SB Nation User Blog: jonk1982

Aaron Crow signs...with Fort Worth

jonk1982 — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:36:34 -0000

Pitcher Aaron Crow, who was selected ninth overall in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft by Washington in June, signed a minor-league contract with the Fort Worth Cats on Wednesday.

All signs point to Crow officially being a member of the Cats after Friday’s 11 p.m. MLB signing deadline for draft selections passes. Discussions with Nationals general manager Jim Bowden have stalled, Crow’s agent, Randy Hendricks, said.

“We wouldn’t have had him sign with the Cats if we thought he was going to sign with the Nationals,” Hendricks said. “The last I talked with Jim Bowden, he didn’t think there was anything more to talk about. I didn’t disagree.”

Source: Star-Telegram

Adam Loewen to convert to 1B/OF

jonk1982 — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:05:11 -0000

...Adam Loewen is done as a pitcher. He's going to reinvent himself as an outfielder/first baseman, perhaps as early as the fall instructional league.

Another surgery on his elbow would have sidelined him for an estimated 1 1/2 years, and he wasn't willing to go down that path.

"I'm always going to be a pitcher," he said. "I've been doing it since I was 9 years old. It's going to be hard to let it go, but God has a plan for me."

- Baltimore Sun

Rotoworld's analysis:

Complicating things is that Loewen is out of options. However, there's probably not going to be a host of teams looking to grab him off waivers when he's physically incapable of pitching at the moment. Had he chosen surgery on his elbow, he likely would have been out until 2010. Given that Loewen never hit in the minors and has just two major league at-bats since being drafted in 2002, it's hard to imagine him becoming a useful hitter for the Orioles.

April 16, 2007 - One year later

jonk1982 — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:31:27 -0000

April 16, 2007.

It's been one year since we lost our friend Brian Bluhm (VTTigers) and 31 of his peers and colleagues.

"We say that the hour of death cannot be forecast, but when we say this we imagine that hour as placed in an obscure and distant future. It never occurs to us that it has any connection with the day already begun or that death could arrive this same afternoon, this afternoon which is so certain and which has every hour filled in advance." -- Marcel Proust

Jordan Schafer suspended 50 games for HGH

jonk1982 — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:36:47 -0000

Rotoworld:

MLB suspended outfielder Jordan Schafer 50 games for using human growth hormone.
Perhaps this partially explains Schafer's big leap forward last year, though studies on whether hGH really helps performance have yet to produce much in the way of results. Schafer has been viewed as a big-time talent since long before he was drafted -- Baseball America named him the top 13-year-old prospect in the nation in 2000 -- but he as often as not disappointed before blossoming in 2007.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&id=5052

Brewers sign Luis Vizcaino

jonk1982 — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 19:10:58 -0000

Rotoworld:

The Brewers and Luis Vizcaino have reportedly agreed to terms on a two-year, $7 million contract.

So much for Ken Rosenthal's report that he was deciding between the Rockies and Pirates. This is probably about as good of a bullpen bargain as a team is going to get this winter, though it does leave the Brewers with a ridiculous six relievers making at least $3 million (Eric Gagne, David Riske, Derrick Turnbow, Guillermo Mora and Salomon Torres). Lefty specialist Brian Shouse figures to get the other spot, so pitchers like Claudio Vargas, Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra won't be on the team if they fail to claim rotation spots.

Iguchi to Milwaukee, Braun to LF?

jonk1982 — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:58:29 -0000

Rotoworld says:

Agent Rocky Hall said he's expecting the Brewers to extend a two-year offer to Tadahito Iguchi.

Iguchi would likely take over as the Brewers' third baseman, with Ryan Braun getting shifted to left. That's not the kind of upgrade the Brewers first seemed to be shooting for when they entertained the idea of moving Braun, but it might work out OK.

Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Winter Meetings Thread

jonk1982 — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 18:46:16 -0000

I thought it might be a good idea to create one thread to discuss the Winter Meetings. There should be several deals made, and not all of them will be worthy of their own threads. Instead, we can discuss them all here.

First up....

MLB Radio is reporting that the White Sox will acquire Carlos Quentin from the Diamondbacks for Chris Carter.

Juan Lara in auto accident

jonk1982 — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 05:54:02 -0000

Cleveland Plain-Dealer:
Indians left-hander Juan Lara was seriously injured Saturday night in an automobile-motorcycle accident in the Dominican Republic.

Lara, 26, suffered what an Indians spokesman called "life-threatening injuries" when the car he was in was struck by a motorcycle at an intersection in San Pedro de Macoris, D.R. The two riders on the motorcycle were killed instantly and Lara was hospitalized, according to Bart Swain, Indians director of media relations.

Swain said Lara's car was stopped at an intersection when the motorcycle hit the car broadside. Lara was pinned inside the car.

"We are monitoring the situation closely," said General Manager Mark Shapiro. "Our prayers are with Juan and his family."

Lino Diaz, Indians director of Latin American Operations, was dispatched to the Dominican to check on Lara's condition. Lara made one appearance with the Indians in 2007 and nine in 2006. He spent the majority of the 2007 season at Class AAA Buffalo, going 4-3 with a 3.88 ERA and two saves in 52 appearances. He struck out 50 and walked 27.

Lara has been in the Indians organization for nine years. He's on the 40-man roster and was pitching for Estrellas in the Dominican winter league.

Portland Beavers Name Change

jonk1982 — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 20:41:52 -0000

http://www.portlandbeavers.com/promotions/namechange/index.html

As the Portland Beavers continue researching a potential team-name change, the team invites you to give your feedback and rankings for the following list of names, including the current moniker, below. Recognizing that fan input is integral in a decision of this nature, please read the following descriptions and rank the team names as you see fit, one being your top choice, and five being your least favorite.

The team will collect the online rankings for a period of one week, and an announcement regarding the status of a potential name change will be made at a later date.

*Please note that the logos for the potential new names are initial concepts at this point and are not final.

PORTLAND BEAVERS
As far as professional baseball in Portland is concerned, the Beavers name has endured for the better part of the last 100 years. In 1943, the team earned the nickname "Lucky Beavers" for producing a winning season after a spell of losing records. As animals, beavers have a strong work ethic. They are capable of building a dam in a day, thus the reference to "busy beavers." If a beaver dam is destroyed, they will build a new one overnight. The beaver is the state animal of Oregon and also the national animal of Canada. The beaver is also the name of the athletic teams at Oregon State University.

PORTLAND GREEN SOX
Portland is green. Our leadership in sustainable architecture is internationally renown. Portland is a bicycle-friendly, mass-transit-using, Flexcar-driving, energy-saving, recycling-crazy, Ralph Nader-loving place. Portland has more owners of the Toyota Prius hybrid car than any city anywhere. Green is Portland. City parks (among them, the largest city park and the smallest), trees, grass and gardens abound. Fly over Portland and look down - the overwhelming color is green. The most typical comment from a visitor: "It's so green and beautiful here!" The name is understood on more than one level.

PORTLAND SOCKEYES
A tough name, a tough fish. The Sockeye is an acrobatic and powerful salmon popular in sport fishing. Hook one and you are definitely in for some attitude. In the ocean, Sockeye colors are silver with blue tinged backs, a color scheme fitting with the Pacific Northwest. Their color changes to predominantly red after they migrate to fresh water. When they are ready to spawn, the Sockeye jaw becomes distinctly hook-shaped. Sockeye are not particularly attractive fish, but what do we know, really? We are not fish. Sockeyes are the third-most common Pacific salmon, but are considered endangered in certain regions.

PORTLAND THORNS
Portland is the City of Roses. Roses are regal amongst flowers. But to pick that beauty, there is a price to pay. Roses have a natural defense mechanism: thorns. Thorns are the royal guardsmen. Thorns place themselves strategically like a batting order. They are threatening like a high, inside pitch. Or like the razor-sharpened cleats on Ty Cobb's shoes as he slid into home. Thorns is a hip name. Cool. Aggressive. Interesting.

PORTLAND WET SOX
Founded on Portland's reputation as a rain-soaked place, Wet Sox is self-deprecating, yet it also takes a shot at the elite status of the two MLB Sox teams. Wet Sox is actually full of local pride. We bear the brunt of rain jokes like a badge of honor because we know that the rain brings our natural beauty, snow-capped mountains and the best-tasting tap water of any city in America. Only a minor league team could have a name as light-hearted and entertaining as the Wet Sox. However, the execution of Wet Sox should pay respect to professional baseball and honor its history. It should be presented straight and heroic like the tradition of the Yankees, so the name has a sophisticated wit. Executed properly, Wet Sox has both humor and a love for the game.

Poll

What's your favorite?

Portland Beavers

50 votes

Portland Green Sox

8 votes

Portland Sockeyes

17 votes

Portland Thorns

1 votes

Portland Wet Sox

14 votes

90 votes | Poll has closed

Matt Bush shut down

jonk1982 — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 19:35:03 -0000

The Padres aren't taking any chances with Matt Bush. After Bush developed a sore shoulder, the club shut him down, four outings after the former No. 1 draft pick moved from shortstop to the mound.

Bush, 21, probably won't pitch for another week, but the Padres expect the right-hander to pitch again this summer. He has struck out 11 over 5 1/3 scoreless innings in his four appearances in Rookie ball.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/weblog/2007/07/bush_shut_down.html