Due to Jose Reyes suspension by Major League Baseball because of legal issues, the Colorado Rockies have an unexpected battle shaping up to be the starting shortstop. There are four players vying for the position and the two with the most major league experience, Daniel Descalso and Rafael Ynoa, filled utility man roles for Colorado last season. Descalso got into 101 games but only got 185 at bats and he hit .205 with five homeruns and 22 RBI's. Ynoa got into 72 games but only had 127 at bats and batted .260 with zero homeruns and nine RBI's.
Two former Asheville Tourists shortstops will get a long look in spring training as well, Cristhian Adames and Trevor Story. Adames spent 2011 with the Asheville Tourists where he batted .273 with eight homeruns and 44 RBI's. He has made it into a few games with the Rockies over the past two seasons. In 2014 he appeared in seven games and had one hit in 15 at bats. In 2015, he got into 26 games and batted .245 with zero homeruns with three RBI's.
Trevor Story may get the longest look because the Rockies have been grooming him for a major league position since they drafted him in the first round out of a Texas high school in 2011. He has an advantage over the rest of the competition because he can hit for power. He was the Asheville Tourists starting shortstop in 2012 and he hit .277 with 18 homeruns and 63 RBI's. Story split 2015 between AA New Britain and AAA Albuquerque where he batted around .280 and hit 20 homerun's with 80 RBI's between the two stops. This is Story's sixth season in the Rockies organization and he has climbed steadily through the ranks. The Rockies like versatility in their players so Story has also gotten starts at third base and second base in the minors. Story is also more of a stolen base threat than the other three candidates as he stole 22 bases and was only caught three times in the minors last season.
The Colorado Rockies brass has made it clear that whoever is most likely to help the team in Reyes absence will win the role and major league service time has nothing to do with the decision. If Story wins the job in spring training, he can join another Asheville Tourist alumnus, third baseman Nolan Arenado, in holding down the left side of the infield for the Rockies.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Catcher Town
The Colorado Rockies have nine catchers in camp this spring and five of those have spent time behind the plate for the Asheville Tourists. Dustin Garneau (2011), Ryan Casteel and Will Swanner (2012), Tom Murphy (2013), and Dom Nunez (2015), are all alumni of the Asheville Tourists. Casteel, Swanner, and Nunez are all non-roster invitees and are in camp just to get some extra work in.
Barring injury, Nick Hundley will be the Rockies starting catcher going in to the 2016 season. The job to be his backup is wide open. Both Garneau and Murphy got looks at the end of last season. Garneau only batted .157 in 70 at bats before getting injured and Murphy batted .257 with three homeruns and nine RBI's in 35 at bats in a late September call up. Murphy has hit with power at all of his stops in the minors and I look for Murphy to have a strong spring for the Rockies and to take control of the backup catching job.
Barring injury, Nick Hundley will be the Rockies starting catcher going in to the 2016 season. The job to be his backup is wide open. Both Garneau and Murphy got looks at the end of last season. Garneau only batted .157 in 70 at bats before getting injured and Murphy batted .257 with three homeruns and nine RBI's in 35 at bats in a late September call up. Murphy has hit with power at all of his stops in the minors and I look for Murphy to have a strong spring for the Rockies and to take control of the backup catching job.
The Youth Movement
The Colorado Rockies invited 24 players to spring training as non-roster invitees. Teams usually invited a good mix of veterans and young players to spring training. The veteran players are trying to latch on with big league clubs and the clubs are looking for someone that may be able to help them out at some time during the season and for organizational depth. The teams also want to take a look at some young players, most not ready for the majors yet, and give them extra time in a big league camp to work with the coaches and major league players.
The Colorado Rockies decided to go with a youth movement with their non-roster invitees as 21 of the 24 players are players from within their own system. One of those players is catcher Dom Nunez, who spent last season as the catcher for the Asheville Tourists. Nunez was drafted as a middle infielder and that was what he played his first two seasons at Grand Junction playing. The decision was made to convert him to catcher and he played 99 games at catcher for the Tourists. He showed a good bat batting over .280 with 13 homeruns and 53 RBI's. Nunez does not have the prototypical size for a catcher weighing in at only 175 pounds but his ability to play multiple positions will help him out in the Rockies organization.
The Colorado Rockies decided to go with a youth movement with their non-roster invitees as 21 of the 24 players are players from within their own system. One of those players is catcher Dom Nunez, who spent last season as the catcher for the Asheville Tourists. Nunez was drafted as a middle infielder and that was what he played his first two seasons at Grand Junction playing. The decision was made to convert him to catcher and he played 99 games at catcher for the Tourists. He showed a good bat batting over .280 with 13 homeruns and 53 RBI's. Nunez does not have the prototypical size for a catcher weighing in at only 175 pounds but his ability to play multiple positions will help him out in the Rockies organization.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Back For More
The Asheville Tourists announced that their management team will remain the same for the 2016 season. Returning are Manager Warren Schaefer, Hitting Coach Mike Devereaux, Pitching Coach Mark Brewer, and Development Supervisor Marv Foley. The Tourists had an overall record of 72-67 and earned a playoff berth facing Savannah in the first round and before losing to the Hickory Crawdads for the South Atlantic League championship.
Continuity is very important in the lower levels of minor league baseball where the game of professional baseball is really taught. The basic fundamentals of baseball should already be instilled but learning how to be a professional baseball player begins at these levels.
Continuity is very important in the lower levels of minor league baseball where the game of professional baseball is really taught. The basic fundamentals of baseball should already be instilled but learning how to be a professional baseball player begins at these levels.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Jeff Francis Announces Retirement
Former Asheville Tourist Jeff Francis announced his retirement from baseball. He was drafted in the First Round, ninth pick overall out of the University of British Columbia in 2002 by the Colorado Rockies.
Francis pitched in four games for the Asheville Tourists in 2002 getting in 20 innings, giving up four earned runs, and did not have a decision. He continued his rapid rise through the Rockies farms system after Asheville and ended up in Colorado as a full time starter by 2005. His best season was 2007 when he went 17-9 with Colorado with a 4.22 ERA.
His overall record with Colorado was 64-62. Francis pitched 11 seasons in the majors and he compiled a 72-82 record with a 4.97 ERA in 254 games, 217 of those were starts.
Francis pitched in four games for the Asheville Tourists in 2002 getting in 20 innings, giving up four earned runs, and did not have a decision. He continued his rapid rise through the Rockies farms system after Asheville and ended up in Colorado as a full time starter by 2005. His best season was 2007 when he went 17-9 with Colorado with a 4.22 ERA.
His overall record with Colorado was 64-62. Francis pitched 11 seasons in the majors and he compiled a 72-82 record with a 4.97 ERA in 254 games, 217 of those were starts.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
A Power Outage In Asheville
Hall Of Fame Baltimore Orioles Manager Earl Weaver described his managerial style as being made up of "pitching, defense, and the three run homer." The Asheville Tourists have a 10-15 record. They lead the South Atlantic League in runs allowed and are 12th out of the 14 team league in ERA, have allowed the most unearned runs in the league with 22 and have made 38 errors, and are last in the league in Batting Average at .230 have only hit 12 homeruns in a ball park notorious for its home runs.
The Asheville Tourists are second in the league with 55 stolen bases. Centerfielder Wes Rogers has 19 of those steals and is on track to steal over 100 bases this season. The Tourists have had some great base stealers over the years but that would be a first.
The Asheville Tourists are second in the league with 55 stolen bases. Centerfielder Wes Rogers has 19 of those steals and is on track to steal over 100 bases this season. The Tourists have had some great base stealers over the years but that would be a first.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Three Out Of Four Ain't Bad
The Asheville Tourists suffered their first loss of the season last night, losing the final game of a four game series with the Rome Braves 3-2.
The Tourists had their best hitting performance of the four games with ten hits but could only push across two runs. Centerfielder Wes Rogers continued his hot hitting going 3 for 3 with one of those being a solo homerun, his first of the season leading off the 8th inning, and stealing his 7th base. The Tourists stole two more bases putting their four game total at 14 as Manager Warren Schaeffer continues to try to be aggressive on the bases.
The Rome Braves only managed four hits but clutch hitting pushed across three runs and clutch pitching preserved the win.
The Tourists had their best hitting performance of the four games with ten hits but could only push across two runs. Centerfielder Wes Rogers continued his hot hitting going 3 for 3 with one of those being a solo homerun, his first of the season leading off the 8th inning, and stealing his 7th base. The Tourists stole two more bases putting their four game total at 14 as Manager Warren Schaeffer continues to try to be aggressive on the bases.
The Rome Braves only managed four hits but clutch hitting pushed across three runs and clutch pitching preserved the win.
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