http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6A394xW4vc

Kate Reese

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIHHnvf4G3Q

I’m sure you have heard the saying its not how you look its how you play. Well that saying can go different ways in winterball. Of course winning is the key priority down here because it is such a short season and no one wants to lose. But once the uniforms are handed out in the locker room you would think we were running a seamstress and altering school. Players find anyway to alter their pants to fit big or over the shoes. Jerseys are traded for guys who want their lucky number. Money can be involved or chores for a jersey number. A player may have to bring in another guys bats for a month or get him food.

We opened up the season at home this week against the Cardinales. Showing up to the field on opening day down here is something special. Fans cars have flags and chalk written all over them rooting us on. Tigres Campeon, is the overall chant throughout the city. The fresh smell of arepas, pepitos, and ball park food surrounds the atmosphere. Everyone is decked out in team apparel. Local street vendors sell Tigres jerseys, hats, and anything else you can think of. Tickets for opening day sold out in 2 minutes. Our stadium holds 19,000 people.

The worst part of winterball is batting practice. Instead of having 3 groups for 45 minutes like we do in the United States, we have 5 groups which seem to last an eternity. It seems like everyone takes their cuts, and then someones entourage shows up and takes some hacks. We are out their forever, but its a part of the game and our position players need it to get loose and ready. I’m just complaining because I haven’t been used to doing the bucket for shagging and like most winterball countries balls are like black gold and we don’t have many, so refilling the throwers bucket can get very exhausting.

We ended the opening day game off in a sensational fashion. Hector Gimenez hit a walk off homer with a 3-2 count in the bottom of the 9th. Our stadium erupted. Fans threw their cups up in the air, and mists of soda and beer rained on everyone. Currently we are 3-2 and the team is over in Maragarita. I did not make the trip because I’m not throwing in that series. The team left today out of Valencia in a chartered flight. They will be back late Wednesday night. I’m back on the hill Friday against the Tiburones in Caracas.

Here is some video footage of the pre-game music class that goes on in the locker room. Click Here!

The foreign players on our team are

Lastings Milledge OF

Deunte Heath  P

Darin Downs  P

Zach Segovia  P

Joe Benson  OF

Vinnie Rotino  3b/C

Sergio Perez  P

Rich Rundles  P

This is the field at Magallanes in Valencia prior to my start this past Sunday.

Please be sure to follow me on Twitter for more updates pics and videos. Click here Thanks for the support. Please ask questions and comments so I can add them in my next blog.

Yoshida was drafted out of the AWL last year by the Outlaws and became a major attraction for fans and the media. Everywhere the “Knuckleball Princess” appeared in the GBL it drew national attention from local, national and international media outlets. The media weren’t the only ones interested in Yoshida. The National baseball Hall of Fame obtained her Outlaws game jersey and bat after she collected a hit and RBI in her debut in the GBL making her the only female player in history to collect hits in two professional leagues.

Yoshida will make her 2011 AWL debut with the Yuma Scorpions on Sat. Feb 5th against the Saskatchewan Silver Sox at 5:30 pm on La Voz Field at Desert Sun Stadium.

In 2010, over 100 players who played in the AWL and Arizona Summer League were signed to pro contracts including five signed by major league organizations.

The 2011 AWL includes a plethora of players from affiliated ball including Jordan Kendall (Chicago White Sox Rookie League), Victor Ferrante (Colorado Rockies High-A), Justin Mazur (Kansas City Royals Rookie League), Scott Houin (Milwaukee Brewers High-A) Jared Simon (Philadelphia Phillies High-A), Carlos Gonzalez (St. Louis Cardinals Rookie League), and Wade Townsend (Tampa Bay Devil Rays Double-A). In addition, players that have played in the Golden baseball League: Eri Yoshida (Chico Outlaws), Joe Snider (Edmonton Capitals), Christopher Davis (GBL),Brandon Howard (Long Beach Armada), Steve Mays (Reno SilverSox), Loren Lauver, Todd McGee, Michael Castellano, Jeremy Atkins, Chris Brown, Gabe Demarco, Keenan Long, Damarii Saunderson (St. George RoadRunners), Youhei Kokubo, Kenny Burris (Tijuana Cimarrones), James Kuzniak, AC Grable, JJ Muse (Yuma Scorpions).

This year’s coaching staff is one of the most impressive ever assembled by the AWL. Former Dodger World Series champs Mike Marshall and Pedro Guerrero will be joined by ex-Padre Gary Templeton, former Boston Red Sox slugger Morgan Burkhart, former Blue Jays manager Tim Johnson and Yuma Scorpions field manager Darryl Brinkley. Former Chicago Cubs Les Lancaster and Ced Landrum will be joining by Indy ball coaches Brooks Carey, Eddie Dennis, Shannon Hunt and Bobby Post in rounding out the instructors for the 10 teams that will play five games a day throughout February at Desert Sun Stadium and the Ray Kroc complex.

Former Connecticut Tigers right-handed pitchers Miguel Mejia, Luiz Sanz, Michael Torrealba and Robbie Weinhardt were among the players assigned to winter league teams.

Mejia and Weinhardt will play in Puerto Rico for the Gigantes de Carolina and the Senadores de San Juan respectively.  Sanz and Torrealba will play in Venezuela for the Leones del Caracas and the Tiburones de La Guaira respectively.

Here is the full list of Tigers participating in winter ball:

3B Audy Ciriaco-Dominican Republic-Escogido
OF Andy Dirks-Dominican Republic-Azucareos/Toros
OF Alexis Espinoza-Venezuela-Caribes
RHP Alfredo Figaro-Dominican Republic-Estrellas
OF Jeff Frazier-Dominican Republic-Estrellas
OF Avisail Garcia-Venezuela-Caribes
OF Edwin Gomez-Puerto Rico-Criollas
RHP Enrique Gonzalez-Venezuela-Tiburones
RHP Ryan Ketchner-Dominican Republic-Estrellas
INF Max Leon-Mexico-Tomateros
RHP Luis Marte-Dominican Republic-Escogido
RHP Miguel Mejia-Puerto Rico-Giants
OF Aldo Navia-Columbia-Aquilas
SS Gustavo Nunez-Dominican Republic-Escogido
RHP Lester Oliveros-Venezuela-Caribes
RHP Jose Ortega-Venezuela-Magallanes
LHP Wilfredo Ramirez-Venezuela-Tiburones
INF Ramon Santiago-Dominican Republic-Gigantes
RHP Luis Sanz-Venezuela-Leones
RHP Michael Torrealba-Venezuela-Tiburones
RHP Brayan Villarreal-Venezuela-Caribes
RHP Thad Weber-Venezuela-Leones
RHP Robbie Weinhardt-Puerto Rico-Senadores
OF Casper Wells-Puerto Rico-Senadores

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There is a strange feeling that comes over you after the New Year. Christmas has come and gone, the college and NFL football seasons have all but come to a close and the parties have all gone quiet as we ring in another year. I hope everyone is healthy and safe and that your baseball souls are not in too much pain as we wait now for spring.
For now, it is Hot Stove trade talk, MLB Network giving us our fix of classic baseball and the memories we have of the season just past. All the while we can’t help but daydream about the Spring just ahead. The sunny skies over Florida and Arizona. Grapefruit and Cactus are in our thoughts whether we even realize what our subconscious is longing for.
I was excited a couple of weeks ago as I signed my son up for his second season in Little League. Driving home from the sign-up session melancholy took over as I realized just how long we will have to wait for the tryouts to arrive.
Yes it will be awhile but at least we can console ourselves with MLB.com, Classic games on television, ESPN mutterings telling us where our favorite players will be suiting up in 2010 and reading baseball blogs like this one. Yes, it will be awhile but we have one another. Anyone want to take a trip to Mexico to see some winter baseball south of the border? It might just get us by until we here those magical words, “Pitchers and Catchers reported to camp today”.

Update (12:00 PM Thursday by Kevin Granato): According to Jorge Arangure of ESPN, Carlos Delgado will begin his winter league play on Sunday in Puerto Rico.

This shows how hard Delgado has been working to get back on the field. He kept facing setback, after setback, after setback, and he continues to work hard to prove himself. I’m not sure how much the Mets could physically use Delgado, but there Mets could definitely use his leadership and work ethic.

Original Post (by Kevin Granato):

Marty Noble, the MLB.com beat writer for the New York Mets, has reported that Carlos Delgado will not be returning to baseball action until next month. Delgado was supposed to return to the field in Puerto Rico this upcoming Monday, but the assumption is that he is not “physically ready.” He hasn’t played since mid-May and by the time he returns in January, spring training will be right around the corner, which won’t leave Delgado alot of time to prove himself.

I’m sorry to hear this. Delgado has been working hard to get back on the field, but he’s having trouble staying healthy. He’s said that he prefers to come back to the Mets, but that he just wants to play in the Majors in the 2010 season. I don’t know how much the Mets need back a 38 year-old injury prone player who can only play 1B. If he is healthy and can be had for cheap, I would say why not because he did hit 38 HRs just 2 years ago. To me it just seems that he is better fit to be a DH. Although there may be better options out there at DH, Delgado is a leader in clubhouse, something that most designated hitters lack. I hope he ends up playing somewhere in 2010, but if it’s with the Mets, I hope he’s not the answer to their power outage last year.

When I was growing up, the World Series lived up to the name “Fall Classic.”Now it’s looking more and more like “The beginning of Winter Classic”!  If the owners had their way, we might still be watching baseball on New Year’s Day.

Owners, listen up, I have a solution for you! If it is revenue that you’re worried  I have you completely covered. Why can’t you have 2 games played on every Saturday during the months of July and August. Now I’m not talking about a double header, I’m talking about having anearly afternoon game and an evening game.  This way you wouldn’t give up any ticket revenue or concessions. Infact it will increase because more people go to games during the summer and Saturday is always the biggest draw.  By doing that you could eliminate some of the games at the end of the season that few people attended anyway. 

Owners, just ask your self a few questions.  Do more fans go to games in late September or during July and August?  If your team is all but eliminated in September you’re lucky to get 5,000- 10,000 fans per game.  Since the majority of the teams still have a chance of making the playoffs during the summer and since more people are vacationing and enjoying the good weather, chances are the stadiums will be considerably fuller in July and August.   The game times would be scheduled far enough apart that there shouldn’t be an issue getting the first game fans in and out in time for the second game.  If the owners scheduled game #1 at 12:00pm then game#2 at 7:30pm even if the first game went extra innings, the game would be over no later than 4:00pm.  Doesn’t this make good sense?

Wouldn’t it be nice if the World Series was finished no later than October 15^th and the fans wouldn’t have to wear parka’s and gloves to the game?

N.L. West

Dodgers have 9 games left. Diamondbacks have 10 games left. We are leading the Snakes by 3 1/2 games. It’s over. Dodgers will clinch this by next week. But of course…Bill Plashke, the King of writing negative stories, just published one in the L.A. Times…

Viva Los Dodgers!

Good luck to all those that attend this event. I heard a couple of people will be signing autographs. I have no idea who will be. The usual suspects like Fernando Valenzuela and Jaime Jarrin will be there, but I hear some players might come out. I can’t make it…and I wanted to see Lalo Mora so bad. Oh well lol Hopefully next year  

Video Time! I was in Mexicali, Baja California last weekend. Attending a baptism. People there are preparing the Serie del Caribe. Mexicali is the home of the Aguilas, a Winter Baseball team. The series should be fun. I might take a game or two. Back in 2005 I saw Fernando Valenzuela pitch in Mexicali. A very different atmosphere than being in Dodger Stadium. Mexicali has a huge Chinese population and while there, it reminded me of this video I saw on the Aguilas website. Funny, funny. Sorry if you don’t read spanish or understand Chinese.

Here is a pix of me inside Estadio Casas Geo, Mexicali (November, 2005)

 A pix of Fernando Valenzuela warming up….

Finally, a pix of the greatest Concession Stand you will ever see !

                                  

Brooks Conrad who replaced Hunter Pence in the Arizona Fall League is tearing it up and giving the Astros the option of trading Chris Burke if it nets them a #2 or #3 starter.  His batting average in 11 games is an impressive .359 with a .480 on base percentage and .612 slugging for an OPS of 1,092.  Pence before he was sent back due to his DUI had an avg of .345 with an .868 OPS in 15 games.

Others that are doing well in the Arizona Fall League are pitchers Mark McLemore and Matt Albers.  McLemore is 2-0 with a 4.76 ERA in 10 games with 1 start.  He has pitched 17 innings with a WHIP of 1.24.  Albers, a native of the Houston suburb of Sugarland is 0-1 but has an impressive ERA of 3.14 in 6 games started with a WHIP of 1.25 in 16 innings pitched. 

An honorable mention goes to Troy Patton, also from the Houston area, for posting a 2-0 W/L record with a 4.80 ERA and 1 save in 9 games and 15 innings pitched with a WHIP of 1.33.

Down south, in the Venezuelan Winter League, the Astros have three players they are keeping their eye on.  Former Astro and Venezuelan native Richard Hidalgo has slipped a bit from his torrid start to post a current average of .252 with 6 HRs and OPS of .766.

Round Rock Catcher Hector Gimenez is faring better in his native Venezuela with an average of .302 in 18 games with an OBP of .377 and OPS of .924.

The nicest surprise and feel good story from the Venezuelan league may just be Carlos Hernandez who pitched for the Astros’ AA team in Corpus Christi in 2006.  Carlos is a guy the Astros don’t want to give up on it seems–Since his pinch-start debut in the bigs in 2001 until his freak injury while running the bases in 2002, Hernandez was the Astros most promising lefty starter–equal to Roy Oswalt in prospect status.  Carlos underwent shoulder surgery for a torn labrum in 2002 and was never quite the same.  He has worked hard to regain the velocity in his fast ball ever since then.  In 2004 he went 1-3 in 9 games started for the Astros, posting an ERA of 6.43. 

The Astros have a reputation of being an organization that takes care of its people and they certainly showed it with the way they have handled Carlos Hernandez–they always invited him to spring training and gave him spots in AAA and AA in 2005 and 2006, rewarding his hard work and effort to come back from such a difficult surgery.  They gave up on Wade Miller in 2004 after Miller had similar surgery due to the fact that he wasn’t willing to change his pitching mechanics nor work hard in rehab.  Miller just signed a new contract with the Cubs although he pitched less than 25 innings for them in 2006.

Carlos Hernandez will be afforded yet another chance to make the big league roster based on his VWL stats if they hold up.  While MIller posted a 4.57 ERA in 5 starts for the Chicago Cubs, Carlos has posted a record of 2-2 with an ERA of 3.35 in 8 starts and 40.1 innings pitched. 

Hernandez and Miller both went thru basically the same surgery and based upon what Hernandez’ stats are, it will take Wade Miller another year still with a whole lot more committment to rehab to get to the point that Carlos is at now.  It’s a very long road to recovery from torn labrum surgery and Carlos Hernandez has shown that he is willing to be one of the few who ever recover from it to pitch in the bigs again.

The Magallanes are managed this year by Al Pedrique the new Head of Astros Latin American Operations.  If Richard is mounting a comeback, at least right now he seems to be well on his way.  After a slow start, he is hitting .333 with 4 home runs in the last 10 games. 

A good impression in the Venezuelan Winter League will probably result in a non-roster invitation to Kissimmee in 2007.  I wouldn’t mind seeing Hidalgo back in an Astros uniform because he may be a better righty option off the bench than Lane, who could be traded as part of a package for a starting pitcher.  If Pettitte doesn’t make up his mind soon or decides to retire, it will be imperative the Astros sign a decent free agent like Wolf, Williams or Lilly and add one more veteran starter via trade if they have any hopes at all of a return to the playoffs in 2007.