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The Appellate Court
Today is Mark Appel Day in Tri-City, and he celebrated early with his first presser:
Other 1-1 Options
Somehow, I missed this until now, but MiLB.com has a page where you can check in on a lot of the top picks. It's kind of an odd little page, full of bizarre bios, like:
Notes: Missed 2012 season, overcame testicular cancer; signed 6/12; debuted 6/22with AZL Padres
Learning the Astros Way
Through 264 plate appearances with the Tennessee Smokies (CHC), Ronald Torreyes struck out just 15 times, for a 5.7% K-rate. Since being traded to the Astros for their #2 and #3 IFA slot amounts, he's now struck out once in five plate appearances, for a 20% K-rate. Is it too late to send him back? (I kid, I kid.)
Whitewall Ninja
This has absolutely nothing to do with the Houston Astros, but this story about the "Whitewall Ninja" is simultaneously 1) One of those things that makes the minor league freaking amazing, and 2) One of the most ridiculous things I've ever read, and at least a little insane.
It's a Major Award
Weekly awards went out for the top hitters and pitchers at each league, and in the New York-Penn League, Tri-City's Dan Gulbransen took home the honors after going .500/.517/.821 through 7 games, with 2 home runs, 8 RBI, 8 runs, one walk, and two strikeouts. Gulbransen leads the NYPL in average, hits, and RBI.
Speaking of Awards...
The Astros named their players of the month for June for each of their minor league affiliates. A brief rundown:
Oklahoma City: Jason Stoffel (15.2 IP, 1-0, 1.72 ERA, 13 K), Jonathan Villar (.309, 5 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 15 R, 12 SB).
Corpus Christi: Davis Martinez (30.2 IP, 2-2, 2.35 ERA, 24 K), Jonathan Meyer (.280, 8 2B, 5 HR, 20 RBI).
Lancaster: Luis Cruz (32 IP, 3-1, 1.97 ERA, 40 K), MP Cokinos (.392, 10 2B, 3 HR, 25 RBI).
Quad Cities: Colton Cain (23.1 IP, 1-0, 2.31 ERA, 16 K), Carlos Correa (.370, 6 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 19 R).
DSL Astros: Elieser Hernandez (26.0 IP, 0.69 ERA, 23 K), Hector Roa (.279, 5 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR).
The Sixth Man
The Jethawks' six-man rotation has been officially named: David Rollins, Luis Cruz, Thomas Shirley, Aaron West, Brady Rogers, and Tyson Perez.
Quad Cities Six
Hat tip to our indefatigable editor, Tim De Block, for catching this: Quad Cities is getting rid of the tandem roation. Colton Cain, Lance McCullers, Vincent Velasquez, Juan Minaya, Jordan Jankowski, and Mike Hauschild will have the honors of the six-man rotation.
What Happened Was...
Oklahoma City RedHawks (AAA) - While RedHawks First Baseman was blasting the ball in the big leagues, the RedHawks themselves turned to good old-fashioned pitching to get the job done against the New Orleans Zephyrs (MIA). Last year, the RedHawks batted around in the eight inning to fend off the Zephyrs by a single run, 10-9. This year, there were fewer offensive fireworks, though the result was the same: A one-run win by the RedHawks (2-1). After walking eleven Albuquerque batters on July 3rd, the Oklahoma City staff combined to strike out eleven Zephyrs this time around, all while allowing a single run on three hits and one walk.
Oklahoma City: 47-40, 3rd (1.5 GB) - Pacific Coast League American Southern
- LF Robbie Grossman: 2/3, R, BB, SB
- SS Jonathan Villar - 1/1, 2B, 2 BB
- CF George Springer - 2/4, RBI, K, 2 SB
- 2B Marwin Gonzalez - 0/4, 2 K
- 1B Jonathan Singleton - 0/4, 3 K, E
- RHP Brad Peacock - 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
- RHP Hector Ambriz - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
- RHP Jose Valdez - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
- RHP Josh Zeid - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
- 2B Ronald Torreyes - 1/5, K
- C Rene Garcia - 2/4, 2B, RBI, K
- 1B Erik Castro - 1/3, 2B, BB, 2 K
- RF Domingo Santana - 0/3, 3 K, HBP
- LF Preston Tucker - 0/2, 2 BB, K
- 3B Jonathan Meyer - 0/4, 2 K
- CF Drew Muren - 1/4, R
- RHP Ruben Alaniz - 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 2 HBP
- LHP Pat Urckfitz - 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
- RHP Jorge De Leon - 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
- 2B Delino DeShields - 3/5, 2 R, HBP
- SS Nolan Fontana - 2/3, 2B, 2 R, RBI, 3 BB, K
- CF Andrew Aplin - 1/5, R, 2 RBI, BB
- 1B MP Cokinos - 1/5, R, 2 RBI, BB, K
- DH Telvin Nash - 3/5, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB, K
- 3B Matt Duffy - 1/6, 3 K, E
- RF Chris Epps - 2/4, 2B, BB
- C Ryan McCurdy - 0/2, R, BB, K, 2 HBP
- LHP Luis Cruz - 5.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, BK
- RHP Cameron Lamb - 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
- LHP Theron Geith - 0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, WP
- RHP Travis Ballew - 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
- CF Teoscar Hernandez - 2/5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, K
- RF Jordan Scott - 0/5, 2 K
- SS Carlos Correa - 1/5, SB
- 1B Jesse Wierzbicki - 3/4, R, RBI, 2 SB
- LF Dan Gulbransen - 0/2, 2 BB, K
- DH Terrell Joyce - 0/4, 3 K
- C Jobduan Morales - 0/2, R, RBI, 2 BB
- RHP Juan Minaya - 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, WP, 2 HBP
- LHP Mitchell Lambson - 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HBP
- RHP Jamaine Cotton - 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, K
- CF James Ramsay - 2/4, R, K
- RF Ronnie Mitchell - 1/4, 2B
- 3B Ryan Dineen - 1/3, BB
- SS Chan Moon - 2/3, SB
- RHP Kevin Comer - 3.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
- RHP Charles Basford - 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
- LHP Evan Grills - 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
- RHP Richard Rodriguez - 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
- LF Tanner Mathis - 1/4, R, K
- 2B Juan Santana - 0/4, 2 K
- CF Marc Wik - 0/2, 2 BB
- 3B Darwin Rivera - 1/3, RBI, BB, E
- 1B Bobby Borchering - 1/3, HR, R, RBI, BB
- RF Ariel Ovando - 0/4, K
- DH Edwin Gomez - 0/2, BB, K
- C Alfredo Gonzalez - 0/3, BB, 3 K, CS, 2 E
- SS Jack Mayfield - 1/3, 2B, BB, K
- LHP Sebastian Kessay - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
- LHP Christopher Lee - 5.0 IP, 2 H. 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
- RHP Krishawn Holley - 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
- RHP Tyler Brunnemann - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
- LHP J.D. Osborne - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
- CF Jason Martin - 1/3, 2B, R, BB, K, CS
- 2B Alex Gonzalez - 1/2, 2 BB, CS
- DH Jean Batista - 2/4, R, RBI
- 3B Tyler White - 1/4, 2B, RBI
- SS Luis Reynoso - 1/3, K
- 1B Yonathan Mejia - 2/3, HR, R, RBI
- C Jacob Nottingham - 1/2, BB
- RF Luis De La Rosa - 0/3, K
- LF Javaris Reynolds - 0/3, K
- LHP Joe Bircher - 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
- LHP Ambiorix De Leon - 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
- RHP Erick Gonzalez - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
- CF Jason Martin - 2/4, 2 R
- 2B Alex Gonzalez - 2/4, 2 R, K, E
- 1B Yonathan Mejia - 2/4, 2B, 2 RBI
- 3B Tyler White - 1/4, RBI
- DH Jacob Nottingham - 1/3, 2B, BB, K
- C Brett Booth - 0/3, K, HBP
- RF Ydarqui Marte - 0/4, K
- SS Yoel Silfa - 1/3, E
- LF Javaris Reynolds - 0/2, R, K, HBP
- RHP Agapito Barrios - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
- RHP Troy Scribner - 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K