http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/extrainnings/ Ron Leonardi writes about Erie SeaWolves baseball. en Copyright 2008 Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:37:46 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Erie SeaWolves season. -- The Merced Sun-Star catches up with former Erie SeaWolves catcher Dusty Ryan. -- SeaWolves outfielder Casper Wells was named Eastern League player of the month for August. -- The SeaWolves released their 2009 home schedule. -- The Akron Aeros and Trenton Thunder will meet in the EL championship series starting tonight. Get details and division series game reports here, and check the Erie Times-News for championship series results. ]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/09/seawolveseastern_league_news.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/09/seawolveseastern_league_news.html Baseball Eastern League Erie SeaWolves Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:37:46 -0500 SeaWolves second baseman Will Rhymes will be making his Triple-A debut sooner than expected. Rhymes, who leads the Eastern League in hits with 158, was promoted to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday. The Mud Hens placed injured infielder Max Leon on the club's disabled list on Wednesday due to a separated shoulder, necessitating Rhymes' callup. Rhymes on Wednesday was leading the Eastern League with 158 hits and ranked third in the league with 76 runs scored and seventh in batting average at .306. He added two hits in Tuesday’s 4-3 home win over the Harrisburg Senators, including a two-out, two-run double in the ninth that tied the game at 3. Rhymes' promotion also means he will fall short in his bid to become the franchise's single-season hits leader. Rhymes needed six hits to overtake Omar Infante's club-record 163 hits set in 2001. http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/rhymes_gets_triplea_promotion.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/rhymes_gets_triplea_promotion.html Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:54:08 -0500 SeaWolves left fielder Wilkin Ramirez flew to Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday and is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with U.S. Immigration Services officials regarding his attainment of U.S. citizenship. Ramirez, 22, a native of the Dominican Republic, is second on the club in homers (19) and RBIs (72), and last week was selected to the Eastern League’s season-ending All-Star Team. “He’s down there with his agent and some of his family,’’ SeaWolves manager Tom Brookens said. “He was cleared through the Tigers organization to go be a part of this and to try and become a U.S. citizen.’’ Brookens said Ramirez could possibly return to the team as early as Wednesday. If he can’t make it back for Erie’s home game Wednesday against Harrisburg, he’ll be back with the club for Thursday’s game against the Senators, Brookens said. http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/seawolves_ramirez_seeking_us_c.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/seawolves_ramirez_seeking_us_c.html Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:18:23 -0500 SeaWolves-to-Richmond, Va., rumor just won't go away. The Richmond Times-Dispatch seized on the notion of Erie's Class AA baseball team replacing its departing Class AAA team this past winter, and the likelihood of the move pops up in the newspaper's pages from time to time, as it does today in guest columnist Josh Dare's piece. "The loudest speculation is that some Class A and AA teams have expressed interest in relocating here," Dare writes. "And why not? Who wouldn't want to move from a market with scarcely more than 100,000 people (e.g. Erie, Pa.) to a region 10 times as big?" Me, for one. Traffic's awful. SeaWolves general manager John Frey, for another. Frey spoke to the rumor the last time the Times-Dispatch reported it this summer. Frey, however, never mentioned that the SeaWolves are now the SeaHawks. Seattle's sure to be calling when this gets out. ]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/wolves_to_richmond_redux.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/wolves_to_richmond_redux.html Baseball Eastern League Erie SeaWolves Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:38:20 -0500 SeaWolves reliever Matt Rusch was promoted to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday for the second time this season. Rusch’s spot on Erie’s roster will be filled by right-handed reliever Derek Witt, who was promoted to the SeaWolves from advanced Single-A Lakeland. Rusch, a right-hander, was 1-1 with a 5.45 ERA in 22 games with Erie this season. In 33 innings, he allowed 21 runs (20 earned) and 39 hits with 30 strikeouts and eight walks. Witt, a 24-year-old native of Davenport, Iowa, was 3-3 with a 2.94 ERA in 41 games with Lakeland this season. He threw 64 1/3 innings with the Flying Tigers and gave up 26 runs (21 earned) and 61 hits while striking out 41 and walking 31. “He’s kind of a sidearmer, a sinker-slider guy, not quite as down under as (SeaWolves reliever) Rudy Darrow is, not quite that deep, but Witt throws from down on the side and that’s what makes him effective,’’ SeaWolves manager Tom Brookens said. “He’s not a real power guy, but he has a good sinker and slider. He’s been used more as a middle man and setup man. We’ll use him more in a middle-type role to give us an inning or two. ’’ Witt, in his third professional season, was selected by the Tigers in the 28th round of the June 2006 draft out of Ohio University. Witt pitched for Brookens at short-season Oneonta in 2006. http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/rusch_promoted_to_toledo_witt.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/rusch_promoted_to_toledo_witt.html Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:56:54 -0500 New Britain Rock Cats (49-71) at Erie SeaWolves (57-66) Today-Thursday, 7:05 p.m. Jerry Uht Park Pitching matchups: Today: Erie RH Luis Marte (2-2, 5.79) vs. New Britain LH Kyle Aselton (4-5, 4.55) Wednesday: Erie RH Josh Rainwater (9-5, 3.99) vs. New Britain RH Jay Rainville (8-9, 6.50) Thursday: Erie RH Guillermo Moscoso (2-0, 1.50) vs. New Britain LH Ryan Mullins (7-9, 4.63) http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/new_britain_at_erie_series_pre.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/new_britain_at_erie_series_pre.html Eastern League Erie SeaWolves Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:26:16 -0500 Erie SeaWolves (53-66) at Reading Phillies (48-69) Thursday-Friday, 7:05 p.m. Saturday, 6:35 p.m.; Sunday, 1:05 p.m. FirstEnergy Stadium, Reading ]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/eastern_league_series_preview_12.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/eastern_league_series_preview_12.html Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:56:43 -0500 -- SeaWolves designated hitter Jeff Frazier's seventh-inning solo homer in Wednesday's 8-3 win over Harrisburg was his sixth homer of the season and his first long ball since a 9-4 Erie win at New Hampshire on June 6. -- Left-handed reliever Josh Kite threw two scoreless innings of relief against Harrisburg on Wednesday and has not allowed a run in three innings since joining the SeaWolves last week. Kite struck out three, walked one and did not allow a hit. Kite was signed by the Detroit Tigers from the independent Sioux Falls Canaries and assigned to Erie. -- Three Erie players saw their hit streaks end on Wednesday. Third baseman Santo De Leon went 0-for-3, ending a 13-game hitting streak, while left fielder Wilkin Ramirez (0-for-5) had an eight-game streak and center fielder Casper Wells (0-for-3) a six-game streak stopped. -- Right-hander Casey Fien has not allowed a run in his first four appearances with Triple-A Toledo. Fien, the former SeaWolves' closer who was promoted to the Mud Hens on July 27, has thrown five scoreless inning for Toledo and is 1-0, allowing four hits with six strikeouts and one walk. http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/seawolves_report_wednesdays_ga.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/seawolves_report_wednesdays_ga.html Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:51:56 -0500 Harrisburg pitcher Andrew Kown sat with his new teammates in the right field visitor’s bullpen at Jerry Uht Park as they prepared to begin their pre-game stretching routine 2½ hours before the start of Monday’s game against the SeaWolves. Less than two weeks ago, Kown was ready to come off the Erie SeaWolves’ disabled list, hopeful that his right shoulder strain problem was behind him and eager to put up some good numbers the remainder of the season. Kown’s 1½-year tenure with the SeaWolves ended on July 22 when the Tigers gave the 6-foot 7-inch, 210-pound native of Marietta, Ga., his unconditional release. Kown, 25, signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals last week and was assigned to the Senators, who are visiting Erie for a three-game series through Wednesday. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Erie and I have nothing but good memories from here, not all of them pitching, but I enjoyed the town and what it had for me,’’ Kown said. “I’m glad to be back in whatever capacity it’s in. The Nationals are giving me a shot to put numbers up in a league I was in, so I can’t ask for much more than that.’’ With the SeaWolves this season, Kown was 5-9 with a 5.38 ERA in 17 games. Before his release, Kown spent two weeks on Erie’s disabled list due to a right shoulder strain. “It was unfortunate I did get released because I enjoyed my time with the Tigers,’’ Kown said. “I was spotty here and there putting up some good numbers, and I was hoping to put a good rest of the season together with Erie, but they had to make some decisions and I was the guy to go. I would have loved a chance to come back out and prove myself after being on the disabled list.’’ Kown’s release from Erie was just one of 23 roster moves the SeaWolves have undergone since the Eastern League all-star break. SeaWolves manager Tom Brookens said the Tigers felt Kown would top out at Double-A. “This is a tough game,’’ Brookens said. “It wasn’t that he’s not a decent pitcher. He certainly is, but at this point in our organization, we decided to go a different direction. With all the movement we’ve had, and we have some good arms down in Lakeland, when we feel this guy tops out at maybe the Double-A level, then they get moved on to make room for some of the new arms coming up to see what they can do. I wish him all the best. I don’t want him beating us by any means, but I hope he gets to the big leagues with the Nationals.’’ Kown has inherited bullpen duty with the Senators. He made his debut with them on Saturday against the Akron Aeros and threw one inning, allowing two runs. “I did have some other interests, but the Nationals seemed like my best shot at getting right back to Double-A and having a chance to compete,’’ Kown said. Kown went 6-8 with a 4.13 ERA in 27 games (19 starts) with the SeaWolves in 2007. “I don’t know that much about him, but we’re going to get him some work and he’s going to be in the middle of the bullpen for us,’’ Harrisburg manager John Stearns said. “He’s a key guy and he’s going to be fine.’’ http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/kown_glad_to_have_opportunity.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/kown_glad_to_have_opportunity.html Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:24:52 -0500 SeaWolves right-hander Guillermo Moscoso, 24, is scheduled to start on Sunday against the Reading Phillies in his Double-A debut. Moscoso, a native of Maracay, Venezuela, was promoted to the SeaWolves on Wednesday from advanced Single-A Lakeland. He appeared in 15 games with the Flying Tigers this season, including six starts, and was 2-3 with a 2.42 ERA and one save. Last season, as a member of the short-season Oneonta Tigers, Moscoso threw only the second nine-inning perfect game in New York-Penn League history in a July 15 start against Batavia. The only other nine-inning NY-P perfect game was thrown by Erie’s John Herbert in 1956. http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/moscoso_set_to_make_debut_with.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/moscoso_set_to_make_debut_with.html Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:56:41 -0500 Eastern League preview Reading Phillies (47-64) at Erie SeaWolves (48-64) Today-Saturday, 7:05 p.m.; Sunday, 1:05 p.m. Jerry Uht Park ]]> http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/seawolves_series_preview_1.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/08/seawolves_series_preview_1.html Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:13:11 -0500 After defeating the Akron Aeros 11-5 on Tuesday at Canal Park, the Erie SeaWolves were busy on the transaction front. The club released starting right-hander Ben Fritz and transferred right-handed starter Lauren Gagnier to low Single-A West Michigan. Their spots on the roster will be taken by right-handed starter Scot Drucker, whom the Detroit Tigers signed from the independent Grand Prairie AirHogs over the weekend, and right-hander Guillermo In 18 games, including 14 starts, Fritz was 3-5 with a 6.40 ERA. Moscoso, who was promoted to the SeaWolves from advanced Single-A Lakeland. Moscoso was 2-3 with a 2.42 ERA and one save in 15 games, including six starts, at Lakeland. Gagnier began the season at West Michigan, then was promoted to Triple-A Toledo, where he made several starts. He was transferred to Erie on July 8, where he went 2-2, with both wins coming against the Eastern League Southern Division-leading Akron Aeros. This batch of moves follows three moves on Sunday, in which Erie closer Casey Fien and shortstop Danny Worth were promoted to Triple-A Toledo, and West Michigan reliever Rudy Darrow was promoted to Erie. http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/07/seawolves_release_fritz.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/07/seawolves_release_fritz.html Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:45:20 -0500 The SeaWolves will be losing closer Casey Fien and shortstop Danny Worth indefinitely. Both players were promoted to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens on Sunday after Erie’s 10-1 loss to the Bowie Baysox at Jerry Uht Park. The team also announced that utility player Caonabo Cosme has been activated from the disabled list. Erie also will receive right-handed reliever Rudy Darrow from low Single-A West Michigan. Toledo third baseman/designated hitter Mike Hessman and right-handed closer Blaine Neal, who leads the International League with 25 saves, are leaving the Mud Hens to compete with the U.S. baseball team at the Beijing Olympics. Fien (3-3, 2.96), who is seventh in the Eastern League in saves with 12, has been the club’s most consistent reliever this season, appearing in 40 games. “Coming into this year, I just wanted to be able to do my job whenever it was asked,’’ Fien said. “I’m going to take this opportunity and run with it. For a closer, you have to throw strikes and I have been throwing strikes. I’ve been getting outs here, so I think they think I can get the job done in Toledo.’’ Fien began the season in a setup role, but inherited closing duties in early May after right-hander Freddy Dolsi was promoted to the Detroit Tigers and right-hander Brett Jensen underwent Tommy John elbow surgery. “Fien has been outstanding for us,’’ SeaWolves manager Tom Brookens said. “Ever since June, he has been rock solid. I don’t know what role they’ll use him in up there, and it really doesn’t matter. He just needs to go up and continue doing what he’s doing. I don’t expect him to be back here and I don’t want him back. Let him go up there and do the job.’’ Fien and Worth will be leaving an Erie team that’s been in fifth or last place in the EL Southern Division since mid-May for a Toledo team that is competing for a pennant. The Mud Hens were in second place in the International League West Division on Sunday, four games behind first-place Louisville. “I bet the environment is totally different there and everyone is focused,’’ Fien said. “I’m not saying that we aren’t focused here, but there it’s going to be a little more intense because you’re going to be playoff-bound and they have a great team up there.’’ Worth came off of the disabled list on Monday after missing three weeks because of pain and stiffness in his throwing shoulder. Worth has five homers, 33 RBIs and a .254 average in 79 games this season. Cosme has been on Erie’s disabled list since June 27 due to a back strain. He’s hit .250 with one homer and seven RBIs in 23 games this season. With West Michigan, Darrow was 4-2 with a 1.85 ERA and four saves in 33 games. In 48 2/3 innings, Darrow has allowed 39 hits and 13 runs (10 earned) with 43 strikeouts and 15 walks. In another personnel move, the Detroit Tigers purchased the contract of right-handed starting pitcher Scot Drucker from the independent Grand Prairie AirHogs and assigned him to the SeaWolves, according to a report on Grand Prairie’s Web site. Brookens, however, said after Sunday’s game he was unaware of that move and was awaiting word from the Tigers. Grand Prairie, a member of the 10-team American Association of Independent Professional Baseball league, is managed by former SeaWolves hitting instructor Pete Incaviglia. Drucker, 26, a native of Miami, was 8-3 with a 2.41 ERA in 15 starts for Grand Prairie this season. He had 57 strikeouts and 20 walks in 93 1/3 innings. He limited opponents to a .224 batting average, and his ERA ranked second in the league. Drucker was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 13th round of the 2004 draft and pitched in their organization for three years. He is Grand Prairie’s first-ever player to be signed by an affiliated team. http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/07/seawolves_lose_fien_worth_to_t.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/07/seawolves_lose_fien_worth_to_t.html Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:15:47 -0500 The Detroit Tigers purchased the contract of right-handed starting pitcher Scot Drucker from the independend Grand Prairie AirHogs and assigned him to the SeaWolves. Grand Prairie, a member of the 10-team American Association of Independent Professional Baseball league, is managed by former SeaWolves hitting instructor Pete Incaviglia. Drucker, 26, a native of Miami, was 8-3 with a 2.41 ERA in 15 starts for Grand Prairie this season. He had 57 strikeouts and 20 walks in 93 1/3 innings. He limited opponents to a .224 batting average, and his ERA ranked second in the league. Drucker was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 13th round of the 2004 draft and pitched in their organization for three years. http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/07/seawolves_to_receive_independe.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/07/seawolves_to_receive_independe.html Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:01:16 -0500 SeaWolves left fielder Wilkin Ramirez remains day-to-day as he recovers from a strained quad that’s forced him to miss the last 10 games. Ramirez, who was selected to the Futures All-Star Game in New York City and the Eastern League All-Star Game, was placed on the seven-day disabled list on Monday, retroactive to July 17. “He took a lot of live extra hitting (Friday), and I think he’s going to be probably ready at the end of the weekend,’’ SeaWolves manager Tom Brookens said. “He could possibly come off the disabled list (today) as far as his actual seven days are up, but I would think he’ll be ready for the Akron series on Monday.’’ http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/07/seawolves_ramirez_close_to_ret.html http://www.goerie.thinkhost.com/mt/archives/extrainnings/2008/07/seawolves_ramirez_close_to_ret.html Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:28:16 -0500