February 2008 Archives

The front office with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs had one tough task: Design a baseball hat to match its terrible team name.

Success!

The Phillies new Triple-A affiliate designed five dreadful -- make that absolutely hideous -- "official" hats. Farm hands will want to make it to Philly -- in a hurry -- just so they don't have to wear this gear.

Here's the scary part. Think of the hats that this team turned down. How ugly do you think they looked? Could they really have looked worse than this dazzler?

Outfielder Tike Redman reportedly is suffering from flu-like symptoms, and did not travel with the Orioles to Jupiter, Fla., on Friday.

Redman is one of seven outfielders in Baltimore's camp, trying to make the big league squad. He was completely out of affiliated baseball at the start of last season, but revitalized his career with the York Revolution. Odds are Redman can make the team. Although he doesn't have a strong arm, he can field, hit and run. He just needs to stay healthy. Jay Payton can field, but he has struggled offensively. And Chris Roberson was a defensive replacement for the Phillies last season who couldn't play defense.

John L. Wallace of Dallastown writes:

The Revolution's Matt Esquivel: Just what York needs is another shady character for the kids to admire. The guy's been thrown off (at least) three teams already. Bad precedent for an outfit that's trying to win local hearts.

Read reporter Jim Seip's Q&A with Esquivel here.

Former major league reliever Dave Veres is attempting to do something no one has ever done before. He wants to pitch in the major leagues with a prosthetic hip.

The next stop in his comeback will be with the York Revolution.

Veres, 41, spent 10 years in the majors, but hasn't pitched in the big leagues since he suited up for the Cubs in the 2003 NLCS. Slugger Bo Jackson returned to the majors after undergoing hip replacement surgery to correct a football injury, and he hit 29 homers from 1993-94. But no pitcher has done it.

The Revolution have signed their fourth pitcher with major league experience, agreeing to terms with former closer Dave Veres.

Veres, who last pitched in the majors during the 2003 NLCS, played at the Triple-A level with Colorado last season.

The Revs also announced the signing of center fielder Travis Ezi, a player that manager Chris Hoiles said he was bringing back during the Revs hot stove banquet earlier this month.

The York Revolution are expected to announce two signings today, including a returning player and a former major leaguer that is new to the Atlantic League.

We hope to contact both players as soon as the signings are official.

So far the team has made the biggest splash in the league's offseason, signing nine players -- including three pitchers (Wayne Franklin, Aaron Myette and Corey Thurman) with major league experience.

Talk about a big day.

The York Revolution re-signed their high-energy leadoff man, Keoni De Renne, and that move might not even be the biggest news of the day. That's saying something because De Renne (.302, 57 R, 100 H, 19 SBs) turned around York's terrible inaugural season. He provided a consistent bat at the top of the order and played second, short and third. His play helped York challenge for the Atlantic League South crown in the second half.

But the Revolution also added RHPs Aaron Myette and Corey Thurman, two veterans with major league experience.

It's been a busy three weeks for the York Revolution.

York signed three more players Wednesday, increasing its roster to six players -- by far the highest number of players announced to contracts in the Atlantic League.

The three most recent acquisitions have no Atlantic League experience, and only one has played in independent baseball.

The player with the highest profile is corner outfielder Matt Esquivel, 25, a former Atlanta Braves prospect who could still earn a contract in affiliated baseball by virtue of his statistics from 2007 (19 HRs, 70 RBIs, 15 SBs at Double-A Mississippi). The Revs also signed LHP Reid Price and catcher Kevin Kotch.

Each player looks like a quality addition to the roster, but why has Revolution Director of Baseball Operations Adam Gladstone signed so many players so early in the year? Remember, this is a man who likes to wait.

Let's just say, he has his reasons.

The York Revolution had a perfect venue to announce the return of outfielder Kazu Tanaka. Revs manager Chris Hoiles told a crowd of about 300 fans at the Revs' first hot stove banquet that the city's favorite player will be back.

After waiting for the applause to die down, Hoiles added: "He's a huge fan favorite here and he should be."

Tanaka didn't have a great season. His batting average never rose above .256 all season, but he was the one player the fans cheered consistently. He hustled. And he's fearless. He crashed into the concrete outfield wall trying to make a catch. (And in case you're wondering, no one else in the league did that.) And he survived an entire season without a translator.

The second signing might be a little more shocking.