Inland Empire 66ers 6 – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5 (11 Innings)

Game Recap: Top Dodgers prospect Zach Lee started the game for the Quakes and allowed 1 hit with 5 SO over 5 innings of work. Veteran Major Leaguer Jerome Williams pitched 5 innings for the 66ers, as he is currently on a rehab assignment from the Angels. Quakes 2B C.J. Retherford had 2 RBI in the loss. Both 66ers CF Travis Witherspoon and Quakes DH Nick Adkins hit solo homeruns in the game.

Prospect Performances: The Quakes lineup featured RF Jonathan Garcia (1-5). 66ers 1B C.J. Cron (0-5), 2B Taylor Lindsey (2-5, 1 RBI), and RF Randal Grichuk (0-5) are top prospects of the Angels.

Player of the Game: Andrew Heid, LF, Inland Empire 3-5 with 2 runs, 1 2B

Lancaster JetHawks 7 – High Desert Mavericks 9

Game Recap: Lefthander Anthony Fernandez started for the Mavericks and allowed 3 runs over 5 innings of work.  David Martinez took the mound for the JetHawks and struggled as he allowed 6 runs in 4 innings. The Mavericks 2B Stefen Romero and SS Brad Miller each hit a 2-run homer and finished the game with 3 RBI.

Prospect Performances: Astros prospects, SS Jiovanni Mier (0-4), LF Telvin Nash (2-4, HR), and Domingo Santana (0-4) played in the game for the JetHawks. Notable Mariners prospects in the game included Miller and DH John Hicks (2-3).

Player of the Game: George Springer, CF, Lancaster JetHawks, 2-4, HR, 5 RBI

San Jose Giants 4 – Modesto Nuts 3

Game Recap: RHP Shawn Sanford started the game for the Giants, he pitched six scoreless, while allowing 3 hits in his 6 innings of work to record the victory. Closer Stephen Harrold struggled in the 9^th as he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, but still managed to pick up the save. The Modesto starter was LHP Tyler Matzek who was the 11^th overall selection by the Rockies in 2009. Matzek recorded 7 SO and 3 BB in his 4.2 innings of work, he allowed 2 unearned runs in the loss.

Prospect Performances: For the Giants, C Andrew Susac (0-5), SS Joe Panik (0-2, 2 BB), 3B Adam Duvall (0-4), 1B Ricky Oropesa (1-3, RBI), RF Jarrett Parker (1-4), are all notable prospects. In the lineup for the Nuts, were SS Cristhian Adames (0-3), and RF Kyle Parker (2-4).

Player of the Game: Jared Clark, 1B, Modesto Nuts, 3-4, 3 RBI

Stockton Ports 7 – Lake Elsinore Storm 2

Game Recap: Mark Hardy started the game for the Storm and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) in the 2^nd inning. Hardy pitched 6 innings and surrendered 7 hits as he picked up the loss. RHP Blake Treinen gave up 8 hits over 6.1 innings, which resulted in two runs against, as he recorded the victory. Storm CF Rico Noel was 3-4 with an RBI in the loss.

Prospect Performances: Storm 2B Cory Spangenberg (1-5) and RF Rymer Liriano (0-4) are currently viewed as two of the top Padre prospects. Notable Athletic prospects that played in the game for the Ports included: 1B Miles Head (1-5, RBI), and C Max Stassi (1-4).

Player of the Game: Josh Whitaker, DH, Stockton Ports, 2-4, HR, RBI

Visalia Rawhide 1 – Bakersfield Blaze 3

Game Recap: LHP David Holmberg started the game for Visalia, he allowed 2 runs on 4 hits over 6 innings in a losing effort. The Blaze sent Daniel Renken to the hill and he did not disappoint as he allowed 1 run (unearned) on 5 hits, while striking out 5 in his 5 innings of work to record the win. Blaze SS Billy Hamilton hit a two-run homer in the 3^rd, which is all was needed on this night.

Prospect Performances: Notable Diamondback prospects that played for Visalia included: CF Keon Broxton (0-5), SS Chris Owings (1-4), and LF Bobby Borchering (1-3). Besides Hamilton the Blaze lineup also featured: RF Yorman Rodriguez (1-3), 3B David Vidal (0-3), and C Tucker Barnhart (0-3), who are all notable Reds prospects.

Player of the Game: Billy Hamilton, SS, Bakersfield Blaze, 1-3, HR, 2 RBI

~~~~~

You can follow us on Twitter @Seedlings2Stars and yours truly @drewbalen. You can also keep up to date with all things S2S by liking our Facebook page.

Mar. 19, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes in the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a spring training game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

I was in Phoenix last week  and was able to watch newly acquired outfielder Yoenis Cespedes of the Oakland Athletics up close in person.  Cespedes played centerfield in three games (against the Arizona Diamondbacks (twice) and Chicago Cubs).  Here are some of my thoughts.

What I liked

He showed good plate discipline by working the count and taking pitches.  I never saw him swing at the first two pitches of any at-bat.

For a man of his size, he ran an impressive 3.81 to first and I did not get the impression that he had hit his top gear.

Displayed a wiliness to get after it while patrolling center, he made an all-out catch in one game that saved his team a few runs.

He has a plus arm, which could see him play in right field in the future.

Has impressive bat speed, which will enable him to hit most major league fastballs. He hit a ball on a line over the shortstop and into the left center gap for a double.

What I didn’t like

If the pitcher got ahead in the count and went to the curve ball it fooled Cespedes. I saw this on three occasions when he was caught looking.

It will take some time for him to make the adjustment to facing better pitching (more off-speed stuff, greater overall velocity and better location).

He took very aggressive leads off of first base when running the bases, and was picked off by the catcher (Miguel Montero).

My Conclusions

Cespedes appears willing to make adjustments to the higher level of competition as it was clear to me, which you have to like. There is very little question about his physical tools as his size and speed are impressive as he is built like a brick house at 5-11, and 225 pounds.  I believe he is capable of hitting 25 plus homers this season and stealing 25-30 bases. I don’t see him hitting for a high average (.260 to .270) as he has a slight uppercut swing which will result in a high number of fly balls. Physically, I was reminded of former outfielder and NFL running back Bo Jackson who was a freakish athlete. Jackson had a career year in 1989, where he hit 32 HR, 105 RBI with a .256 average; Jackson also stuck out 172 times while walking only 39 times. Personally I think that we could see similar numbers from Cespedes during his prime years with a higher walk rate and slightly higher average. The mental grind of a longer season and a new culture will be the biggest challenges that Cespedes will have to overcome this year. If that is the case then the 4-year, $36 million contract can be viewed as a solid investment by the Athletics.

~~~~~

For more on the Athletics, check out Swingin’ A’s.

You can follow us on Twitter @Seedlings2Stars and yours truly @drewbalen. You can also keep up to date with all things S2S by liking our Facebook page.

A number of industry experts were in attendance that represented such organizations as FanGraphs, Baseball Info Solutions, Baseball-Reference.com, MLB.com, Bloomberg Sports, Baseball Nation, SABR, Baseball Prospectus, Fox Sports, and ESPN, among others.

Almost every MLB team was represented throughout the conference with as many as 20 of the 30 begin in the room at the same time. A General Managers Panel saw Chris Antonetti (Cleveland Indians), Jerry Dipoto (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) and Doug Melvin (Milwaukee Brewers) discuss how teams are using analytics to find the competitive edge.

Oakland Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy talked how embracing analytics helped him perform better on the field.

The conference also featured a “Case Competition” that featured 14 universities from across North America.

Personally, I enjoyed being surrounded by some extremely interesting people who have combined their passion for analytics and baseball. I learned a number of things and had a great time. I would strongly recommend for those who share a similar passion to attend in the future. If there is one thing I came away with is the fact that great minds figured out how to put a man on the moon in the 1969, but they are still trying to determine better defensive fielding metrics for MLB players. The good news some of the smartest people around are currently working on it. That is the great thing about the game of baseball that it combines the power of analytics with a children’s game that is played by grown men.

For those of you who are interested in the analytical side of baseball or want to learn more be sure to head over to the official conference website which can be found here.

Also, David Fung over at Beyond the Box Score provides his take on the festivities and provides some links to the panels, which is defiantly worth checking out here.

~~~~~

You can follow us on Twitter @Seedlings2Stars and yours truly @drewbalen. You can also keep up to date with all things S2S by liking our Facebook page.

February 20, 2012; Bradenton, FL, USA; A general view of baseballs during camp at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-US PRESSWIRE

I headed to Florida last week to experience Grapefruit League action in “The Sunshine State”.  I decided to head to the Bradenton-Sarasota area as it seemed like the logical place to go because of the number of games at the time in the region.

On Friday the 2^nd, I was in attendance for the Pittsburgh Pirates inters quad game from McKechnie Field which is home of the High-A Florida State League’s Bradenton Marauders. The game featured most of the Pirate regulars such as (3B) Pedro Alvarez, (2B) Neil Walker, (SS) Clint Barmes, and (CF) Andrew McCutchen to name a few.  What got me most excited was the fact I got to see top Pirate prospects (RHP) Gerrit Cole, (OF) Starling Marte, (RHP) Kyle McPherson, (C) Tony Sanchez, (OF) Robbie Grossman, (LHP) Jeff Locke, (RHP) Bryan Morris, (LHP) Rudy Owens, (2B) Jarek Cunningham, (OF) Gorkys Hernandez, (C) Ramon Cabrera,(OF) Evan Chambers, and (OF) Mel Rojas Jr.  all play some part in the game. It is rare that one gets to see that many top prospects from one organization on display in a single game. The highlight of the afternoon to me was Sanchez hitting a 3-run homer.

Friday night, I headed over to GT Bray Park to catch a 7A Florida High School baseball game between Charlotte High School Tarpons and Manatee High School Hurricanes.  A few player on Manatee caught my attention including (SS) Chase Sandberg, (LF) Tyler Beeman, (3B) Trevor Beeman, (1B/P) Correlle Prime, who have all committed to play at the State College of Florida (SCF) for the Manatees next season. The player that left the biggest impression with me, however was (CF) Cord Sandberg who hit a 3-run double that cleared the bases with a hard hit ball into left-center field which helped Manatee rally to win the game by a score of 6-3. For those of you currently unfamiliar with the name Cord Sandberg, you probability will be hearing more about him soon. Sandberg is currently in his junior season and is the younger brother of Chase and also the son of Chuck Sandberg (who spend 3 minor league seasons in the Boston Red Sox organization after being selected in the 9^th round of the 1979 MLB amateur draft).  Cord is also the starting quarterback of the football team at Manatee High School and is considered the top quarterback in the 2013 recruiting class out of Florida as he ranks in the top 150 players by ESPN. He passed for 2, 185 yards and 19 touchdowns, while also rushing for 814 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is considered the top two-sport athlete available for the 2013 MLB Draft and a potential first rounder. Already he has received scholarship offers to attend Auburn, Clemson, and Texas Tech among others. It will be interesting to see which direction that Cord ultimately goes in, be it College Football or professional baseball.   Former Major Leaguers (OF) Brian McRae, (RHP) Lance Carter, and (RHP) Brian Tollberg played baseball at Manatee High School.

SCF  has won 10 state titles, made 13 trips to the JUCO World Series and has had over 190 players go on to play professional baseball.  Some of the notable alumni include (RHP) Lance Carter, (LHP) Matt Maloney, (2B) Callix Crabbe,  (RHP) Joe Mays, (SS) David Howard, (OF) Alex Cole, (LHP) Rich Sauveur, (2B) Jody Reed, (1B) Glenn Davis, (RHP) Tom Hume, (RHP) Rick Langford, (LHP) Mac Scarce, (OF) Johnny Grubb, and (OF) David Moates. Current Detroit Tigers prospect (LHP) Alex Burgos played with SCF in 2010 and was a JUCO All-American before being selected by the Tigers in the 5^th round for the 2010 MLB amateur draft.

Saturday, I headed over to the Pittsburgh Pirates Minor League Complex, “Pirate City” and watched the minor league players workout. Players took part in a series of drills that included bunting, base running, batting practice, and bullpen work.  Some of the notable Pirate prospects included  (RHP) Jameson Taillon, (OF) Josh Bell, (RHP) Luis Heredia, (RHP) Stetson Allie, (1B) Alex Dickerson, and  (LHP) Colton Cain.

Sunday, I returned to McKechnie Field to watch the Pirates play the Toronto Blue Jays. Top Blue Jays prospects included (C) Travis d’Arnaud, (OF) Anthony Gose, (SS) Adeiny Hechavarria, (OF) Moises Sierra, (1B) David Cooper, as well as young major leaguers (OF) Travis Snider, (3B) Brett Lawrie and (C)J.P. Arencibia. The Pirates former 2007 1^st round pick (4^th overall) (LHP) Daniel Moskos pitched a scoreless ninth inning. The Blue Jays won the game by a score of 8-5.

Monday, I headed to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota and watched as the Baltimore Orioles hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates.  For the Orioles top prospects (SS) Manny Machado, (OF) L.J. Hoes, (2B) Ryan Adams, and (OF) Trent Mummey all played in the game.  The Pirates won the game 10-3. Machado displayed his athleticism in the field when he made a diving stop and then throw a bullet from behind second base to record the out.

For anyone that hasn’t been to spring training I highly recommend it, I had a great time all around from the nice weather to the affordable prices and accessibility to the players and coaching staff that you do not receive during the season. What I liked the post was the fact I could watch both prospects and established major leaguers on the same field which gave me a better gauge of how the young players stack up others in their respective organization.

This week I am off to Arizona to take in some Cactus League action from the “Grand Canyon State”.  There may even be  an Athletics Yoennis Cespedes sighting (shameless plug). So be sure to check as I will provide a summary of my adventures.

~~~~~

For more on the Pirates, check out Rum Bunter.
For more on the Blue Jays, check out Jays Journal.
For more on the Orioles, check out Birds Watcher.
For more on the Tigers, check out Motor City Bengals.
For more on the Athletics,  check out Swingin’ A’s.

You can follow us on Twitter @Seedlings2Stars and yours truly @drewbalen. You can also keep up to date with all things S2S by liking our Facebook page.

There are seven ways that an MLB club can acquire talent. Professional talent is acquired via free agency, trades, Rule 5 draft, and waivers while amateur talent is acquired through the first-year player draft, signed as undrafted free agents, or signed as international free agents.

A free agent is a professional baseball player who has no contractual obligation to play for one team and is free to negotiate directly with any team, including the one he was playing for when the contract expired. One can also become a free agent when his club releases him or fails to tender or renew his contract (Dickson, 2009, p. 346).

A trade is an exchange and/or sale of a contract involving one or more players with another club (Dickson, 2009, p. 886). Players are traded for various reasons such as contractual, on-field performance, off-field issues or because a team is dealing from a position of strength (such as having an extra player at one position and looking to fill a void at another position).

The rule 5 draft is a draft of unprotected minor-league players, in which major-league clubs select in reverse order of their winning percentages at the close of the preceding championship season, with teams from each league choosing alternately. A player not on a major-league 40-man roster is eligible to be drafted if a) he was 18 or younger when he first signed a pro contract, and this is the fourth Rule 5 draft since he signed, or b) he was 19 or older when he signed a pro contract, and this is the third Rule 5 draft since he signed. A selected player must remain on the 25-man major-league roster (or disability list) for the entire season or be offered back to the original club for half of the $50,000 draft price (Dickson, 2009, p.724). Note: an additional season until players are eligible currently exists meaning players that sign at 18 or younger can be selected in their fifth season while players signed at 19 or older can be selected in their fourth season.

Waivers are the system whereby a major-league team abandons its right to purchase the contact of another team’s player for a stipulated price. It allows all the teams to have a chance to bid on a player about to be released or to be included in a trade. Before a player can be released, waivers must be granted by all teams in reverse order of their standings. If the rights to that player are claimed (not waived) by one of those teams, his contract must be sold at a standard waiver price (Dickson, 2009, p. 918). There are four different types of waivers: outright waivers, trade assignment waivers, optional assignment waivers, and unconditional release waivers (Wong & Deubert, 2010). The type of waivers that a player is placed on depends on the individual circumstance of each player along with what type of move the club is attempting to make with its roster.

The first-year player draft (or Rule 4 draft) is a draft in which players completing their senior year of high school or junior year of college, and those players currently at a junior or community college are selected by major-league teams in reverse order of their percentages of games won at the close of the previous championship season. There are 50 selection rounds, conducted each year in June. The signing deadline for draftees (other than college seniors) is July 15. A player who is selected but returns to school without signing a contract is subject to selection in the next year’s draft (Dickson, 2009, p.326). A player eligible for selection, but who is not selected, may be signed by any major- or minor-league club (Dickson, 2009, p. 326). A player passed over in the draft who then is signed by a major-league team would be classified as an undrafted free agent. The first-year player draft only includes players from Canada, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other U.S. territories, and foreign players attending American schools (Dickson, 2009, p. 326).  This means that players from other countries (such as the Dominican Republic or Venezuela) are free to sign with any of the thirty MLB clubs as international free agents. Although players sign throughout the year the beginning of the official signing period is July 1^st for a player once he has turned 16 years old. The international market is extremely important and if navigated correctly can provide a club with a competitive advantage (Wong & Deubert, 2010).  An exception is Japan where players who are under contract by a Nippon Professional Baseball club (Japanese Pro League) can be posted for sale. There has recently been talk of an international draft or the inclusion of international players in the current first-year player draft, yet nothing has been agreed to between the various organizations. It appears however that some form of an international draft could be in place within a few seasons once all the specific details have been ironed out.

The posting system is an agreement between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball under which exclusive negotiating rights for a Japanese player (made available by a Japanese club) can be sold to the major-league team submitting the highest sealed (blind) bid. The team that wins the auction has 30 days to sign the player; otherwise, the player is returned to his Japanese team for a year, after which he automatically becomes a free agent. The posting fee is not paid until the player signs a major-league contract (Dickson, 2009, p. 664). The most notable case of a player joining an MLB team through the posting system occurred in January 2007 when the Boston Red Sox won the rights to negotiate with pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka by placing a winning bid of $51.11 million to Matsuzaka’s Japanese club the Seibu Lions. Matsuzaka signed a six-year $52 million contract with the Red Sox meaning that it cost the team a total of $103.11 million to obtain the services of Daisuke Matzuzaka. Some other Japanese Players that joined MLB via the posting system include: Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners), Akinori Iwamura (Tampa Bay Rays), Tsuyoshi Nishioka (Minnesota Twins), Norichika Aoki (Milwaukee Brewers) and Yu Darvish (Texas Ranger).

I hope that gives you a basic idea of the options that are available to an MLB team when adding players to their organization.  The system which MLB operates within is defiantly more complex than that of the NFL, NBA, and NHL.

References

Dickson, P. (2009). The Dickson Baseball Dictionary (3rd ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Wong, G., & Deubert, C. (2010). Major League Baseball General Managers: An Analyis of Their Responsibilities, Qualifications, and Characteristics. Nine: A Journal of baseball History and Culture, 18(2), 74-121.

~~~~~

You can follow us on Twitter @Seedlings2Stars and yours truly @drewbalen. You can also keep up to date with all things S2S by liking our Facebook page.

Basically, each pick was assigned a recommended bonus by Major League Baseball as to what was deemed the appropriate amount of money that the player selected with that pick is to receive as a signing bonus.  This amount is called “slot”, therefore the player who is drafted 1^st overall will receive more than any other player with the amount becoming lower with each pick. For example the 1^st overall pick in the 2011 draft was Pittsburgh’s Gerrit Cole (out of UCLA) who based on slot should have received $4,000,000, but in actuality he got an $8,000,000 bonus from the Pirates. The first 50 picks of the 2011 draft were slotted to receive signing bonuses that totaled $70 million; however in reality the total spent on signing bonuses out of the top 50 players signed was $120.5 million or 72% above slot. The previous system that was in place clearly was not working as it was designed, mainly because of the fact MLB did not enforce any penalty for spending more than what was recommended. The slot system was merely a suggestion. (more…)

July 11, 2010; Anaheim, CA, USA; Television actor James Denton (left) jokes with New York Mets former player Gary Carter during the 2010 All Star celebrity softball game at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

In 1972 at the age of 18, Gary Carter began his professional playing career (after being selected in the 3^rd round of the 1972 MLB amateur draft out of Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton, California) playing with the Montreal Expos Rookie Team in the Florida East Coast Rookie League (FECRL) before being promoted to the High-A West Palm Beach Expos of the Florida State League for the remainder of the 72 season. The 1973 season saw Carter play for the Double-A Quebec Carnavals (Eastern League) and the Triple-A Peninsula Whips (International League).  In 1974, Carter was a member of the Triple-A Memphis Blues (International League) before making his Major League debut on September 16, 1974 when the Montreal Expos hosted the New York Mets in the second game of a doubleheader at Parc Jarry.

Over the course of his 19 year MLB career, Carter would play in 2296 regular season games in which he collected 2092 hits, 324 HR and 1225 RBI as a member of the Montreal Expos, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was an eleven-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, three-time Gold Glove Award winner and member of the 1986 World Champion New York Mets.

In 2003, Carter was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. He went in as a member of the Montreal Expos, who retired his number 8.

Carter was the manager of the Gulf Coast League Mets in 2005, the St. Luice Mets (Florida State League) in 2006, the Orange County Flyers (Golden League), Long Island Ducks (Atlantic League), and was the head coach of NCAA Division II Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Today, Carter lost his battle with Brain Cancer. He was 57 years old.

All of us at Seedling to Stars would like to send our condolences to his family and friends. The kid was one of a kind. He will be remembered for his many accomplishments as a player and coach, after dedicating his life to the game of baseball.

~~~~~

You can follow us on Twitter @Seedlings2Stars and yours truly @drewbalen. You can also keep up to date with all things S2S by liking our Facebook page.

March 18, 2009; San Diego, CA, USA; Cuba center fielder Yoennis Cespedes (51) runs into third base following a stand-up triple during the sixth inning in the second round of the World Baseball Classic against Japan at Petco Park in San Diego, CA. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

The Oakland Athletics made a significant splash into the free agent market today, with the signing of 26-year old Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes to a 4-year, $36 million deal.

Cespedes is expected to be the Athletics starting right fielder come March 28^th when they open the 2012 season in Japan, against the Seattle Mariners.

In 2010-11, Cespedes batted .333 with 33 home runs and 99 RBI in 90 games while playing in the Cuban National Series with the Granma Stallions. In the summer of 2011, Cespedes defected to the Dominican Republic where he established residency in order to be granted free agency by Major League Baseball (MLB).

With the signing Cespedes instantly becomes the highest-paid player on the Athletics roster and the highest paid Cuban defector in league history topping the Cincinnati Reds 2010 signing of LHP Aroldis Chapman to a 6-year, $30.5 million deal.

I have to give Oakland credit for seemingly coming out of nowhere and taking a gamble on Cespedes. Why is it a gamble you ask? To put it simply $36 million is a high price for Oakland to pay for a player who has never played a game in MLB. Some scouts have described Cespedes as a five-tool center fielder although others think his best fit is ultimately in right field. There is no question that Cespedes is a freakish athlete, what I question is his mental makeup and ability to make the necessary adjustments both on-field and off that come with facing a higher level of competition, while being in a new country. It took time for former Cuban defector Kendrys Morales and even Chapman to become comfortable playing in the United States (US) as they both spent time in the minor leagues. The best comparison that I can make to Cespedes is that of Alexei Ramirez who came to the US at the age of 26 after signing a four-year contract with the Chicago White Sox in 2007. Ramirez has been a solid MLB player who immediately took over as the everyday second baseman, now shortstop for the White Sox. How long the adjustment period will be for Cespedes is unknown.

Can he live up to all the hype? When taking about prospects and trying to project players it is only natural that fans, members of the media, and even teams themselves get excited about what could be, often finding that the player does not reach his full potential. It is easy to get caught up in the moment; however, it is a trap that personally I don’t want to fall into. Cespedes has the potential to be the best Cuban player of his generation, if he can reach that potential is the real question. Only time will tell what kind of impact Cespedes will have on the Athletics and MLB.

I like the move from Oakland’s perspective because it shows that the Athletics are intent on remaining competitive. If there is one thing we have come to expect from Billy Beane over the years, it is the fact he is not afraid to make moves to ultimately improve his ball club, even taking on a certain level of risk in the process.

~~~~~

For more on the Athletics, check out Swingin’ A’s.

You can follow us on Twitter @Seedlings2Stars and yours truly @drewbalen. You can also keep up to date with all things S2S by liking our Facebook page.

The 2003 book Moneyball by Michael Lewis followed the 2002 season of the Oakland Athletics and general manager Billy Beane as he placed greater emphasis on statistical performance to evaluate players. The statistic which was highly valued for decision making was on-base percentage (OBP) because the Oakland front office believed that it could acquire players with high OBP at a discounted price as the ability to get on-base was being undervalued by other MLB clubs at the time. The key about Moneyball was not the system of evaluation in making decisions, but rather the fact that Billy Beane showed a willingness to challenge the status quo and implemented a new system. Billy Beane believed that by using more advanced statistical analysis of players the small market Oakland Athletics would remain competitive despite at an economic disadvantage over large market clubs such as the New York Yankees. The ultimate goal of the Athletics is to get more wins with a lower payroll or simply more value out of each dollar spent on payroll. The 2002 Oakland Athletics for example had an opening day payroll of $40,004,167 and the 2002 New York Yankees payroll on opening day was $125,928,583 (USA Today, 2011). However, both the Athletics and Yankees finished the 2002 season having won 103 regular season games, yet Oakland spent $388,389.97 per win when the New York spent $1,222,607.60 per win. Oakland thus got more value out of the payroll despite spending a significantly lower amount on the total payroll.

The main problem with the Moneyball system was that it discounted the hard work and many hours of labor that the team’s scouts had put into finding the next wave of Oakland Athletic players. When putting together the roster of the 2002 team Billy Beane relied on pure statistical analysis that came from the computer of Assistant General Manager Paul DePodesta and completely ignored the input of the Oakland scouting staff (Lewis, 2003). The reason being that Beane wanted to remain objective when making decisions and scouting is mostly based on subjective measures such as height, weight, body type, age, attitude, intelligence, and physical attributes such as a hitter’s swing or pitcher’s arm action (Lewis, 2003). In the world of baseball scouting, one scout can love a player while another can have a completely different opinion of the same exact player. Beane had issues with traditional scouting and wanted to eliminate the bias and preconceived ideas that existed about a player having to look a certain way in order to be a successful player (Lewis, 2003). In Beane’s own playing career he had the body and possessed all the physical skills that traditional scouting coveted and yet never became the superstar player that scouts envisioned (Lewis, 2003). He was unable to handle and adjust to failure which is extremely important in order to become a successful major league player.

The Moneyball system challenged the traditional thinking that existed in baseball and to a large extent still does (Lewis, 2003).  What has led to the popularity of Moneyball in popular culture is the fact that it asks questions that previously were not asked and definitely not put into practice in the baseball industry yet also could transfer into other industries and day to day life. In both business and life people continue to maintain the status quo by performing tasks the same way as always when those ways may not be the most efficient (Lewis, 2003). The organizations and individuals that are able to remain innovative are the ones that will be able to build and maintain a competitive advantage over their competition (Lewis, 2003). This is extremely important in the business and sports world.

The 2011 book The Extra 2% by Jonah Keri is a detailed account of how the Tampa Bay Rays went from being the worst run franchise to one of the best both on and off the field. The transformation of the Rays is attributed to new owner Stuart Sternberg, President Matt Silverman, and General Manager Andrew Friedman who all previously worked in the financial sector on Wall Street in New York. They view players much like the stock market in which one must analyze past performance to better predict future output. Ideally they want to get the most out of each player before the individual price of that player becomes too expensive. When trading with other teams they want to try to sell their own players high and buy other players at a low much like a stock broker does when diversifying his portfolio. A good stock broker will cut his losses on some investments while turning a profit on his overall portfolio as he realizes that some stocks perform better than others.  The Rays today are a prime example of a team that has been able to remain highly competitive on the field while remaining at a financial disadvantage off it. The Rays have made the playoffs in three of the last four years and won the American League East Division title in 2008 and 2010 despite having a payroll that annually ranks near  the bottom of the league (29^th-2008, 25^th-2009, 19^th- 2010, 29^th-2011) (USA Today, 2011).  The 2008 Rays lost in the World Series which was something that the Oakland Athletics of the early 2000’s were not able to accomplish.

Each season a number of free agents sign on with new clubs for large amounts of money. Prior to the 2001 season Alex Rodriguez signed a ten-year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers becoming the first player in MLB history to make over $20 million per season (CNNSI, 2000). In December 2007 Rodriguez signed a ten-year $275 million contract with the New York Yankees (Associated Press, 2007).  Barry Zito signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the San Francisco Giants in December 2006, which at the time was the biggest contract even given to a pitcher (Associated Press, 2006). The New York Yankees signed pitcher CC Sabathia to a seven-year, $161 million contract in December 2008 which equals $23 million per year (ESPN, 2008).

In the case of all four contracts listed above it is difficult to justify both the length and total salary of each player from a pure economic standpoint if one factors in the marginal revenue product (MRP) of a player, which is the dollar value (in millions) of what the player is worth to the team in generating revenue (Bradbury, 2007). In a competitive market for talent, player wages should equal the gross MRP minus the marginal resource cost of putting the player on the field (i.e., training and equipment cost) (Bradbury, 2007). In simple terms a player should be paid based on his contribution to the team and should not have a salary higher than the amount of revenue that he brings to the club. In the 2009 season the top MRP among all of the position players in MLB was Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals at $27.43 million, the top MRP among all pitchers in MLB was Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants at $19.01 million (Bradbury, 2011).  In comparison in 2009 Alex Rodriguez’s MRP was $9.55 million while his salary was $33 million, thus his performance did not equal how much he was getting paid. The was the case with Barry Zito ($6.06 million MRP-$18.5 million salary) and CC Sabathia ($10.52 million MRP-$15,285, 714 salary) who both were paid higher salaries than revenue they generated for their  respective clubs. It is clear that all three of these players where overpaid for what they produced during the 2009 season. If one breaks down the total contract with all years included it becomes apparent that all three players cost their respective teams more in salary then they produced in revenue over the long term. Ideally, a team wants to pay a player less than what they ultimately produce for the club, an example would be Tim Lincecum ($19.01 million MRP- $650,000 salary) in 2009. Realistically a team will have some players finish the season with a positive MRP and others with a negative but wants the overall roster to finish any given season with a positive MRP. The 2009 Giants overpaid Zito but underpaid Linecum so if you combine the two players the Giants had a positive MRP of $5,920,000.

It is much more difficult to determine the appropriate amount of money to be spent on signing amateur free agents and draft picks due to the uncertainty that surrounds young unproven players who have never played in MLB.  In the 2011 draft, for example, MLB teams spent $228,009,050 on signing bonus and a total of $236,059,050 in guaranteed money (Callis, 2011). On average each major league team will signed 30 players meaning a total of 900 players will join a MLB organization. Based on the current industry standard, of the 900 players signed it is expected that 45 play in the majors for an extended period of time. This means the average cost (minus development costs) per player that plays in MLB is $5,342,575.67.

In MLB teams mismanage the resources that are available to them be it when acquiring players. It is not unusual for a team to improperly value players which results in a waste of money and time. In order to remain competitive small market clubs such as Oakland and Tampa Bay they must get the most out of their limited economic resources. The New York Yankees pay more per win than any other team in the MLB and routinely overpay players when attempting to win. Each season teams spent millions of dollars signing amateur free agents and draft picks when the odds of them playing in the major leagues are 5%.  It is clear that the MLB industry as a whole  has to ask the simple question “Is the current way of doing business the best one?”

~~~~~

Leave a comment, I would like your thoughts on this topic.

You can follow us on Twitter @Seedlings2Stars and yours truly @drewbalen. You can also keep up to date with all things S2S by liking our Facebook page.

References

Associated Press. (2007, 12 17). Rodriguez finalizes $275M deal with Yankees. Retrieved from ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3153171
Bradbury, J. (2007). The Baseball Economist: The Real Game Exposed. New York: Duton.
Bradbury, J. (2011). Hot Stove Economics: Understanding Baseball’s Second Season. New York: Copernicus Books.
Callis, J. (2011, 8 18). No Matter The Slots, Teams Spent Freely In 2011. Retrieved from Baseball America: http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/news/2011/2612233.html
CNNSI. (2000, 12 14). A-Rod, Rangers agree to richest deal in sports history, Retrieved from: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/2000/12/11/rangers_arod_ap/
ESPN. (2007, Febuary 23). Matsuzaka, Red Sox reach agreement on six-year deal. Retrieved September 29, 2011, from ESPN.com: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2696321
ESPN. (2008, 12 11). Sources: Yanks, Sabathia agree to deal. Retrieved from ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3759182
Goodman, J. (Director). (2008). Road to the Big Leagues [Motion Picture].
Keri, J. (2011). The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First. New York: Ballantine Books.
Lewis, M. (2003). Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. New York: Norton & Company, Inc.
USA Today. (2011). Retrieved from USA Today Salaries Database: http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/baseball/mlb/salaries/team/2011
Wong, G., & Deubert, C. (2010). Major League Baseball General Managers: An Analyis of Their Responsibilities, Qualifications, and Characteristics. Nine: A Journal of baseball History and Culture, 18(2), 74-121.

Auburn Doubledays

In 1996, the Auburn Astros were renamed becoming the Auburn Doubledays, after American Civil War Union General Adner Doubleday.  The most recent rendition (Auburn had a team in the League from 1958-1980) of New York-Penn League baseball in Auburn began in 1982. Auburn was been affiliated with the Houston Astos (1982-2000), Toronto Blue Jays (2001-2010), and Washington Nationals (2011-Present). The Auburn franchise has won seven Division Titles (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2011) and two League Championships (1998 & 2007) over the past 15 season, since becoming the Doubledays.

Some notable alumni that played for the Doubledays before making it to the major leagues include:

Wade Miller (RHP): In 1996, Miller posted a 1-1 record with a 5.00 ERA in 2 starts with Auburn during his first professional season. Miller was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 20^th round of the 1996 MLB amateur draft out of Alvernia College (Reading, Pennsylvania). Miller pitched in 151 career regular season MLB games over nine seasons, as a member of the Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs. He last pitched in 2009 with Triple-A Las Vegas (Pacific Coast League) in the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

Johan Santana (LHP): In 1997 & 1998, Santana posted a combined 7-5 record with a 4.27 ERA in 16 starts with Auburn during his first and second professional seasons. Santana was signed by the Houston Astros in 1995 as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela by legendary scout Epy Guerrero and coming through the Astros Venezuelan Academy. The four-time All-Star (2005, 2006, 2007 & 2009) has pitched in 339 career regular season MLB games over eleven seasons, as a member of the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets. Santana won the 2004 and 2006 American League Cy Young Award.

Roy Oswalt (RHP): In 1997 & 1998, Oswalt posted a combined record of 6-9 with a 3.17 ERA in 20 starts with Auburn during his first and second professional seasons. Oswalt was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 23^rd round of the 1996 MLB amateur draft out of Holmes Community College (Ridgeland, Mississippi). Oswalt has pitched in 339 career regular season MLB games over eleven seasons, as a member of the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies. Oswalt is a three-time All-Star (2005, 2006 & 2007). He is currently a free agent.

Morgan Ensberg (3B): In 1998, Ensberg batted .230 with 5 HR and 31 RBI in 59 games with Auburn in his first professional season. Ensberg was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 9^th round of the 1998 MLB amateur draft out of USC (Los Angeles, California). Ensberg played in 731 career regular season MLB games over eight seasons, as a member of the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees. Ensberg was a member of the 2005 National League All-Star team. He is now retired and currently is the host of MLB Roundtrip on Sirius XM radio.

Keith Ginter (2B): In 1998, Ginter hit .315 with 8 HR and 41 RBI in 71 games with Auburn in his first professional season. Ginter was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 10^th round of the 1998 MLB amateur draft out of Texas Tech (Lubbock, Texas). Ginter played in 325 career regular season MLB games over six seasons, as a member of the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, and Oakland Athletics.  He last played in 2010 in Independent Ball with the Orange County Flyers (Golden League).

Tim Redding (RHP): In 1998, Redding posted a 7-3 record with a 4.52 ERA in 16 games with Auburn in his first professional season. Redding was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 20^th round of the 1997 MLB amateur draft out of Monroe Community College (Rochester, NY). Redding has pitched in 179 career regular season MLB games over eight seasons, as a member of the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, and New York Mets.  He last pitched in the majors in 2009. He spent 2011 in Triple-A between Albuquerque (Pacific Coast League) and Lehigh Valley (International League) in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies organizations, respectively. He is currently a member of the Toronto Blue Jays after signing a minor league contract with the team on January 27, 2012.

John Buck (C): In 1999, Buck batted .245 with 3 HR and 29 RBI in 63 games with Auburn during his second professional season. Buck was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 7^th round of the 1998 MLB amateur draft out of Taylorsville High School (Salt Lake City, Utah). Buck has played in 842 career regular season MLB games over eight seasons, as a member of the Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Florida Marlins. He was a member of the 2010 American League All-Star team.

Jason Lane (OF/LHP): In 1999, Lane hit .279 with 13 HR and 59 RBI in 74 games with Auburn in his first professional season. Lane was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 6^th round of the 1999 MLB amateur draft out of USC (Los Angeles, California). Lane has played in 497 career regular season games over six seasons, as a member of the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres. He last played in the majors in 2007. He spent 2011 with Triple-A Las Vegas in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He is now a pitcher and currently a member of the Arizona Diamondback after signing a minor league contract with the team in December, 2011.

Chris Sampson (SS/RHP): In 1999, Sampson batted .239 with 1 HR and 19 RBI in 51 games with Auburn in his first professional season. Sampson was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 8^th round of the 1999 MLB amateur draft out of Texas Tech (Lubbock, Texas). In 2003, Sampson converted to pitcher. Sampson has pitched in 174 career regular season MLB games over five seasons, as a member of the Houston Astros. He spent the 2011 season pitching for Triple-A New Orleans in the Florida Marlins organization.

Tyrell Godwin (OF): In 2001, Godwin hit .368 with 2 HR and 15 RBI in 33 games with Auburn in his first professional season. Godwin was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 3^rd round of the 2001 MLB amateur draft after playing at North Carolina (Chapel Hill, North Carolina). Godwin played in 3 games with the Washington Nationals in 2005.  He last played in 2007 with Tripl-A Columbus (International League) in the Washington organization.

Dustin McGowan (RHP): In 2001, McGowan posted a 3-6 record with a 3.76 ERA in 15 games with Auburn in his second professional season. McGowan was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the supplemental 1^st round (33^rd overall) out of Long County High School (Ludowici, Georgia). McGowan has pitched in 80 career regular season MLB games over five seasons, as a member of the Blue Jays. He will try to secure a spot in the Toronto starting rotation after being derailed by injures that forced him to miss three seasons.

Russ Adams (SS): In 2002, Adams batted .354 with 16 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 30 games with Auburn during his first professional season. Adams was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1^st round (14^th overall) of the 2002 MLB amateur draft out of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, North Carolina). Adams has played in 286 career regular season games over five seasons, as a member of the Blue Jays. In 2011, he played in 23 games with Triple-A Buffalo (International League) in the New York Mets organization before retiring from professional baseball in May at the age of 30.

Brandon League (RHP): In 2002, League posted a 7-2 record with a 3.15 ERA in 16 starts with Auburn in his second professional season. League was drafted in the 2^nd round of the 2001 MLB amateur draft out of St. Louis School High School (Honolulu, Hawaii). League has appeared in 303 career regular season MLB games over eight seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. He was a member of the 2011 American League All-Star team.

Dave Bush (RHP): In 2002, Bush posted a 1-1 record with a 2.82 ERA in 18 games during his first professional season. Bush was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2^nd round of the 2002 MLB amateur out of Wake Forest (Winston-Salem, North Carolina). Bush has pitched in 210 regular season MLB games over eight seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Texas Rangers. He is currently a member of the Philadelphia Phillies after joining the team as a free agent in December, 2011.

Aaron Hill (2B): In 2003, Hill hit .361 with 4 HR and 34 RBI in 33 games with Auburn during his first professional season. Hill was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1^st round (13^th overall) of the 2003 MLB amateur draft out of LSU (Baton Rouge, Louisiana). Hill has played in 908 career regular season games over seven seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks. He was a member of the 2009 American League All-Star team.

Ryan Roberts (2B): In 2003, Roberts batted .278 with 8 HR and 36 RBI in 66 games with Auburn in his first professional season. Roberts was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 18^th round of the 2003 MLB amateur draft out of Texas (Austin, Texas). Roberts has played in 307 career regular season games over six seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Shaun Marcum (RHP): In 2003, Marcum recorded a 1-0 record with a 1.32 ERA in 21 games in Auburn in his first professional season. Marcum was drafted in the 3^rd round of the 2003 MLB amateur draft out of Missouri State (Springfield, Missouri). Marcum has appeared in 153 career regular season MLB games over six seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers.

Eugenio Velez (2B): In 2003 & 2004, Velez batted a combined .222 with 1 HR and 9 RBI in 17 games with Auburn during his first and second professional seasons. Velez was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2001 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. Velez has played in 259 career regular season MLB games. He is currently a member of the St. Louis Cardinals after joining the club as a free agent in December, 2011.

Adam Lind (1B): In 2004, Lind hit .312 with 7 HR and 50 RBI in 70 games with Auburn in his first professional season. Lind was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 3^rd round of the 2004 MLB amateur draft out of South Alabama (Mobile, Alabama). Lind has played in 621 career regular season MLB games over six seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Curtis Thigpen (C): In 2004, Thigpen hit .301 with 7 HR and 29 RBI in 45 games with Auburn in his first professional season. Thigpen was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2^nd round of the 2004 MLB amateur draft out of Texas (Austin, Texas). Thigpen played in 57 career regular season MLB games over two seasons, as a member of the Blue Jays. He last played in 2007 with Triple-A Syracuse (International League) in the Blue Jays organization. In 2010, Thigpen returned to Texas as a volunteer student assistant coach.

Casey Janssen (RHP): In 2004, Janssen posted a 3-1 record with a 3.48 ERA in 10 starts with Auburn in his first professional season. Janssen was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 4^th round of the 2004 MLB amateur draft out of UCLA (Los Angeles, California). Janssen has pitched in 221 career regular season MLB games over five seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

David Purcey (LHP): In 2004, Purcey posted a 1-0 record with a 1.50 ERA in 3 games with Auburn in his first professional season. Purcey was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1^st round (16^th overall) of the 2004 MLB amateur draft out of Oklahoma (Norman, Oklahoma). Purcey has pitched in 87 career regular season MLB games over four seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, and Detroit Tigers. He is currently a member of the Philadelphia Phillies after signing with the club as a free agent in December, 2011.

Jesse Litsch (RHP): In 2005, Litsch posted a 0-1 record with a 3.60 ERA in 4 games with Auburn during his first professional season. Litsch was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 24^th round of the 2004 MLB amateur draft out of South Florida Community College (Avon Park, Florida). Litsch has pitched in 88 career regular season MLB games over five seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Ricky Romero (LHP): In 2005, Romero pitched in 1 game with Auburn during his first professional season. Romero was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1^st round (6^th overall) of the 2005 MLB amateur draft out of Cal State Fullerton (Fullerton, California). Romero has made 93 career regular season MLB starts over three seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. Romero was a member of the 2011 American League All-Star team.

J.P. Arencibia (C): In 2007, Arencibia batted .254 with 3 HR and 25 RBI in 63 games with Auburn in this first professional season. Arencibia was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1^st round (21^st overall) of the 2007 MLB amateur draft out of Tennessee (Knoxville, Tennessee). Arencibia has played in 140 career regular season MLB games over the past two seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Brett Cecil (LHP): In 2007, Cecil posted a 1-0 record with a 1.27 ERA in 14 games with Auburn in his first professional season. Cecil was drafted in the supplemental 1^st round (38^th overall) of the 2007 MLB amateur draft out of Maryland (College Park, Maryland). Cecil has pitched in 66 career regular season MLB games over three seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Brad Mills (LHP): In 2007, Mills posted a 2-0 record with a 2.00 ERA in 6 games with Auburn in his first professional season. Mills was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 4^th round of the 2007 MLB amateur draft out of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona). Mills has appeared in 14 career regular season MLB games over three seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. He is currently a member of the Los Angeles Angels after being traded for Jeff Mathis in December, 2011.

Luis Perez (LHP): In 2007, Perez posted a 3-3 record with a 3.70 ERA in 16 starts with Auburn in his first professional season in North America. Perez was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2003 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. Perez pitched in 37 games with Toronto in 2011.

Marc Rzepczynski (LHP): In 2007, Rzepczynski posted a 5-0 record with a 2.76 ERA in 11 games with Auburn in his first professional season. Rzepczynski was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 5^th round of the 2007 MLB amateur draft out of California Riverside (Riverside, California). Rzepcznski has pitched in 96 career regular season MLB games over three seasons, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals. He was a member of the 2011 World Champion Cardinals.

David Cooper (1B): In 2008, Cooper hit .341 with 2 HR and 21 RBI in 21 games with Auburn during his first professional season. Cooper was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1^st round (17^th overall) of the 2008 MLB amateur draft out of California (Berkeley, California). Cooper played in 27 with Toronto in 2011, his first season in the majors.

Joel Carreno (RHP): In 2008, Carreno posted a 5-5 record with a 3.42 ERA in 15 games with Auburn in his second professional season in North America. Carreno was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2004 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. Carreno pitched in 11 games with Toronto in 2011.

~~~~~

For more on the Nationals, check out District on Deck.
For more on the Blue Jays, check out Jays Journal.
For more on the Astros, check out Climbing Tal’s Hill.

You can follow us on Twitter @Seedlings2Stars and yours truly @drewbalen. You can also keep up to date with all things S2S by liking our Facebook page.

Team

Prior to the 1994 season the Niagara Falls Rapids (Niagara Falls, New York) relocated to Jamestown and became the Jammers. Jamestown’s own team the team the Jamestown Expos relocated to Burlington, Vermont following the 1993 season and are currently the Vermont Lake Monsters. The Jammers have been affiliated with the Detroit Tigers (1994-1998), the Atlanta Braves (1999-2001) and the Florida/Miami Marlins (2002-present).

Some notable alumni that played for the Jammers before making it to the major leagues include:

Bubba Trammell (OF): In 1994, Trammel hit .298 with 5 HR and 41 RBI in 65 games with Jamestown in his first professional season. Trammel was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 11^th round of the 1994 MLB amateur draft out of Tennessee (Knoxville, Tennessee). Trammel played in 584 career regular season MLB games over seven seasons, as a member of the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees. He retired from professional baseball in 2007.

Dave Roberts (OF): In 1994, Roberts batted .292 with 12 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 54 games with Jamestown in his first professional season. Roberts was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 24^th round of the 1994 MLB amateur draft out of UCLA (Los Angeles, California). Roberts played in 832 career regular season MLB games over ten seasons, as a member of the Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants. He was a member of the 2004 World Champion Red Sox. He is remembered most for his stolen base against the New York Yankees in game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. He retired for professional baseball in 2009 and is currently the 1^st base coach for the San Diego Padres.

Gabe Kapler (OF): In 1995, Kapler hit .288 with 4 HR and 34 RBI in 63 games with Jamestonw in his first professional season. Kapler was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 57^th round of the 1995 MLB amateur draft out of Moorpark College (Moorpark, California). Kapler played in 1104 career regular season MLB games over twelve seasons, as a member of the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Tampa Bay Rays. He was a member of the 2004 World Champion Red Sox.  In 2007, he was the Manager at Lo-A Greenville Drive (South Atlantic League) in the Red Sox organization, posting a record of 58-81, before returning as a player. He last played in the majors in 2010.

Francisco Cordero (RHP): In 1995 & 1996, Cordero posted a combined record of 4-7 with a 4.73 ERA in 17 games with Jamestown during his first and second professional seasons. Cordero was signed by the Detroit Tigers in 1994 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. The three-time All-Star (2004, 2007 & 2009) has appeared in 753 career regular season MLB games over thirteen seasons, as a member of the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Cincinnati Reds. He is currently a member of the Toronto Blue Jays after signing as a free agent with the team on January 24, 2012.

Robert Fick (1B): In 1996, Fick hit .248 with 1 HR and 14 RBI in 43 games with Jamestown in his first professional season. Fick was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 5^th round of the 1996 MLB amateur draft out of California State Northridge (Los Angeles, California). Fick has played in 846 career regular season MLB games over ten seasons, as a member of the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, San Diego Padres, and Washington Nationals. He was a member of the 2002 American League All-Star team. Fick last played in 2009 in Independent Ball with the Orange County Flyers (Golden League). He is currently an agent for Paragon Sports International.

Brandon Inge (3B): In 1998, Inge batted .230 with 8 HR and 29 RBI in 51 games with Jamestown during his first professional season. Inge was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 2^nd round of the 1998 MLB amateur draft out of Virginia Commonwealth (Richmond, Virginia). Inge has played in 1399 career regular season MLB games over eleven seasons, as a member of the Detroit Tigers. Inge was a member of the 2009 American League All-Star team.

Adam Pettyjohn (LHP): In 1998, Pettyjohn posted a 2-2 record with a 2.86 ERA in 4 starts with Jamestown during his first professional season. Pettyjohn was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 2^nd round of the 1998 MLB amateur draft out of Fresno State (Fresno, California). Pettyjohn has pitched in 19 career MLB games as a member of the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds. He lasted pitched in 2010 with Triple-A Buffalo Bison (International League) in the New York Mets organization.

Jeff Weaver (RHP): In 1998, Weaver posted a 1-0 record with a 1.50 ERA in 3 starts with Jamestown during his first professional season. Weaver was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 1^st round (14^th overall) of the 1998 MLB amateur draft out of Fresno State (Fresno, California). Weaver has pitched in 355 career regular season MLB games over eleven seasons, as a member of the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, and Seattle Mariners. He last played in 2010.

Andres Torres (OF): In 1998, Torres hit .234 with 1 HR and 21 RBI in 48 games with Jamestown in his first professional season. Torres was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 4^th round of the 1998 MLB amateur draft out of Miami Dade College (Miami, Florida). Torres has played in 415 career regular season games over seven seasons, as a member of the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants. He is currently a member of the New York Mets after being traded by the Giants in December 2011.

Nick Green (2B): In 1999, Green hit .297 with 11 HR and 41 RBI in 73 games with Jamestown during his first professional season. Green was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 32^nd round of the 1998 MLB amateur draft out of Georgia Perimeter College (Covington, GA). Green has played in 393 career regular season MLB games over six seasons, as a member of the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Toronto Blue Jays. He is currently a member of the Miami Marlins after signing a minor league contract in December, 2011.

Roman Colon (RHP): In 1999, Colon posted a 7-5 record with a 4.54 ERA in 15 starts with Jamestown during his third professional season. Colon was signed by the Atlanta Braves in 1995 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. Colon has pitched in 121 career regular season MLB games over five seasons, as a member the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, and Kansas City Royals. He is currently a member of the Royals after signing a minor league contract with the team in January, 2012.

Wilson Betemit (3B): In 2000, Betemit batted .331 with 5 HR and 37 RBI in 69 games with Jamestown in his fourth professional season. Betemit was signed by the Atlanta Braves in 1996 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. Betemit has played in 697 career regular season MLB games over nine seasons, as a member of the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Detroit Tigers. He is currently a member of the Baltimore Orioles after signing as a free agent with the team last week.

Pete Orr (2B): In 2000, Orr hit .242 with 2 HR and 15 RBI in 69 games with Jamestown in his first professional season. Orr was signed by the Atlanta Braves in 1999 as an amateur free agent. Orr has played in 393 career regular season MLB games over six seasons, as a member of the Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals, and Philadelphia Phillies.

Zach Miner (RHP): In 2001, Miner posted a 3-4 record with a 1.89 ERA in 15 starts with Jamestown in his first professional season. Miner was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 4^th round of the 2000 MLB amateur draft out of Palm Beach Gardens High School (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida). Miner has pitched in 157 career regular season games over four seasons, as a member of the Detroit Tigers. He is currently a member of the Kansas City Royals after signing a minor league contract in December, 2011.

Jeremy Hermida (OF): In 2002, Hermida batted .319 with 7 RBI in 13 games with Jamestown during his first professional season. Hermida was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 1^st round (11^th overall) in the 2002 MLB amateur draft out of Wheeler High School (Marietta, Georgia). Hermida has played in 619 career regular season MLB games over seven seasons, as a member of the Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds, and San Diego Padres.

Robert Andino (SS): In 2002, Andino batted .167 with 3 RBI in 9 games with Jamestown during his first professional season. Andino was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 2^nd round of the 2002 MLB amateur draft out of Miami Southridge Senior High School (Miami, Florida). Andino has played in 312 career regular season MLB games over seven seasons, as a member of the Florida Marlins and Baltimore Orioles.

Eric Reed (OF): In 2002, Reed hit .308 with 17 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 60 games with Jamestown during his first professional season. Reed was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 9^th round of the 2002 MLB amateur draft out of Texas A&M (College Station, Texas). Reed played in 60 games with Florida over parts of two seasons.

Yorman Bazardo (RHP): In 2002, Bazardo posted a 5-0 record with a 2.72 ERA in 25 games with Jamestown in his first professional season. Bazardo was signed by the Florida Marlins in 2000 as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela. Bazardo has pitched in 25 career regular season MLB games over four seasons, as a member of the Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, and Houston Astros.

Jai Miller (OF): In 2003, Miller hit .233 with 6 RBI in 11 games with Jamestown during his first professional season. Miller was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 4^th round of the 2003 MLB amateur draft out of Selma High School (Selma, Alabama). Miller has played in 28 career regular season MLB games over three seasons, as a member of the Florida Marlins, Kansas City Royals, and Oakland Athletics. He is currently a member of the Baltimore Orioles.

Taylor Tankersley (LHP): In 2004, Tankersley posted a 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 6 starts with Jamestown in his first professional season. Tankersley was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 1^st round (27^th overall) of the 2004 MLB amateur draft out of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL). Tankersley pitched in 168 career regular season MLB games over four seasons, as a member of the Florida Marlins. He spent the 2011 seasons with Triple-A Buffalo Bison (International League) in the New York Mets organization.

Jason Vargas (LHP): In 2004, Vargas posted a 3-1 record with a 1.96 ERA in 8 starts with Jamestown during his first professional season. Vargas was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 2^nd round of the 2004 MLB amateur draft out of Cal State Long Beach (Long Beach, California). Vargas has pitched in 117 career regular season MLB games over six seasons, as a member of the Florida Marlins, New York Mets, and Seattle Mariners.

Brad Davis (C): In 2004, Davis hit .289 with 14 RBI in 42 games with Jamestown during his first professional season. Davis was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 5^th round of the 2004 MLB amateur draft out of Cal State San Bernardino (San Bernardino, California). Davis played in 33 career MLB games with Florida in 2010. He is currently a member of the San Diego Padres.

Brett Carroll (OF): In 2004, Carroll hit .251 with 6 HR and 28 RBI in 60 games with Jamestown in his first professional season. Carroll was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 10^th round of the 2004 MLB amateur draft out of Middle Tennessee State (Murfreesboro, Tennessee). Carroll has played in 175 career regular season MLB games over five seasons, as a member of the Florida Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers. He is currently a member of the Washington Nationals.

Aaron Thompson (LHP): In 2005, Thompson posted a 1-2 record with a 3.10 ERA in 5 starts with Jamestown during his first professional season. Thompson was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 1^st round (22^nd overall) of the 2005 MLB amateur draft out of Second Baptist High School (Houston, Texas). Thompson pitched in 4 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011. He is currently a member of the Minnesota Twins.

Brett Hayes (C): In 2005, Hayes hit .239 with 1 HR and 12 RBI in 36 games with Jamestown during his first professional season. Hayes was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 2^nd round of the 2005 MLB amateur draft out of Nevada (Reno, Nevada). Hayes played in 104 games with the Marlins over the past three seasons.

Chris Volstad (RHP): In 2005, Volstad posted a 3-2 record with a 2.13 ERA in 7 starts with Jamestown during his first professional season. Volstad was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 1^st round (16^th overall) of the 2005 MLB amateur draft out of Palm Beach Gardens High School (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida). Volstad has pitched in 103 career regular season MLB games as a member of the Marlins over the last four seasons. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Carlos Zambrano on January 5, 2010.

Sean West (LHP): In 2005, West posted a 0-2 record with a 5.73 ERA in 3 starts with Jamestown during his first professional season. West was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the supplemental 1^st round (44^th overall) of the 2005 MLB amateur draft out of Captain Shreve High School (Shreveport, Louisiana). West has pitched in 22 career games with the Marlins over two seasons. He spent 2011 at Triple-A New Orleans (Pacific Coast League) in the Marlins organization.

Gaby Sanchez (1B): In 2005, Sanchez hit .355 with 5 HR and 42 RBI in 62 games with Jamestown in his first professional season. Sanchez was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 4^th round of the 2005 MLB amateur draft out of Miami (Coral Gables, Florida). Sanchez has played in 336 career regular season MLB games over the four seasons, as a member of the Marlins. Sanchez was a member of the 2011 National League All-Star team.

Chris Coghlan (OF): In 2006, Coghlan hit .298 with 12 RBI in 28 games with Jamestown during his first professional season. Coghlan was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the supplemental 1^st round (36^th overall) of the 2006 MLB amateur draft out of Mississippi (Oxford, Mississippi). Coghlan was the 2009 National League Rookie of the Year. Coghlan has played in 284 career regular season MLB games with the Marlins, over the past three seasons.

Logan Morrison (OF): In 2006, Morrison batted .203 with 1 HR and 11 RBI in 23 games with Jamestown in during his first professional season. Morrison was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 22^nd round of the 2005 MLB amateur draft out of Northshore High School (Slidell, Louisiana). Morrison has played in 185 career regular season MLB games with the Marlins, over the past two seasons.

Scott Cousins (OF): In 2006, Cousins hit .211 with 1 HR and 6 RBI in 21 games with Jamestown in his first professional season. Cousins was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 3^rd round of the 2006 MLB amateur draft out of San Francisco (San Francisco, California). Cousins has played in 75 games with the Marlins, over the past two seasons.

John Raynor (OF): In 2006, Raynor hit .286 with 4 HR, 21 RBI, and 21 stolen bases in 54 games with Jamestown in his first professional season. Raynor was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 9^th round of the 2006 MLB amateur draft out of UNC Wilmington (Wilmington, North Carolina). Raynor played in 11 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010.

Brett Sinkbeil (RHP): In 2006, Sinkbeil posted a 2-0 record with a 1.23 ERA in 5 starts with Jamestown during his first professional season. Sinkbeil was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 1^st round (19^th overall) of the 2006 MLB amateur draft out of Missouri State (Springfield, Missouri). Sinkbeil has played in 3 games with the Marlins in 2010.

Matt Dominguez (3B): In 2007, Dominguez hit .189 with 1 HR and 4 RBI in 10 games with Jamestown during his first professional season. Dominguez was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 1^st round (12^th overall) of the 2007 MLB amateur draft out of Chatsworth High School (Chatsworth, California). Dominguez played in 17 career regular season games with the Marlin in 2011.

Osvaldo Martinez (SS): In 2007, Martinez hit .184 with 6 RBI in 38 games with Jamestown in his second professional season. Martinez was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 11^th round of the 2006 MLB amateur draft out of Porterville Junior College (Porterville, California). Martinez has played in 34 career MLB games with the Marlins, over the past two seasons.

Bryan Petersen (OF): In 2007, Petersen hit .250 with 5 HR and 24 RBI in 57 games with Jamestown in his first professional season. Petersen was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 4^th round of the 2007 MLB amateur draft out of California Irvine (Irvine, California). Petersen has played in 97 career regular season MLB games with the Marlins, over the past two seasons.

Mike Stanton (OF): In 2007, Stanton batted .067 with 1 HR and 2 RBI in 9 games with Jamestown during his first professional season. Stanton was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 2^nd round of the 2007 MLB amateur draft out of Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks, California). Stanton has played in 250 career regular season MLB games with the Marlins, over the past two seasons.

Brad Hand (LHP): In 2008, Hand posted a 1-2 record with a 3.00 ERA in 3 starts with Jamestown during his first professional season. Hand was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 2^nd round of the 2008 MLB amateur draft out of Chaska High School (Carver, Minnesota). Hand started 12 games for the Marlins in 2011, his first season in the majors.

Elih Villanueva (RHP): In 2008, Villanueva posted a 2-1 record with a 1.89 ERA in 5 games with Jamestown during his first professional season. Villanueva was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 27^th round of the 2008 MLB amateur draft out of Florida State (Tallahassee, Florida). Villanueva made one start with the Marlins in 2011, his only appearance in the majors to date.

~~~~~

For more on the Marlins, check out Marlin Maniac.

You can follow us on Twitter @Seedlings2Stars and yours truly @drewbalen. You can also keep up to date with all things S2S by liking our Facebook page.

The Staten Island Yankees began play in 1999 after the Watertown Indians franchise was relocated from Watertown, New York. Staten Island has been affiliated with the New York Yankees since their inaugural season. The Yankees have won seven division titles (2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2011) and six league championships (2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2011) over their thirteen year existence.

Some notable alumni that played for the Yankees before making it to the major leagues include:

Andy Phillips (1B): In 1999, Phillips hit .322 with 7 HR and 48 RBI in 64 games with Staten Island in his first professional season. Phillips was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 7^th round of the 1999 MLB amateur draft out of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Alabama). Phillips played in 259 career regular season MLB games over 5 seasons, as a member of the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Cincinnati Reds. He last played professionally in 2009 and 2010, when he was a member of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan. He currently is an assistant coach at Alabama, serving as the hitting coach since 2011.

Brandon Claussen (LHP): In 1999, Claussen posted a 6-4 record with a 3.38 ERA in 12 starts with Staten Island during his first professional season. Claussen was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 34^th round of the 1998 MLB amateur draft out of Howard College (Big Spring, Texas). Claussen made 58 career MLB starts over four seasons (2003-2006), as a member of the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds. He is now retired from baseball and is the owner of Forrest Tire in Lubbock, Texas.

Wily Mo Pena (OF): In 2000, Pena hit .301 with 10 RBI in 20 games with Staten Island in his second professional season. Pena was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1999 out of the Dominican Republic. Pena has spent eight seasons in the majors and played in 599 career MLB games. He has been a member of Cincinnati, Boston, Washington, Arizona, and Seattle. In November 2011, Pena signed a contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League.

Jason Anderson (RHP): In 2000 & 2001, Anderson posted an 11-6 record with a 3.16 ERA in 22 starts with Staten Island during his first and second professional seasons. Anderson was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 10^th round of the 2000 MLB amateur draft out of Illinois (Champaign, Illinois). Anderson appeared in 32 career MLB games over three seasons, as a member of the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Cleveland Indians. In 2011, he pitched in 23 games in Independent Ball with the Somerset Patriots (Atlantic League) before retiring from professional baseball on July 19^th.  Anderson had his number 19 retired by Staten Island in 2003.

Chien-Ming Wang (RHP): In 2000 & 2002, Wang posted a 10-5 record with a 2.12 ERA in 27 starts with Staten Island during his first and second professional seasons. Wang was signed by the New York Yankees in 2000 as an amateur free agent out of Taiwan. Wang has pitched in 120 career regular season MLB games over the course of six seasons, as a member of the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals. He led the American League with 19 wins in 2006. Staten Island retired his number 41 in 2006.

Shelley Duncan (OF): In 2001, Duncan hit .245 with 8 HR and 39 RBI in 70 games with Staten Island in his first professional season. Duncan was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2^nd round of the 2001 MLB amateur draft out of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona). Duncan has played in 229 career regular season MLB games over five seasons, as a member of the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians.

John-Ford Griffin (OF): In 2001, Griffin hit .311 with 5 HR and 43 RBI in 66 games with Staten Island in his first professional season. Griffin was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1^st round (23^rd overall) in the 2001 MLB amateur draft out of Florida State (Tallahassee, Florida). Griffin played in 13 games with the Toronto Blue Jays over two MLB seasons. Griffin last played in 2010 in Independent Ball with the Newark Bears (Atlantic League) before retiring in June 2010.

Robinson Cano (2B): In 2001 & 2002, Cano hit .274 with 1 HR and 17 RBI in 24 games with Staten Island during his first and second professional seasons. Cano was signed by the New York Yankees in 2001 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. The tree-time All-Star (2006, 2010 & 2011) has played in 1053 regular season MLB games over seven seasons, as a member of the New York Yankees. He won the American League Gold Glove at second base in 2010 and the American League Silver Slugger at second base in 2006, 2010, and 2011. He was a member of the 2009 World Champion New York Yankees. Cano had his number 17 retired by Staten Island in 2007.

Melky Cabrera (OF): In 2003, Cabrera hit .283 with 2 HR and 31 RBI in 67 games with Staten Island during his first professional season. Cabrera was signed by the New York Yankees in 2001 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. Cabrera has played in 871 career regular season MLB games with the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and Kansas City Royals. Cabrera is currently a member of the San Francisco Giants after being traded by the Royals in November 2011.

Phil Coke (LHP): In 2004, Coke pitched in 3 games with Staten Island where he posted a 6.75 ERA over 8 innings of work in his second professional season. Coke was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 26^th round of the 2002 MLB amateur draft out of San Joaquin Delta College (Stockton, California). Coke has pitched in 206 career regular season MLB games over four seasons, as a member of the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers. Coke was a member of the 2009 World Champion New York Yankees.

Eduardo Nunez (SS): In 2005, Nunez hit .313 with 3 HR and 46 RBI in 73 games with Staten Island during his first professional season. Nunez was signed by the New York Yankees in 2004 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. Nunez has played in 142 career regular season MLB games with the Yankees, over the past two seasons.

Brett Gardner (OF): In 2005, Gardner hit .284 with 5 HR and 32 RBI in 73 games with Staten Island in his first professional season. Gardner was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 3^rd round of the 2005 MLB amateur draft out of the College of Charleston (Charleston, South Carolina). Gardner has played in 459 career MLB regular season games with the Yankees over the past four seasons. He was a member of the 2009 World Champion Yankees.

Francisco Cervelli (C): In 2006, hit .309 with 2 HR and 16 RBI in 42 games with Staten Island in his second professional season. Cervelli was signed by the New York Yankees in 2003 as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela. Cervelli has played in 181 career regular season MLB games. He was a member of the 2009 World Champion Yankees.

Ian Kennedy (RHP): In 2006, Kennedy made 1 start with Staten Island in his first professional season. Kennedy was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1^st round (21^st overall) of the 2006 MLB amateur draft out of USC (Los Angeles, California). Kennedy has pitched in 79 career regular season MLB games over five seasons, as a member of the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks. He led the National League in wins with 21 in 2011.

Colin Curtis (OF): In 2006, Curtis hit .302 with 1 HR and 18 RBI in 44 games with Staten Island during his first professional season. Curtis was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 4^th round of the 2006 MLB amateur draft out of Arizona State (Tempe, Arizona). Curtis played in 31 games with the Yankees in 2010.

Mark Melancon (RHP): In 2006, Melancon posted a 0-1 record with a 3.52 ERA in 7 games with Staten Island in his first professional season. Melancon was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 9^th round of the 2006 MLB amateur draft out of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona). Melancon has pitched in 106 career games over the past three seasons, as a member of the New York Yankees and Houston Astros. Melancon is currently a member of the Boston Red Sox after joining the team via trade in December 2011.

Dellin Betances (RHP): In 2007, Betances posted a 1-2 record with a 3.60 ERA in 6 starts with Staten Island in his second professional season. Betances was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 8^th round of the 2006 MLB amateur draft out of Grand Street High School (New York, New York). Betances has pitched in two career MLB games with the Yankees in 2011.

John Axford (RHP): In 2007, Axford posted a 1-1 record with a 2.22 ERA in 8 games with Staten Island during his first professional season. Axford was signed by the New York Yankees in 2006 as an amateur free agent. Axford has pitched in 131 career regular season MLB games over the past season, as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. Axford led the National League in saves with 46 in 2011.

Zach McAllister (RHP): In 2007, McAllister posted a record of 4-6 with a 5.17 ERA in 16 games with Staten Island in his second professional season. McAllister was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 3^rd round of the 2006 MLB amateur draft out of Illinois Valley Central High School (Chillicothe, Illinois). McAllister has played in four career MLB games with the Cleveland Indians in 2011.

Hector Noesi (RHP): In 2008, Noesi posted a record of 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 5 games with Staten Island during his third professional season. Noesi was signed by the New York Yankees in 2004 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. Noesi pitched in 30 games with the Yankees in 2011, his first season in the majors. He currently is a member of the Seattle Mariners after being traded earlier this week as part of the Michael Pineda deal.

~~~~~

For more on the Yankees, check out Yanks Go Yard.

You can follow us on Twitter @Seedlings2Stars and yours truly @drewbalen. You can also keep up to date with all things S2S by liking our Facebook page.

Aberdeen joined the New York-Penn League in 2002 after the Utica Blue Sox relocated from Utica, New York. The IronBirds have been affiliated with Baltimore since 2002 and are currently owned by Orioles legend and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken.

Some notable alumni that played for the Renegades before making it to the major leagues include:

(more…)

Hudson Valley began playing in Fishkill in 1994 after the Erie Sailors relocated from Erie, Pennsylvania. The Renegades were affiliated with the Texas Rangers from the 1994 and 1995 seasons before a split affiliation in 1996 between the Rangers and expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays (now Rays) with the Devil Rays becoming the primary affiliate in 1997. In 1999 the Renegades won the 1999 New York-Penn League Championship. Hudson Valley has won two division titles (1996 & 1999) in franchise history.

(more…)

Team

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers joined the New York-Penn League in 1999. The Scrappers won the League Championship in 2004 to go along with four Division titles (1999, 2000, 2004, and 2009). Mahoning Valley has been affiliated with the Cleveland Indians since that inaugural 1999 season.

Some notable alumni that played for the Scrappers before making it to the major leagues include:

Victor Martinez (C): In 1999, Martinez hit .277 with 4 HR and 36 RBI in 64 games with Mahoning Valley in his first professional season. Martinez signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1996 as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela. The four-time All-Star (2004, 2007, 2009 & 2010) has played in 1149 career MLB games over the last ten seasons, as a member of Cleveland, Boston, and Detroit.

(more…)

The ValleyCats began playing in 2002 in Troy and have been affiliated with the Houston Astros for the past ten seasons. Prior to 2002 the ValleyCats franchise was relocated from Pittsfield, Massachusetts where it existed as the Pittsfield Mets (1989-2000) and Pittsfield Astros (2001), and was affiliated with the New York Mets and Houston Astros. The original franchise was based in Little Falls, New York and named the Little Falls Mets (1977 to 1988) and was affiliated with the New York Mets.

Some notable alumni that played for the ValleyCats before making it to the major leagues include:

Matt Albers (RHP): In 2003, Albers posted a record of 5-4 with a 2.92 ERA in 15 games with Tri-City during his second professional season. Albers was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 23^rd round of the 2001 MLB amateur draft out of Clements High School (Sugar Land, Texas). Albers has pitched for Houston, Baltimore, and Boston over his six year major league career.

(more…)

The Lowell Spinners begin playing in 1996 after the Elmira Pioneers franchise was relocated from Elmira, New York. The Spinners have been affiliated with the Boston Red Sox since their inaugural season.

Some notable alumni that played for the Spinners before making it to the major leagues include:

Shea Hillenbrand (3B): In 1996, Hillenbrand played in 72 games with Lowell, hitting .315 with 2 HR and 38 RBIs in his first professional season. Hillenbrand was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 10^th round of the 1996 MLB amateur draft out of Mesa Community College (Mesa, Arizona). He played in 943 MLB games over the course of his seven year career. The two-time All-Star (2002 & 2005) played for Boston, Arizona, Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He currently has a ranch in Chandler, Arizona where he and his wife run the “Against All Odds” foundation that rescues and rehabilitates animals and allows underprivileged inner-city children to visit and interact with the animals.

The Vermont Expos celebrated their inaugural season in 1994 after the franchise relocated from Jamestown, New York. The Jamestown Expos spent 15 seasons (1978-1993) playing in Jamestown prior to their move to Burlington, Vermont. In 2005, Vermont changed it nickname from Expos to Lake Monsters but not before being the last professional ball club to carry the Expos name, as the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, D.C. becoming the Washington Nationals the previous season. The Vermont/Jamestown franchise was affiliated with the Expos/Nationals for a total of 32 seasons (1978-2010) before beginning its affiliation with the Oakland Athletics prior to the 2011 season.

Vermont won the New York-Penn League Championship in 1996 and has won three division titles (1995, 1996, and 2011). (more…)

Team

In 2001, the Cyclones began playing in Brooklyn and have been affiliated with the New York Mets since the inaugural 2001 season. The franchise originally began play in the 1986 in St. Catharines, Ontario with the name St. Catharines Blue Jays (1986-1995) and St. Catharines Stompers (1996-1999) and spent the 2000 season in Queens, New York with the name Queens Kings before moving to Brooklyn. The Toronto Blue Jays were affiliated with the franchise from 1986 until 2000.

The Brooklyn Cyclones have won 5 division titles, appeared in the playoffs eight times and were co-champions in 2001 with the Williamsport Crosscutters after the championship series ended early due to the September 11 attacks.

(more…)

Some current major league players that have played for Batavia on their journey through the minors include:

Ryan Howard (1B): In 2001, Howard hit .272 with 6 HR and 35 RBIs in 48 games with Batavia during his first season as a professional player. Howard was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 5^th round of the 2001 MLB amateur draft out of Missouri State University.

(more…)