Major leagues: May 2009 Archives

Starting pitcher Mike Smith (1-3, 2.86) has been placed on the suspended list, accepting a contract offer to pitch in Taiwan. He registered his only win of the season earlier this week, notching a victory Monday after registering 6 1/3 shutout innings. Smith promised to be one of the best pitchers in the league this season, regularly hitting 90 mph with pinpoint control.

York has now lost its top two starting pitchers. Rick Bauer left the team earlier this month for a lucrative deal in Korea. Not surprisingly, leagues from outside the country have picked up York's best pitchers with major league experience. (In parts of two seasons, Smith appeared in 15 big league games.)

Smith had been York's best starting pitcher during the first four weeks of the season, but he had no run support. The Revolution scored 13 runs during Smith's five starts, but the Revs had not scored more than two runs in any of his starts before plating six runs Monday.

Former Revolution right fielder Tike Redman signed with the Newark Bears today. Redman (pictured above during his time with Pittsburgh) is the only player in Revolution team history to go from York to the majors in one season.

One of the original Revolution players in 2007, Redman never played an actual game in York but he batted .464 in seven games during the time when the Revs waited for construction at Sovereign Bank Stadium to be completed. He batted .318 in 40 games as a late-season call-up for Baltimore.

Expected to return to the Orioles in 2008, Baltimore sent him down to Triple-A Norfolk out of camp and never called him up to the big leagues. He batted .292 in 116 games for Norfolk. The Revolution contacted Redman and his agent in the offseason, but a deal could not be reached. Now he shows up with the first-place Bears as York struggles to avoid the tag of worst professional baseball team in the country.

So what do Revolution fans think of this move? Is York doing enough to turn around what continues to be the worst start in franchise history? And could a deal to acquire Redman and ship out some of York's underachieving players helped?

Former major leaguer Travis Hughes and former Revs reliever Saul Solveson have joined the team. If both pass their physicals, the two new relievers could be available for Wednesday's game against Bridgeport.

Hughes has appeared in 24 major league games with the Rangers and Nationals. The right-hander spent last season pitching in Japan. He had 24 saves for Triple-A Pawtucket in 2007. He last appeared in the majors in 2006.

Solveson is also a right-hander. He went 1-1 with a 3.96 ERA for the Revs last season.

When a team doesn't produce, players are shown the door. So despite entering the season with a roster that appeared to be a first-half title contender, the York Revolution are 3-12 -- owners of the worst record in the Atlantic League.

More bad news came when York's opening day starter Rick Bauer, left the Revolution after Friday's game when he signed a contract with a team in Korea. Bauer's absence caused reliever Dan Foli to move into the rotation and Dave Gassner -- who appeared to improve in a rain-shortened start in York last week -- to pitch on three days of rest Sunday. Pitching on three days of rest in May never goes well. Not surprisingly, Somerset swept York.

Revolution officials expect to add a pitcher to replace Bauer, and an announcement could come as soon as Tuesday.

Fans should expect more changes.

York manager Chris Hoiles did not know the health status of Revs pitcher Steve Andrade Tuesday, although the Revs closer was scheduled to see a member of the Revs medical staff regarding his shoulder -- Hoiles said. Pulled from his appearance in York's victory Monday, Andrade shook his arm between pitches and told Hoiles he felt something in his shoulder.

Andrade was not available for comment Tuesday after the rainout, because he retired to the training room.

"If he needs some time off we're just going to play the game as if everything is normal," Hoiles said. "We're not going to classify anyone as the closer, and I suspect we'll decide on the closer as the games go."

Infielder Danny Sandoval joined the Revolution Monday. And that's no surprise. The former major league shortstop had been expected to join the club since he arrived in York Wednesday.

But the Revs released three players including the franchise's opening day starter and victories leader Wayne Franklin. The left-hander had played parts of three seasons with the Revs, jumping to Taiwan for a brief stay in 2007 and Mexico in 2008. Both times he returned to help the club.

As is customary for the veteran, he did not look sharp early this season -- appearing in three games and pitching four innings with a 4.50 ERA. The 25 batters he faced hit a combined .353 against him, but Franklin usually improves as the season progresses.

UPDATE: Reached Monday night through a text message, Franklin wrote that he would not retire and has an offer to sign with an Atlantic League club. Revs radio broadcaster Darrell Henry was the first to report Franklin signed with Camden.

The Revs also released infielders George Sandel and Rayner Bautista, two men caught in the Revs overstocked middle infield. Capable of playing second, short and third -- Sandel and Bautista just did not earn enough time in the opening games this season to solidify a roster spot.