Ramon Castro, a .341 hitter for parts of five seasons in the league and a four-time All-Star (he did not have enough at-bats to qualify the other year), is returning. Manager Andy Etchebarren even indicates the versatile infielder will be on hand when the season starts April 26 against league newcomer Sugar Land, TX instead of coming on board after the Mexican League season, as has been his pattern.
It also appears the Revs may have added a nice piece to their mound staff by purchasing Triple-A-experienced reliever Santo Luis from Lincoln, NE of the American Association (0.83 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 21.2 innings).
NOAH HALL, FROM ATLANTIC AS PLAYER TO COACHING
Anyone who follows this writer's work with the Independent Baseball Insider column or my blogs knows how much I like to see those who spend time in Independent Baseball get opportunities to work their way through major league organizations.
So, I was delighted when I learned that Noah Hall will be coaching with the Boston Red Sox's team in the Gulf Coast League this summer. Hall played for 16 seasons, including 116 games last season with Camden, where he sneaked above his career batting average of .281 to .285 along with 15 homers and 64 runs batted in.
But at 34 and with only 74 games higher than Double-A even though he played in seven different organizations, the handwriting was getting pretty solid he would not likely go any higher. Surprisingly, this California product never played in the Boston organization. His first Indy season was with St. Paul, MN when the Saints still were in the Northern League in 2001. He also has had three stints at Somerset, including 124 games in 2010.
FIFTH PLAYER FROM LAST SUMMER GETS MAJOR LEAGUE INVITATION
With still one more invitation to major league spring training camps--five, in all--to players who were in the Atlantic League as recently as last season, founding fathers can pick up their level of bragging rights about producing major league-ready talen.
The latest addition from the 2011 ranks is onetime prime Minnesota third base prospect Terry Tiffee, who will be in spring training with the Miami Marlins. The switch-hitting 32-year-old swatted 13 home runs in only 52 games with Butch Hobson's Lancaster Barnstormers last season. Tiffee hit .293 and drove in 46 runs and also hit .345 in 110 at-bats with the New York Yankees' top farm club in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA. He has 97 major league games to his credit with Minnesota and briefly in 2008 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A veteran right-hander also has a new minor league contract and a spring training invitation. Nelson Figueroa (Long Island), who has gotten a lot of major league time in recent years, will be with Toronto.
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