Jesus Sanchez left the York Revolution last August to return to his home in the Dominican Republic to work out some family business. His 16-year-old son, Dorssys Paulino, is a shortstop prospect who finalized a $1.1-million with the Cleveland Indians in July. Sanchez was supposed to leave and return in a day or two, an understandable move since his son was still a minor. But York manager Andy Etchebarren didn’t expect him to miss a start.
Then Etchebarren didn’t hear a word from Sanchez.
A hurricane hit the Dominican. Still no contact from Sanchez.
The Revs didn’t know if Sanchez or his family had been injured in the storms. They didn’t know if Sanchez had retired. They didn’t know if Sanchez wanted to come back but couldn’t leave the country for some other reason. Then with about two weeks left to play in the regular season, Sanchez contacted Etchebarren about a possible return.
“I told him, ‘Don’t come back, I don’t want you,” Etchebarren said.
Etchebarren and pitching coach Mark Mason had already reworked the Revs roster. They had made deals. Disappointed, Etchebarren worked out his differences with Sanchez in the offseason, and the former big leaguer will return in 2012.
“It took a couple phone calls,” Etchebarren said about bringing back Sanchez. “I told him I didn’t appreciate what he did. He let me down. He let the coaching staff down. He let his teammates down.
“But I also told him, I love you because you’re a good guy. Your teammates care about you. So I told him he would have to take care of talking to his teammates. He said … he would handle it. Hey, I give everybody second chances. As you get older, you start to realize: ‘Who am I to judge anybody? Let’s see what happens.’”
Sanchez, 37, had been one of the key pieces to the Revs league championship squad in 2010. One of the best pitchers in the Atlantic League, he took a perfect game into the bottom of the sixth inning (pictured above) — losing it on a two-out, broken-bat, infield single up the middle to Long Island’s No. 9 hitter Erick Monzon.
Able to move the ball, and still hit 90 mph on the radar gun, he went 7-6 with a 3.65 ERA.
Twice that season, scouts signed him away from the Revs. First the Oakland A’s offered him a deal to play in Triple-A. When Sanchez’s numbers dipped with Sacramento (0-1, 12.00 ERA), he returned to York before signing another deal to pitch in Taiwan.
Sanchez returned to York last season, but he no longer looked like one of the league’s elite starters — going 3-2 with a 6.67 ERA.
“I don’t think he had that drive last year,” Etchebarren said.
Sanchez had been bothered by muscle tightness in his pitching arm during a few of his first starts, perhaps a sign his layoff between pitching in Taiwan and joining York took a toll. But he was pitching better by the time he left.
In three of his last four starts he allowed three runs or less while lasting five or more innings. He tossed six scoreless innings at Somerset in his final start.
Etchebarren has moved on. He’s not worried about what happened last year. He just wants to see Sanchez back pitching at the level where he’s seen him pitch before.
York Daily Record/Sunday News Sportswriter Jim Seip has covered minor league baseball since 2001. He's covered the York Revolution since the franchise's first game in 2007.
GOOD old forgiving Etch.
This is a joke, I hope! Let see, Etch signs a player that walks out on HIS team and never even calls to say he is safe.
Not like Sanchez was in Shape to begin with! He showed that when he got here and never did Perform well.
BUT as I read the Roster, the Atlantic League’s 2nd Best Pitcher in 2011. Co Rev Player of the Year, and one of the BEST team mates any player ever had, HOME TOWN FAVORITE Corey Thurman is not listed.
What wrong Mr Ball! I would think the REVS would bend over back wards for the Player that has meant the most to this team in It’s Franchise’s Short History! If a player is just hanging on just to get a pay check I sure can understand Econimics. BUT Thurm had his best year last year, and York Probably don’t get by Lancaster in Game 5 without him!
I sure hope Money is not the Issue here! BUT who knows in Sports today!
My guess would be, the Revs would lose some fan base if Thurm is not back!
Any one in their right mind, can see how connected the Fans are with Him.
Larry,
First up: Thurm. He’s coming back. Not announced. Nothing official. Team won’t tell me this, Thurm won’t tell me this, but I would be shocked if he’s not the Revs’ opening day starter in Sugar Land come April. I wouldn’t be surprised if his contract is already signed. Relax, they like to keep you in suspense. No team releases all the names of the signed players at one time.
Thurman signed autographs when Revs single-game tickets went on sale earlier this month, so it’s not like a barrier between team and player has been set up. His signing just hasn’t been announced yet.
Next: I don’t know what happened with Sanchez last year, I haven’t heard his side of it, but he did have a lot going on off the field (tropical storm, million-dollar contract, son signing with MLB organization, and maybe even something else). Etch has heard his side, Sanchez has apologized. York’s ready to accept him back.
If he shows up this year out of shape or not ready to go, well … it’s not like the Revs have been slow to act when they need to upgrade a position in recent years.
My guess is this a good move for York and Sanchez. He gets to put last year behind him, and the Revs may have one of the better lefties in independent baseball throwing for them again.
Jim
Jim Seip, the voice of reason. No friction at all between the team and Thurm. It’s not so simple as just signing the same contract as last year. There are some proverbial Ts to cross and Is to dot. Thurm plans on being here, and we of course want him here. I drive a Dodge Stratus.
I have visions of an early March press release. Maybe even a picture of Thurman in uniform interacting with York fans in the stands from 2008, 2009, 2010 or last year. You have a couple of those photos, right?