The Winter League Thread; Beresford Shines Down Under, Mates

[lend d money]

I just noticed in the box score that two guys had 16 or more HR's. The winter league doesn't last very long. Do these teams play in band boxes?

[colbyjack]

From BA's Winter League notebook:

 

Hermosillo lefthander Jorge de la Rosa (Brewers) left his best start of the Mexican Pacific League season with a minor leg injury after giving up only one run (a monstrous homerun by Mexicali first baseman Bubba Smith that left the stadium) in six strong innings. De la Rosa threw mostly fastballs in the 94-95 mph range mixed with a plus curveball in the mid-70s and a changeup in the mid-80s. He showed good command in the 12-2 victory, walking only one batter.

 

Wow. Always fun to hear about what our pitchers are throwing. A mid-90s lefty with a solid 3-pitch repertoire? Here's to Jorge being more consistent in 2005.

[MassBrew]

Well, this name flew under our winter league radar (which is pretty easy to do with Latin players). Edgar, how'd that happen? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

2004 Beloit RHP Luis (Luismar) Pena, the surprise addition to the 40-man roster this winter, has been toiling in his native Venezuela (eight games, six starts). He pitched as recently as the the 22nd, but his name is now absent from the active roster on his club's website, so we'll keep an eye on that in future days here.

 

Looks like it's been a bit of a struggle, despite his 3.09 ERA, with several unearned runs allowed and weak secondary numbers in the small 32 inning sample:

 

www.baseballamerica.com/t..._lag.shtml

 

Fished around a bit, this box score likely reflects his best outing:

 

deportes.eluniversal.com/...?idGame=85

 

And the most recent box score:

 GAME DATE: 12/22/04 OCC at LAG OCCIDENTE 4 AT LA GUAIRA 1 DH GAME #1 YTD YTD OCCIDENTE AB R H BI AVG LA GUAIRA AB R H BI AVG D.Sandoval 2B 4 1 2 0 .323 L.Hernandez SS 3 1 1 0 .284 M.Izturis SS 3 1 1 0 .270 J.Velandia 3B 2 0 0 0 .198 O.Salazar 1B 3 0 1 0 .321 T.Alvarez DH 1 0 1 0 .305 L.Landaeta DH 3 0 0 0 .262 L.Broadway PH 2 0 0 0 .218 J.Colina 3B 2 0 1 1 .316 P.Swann LF 3 0 0 0 .254 F.Diaz RF 3 1 1 1 .309 J.Melian RF 3 0 0 0 .338 D.Garcia LF 2 1 1 1 .290 C.Colon 1B 3 0 1 0 .370 C.Valderrama CF 2 0 0 0 .189 J.Hernandez CAT 3 0 0 0 .143 M.Montero CAT 2 0 0 1 .205 A.Machado 2B 3 0 0 0 .128 L.Ramirez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Blanco CF 2 0 0 0 .225 C.Galva PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 L.Pena PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Larreal PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Salazar PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 F.Gutierrez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 24 4 7 4 TOTALS 25 1 3 0 OCCIDENTE 0 0 0 1 1 2 0- 4 7 3 LA GUAIRA 0 0 0 0 0 1 0- 1 3 1 E--D.Sandoval, J.Colina, M.Montero, J.Hernandez. DP--OCCIDENTE 1, LA GUAIRA 1. LOB--OCCIDENTE 8, LA GUAIRA 4. 2B--D.Sandoval (12), M.Izturis (9), F.Diaz (13). HBP--J.Colina. SF--F.Diaz, M.Montero. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA OCCIDENTE L.Ramirez (W,4-0) 5.2 2 1 0 1 6 0 1.93 C.Galva 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.81 G.Larreal (S,10) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2.51 LA GUAIRA [b]L.Pena (L,0-4) 5.0 5 2 2 5 0 0 3.09[/b] R.Salazar 1.0 2 2 2 0 1 0 5.94 F.Gutierrez 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 6.91 HB--F.Gutierrez. [b]WP--L.Pena[/b], F.Gutierrez 2. SO--D.Sandoval, F.Diaz, L.Hernandez, J.Velandia, P.Swann 2, J.Melian 2, A.Machado 2. BB-- M.Izturis, O.Salazar, L.Landaeta, J.Colina, D.Garcia, C.Valderrama, J.Velandia. T--2:23.

[MassBrew]

Oh, and by the way, Glenn Woolard never made that final scheduled start, and we believe his winter league season is now complete:

 

www.baseballamerica.com/t..._lar.shtml

[EdgarDiazRocks]

Well, this name flew under our winter league radar (which is pretty easy to do with Latin players). Edgar, how'd that happen?

 

And with former Brewer Jackson Melian (not to mention my beloved Tony Alvarez) on the team as well.

 

I blame myself.

 

and the fact that there are 6 million Luis Pena's in Latin America and his stats say "Lusimar" which is so much cooler anyway.

 

La Tiburones as closely as the Cardinales.

I have found that the MLB site is okay for cumulative Dominican league stats . . . .

 

mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...s_2005.jsp

 

and look Hector Carrasco 'aint dead!

 

Some names from there . .

 

Enrique Cruz: .200 / 3 for 15

Capellan: 4.30 23 IP / 24 H / 7 / 19 K (getting outpitched by Pascual Coco)

Ozzie Chavez:: .300 / 6 for 20 / Triple

 

And for those interested in such things (meaning me) Vlad Guerrero is 0 for 6

 

I'm sure I missed somebody down there too.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/grin.gif

 

I still scour the Venezulean League page bi-weekly for a Hurricane or Alcides Escobar sighting.

[MassBrew]

Christmas wish for JDLR -- consistent decent outings -- ugh, not here http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eyes.gif ....

 GAME DATE: 12/23/04 HER at NAV HERMOSILLO 2 AT NAVOJOA 8 YTD YTD HERMOSILLO AB R H BI AVG NAVOJOA AB R H BI AVG C.Gastelum 2B 4 0 2 0 .300 O.Robles 3B 4 1 1 0 .293 C.Gastelum SS 0 0 0 0 .300 I.Cervantes SS 5 1 1 0 .221 D.Doster 3B 4 0 0 0 .302 M.Burkhart 1B 3 1 1 4 .305 D.Johnson 1B 4 1 1 1 .256 P.Castellano DH 5 1 1 1 .273 L.Garcia LF 4 1 1 0 .340 J.Aceves CAT 3 1 1 0 .272 E.Durazo DH 3 0 2 0 .667 D.Clark RF 4 0 2 0 .254 J.Nunnally CF 3 0 1 1 .288 L.Cruz CF 4 1 1 1 .255 J.Nunnally RF 1 0 1 0 .288 I.Lara LF 3 1 1 0 .183 I.Franco CAT 4 0 2 0 .297 J.Brena 2B 4 1 2 1 .211 J.Sandoval SS 3 0 0 0 .315 H.Izquierdo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 H.Garcia CF 0 0 0 0 .352 R.Blancas PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Nelson 2B 0 0 0 0 .239 D.Dominguez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Nelson RF 3 0 1 0 .239 J.De la rosa PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Castllanos PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Delgadillo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 33 2 11 2 TOTALS 35 8 11 7 HERMOSILLO 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0- 2 11 1 NAVOJOA 0 0 0 1 0 7 0 0 X- 8 11 1 E--D.Doster, I.Cervantes. DP--HERMOSILLO 1, NAVOJOA 4. LOB--HERMOSILLO 5, NAVOJOA 8. 2B--I.Franco (7), L.Cruz (15). HR--D.Johnson (11), M.Burkhart (21), P.Castellano (6). YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HERMOSILLO [b]J.De la rosa (L,1-3) 5.2 7 5 2 5 3 0 4.38[/b] J.Castllanos 0.1 2 3 0 0 0 2 6.00 J.Delgadillo 2.0 2 0 0 0 1 0 14.54 NAVOJOA H.Izquierdo (W,3-1) 8.1 9 2 2 1 3 1 5.16 R.Blancas 0.0 2 0 0 0 0 0 5.17 D.Dominguez 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.32 [b]WP--J.De la rosa.[/b] SO--D.Johnson, J.Nunnally, J.Sandoval, O.Robles, P.Castellano, J.Aceves, D.Clark. BB--E.Durazo, O.Robles, M.Burkhart 2, J.Aceves, I.Lara. T--2:51. A--4632

[MassBrew]

Rotoworld:

 

Julio Santana, who signed a minor league contract with the Brewers last week, fanned six in 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for Escogido of the DWL yesterday.

 

Santana has a 0.96 ERA and a 29/0 K/BB ratio in 18 2/3 IP this winter. He's putting himself in position to win a spot in the Milwaukee pen.

 

Yeah, a 29-to-0 K/BB ratio should get someone's attention http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[DHonks]

wow, those zero walks really help the whip.

[JohnBriggs12]

Before this guy went to Japan he posted a sub 3.00 era for Detroit in 2002. Melvin may well have uncovered another nugget here as replacement for Viz.

 

While I don't agree with every move Melvin makes, he sure continues to look everywhere to find talent and he deserves a lot of credit for that.

[Al the Thinking Man]

I don't know a thing about this fella, but:

 

1. 29-0? Wow.

 

2. Middle relievers need nothing but 2 effective pitches and the ability to throw 70 innings.

 

There's no better place to look for "nuggets" than in this area.

[Cyanogen5]

Quote:

---

2. Middle relievers need nothing but 2 effective pitches and the ability to throw 70 innings. There's no better place to look for "nuggets" than in this area.

---

 

I couldn't agree more...if teams want to covet our middle relievers I will fleece them all day. While a bullpen is important, bullpen arms can be found much easier than power hitting outfielders. Hopefully this guy can show the same sort of thing in Milwaukee this year...

[EdgarDiazRocks]

Hurricane Sighting!!!!!

 

Such as it is . . . .

 

 LARA AB R H BI AVG MAGALLANES AB R H BI AVG L.Maza 2B 5 1 1 0 .266 R.Paz SS 3 0 0 0 .235 S.Langaigne RF 4 2 2 2 .323 W.Sutil SS 1 0 0 0 .286 Y.Rodriguez RF 0 1 0 0 .200 J.Cortes LF 3 0 0 0 .235 R.Reyes CF 4 1 3 3 .346 E.Alfonzo DH 1 0 0 0 .348 R.Perez DH 3 0 0 0 .244 J.Nieves PH 2 1 0 0 .288 [b]H.Iribarren PH 1 0 0 0 .000[/b] H.Gimenez 1B 4 0 2 1 .302 L.Jimenez 1B 5 0 1 0 .317 S.Torres 3B 4 0 1 0 .314 J.Lopez SS 4 2 2 2 .311 G.Molina CAT 3 0 0 0 .000 R.Medina LF 4 1 2 0 .314 A.Baldiris 2B 2 0 0 0 .212 J.Azuaje 3B 3 1 1 0 .327 R.Chirinos 2B 1 0 0 0 .205 J.Yepez CAT 4 0 0 0 .290 F.Caraballo RF 3 0 0 0 .000 M.Hernandz PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Silva CF 3 0 0 0 .125 J.Rocker PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Guedez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Guzman PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 De La Cruz PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Rincon PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Cordova PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 P.Estrada PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Alfonzo PIT 0 0 0 0 .250 TOTALS 37 9 12 7 TOTALS 30 1 3 1 LARA 1 0 0 1 1 4 0 0 2- 9 12 0 MAGALLANES 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0- 1 3 2 E--R.Chirinos, R.Guedez. DP--LARA 0, MAGALLANES 2. LOB--LARA 6, MAGALLANES 5. 2B--L.Maza (5), S.Langaigne (21), R.Reyes 2 (13), H.Gimenez (<img src=http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/glasses.gif ALT="8)"> . 3B--R.Reyes (3). HR--J.Lopez (10). SB--J.Lopez (1). HBP--J.Lopez. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA LARA M.Hernandz (W,1-1) 6.0 1 0 0 1 4 0 3.48 J.Rocker 1.0 1 1 1 2 1 0 13.50 A.Guzman 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5.14 J.Rincon 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 MAGALLANES R.Guedez (L,0-1) 3.0 2 1 1 2 3 0 3.00 De La Cruz 2.0 6 5 5 1 1 1 12.15 J.Cordova 1.0 2 1 1 0 1 0 5.00 P.Estrada 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5.25 E.Alfonzo 1.0 1 2 2 1 1 0 10.61 

 

It looks like that was Edguardo Alfonzo pitching for Magallanes, and that's probably who Hernan faced.

 

That could be embarassing.

[MassBrew]

Anybody else of the opinion that JDLR may not be a Ph.D. candidate? Focus, Jorge, concentrate -- put it together! Aargh -- exasperating!

 

Season-to-date numbers (gee, thank goodness for that one outstanding start...):

 

www.baseballamerica.com/t..._her.shtml

 

 GAME DATE: 12/28/04 HER at GSV HERMOSILLO 9 AT GUASAVE 8 YTD YTD HERMOSILLO AB R H BI AVG GUASAVE AB R H BI AVG D.Johnson 1B 4 2 1 3 .252 D.Smith CF 2 0 0 1 .297 D.Doster LF 3 2 1 2 .308 O.Morejon 2B 4 2 3 2 .306 D.Fernandez CF 0 0 0 0 .232 M.McDougall 3B 5 1 3 0 .289 V.Castilla 3B 5 1 0 0 .375 N.Munoz CAT 4 1 2 1 .362 E.Durazo DH 2 1 0 0 .188 M.Valenzuela RF 4 0 1 0 .333 L.Garcia RF 4 0 1 1 .325 E.Arredondo RF 0 1 0 0 .294 J.Nunnally LF 0 0 0 0 .267 C.Villalobos 1B 5 0 2 2 .255 J.Nunnally CF 4 0 1 1 .267 F.Salas DH 4 1 0 0 .257 I.Franco CAT 4 2 2 2 .291 A.Contreras LF 3 1 2 1 .248 J.Sandoval SS 5 0 2 0 .337 F.Mendez PH 0 0 0 0 .298 C.Gastelum 2B 4 1 1 0 .296 L.Arauz PR 0 0 0 0 .171 J.De la rosa PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 L.Arauz LF 1 0 0 0 .171 M.Rubio PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Herrera SS 2 1 1 0 .248 J.Cannon PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 P.Iturbe PH 1 0 0 0 .179 J.Acevedo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 I.Montano PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Carrasco PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Carrillo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Acosta PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 S.Mora PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 35 9 9 9 TOTALS 35 8 14 7 HERMOSILLO 2 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 3- 9 9 0 GUASAVE 1 2 0 2 0 0 1 0 2- 8 14 1 E--M.McDougall. DP--HERMOSILLO 1, GUASAVE 0. LOB--HERMOSILLO 11, GUASAVE 10. 2B--M.McDougall 2 (19), C.Villalobos (5), A.Contreras 2 (8), C.Herrera (7). HR--D.Johnson (12), D.Doster (5), I.Franco (19), O.Morejon (3). CS--D.Smith. HBP--D.Johnson, D.Doster, E.Durazo 2. SF--D.Smith. SH--C.Gastelum, C.Herrera 2. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HERMOSILLO [b]J.De la rosa 1.2 6 3 3 3 2 1 5.13[/b] M.Rubio 2.0 4 2 2 0 2 0 5.22 J.Cannon 3.1 2 1 1 0 2 0 5.94 J.Acevedo (W,1-0) 1.0 0 0 0 3 0 0 2.45 D.Carrasco (S,5) 1.0 2 2 2 1 2 0 5.40 GUASAVE I.Montano 4.1 3 5 5 3 1 2 4.15 G.Carrillo 1.2 3 1 1 2 2 0 3.82 J.Acosta 0.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 6.86 S.Mora (L,4-3) 3.0 3 3 3 1 4 1 4.40 HB--I.Montano 3, S.Mora. [b]WP--J.De la rosa[/b], D.Carrasco, G.Carrillo. SO--D.Johnson, D.Doster, L.Garcia 2, J.Nunnally, I.Franco, C.Gastelum, O.Morejon, M.McDougall, M.Valenzuela, C.Villalobos 2, F.Salas 2, L.Arauz. BB--D.Johnson, D.Doster 2, E.Durazo, L.Garcia, J.Nunnally, I.Franco, D.Smith 2, O.Morejon, N.Munoz, E.Arredondo, F.Salas, F.Mendez. T--3:58.

[clancyphile]

Jorge de la Rosa looks like a middle-relief guy or situational lefty. Maybe Bill Castro can work some magic with him...

[MassBrew]

Newly-acquired OF Nelson Cruz's numbers with Gigantes Del Cibao in the Dominican League -- ouch to those strikeouts:

 

 BATTING G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB AVG. OBP

 CRUZ (GN), NELSON 25 87 13 27 4 0 3 19 9 29 1 .310 .384

Remember, the strikeouts are nothing new -- a reminder about his "breakout" 2004 numbers:

 

www.baseballamerica.com/c...%2C+nelson

[DuluthBrew]

Cruz and De La Rosa have no chance in your book Massbrew because the Brewers did not draft them, send them to Arizona, send them to Helena, send them to Beloit, send them to Huntsville, send them to Indy or Nashville. If Krynzel were to hit .310 with a .384 obp, you would be willing to look past the strikeouts. Please give these guys a chance, even if they weren't spawned from the brewers womb.

[MassBrew]

Young Charlie now 2-for-9 (two walks) in limited action with the big boys in his native Puerto Rico...

 GAME DATE: 1/03/05 PON at MAN PONCE 14 AT MANATI 4 YTD YTD PONCE AB R H BI AVG MANATI AB R H BI AVG A.Pagan LF 4 1 1 0 .296 A.Sanchez SS 3 0 0 0 .227 A.Pagan CF 0 0 0 0 .296 J.Lopez RF 4 0 0 0 .209 A.Molina RF 2 0 0 0 .304 E.Guzman DH 4 0 0 0 .286 J.Cruz 2B 3 1 2 0 .369 B.Candelaria LF 3 1 1 0 .281 G.Picart PR 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Morales CAT 4 2 2 1 .254 G.Picart SS 2 0 0 0 .000 A.Ayala 1B 4 1 1 2 .250 J.Cruz CF 1 2 0 0 .238 G.Valentin CF 4 0 1 1 .154 M.Correa LF 3 0 1 1 .267 F.Jimenez 3B 4 0 0 0 .000 H.Bocachica 3B 2 2 1 3 .290 C.Amador 2B 3 0 0 0 .067 G.Martinez 3B 2 2 1 1 .241 D.Poncdeleon PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 L.Lopez DH 5 2 2 2 .336 F.Baez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Casanova CAT 2 0 1 0 .306 A.Garcia PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Cancel CAT 2 1 1 1 .296 M.Hampton PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Rivera 1B 4 1 0 0 .276 C.Booker PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Lebron RF 3 1 1 4 .250 [b]C.Fermaint RF 1 1 1 0 .222[/b] [b]C.Fermaint CF 1 0 0 0 .222[/b] A.Gonzalez SS 3 0 1 1 .254 A.Gonzalez 2B 1 0 1 0 .254 T.Minix PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Ward PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 P.Feliciano PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Sodowsky PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 41 14 14 13 TOTALS 33 4 5 4 PONCE 5 0 0 0 4 2 1 1 1-14 14 1 MANATI 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1- 4 5 3 E--G.Picart, F.Jimenez, C.Amador 2. DP--PONCE 0, MANATI 1. LOB-- PONCE 10, MANATI 4. [b]2B[/b]--H.Bocachica (11), [b]C.Fermaint (1)[/b], B.Candelaria (6), J.Morales (2), G.Valentin (3). HR--G.Martinez (1), L.Lopez (5), J.Lebron (5), A.Ayala (1). SF--R.Cancel. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA PONCE T.Minix (W,1-0) 5.0 0 0 0 1 6 0 2.00 B.Ward 2.0 3 3 3 0 1 1 5.21 P.Feliciano 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4.79 C.Sodowsky 1.0 2 1 1 0 2 0 4.19 MANATI D.Poncdeleon (L,0-1) 4.2 7 9 8 6 2 1 5.08 F.Baez 1.1 2 2 2 1 1 1 4.58 A.Garcia 1.0 2 1 1 2 1 0 3.50 M.Hampton 1.0 2 1 1 0 1 0 4.50 C.Booker 1.0 1 1 1 0 2 1 3.00 [b]SO[/b]--M.Correa 2, L.Lopez 2, R.Casanova, J.Lebron, [b]C.Fermaint[/b], A.Sanchez, J.Lopez 2, B.Candelaria 2, A.Ayala 3, C.Amador. BB--J.Cruz, J.Cruz 2, H.Bocachica, G.Martinez, L.Lopez, R.Cancel, C.Rivera, A.Gonzalez, A.Sanchez, B.Candelaria. T--2:48.

[EdgarDiazRocks]

Young Charlie now 2-for-9 (two walks) in limited action with the big boys in his native Puerto Rico...

 

He sadly ruined his perfect 2 - 2 BB/K ratio with the wiff, but a 2b is nice.

 

Viva La Fermaint!

[EdgarDiazRocks]

Dominican League Update . . .

 

Enrique Cruz: .316 / 6 for 19 / 1 HR / 2 RBI / 1 BB / 6K

 

Ozzie Chavez: .292 / 7 for 24/

 

Nelson Cruz: .310 / 27 for 87/ 3 HR / 19 RBI / 9 BB / 29 K

 

Capellan hasn't pitched, but these stats haven't been updated since 12/29 either . . . .

[MassBrew]

Nelson Cruz had a 3-for-5 game with a double on Wednesday in the Dominican -- an update for his overall numbers listed just above is unavailable from the Dominican site this afternoon...

[EdgarDiazRocks]

Dominican League Update the regular season is over so these should be final for everybody but Cruz.

 

 

Nelson Cruz:

Regular season:

.310/.375/.460 / 87 AB / 3 HR / 19 RBI / 9/29 BB/K

 

Playoffs:

.333/.375/.400 / 5 for 15 / 1/7 BB/K

 

Ozzie Chavez:

Reg:

.292/.292/.375 / 24 AB / 2 RBI / 0/5 BB/K

 

Enrique Cruz:

Reg:

.316/.350/.474 / 19 AB / 1 HR / 2RBI / 1/6 BB/K

 

Jose Capellan didn't pitch again after the trade so he finished the same as above with . .

 

4.30 ERA / 23 IP / 24 H / 7/19 BB/K

[MassBrew]

Nelson Cruz 1-for-3 with a HR and three RBI in Monday's postseason game in the Dominican...

[MassBrew]

Nelson Cruz 1-for-3 with a HR and three RBI in Monday's postseason game in the Dominican...

 

And Wednesday's playoff game:

 TM PLAYERS AB R H BI AVG MIL N. CRUZ RF 3 2 2 2 .381 - HR (2), BB, K

Yummy...

[MassBrew]

Hernan says "let me play" in Venezuela this week -- didn't work out so well http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif -- hey his team won!...

 GAME DATE: 1/12/05 OCC at LAR OCCIDENTE 4 AT LARA 5 (EXTRA INNINGS) YTD YTD OCCIDENTE AB R H BI AVG LARA AB R H BI AVG L.Rodriguez 2B 6 1 1 0 .304 L.Ugueto SS 6 0 0 0 .261 O.Salazar 1B 1 0 0 0 .268 L.Sojo 1B 4 1 2 0 .324 O.Salazar LF 3 1 1 0 .268 [b]H.Iribarren PR 0 0 0 0 .000[/b] A.Cabrera 1B 5 0 1 0 .351 L.Jimenez 1B 2 0 0 1 .167 C.Valderrama PR 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Reyes CF 4 0 0 0 .318 C.Valderrama CF 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Perez DH 5 1 1 0 .196 R.Hernandez DH 5 0 1 0 .293 S.Langaigne RF 3 1 1 0 .310 F.Diaz CF 5 0 2 2 .273 J.Lopez 3B 5 1 1 4 .171 F.Diaz RF 1 0 0 0 .273 R.Medina LF 3 1 1 0 .333 L.Landaeta LF 0 0 0 0 .211 L.Maza 2B 4 0 1 0 .167 L.Landaeta RF 5 1 2 0 .211 J.Yepez CAT 3 0 0 0 .429 J.Colina 3B 5 1 1 2 .098 J.Azuaje PH 1 0 0 0 .250 Y.Torrealba CAT 5 0 1 0 .300 V.Valencia CAT 0 0 0 0 .250 M.Izturis SS 5 0 2 0 .276 E.Cyr PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Silva PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 L.Urdaneta PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Galva PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 W.Abreu PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Larreal PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Rincon PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Garces PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Hampton PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Beasley PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Carrara PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Maduro PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 46 4 12 4 TOTALS 40 5 7 5 OCCIDENTE 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0- 4 12 2 LARA 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- 5 7 0 E--F.Diaz, M.Izturis. DP--OCCIDENTE 2, LARA 1. LOB--OCCIDENTE 10, LARA 7. 2B--A.Cabrera (3), F.Diaz (2), L.Landaeta (2). HR--J.Colina (1), J.Lopez (2). SB--L.Sojo (1), J.Lopez (1). [b]CS--H.Iribarren.[/b] SH-- L.Maza. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA OCCIDENTE J.Silva 7.0 4 4 4 3 2 1 2.86 C.Galva 0.1 1 0 0 1 1 0 9.82 G.Larreal 1.1 2 0 0 0 1 0 6.75 R.Garces 2.1 0 0 0 0 2 0 6.23 R.Beasley (L,0-1) 0.2 0 1 0 2 0 0 4.50 LARA E.Cyr 5.1 4 2 2 2 4 1 3.38 L.Urdaneta 1.2 2 0 0 0 0 0 7.71 W.Abreu 0.0 2 2 2 0 0 0 8.10 J.Rincon 0.2 1 0 0 0 2 0 9.64 M.Hampton 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.86 G.Carrara 2.0 2 0 0 1 1 0 3.86 C.Maduro (W,1-0) 2.0 1 0 0 1 2 0 5.11 SO--L.Rodriguez 2, O.Salazar 2, A.Cabrera 2, R.Hernandez, L.Landaeta, J.Colina, L.Ugueto, L.Jimenez, R.Reyes 2, R.Perez, S.Langaigne. BB--O.Salazar 2, C.Valderrama, R.Hernandez, R.Reyes, S.Langaigne 2, R.Medina 2, V.Valencia. T--3:42.

[MassBrew]

Newcomer RHP Jason Ryan pitched 36 innings in Venezuela this winter:

 

www.baseballamerica.com/t..._lag.shtml

 

Ryan is quoted within the text of the disturbing article below -- again, I hope Huntsville's Mark McCarter follows up with Glenn Woolard in Maryvale about his Venezuela experience:

 

Families of athletes increasingly become targets in South America

By KEVIN BAXTER

Miami Herald

 

MARACAY, Venezuela - It was broad daylight on Sept. 1 when four gunmen, dressed in police uniforms, burst into a farmhouse in a heavily populated area south of Caracas and kidnapped Maura Josefina Villareal, the 54-year-old mother of former Florida Marlins pitcher Ugueth Urbina.

 

Nearly five months later, a $6 million ransom remains unpaid and the kidnapping remains unresolved. And neither Venezuelan authorities nor the intensely private Urbina, who will return to Florida in three weeks to begin spring training, are willing to discuss the case.

 

``It's something he doesn't want to talk about. And I'll respect that wish,'' said a friend who declined to give his name. ``It's certainly been a difficult time for everyone involved.''

 

Urbina is not alone. In the past 18 months, the families of well-known athletes have been among those targeted in violent attacks throughout South America. In Sao Paulo, Brazil, nearly 100 kidnappings of athletes and others were reported in 2004, the most spectacular being the armed abduction in November of Marina Lima de Souza, the 43-year-old mother of soccer star Robinho, the nation's most popular player.

 

She was released, unharmed, 41 days later.

 

In neighboring Argentina, soccer players and their families have been involved in at least 20 kidnappings in the past two years. And another was thwarted in July when police unearthed a plot to abduct the brother of basketball star Manu Ginobili the day before Ginobili signed a $52 million contract with the NBA's San Antonio Spurs.

 

Kidnappings are also on the rise in Paraguay, farther north in Mexico and even on the otherwise peaceful Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago, where abductions have become so common that the rate of kidnapping ranks behind only that of Colombia.

 

In Venezuela, as in many other Latin American countries with the exception of Colombia, much of the recent violence has been fueled by economics, not politics.

 

The nation's economy, in decline since the 1980s, has plunged since President Hugo Chavez came to power five years ago. And though a slight recovery appears to be taking place, nearly a fifth of the workforce remains unemployed with more than half the population living below the poverty line.

 

As a result, crime has skyrocketed, with homicides up 124 percent and kidnappings increasing sixfold, to more than 300, since 1999. And with the average major-league salary topping $2.3 million, baseball players and their families, still revered as heroes in baseball-mad Venezuela, have not escaped unscathed.

 

``Baseball players are targets because people know that they have money,'' said Diego Arria, who served four years as Venezuela's ambassador to the United Nations and was president of the UN Security Council in 1992. ``Wealthy people like bankers know how to protect themselves and their families. But in many cases, baseball players and other athletes come from humble backgrounds,and their families live in humble areas.

 

``They become easy targets because they really don't know how to protect themselves.''

 

So while the Urbina kidnapping is the first reported abduction involving a baseball player or his family in Venezuela, it marks a dangerous escalation in a long string of attacks on well-known athletes and leaves the players wondering what will come next.

 

In the past three years alone, dozens of players or members of their families have been shot at, assaulted or robbed in Venezuela. Texas Rangers outfielder Richard Hidalgo was shot in the arm during a carjacking, free agent slugger Magglio Ordonez was attacked by armed thugs and the brother of the Baltimore Orioles' Melvin Mora was gunned down a block from his mother's house in Valencia before Mora himself was robbed at gunpoint.

 

Tanya Perez, the wife of Philadelphia Phillies infielder Tomas Perez, was victimized when her SUV was vandalized when she took the couple's newborn baby to the doctor. Career minor-leaguer Lipso Nava, currently playing for Aragua in the Venezuela winter-league championship series, had a gun at his head when thieves tried to take his new Hyundai Elantra but settled for jewelry, a watch and his wallet.

 

``All the players are concerned,'' said Twins pitcher Johan Santana, who was assigned five government bodyguards after becoming the first Venezuelan to win baseball's coveted Cy Young Award as the American League's best pitcher last season. ``We all look out for each other.''

 

Even some of the developmental academies run by major-league clubs to train young Venezuelans have been hit, with armed gangs attacking facilities run by the Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners in and around the northern province of Valencia, holding players and staff hostage, then robbing them. That's one reason why more than a third of the 22 big-league teams that once ran academies here have pulled out since 2002.

 

``It's never been this bad before, ever,'' said Twins pitcher Juan Rincon, who comes from oil-rich Maracaibo, in the northwest corner of Venezuela. ``And it's getting worse every day.''

 

In response players have begun changing their habits, leaving ostentatious jewelry, credit cards and cash at home, rarely venturing out at night and using old cars and taxis whenever possible. Marlins infielder Alex Gonzalez bought a spacious three-story home in downtown Maracay, about 90 minutes west of Caracas, after signing his first multimillion contract last year. He topped the eight-foot wall around the house with eight strands of electric wire. Still, he usually circles the neighborhood once to check things out before pulling into his driveway. And, like Twins pitcher Carlos Silva, he rarely stops for red lights after dark.

 

Tigers infielder Carlos Guillen, who also lives in Maracay, has turned his house into a fortress, topping the outer walls with electric wire and razor-sharp spikes and hiring uniformed security guards, one of whom stands in a tower near the front entrance. And the separate apartments Marlins' outfielder Miguel Cabrera brought for himself and his parents contain so many security gates, steel doors, locks and barred windows they feel more like prison cells than anything else.

 

Others, such as Santana and Philadelphia Phillies star Bobby Abreu, have bodyguards.

 

Yet despite the dangers, 44 of the 66 Venezuelans that played in the major leagues last summer also played in the country's highly regarded winter league this year.

 

``You always have to be aware because you never know what's going to happen,'' said Abreu, who is playing for Caracas in this week's seven-game championship series. ``But you've got people to protect you and you always have to be with somebody. You've got to be aware and put those things in God's hands.''

 

And in the hands of Major League Baseball. In November MLB security chief Kevin Hallinan briefed the 30 clubs on conditions in Venezuela while Lou Melendez, baseball's vice president for international operations, met with officials of Venezuela's winter league to discuss security measures. Partly as a result of those conversations, Venezuelan authorities have placed as many as five security guards on team buses, stationed two plain-clothes officers in dugouts during games and offered police escorts to players traveling to and from their hotels.

 

And baseball has reason to be concerned. In addition to the 66 Venezuelans who played in the majors last season, more than 800 started the summer in the minors, leaving Venezuela behind only the U.S. and Dominican Republic in the production of professional baseball players.

 

``There's a tremendous talent pool. The amount of talent that continues to come out of there has been on the rise a while,'' said Deric Ladnier, senior director of scouting for the Kansas City Royals. ``But there's been an increasing concern with the safety of people from the U.S. going down there.''

 

Adds Mike Arbuckle, the Phillies' assistant GM for scouting and player development: ``The violence has definitely increased. We're a lot more careful that we used to be.''

 

Others, however, say Venezuela is getting a bad rap, with violence there drawing extra attention in part because of Washington's opposition to Chavez's policies while soaring crime rates in U.S. allies such as Mexico are ignored.

 

``It's just like anywhere else. Just like if you went to New York or if you went to Chicago'' said Andres Reiner, the Houston scout who discovered Santana and Hidalgo and who founded the Astros' developmental academy in Venezuela more than a decade ago. ``I would not tell you it's the safest place in the world, but it's not the unsafest either.''

 

Former big-leaguer Jason Ryan, who has pitched for two Venezuelan teams as an ``import'' player this winter, agrees.

 

``I've had no problems,'' he said. ``But I'm a Jersey kid from the inner city. I know what to stay away from. I had a lot of friends that were saying it's bad and all down here. But I like it here.''

 

Urbina, meanwhile, will soon be heading back to Florida to start spring training with the Detroit Tigers, not knowing when - or if - he'll see his mother again.

 

``There's not much he can do down there,'' his friend said. ``If he was a member of the police it would be different. But he's a baseball player. He plays baseball.''