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SoxProspects News Links, JUNE 2009

Author	Comment
RedSoxAnni		#101	[url]	[-]
Veteran Member Posts: 3455 06/28/09 7:36 PM Barmaid	Monday, June 22, 2009 Willie T. Smith III - Legends shut down Drive A two-run shot over the Green Monster by the right fielder David Marks in the eighth inning saved Greenville from being shut out. The Drive managed only three hits, two by Marks. Drive starter Stephen Fife (0-2), Greenville's hard luck pitcher, allowed one run on four hits, while striking out seven during his five-inning stint. ... Greenville will be without three of its best players in the second half as Federowicz, Rizzo and Mailman will join Advanced A Salem of the Carolina League after participating in the all-star game. Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Willie T. Smith III - All-Star nods excite Drive players; Coaching staff to lead Southern Division team "It feels real good, especially for these players who were voted in by their peers," Boles said. "All the work they have put in, the performance is noticeable. The guys have excelled in this league for the first half." Greenville, which won the Southern Division first-half title, placed five players on the team: catcher Tim Federowicz, outfielder David Mailman, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, relief pitcher Armando Zerpa and starting pitcher Casey Kelly. Kelly was promoted to high Class A Salem shortly after the vote and will not be participating. After playing in the all-star game, Rizzo, Mailman and Federowicz will join Kelly in Salem. Also joining Boles in Charleston will be pitching coach Bob Kipper and hitting coach Billy McMillon. While some managers choose from other teams to fill the coaching roles, Boles immediately looked to his staff. Friday, June 26, 2009 Tourists take down Drive The Asheville Tourists scored a pair of runs in the eighth inning en route to a 5-4 victory over the Greenville Drive Thursday night in the second half opener of the South Atlantic League at McCormick Field in Asheville.
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RedSoxAnni		#102	[url]	[-]
Veteran Member Posts: 3456 06/28/09 7:59 PM Barmaid	The Lowell Sun Thursday, June 25, 2009 Matt Spencer - Spinners' engine stalls out "Defensively we played poorly, but physical errors are going to happen," said Lowell manager Gary DiSarcina, whose team drops even-Steven at 3-3. "They're young kids, so you can't expect them to make every play. (As a manager) when you watch baseball at this level you have to expect guys to drop balls, guys to make poor throws and that's what happened tonight. We didn't really help ourselves defensively and we definitely didn't swing the bats well." ... But there was one ray of sunshine. Starting pitcher Yeiper Castillo threw 5 gutsy innings, allowing just one first-inning single and no earned runs. Castillo got the unfair loss after giving up an unearned run in the third inning that stood up the rest of the way. The 6-3 righthander did hit two batters and walked two others, but also fanned 6 batters and ended four of his innings with a K. Friday, June 26, 2009 Spinners edged on road in 10 The Lowell Spinners dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker in the bottom of the tenth inning on the road against the Tri-City ValleyCats last night. ... Lowell had taken a one-run lead in the top of the tenth thanks to a Ryan Westmoreland RBI single to score Sean Killeen. Killeen led off the inning with a single up the middle, and he advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. That run was the lone Spinners score despite nine hits as Lowell stranded nine runners on base and went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position. ... Spinners starting pitcher Jose Alvarez gave up just three hits and no runs in six innings of work. He also struck out six. Tommy Hottovy took over in the seventh inning. He pitched two scoreless innings while allowing one hit. Saturday, June 27, 2009 Spinners come alive - too late Trailing 5-0, consecutives ingles by Chris McGuiness, Michael Almanzar, and Roberto Feliz -- who snapped an 0-for-18 famine -- produced the first run. Joantoni Garcia then doubled in two more. Garcia later scored on a groundout by Sean Killeen, cutting the ValleyCats' lead to 5-4. Tri-City added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Erik Castro scored on a wild pitch by William Latimer. That run proved necessary in the ninth when Derrik Gibson singled, stole second, and raced home on a hit by Ryan Westmoreland. But Brandt Walker got the last three outs to preserve the victory for the ValleyCats. Sunday, June 28, 2009 Matt Lee - Spinners' teen pitcher shined on world's big baseball stages Having played in the Little League World Series, the World Baseball Classic, and toeing the rubber at Fenway Park, there's not much Dennis Neuman hasn't experienced on the baseball diamond. The right-handed reliever from Curacao has been on the big stage in international baseball twice before, and is now working on moving up the ranks in the Boston Red Sox organization. "I like his maturity for a pitcher at such a young age," Spinners pitching coach Kevin Walker said. "He wants the ball every night. He's got that quiet cockiness that you like in a pitcher." ... Neuman's most memorable moment in '08 came in an appearance at Fenway Park as part of the "Futures at Fenway" event. Neuman came on in the 12th inning in a tie ball game. He retired the side and eventually earned the win after Lowell won on a walk-off in the bottom of the inning. "That was the first time I've ever been nervous in a game," says Neuman. In March, the 5-foot-10 fireballer got his first taste of major league competition as a member of the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic. TROY, N.Y. -- Ryan Pressly and two relievers combined on a 3-hitter, and Ryan Westmoreland knocked in a pair of runs last night as the Lowell Spinners snapped a three-game losing streak by trimming the Tri-City ValleyCats 4-1 in front of 4,995 fans Pressly, Chad Povich, and Jeremiah Bayer held the ValleyCats hitless after the second inning. The Spinners grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Derrik Gibson tripled and came home on a ground out by Westmoreland. ... The Spinners added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth when Ronald Bermudez singled and came around to score on a groundout by Wilfred Pichardo. Westmoreland singled home Pichardo later in the inning. Westmoreland has hit safely in seven straight games.
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RedSoxAnni		#103	[url]	[-]
Veteran Member Posts: 3457 06/29/09 1:32 PM Barmaid	Monday, June 29, 2009 The Providence Journal Daniel Barbarisi - Chiefs 6, PawSox 2: Syracuse jumps on Zink early and often It was obvious right away that the Syracuse Chiefs hitters weren't going to be fooled by Charlie Zink's knuckleball. Before he could even record an out, Zink gave up three base hits and plunked a batter, his 13th hit by pitch of the season (cementing his grip on his own Pawtucket record), and took the loss in Pawtucket's 6-2 defeat by Syracuse. ... Zink was victimized by several balls that fell in for hits, and some plays where he felt the breaks could have gone his way in another scenario. "I throw it in there funny, and sometimes they hit it funny," he said. ... Although Portland Sea Dogs catcher Mark Wagner was called up to Triple-A today to share catching duties, Dusty Brown clearly isn't going down without a fight. Brown had three singles and scored a run, bringing his average to .257. Daniel Barbarisi - Hot-hitting Mark Wagner moves a step closer to big leagues A comfortable Wagner is what the Red Sox need, too. Wagner was called up to Pawtucket on Sunday, the promising catcher's first time at the Triple-A level. The organization hopes he'll settle in just like he did Double-A Portland. If he does, he could get a chance to prove that he's a long-term solution at catcher for the Sox, the successor to 37-year-old Jason Varitek. No clear-cut heir has emerged thus far, although George Kottaras is successfully backing him up in Boston. Now Wagner and fellow Triple-A catcher Dusty Brown will vie to show that they should be next in line. Wagner was active for Sunday's game against the Syracuse Chiefs. He will start Monday, the beginning of what should be a regular platoon with Brown. ... agner, a ninth-round pick in 2005, has always been known for his defense. His quick release makes stealing on him a dangerous idea, and he's expert at blocking balls at the plate. That's what stood out to Varitek, who saw Wagner during spring training. He recalled that Wagner's blocking skills were impressive during the rigorous drills run by bullpen coach Gary Tuck. "He blocks the ball real well," Varitek said. "The fun thing is we get through a lot of work with Tuck in spring training; he beats the heck out of us, as a group. He did well." Red Sox farm system director Mike Hazen said last week that the team has been very happy with Wagner's bat, throwing and plate blocking. They view his management of the pitching staff and his game calling as a work in progress. Daniel Barbarisi - Van Every done for season; knee soreness nags Lowrie PAWTUCKET -- PawSox centerfielder Jonathan Van Every's season is likely over after exploratory knee surgery last week uncovered more damage to the knee than had been expected, according to Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson. ... "It was a little bit more than the meniscus," Johnson said. "He was in here yesterday, and he's in a brace. It's going to be a while." Van Every will rehab in Pawtucket briefly, and will then head to the team's complex in Florida for more extended rehab. Van Every is a power-hitting outfielder who plays excellent defense, but injuries have plagued him much of this season. The knee problem first surfaced in late May. He was placed on the disabled list effective May 30 after spraining the knee in a game. He returned June 9, but quickly aggravated the injury. Van Every went to Boston recently to see Red Sox team doctor Thomas Gill, and Gill recommended surgery.
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RedSoxAnni		#104	[url]	[-]
Veteran Member Posts: 3458 06/29/09 1:42 PM Barmaid	Monday, June 29, 2009 Eric Benevides - Chiefs rough up Zink Zink, who was last season's International League Pitcher of the Year, settled down after his shaky start and lasted six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks, but his team was unable to back him offensively and his record dipped to 4-7. "There were a lot of swings and there was a lot of contact," added PawSox manager Ron Johnson, whose team fell to 40-35, while the Chiefs improved to 40-34, 2½ games behind the first-place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. "There wasn't the missed contact -- the popup, the ground ball. (Syracuse) squared some balls up. When Charlie's in the zone, his pitches have some good movement, but early, I think he was struggling to create that." ... The PawSox broke on the board in the fifth off Chiefs starter (and winning pitcher) Garrett Mock, when with one gone, Travis Denker singled to right and sped home on Freddy Guzman's double into the gap in right-center. They added their second run in the seventh off reliever Preston Larrison, as Dusty Brown led off with a base hit, and with two gone, Guzman and Jeff Natale belted singles to left to plate Brown and put runners on the corners. But Jason Bergmann relieved Larrison and got the Chiefs out of the inning by getting Bubba Bell to ground out to second. Eric Benevides - PawSox promote C Wagner Wagner was hitting .301 in 42 games with the Sea Dogs, collecting 46 hits, 18 doubles, three home runs, and 23 RBIs. He had been on the disabled list from April 27-May 13 with a hamstring strain, but since coming off it, he's batted .324 with 34 hits. But defensively, Wagner had been arguably the finest at his position in the Eastern League. In 38 contests, he was leading all E.L. catchers with a .997 fielding percentage (one error in 321 total chances) and threw out a league-best 62 percent of would-be base stealers (18 in 29 attempts). "It's always a team effort (in Portland)," added Wagner. "You have to have great pitchers to work with, and I've also worked really hard with (Portland manager) Arnie (Beyeler) and everyone else on my defense and it shows." In his first season with the Sea Dogs last year, Wagner had an E.L.-best .997 fielding percentage and gunned down 42 percent of attempted base stealers, but he only hit .219 in 94 games with 10 homers and 48 RBIs.
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