Magnuson named to Team Canada roster; Del Rosario traded to Astros; Nidiffer, Valley Cats win NYPL title

Minor League Baseball

Trystan Magnuson; Photo by mwlguide via Flickr

MiLB playoff highlights and latest links from around Kentucky baseball:

  • John Manuel of Baseball America reports former UofL right-handed pitcher Trystan Magnuson was selected to the Team Canada roster for the 2010 Pan Am Qualifier in San Juan. Former Lexington Legend first baseman Jimmy Van Ostrand was also selected to the roster.
  • Former UK catcher Marcus Nidiffer was 0-3, but Tri-City clinched the New York-Penn League championship with a 5-1 win over Brooklyn.
  • Over the weekend, LCA alum Robbie Ross took the loss after surrendering seven runs in three innings for AA Frisco as the team was eliminated from the Texas League playoffs.
  • Larry Stone of The Seattle Times reports former Mariners director of pro scouting Carmen Fusco was fire at least in part for his role in the controversial acquisition of former NKU right-handed pitcher Josh Lueke. The Mariners’ upper management claim they didn’t know of Lueke’s past legal trouble before acquiring the reliever.
  • The Houston Astros acquired Louisville Bats right-handed pitcher Enerio Del Rosario from the Cincinnati Reds for cash. Del Rosario was designated for assignment by the Reds Monday.

July Awards: Louisville Bats

Minor League Baseball

In the second July Awards post we’ll look at the month’s best performances from the Louisville Bats:

Hitter of the month: 1B Yonder Alonso

  • Yonder Alonso struggled during the first two months of his AAA career, but he put those struggles behind him in July to the tune of a .366 batting average, nine home runs, 19 RBI and 15 runs scored. Alonso slugged .696 for the month with an OPS of 1.007.
  • Honorable Mention: Daniel Dorn, Chris Valaika, Juan Francisco, Zack Cozart, Wladimir Balentien

Pitcher of the month: RHP Matt Maloney

  • The Cincinnati Reds have an embarrassment of starting pitching depth at the moment with Matt Maloney representing their best AAA starter at the moment. In July, Maloney was 3-1 with a 1.00 ERA in four starts. Maloney struck out 17 and walked just three in 27 innings pitched.
  • Honorable Mention: Aroldis Chapman, Ben Jukich, Enerio Del Rosario, Jared Burton, Joseph Krebs

Louisville Bats May Awards

Minor League Baseball

We’ll run down the standouts from May for each of the Kentucky Minor League teams, starting with the Louisville Bats:

Hitter of the month: INF Drew Sutton

  • Stats: 25-66 (.379), 2 HR, 15 RBI, 12 R
  • Honorable Mention: Wladimir Balentein, Chris Valaika, Daniel Dorn, Luis Terrero, Corky Miller

Pitcher of the month: RHP Sam LeCure

  • Stats: 3-1, 2.21 ERA, 5 GS, 29 SO/6 BB, 36.2 IP
  • Honorable Mention: Travis Wood, Matt Maloney, Chad Reineke, Enerio Del Rosario

Louisville Bats 2010 Opening Day Roster

Uncategorized

The Louisville Bats are set to start play today and will feature two Kentucky natives in the lineup as well as several of the best prospects in the Cincinnati Reds organization. Check out the roster below via the Courier-Journal. I’ve included Baseball America prospect rankings for the Reds organization. Remember top prospects Juan Francisco and Mike Leake are starting the season with the Reds but might appear in Louisville at some point if they struggle, and Yonder Alonso is starting the season in AA but should earn a callup to Louisville early this season.

Pitchers

  • LHP Travis Wood (BA #7) (SP) — 2nd Round (2005)
  • RHP Sam LeCure (SP) — 4th Round (2005)
  • LHP Matt Maloney (BA #8) (SP) — Phillies 3rd Round (2005)
  • RHP Federico Baez — Cubs NDFA (2002)
  • RHP Jon Adkins — Athletics 9th Round (1998)
  • RHP Chad Reineke — 2005 Lexington Legend — Astros 13th Round (2004)
  • RHP Enerio Del Rosario (BA # 19) — NDFA 2005
  • LHP Lee Tabor — 30th Round (2006)
  • RHP Justin Lehr (SP) — Athletics 8th Round (1999)
  • LHP Pedro Viola (BA # 22) — NDFA (2005)
  • RHP Carlos Fisher — 11th Round (2005)
  • RHP Jared Burton — Athletics 8th Round (2002)
  • LHP Aroldis Chapman (BA #1A*) (SP) — Cuban FA (2009)

Catchers

  • Corky Miller — Amateur FA (1998)
  • Wilkin Castillo — NDFA 2002
  • Jake Long — 37th Round (2005)

Infielders

  • 2B — Chris Burke — St. X High School — Astros 1st Round (2004)
  • 3B — Michael Griffin — 14th Round (2005)
  • 3B — Drew Sutton — 2005 Lexington Legend — S/R — Astros 15th Round (2005)
  • 2B — Chris Valaika (BA #12) — 3rd Round (2006)
  • SS — Zach Cozart (BA #10) — 2nd Round (2007)
  • 3B/LF — Todd Frazier (BA #1B) — 1st Supp. Round (2007)

Outfielders

  • RF — Josh Anderson — Pulaski Co., EKU, 2004 Lexington Legend — 4th Round (2003)
  • LF/1B — Daniel Dorn — 32nd Round (2006)
  • LF — Chris Heisey (BA #4) — 17th Round (2006)
  • OF — Luis Terrero — D’Backs NDFA (1997)

* — Chapman signed after Baseball America released its Reds top 10 prospects list, but is ranked higher than No. 1 Frazier on the overall top 100 prospects list published by the magazine.

BluGrass Baseball rankings in BA’s 2010 Prospect Handbook

Minor League Baseball

The Baseball America Prospect Handbook is simply a must-have for any minor-league baseball fan. My handbook, in which Baseball America ranks the top 30 prospects in each organization, came in today, and since I ordered it straight from BA they included a 31st prospect supplement for each team. I’m listing where Kentucy players rank in their organizations below, but I’ll leave all BA’s analysis out as incentive for you to go buy their great product.

Houston Astros

  • 3) — RHP Jordan Lyles — 2009 Lexington Legends
  • 4)  — RHP Sammy Gervacio — 2005/2006 Lexington Legends
  • 6) — RHP Ross Seaton — 2009 Lexington Legends
  • 8 — OF Jay Austin — 2009 Lexington Legends
  • 11) — SS Tommy Manzella — 2006 Lexington Legends
  • 12) — RHP Daniel Meszaros — 2009 Lexington Legends
  • 14) — LHP Fernando Abad — 2008 Lexington Legends
  • 15) — RHP Matt Nevarez — 2009 Lexington Legends
  • 19) — RHP Arcenio Leon — 2009 Lexington Legends
  • 20) — C/OF Koby Clemens — 2006/2007 Lexington Legends
  • 21) — OF Brian Bogusevic — 2006 Lexington Legends
  • 23) — RHP Evan Englebrook — 2005 Lexington Legends
  • 25) — OF Collin DeLome — 2008 Lexington Legends
  • 26) — LHP Polin Trinidad — 2007 Lexington Legends
  • 27) — RHP Henry Villar — 2009 Lexington Legends
  • 28) — RHP Ashton Mowdy — 2009 Lexington Legends
  • 29) — LHP Brad Dydalewicz — 2009 Lexington Legends
  • 30) — RHP Kyle Greenwalt — 2009 Lexington Legends

Oakland Athletics

  • 27) — LHP Justin Marks — University of Louisville

Toronto Blue Jays

  • 1) — RHP Zach Stewart — 2009 Louisville Bats
  • 7) — RHP Josh Roenicke — 2009 Louisville Bats
  • 20) — RHP Daniel Webb — Ashland, Ky. (Blazer)
  • 22) — RHP Trystan Magnuson — University of Louisville

Atlanta Braves

  • 22) — LHP Richard Sullivan — Louisville, Ky. (Ballard)

St. Louis Cardinals

  • 27) — LHP Ben Jukich — 2009 Louisville Bats

Arizona Diamondbacks

  • 9) — OF Collin Cowgill — University of Kentucky

San Francisco Giants

  • 18) — 3B Chris Dominguez — University of Louisville

Baltimore Orioles

  • 31) — C Craig Tatum — 2009 Louisville Bats

Philadelphia Phillies

  • 24) — RHP B. J. Rosenberg — University of Louisville

Texas Rangers

  • 7) — LHP Robbie Ross — Lexington, Ky. (LCA)

Tampa Bay Rays

  • 4) — LHP Matt Moore — 2009 Bowling Green Hot Rods
  • 6) — SS Tim Beckham — 2009 Bowling Green Hot Rods
  • 10) — RHP Nick Barnese — 2009 Bowling Green Hot Rods
  • 13) — RHP Joe Cruz — 2009 Bowling Green Hot Rods
  • 26) — LHP Frank De Los Santos — 2009 Bowling Green Hot Rods
  • 29) — C Jake Jefferies —  2009 Bowling Green Hot Rods
  • 31) — OF Keyong Kang — 2009 Bowling Green Hot Rods

Cincinnati Reds

  • 1) — INF/OF Todd Frazier — 2009 Louisville Bats
  • 2) — 1B Yonder Alonso — 2009 Louisville Bats
  • 4) — OF Chris Heisey — 2009 Louisville Bats
  • 5) — 3B Juan Francisco — 2009 Louisville Bats
  • 7) — LHP Travis Wood — 2009 Louisville Bats
  • 8 — LHP Matt Maloney — 2009 Louisville Bats
  • 12) — SS/2B Chris Valakia — 2009 Louisville Bats
  • 14) — RHP Logan Ondrusek — 2009 Louisville Bats
  • 19) — RHP Enerio Del Rosario — 2009 Louisville Bats
  • 22)  — LHP Pedro Viola — 2009 Louisville Bats

Colorado Rockies

  • 2) — LHP Christian Friedrich — Eastern Kentucky University
  • 24) — RHP Chaz Roe — Lexington, Ky. (Lafayette)

Kansas City Royals

  • 19) — OF Jordan Parraz — 2007 Lexington Legends

Detroit Tigers

  • 11) — 1B Ryan Strieby — University of Kentucky
  • 24) — 3B Wade Gaynor — Western Kentucky University
  • 28) — RHP Scott Green — University of Kentucky

Minnesota Twins

  • 5) — OF Ben Revere — Lexington, Ky. (Lex Cath)

Chicago White Sox

  • 25) — OF John Shelby — University of Kentucky
  • 26) — RHP Nathan Jones — Northern Kentucky University

Reds Assistant GM Chats About Bats Prospects

Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball

Reds logo

Cincinnati Assistant GM Bob Miller checked in with readers on MLB.com to chat about all things Reds.  Among the topics he touched on included several former and current Louisville Bats.  I’ve included those questions and answers below. (Read more)

flgator69: Is Winter Ball or an extended Spring Training available for some of our hitters’ improvement?

  • Miller: Instructional League starts next week and Winter Ball and the Arizona Fall League in October. Most of our better young players will be in one or more of those leagues getting more at-bats or innings under their belts.

redstockings54: My question is with the number of good outfielders we currently have, are there any plans to trade any of them. And if so, what is the plan?

  • Miller: All of these guys are young and most of them still have options to the Minors left, so we like our depth. If something comes along that will better our team or fill another need, we will always consider it.

ChangeUp: Jonny Gomes seems to really enjoy being a Red and is really showing he can come through in clutch situations. Would you say there is a good chance he will be a Red next season?

  • Miller: I hope so. He’s had a good year. Hopefully we can come to an agreement that makes both sides happy.

batsfan09: Enerio Del Rosario has had a great season as a relief pitcher in the Minor Leagues. Do you think he could be a part of next year’s bullpen? Could he possibly be a starter next year with Louisville, as he has been in previous years?

  • Miller: I think Del Rosario and Logan Ondrusek will both be knocking on the door to pitch in the Majors next year. Both of them had outstanding seasons.

punksroo: Which Minor League prospects are we likely to see this Spring?

  • Miller: Travis Wood, Del Rosario, Ondrusek, Yonder Alonso, Todd Frazier, Zack Cozart, Chris Valaika, Chris Heisey, etc.

lbentz11: I know it’s a bit premature, without writing off Matt Maloney, what are your thoughts on getting at least one left-handed starter for next season?

  • Miller: I think both Wood and Maloney will be good Major League pitchers. Give them some time.