The Rookies Who Aren't

TheJay — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:16 -0000

A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues; or (b) accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the period of 25-player limit (excluding time in the military service and time on the disabled list).

The first part of the definition of a rookie in Major League Baseball is straightforward. Once a player reaches 131 at bats or 50 1/3 innings pitched, he's no longer a rookie. The second part is a little trickier. After all, service time numbers are hard to find. They generally come out once each year, in team media guides. Add in the fact that you have to subtract time in the major leagues after September 1st and on the disabled list and it's even harder to figure out who is truly a rookie.

It has already been mentioned this offseason that Mat Gamel eclipsed 45 days of service time before September. Gamel was recalled from Nashville on May 14th and optioned back on July 20th, giving him 67 days on the active roster during the "period of 25-player limit." So, even though he sits at 130 career at bats, the same number Scott Rolen had going into his Rookie of the Year season, Gamel cannot win the Rookie of the Year award (though that might not stop him from getting votes).

Gamel isn't the only such little-used non-rookie in the Brewers organization. Raise your hand if you realized Hernan Iribarren has 48 days of major league service time, all before September 1. Iribarren spent 20 days on the major league roster in April and June 2008, picking up 14 at bats. He spent 28 days in the majors in 2009, batting a mere 13 times. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict he wasn't going to win the 2010 Rookie of the Year Award anyway.

New Brewer George Kottaras also enters 2010 off the list of rookie players. He spent all of 2009 in the majors with the Red Sox, playing in 45 games with 93 at bats. Though he spent the month of August on the disabled list, he gave up his 2010 rookie status in mid-May.

Gamel, Iribarren, and Kottaras are not the only little-used rookies. Follow the jump for a list of all such position players to appear in the majors in 2008 or 2009. Please note it is lengthy and full of guys who have no chance at winning an award anyway. I will post a list of pitchers in the next few days.

Non-Rookies with 130 or fewer career AB:

Mat Gamel, 130 career AB
Joaquin Arias, 129 AB
Argenis Reyes, 127 AB
Jose Morales, 122 AB
Ivan Ochoa*, 120 AB
Michel Hernandez, 118 AB
Curtis Thigpen*, 118 AB
Ramiro Pena, 115 AB
Josh Whitesell, 115 AB
Luke Carlin, 112 AB
Chris Gimenez, 111 AB
Tyler Greene, 108 AB
Sam Fuld, 103 AB
Reid Brignac, 100 AB
Francisco Cervelli, 99 AB
George Kottaras, 98 AB
Freddy Guzman, 95 AB
Robinson Cancel, 94 AB
Guillermo Rodriguez, 92 AB
Steve Holm, 91 AB
Justin Ruggiano*, 90 AB
Nathan Haynes*, 89 AB
Diory Hernandez, 85 AB
Don Kelly, 83 AB
Dane Sardinha, 80 AB
Luis Maza*, 79 AB
Paul Hoover, 78 AB
Edwin Maysonet, 76 AB
Dusty Ryan, 70 AB
Clint Sammons, 68 AB
Tug Hulett, 67 AB
Drew Sutton, 66 AB
J.R. House*, 60 AB
John Mayberry, 57 AB
Gregorio Petit, 54 AB
Brian Myrow*, 51 AB
Chris Stewart*, 48 AB
Justin Christian*, 40 AB
Travis Denker*, 37 AB
Gustavo Molina*, 34 AB
Hernan Iribarren, 27 AB
Ryan Budde, 23 AB

* - last appeared in the majors in 2008

I warned you. If I missed anyone or included someone who should not be on the list, let me know in the comments.

Washington Nationals In The Winter Leagues, Dominican League Playoffs Begin With A Tigres del Licey Win.

Ed Chigliak — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:00:06 -0000

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE...

After finishing third in the Dominican Winter League Regular Season standings with a 26-24 record, the Tigres del Licey began the DWL Playoffs with a win in the first of five games they'll play against Aguilas Cibaenas(4), Azucareros del Este(2), and today's opponent in the Tigres(3) 14-4 victory, the Dominican League's Regular Season winners, the Gigantes del Cibao(1).

Anderson Hernandez, DC's prospective starting second baseman, was in the lineup at second for the Tigres del Licey and Hernandez picked up right where he left off in the Regular Season, going 2 for 5 with a double, a walk, 2 runs scored and 1 RBI. Ronnie Belliard, starting at third for the Tigres, was 1 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI, and one of the newest Nationals, Jorge Sosa, who signed along with four other free agents right before the holidays, earned the win with 5.0 innings of 5-hit, 1-run work on the mound, during which he walked 3 and collected 6 K's.

Anderson Hernandez ended the DWL Regular Second with the second highest average in the league at .365 after 50 games and 211 AB's, leading the league in Runs with 41, Hits, with 77, Doubles, with 20, and Triples, with 6, and Hernandez finished in the Top 10 in the Dominican Winter League in OBP, (.406), SLG, (.531) and OPS, (.937). Acquired from New York in the deal that sent Luis Ayala to the Mets, Hernandez has yet to really translate his Winter League success to the Major Leagues, however, where he's hit just .232 in 63 games and 168 at bats so far in his MLB career...

So it's probably a good sign that the 33-year-old Ronnie Belliard will be around to challenge Hernandez at second, or at least back him up and support him should the 26-year-old infielder fail to live up to what he's done in his last 292 AB's (with Washington/Licey combined), in which Hernandez has hit for a .356 AVG. with 24 doubles, 6 triples, 1 HR and 46 RBI's. Ronnie Belliard had 22 hits in 66 AB's for a .333 AVG with 3 doubles, 4 HR's, 16 RBI's, a .405 OBP, .561 SLG, and .966 OBP in 18 Regular Season games with Licey this Winter.

Jorge Sosa, 31, finished the DWL season with with a (6-2) record in 10 starts and 1 relief appearance, allowing 51 hits, 16 ER's and 16 walks in 57.0 IP, over which he struck out just 24 and allowed opponents to hit for a .242 AVG. The former Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Braves, Cardinals and Mets' pitcher, signed with DC last week, along with LHP Gustavo Chacin, 27, formerly of the Blue Jays, C Gustavo Molina, 26, (who's played a total of 19 MLB games with the White Sox, Orioles and Mets), infielder Jose Castillo, 27, who split '08 with the Giants and Astros after having spent 4 years in the Pirates' infield, and outfielder Corey Patterson, 28, who broke into the big leagues with Cubs and has since played for the Orioles and Reds over 9 MLB seasons.

UP NEXT...

Saturday night, the 27th of December, the Tigres del Licey take to the road to take on Azucareros del Este.

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE...

The Criollos de Caguas welcomed the Leones de Ponce into Parque Yidefonso Sola Morales Friday night, and needed only the two runs they scored in the second to take a 2-1 lead in what would eventually be an 8-1 Caguas' win. DC prospects Justin Maxwell, who was the DH, and Garrett Guzman, who started in left, were a combined 0 for 7, with a run scored, an RBI, 2 walks and 3 K's between them, but the one run scored, (by Guzman, after he walked and crossed second on a two-RBI triple by Minor League free agent, Rob Cosby, which gave Caguas the 2-1 lead), turned out to be the Criollos' winning run.

SB Nation - Gustavo Molina

The Rookies Who Aren't

Washington Nationals In The Winter Leagues, Dominican League Playoffs Begin With A Tigres del Licey Win.