barzilla
06-23-2004, 01:42 AM
Tavares and Burke are going to play in the Futures game. It's nice to see Tavares rewarded for a good start and hopefully that will shut the Robertson backers up. In other news, the Astros get Russ Springer back and Crash Davis is alive and well (his given name is Phil Hiatt)
MINOR-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Zephyrs sporting several new faces on roster
By BRIAN McTAGGART
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
RESOURCES
The New Orleans Zephyrs have somewhat of a new look these days.
The Zephyrs, who lost the final game of a road trip 3-1 at Oklahoma on Monday, have added several new faces to their roster, including shortstop Tommy Whiteman and outfielder Mike Hill, both of whom were called up from Class AA Round Rock last weekend.
New Orleans also added righthander Jeremy Griffiths, who was traded along with David Weathers from the New York Mets last week for Richard Hidalgo, to the starting rotation and sent Chad Qualls to the bullpen.
Griffiths, who led the International League with a 2.74 ERA last year at Class AAA Norfolk, will make his first start today when the Zephyrs open a homestand against the Omaha Royals.
"We got him in the game the other day, and he really looked good," New Orleans manager Chris Maloney said. "He has a nice, live fastball and really good command."
Righthander Russ Springer, whom the Astros signed to a minor-league contract, has also joined the Zephyrs. He pitched for 11 seasons in the major leagues, going 3-3 with three saves for the Astros in 1997.
"I just saw him throw on the side one time in New Orleans, and he threw the ball really well," Maloney said.
Whiteman, one of the Astros' top prospects, hit .336 with eight home runs and 45 RBIs for Round Rock. He will play shortstop, while Jason Alfaro will move back to third — a position he occupied for most of the season before Eric Bruntlett was called up last week.
"Whitey deserved that," Round Rock manager Jackie Moore said. "He was having a heck of a first half."
Whiteman played in the Texas League All-Star Game on Monday in Midland and will today ride with seven of his former Express teammates back to Round Rock, where he will pick up his car and drive to New Orleans.
Hill, who had the game-winning RBI in Sunday's 5-4 win over Oklahoma, spent most of the season with the Zephyrs before getting sent to Round Rock when outfielder Willy Taveras went down with a hamstring injury. Hill is hitting .305 with four home runs and 21 RBIs for New Orleans.
To make room on the roster, New Orleans released righthander Doug Sessions and outfielder Rob Ryan. Sessions was 9-5 with a 2.92 ERA in 2003 and was named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team. He played in only five games in 2004 and spent the majority of the season on the disabled list.
27 signed
The Astros last week signed 27 of their 49 draft picks, and several of those players are off to quick starts at short-season Class A Tri-City.
In Sunday's 9-6 win over Lowell, infielder Ben Zobrist, a sixth-round pick out of Dallas Baptist, and outfielder Johnny Ash, an 11th-round pick out of Stanford, each went 3-for-5.
Righthander Evan Englebrook, an eighth-round pick from Shippensburg University, got the start in Saturday's 4-1 win over Lowell and struck out five in three scoreless innings. Chris Clark, an 18th-round pick from Eastern Kentucky, went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in a 7-1 win over Lowell on Friday.
Burke, Taveras All-Stars
Second baseman Chris Burke of Class AAA New Orleans and outfielder Willy Taveras of Class AA Round Rock were selected to participate in the sixth annual All-Star Futures Game on July 11 at Minute Maid Park.
The game will pit 25 of the top U.S.-born minor leaguers against 25 of the best foreign-born players. Burke will play for the U.S. team, while Taveras, who is from the Dominican Republic, will play for the world team.
Taveras has been out since May 23 with a hamstring injury but is expected to return to the Express starting lineup Wednesday in the second-half opener against Midland. Burke led off Monday's 3-1 loss to Oklahoma with a home run.
In addition, Round Rock manager Jackie Moore, who led the Express to a 45-25 record in the first half and the Texas League West Division title, will serve as a coach for the U.S. team during the Futures Game.
"I'm excited about it, and it's a great honor," Moore said.
Odds and ends
Phil Hiatt hit his 300th career minor-league home run for Class AAA New Orleans in Tuesday's loss at Memphis. ... Round Rock will open the second half Wednesday when lefthander Andy Pettitte, on a rehab stint, gets the start against Midland at Dell Diamond. ... Lexington pitcher Robert Stiehl, who skipped a start with a tired arm, struck out eight in three innings in Sunday's 1-0 win over Charleston. The Legends finished the first half 3 1/2 games behind Charleston in the Northern Division of the South Atlantic League. ... Salem finished the first half with a 38-32 record in the Carolina League. ... Salem first baseman Mark Saccomanno has been selected to play in the California/Carolina League All-Star Game next Tuesday in San Bernardino, Calif. ... The short-season Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League opened their season by winning three in a row at Lowell, allowing just two runs in the first two games. ... The rookie-league Greeneville Astros made their debut Monday at Elizabethton. The Astros moved their rookie-league team to Greeneville, Tenn., in January.
MINOR-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Zephyrs sporting several new faces on roster
By BRIAN McTAGGART
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
RESOURCES
The New Orleans Zephyrs have somewhat of a new look these days.
The Zephyrs, who lost the final game of a road trip 3-1 at Oklahoma on Monday, have added several new faces to their roster, including shortstop Tommy Whiteman and outfielder Mike Hill, both of whom were called up from Class AA Round Rock last weekend.
New Orleans also added righthander Jeremy Griffiths, who was traded along with David Weathers from the New York Mets last week for Richard Hidalgo, to the starting rotation and sent Chad Qualls to the bullpen.
Griffiths, who led the International League with a 2.74 ERA last year at Class AAA Norfolk, will make his first start today when the Zephyrs open a homestand against the Omaha Royals.
"We got him in the game the other day, and he really looked good," New Orleans manager Chris Maloney said. "He has a nice, live fastball and really good command."
Righthander Russ Springer, whom the Astros signed to a minor-league contract, has also joined the Zephyrs. He pitched for 11 seasons in the major leagues, going 3-3 with three saves for the Astros in 1997.
"I just saw him throw on the side one time in New Orleans, and he threw the ball really well," Maloney said.
Whiteman, one of the Astros' top prospects, hit .336 with eight home runs and 45 RBIs for Round Rock. He will play shortstop, while Jason Alfaro will move back to third — a position he occupied for most of the season before Eric Bruntlett was called up last week.
"Whitey deserved that," Round Rock manager Jackie Moore said. "He was having a heck of a first half."
Whiteman played in the Texas League All-Star Game on Monday in Midland and will today ride with seven of his former Express teammates back to Round Rock, where he will pick up his car and drive to New Orleans.
Hill, who had the game-winning RBI in Sunday's 5-4 win over Oklahoma, spent most of the season with the Zephyrs before getting sent to Round Rock when outfielder Willy Taveras went down with a hamstring injury. Hill is hitting .305 with four home runs and 21 RBIs for New Orleans.
To make room on the roster, New Orleans released righthander Doug Sessions and outfielder Rob Ryan. Sessions was 9-5 with a 2.92 ERA in 2003 and was named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team. He played in only five games in 2004 and spent the majority of the season on the disabled list.
27 signed
The Astros last week signed 27 of their 49 draft picks, and several of those players are off to quick starts at short-season Class A Tri-City.
In Sunday's 9-6 win over Lowell, infielder Ben Zobrist, a sixth-round pick out of Dallas Baptist, and outfielder Johnny Ash, an 11th-round pick out of Stanford, each went 3-for-5.
Righthander Evan Englebrook, an eighth-round pick from Shippensburg University, got the start in Saturday's 4-1 win over Lowell and struck out five in three scoreless innings. Chris Clark, an 18th-round pick from Eastern Kentucky, went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in a 7-1 win over Lowell on Friday.
Burke, Taveras All-Stars
Second baseman Chris Burke of Class AAA New Orleans and outfielder Willy Taveras of Class AA Round Rock were selected to participate in the sixth annual All-Star Futures Game on July 11 at Minute Maid Park.
The game will pit 25 of the top U.S.-born minor leaguers against 25 of the best foreign-born players. Burke will play for the U.S. team, while Taveras, who is from the Dominican Republic, will play for the world team.
Taveras has been out since May 23 with a hamstring injury but is expected to return to the Express starting lineup Wednesday in the second-half opener against Midland. Burke led off Monday's 3-1 loss to Oklahoma with a home run.
In addition, Round Rock manager Jackie Moore, who led the Express to a 45-25 record in the first half and the Texas League West Division title, will serve as a coach for the U.S. team during the Futures Game.
"I'm excited about it, and it's a great honor," Moore said.
Odds and ends
Phil Hiatt hit his 300th career minor-league home run for Class AAA New Orleans in Tuesday's loss at Memphis. ... Round Rock will open the second half Wednesday when lefthander Andy Pettitte, on a rehab stint, gets the start against Midland at Dell Diamond. ... Lexington pitcher Robert Stiehl, who skipped a start with a tired arm, struck out eight in three innings in Sunday's 1-0 win over Charleston. The Legends finished the first half 3 1/2 games behind Charleston in the Northern Division of the South Atlantic League. ... Salem finished the first half with a 38-32 record in the Carolina League. ... Salem first baseman Mark Saccomanno has been selected to play in the California/Carolina League All-Star Game next Tuesday in San Bernardino, Calif. ... The short-season Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League opened their season by winning three in a row at Lowell, allowing just two runs in the first two games. ... The rookie-league Greeneville Astros made their debut Monday at Elizabethton. The Astros moved their rookie-league team to Greeneville, Tenn., in January.