have the same view as the players. It will give the fan a unique perspective and make them feel like they are ‘in the game’.

I’ve read that the renovations will still be going on in to 2010. Any guesses at what may be done by Opening Day?

That is correct; the renovations are a two-part process. Part one is scheduled to be complete by opening day 09. Part two is supposed to start after the 09 season and be complete by the start of the 2010 season.

I don’t know if they are running behind but I’ve received a few e-mails from concerned fans about the status of project. When it was announced, I thought the phase 1 construction schedule was extremely aggressive and I had doubts whether they could meet the deadline of April 19, 2009. After my recent visit on February 28, 2009, I still have doubts.

Not sure what will actually be completed, but I was told a few weeks ago that everything is on schedule. I was also told that the video will be ready to go. IF they remain on schedule we should have a new public plaza entrance, outfield seating and boardwalk, scoreboard, new outfield wall made out of static advertisement panels and a new operations building. The office building is supposed to be up, but not functional until 2010.

City Island is one of the most interesting venues for a park in professional baseball. If a baseball fan from outside the Harrisburg area could only come to one Senators game this coming season when should it be and why?

With all of the promotions and the renovated stadium it’s really hard to pick just one game.

My favorite event is Negro League Night which is scheduled for May 2 vs. Reading. The Senators suit up in Negro League uniforms and the remaining members of the Harrisburg Giants are all honored.  It’s a really positive event which helps promote Negro League remembrance. I spend most of the game talking with the Negro League players.  Negro League legend and author, Willie Fordham is one the nicest guys you would ever meet.

The Senators are in town July 4th. With all the events going on in downtown Harrisburg and on the island, it’s definitely something any baseball fan should take advantage of. I would strongly advise that you get there early if you want to park on the island as spots fill up fast. They have stuff going on all weekend to keep fans busy before and after the game.

Can you give us an early guess at the Senators’ 2009 line up and rotation?

This is a difficult question as there are so many things that come into play when assigning players. Sometimes players that should be in AAA get assigned to AA due to a numbers game. My guess last year was off (I only had 8 right). I’ve been working on this since mid-January and here is what I’ve come up with so far:

Starters
C – Jhonathan Solano
1B – Bill Rhinehart
2B – Michael Martinez
3B – Ofilio Castro
SS – Ian Desmond
LF – Marvin Lowrance
CF – Mike Daniel
RF – Justin Maxwell / Edgardo Baez

Starting Pitchers
RHP Adrian Alaniz
RHP Luis Atilano
RHP Hassan Pena
LHP Justin Jones
LHP Cory VanAllen

Bench
CA Devin Ivany
IF Marcos Yepez
IF Matt Rogelstad
OF Dee Brown
OF Matt Whitney

Relief Pitchers
RHP Erik Arnesen
RHP Josh Wilkie
LHP Atahualpa Severino
LHP Jack Spradlin
RHP Alexis Morales
RHP Adam Carr

Players I had on my list of “possibles” were OF/1B Andrew LeFave, pitcher Jeff Mandel and pitcher Kyle Gunderson. LeFave’s versatility could serve the Senators well as he could cover both 1B and outfield but his bat never really got going last year, so in my opinion he could use a little more time at Potomac. Mandel put up decent numbers last year and could take Morales, Spardlin or Arnesen’s spot. Due to the numbers game I figured Mandel will start at Potomac. Gunderson pitched well but didn’t get many innings at Potomac. He will probably be in Harrisburg by the All-Star break.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Chris Marrero, Ross Detwiler and Clint Everts all make appearances in Harrisburg before June (maybe sooner).

Which likely 2009 Senators are you most excited to watch?

Based on the roster I just gave, I would say Bill Rhinehart and Ian Desmond. Desmond was injured but came back strong to finish the season. Rhinehart was so good at Hagerstown and Potomac but after his promotion to Harrisburg he kind of ‘fell off.’ He has such a sweet sing (quick through the zone and he attacks pitches) I’m sure he will improve this time around.

At some point this season I would expect to see Ross Detwiler, Michael Burgess and Chris Marrero in Harrisburg. I saw Burgess in Hagerstown last season and I really can’t wait to see him play in Harrisburg. He has a ton of raw talent (great power and a canon arm). He needs to cut down on strikeouts and his swing is to long. It will be interesting to see how he progressed since the last time I saw him.

Beyond 2009, if he lives up to the hype, 2008 Draft Pick Destin Hood. Another raw talent but has the potential to be a special player at the MLB level one day.

Who are some of the other likely Eastern Leaguers who you are excited to see in 2009?

I saw your list of players that are expected to make an appearance in the EL this season and that seems like a good group. Although I look over the rosters all the time, I typically don’t get excited about a team and their prospects until about a week or so before they come to Harrisburg (or in some cases Reading if I’m planning a trip there). With how fast players change teams its difficult to get excited to see a player that doesn’t come to town until late in the season.

However I did get excited when I saw the Matt Wieters promotion to Bowie last year knowing they were coming to Harrisburg several times at the end of the season. Most people agree he is going to be a special player for a very long time (as long as he is healthy). In my opinion he is probably one of the best players I’ve ever seen at the Double-A level. He is ready right now.

The Senators had the lowest average attendance in the Eastern League last year (2,488 folks per game), which was the lowest number since the team returned to City Island in 1987. Obviously the new park should attract more fans, but is the organization doing anything else to improve ticket sales?

Last seasons attendance was horrible.  At one point the Senators had the 2nd lowest attendance out of 30 MiLB Double-A teams (I’m not sure where they finished the season though).  A lot of people I talked with don’t really care for the new start times (7 PM as opposed to 6:05 weeknights and 2PM Sunday compared to 1:05). In my opinion the time changes will hurt people with young kids and early on photographers as it gets dark right around start time.  I guess I’m not a big fan of the start times either….

This off-season the Senators really stepped up their ‘off-the-field’ game by introducing a bunch of promotions. Every game day has something going on but some of the most talked about are: Kids Eat Free Monday Nights, “Cheap Gets Cheaper” Wednesday Night-Half Price GA Tickets ($2.50) and Thursday’s 2 Buck Beers on the Boardwalk. They also offer a bunch of value ticket packages, giveaways, fireworks and so on. I’ve seen a lot of additional media coverage this off-season (probably due to the renovations). In addition, the Senators were putting out ads in January and February promoting the renovations and various promotions/giveaways. The Senators staff deserves a lot of credit for thinking outside the box to try and get fans in the stands. Attendance wise, I’m guessing they might be close to the top this year.

What’s your perception of how well the Nationals support their minor league affiliates?

Development wise the Nats support their minor league players pretty well. This has increased more so over the past few seasons. There always seems to be a roving instructor in town working with the players. I’m sure there is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes as the coaching staff in Harrisburg is top notch.

What would you like see them do differently?

Not sure I would do anything different. Promotions are earned; they don’t push players like other organizations. They seem to be doing things right in terms of player development. It’s just a matter of restocking the farm so in a few years the results are seen at the MLB level.

The next guest in our series of Q&As with Eastern League bloggers and beat writers is Tony Lastoria, the boss over at Indians Prospect Insider and author of 2009 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects. Tony tells us which Indians farmhand is the second-coming of Jim Thome, which one could be better than Victor Martinez, and why you should know the names Hector Rondon and Jeanmar Gomez.

First off, your book 2009 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects is fantastic, as always, and a must-read for minor league baseball fans.

Your projected Akron Aeros line up is pretty impressive. (Actually, scary is the appropriate word for a Baysox fan.) The projected starting line up, rotation and bullpen, some of which I’ve reproduced below, are filled with prospects.

Catcher—Carlos Santana
First base—Beau Mills
Second base—Josh Rodriguez
Third base—Jared Goedert
Shortstop—Carlos Rivero
Outfield—Nick Weglarz
Outfield—John Drennen
Outfield—Jose Constanza

Starter—Hector Rondon
Starter—Jeanmar Gomez
Starter—Steven Wright
Starter—Kevin Dixon
Starter—Carlton Smith

Reliever—Chuck Lofgren
Reliever—Neil Wagner

Have you heard or seen anything this spring that would your projections change?

Dixon has actually since retired, and Lofgren at this point projects to be in the rotation there again. But yeah, the starting lineup and rotation should be pretty loaded for the Indians at Akron. The same can be said for the Triple-A Columbus team as well, but Akron has some really nice emerging talent and a good mix of players up and down the lineup and on the pitching staff.

Can you compare the ceiling of any of these players to current or former major leaguers?

Some of these are easier than others, like the most common comp for Weglarz is Jim Thome. Same mammoth size and explosion of the ball off the bat. Same sweet left-handed swing. And the personalities are similar. As for some of the others, Santana is often compared to current Indians catcher Victor Martinez, a player he has idolized. They are very different players, but how hard Mills plays reminds me of Grady Sizemore.  Rivero is often compared to Jhonny Peralta from an offensive standpoint, and he’s better than Peralta defensively. Most of the other guys don’t project to be big contributors in the big leagues, though Rodriguez has a shot to be a nice super utility player along the lines of a Mark DeRosa.

Based on your write up, it sounds as if Carlos Santana’s ceiling maybe even higher than Victor Martinez’s peak. Specifically, Santana projects as a stronger base runner and may not take as long to become above average on defense.

Yes, Santana is very athletic, which is something that gives him a big advantage and something Martinez has never really had. He is a converted outfielder and third baseman, so he has the rifle arm and he has the athleticism to move well behind the plate. It is just a matter of developing mechanics back there and also all the intangibles like game-calling, handling a pitching staff, knowing his opponent, and so on. Offensively, his potential is right in line with Martinez, but I believe he has the ability to be a more complete player as a better defender and won’t be a base-clogger.

Which likely 2009 Aeros are you most excited to watch?

On the pitching front, to me, it is without a doubt Hector Rondon. He is on the verge of becoming something very special and 2009 could be his national coming out party. The Indians already think the world of him, and he did get some recognition last year in the Futures Game. Still, he has been largely overlooked by a lot of people coming into this season.

Rondon has a chance to go out and establish himself as one of the best up right-handed starting pitching prospects this year, and it should be fun to see where his development takes him. He saw a spike in his velocity last year and he now touches 96 MPH.  He has a free and easy delivery. His secondary stuff jumped by leaps and bounds. And he will only be 21 to boot.

On the hitting side, it would probably be Weglarz. I am also very excited to see if Rivero begins to realize his potential, and I want to see if Mills can keep chugging along, but Weglarz to me is the guy who will be the most fun to watch this year. Again, he is very young at just 21, but he is already a hulking menace at 255 pounds of Canadian muscle. It is scary to think how much bigger he can get. But the Gentle Giant not only can hit the ball a long wall, he also has the plate discipline to be a 100+ walk guy in the bigs (also a 100+ strikeout guy too). I expect to see a significant jump in his home run rate. This could also be his coming out year.

Who will be this year’s Hector Rondon? (A player poised to take a big step forward.)

A guy who could jump onto the scene who some people don’t know about is Jeanmar Gomez. He is another nice right-handed starting pitching prospect in the Indians system who has moved right along in the system and has always been in Rondon’s shadow. Gomez has always been two to three years younger than the league average at his level. I think his maturity will come out this year, as he settles in at Akron and shows some development as a prospect.

Is there a player on this team who isn’t necessarily a top prospect, but who fans should pull for because of his background or approach to the game?

Right-handed reliever Erik Stiller. First off, the guy is an incredible person. But aside from that, he was an undrafted free agent out of Princeton University. Stiller has an economics degree and turned down six-figure jobs right out of college to pursue his dream to play baseball. And, so far it has paid off, as he went from being an undrafted free agent in June 2006 to playing in Double-A Akron in May 2008. Stiller will likely open the season with the Aeros again because of the Indians’ incredible depth in the bullpen at the major leagues and Triple-A, but should get to Columbus at some point this season if things go right.

Who are some of the other likely Eastern Leaguers who you are excited to see in 2009?

I don’t get to focus on many of the other teams’ players as much as I would like since I spend so much time analyzing our hitters when we hit and pitchers and defense when were on defense. However, there are a few guys I look forward to seeing. One is Pedro Alvarez of the Pirates who I think may start his minor league career in Altoona, and if not should still spend most of the season with them. There’s a lot of hype around him and he was considered such a polished prospect coming out of the draft. I want to see it for myself. Also, Lars Anderson of the Red Sox is another. He only played a handful of games with Portland last year and I think he should spend at least some of the first half with the Sea Dogs. He has incredible on-base ability.

If a baseball fan from outside the Akron area could only come to one Aeros game this season when should it be?

With the lack of rivals, it is really hard to pinpoint one game or series. But I would say any time Hector Rondon is scheduled to pitch.

What is your perception of how well Cleveland have supported their minor league affiliates?

The Indians have an excellent relationship with their affiliates. The facilities are very good, and the biggest thing is that the Indians now have four of their six affiliates all within two hours of Progressive Field. Their two highest levels are in two of Ohio’s largest cities, which should only help fuel support for the big league team as well as the minor league affiliates. Really the whole operation is first class from the guy at the top in Farm Director Ross Atkins all the way down to his assistants, coordinators, coaches, and the front office staff at the affiliates. Obviously the main goal is to always develop first and win second, but the Indians have done a good job making sure they put together competitive teams at all levels.

What would you like see them do differently?

If anything I would like to see them be a little more aggressive in promoting their prospects. Obviously they have a method to their madness and for the most part it has paid off, so I am not trying to tell them how they should handle their young players. That said, I think there have been some clear opportunities for the Indians to promote from within that the organization has not taken full advantage of, be it using a prospect at the big league level or just having a more aggressive approach in pushing these guys.

Aside from indiansprospectinsider.com, what are some of your favorite sources for Cleveland minor league and Eastern League news and opinion?

Stephanie Storm at the Akron Beacon Journal does a great job covering the Aeros for that newspaper. Baseball America is always good for the broad national scope, though the quality of their stuff has diminished in the past few years. Chris Kline used to be their national writer and he was incredible. He always had tons of information on the Indians prospects. And, believe it or not, the fans are always a great source of information and opinion. With all the information and technology at our fingertips these days, the minor league fans really have a good understanding of who these players are and have very informed opinions.