York Revolution: July 2008 Archives

The Revolution signed and activated former New York Mets reliever Juan Padilla Saturday.

His story is not unique for a player in the independent Atlantic League. Padilla appeared headed for a long career in the majors.

Still in his 20s, the right-hander burst on the scene -- posting a 1.49 ERA in 24 appearances for the Mets during 2005. The only thing keeping from becoming a star may have been the way he was used: He was a middle reliever.

He hadn't developed into a closer yet, he was 28, but he had finished four games and saved one game. He prepared to pitch for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in the winter of 2006. Then -- nothing. He did not appear in the majors since a stellar 2005.

What happened?

The surprise comeback of starting pitcher Aaron Myette is over. The former major leaguer expected to leave the York Revolution and return to his home in Vancouver, British Columbia, after Friday's game. He does not expect to return to pitch for the Revolution the rest of the season.

Slowed by a nagging injury to his right ankle, Myette has decided to stop pitching this season in favor of letting the injury heal.

"It's going to be a huge loss," York manager Chris Hoiles said, "because of what he's done in the starting rotation. It's tough to lose an arm at this point in the season."

Myette will be placed on the inactive list. He is the second starter to leave the team this week. Former major leaguer Frank Castillo also left the team for personal reasons this week, and the Revolution do not expect him to return. The Revolution could bring in another pitcher as soon as Saturday to provide York with 25 active players.

The Revolution finally ended a slosh-fest four hours and 34 minutes after first pitch. It ended in the slop and mud around home plate as the Revs Kennard Jones scored from first on a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt.

Jones slid head-first into the mud to provide York with the final run it needed to secure an 11-10 victory against the Bridgeport Bluefish.

The key to the win may have been the perfect sacrifice bunt by Keoni DeRenne on the pivotal play. He killed the bunt, and the ball stuck in the mud in front of home plate.

The game was a reminder that DeRenne has recovered from a trying first half. Struggling to keep his average above .200 earlier this season, DeRenne has become one of the more reliable hitters in the lineup during the second half. He's hit .406 (13-for-32) during the last seven games.

DeRenne noted that recent acquisition Shea Hillenbrand has been a big help because the former major leaguer has been able to offer hitting advice. And it helps that DeRenne was able to pick the brain of fellow Hawaii native and former high school opponent Shane Victorino during the All-Star break.

DeRenne traveled to Philadelphia to visit with Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino. And Victorino noticed that DeRenne seemed to be drifting too far forward at the plate --a problem that Hillenbrand also noticed. Known more as a speedster and track star during their high school days, Victorino has survived several organizations and Rule 5 Drafts to become the Phillies starting center fielder.

Altering his approach, DeRenne now looks like the offensive leader the Revs expected him to be this season.

Of note: Bridgeport's Jesse Hoorelbeke became just the fourth player to hit a homer over the 15-foot fence in dead center field 405 feet from home plate, and the first this season.

The game looked out of reach for York -- not once, but twice. And then the Revolution rallied to take the lead ... only to blow a one-run lead in the top of the ninth. A heavy rain began to fall at the end of the ninth inning ... halting the game for a brief delay.

After nine innings the Revolution and Bridgeport Bluefish had combined to score 16 runs and record 29 hits. A light mist had been falling for most of the game, but heavier rain began falling in the eighth inning.

The Revolution's front office staff unrolled the tarp after nine innings, during a brief rain delay. But after talking with the umpires, the tarp was rolled back off the field and the game continued after the grounds crew attempted to get the field in playing shape.
The game started poorly for York. Bridgeport built a four-run lead by the second inning, including a first-inning three-run homer by Jesse Hoorelbeke that cleared the 15-foot center field fence -- 405 feet from home plate.

The Revolution erased the deficit with a four-run fourth, keyed by a Jason Aspito two-run double.

Bridgeport immediately regained the lead in the top of the fifth inning, and eventually went up 7-5.

Appearing out of it, the Revolution's Matt Dryer bailed out the Revolution by crushing a 1-2 offering from Bridgeport reliever Franklin Perez to put York on top 8-7.

And then Bridgeport rallied to tie the game in the top of the ninth, when York shortstop Keoni DeRenne appeared to lose his grip on a throw home that could have been the second out of the inning.

It's difficult to overstate the importance of the upcoming four-game series against the Freedom Division's first-half champions.

York and the Somerset Patriots entered Wednesday's game with identical 5-6 records. But the Revs have struggled against the Patriots during York's two-year history. And this year has been no exception. If York hopes to turn it around in the second half and challenge for a playoff spot, it will have to start to win series against the Patriots.

Patriots vs. Revs at Sovereign Bank Stadium

A look ahead:
Game 1: York RHP Aaron Myette (6-6, 5.26 ERA) vs. Somerset RHP Jim Magrane (4-7, 6.29), 7:07 p.m.

Game 2: York RHP Dave Gil (2-3, 5.92 ERA) vs. Somerset LHP Aaron Fultz (1-3, 5.72), 7:07 p.m.

Game 3: York LHP Wayne Franklin (5-3, 5.51 ERA) vs. Somerset RHP Steve Kelly (5-6, 4.65), 7:07 p.m.

Game 4: York RHP Aaron Rakers (6-6, 4.91 ERA) vs. Somerset LHP Josh Brey (5-0, 3.83), 5:07 p.m.

Players to watchYork: Outfielder Jason Aspito hit a pair of home runs Tuesday and knocked in two runs with a two-out double against Bridgeport Wednesday. Outfielder Chris Ashby has batted .335 in his first 70 games since coming out of retirement to sign with the Revolution. He ranks in the league's top 10 for baqtting. Second baseman Enrique Cruz has steadily improved since becoming an everyday player. Cruz helped fill the void when Kenny Perez left to sign with the Rockies organization. The son of former major leaguer Jose Cruz, Enrique is hitting .275 through 57 games.

Somerset: Reliever Casey Cahill has gone 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in four appearances against the Revolution this season. Outfielders Micheal Ryan and Sean Smith have clobbered Revolution pitching this season. Ryan has batted .423 (11-for-26) with a pair of homers, and Smith (7-for-15) has batted .467.

Season series
Somerset leads the series 7-3

An announced crowd of 3,962 sat through a misting rain for six innings at Sovereign Bank Stadium. It was a welcome change from the 90-degree temperatures that hit the area last week and continued through Tuesday.

The crowd featured at least five sections of children and counselors from area summer camps, who remained active up until the seventh inning when a steady rain began to fall.

The Atlantic League Board of Directors answered a number of questions after meeting at the All-Star Game in Somerset last week.

But the biggest news could be the one question the board didn't answer. The league still has no official plan for spring training. For 11 years the league has boasted about being the only independent league to travel to Florida for spring training -- just like major league organizations.

But the Atlantic League's contract with the Detroit Tigers spring training facility in Lakeland, Fla., expired this spring. And the league has not signed a new contract with another major league organization.

The league has delayed making an official decision on the matter, in order to pursue looking at other options.

It's an official no-decision.

Had the league been sold on going south, however, this no-decision wouldn't be happening. The league needs time to plan. It needed to find a facility. It needed to get a number of teams on board, or else it doesn't make sense to pay for a facility. So the no-news in essence is another move closer to the Revolution staying home at Sovereign Bank Stadium next spring and playing exhibitions in front of a hometown crowd.

Opening Day Partners Chairman Peter Kirk has openly discussed the positives of holding spring training at the league's home stadiums. Stay-training would bring more fans into the ballpark in the spring. And while some York fans traveled to Tigertown to watch the Revs play exhibition games, few fans could afford the time or money needed to make a special trip for minor league spring training. The "crowds" were limited to a handful of diehards and members of ownership groups.

The league had a good thing going when it had every team showing up in Florida for spring training. But fewer teams had been making the trek. This year Newark and Somerset stayed at home. And does it really make sense for six teams to fly down south to a place where they won't see anything resembling a crowd?

The bad news coming out of the All-Star Game proved to be the future of the game.

York fans had a glimpse of the Atlantic League All-Star Game last season, when Lancaster hosted the game.

Just doing some quick math, York looked to be in the mix to host the game - and soon. Lancaster hosted the biggest show in the league during the franchise's third season.

But it's not that simple.

The league has a rotation.

That's why Newark will host the game in 2009. That's why Long Island will host in 2010. And that's why York will host in 2011, according to league officials.

It's a little longer wait than expected. But fans should look on the bright side, they probably won't have to buy those airline tickets to Florida anymore.

The Revs return to York tonight to open a seven-game homestand.

York will face Bridgeport tonight, tomorrow night and then bright and early at 11:07 a.m. Wednesday.

Then the Somerset Patriots roll into town a four-game set from Thursday through Sunday.

York is 4-5 in the second half and sits in a three-way tie for first in the Freedom Division.

The York Revolution expect to activate former major league third baseman Shea Hillenbrand after he passes his physical. Revolution Director of Baseball Operations Adam Gladstone confirmed Hillenbrand arrived in York late Monday night and will join the Revs active roster as soon as the team completes his paperwork.

Hillenbrand played in the big leagues for seven seasons, batting .284 with 108 homers and 490 RBIs. He played in the major leagues last season, suiting up for the Dodgers as recently as Sept. 20.

He has not played for a team this season but has expressed an interest to play in the Atlantic League. His arrival completes negotiations that first started weeks ago when Gladstone and then York manager Chris Hoiles called Hillenbrand to ask about his desire to play independent baseball.

The York Revolution might not have anything left to play for in the first half. They can't win the division title, but the Revs are playing their best baseball of the season.

A big reason for the turnaround has been center fielder Kennard Jones.

Jones has done a bit of everything for the club. He takes extra bases just by hustling. He steals bases. He runs down everything in center. And the team chemistry has improved since the club struggled through May.

Jones can also hit.

Let's look back at the highlights from Monday's 10-7, 10th-inning victory against Newark.

* Jones went 6-for-6, setting a team record for hits in a game. (The old mark was five held by Tike Redman.)

* Jones hit the first walk-off homer in franchise history, clubbing a three-run bomb off the circus tents covering the right-field picnic deck.

* The Revs rallied from one run down in the bottom of the ninth with two outs to tie the game with an RBI single by first baseman Matt Dryer.

* Newark fell one game behind first-place Somerset in the Freedom Division; York moved one game ahead of Lancaster for third place in the division.

And yes, York seems to be riding high, but the club still needs a new face or two if the Revs want to stay competitive in the second-half race. No one believes Corey Thurman will remain in York if he continues to pitch as well as he has in June. In order to make the team a second-half contender, it will need some more players.

Could Brooks Robinson announce a few new faces Tuesday night during an award ceremony to honor the Hall of Famer? Well, that would just seem right.