Milestone Year for Orleans Greats

A couple of relative old-timers (they were Cardinals, not Firebirds) lead off the Orleans Firebirds 2013 alumni report.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Former Orleans Cardinals Frank Thomas and Todd Helton made headlines in 2013.

Distinguished Cards

It was not a banner year in the bigs for former Orleans Cardinals and Firebirds, but two of the franchise’s best all-time players were in the news. Frank Thomas, who played for Orleans in 1988, has been selected for the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame while Todd Helton, who manned the same first-base bag six years later for the Cardinals, closed out a tremendous career in Colorado.

Thomas is in that group of late-80’s, early 90’s Cape League alumni that really started to carry the torch into Major League Baseball, along with players like Jeff Bagwell, Robin Ventura, Craig Biggio and Mo Vaughn. That generation is into retirement now and the Hall of Fame has started calling for the best of them. Currently, just two Cape League alums are in Cooperstown – Carlton Fisk and Pie Traynor.

Thomas will be No. 3, the first of a new generation that should grow the Cape League’s ranks in Cooperstown. Thomas was a two-time MVP who hit .301 for his 19-year career, to go with 501 homers.

Helton may someday join Thomas in the Hall, but at the very least, he’ll go down as the greatest Colorado Rockies player of all time. Helton finished a 17-year career with a .316 career average and 369 home runs. In his final game at Coors Field in September, he blasted a home run.

MVP keeps rising

Kolten Wong became an Orleans and Cape League favorite when he turned down a Team USA offer to spend the summer of 2010 at Eldredge Park. He turned in an MVP season and has been on the fast track ever since.

Wong made his Major League debut for the St. Louis Cardinals this year after flying through the minors. He hit .301 with 24 homers in parts of three minor league seasons before getting the call to the St. Louis on August 16. He hit .153 in limited action for the Cardinals, but will almost certainly be a bigger part of their future plans.

MLB Notables

The best of the new generation of Orleans alumni is probably Matt Wieters (Orleans ’06) and he continues to establish himself as one of the steadiest catchers in the game. While he has yet to have a break-out, MVP-type campaign, Wieters has been consistent since 2011. He hit .235 this year with 22 homers…Nate Freiman (Orleans ’07 & ’08) was never at the top of prospect lists on the Cape but the 6’8 first baseman has quickly risen the ranks in Oakland. He made his debut this spring and hit .274 in a platoon role for the A’s…This season did not include a World Series title, but Brandon Crawford (Orleans ’07) still delivered a pretty solid encore as San Francisco’s starting shortstop. Crawford hit .248 with a career-high nine home runs.

MLB Debuts

Nate Freiman (Orleans ’07 & ’08) – Oakland, April 3
Kolten Wong (Orleans ’10) – St. Louis, August 16
Steven Wright (Orleans ’05 – Boston, April 23

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Marcus Stroman continues to light up radar guns in the Blue Jays organization.

Big Arm

Baseball America’s scouting report of Marcus Stroman following the 2010 Cape Cod League season began, “Though he’s just 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds…” and pretty much every scouting report since includes a variation on that phrase.

But it doesn’t seem to be slowing the flame-throwing righty down.

Following his stint in Orleans and a tremendous career at Duke, Stroman was a first-round pick of the Blue Jays and he has rocketed through their system. Even with a 50-game suspension for a positive amphetamines test, Stroman ended the 2013 season at Double A. He had a 3.30 ERA to go with 129 strikeouts in 111 innings. There remains debate about Stroman’s future as a starter, but he’s been in the rotation every step of the way in pro ball and it appears he’ll get a shot at the next level sooner rather than later. Stroman was ranked as Toronto’s second-best prospect by Baseball America and could be in the bigs as early as next season.

Steady Rise for Tucker

Florida slugger Preston Tucker had a good amount of buzz coming into the 2010 Cape League season, but he struggled mightily, hitting just .113 for Orleans before finally getting his feet in a decent playoff stretch.

Tucker hasn’t had a season like that since.

A seventh-round pick of the Astros in 2012, Tucker hit .321 in his first year as a pro and continued to shine this past season. Between two levels, he hit .297 with 25 homers.

MILB Notables

Andrew Aplin (Orleans ’11) hit .278 for Houston’s entry in the California League and drove in a league-high 107 RBI . . . One of the newest Firebirds in pro ball, Conrad Gregor (Orleans ’12) hit .289 in his pro debut in Houston’s affiliate in the New York-Penn League . . . Jimmy Reed (Orleans ’12) had a 2.05 ERA mostly as a starter in the NY-Penn League . . . Jayce Boyd (Orleans ’11), a sixth round pick in 2012, advanced to the tough Florida State League in the Mets organization and held his own, hitting .292 after raking to a .361 clip in the South Atlantic League . . . Former Stony Brook standout Maxx Tissenbaum (Orleans ’11), an 11th-round pick in 2012, spent all of 2013 in the Class A Midwest League and hit .277 . . . Former Firebirds reliever Mike Hauschild (Orleans ’11) started 19 games between two levels in the Astros organization and had a 3.50 combined ERA . . . Matt Newman (Orleans ’10) hooked on with the Blue Jays organization as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and had his best pro season in 2013, hitting .290 . . . Steve Selsky (Orleans ’10) hit .297 with a .388 OBP for Cincinnati’s California League affiliate . . . A year ago, speedster Gary Brown (Orleans ’09) was the top prospect in the Giants system. He fell back a bit this year with a .231 average and only 17 steals in the Pacific Coast League, but his speed remains a hot commodity . . . Brad Boxberger (Orleans ’07; Chatham ’08) struggled as a starter in his first two years as a pro but has been a steady reliever ever since. He struck out 89 in 57.1 minor league innings this year before getting a call to San Diego for an 18-game stint in the bigs.

December 1, 2013December 1, 2013

Solid Pro Year for CCBL Champ Cotuit

Right Field Fog’s 2013 Alumni Reports continue with a look at the group whose successors called themselves Cape League champs in 2013: the Cotuit Kettleers.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Jason Kipnis was an MLB All-Star for the Cleveland Indians.

Second to None

Accolades have rolled after nearly every year of Jason Kipnis’s career. The former Cotuit Kettleer was one of the top prospects in the Cape League in 2008, the PAC 10 Player of the Year at Arizona State in 2009 and the Cleveland Indians’ Minor League Player of the Year. After a solid Major League debut in 2012 – but a brief hiatus in the honors – Kipnis was back to his old tricks in 2013. The Indians second baseman was named an American League All-Star, solidifying his place as one of the best young second basemen in the game.

Kipnis started hot, earning Player of the Week honors twice in a month of June that saw him hit .419. Later in the summer, he earned his All-Star nod and delivered an RBI double in the eighth inning.

He finished the season hitting .284 with 17 homers and 84 RBI, to go with 30 stolen bases. He helped the Indians to their first playoff appearance since 2007.

Kipnis hit .264 with two home runs in the 2008 CCBL season.

What a Relief

One of the longest tenured Kettleers alumni and a relative newcomer both made their presence felt in new bullpen roles in 2013.

After recording a total of seven saves in 10 Major League seasons, Jason Grilli became the closer for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013 and made himself right at home, saving 33 games and earning National League all-star honors. Grilli helped end a 20-year playoff drought for the Pirates. Grilli was a Cotuit Kettleer in 1995 and a Brewster Whitecap in 1996.

Luke Hochevar played for Cotuit in 2003 and was starting to pop on No. 1 pick bust lists as he failed to post an ERA lower than in 4.81 in his first six seasons with the Royals. In 2013, Hochevar moved to the bullpen and delivered, becoming a dominant setup man and a key part of a turnaround in KC. Hochevar finished with a 1.92 ERA in 58 appearances.

MLB Notables

Yan Gomes (Cotuit ’07/Chatham ’08) joined Grilli in Cleveland and was a revelation, hitting .294 with 11 homers in 88 games. Reports indicate he may become Cleveland’s starting catching in 2014…Chase Headley (Cotuit ’04) came back to earth a bit after a breakout 2012, but still hit 13 homers for the Padres…Veteran Chris Capuano (Cotuit ’97 & ’98) remained a solid starter for the Dodgers…Chase Utley (Cotuit ’99), annually one of the Cape’s top alumni until an injury in 2012, bounced back with 18 homers in 2013…The Mariners are still waiting for former CCBL MVP Justin Smoak (Cotuit ’06) to become a bona fide star but he did hit a career-high 20 homers this year…

MLB Debuts

Brandon Cumpton (Cotuit ’08 & ’09) – Pittsburgh, June 15
Chris Dwyer (Cotuit ’09) – Kansas City, Sept. 24
Jeff Kobernus (Cotuit ’08) – Washington, May 25
Cameron Rupp (Cotuit ’09) – Philadelphia, Sept. 10

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Micah Johnson led the minors in stolen bases.

Speed Demons

Under Mike Roberts, Cotuit has become known as the place on the Cape for base-stealers, and quite a few are still using their speed to power their climb through the minors.

Three Cotuit alumni were among the top 30 base stealers in the minor leagues. The group was led by White Sox farmhand Micah Johnson, who swiped a minors-best 87 bags in 2013. Johnson was a Kettleer in 2011. To go with his high speed thievery, Johnson hit .312.

Also on the leaderboard were Rico Noel (Cotuit ’09) and Jeff Kobernus (Cotuit ’08). Noel stole 59 bases and hit .266 for San Diego’s Double A affiliate. Kobernus stole 42 at Triple A and played 24 games in the bigs with the Nationals.

Top Arms

Cape League alums don’t show up on pitching prospect lists as much as they do on position player tallies, but Cotuit can lay claim to two of the best. Kyle Zimmer (Cotuit ’11) is the second-ranked prospect in the Royals system, according to Baseball America and his CCBL teammate Chris Beck (Cotuit ’11) is ranked 10th in the White Sox system. Nick Tropeano (Cotuit ’10) checks in at No. 9 in the Astros’ system.

Zimmer got off to a rough start in 2013, but settled in and finished with a 4.32 ERA and 140 strikeouts. He ended the season in Double A, where he had a 1.93 ERA in four starts. In the meantime, his brother Bradley won the 2013 Cape League championship with Cotuit.

Beck is on a similar trajectory, having spent time at both Class A and Double A in 2013. He finished the season with a 3.07 ERA and is the fourth-ranked pitcher in the Chicago system.

Tropeano, one of the heroes of Cotuit’s 2010 championship, spent the entire season at Double A Corpus Christi. Though his ERA was a little high at 4.11, he struck out a Texas League-best 130 in 133.2 innings.

MILB NOTABLES

Tony Kemp (Cotuit ’12) made his pro debut in the Houston organization and hit .273 at two levels, with 21 stolen bases…Kemp’s Vandy teammate Mike Yastrzemski (Cotuit ’10 & ’11) hit .273 in his first season in the Baltimore organization…Jordan Leyland (Cotuit ’10 & ’11) hit .341 in the Northwest League before a promotion to Class A in the Toronto organization…Kyle Finnegan (Cotuit ’12) made a splash for Oakland’s short-season affiliate, striking out 50 in 11 games…Victor Roache (Cotuit ’11), a star with the Kettleers, hit 22 homers for Class A Wisconsin of the Brewers organization…Deven Marrero (Cotuit ’10 & ’11) hit .252 between two levels but remains a top 10 Red Sox prospect, according to Baseball America…Alex Yarbrough (Cotuit ’11) hit .313 with 11 homers and was ranks 10th in BA’s top Angels prospects…Caleb Joseph (Cotuit ’07) had his best year as a pro, blasting 22 home runs for Double A Bowie in the Baltimore farm system…Reliever Ben Rowen (Cotuit ’09) continued to excel in the bullpen, posting a 0.69 ERA in 51 appearances between two levels for the Rangers farm system…Mike Ford (Cotuit ’13), who starred at the beginning of this past CCBL season before signing with the Yankees, hit .235 in the NY-Penn League

October 24, 2013October 24, 2013

Minor League All-Stars

Every year, hundreds of Cape Cod Baseball League alumni criss-cross the country, one minor league ballpark at a time. These 16 did it best in 2013 and are Right Field Fog’s CCBL Minor League All-Stars. Selections are based largely on performance in the 2013 season, not prospect rankings. This is the first in a series of alumni reports that will include a roundup of each Cape League team’s top performers.

C – CALEB JOSEPH

Baltimore – Double A

The former Cotuit Kettleer was an eighth-round pick of the Orioles in the 2008 draft. He’s moved methodically through the Baltimore system since then, but 2013 might represent his breakout season. In 135 games for Double A Bowie, Joseph batted .299 with 22 home runs and 97 RBI. He earned Eastern League Post-Season All-Star honors. While the season was Joseph’s fourth at Double A, he may have earned himself a promotion this time around.

IN THE RUNNING: Kevin Plawecki, Rob Kral, Andrew Knapp

1B – BEN PAULSEN

Colorado – Triple A

A former Hyannis Met and a third-round pick out of Clemson, Paulsen is another minor league vet, but after a big year in the Pacific Coast League, he finds himself knocking on the door of the big leagues. Paulsen hit .292 for Colorado Springs and belted 18 home runs and 32 doubles. He drove in 79 and racked up an .867 OPS. With longtime Rockies first baseman Todd Helton retiring, Paulsen has put himself into the heir apparent conversation.

IN THE RUNNING: Jayce Boyd, Trey Mancini, Daniel Palka, William Carmona, Max Muncy, Hunter Morris

2B – MICAH JOHNSON

Chicago White Sox – Class A, Double A

The former Cotuit Kettleer and Indiana Hoosier is quite literally speeding his way through the Chicago White Sox system. A ninth-round pick in the 2012 draft, Johnson’s trademark speed carried him all the way to Double A in his first season as a pro. He made three stops in 2013, and his speed played at every one of them. For the year, Johnson stole a minors-best 84 bases. He also hit .312 with seven homers and reached base at a .373 clip. Johnson has his best success in the South Atlantic League, where he hit .342 and stole 61 bags.

IN THE RUNNING: Grant Green, Kolten Wong, Alex Yarbrough, Tommy LaStella, Robert Refsnyder

3B – KRIS BRYANT

Chicago Cubs – Short Season, Class A Advanced

The newest pro on this list wasted no time cementing his status as one of baseball’s best prospects. In the spring, the former Chatham Angler blasted 31 home runs for the University of San Diego. In June, the Cubs made him the second overall pick in the draft. In July, Bryant signed – and he spent the rest of the summer proving his worth. In 18 games in the Northwest League, Bryant hit .354 with four homers. He then skipped Low Class A and went right to the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, where he hit .333 with five more homers and helped Daytona win the league championship. He’s currently lighting up the prospect-heavy Arizona Fall League.

IN THE RUNNING: Cal Towey, Ryan Wheeler, Chris Dominguez, Mike Garza

SS – DARNELL SWEENEY

Los Angeles Dodgers – Class A Advanced

The former Harwich Mariner was a 13th-round pick of the Dodgers in 2012 and had a strong debut last summer. In his first full season of pro ball, Sweeney was even better. He hit .275 with 11 homers, 34 doubles and 16 triples, to go with 77 RBI. He reached base at a .348 clip and stole 48 bases. He also hit for the cycle in a game in May.

IN THE RUNNING: J.J. Altobelli, Eric Stamets, Deven Marrero

OF – GEORGE SPRINGER

Houston Astros – Double A, Triple A

Perhaps no player in minor league baseball had a more productive 2013 season than former Wareham star George Springer. The speedy outfielder hit 37 home runs and stole 45 bases, leaving him on the doorstep of becoming the first 40-40 player in the modern history of minor league baseball. Springer also hit .303 with a sparkling .411 on-base percentage. He drove in 108, and the 37 homers ranked third in all of minor league baseball.

OF – ADAM BRETT WALKER

Minnesota Twins – Class A

Walker had some struggles on the Cape in 2011, highlighting the boom-or-bust concerns that had already been attached. After his first full season as a pro, Walker is moving toward the boom side of the equation. The former Hyannis Harbor Hawk hit .278 and blasted 27 homers for Cedar Rapids of the Midwest League. He also tallied 31 doubles and 109 RBI. He earned Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star honors.

OF – ANDREW TOLES

Tampa Bay Rays – Class A

Toles starred for Brewster in 2011, though his collegiate career at Tennessee was abbreviated after he was dismissed from the team. After a season in the juco ranks, Toles was drafted in the third round of the 2012 draft and has made his presence felt. In this his first full season as a pro, Toles hit .326 with 53 extra-base hits and stole 62 bases.

IN THE RUNNING: Jeff Kobernus, John Andreoli, Tom Belza, Adam Engel, Brian Humphries, Stephen Piscotty, Preston Tucker, Josh Elander, Jeremy Baltz, Jordan Patterson, Alex Dickerson, Victor Roache, Kent Matthes, Derek Jones, Brett Eibner, Dan Paolini

DH – TOMMY MEDICA

San Diego Padres – Double A

Medica won a Cape League championship with Harwich in 2008. He was a 14th-round pick out of Santa Clara in 2010 but may prove to be a steal if this season is any indication. Playing in the Texas League, Medica batted .296 with 20 homers, 22 doubles and 65 RBI. He was a September call-up to the Padres.

SP – KYLE HENDRICKS

Chicago Cubs – Double A, Triple A

Hendricks doesn’t get as much love on top prospects lists as a lot of other pitchers, but the former Brewster reliever has put up impressive numbers at every stop on his pro career, culminating with a tremendous season in 2013. Hendricks spent most of the year at Double A Tennessee, where he went 10-3 with a sparkling 1.85 ERA. He made the jump to Triple A for six starts at the end of the year and continued to pitch well, posting a 2.48 ERA. He was named the Cubs’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

SP – ANTHONY RANAUDO

Boston Red Sox – Double A, Triple A

Ranaudo used the 2010 Cape League season as an opportunity to prove he was healthy to the nearby Red Sox, who had drafted him in June. After excelling with Brewster, Ranaudo inked a deal with the Red Sox and has been one of their top pitching prospects ever since. He didn’t disappoint in 2013, posting solid lines at Double A Portland and Triple A Pawtucket. Combined, Ranaudo went 11-5 with a 2.96 ERA. He struck out 127 in 140 innings.

SP – KYLE ZIMMER

Kansas City – Class A, Double A

Zimmer was a first-round pick in 2012, and the former Cotuit star shined in his pro debut. As he began his first full season on the farm, he had some struggled, but by the end of the year, was exactly where the Royals wanted him. Between two levels, he had a 4.32 ERA with 140 strikeouts in just 108 innings pitched. He topped out at Double A, and actually had more success there. In four starts, he had a 1.93 ERA and a 27-to-5 strikeout to walk ratio.

SP – EDDIE BUTLER

Colorado Rockies – Class A, Double A

Butler was part of a dynamic bullpen for the 2011 Cape League champion Harwich Mariners. After a big spring with Radford, he was drafted in the first round in 2012 and promptly led the Pioneer League in ERA. In 2013, he cruised through three levels, establishing himself as one of the Rockies top prospects at every stop. Butler finished the year with a 9-5 record and a 1.80 ERA, one of the best numbers in all of minor league baseball. He struck out 143 in 149.2 innings.

SP – NATE KARNS

Washington Nationals – Double A

A 2008 Falmouth Commodore, Karns fell behind the curve when he had shoulder surgery before he threw a professional pitch. Karns finally returned to action in 2011 and has made the most of his second chance. He was the National’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2012. This year, he went 10-6 with a 3.26 ERA in Double A, and his 155 strikeouts ranked 15th in all of minor league baseball. Karns had a cup of coffee with the Nationals early in the season as an injury fill-in.

IN THE RUNNING: Dylan Floro, Andrew Heaney, Matt Barnes, Pierce Johnson, Mario Hollands, Taylor Rogers, Tim Cooney, Deck McGuire, Jon Moscot, Andy Oliver, Eric Jokisch, Marcus Stroman, Logan Verrett, Nick Tropeano

RP – NICK WITTGREN

Miami Marlins – Class A, Double A

Wittgren saved nine games for Hyannis in 2011 and the Purdue grad continues to pick up saves at a break-neck clip in pro ball. A ninth-round pick in 2012, Wittgren saved 13 games after signing with the Marlins that year. This season, he emerged as one of the best relievers in the minors, tallying 26 saves and giving up just five earned runs the entire year for a 0.83 ERA. He struck out 63 and walked just 10.

RP – VIC BLACK

New York Mets – Triple A

The former Bourne Brave had a tough start to his professional career, but after a move to the bullpen, he took off in 2012. The rise continued this year, as Black saved 17 games in Triple A while striking out 63 in 46.2 innings. His success earned him a promotion to New York.

IN THE RUNNING: Michael Morin, Jake Barrett, Lee Hyde, Michael Nesseth, Ben Rowen, Joshua Turley