York Revolution: April 2008 Archives

First the good news, right-handed starter Aaron Myette looks like he's on his way back to a major league organization. After sitting out the last two seasons with nerve damage in his pitching arm, Myette threw 6 1/3 shut out innings, striking out eight and walking two in York's 2-0 victory against Southern Maryland. He allowed five hits.

It was his first win since he pitched Louisville past Buffalo in Trriple-A on June 15, 2004. His last win as a starter came on April 23, 2004.

The bad news, however, also has to do with the pitching staff. York expects to start reliever Aaron Rakers during the upcoming series against the Long Island Ducks.

But the team is still waiting to see if starters Pete Munro and Landon Jacobsen can recover from early season soreness.

The Revs’ slogan this season is "Go Big or Go Home", in reference to the size in the middle of York’s lineup.
The team even has those words written in Japanese on the left field wall, in salute to import Tanaka, ironically the smallest player on the team.
That slogan also explains the 10-foot platform that public address announcer Al Rose was speaking from, as well as the huge microphone carried around by Stu Pendous, the on-field announcer.

York will start Aaron Rakers for Sunday's game.

Expected to be a reliever, Rakers might sound like an odd choice to start the third game of the season. But York has some pitching concerns.

Starter Wayne Franklin felt good in his final appearance of spring, only to come down with a chest cold. Before today's game, he wondered if he had come down with the flu, because he doesn't feel like he has any energy.

York Revolution
CF Travis Ezi
SS Keoni DeRenne
RF Matt Esquivel
1B Matt Padgett
DH Matt Dryer
LF Jason Aspito
3B Kenny Perez
C Luis Taveras
2B Enrique Cruz

Camden Riversharks
CF Nic Jackson
LF Mike Vento
3B Brett Bonvechio
DH Josh Rabe
RF LJ Biernbaum
1B Jason Phillips
C Randy McGarvey
2B Gary Cates
SS Gabe Suarez

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Tonight: York RHP Aaron Myette vs. Camden LHP Kevin Walker

Saturday: York RHP Corey Thurman vs. Camden RHP Chris Young

Sunday: York RHP Aaron Rakers vs. Camden RHP Darren Sack

A little tweak to the starting rotation. Reliever Aaron Rakers is scheduled to start Game 3.

The York Revolution released right-handed reliever Dan Foli Wednesday.

"For all intents and purposes, we will practice with 24 guys today," Revolution Director of Baseball Operations Adam Gladstone said.

Gladstone hinted that he could be working on a deal to add a player to York's rosters, allowing the team to start the season with 25 players.

"Tomorrow is a new day," he said.

The team would not comment on the reason behind releasing Foli, who pitched well in spring training.

Barring a setback, right-hander Aaron Myette will start opening night against Camden.

Pitching coach Tippy Martinez liked what he saw from Myette Sunday. The former White Sox first-round draft pick threw 51 pitches and didn't allow a hit against Long Island in Sunday's 4-2 loss.

Before joining York, Myette had not played pro ball since spring of ’06. But he’s been the first pitcher to step up his pitch count without experiencing problems.

“The other guys need a little more time,” Martinez said. “We have a couple guys who are still working on some things.”*

LAKELAND, Fla. -- After playing in three slugfests, York rested Sunday.

Well, not really, but the big hits were held to a minimum in a 4-2 loss to Long Island.

Kenny Perez slugged his second homer of spring, a two-run blast in the fourth. The hit completed a 2-for-2 day for Perez.

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Don't print those playoff tickets after all. We kid, we kid.

The York Revolution dropped their first spring scrimmage in franchise history Sunday, losing 4-2 to the Long Island Ducks at Charlie Gehringer Field in Tiger Town.

York went undefeated in spring last season, and 2-0-1 through its first three scrimmages this year. But truth be told, it should have lost Saturday. The home plate umpire missed the call when he called Damian Jackson out as he slid home on a wild pitch in the ninth inning of a dreadful 12-12 game.

The good news for Revolution fans is the club can't repeat last season's early letdown. After winning all of its scrimmages, York placed last in the Atlantic League South first half. It was a gentle reminder that spring games mean nothing.

The story of Sunday's game was closer Dave Veres.

LAKELAND, Fla. – Tyler Von Schell decided to join York after all.

Von Schell was signed in the offseason, and was expected to be a middle-of-the-order slugger for York. But the former Giants prospect called team officials early in the week to notify them he wouldn't arrive in Lakeland, and he might retire.

He changed his mind and played for York Sunday.

LAKELAND, Fla. -- After playing for three hours and 20 minutes, the York Revolution and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs settled for a 2-2 tie at Mickey Cochrane Field in Tiger Town.

Once again, York's bats overshadowed its pitching staff.

Keoni DeRenne and Matt Padgett homered, and leadoff man Travis Ezi started the game with a triple.

Right fielder Matt Esquivel went 3-for-5

And first baseman Matt Dryer hit a pair of doubles.

Former Camden Riversharks outfielder Denny Abreu has signed with the Nashua Pride in the Can-Am League.

Abreu, the brother of Yankees right fielder Bobby Abreu, told the Nashua Telegraph that he didn't re-sign with the Riversharks because the league did not want players to remain with the club too long.

Former Somerset pitcher Tony Peralta has signed with the Florence (Ky.) Freedom of the Frontier League.

In case you missed Thursday's paper, here's a story on York right-hander Aaron Myette.

Myette could be one of the key pitchers for York's starting rotation.

Before this spring the former major leaguer hadn't pitched since spring training in 2006.

Now that was a hitting display.

York clubbed Lancaster 15-8 in Friday's scrimmage at Mickey Cochrane Field in Tiger Town. What's so impressive about York's roster is the number of players who are hitting the ball.

York's scrimmage had an odd exchange in the ninth inning.

Usually these games are so laid back it's difficult to decide which team really has the better squad.

But by the ninth inning of Thursday's scrimmage Bridgeport's Jeff Sparks was yelling at the York bench to come out on the field if they had a problem with him.

It's all Dr. Mike Marshall's fault.

LAKELAND, Fla. --- Here’s a rarity. A Hall of Famer stopped by the Atlantic League scrimmages and chatted with coaches and players at Tiger Town.

Former Detroit Tigers outfielder Al Kaline, 73, spent about 20 minutes walking the grounds where a field is named for him. Drafted out of Southern High School in Baltimore in 1953, Kaline (pictured above left) joined the Tigers later that year and remained in the majors until 1974. He finished his career with 3,007 hits and played in 15 All-Star Games.

Kaline, who lives near Tiger Town, was accompanied by Atlantic League Executive Director Joe Klein –- a former Tigers GM.

On assignment with the Tigers, Kaline was at the complex to scout one of the Tigers minor league pitchers.

“I started in ’53 and I’m still with the same team,” Kaline said. “There are a lot of players that are now managers and coaches here that I’ve known for years and years.

“I still love baseball. Still love it. Never get tired of it. You know you can’t play golf every day.”

LAKELAND, Fla. --- In the fastest game at Tiger Town today, the Barnstormers beat Long Island 3-1.

York and Bridgeport played a 10-inning affair to allow a seventh pitcher to appear for the Bluefish.

And Camden defeated Southern Maryland 3-0, and tacked on a few meaningless runs in the 10th when the two Opening Day Partners clubs went one extra frame for pitching purposes.

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The York Revolution won their first exhibition game of the year, topping the Bridgeport Bluefish 12-5 at Mickey Cochrane Field in Tiger Town.

York has yet to lose an exhibition game in franchise history. The Revs went 7-0 last season in spring before struggling through a first half because of injuries and defections to major league organizations.

Expected to be a pitching juggernaut with six former major leaguers on its staff, York didn't play the part of a team ready to eke out some wins. Think big bats, all the time.

The Revolution used 16 hits -- including five of the extra-base variety -- to take control of the game. More importantly, the team showed it has a multitude of big boppers and line drive hitters.

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Corey Thurman gets your attention.

He's a big dude. He looks a lot bigger than the 6-foot-1, 215 pounds he's listed as on the Revolution roster. And he looks even more imposing when he steps on the mound and his pitches start dancing back-and-forth across the plate. During his 35-pitch debut during live batting practice, hitters looked helpless.

Catcher Sandy Aracena noted his ball was moving all over the place.

But Thurman didn't play just baseball growing up. After signing his letter-of-intent to play baseball at LSU, he hoped to walk-on the Tigers football team as a linebacker. Instead, the Kansas City Royals drafted him and made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Manager Chris Hoiles has a connection with Thurman.

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The oldest man on the Revolution roster feels great. That could be bad news for the rest of the league.

Former St. Louis Cardinals closer Dave Veres looked solid in his first outing of spring. He threw 35 pitches in live batting practice. His hip felt good. His elbow felt good. And he had great command of his out pitch -- the split-finger fastball.

Veres, 41, pitched sparingly for the Rockies Triple-A affiliate last season after injuring his elbow in spring training. He is attempting to become the first pitcher to play in the majors with an artificial hip.

York manager Chris Hoiles, 43, also has an artificial hip, and he marveled at the fact Veres can pitch. Hoiles remarked that he still has trouble throwing batting practice because of his hip.

But the great news for York, and the bad news for the rest of the league, is the 10 new pitchers on the roster this year who have looked impressive during the past two days of live batting practice.

More bad news for the league: The returnees -- Wayne Franklin and Jason Olson -- also look filthy. In other words, the pitching staff looks as advertised: Nasty.

LAKELAND, Fla. --- Keoni De Renne waited for a call in the offseason that never came.

One of the best players during the York Revolution’s inaugural season, De Renne hoped for an invitation to spring training –- in the United States or Japan. A native of Hawaii, De Renne practiced with the Chiba Lotte Marines for two weeks during the offseason. Working out in an attempt to get signed in Japan, he hoped the Marines would notice. Manager Bobby Valentine commented on his play after one practice, but a contract offer never arrived.

“Teams are only allowed to sign four foreigners,” De Renne said. “So I knew my chances were going to be slim. They usually sign two types of players: Power arms or power bats.

De Renne’s style of play fits the Japanese game. He gets on base. He bunts. He runs. But he also knows, “players like me are a dime a dozen (in Japan).”

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Former Pirates prosepect Landon Jacobsen (above) was one of six pitchers to throw live batting practice as the York Revolution kicked off the start of spring training in windy and chilly Tiger Town.

By windy I mean the gusts kept pushing the roll-away cage the team used during batting practice. And by chilly I mean the air made my eyes tear up when I went for a run this morning at 6:45.

It's supposed to warm up to 72 degrees later today, but it felt like York this morning.

Manager Chris Hoiles introduced himself to his team, and Revolution Director of Baseball Operations Adam Gladstone informed the team that the 24 guys in camp don't have competition for roster spots at this point. As of now, everybody makes the team. He made one last point about the slim roster: Don't get hurt.

York has taken a different approach than last year. All of its players are in camp. Catcher Luis Taveras and outfielder Kazu Tanaka did not have visa issues holding them up, and arrived in camp on time. If you remember, Rayner Bautista, Fleming Baez, Willie Matos, Taveras and Tanaka missed camp last season.

But the team is without depth. One injury could send Gladstone scrambling to find a replacement. That said, this team no longer resembles an expansion franchise.

The York Revolution hoped to have at least 25 players in camp for the first spring training practice Tuesday.

But two players failed to show.

Slugger Tyler Von Schell called Revolution Director of Baseball Operations Adam Gladstone Monday to inform him he was going to “shut it down for this season.” Von Schell was expected to play the two corner outfield positions, first base and –- possibly –- third base. More importantly, he could have provided some middle-of-the-order power to a franchise that struggled at times to hit the long ball, especially when Matt Dryer and Nate Espy went down with injuries during the first half.

Last-minute acquisition Gabe Lopez also decided against playing for the Revolution. A middle infielder, Lopez could have competed for a starting spot. He spent parts of the last three seasons with Double-A Trenton and played 44 games at the Triple-A level.

The no-shows left the Revolution with 24 players, even though the league allows teams to carry 25 players. But there could be a few surprises Tuesday.

Now that was fast.

The Washington Nationals signed right-handed reliever Steve Schmoll Thursday, about 24 hours after he officially signed with the Revolution.

In independent ball, the easiest way to earn a trip back to affiliated ball is a fast start. (See Tike Redman.) But Schmoll topped them all. He didn't even need to show up for spring training. He would have been an excellent addition to the Revs pitching staff ... but it's probably better this happened now than three weeks from now.

York signed two right-handed relievers today, including one with major league experience.

Steve Schmoll, 28, reached the majors with the Dodgers in 2005, going 2-2 with a 5.01 ERA with the big club. Schmoll is a former Maryland product who lives in Rockville, Md. He was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of college. He has a 13-16 minor league record with a 3.44 ERA.

The team also signed Matt Trent, 25, who has a 6-5 career mark with a 2.74 ERA in the minors. Trent never played above the high-A level, but then again he never had bad numbers. His worst season might have been last year, when he split time between the Cardinals and the Rockies high-A squads. He posted a 3.51 ERA, which isn't bad, but it came in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League.

York now has signed contracts for 25 players, including seven pitchers with major league experience. It's a nice mix of talent. The Revolution have several veteran players who could be signed by major league organizations if they have a strong May (see Corey Thurman and Aaron Rakers). with young prospects like outfielder Matt Esquivel, 25, and Trent.

The York Revolution will probably invite three more players to spring training.

But don't expect familiar alumni to fill the final three spots. First baseman Kelly Hunt and pitchers Ryan Baerlocher, Dave Gil and Adam Thomas are out of the picture. At least to start the season. Revolution Director of Baseball Operations Adam Gladstone has talked with all four players, and while they may return to York or the Atlantic League this season -- spring training isn't a possibility at this point.

York has 23 players under contract, including 10 pitchers. So the team probably still needs pitching help. A third baseman to spell Matt Dryer (offseason shoulder surgery) or another backup middle infielder could be important if the Revs suffer spring injuries like they did in '07.

"I'm not sure yet (if we'll sign three more pitchers)," Gladstone said, "because we have a couple things we're working on right now."

The team has reached out to former closer Franklin Nunez, and unless he needs the money that Mexico offers, he will probably arrive in Lakeland, Fla. That leaves two spots.

But why would the Revolution spend its final two invitations on pitchers?

Little by little, the York Revolution appear to be assembling a lineup that will allow fans to forget about Nate Espy.

Former San Francisco Giants prospect Tyler Von Schell signed with the York Revolution Monday, one year after slugging a combined 24 homers between Class A and Double-A. Von Schell is expected to play first base and the corner outfield positions. He will also be responsible for replacing the void created by Espy’s retirement.

The Revolution also signed right-handed reliever Nick McCurdy. A former Orioles prospect, McCurdy excelled for Double-A Bowie (1.66 ERA, 45 Ks, 15 BBs) and struggled at Triple-A Norfolk (5.93 ERA).

York has signed 23 players, and could bring as many as 26 players to spring training in Lakeland, Fla., next week. Revolution Director of Baseball Operations Adam Gladstone could also bring in “one or two” players from the Tampa-area to help fill out the roster.

At Sovereign Bank Stadium on Saturday, I was in awe of the way the town adores Brooks Robinson.

After spending a few minutes with the baseball Hall of Famer and watching him in action with the many fans around the York Revolution’s now complete stadium, I can now fully appreciate what the fuss is all about.

Brooks Robinson is a great guy.

The York Revolution signed right-handed pitchers Aaron Rakers and Landon Jacobsen Friday.

Rakers, 31, appeared in the majors with the Orioles (13 games in '04, '05) and Padres (one appearance in '07). He owns a 38-28 career minor league record with a 3.03 ERA.

Jacobsen, 28, is a former Pirates prospect who just two years ago earned co-Pitcher of the Year honors with the Double-A Altoona Curve. Jacobsen is a nice pickup, one of those players who has posted low ERA figures but never high strikeout ratios. If you're wondering why Jacobsen didn't earn another shot with a major league organization, remember he was a 50th round draft pick and teams give high-money prospects second, third and fourth chances.

Brooks Robinson will appear on ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike in the Morning" show Friday at 6:40 a.m. to discuss the unveiling of a statue in his honor Saturday in York.

The show can be heard locally on WOYK-AM 1350.

Robinson made his professional baseball debut in York on June 3, 1955, playing second base for the York White Roses in front of 939 fans at York's Memorial Stadium. He debuted with the Orioles later that season.

Unbelievably this is the first statue of Robinson. That might be difficult for the people of Baltimore to believe.