Former Atlantic League pitcher/critic Joe Borowski (pictured above) told the Cleveland Plain Dealer he has retired. Here's a take on his retirement from a hometown paper in New Jersey.
Borowski pitched for the Newark Bears in 2000. After returning to the majors, Borowski was a vocal critic of the Atlantic League and its low pay. He managed to make it back to the majors -- and earn a pay raise -- when he jumped to the Mexican League.
The York Revolution lost perhaps the most recognizable face in the organization's history when slugger Matt Dryer informed team officials he will not return for a third season with the club. Dryer confirmed late last night that he has told Revolution Director of Baseball Operations Adam Gladstone he has retired.
Dryer has decided to retire in order to concentrate on teaching youth baseball lessons, and he hopes to one day open his own indoor baseball facility near his hometown of Rochester, N.Y.
"I totally want to come back and play," Dryer said, "but at the same time I have to think about my future. I have to give up baseball at some point. And right now I think I have something really special."
The York Revolution brought back the one player they could not afford to lose in outfielder Jason Aspito. They also brought back pitcher Corey Thurman, a former major league reliever, a clubhouse leader and an All-Star conversationalist -- on any topic.
But the Revs added a twist to the first signings of winter. York added two players who expect to make their independent baseball debuts this season. Veteran minor league outfielder Tom Collaro, 25, has spent parts of two seasons in Triple-A, and reliever Steve Andrade, (pictured above) a pitcher with major league experience.
By signing two new players the caliber of Andrade and Collaro, Revolution Director of Baseball Operations Adam Gladstone illustrated how wide-open the minor league free agent market has been this offseason. Usually Atlantic League teams re-sign players this early in the year, especially considering clubs must start negotiations with last year's players before Feb. 26 in order to reserve their rights for the new season. Gladstone seems willing to bring in only the leaders from last year's playoff club, and stock his roster with talent that, before October, had been employed by major league organizations.
One of the original members of the York Revolution, reliever Jason Olson (pictured above) will not start the season in the Atlantic League.
Interested in finding a career after his playing days are over, Olson has started working as an assistant baseball coach at Earl Wooster High in Sparks, Nev. He will remain with Wooster until the end of Nevada's high school season in May.
"I know my career is going to end, I'm not an idiot, and I knew I had to look for something else to do," Olson said.
Revolution closer Franklin Nunez signed with the Colorado Rockies and reliever Heath Totten (pictured above) re-signed with the Dodgers.
York's closer for two seasons, Nunez saved 11 games for the Revolution in 2008 after posting impressive numbers in the Mexican League. He went 3-2 with 19 saves and a 2.86 ERA for Saltillo. An original member of the Revolution, Nunez helped York clinch its first ever playoff spot last season.
A Tampa resident and Dominican native, Nunez last pitched in the majors in 2005 with the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He earned a minor league contract with the Brewers at the end of 2007 -- when he also pitched for the Revolution (2.76 ERA, 12 Sv). He has been one of the hardest throwers in the Atlantic League during the last two seasons, but the one knock on Nunez has been his inability to throw a secondary pitch for a strike.
True this is supposed to be a blog about the York Revolution. But indulge me for a moment. When the Bridgeport Bluefish bring back a former manager to serve as a bench coach, and the newly named bench coach happens to have the best winning percentage in Atlantic League history -- fans should take note.
Do teams in the league have any idea what they're doing when they hire a manager? We know they want to make a splash and hire a former player with name-recognition, but shouldn't he also be able to control a clubhouse?
Bridgeport named Willie Upshaw, pictured above in 2007 with Barry Bonds, as its new bench coach under manager Tommy John Thursday.
Let's look at Upshaw's numbers:
Days before the York Revolution begin building the 2009 roster, infielder Keoni DeRenne expressed the belief that he will not return to the Revolution this season.
Revolution Director of Baseball Operations Adam Gladstone didn't want to part ways with DeRenne. But it might not be a difficult transition. The market is loaded with free agent players.
"I've talked with agents and I've talked with scouts," Gladstone said. "Most of these men have great relationships with players and many of them have told players not to hold out for more money. It is a very tough climate just to get an invite to spring training."
It will be interesting to see if the talent pool in the Atlantic League improves this season, or if teams attempt to save money by slashing payroll.
It's almost here: Spring Training/Pennsylvania Dutch-Style.
The new faces. The dreary weather. The sore arms. The musty smell of DownTown in the morning. But the biggest story to watch this season might be the status of York manager Chris Hoiles.
Hoiles appeared to have all the job security a manager could want before the final weeks of 2008. Hoiles called the Revs job one of the best in baseball, maybe even better than an offer from the Orioles -- an organization where he spent his entire major league career. Hoiles expected a contract offer from Opening Day Partners. Instead he waited ... and waited ... and waited until Thanksgiving to complete a deal.*
