GaryMrMets
01-20-2002, 12:13 AM
http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/sf/news/sf_news_story.jsp?article_id=sf_20020110_non_roste r_invitees_news&team_id=sf
News
1/10/2002 4:00 pm ET
Giants invite 12 non-roster players to Spring Training
Giants Media Relations
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants have extended non-roster Spring Training invitations to right-handed pitchers Luke Anderson, Nelson Lara, Rafael Rigueiro and Jeff Verplancke; left-handed pitcher Erick Threets; catchers Trey Lunsford, Ryan Luther and Angel Pena; and infielders Jeremy Luster, Juan Melo, Lance Niekro and Tony Zuniga, club Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Sabean announced today.
Anderson, a 23-year old Carson City, NV native, earned the Rolaids Relief Man Award for the California League in 2001. The 6-5, 210-pound hurler went 2-2 with a league-best 30 saves and a 2.59 ERA (19er, 66.0ip) in 59 appearances for single-A San Jose last season. The two-year professional has amassed 42 saves and a 2.23 ERA over 84 lifetime contests.
Lara, who was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by Florida, was signed as a free agent over the winter. The 21-year-old right hander embarks on his eighth season in professional baseball, having split the 2001 campaign between the Marlins and Reds organizations. The 6-4, 185-pound Santo Domingo, DR native combined to post a 1-3 record with one save and a 9.22 ERA (42er, 41.0ip) over 33 games (one start) for single-A Sarasota, the rookie-league Gulf Coast Reds and single-A Mudville last season.
Rigueiro, 6-6, 200 pounds, posted the second-best ERA (3.19) among Giants farmhands in 2001. The 25-year-old Riverside, CA native worked as both a starter and reliever last season for single-A Hagerstown, going 5-3 over 26 games (14 starts). He has averaged 10.27 strikeout per 9.0 innings during his two-year minor league career (156so, 136.2ip).
Threets, a 20-year-old southpaw, was named the Giants' eighth-best prospect by Baseball America after the 2001 season. The Granada (Livermore, CA) High School product opened his professional career last year, going 2-10 with a 3.24 ERA (30er, 83.1ip) in 26 games (14 starts) for San Jose and Hagerstown. San Francisco's seventh pick in the June 2000 draft excelled in a relief role down the stretch, posting a 2-0 ledger with a save and a miniscule 0.75 ERA (2er, 24.0ip) over 12 outings for Hagerstown.
Verplancke, who was tabbed the 12th-best prospect in the Giants organization by Baseball America, has pitched at the triple-A level in each of the first two seasons of his professional career. Originally San Francisco's 11th selection in the 1999 draft, the 6-3, 200-pound Pomona, CA native combined to go 3-9 with 23 saves and a 4.13 ERA in 51 relief appearances for double-A Shreveport and triple-A Fresno in 2001.
Lunsford, a 22-year-old backstop, hit .237 with five home runs and 50 RBI for Hagerstown in 2001. Originally the Giants' 33rd pick in 2000 out of Texas Tech, the 6-1, 195-pounder earned Northwest League All-Star honors in 2000 after hitting .270 with three home runs and 30 RBI.
Luther, who has been named an All-Star each of his past two seasons, makes his second appearance in big league camp after earning his initial invite in 2001. The 6-0, 185-pound Lewis-Clark State product earned Texas League kudos in 2001, when he hit .280 with 26 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 42 RBI. He has shown versatility early in his career, seeing action at catcher, second base and in the outfield.
Pena, who was signed as a free agent from the Dodgers on Tuesday, hit 16 home runs in 53 games for LA's triple-A affiliate Las Vegas last season. The 26-year-old catcher hit .313 with eight doubles, two triples and 41 RBI for the 51's in 2001. The eight-year veteran has seen action with the Dodgers in each of the last four campaigns, hitting .209 with five home runs and 23 RBI in 71 contests. Over 544 career minor league games, Pena owns a .304 mark with 91 clouts and 390 RBI.
Luster, a 6-4, 225-pound switch-hitter, returns to big league camp for a second straight season after hitting .273 with 33 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 76 RBI for Shreveport in 2001. Originally the Giants' 44th round pick in 1997, the Atlanta, GA native has come into his own offensively the last two seasons, hitting .278 (284-for-1,023) and averaging 34 doubles, nine home runs and 88 RBI. He owns a .266 career mark with 25 clouts and 256 RBI.
Melo, a 25-year-old infielder, established a career high in 2001 with a .312 batting average for Fresno. Originally acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Wilson Delgado in 2000, the 6-3, 206 pounder has seen action at the triple-A level in each of the last five campaigns. He owns a .284 lifetime minor league batting average over 870 contests.
Niekro, the Giants seventh-best prospect according to Baseball America, is a career .329 hitter over his first two professional campaigns. San Francisco's second pick in the 2000 draft was limited to 42 games for San Jose in 2001 due to a shoulder injury, but still hit .288 with 11 doubles, three home runs and 34 RBI. The 23-year-old third baseman is the son of former Major League pitcher Joe Niekro.
Zuniga, a sixth-year professional, earned an invitation to camp after a breakout power campaign for Fresno in 2001. The Giants' 11th selection in 1996 set career highs in batting avg. (.271), home runs (26) and RBI (74) in 123 games as the Grizzlies' starting third baseman. The 6-0, 206-pound Orange, CA native owns a lifetime .257 average with 64 home runs and 328 RBI in 663 minor league contests.
News
1/10/2002 4:00 pm ET
Giants invite 12 non-roster players to Spring Training
Giants Media Relations
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants have extended non-roster Spring Training invitations to right-handed pitchers Luke Anderson, Nelson Lara, Rafael Rigueiro and Jeff Verplancke; left-handed pitcher Erick Threets; catchers Trey Lunsford, Ryan Luther and Angel Pena; and infielders Jeremy Luster, Juan Melo, Lance Niekro and Tony Zuniga, club Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Sabean announced today.
Anderson, a 23-year old Carson City, NV native, earned the Rolaids Relief Man Award for the California League in 2001. The 6-5, 210-pound hurler went 2-2 with a league-best 30 saves and a 2.59 ERA (19er, 66.0ip) in 59 appearances for single-A San Jose last season. The two-year professional has amassed 42 saves and a 2.23 ERA over 84 lifetime contests.
Lara, who was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by Florida, was signed as a free agent over the winter. The 21-year-old right hander embarks on his eighth season in professional baseball, having split the 2001 campaign between the Marlins and Reds organizations. The 6-4, 185-pound Santo Domingo, DR native combined to post a 1-3 record with one save and a 9.22 ERA (42er, 41.0ip) over 33 games (one start) for single-A Sarasota, the rookie-league Gulf Coast Reds and single-A Mudville last season.
Rigueiro, 6-6, 200 pounds, posted the second-best ERA (3.19) among Giants farmhands in 2001. The 25-year-old Riverside, CA native worked as both a starter and reliever last season for single-A Hagerstown, going 5-3 over 26 games (14 starts). He has averaged 10.27 strikeout per 9.0 innings during his two-year minor league career (156so, 136.2ip).
Threets, a 20-year-old southpaw, was named the Giants' eighth-best prospect by Baseball America after the 2001 season. The Granada (Livermore, CA) High School product opened his professional career last year, going 2-10 with a 3.24 ERA (30er, 83.1ip) in 26 games (14 starts) for San Jose and Hagerstown. San Francisco's seventh pick in the June 2000 draft excelled in a relief role down the stretch, posting a 2-0 ledger with a save and a miniscule 0.75 ERA (2er, 24.0ip) over 12 outings for Hagerstown.
Verplancke, who was tabbed the 12th-best prospect in the Giants organization by Baseball America, has pitched at the triple-A level in each of the first two seasons of his professional career. Originally San Francisco's 11th selection in the 1999 draft, the 6-3, 200-pound Pomona, CA native combined to go 3-9 with 23 saves and a 4.13 ERA in 51 relief appearances for double-A Shreveport and triple-A Fresno in 2001.
Lunsford, a 22-year-old backstop, hit .237 with five home runs and 50 RBI for Hagerstown in 2001. Originally the Giants' 33rd pick in 2000 out of Texas Tech, the 6-1, 195-pounder earned Northwest League All-Star honors in 2000 after hitting .270 with three home runs and 30 RBI.
Luther, who has been named an All-Star each of his past two seasons, makes his second appearance in big league camp after earning his initial invite in 2001. The 6-0, 185-pound Lewis-Clark State product earned Texas League kudos in 2001, when he hit .280 with 26 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 42 RBI. He has shown versatility early in his career, seeing action at catcher, second base and in the outfield.
Pena, who was signed as a free agent from the Dodgers on Tuesday, hit 16 home runs in 53 games for LA's triple-A affiliate Las Vegas last season. The 26-year-old catcher hit .313 with eight doubles, two triples and 41 RBI for the 51's in 2001. The eight-year veteran has seen action with the Dodgers in each of the last four campaigns, hitting .209 with five home runs and 23 RBI in 71 contests. Over 544 career minor league games, Pena owns a .304 mark with 91 clouts and 390 RBI.
Luster, a 6-4, 225-pound switch-hitter, returns to big league camp for a second straight season after hitting .273 with 33 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 76 RBI for Shreveport in 2001. Originally the Giants' 44th round pick in 1997, the Atlanta, GA native has come into his own offensively the last two seasons, hitting .278 (284-for-1,023) and averaging 34 doubles, nine home runs and 88 RBI. He owns a .266 career mark with 25 clouts and 256 RBI.
Melo, a 25-year-old infielder, established a career high in 2001 with a .312 batting average for Fresno. Originally acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Wilson Delgado in 2000, the 6-3, 206 pounder has seen action at the triple-A level in each of the last five campaigns. He owns a .284 lifetime minor league batting average over 870 contests.
Niekro, the Giants seventh-best prospect according to Baseball America, is a career .329 hitter over his first two professional campaigns. San Francisco's second pick in the 2000 draft was limited to 42 games for San Jose in 2001 due to a shoulder injury, but still hit .288 with 11 doubles, three home runs and 34 RBI. The 23-year-old third baseman is the son of former Major League pitcher Joe Niekro.
Zuniga, a sixth-year professional, earned an invitation to camp after a breakout power campaign for Fresno in 2001. The Giants' 11th selection in 1996 set career highs in batting avg. (.271), home runs (26) and RBI (74) in 123 games as the Grizzlies' starting third baseman. The 6-0, 206-pound Orange, CA native owns a lifetime .257 average with 64 home runs and 328 RBI in 663 minor league contests.