Spring Transactions -- Latest: Bruso release re-visited

[MassBrew]

As just posted on the West Virginia Power team thread:

 

Based on that list, you?d think the final roster spot will go to another outfielder ? we should know soon.

 

According to the Charleston Gazette, the remaining outfield roster spot for the Power goes to 24-year-old Jason Tuttle, a LH slap-hitting outfielder acquired in trade from the Washington Nationals. No news on what the trade involved beyond Tuttle.

 

Career numbers on Jason Tuttle:

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...ttle.shtml

 

The Gazette also doesn't list RHP Robert Hinton on the roster, but they're a man short on their roster list, so until we hear otherwise, Hinton's aboard.

 

Power players arrive in Charleston today and will take the field 6 p.m. Tuesday for their first practice in the new ballpark. The Sally League season gets underway Thursday with the Power visiting Hagerstown, Md.

 

Opening night at Appalachian Power Park is Thursday, April 14. -- the Gazette

[LouisEly]

Apparently Terry Trofholz, the 24-year-old 2003 22nd round outfielder out of TCU, has hung up his spikes after two productive seasons with Helena and Beloit.

 

Wow. That was unexpected. Hopefully it's not the same reason why my friend Jak retired (suddenly became a daddy and can't support a family on $1000/month).

[dadofandrew]

No offense to Terry T, but he had a 700 OPS in low a ball last year. I would guess he may have seen the writing on the wall...and wasn't Mrs. T quite a looker? No use missing several months when you're slated to be back in low A, or a reserve in high A.

[DHonks]

No use missing several months when you're slated to be back in low A, or a reserve in high A.

 

what about chasing a dream?

[dadofandrew]

D, if the dream appears unattainable, it gets a lot less "fun" leaving your bride and riding buses for 6 months.

[DHonks]

I understand, but I'm just thinking of Rushford. He gives up. Then later his wife convinces him to try. He makes very little at first, but now he's probably making about $80k a year in AAA and is in high demand as a guy to have in AAA as insurance

[Past Member]

Sad to see Terry retire. He was a good ballplayer and a really nice guy. Kind of surprised to hear that. Anyone know a specific reason for him retiring?

[MassBrew]

We know of three Brewer farmhands who have been released, two before ever playing in an official game for the organization; my comments from earlier this week are italicized:

 

RHP Juan Cerros, 28; minor league Rule 5 pick from the Reds

 

Juan Cerros Brewerfan Player Profile Page:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=749

 

C Kelley Gulledge, 26; former Twin farmhand with some interesting potential

 

Pretty surprising, here's Bill Batterman's write-up on Gulledge from this off-season:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewDai...portId=338

 

Kelley Gulledge Brewerfan Player Profile Page:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=739

 

OF Mario Mendez, 23; Dominican product with 15 HR's in High Desert last season

 

Six years in the system for Mario...

 

Mario Mendez Brewerfan Player Profile Page:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=173

 

Mendez peaked at # 35 on the Power 50:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPow...ayerId=173

 

As for C Alberto Segura:

 

C Alberto Segura, 21, # 46 on the Power 50, was protected at the AA level for Rule 5

 

(The news apparently is odd on Segura, who was not in camp this spring -- some bizarre visa-related stuff, hopefully he's back on the radar soon.)

 

Segura will never play pro baseball again, apparently. He ruined his visa status by staying after it had expired. We believe he may still be "in hiding" in the States, although that last part's unconfirmed.

 

Alberto Segura Brewerfan Player Profile Page:

 

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=161

 

Not quite sure if Segura has been officially released or is on some type of restricted list -- regardless, he's done.

[batman]

Well I missed the boat entirely on Gulledge. That move is pretty shocking.

 

~Bill

[Mass Haas]

These announcements should answer questions on the remaining players that were "unaccounted for" -- keep in mind that specific injury news will not be forthcoming unless we stumble upon it. For some (Jones, Saenz, Harper), we know the long-term specifics. For most of the others, we don't know specifics or the extent of any injuries.

 

Nashville Disabled List: RHP John Novinsky, LHP Sam Narron

 

Huntsville Disabled List: RHP's Mike Jones, Chris Saenz, Jesse Harper, and Ryan Miller; C Kade Johnson

 

Brevard County Disabled List: RHP's Jeff Farnsworth, Landon Stockman and Jeff Alliston, and LHP Eric Henderson

 

The following RHP's are still in extended spring training in Maryvale -- we don't believe there are injury issues, but it's possible there are, certainly in the case of Eric Thomas:

 

RHP's Justin Barnes, Greg Moreira and Eric Thomas

 

Finally, veteran RHP Jason Ryan, signed as a minor league free agent this off-season, was released in spring training.

[Mass Haas]

OF Jason Tuttle was acquired in trade from the Nationals in spring training, as previously mentioned. The particulars of this very minor deal is that there is to be either a PTBNL or cash in exchange. Tuttle, like the rest of the Power batters, is off to a slow start, as in 0-for-10 with three K's. The fact both Charlie Fermaint and Hasan Rasheed are injured (to what extent we don't know) probably prompted the deal.

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers released OF Ryan Gordon, a player who never got a chance to suit up in a professional game for the organization -- here's what we wrote when Gordon was signed this winter:

 

Gordon will be making his pro debut in 2005 having turned 24 in January, so starting out at low-A West Virginia is a possibility.

 

He was a two-way player at UNC-Greensboro, and did not sign with the Blue Jays after being selected in the 43rd round in 2003, opting to return for his senior year.

 

Gordon raked to a 1.041 OPS in 2004.

 

www.uncgspartans.com/spor...YER_ID=859

[Mass Haas]

Another player just released by the Brewers is LHP Justin Wilson.

 

Wilson, who will be 23 years old in May, was a sign-and-follow out of Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona (37th round, 2003). His professional record is spotless, as he posted an ERA of 0.00 in seven scoreless relief appearances covering 14.2 innings at Helena early last season. Wilson broke his pitching hand and missed the remainder of the season. We're unaware of the specifics behind his release at this point.

 

If I might, on a personal note, express an extra amount of disappointment regarding this. Justin had just recently agreed to answer a series of questions for me as part of what would then become a Brewerfan Home Page Q&A article. I was just getting ready to finalize my questions when I learned of his release.

 

Why interview Justin, a rather obscure young prospect? It's a shame that the Helena newspaper folks didn't present us with a profile on Justin last year, because his story was certainly that of human interest. Justin is deaf. We don't reveal a lot about our personal lives behind our Brewerfan monikers, but I'm a proud parent of nine-year-old Sara, also a proud member of the deaf community. I was looking forward into pouring that perspective into both my baseball-related and lifestyle questions for Justin. I hope I can keep in touch with the young man and follow his career elsewhere if he so chooses and is able.

 

While outfielder Curtis Pride probably comes to mind for many of you as a deaf baseball player, the ranks of deaf pitchers in major league baseball is much shorter than that of position players. In recent years, we've linked you to stories about the Dodgers' fine pitching prospect Ryan Ketchner, who has faced Brewer farmhands in Beloit, High Desert and Huntsville. He's likely to be the first deaf major league pitcher in nearly a century:

 

losangeles.dodgers.mlb.co...;fext=.jsp

 

Here's hoping the very best for Justin Wilson going forward, and that somehow he'll be right behind Ketchner soon...

[Mass Haas]

Charleston Daily Mail:

 

Power makes first roster moves of season

 

It was only a matter of time before changes were made to the West Virginia Power.

 

A 2-9 start left little choice.

 

Outfielders Adam Mannon and Jason Tuttle are now gone. Mannon, who was batting .154, will go to extended spring training until June 21 when the Rookie League Helena Brewers open the season.

 

Tuttle, who was acquired earlier this year in a trade, was released after going hitless in his 24 at-bats with the Power.

 

Former West Virginia University outfielder Jake Serfass and Dominican Republic born infielder Agustin Septimo will join West Virginia, the Class A affiliate of the Brewers.

 

Serfass was in Helena last season, before moving to Class A High Desert late in the year. He struggled at the plate for both teams, batting a combined .177. Serfass, who was signed as an undrafted free agent, hit .302 with six home runs his senior year at WVU.

 

Septimo played 37 games in Helena last year -- batting .317 -- before moving to Class A Beloit for six games.

 

Not only did Tuttle go 0-for-24, he failed to draw a single walk; Serfass should provide for a decent feature story or two for the local press; Mannon's still only 21, but that has to be disappointing for him -- Mass Haas...

[DHonks]

Although I only saw an at bat or two, I thought Mannon looked good at the plate and in the field in spring training. Of course, everyone seemed to look good in spring training

[bork]

Tough break for Mannon. Did he even get more than a start or 2? He wasn't given much of a chance.

[Mass Haas]

Sports Editor defends his local kid...

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.tahoedailytribune.com...5562443863

 

What do the Brewers know?

Steve Yingling, syingling@tahoedailytribune.com

 

Baseball setbacks and obstacles are nothing new to Greg Bruso.

 

The former South Tahoe High pitcher grew up in a community where pitchers' mounds are covered by snow well into April.

 

Because of the annual challenges of developing as a ballplayer in the mountains, Bruso played for a high school program that struggled year after year to finish out of the basement in the Northern 4A League.

 

That Bruso even made it out of the Sierra to play for the UC Davis baseball team was probably more of an incredible feat than the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series last fall.

 

You don't have to live at Lake Tahoe for long to realize that if you want to play baseball beyond high school, then you better be willing to drive off the hill to a baseball environment.

 

But Bruso never wavered from his baseball dreams and became more determined to become the exception rather than the rule, even though his season was shorter than most of the players around the country.

 

Going into his senior year at UC Davis, injuries and some bad breaks kept Bruso from reaching his potential. Eventually hard work and determination won out as Bruso became an All-American in 2002.

 

As a result, the San Francisco Giants didn't hesitate to select Bruso in the 16th round of the 2002 baseball draft. In his first two seasons in the minors Bruso looked like he was in a hurry to make it to the big leagues. He led the Northwest League in ERA (1.99) in 2002 and was selected to the 2003 California League All-Star Game.

 

Then came an unexpected promotion to Double-A Norwich and everything seemed in order for Bruso to make it to the Show. He kept his ERA under 4.00 at Norwich and the master of control continued to strike out batters five times more often than he walked them.

 

But then the Milwaukee Brewers stepped in and decided that Bruso was just what they needed to turn around their cheesy history as one of the worst teams in baseball.

 

They gave up Eric Young, a veteran major league second baseman, in a straight swap for Bruso late in the 2003 regular season. Several weeks ago, the Brewers inexplicably cut their ties with Bruso.

 

A Brewers' personnel director said that Bruso was released because they didn't think the right-hander was capable of helping the big-league team.

 

"Greg works hard and coming back from injury he showed it all," said Scott Martens, the Brewers' assistant director of player development. "He did what he needed to do to get back pitching, which is something you want to see in all of your players.

 

"Ultimately, it boils down to performance and that's where we are at."

 

Do they realize that Bruso has a career minor league ERA of 3.35? Pitchers who surrender three runs on average usually make their team win. If the Brewers are giving up more pitchers like Bruso, I'd be checking the waiver wires daily if I were in charge of any of the other 29 major league clubs.

 

They could have at least waited to see Bruso pitch an entire season when he was healthy. Last year, Bruso missed the first two months of the season while mending a sore shoulder.

 

He's healthy this spring, but the Brewers don't have the patience or an extra roster spot for a proven 24-year-old? How can that be?

 

Although he was never given a reason, Bruso speculated that the velocity of his fastball - mid to upper 80s - may have turned off the Brewers. But they knew what they were getting when they made the swap with the Giants.

 

Instinct tells me that the Brewers don't know the whole story behind the young man who made them cough up a major league player. Former UC Davis manager Phil Swimley used to say that no one worked harder than Bruso and he wished more players were like him. The same was said when Bruso played for Single-A Salem-Keizer in Oregon.

 

"I just hate to see him go," said Swimley, who was in his 36th year at Davis when Bruso was a senior. "He's the leader of the pitching staff in whatever they do. He's the guy in conditioning who always works the hardest. When they go run, he's always first. He just sets a great example for everybody else."

 

Aggies pitching coach Matt Vaughn even went further with his assessment of Bruso in 2002.

 

"I've been here 15 years as a player and a coach and no one works harder than he does. It's not only that he's the hardest worker, but he's the hardest worker by a whole bunch," Vaughn said.

 

One bad decision by a major league club shouldn't deter Bruso from realizing his major league dream. He's gone through too much to get this far and no area athlete before him has handled adversity any better.

 

Maybe something good will come out of the Brewers' mistake. They have probably made Bruso more determined than ever to prove them wrong.

[gregmag]

Well, when the sports editor of the Tahoe Daily Tribune weighs in, you certainly know what a bad organization you are.

 

Honestly, I understand the desire to defend the honor of a hardworking and reasonably talented local product, but that's a bush league story by a bush league writer. The reasons for the Brewers' decision, while not necessarily compelling, are pretty ordinary; to pull out the trusty "oh well, they suck anyway" line smacks of protesting too much. If you really believe that this tender-shouldered soft-tosser is the one in 50 who will have a career, then talk about how he's better than his obvious shortcomings, not about how any idiot team would obviously clear a roster spot for a sore-shouldered soft-tosser.

 

That said, I hope Bruso proves the Brewers made a mistake.

 

Greg.