Link Report for Sun. 8/25

[Mass Haas]

AUDIO -- Helena Brewers catcher Clint Coulter talks about his return from injury and his expectations for the remainder of the season

[Mass Haas]

Beating the odds: Fernandez's life-changing decision helping him realize his dreams

by Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent Media

 

GRAND CHUTE — Rodolfo Fernandez’s route to professional baseball has been different and far more difficult than the paths traveled by his Wisconsin Timber Rattlers teammates.

 

If the Cuban-born right-hander continues to pitch lights-out ball like he did Sunday, Fernandez’s journey will continue and take him places he’s dreamed of.

 

Fernandez has been outstanding out of the bullpen the past month and was every bit as effective in his first professional start. The 23-year-old allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts and in six strong innings to win his starting debut in Wisconsin’s 3-1 victory over Kane County.

 

Fernandez (4-3) blanked the Cougars for five innings to push his scoreless innings streak to 22 2⁄3 before finally allowing a run in the sixth inning. Left-hander Mike Strong finished up with three scoreless innings and five strikeouts to keep the Timber Rattlers’ distant playoff hopes alive.

 

“We gave Rodolfo the ball for the first time as a starter because he earned it,” said Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson. “He throws strikes and gets people out.”

 

Fernandez, who lowered his earned run average to a fine 2.51, isn’t overpowering, but has good command of his fastball and also throws a breaking ball and change-up for strikes. He has excellent control and didn’t walk a hitter Sunday, throwing strikes on 49 of his 78 pitches.

 

The 6-foot-2, 213-pound Fernandez has allowed just nine walks in 61 1⁄3 innings – the fewest among Rattlers pitchers with more than 34 innings pitched.

 

“He’s a guy who doesn’t beat himself,” said Erickson. “He rarely gives up free bases. He has a little bit of deception to his delivery and he’s had a nice stretch where he’s had great command of the strike zone. When he wants the ball to throw the ball down and in, the ball goes down and in.”

 

Fernandez is in his second year of professional baseball after signing with the Milwaukee Brewers as an international free agent in 2012. He was born in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba, and spent most of his life in the country, pitching as a teen for the Industriales team in the Cuban national series based in Havana.

 

But since the Cuban government basically prohibits its players from playing abroad, Fernandez knew he had to leave the country to have a chance to pursue his dream of playing professional baseball.

 

So he made a daring decision to defect. At the age of 19, he left his family and Cuba by boat and landed in Cancun, Mexico, where he spent a month with family and friends before taking a flight to the Dominican Republic where he established residency and eventually signed with Milwaukee.

 

“I just felt I would get a better opportunity to play baseball,” said Fernandez through teammate Max Walla, who served as an interpreter. “I’m happy. I don’t regret anything. I’m here working hard for my family.”

 

Fernandez hasn’t seen family members since the day he left Cuba and says that he misses them. His life-changing boat trip out of Cuba was harrowing and the vessel survived a brutal storm before reaching Cancun.

 

“I was pretty scared, but God was looking out for me,” said Fernandez. “It was scary, but I was confident that God would lead me to where I wanted to go.”

 

Walla, a second-round draft pick by the Brewers out of Albuquerque, N.M., in 2009, just shakes his head when asked if he could identify with Fernandez’s unique trip to pro ball in America.

 

“I can’t even image going through something like that,” said Walla. “It must take incredible strength of character to be able to do that. He’s a fun guy to play behind and he’s one of the nicest dudes I’ve ever met.”

 

Erickson knows all about Fernandez’s journey and marvels over the courage shown by such athletes.

 

“It’s amazing the opportunities we have that we take for granted,” said Erickson. “The nice thing about my spending my life in baseball is that I get see stories like this involving really good people from all over the world. I had a teammate in Class A ball with the Marlins’ organization, a left-handed pitcher named Michael Tejera who had a similar story.

 

“He was playing for the Cuban junior national team and defected in the Miami airport with his uncle while the team was traveling to Canada. As his English improved he would me tell stories that were pretty incredible. After he settled here, he paid some people to bring the rest of his family over from Cuba hidden inside tractor tires. Can you image that?”

 

A Time Warner Cable Field crowd of 5,417 watched Fernandez and Strong help the Rattlers gain ground in the chase for a wild card spot in the Western Division of the Midwest League. The Rattlers are three games back of the Clinton LumberKings for the final wild card with eight games remaining.

 

Wisconsin made the most out of six hits, including RBI singles by Alfredo Rodriquez in the third and Walla in the sixth.

 

“Obviously, we’re a little pressed for time and a lot of things have to go our way,” said Walla. “We’ve been playing good ball and we have to keep it rolling.”

[TheCrew07]

What going on with the control issues from the top prospects?

 

Why would that have changed from last year? That's the knock on just about every pitcher with a decent arm that we have.

[brewmann04]

I guess that is not a problem that going away anytime soon what a shame Hopefuuly they will find a Starter who can through strikes in the 2014 draft.

[TheCrew07]

After being gone all weekend I expect I'll have a ton of catching up to do. Newly acquired CJ Edwards continues to shine for the Cubs.

 

Prospect Notebook: Jonathan Gray Looks Electric For Rockies

[TheCrew07]

The Cardinals continue to amaze with late round picks and UDFAs... jerks. Also notes on Jenkins and Martinez (who topped out at 100 MPH). Subscriber content

 

Zach Petrick Proves To Be An Unexpected Ace

[TheCrew07]

Brewer notes at the start, Divisional prospects spread throughout.

 

Top Fantasy Prospects: New Cardinal At No. 1

[TheCrew07]

Reds' LHP Ismael Guillon back at it again.

 

Guillon pitches six hitless innings

[TheCrew07]

Pittsburgh's AAA affiliate back to the post season...I highly doubt Indianapolis regrets cutting ties with Milwaukee

 

Indians go back-to-back in IL West