Thursday, January 27, 2011

RELIEVER GREG BURKE GETS ANOTHER MAJOR LEAGUE LOOK; LANE, EASLER SIGN

Two winter trades which cost San Diego four relief pitchers may be very good news for right-hander Greg Burke, who started his professional career with the 2005 Atlantic League Surf, then in the Atlantic League.

Burke, 28, has been invited to the Padres' major league spring training camp next month. He was with San Diego for much of 2009 (3-3, 4.14 in 48 outings), but was back in the minor leagues last season, struggling to a 5.68 ERA (2-2) in 53 appearances at Portland, OR.

ODDS LONGER FOR BLUE CRABS' MIKE O'CONNOR

Meanwhile, the competition onetime Southern Maryland lefty Mike O'Connor faces in trying to work his way up from a non-roster position with the New York Mets likely got tougher when the National League team signed another southpaw and Independent grad, Tim Byrdak. This onetime Northern Leaguer (Gary, IN and Joliet, IL) has extensive major league experience including 64 appearances last season for Houston (2-2, 3.49).

I expect another Atlantic League lefty, Alberto Castillo, to be among the invitees when Baltimore finally announces its full spring training roster. Castillo (Camden, Newark, Road Warriors) got a new deal with the Orioles recently. He was up and down between the parent club and Triple-A Norfolk last season.

LANE, EASLER SIGN NEW DEALS

Anther recent signing involving a former Atlantic Leaguer was that of outfielder Jason Lane, who was at Southern Maryland for a time last summer, back with Toronto on a Triple-A agreement.

And, Mike Easler has moved from the Dodgers to the Mets to teach hitting. He will be the hitting coach at Triple-A Buffalo.


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Friday, January 21, 2011

DODGERS CAMP NEXT STOP FOR LANCASTER'S JON HUBER WHILE SCOTT GRIMES STILL AWAITS AN OPPORTUNITY

If Jon Huber makes it back to the major leagues this season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he should be giving credit to the Atlantic League.

After getting 25 American League games under his belt with Seattle in '06 and '07, he slumped badly to a 6.40 earned run average in 52 games for Tacoma, WA in 2008 with Pacific Coast League hitters raking at a .324 clip against him.

Huber spent the first two months of '09 tuning up at Lancaster, where he started returning to form with a win, two saves and a 3.63 ERA in 18 relief appearances. Atlanta purchased his contract, and had the 29-year-old right-hander until early last season when he moved from the Mississippi Braves to the Dodgers' Chattanooga, TN club in that same Southern League.

The Sacramento native was so sharp for the Lookouts he made the mid-season all-star team and saved 18 games (in 36 appearances) while also posting a 3-3, 2.30 record. That has added up to a non-roster invitation to the Dodgers' major league spring training camp.

Huber is the 11th former Atlantic League player to make it onto a major league camp roster, with seven coming via the non-roster route.

CO-PLAYER OF YEAR SCOTT GRIMES SPOTLIGHTED

"Awesome" was Scott Grimes's one word evaluation of being part of York's league championship team of last season, partially explained by the fact it was the first title team he had been on in his five professional seasons.

We spotlighted the 27-year-old centerfielder in Thursday's subscriber-only Independent Baseball Insider column, since he still does not have a job with a major league organization despite the fact he led all of professional baseball with his 138 runs scored last season. He was co-Player of the Year in the Atlantic League along with Lancaster's Aaron Herr.

"I have a love of the game, the competition and being able to play every day," said Grimes. "And I don't take it for granted." He is working at the All-Star Baseball Academy in Downingtown, PA this winter with the belief he will return to York unless a major league organization comes calling.

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

DUCKS PROMOTE MICHAEL PFAFF TO PRESIDENT AND ALSO GET CREATIVE IN GOING AFTER SEASON TICKET SALES

I imagine everyone agrees that creativity is a wonderful trait. The Long Island Ducks get a tip of my cap for coming up with 72 reasons to buy season tickets--one reason for every home game in 2011.

I especially like No. 26, to put a smile on a face of a stressed out employee; No. 55, to give the tickets to the office cleaning crew; and No. 71, to use the tickets yourself.

This ingenuity probably speaks volumes about the Ducks' superior attendance year in and year out.

CALL HIM MR. PRESIDENT

The Ducks also made news Wednesday by adding the title of President to General Manager Michael Pfaff's business card. He started with Long Island eight years ago as Director of Media Relations. Pfaff has had quite a year including his second Atlantic League Executive of the Year award.

RENE RIVERA, JORGE JULIO IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Catcher Rene Rivera, who got into 51 major league games with Seattle in 2004 and 2006, will be in Minnesota's spring training camp as a non-roster invitee hoping to earn some playing time behind All-Star Joe Mauer. The 27-year-old was at Camden early last season before joining the New York Yankees farm system. He could be well positioned with the Twins although he has hit only .188 in 32 games in Puerto Rico this winter.

Pittsburgh has stepped up to give reliever Jorge Julio another affiliated opportunity although the Venezuelan, who will be 32 when the season starts, does not have a major league spring training invite. Julio, with 99 career major league saves, is coming off a fine year closing for Bridgeport's Atlantic League championship series team. He had a mighty stingy 1.15 earned run average, and did not allow a home run in 55 regular-season innings. He's also been solid in the Venezuelan Winter League. Julio starts on the Triple-A Indianapolis roster.

The Los Angeles Angels have re-signed hurler Eric Junge, 34, after going 5-3 (5.15 ERA) in 14 appearances at Salt Lake City. Junge started last season at Lancaster, and also has played in Bridgeport.


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Monday, January 10, 2011

ATLANTIC LEAGUE LOSES A FRIEND IN SCOUT MIKE DE ANGELO; MIKE RIVERA BACK WITH BREWERS

The Atlantic League lost a friend from the scouting fraternity over the weekend.

Mike DeAngelo died Friday night from heart trouble.

A onetime college player at the University of New Haven who also signed with the Montreal Expos and later scouted for more than 20 years, DeAngelo had been involved in recent times in scouting both the Atlantic and Can-Am Leagues.

"We enjoyed having him around; he was constantly looking for players", Bridgeport (CT) Bluefish General Manager Bob Goughan said. DeAngelo had been involved in the Bluefish signing of major league veteran Wily Mo Pena in 2010. Pena's contract was later sold to San Diego, and the first baseman-outfielder hit .324 (.390 on-base percentage) with nine homers and 34 RBI in only 142 at-bats at Triple-A Portland.

DeAngelo, who is credited with signing major leaguers Mark Sweeney and Charlie Morton, has been serving as Special Advisor to the New York State League, a scouting service that will serve as the official developmental league to the Can-Am League and will supply players for the league road team to be known as the New York Federals.

MIKE RIVERA ADDED TO BREWERS' SPRING TRAINING ROSTER

Add the name of catcher Mike Rivera, who played with Atlantic City in 2005, to the list of former Atlantic League players headed to a major league spring training camp. The 34-year-old Rivera is back in comfortable surroungs since he was with Milwaukee for all or part of the last four seasons before playing briefly with Florida at the end of the '10 campaign. He is a non-roster invitee at this time.



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Wednesday, January 5, 2011

EIGHT ATLANTIC LEAGUERS SCHEDULED FOR MAJOR LEAGUE CAMPS...SO FAR

Now that we are into January and less than six weeks (thankfully) until players start reporting to major league spring training camps the tempo of announcing non-roster invitations also is picking up.

We have identified eight former Atlantic League players so far who will be in major league camps, and will list them here by their league affiliation(s). Non-roster players are identified with an asterisk; DNP indicates player trained with but did not play regular season games for the team.

BRIDGEPORT (1)--1B-OF *Wily Mo Pena, Arizona
CAMDEN (3)--RHP *Mark DiFelice, Milwaukee; SS Stephen Drew, Arizona; RHP Jered Weaver (DNP), Los Angeles Angels
LANCASTER (0)
LONG ISLAND (2)--RHP Nelson Figueroa, Houston; OF *Jay Gibbons, Los Angeles Dodgers
NEWARK--(2) OF *Jay Gibbons, Los Angeles Dodgers; LHP *R. J. Swindle, Tampa Bay
SOMERSET--(2) RHP *Mark DiFelice, Milwaukee; RHP Brian Sweeney (DNP), Arizona
SOUTHERN MARYLAND (2)--RHP Dane DeLaRosa, Tampa Bay; LHP *Mike O'Connor, New York Mets
YORK (0)

I encourage readers to let me know if they have heard of other non-roster invitees.


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