Tuesday, May 31, 2011

FIRST TIMER TOM COCHRAN, VET ROBINSON CANCEL LATEST ATLANTIC LEAGUERS IN MAJORS

Another Atlantic League pitcher has added his name to those who have made the climb to the major leagues.

Left-hander Tom Cochran, who needed a re-start on his professional career in Independent Baseball in 2005 after two undistinguished years as a Boston Red Sox farmhand, got the call from Triple-A Louisville in time to join the parent Cincinnati Reds in Atlanta Sunday.

Cochran spent four years and part of a fifth in Indy leagues. He had three seasons in the Frontier League (Washington, PA and the road team known as Ohio Valley), then had a breakout season in 2008 in the Can-Am League (Worcester, MA) when Baseball America selected him as the top southpaw on its all-Independent team. He had just finished a 13-3, 2.79 season with the Tornadoes.

Now about to turn 28 (June 5), Cochran was in the Atlantic League (Lancaster) long enough to make seven appearances (3-2, 4.67) the next season before his contract was purchased by the Reds. That ran his Independent Baseball record to 37-24. The Wilmington, DE product was a Southern League all-star as well as the Cincinnati organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season(8-5, 2.69 at Carolina) and had started this season by going 5-1, 4.08 in eight appearances at Louisville before getting the call. He has not yet pitched for the Reds.

We expect to have more on Cochran in this week's Independent Baseball Insider, which gets to subscribers on Thursday.

ROBINSON CANCEL BACK IN MAJORS

Catcher Robinson Cancel, who was hitting a blistering .457 in his last 10 games at Oklahoma City, is back in the majors with Houston and is expected to be in the lineup Tuesday night for the major league debut of the Astros' top prospect, Jordan Lyles, against the Chicago Cubs. Cancel has minor league experience catching Lyles.

Cancel, 35, was in the Atlantic League one year ago at this time, on his way to hitting .304 with 14 homers and 81 RBI over 105 games with the Long Island Ducks. He hit .324 with two home runs and 11 runs batted in in 30 appearances for Oklahoma City this season. He has 43 games of major league experience (.213-1-10), most recently with the New York Mets in 2009.

Cancel's experience includes the 2003 season with Somerset and the traveling Road Warriors, and a brief time with Somerset the next year.

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF MIKE RIVERA

Catcher Mike Rivera (Atlantic City) is back in the minor leagues (Huntsville, AL) after spending several days with Milwaukee. He appeared in only one game, going 2-for-6 May 20 against Colorado.

In all, seven former Atlantic League players are in the major leagues now although Erick Almonte (Long Island) remains on the disabled list at Milwaukee.


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Friday, May 27, 2011

ORIOLES GIVE UP ON DRESE PLUS AN UPDATE ON A FORMER ATLANTIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES MVP.

Ryan Drese had not pitched in the majors since 2006, but when Baltimore signed the 35-year-old vet in February and invited him to their major league spring training camp there was some hope the Californian might have a chance to add to his 34 victories at baseball's top level.

It was not to be, at least for now. The Orioles released the right-hander Thursday. Drese had allowed 64 hits in 44 innings for Triple-A Norfolk (2-3, 6.55) and along with giving up more walks than his strikeout total the dreaded walking papers were handed out.

Drese had worked in four games for the Long Island Ducks last season (1-1, 1.59) and he had pitched for Camden in both 2008 and 2009.

WHAT IS IN THE FUTURE FOR FORMER ATLANTIC LEAGUE MVP?

It was only in yesterday's Independent Baseball Insider column when I had the opportunity to single out two-time Atlantic League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Jeff Nettles for becoming the league's all time leader in runs batted in.

Now for an update on another of the Somerset Patriots' postseason MVPs who, like Nettles, played third base.

Brandon Larson, the Cincinnati Reds' top draft choice in 1997 and their opening day third baseman in 2003, ended his playing career by winning MVP honors in Somerset's fourth of five Atlantic League championships in '08.

With Richard Oliver of The San Antonio Express-News providing the details, we learned that Larson is finishing up a degree at the University of Texas-San Antonio and coaching a couple of select high school baseball teams as he eyes a career as a college coach.

"I'm just trying to be a good coach, a good daddy and an ex-good baseball player," Larson told Oliver. It seems he is well on his way. Larson and wife Denise are raising Denise's daughter and expecting their own baby girl come September.

While injuries helped limit the San Angelo, TX native to 109 major league games, Larson finished his 12-year pro career in style in that 2008 season with a 30-home run, 95-RBI regular season with the Patriots, then capped it all off when Somerset toppled Camden in the four-game Championship Series.



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Friday, May 20, 2011

HOT-HITTING COREY SMITH MUST BE ON DODGERS RADAR; SWEENEY GETS INITIAL AAA WIN

Corey Smith has to be high up on any list of former Independent Baseball players who could debut in the major leagues before long.

The Plainfield, NJ native, who played third base when the Newark Bears won the Atlantic League title in 2007, is now in Triple-A for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his offensive production has not slowed down. The 29-year-old was a Southern League all-star last season and returned to the Double-A league at the start of 2011 before quickly being promoted to Albuquerque.

Despite a week on the disabled list, the right-handed-hitting Smith has four homers, 14 RBI and a .321 average for his first 21 games with the Isotopes. We have said it before, but the Dodgers also have to remember what Smith did in the major league spring training camp. Although there on only a part-time basis, the first baseman-third baseman went 7-for-12 (.583) with three round-trippers, two doubles and nine RBI in just 10 games.

The Dodgers must surely be thinking of how he could help, if only as a pinch-hitter, just as they did with John Lindsey last season. Lindsey, five years older than Smith, is hitting .227 in 23 games this year with only one home run.

SWEENEY, PASCUCCI ALSO IMPRESSIVE

The New York Mets must be pleased today to have their first reward for signing veteran Brian Sweeney out of the Atlantic League (Somerset) earlier this season. After two losses, the right-hander turned in six shutout innings in a 5-1 matinee win at Indianapolis Thursday. Sweeney is now at 1-2, 6.35 for his first 17 innings.

Another Atlantic League grad, first baseman Valentino Pascucci, got the Bisons started with a two-run double in the opening inning. Pascucci took over the team lead in RBI with three for the game in which he was 2-for-2 with three walks. The former Camden (NJ) Rivershark has 19 RBI and is hitting .259.

Sweeney and Pascucci may get still another another teammate from the same league. Jason Botts had his contract purchased by the Mets from defending champion York Thursday. Botts had hit safely in 13 of the first 14 games with a .370 average along with a team-leading four home runs and 13 RBI. If Botts is sent to Buffalo, he might cut into Pascucci's playing time, since both are basically first basemen and designated hitters.


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Friday, May 13, 2011

WILY MO PENA NAMED PCL'S TOP HITTER A SECOND TIME

Maybe the start of major league inter-league play next weekend will help Wily Mo Pena.

Arizona has not yet given the hefty veteran a major league opportunity this season, but it is not keeping the 29-year-old from continuing to punish opponents.

Pena, who spent about half of last season with Bridgeport, leads all of minor league baseball with 13 home runs in just 29 games for Reno, and the Aces star has been rewarded with his second selection of the young Pacific Coast League season as Player of the Week.

The right-handed hitting slugger, who likely is somewhat handicapped since he is not outstanding defensively at either first base or the outfield and the National League does not use the designated hitter within its league, is hitting .366 with 34 runs batted in. He is making southpaws pay to the price of a .444 average although eight of his home runs have come against right-handers.

Pena hit .341 (14-for-41) with three homers in 18 games with the Diamondbacks during spring training.

ACTIVE MAJOR LEAGUE COUNT AT FOUR

While the Atlantic League had its roster of players wearing major league rosters increased to five only days ago when southpaw Mike O'Connor (Southern Maryland) joined the New York Mets and catcher Rene Rivera (Camden)was called up to Minnesota, it has been trimmed back with right-hander Nelson Figueroa (Long Island) being outrighted to Oklahoma City by the Houston Astros. He had strugged with an 0-3 record and an 8.69 ERA as the No. 5 starter early this season.

Stephen Drew (Camden) remains a fixture as Arizona's shortstop and Jay Gibbons (Newark and Long Island) is one of the Los Angeles Dodgers' outfielders. Infielder-outfielder Erick Almonte (Long Island) remains on Milwaukee's disabled list.

TRIO CUT BY MAJOR LEAGUE ORGANIZATIONS

Three former Atlantic Leaguers have been dropped from major league farm systems in recent days. Lancaster's Jon Huber, who logged some time as a major league non-roster invitee during spring training, was dropped by the Dodgers.

The Chicago White Sox activated longtime major leaguer Daryle Ward from the Charlotte disabled list, then released him. He had hit 14 homers and driven in 79 runs while hitting .286 for Newark last season. Detroit released corner infielder Cesar Nicolas (Southern Maryland), who hit .279 with seven homers and 38 RBI over 70 games in Double-A last season.

All three players had been on Triple-A rosters this year.

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Friday, May 6, 2011

SWEENEY, DI FELICE, O'CONNOR AND UNGS GIVE PITCHING LOTS OF ATTENTION

Brian Sweeney's stop-overs are getting a tiny bit longer in the Atlantic League.

The Seattle Mariners signed the veteran right-hander before Somerset even started the season one year ago. Sweeney had only worked in an exhibition game.

A free agent again during the offseason despite a decent 3.16 earned run average (1-2record) in 24 relief appearances for the M's last season (and an earlier 15 games for Triple-A Tacoma), Sweeney returned to Somerset.

He was the opening day starter for Sparky Lyle's crew, picking up the Patriots' only victory in five outings this year. The four-hit, eight-strikeout effort (no walks) over seven innings in which the 36-year-old only allowed two runs were enough for the New York Mets to step in. They bought his contract and are sending Sweeney to Triple-A Buffalo, but that, too, could be a brief stay on the way to Citi Field where the parent Mets could use some help.

MARK DI FELICE FINALLY ALLOWS A RUN

If former Camden and Somerset hurler Mark DiFelice can maintain the pace a little longer, it seems likely he will join Mike O'Connor in returning to the major leagues.

DiFelice finally allowed a run Wednesday, but the Nashville reliever (Brewers) still has a 1.13 ERA for his first seven appearances of 2011 with a win and a save on his log. DiFelice, 34, has been stingy in every manner, allowing only five hits and two walks in his eight innings spread over seven appearances. He also has 11 strikeouts.

The New York Mets brought the southpaw O'Connor, who spent some time at Southern Maryland in 2009, up from Triple-A Buffalo this week.

MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY

First time Atlantic Leaguer Nic Ungs, who has been pitching professionally since Florida drafted him in 2001, obviously likes his choice of Somerset to continue his comeback from elbow surgery.

"This is a great league because it's so heavily scouted by big league teams, and you're playing with and against guys who have a lot of big league and Triple-A experience," the right-hander from Dyersville, IA told The Dubuque Herald.

Those comments came prior to his first regular-season start in which he got a no-decision, but allowed only five hits and two runs in five innings against defending champion and unbeaten York. Ung has yet to make it to the major leagues, but the 31-year-old went into this season with a 71-56 minor league record.

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