4/3 MiLB Gameday: Opening Day

Cuzittt

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Today's Games:

IL:Pawtucket (Allen Webster) vs. Lehigh Valley (David Buchanan) [7:05pm]
EL: Portland (Henry Owens) @ Reading (Jesse Biddle) [7:05pm]
CL:Salem (TBD) @ Myrtle Beach (Victor Payano) [7:05pm]
SAL: Greenville (Cody Kukuk) @ Kannapolis (James Dykstra) [7:05pm]
NYPL: Lowell - Opening Day - June 13th vs. Vermont
GCL: GCL Sox - Opening Day - June 20th vs GCL Twins
DSL: DSL Sox - Opening Day - May 31st
 
Notes:
 
Scoreboard:

Boston Red Sox Minor League Scores

Media:

MiLB TV
MiLB Radio

Local Media:

Pawsox:

Providence Journal
Pawtucket Times

Seadogs: Portland Press Herald

Salem: Roanoke Times

Greenville: Greenville Online

Lowell: Lowell Sun
 

Cuzittt

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Pawsox:
 
Roster
 
Boles eyes regular season
 


As Kevin Boles discovered this spring, the day-to-day duties and responsibilities of managing the Pawtucket Red Sox will come in good time.
Reached over the weekend from Fort Myers, Boles noted that he and PawSox coach Bruce Crabbe remained with the parent club until the near completion of Grapefruit League play. Keeping the Triple-A manager around the big-league atmosphere is a fairly common practice for the Red Sox, as Boles recalled that his PawSox predecessor, Gary DiSarcina, reported to the minors just as camp was set to conclude.
Boles should know. A year ago, he kept DiSarcina’s seat warm while managing Pawtucket during its exhibition schedule. This year the task fell to Billy McMillon, who replaces Boles as Double-A Portland’s skipper. Needless to say, Boles cherished the privilege of soaking up big-league life for an additional stretch.
“What a wonderful experience. Our major-league staff is terrific and incredibly hardworking, organized and detailed,” expressed Pawtucket’s first-year manager. “It was a great experience and very beneficial because there’s always adjustments to the fundamentals and terminology along with learning the different tweaks that are involved year to year.”
Looking to not step on anyone’s toes, Boles would park himself on the far end of the bench and marvel at the precision taking place out on the field. As the exhibition games progressed, he would slide down in the direction of Boston’s coaching brain trust.
“I would watch the signs being relayed by (Boston third-base coach) Brian Butterfield and see the outfield interaction with (former PawSox manager and current Red Sox first-base coach) Arnie Beyeler,” Boles regaled. “Then I’d sit down with (bench coach) Torey (Lovullo), (manager) John (Farrell) and (pitching coach) Juan Nieves and just watched how they viewed different plays.”
While Boles admitted that he kept tabs on who was being reassigned to the minors, he steered clear of processing the Pawtucket roster that would be accompanying him north.
 
Reaping the Benefits
 


“Champions Rise” is once again en vogue at McCoy Stadium. This time, though, the popular slogan is not directly paying homage to the building’s primary tenants.
Last year, “Champions Rise” was synonymous with the Pawtucket Red Sox and the franchise’s 2012 Governors’ Cup title. As patrons passed through the main entrance at McCoy, they were greeted by a colossal banner that proved a fitting salute to a fitting champion.
The photo arrangement that properly captured the meritorious feat included a group shot and, of course, the silver goblet that was presented to the PawSox upon earning the distinction as the International League’s best. Undoubtedly, your eyes became fixated on the two words in bold lettering – “Champions Rise.”
The catchphrase has returned for the 2014 campaign – those who flock to McCoy will once again come face-to-face with an insignia that provides a tip of the cap to a title winner from the previous season – albeit with a different twist
This time, the champions referenced play north of Pawtucket. Not to completely spoil the banner that was unveiled last week, but the artistic composition features Red Sox players with firm PawSox ties and the World Series trophy.
“It all plays into our theme from a year ago of trying to build off our championship,” points out Mike Tamburro, president of the PawSox. “The fact the Red Sox won one of their own makes the theme even stronger.”
It’s not fair to sit here and say that the PawSox are riding the coattails of the Red Sox. Both are independent operations that tend to cater to different breeds of baseball clientele. Boston routinely lays claim to owning the highest ticket prices in Major League Baseball while Pawtucket prides itself in keeping costs down so that a family can enjoy the game without having to worry about the wallet taking a beating.
Still, there’s no denying the trickle-down service the PawSox potentially stand to reap simply by latching onto the gravy train and branding themselves as the Triple-A affiliate of the World Champion Boston Red Sox. From spikes in attendance and merchandise sales to even more word-of-mouth discussion, the local outfit stands on the threshold of a windfall that comes with the parent club riding high.
“There should definitely be a residual benefit,” notes Tamburro. “Is it easier (to promote PawSox baseball) this year as opposed to last year? Without a doubt. Coming off (Boston’s last-place disgrace in 2012), Red Sox baseball was not what it is right now. People are excited about the major-league team and seeing the kids here.”
 

Cuzittt

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Portland
 
Roster
 
Blake Swihart
 

Talk to Boston Red Sox people about Swihart, and they don’t tone down the hype.
“I think special is a good way to describe him,” Portland Sea Dogs Manager Billy McMillon said.
“The athleticism this guy brings is off the charts,” said Chad Epperson, Boston’s roving minor league catching instructor.
What about his character?
“Off the charts,” Epperson said again.
Boston director of player development Ben Crockett said Swihart could “potentially help us at the major league level.”
Crockett was talking sooner, rather than later.
Even Red Sox Manager John Farrell made note of Swihart in spring training. When reporters were asking about the development of catching prospect Christian Vazquez, Farrell said, “don’t forget about Blake Swihart.”
Notice a trend here? The Boston Red Sox have five catchers on their 40-man roster, all in the major league or in Triple-A, but the future behind the plate at Fenway Park could be a young man wearing the gear at Hadlock Field this season.
Swihart, who turns 22 on Thursday – opening day for the Sea Dogs – is considered that good. His defense is close to the esteemed Vazquez, as the Red Sox chose Swihart their minor league Defensive Player of the Year.
Vazquez threw out a league-leading 46 percent of potential stealers last year for Portland. Swihart, at Class A Salem, also led his league (41.5 percent).
Swihart’s offense also draws attention. With a switch-hitting, line-drive stroke, Swihart hit .298 in Salem last year, with a .366 on-base percentage and .428 slugging average (.794 OPS).
“I think he has a very high ceiling with what he can do, both behind the plate and offensively,” McMillon said. “It’s going to be really nice to see his development.”
McMillon watched that development as Salem’s manager last year. Now he will mentor Swihart at Hadlock.
 
Peter Hissey
 

Hissey, 24, is still trying to fulfill his potential, which the Red Sox saw when Hissey was a big-bonus draft pick in 2008.
But that’s only baseball.
Hissey also has is mind on other things, especially a women he met in Ecuador during the offseason. Her name is Grace.
And Hissey’s in love.
“We’ll see what the future holds,” Hissey said.
That statement could cover a few areas of Hissey’s life.
This is his final year under Red Sox control as a minor leaguer. If Hissey is going to continue playing baseball, he needs to prove himself to the Red Sox, or some other organization that might be interested.
The good news for Hissey is his health. He has been playing baseball all spring instead of spending extra time with the trainer.
In five full pro seasons, Hissey has never played more than 112 games – and that was back in 2010. In the past two years with the Portland Sea Dogs, Hissey has played a total of 138 games.
“This year my only goal is to stay on the field,” Hissey said. “I feel if I stay on the field I’ll give myself the best opportunity to be the best player I can be – whether that’s a big-league player or a Double-A player. I want to know for sure.”
Scouts thought they knew when they saw Hissey play for Unionville High in southern Pennsylvania. Baseball America projected Hissey to go in the first three rounds of the draft. He was fast, athletic and a pure hitter, smacking line drives and batting over .500 for three varsity seasons.
But Hissey also had a scholarship to the University of Virginia. Teams stayed away until Boston chose him in the fourth round and gave him a $1 million signing bonus.
Boston likes to challenge its top prospects and, in his first full pro season, Hissey was sent to Class A Greenville. He held his own, batting .279 with 22 stolen bases in 106 games. That’s his highest average as a pro.
After two seasons with advanced Class A Salem, Hissey was sent to Portland in 2012.
Two weeks into the season, Hissey was hit by a pitch, breaking his hand and landing him on the disabled list for two months. He played 70 games, batting .250 with 15 stolen bases.
Hissey put on more muscle in 2013 but still got hurt off and on, playing 68 games (.260 average, 17 steals). He ended the season on the disabled list because of a strained groin muscle.
 
Owens and Noe
 

Henry Owens, in his Red Sox blue pullover, and Noe Ramirez, sporting a Boston red T-shirt, drift apart for an inning or two, but then they always seem to find each other. And, more times than not, they will be laughing.
“We just get each other, man,” Ramirez said. “Our humor is pretty similar.”
The way they chum around, you would think they’ve known each other longer. But it was only two years, when they became teammates in the Red Sox organization. They immediately shared something in common.
“He’s a local and I’m a local,” Owens said, referring to their southern California roots.
But Owens and Ramirez, two pitchers who will likely start this year in Portland but might finish it at Fenway Park, could not have grown up more differently.
Ramirez came from the projects, Owens from the beach.
Ramirez, 24, hails from East Los Angeles, where he was raised with his parents and five siblings. There was crime in the area and the expected sound of gunshots most nights. But Ramirez speaks with pride about his hometown.
“It’s a lot safer now,” he said. “Yes, it was dangerous. Yes, it was a tough place growing up. That’s what has molded me to who I am today; that and my parents.”
And baseball, which got Ramirez to college (California State-Fullerton), a signing bonus ($625,000) from Boston in 2011 and now a chance for the major leagues.
Owens, 21, grew up southwest from Ramirez in Huntington Beach, known for its spotless shore and perfect waves. And, yes, Owens used to surf.
Thirty miles from East L.A.; it might as well have been 3,000 miles.
“Polar opposites,” Owens said. Getting to know Ramirez made Owens more appreciative of his own circumstances.
“I lived a privileged life,” Owens said, “and now I play baseball for a living.”
Like Ramirez, Owens was introduced to baseball by his father. A lanky 6-foot-6 left-hander, Owens dominated at Edison High and the Red Sox drafted him in the same year as Ramirez. He received a $1.5 million signing bonus and is considered by many as Boston’s best pitching prospect.
Because of Owens’ ability, he usually played against older players. The Red Sox treated him the same way. Owens began his pro career in 2012 at age 19, bypassing the usual rookie leagues to play in Class A Greenville. One of his teammates was Ramirez.
““That first year of pro ball is when we started hanging out,” Ramirez said. “We realized how similar we are.”
 
Mookie
 

Think about what Mookie Betts did last year and another name comes to mind:
Xander Bogaerts.
Maybe Betts won’t make the impact that Bogaerts will. After all, both are the same age (21), and Bogaerts is ready to be the Boston Red Sox’s starting shortstop. Betts will be in Double-A for the first time next month, playing second base for the Portland Sea Dogs.
But give Betts time. Bogaerts signed with the Red Sox when he was 16. Betts was an 18-year high school graduate when he turned pro.
When Bogaerts was 18, he finished his season in low Class A Greenville, batting .260 with 16 home runs in 72 games and .833 OPS (combined on-base and slugging percentages).
Betts began last year in Greenville and batted .296 with eight home runs in 76 games, with a .895 OPS.
Betts was then promoted to advanced Class A Salem – and he did better. Betts batted .341 with seven home runs in 51 games, with a .966 OPS.
He also stole a combined 38 bases in 42 attempts. His defense is considered a plus.
“He does a lot of things well,” said the Red Sox director of player development, Ben Crockett.
Another area where the Bogaerts comparison doesn’t fit is size. Bogaerts is 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. Betts is 5-9, 165.
That’s where Betts is probably more like Boston’s diminutive Dustin Pedroia.
And when talking about Betts, you have to bring up Pedroia. If Betts wants to play second base for the Red Sox, he may have to wait a while. Pedroia is signed through the 2021 season.
It reminds Sox followers of when Freddy Garcia was a shortstop prospect and Nomar Garciaparra played in Boston. Everyone asked Garcia what he was going to do (it didn’t matter, since he was traded to the Pirates in 2003).
Now Betts hears the question.
“It’s there and you know it,” Betts said about being blocked by Pedroia. “I think about it. But (the Red Sox) know what they’re doing with me so all I can do is just go out and play the game, and let whatever happens, happen.”
 

Cuzittt

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Salem
 
Roster
 
Shooting for Shutouts
 


The ring on Ryan Shelton’s finger is a nice reminder of the challenges of minor league baseball.
It’s a beautiful piece of jewelry — shiny and gold, engraved with his name and that of the Salem Red Sox. But ordering one for every player and coach on last year’s Carolina League championship team underscored the hidden price of success.
“Wasn’t cheap,” said a smiling Shelton, who watched the Salem Sox storm to a title after he was hired as their general manager in August. “It was enough to take you from making money in the playoffs to losing money in the playoffs.”
In a few weeks, Shelton will travel to Boston’s spring training home in Fort Myers, Fla., to deliver the rings to players and make final preparations for the April 8 home opener in Salem. Team staff will begin some painting projects at Salem Memorial Ballpark on days weather permits.
But the drive for increased box-office success has been ongoing since the champagne was spilled in September.
In addition to regular meetings with his own staff, Shelton has been conducting an average of two outside meetings a day with partners and sponsors, trying to keep everyone abreast of the plans for 2014.
“It’s a lot of preaching,” he said, “a lot of telling the story of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Here are a few of the team’s designs to bump up attendance, which despite the on-field success last year ranked second-to-last in the Carolina League at 2,735 a game:
• A drive for sellouts. The Sox haven’t had a capacity crowd since the opening game of 2009 — the team’s first under Boston’s ownership — so a goal of five sellouts in 2014 might seem more than a bit lofty.
Shelton has set it anyway. A heavy emphasis on featured dates — the “Pink in the Park” promotion during Mother’s Day weekend, for example — will attempt to lure max crowds of 6,415.
“We’ll have certain targeted games that we expect to sell out,” Shelton said. “We had gone three years without a 5,000-crowd game before last year, when we had three of them. Now we’re working to sell out those games and add a couple more.”
• Lighting up the sky. The Sox had only five fireworks nights last year. This year, they’ve scheduled 13 — every Friday night, plus opening night and a game when the Amateur Softball Association of America is holding tournaments in Salem.
“I’ve got to believe we had fewer fireworks nights than most minor league teams,” Shelton said. “Our three biggest nights last year all had fireworks on them. There were other contributing factors, obviously, but when you’re trying to sell a group ticket and you can talk about fireworks, it’s a lot easier to sell that group ticket.”
• An emphasis on pre-sold tickets. Shelton has put together ads pitching six-game mini plans that target some of the season’s biggest events, including Star Wars Night (April 26) and Boston Red Sox Championship Night (April 12), when replica rings will be given away.
 

Cuzittt

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SALEM
 
Roster
 
Roster full of 13 Draftees
 


When the Greenville Drive begin to play ball, they’ll do so without Trey Ball.
Ball, a 6-foot-5 left-handed pitcher who was the Boston Red Sox’s top draft pick in 2013, will open the 2014 season with the franchise’s Gulf Coast League team.
But the Drive will be stocked with seven members of the 2013 draft class, including four pitchers, when they open their South Atlantic League season Thursday night at Kannapolis.
Teddy Stankiewicz, a 20-year-old right-hander selected in the second round, heads the pitching staff. Selected out of Seminole (Okla.) Junior College, Stankiewicz made nine starts in 2013 at Class A short-season Lowell of the New York-Penn League, compiling a 2.29 ERA in 192⁄3 innings with 15 strikeouts and only two walks.
Also on pitching staff is fourth-round pick Myles Smith, a right-hander from Lee (Tenn.) University who pitched in the GCL and at Lowell in 2013; seventh-round pick Mike Adams, a left-hander from Tampa (Fla.) University who pitched at Lowell, and Joe Gunkel, the Red Sox’s 18th-round pick who struck out 33 batters in 21 innings last season during stops in the GCL and at Lowell.
Jake Romanski, Boston’s 14th-round pick out of San Diego State in 2013, is one of three catchers on the Drive’s roster.
Greenville’s infield also has two members of the 2013 draft class -- third basemen Carlos Asuaje, a native of Venezuela who played at Nova Southeastern in Florida and was selected in the 11th round, and Jantzen Witte, Boston’s 24th-round pick from Texas Christian.
There is one South Carolinian on the roster. Pitcher Jamie Callahan, who played at Dillon High and was selected by Boston in the second round in 2012, joins the Drive after spending 2013 at Lowell.
The 32-man roster includes 14 players who spent at least part of 2013 in Greenville -- pitchers Jacob Dahlstrand, Jason Garcia, Cody Kukuk, Pat Light, Rob Smorol, Fransisco Taveras and Raynel Velette; catcher Jordan Weems, infielders Keaton Briscoe, Kevin Mager, Mike Miller and Tim Roberson and outfielders Jesus Loya and Kendrick Perkins.
Six members of the team are ranked among Boston’s top thirty prospects by Baseball America magazine -- outfielder Manuel Margo (No. 13), second baseman Wendell Rijo (18); pitchers Stankiewicz (19), Kukuk (21) and Callahan (22) and shorstop Tzu-Wei Lin (28).
 

Mighty Joe Young

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So Trey Ball is still listed on the GCL roster ? Is that really where he's going to start the year ? I would have expected Greenville 
 
[edit: answered in the Greenville writeup - that's weird .. why the GCL???]
 

Cuzittt

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More News...
 
Pawtucket
 
Craig Breslow
 


Craig Breslow is slated to appear in a pair of rehab games for the PawSox on Thursday and Friday as he works toward a quick return to the major-league bullpen.
Breslow is starting the season on the disabled with a mild left shoulder strain. Since his stint on the DL was backdated into spring training, he’s eligible to come off the DL on Friday. He’s hopeful he’ll be activated shortly after the back-to-back outings this week.
“It will become a baseball decision up to John [Farrell] and Ben [Cherington] and those guys to make,” Breslow said. “I understand the luxury of being prudent. Obviously we’ve got guys that can full in, and that gives me the opportunity to come around at exactly the pace my body is telling me as opposed to what a calendar date indicates.”
Breslow’s spot in the bullpen is occupied for the moment by Brandon Workman.
 
2014 Team
 


Thanks to some savvy drafting, the ability to outspend rivals and a veteran-laden, World Series champion team in Boston, the Pawtucket Red Sox should have a strong team this summer.
The 2014 PawSox can only hope to follow in the footsteps of the two previous teams that graced the McCoy Stadium lawn. In 2012, the Sox won the Governor’s Cup on the shoulders of several minor league veterans. Last season, the team was filled with bigger-name prospects and returned to the playoffs. A first-round win over Rochester was followed by a 3-1 Cup series loss to the Durham Bulls.
This year’s team has even more well-known prospects who scouts say should one day be major leaguers. That’s exciting to both the players and new manager Kevin Boles, who worked with basically everyone on the roster the last few seasons at Double-A Portland. The team worked out for the first time Tuesday afternoon at McCoy.
“It’s the Red Sox way — win,” said Garin Cecchini, a third baseman who’ll be a Triple-A rookie when the Sox open on Thursday night against Lehigh Valley (7:05 p.m.). “All the fans want is to win, it doesn’t matter how you get it done. That’s all I care about, all that these guys care about. You just need to get that done consistently.”
Winning starts with starting pitching and the Boston organization has stressed pitching for years now. The Pawtucket rotation should be loaded with Allen Webster, Matt Barnes, Anthony Ranaudo, Rubby De La Rosa and Chris Hernandez. Webster, who will start the season-opener, is the fourth-rated prospect in the Red Sox system, according to Baseball America. Barnes (eighth) and Ranuado (10th) are impressive talents as well.
Ranaudo, a 6-foot-7 righty, pitched the division-clinching game and started two playoff games. He finished 3-1 in six Triple A starts, striking out 21 and walking only seven.
“I’m kind of living out my dream,” Cecchini said. “My dream is to play in the big leagues and I can sniff it. I’m one step away. You can get that call any day so you have to produce every day.”
The 23-year-old spent the last six weeks in camp with players like Dustin Pedroia and the top prospect in the system, Xander Bogaerts. What did he learn from that experience?
“The consistency of their routines. Dustin Pedroia brings Dustin Pedroia every single day. That’s the key. That’s what makes consistent big leaguers,” Cecchini said.
 
Josh Maurer
 


Pawtucket Red Sox officials have gone in many different directions to bring in broadcast talent for their team in the last 30 years. What they have done to fill their latest vacancy is a bit unusual once again.
They have dipped into the Yankees system to bring in their newest talent. Josh Maurer, who has been with the Yankees for nine years, will join Jeff Levering as Pawtucket’s broadcast team for this season. Maurer comes over from the Trenton Thunder, the Yanks’ Double-A team, where he worked for the last two years. He had been with the Yanks’ Single-A Charleston, S.C., RiverDogs before that.
Maurer has no trouble making the transition in organizations. He grew up in the Philadelphia area as a Phillies fan, but says he long has been a Red Sox fan, too.
“The Phillies were so bad when I was growing up in the 1990s,” he said. “I figured I should root for an American League team, too. I rooted for the Red Sox. There is some Red Sox in my blood. I’m going to be happy to wear those colors.”
Maurer’s Red Sox roots have become even stronger in the last six years. While he has spent the baseball season in Charleston and Trenton, he has spent most of the year at the University of Massachusetts, where he has been both the football and basketball radio voice of the Minutemen. He will continue in those roles as he becomes a full-time New Englander.
“The six years at UMass have been phenomenal,” said Maurer, who receives rave reviews from the people he has worked with in Amherst. “When I got the job it was cool because being from Philadelphia I have been an Atlantic 10 fan. I used to go to Saint Joseph’s games. I used to go to Temple games. My father works for the Temple University Hospital. I’ve always thought of the A-10 as kind of like my conference.”
“Now UMass plays its football games in Gillette, which is awesome for a broadcaster,” he added.
 
Back to Work
 


A year after reaching the Governors’ Cup finals, the Pawtucket Red Sox are looking to come back even stronger with a veteran Triple-A squad that will boast more than just a ring of familiarity.
Eight players on the PawSox opening day roster will be at Fenway Park the following afternoon to receive the World Series rings they earned as contributors to last year’s champion Boston Red Sox. Among the “Elite Eight” is Pawtucket’s opening day starter, Allen Webster.
That notable group will join forces with several more holdovers from last season’s division winner. From up-and-comers such as Anthony Ranaudo and Christian Vazquez to the player who delivering the game-winning base hit to clinch the I.L. North in Justin Henry, the 2014 PawSox – at least the squad slated to begin the new season – are about as experienced as a roster gets at the minor-league level.
 

Cuzittt

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Seadogs ready for duty
 

The team assembled in Portland for the first time Tuesday. On Wednesday morning they will board a bus bound for Reading, Pa., for Thursday’s opener against the Fightin’ Phils.
After a week-long road trip, the Sea Dogs return to Portland for the home opener April 10.
By then it may be warmer – maybe.
It’s not that the Sea Dogs will be cozy this weekend. Thursday looks to be a raw night in Reading, possible rain with temperatures in the low 50s.
That’s why Henry Owens is glad he’s pitching Thursday. When minor league pitchers aren’t on the mound, they’re usually in the stands charting the pitches thrown in the game.
“When you’re charting, you’re not moving,” Owens said. “Rather pitch.”
OWENS IS THE ace of this staff despite being only 21. In two pro seasons he’s 23-11 with a 3.61 ERA.
To put Owens’ progress into perspective, if he had accepted his scholarship to the University of Miami instead of signing with the Red Sox in 2011, he would be a junior this year and eligible for the draft again.
Instead the left-hander is returning to Double-A, where he was 3-1 (1.78) in six starts last year.
 
Kukuk feels at home with Drive
 

The pitcher’s mound is the same in Boston as it is in Portland, Maine and the same in Fort Myers, Fla., as it is in Greenville.
But given his druthers, at this point in his career, the hump at Fluor Field is just fine with Cody Kukuk.
“I’m comfortable on any mound, but I do love Greenville,” said Kukuk, one of 28 players who will open the 2014 season on the roster of the Greenville Drive. “This is a great place to play. I got off on the right foot in spring training and I’m happy with where I am. I’m ready to go.”
He’d better be. Kukuk will be on the mound Thursday when Greenville opens its Class A South Atlantic League season at Kannapolis in the first of seven consecutive road games to open the season.
“He’s one I’d pay to watch,” Drive pitching coach Paul Abbott said of Kukuk, one of 11 players on this year’s roster who spent time in Greenville in 2013. “A left-hander who can sit at 93, 94 miles per hour and touch 96, 97? He’s been fun to watch evolve.
“Last year he took his lumps a little bit, struggled with some control issues, but his maturity level has increased tremendously. He’s a pitcher who will probably be pitching at a higher-level someday this year.”
Kukuk could have given guided tours on Tuesday, when Greenville players and coaches arrived, checked out their digs at Fluor Field, tried on uniforms and held their first practice.
Kukuk’s manager certainly didn’t need a map, however. Darren Fenster is back in Greenville to guide the Drive after serving as the team’s hitting coach in 2012.
 

tbrown_01923

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Sooki-sooki.  Thank you in advance for all the hard work put into these threads over the course of the season - this is my must read with coffee every morning!
 

Detts

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Spring is officially here!
 
I cancelled my subscription to the Greenville paper, so unfortunately I no longer have a login to loan you :(
 

Cuzittt

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PAWSOX
 
5 Items to Watch
 

1). A spin-off of Three’s Company
In Ryan Lavarnway, Dan Butler and Christian Vazquez, Pawtucket features a trio of catchers. At Tuesday’s media day, pitching coach Rich Sauveur went out of his way to declare all of them as big-league caliber. Bestowing plaudits aside, the bigger question is how exactly first-year manager Kevin Boles plans to divvy up the playing time for the three players, all of whom are on Boston’s 40-man roster.
The potential for a logjam were somewhat alleviated when Lavarnway began taking up first base during spring training. Such a move was done due to the organization’s crowded catching situation at the upper levels. The dependable Butler and defensive whiz Vazquez were ticketed as Pawtucket’s tag team with the talented Blake Swihart lurking in Double-A Portland.
“Little first base, little catching, little DH. I’m not sure of the exact numbers, but we’ve got three catchers who need to play. We all have to get at-bats so it will be divvied up somehow,” said Lavarnway, who at Tuesday’s workout fielded grounders at first base under the supervision and guiding hand of PawSox coach Bruce Crabbe.
“I’m having fun. It’s a new opportunity and I think it will do nothing but add value,” said Lavarnway about learning a new position.
Said Boles, “With Lavarnway getting the versatility at first base and someone being plugged into the (designated hitter) spot, they’ll definitely play. All three of them have something different to offer, but they’ll all get an opportunity.”
2). Hot start at the hot corner
Different players, different years and different circumstances, but follow the looping curveball for one second.
Two years ago, Will Middlebrooks parlayed a blistering first month with the PawSox into a big-league promotion. He slugged nine home runs and batted .333 in 24 Triple-A games. What also aided Middlebrooks’ cause was that Boston needed a starting third baseman after Kevin Youkilis landed on the disabled list.
Fast forward to 2014. Once again, Pawtucket features an up-and-coming third baseman in Garin Cecchini, a newcomer to Triple A. If Middlebrooks’ struggles of a year ago carry over into this season and Cecchini encounters smooth sailing in his PawSox debut, what’s not to say the Red Sox will at least entertain the thought of turning to the 22-year-old Cecchini?
To be fair, Middlebrooks and Cecchini are not cut from the same cloth. Middlebrooks has the raw power factor working in his favor, but Cecchini is more disciplined at the plate, a claim backed by his .417 on-base percentage in 279 minor-league games.
“Everyone can say you don’t have power, hand speed or blah, blah, blah, but it’s about staying consistent and helping your team win,” said Cecchini. “I’m not a power hitter, but I’m a good hitter. All I need to do is be good.’
 
SEADOGS
 
Bringing Personality
 

Down a few rungs on the baseball ladder, the Salem Red Sox overcame some of their top players being promoted to Portland and still came through to win the Carolina League championship.
Several of those Salem players are now in Double-A, playing for the Portland Sea Dogs.
Portland is scheduled to begin its season at 7 p.m. Thursday at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Reading Fightin Phils, unless a predicted rain storm forces a postponement.
It has been eight years since the Sea Dogs won the Eastern League title and six years since they reached the playoffs. This could be the season Portland returns to contention.
This team has good players and maybe a little something extra.
“Beyond the talent, the personality of this team will be the driving force,” said infielder Sean Coyle, who finished last season with Salem. “We enjoy playing with each other and we feed off each other’s energy.”
Coyle, 22, is one of those with energy. He hit 16 home runs in Class A last year, third-highest in the Red Sox farm system, and batted .417 in the postseason.
Coyle replaces prized third-base prospect Garin Cecchini, now in Triple-A Pawtucket, and helps maintain a promising infield.
Mookie Betts, who hit .341 in a half-season at Salem, is at second base. Deven Marrero and Travis Shaw, two players invited to major league spring training, man short and first base.
 
SALEM
 
Defending the Title
 


Matt Gedman probably had the right idea.
“I’m not going to throw a number out there,” the Salem Red Sox first baseman said.
Oh, come on. Why not?
“Because,” he said, “I don’t want you asking me in two weeks if I’m panicking.”
Fair enough. Wise, even. The question wouldn’t exactly pass the Norman Vincent Peale test anyway. The power of positive thinking would demand that you never entertain an idea such as this one.
But just for fun: How many hitless at-bats would it take to start the season before you’d begin worrying about how your baseball season was going?
“Oh, gosh,” Salem Sox catcher Carson Blair said. “Hitless? I would have to say 0-for-30. Then you’d start to reach for that panic button.”
By May, they’ll be deep into their routines. By August, many will be tired and ready for the campaign to end. But tonight, as they open the 2014 season at Myrtle Beach, the Salem Red Sox will see their focus, and anxiety, reach their peak.
It’s time to perform.
The popular narrative is that the Sox are looking to reprise the magic of 2013, create the same uncommon chemistry and defend their Carolina League title in style. With 11 players back from that championship team, there’s a strong hope in the clubhouse that this will be the case.
 
DRIVE
 
Fenster excited to debut
 

When the Greenville Drive's baseball season launches tonight in Kannapolis, N.C., it will mark the start of Darren Fenster's tenure as the team's manager.
And he's excited to have that opportunity with Greenville, a city and team that Fenster says will always be special to him since it's where he began his coaching career in professional baseball.
"The memories that I have from that first season for me are just great," he said.
In 2012, Fenster served as the hitting coach for the Drive. Last year, he led the short-season Gulf Coast League (GCL) Red Sox to a 35-25 record and a spot in the GCL championship series.
Now he takes over for Carlos Febles, who managed the Drive the past two seasons and has moved up to High-A Salem.
"I'm thrilled to be back," Fenster said. "When (Ben) Crockett (Red Sox director of player development in the minor leagues) mentioned that this is the direction they were moving in during the winter, I didn't have much to say, and it takes a lot to get me speechless.
"We're excited to get going," he said. "We had a really productive spring training. Real excited about the group that we have."
 

Mugsy's Jock

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Very frustrated there are no day games today -- find myself spending entirely too much time at my job doing work instead of something important...
 

Doctuh

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Mike Antonellis has become the voice of summer in Maine. So glad Sea Dogs baseball is back!
 
Mookie Betts started the season with a HR. Delightful!
 

Cuzittt

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Drive win 3-1.
 
Boxscore
 
Cody Kukuk went 5 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits, 4 walks and a WP; striking out 4. Jacob Dahlstrand went 3 innings, striking out one. Joe Gunkel went an inning, giving up a hit and a WP.
 
Tzu-Wei Lin went 3/3 with a walk and 2 SBs. Tim Roberson went 2/4. Jordan Weems and Jesus Loya each went 1/3 with a walk; Weems with a double. Carlos Asuaje and Wendell Rijo each went 1/4; Asuaje with a sacrifice. Jordan Witte, Aaron King and Manuel Margot each went 0/4; Witte with a SB.
 

Cuzittt

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Portland win 5-0. Game was ended after 6 innings due to rain.
 
Boxscore
 
Henry Owens went 6 innings (86 pitches), walking 2 and striking out 9.
 
Mookie Betts went 4/4 with a HR. Henry Ramos and Blake Swihart each went 2/3; Swihart with a triple. Deven Marrero went 2/4 with 2 doubles. Carlos Rivero went 1/3 with a double. Sean Coyle went 0/2 with a walk. Travis Shaw went 0/3 with a walk. Stefan Welch and Shannon Wilkerson each went 0/3.
 

mabrowndog

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Not a great night for the PawSox offense, with a goose egg on the board and only two hits on the evening (Holt dbl, bb; Cecchini sgl, bb). Trailing 4-0, b8. 
 
Not a great night for Webster either (3.2 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, HR, 2 BB, 4 K, 46 of 81 pitches for strikes).
 
Two walks in 0.2 innings for Breslow in his rehab outing. 7 bases on balls by PawSox pitching overall.
 

mabrowndog

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Salem lighting up the board with 10 runs -- on only 6 hits. Muchos gracias, Pelicans pitching staff, for the HBP, balk, wild pitch, and THIRTEEN (13) free passes tonight. All their scoring so far was in the first 4 innings.
 
One of the Salem hits was a big one: Ryan Dent with the grand salami in the 3rd. 
 
Solid night for Brian Johnson: 5 IP, 2 R, 1 ER on 4 H, 2 BB and 7 Ks. Kyle Martin follows with 2 shutout IP (3 H, 2 K)
 
10-2 with Myrtle Beach batting in the b-8th.
 

Plympton91

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A major college pitcher in his third pro season can't have a solid night in single-A.  Johnson needs to get to AA pronto before he deserves any respect.
 

mabrowndog

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Plympton91 said:
A major college pitcher in his third pro season can't have a solid night in single-A.  Johnson needs to get to AA pronto before he deserves any respect.
 
I guess you've completely forgotten (or were completely unaware) that he had his face and eye sockets broken into a million pieces by a line drive in 2012. 
 

Merkle's Boner

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That Salem lineup is not very good. They're going to need more nights like that (with 13 walks issued).
 
No Top 30 prospects in the lineup.
 

mabrowndog

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Cuzittt said:
Portland up 5-0 after 6 full, delayed by rain.
 
Boxscore
 
Henry Owens went 6 innings (86 pitches), walking 2 and striking out 9.
 
Mookie Betts is 4/4 with a HR.
 
The umps called it before the bottom of the 7th. 
 
Add all the asterisks you want, but it's a fucking Opening Day no-hitter for Owens (6 IP, 2 BB, 9 K, 59 of 86 pitches for strikes).
 
Marrero (2 dbls, 2 RBI), Ramos & Swihart (sgl, trp) each with a pair of hits. Mookie's HR was a solo shot in Portland's first at-bat of the season.
 

NoLastCall125

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mabrowndog said:
 
Add all the asterisks you want, but it's a fucking Opening Day no-hitter for Owens (6 IP, 2 BB, 9 K, 59 of 86 pitches for strikes).
 
To piggy back on this, it looks like a ball wasn't even hit out of the infield for against him either. Just two walks in the first inning and then nothing. Awesome start.
 

Cuzittt

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Pawsox lose 4-0.
 
Boxscore
 
Allen Webster went 3 2/3 innings, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits (1 HR), 2 walks and a WP; striking out 4. Chris Resop struck out the one batter he faced. Craig Breslow pitched 2/3rds of an inning, walking 2 and balking. Tommy Layne went 1 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out 2. Dalier Hinijosa went 1 2/3 innings, allowing a run on a hit, 2 walks and a WP; striking out 2. Drake Britton went 1 1/3 innings, giving up a hit and a WP; striking out one.
 
Garin Cecchini went 1/2 with a walk. Brock Holt went 1/3 with a double, walk and SB. Heiker Meneses, Corey Brown, Christian Vazquez, Brandon Snyder and Bryce Brentz each went 0/3. Alex Hassan and Ryan Lavarnway each went 0/4.
 

Cuzittt

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Salem wins 10-3.
 
Boxscore
 
Brian Johnson went 5 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits and 2 walks; striking out 7. Kyle Martin went 3 innings, allowing a run on 6 hits; striking out 4. Kyle Stroup pitched a perfect 9th, striking out one.
 
Ryan Dent went 2/5 with a Grand Slam. Carson Blair went 1/2 with a triple and 3 walks. Jonathan Roof went 1/3 with a double and 3 walks. Matt Gedman and Jose Vinicio each went 1/4; Gedman with a walk, Vinicio with a HBP. Matty Johnson went 1/5 with a walk. David Chester went 0/2 with 3 walks. Mario Martinez and Aneury Tavarez each went 0/4 with a walk.
 

mabrowndog

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Merkle's Boner said:
That Salem lineup is not very good. They're going to need more nights like that (with 13 walks issued).
 
No Top 30 prospects in the lineup.
 
True on all counts. The good news is there's no real pressure on that level to produce or advance a bunch of talent, given how stacked Portland is. Nobody from Salem was ever going to take any innings or at-bats away from Swihart, Betts, Shaw, Marrero, Coyle or Ramos this year. Sure, it would be nice if Aneury Tavarez could develop enough to take over CF for the Sea Dogs from Shannon Wilkerson, but that's probably a pipe dream after last year's .257/.295/.388/.683 with 21 BB & 140 Ks at low-A. He's 21 and needs a full season of diligent work on basic pitch recognition and plate discipline.
 
Regardless, Tavarez will likely be displaced to a reserve role (or LF) by Margot at some point this season, and hopefully Rijo will take over for Dent at 2B. Perhaps we'll see Loya and Asuaje up there as well. With pretty much everyone else on the Drive coming off major offensive struggles in 2013 and/or facing their first year of full-season ball, that's about all that can be reasonably expected in the way of mid-year promotions from Greenville's position players. There's really nothing for the system to gain by rushing any of those kids. So yeah, it'll be a tough row to hoe for Salem this year.
 

Jack Sox

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Owens is the most exciting pitching prospect since Buchholz. His ability to spin the ball and generate swings and misses is very advanced for his age. If it wasn't for some pretty insane pitching depth in front of him at AAA, I'd say he'd be in line for a spot start at some point this year. Then again, if he performs the way he can, he might force the issue himself.
 

Merkle's Boner

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Jack Sox said:
Owens is the most exciting pitching prospect since Buchholz. His ability to spin the ball and generate swings and misses is very advanced for his age. If it wasn't for some pretty insane pitching depth in front of him at AAA, I'd say he'd be in line for a spot start at some point this year. Then again, if he performs the way he can, he might force the issue himself.
Yeah, I will be disappointed if he doesn't see AAA this year.  As much as I love the PawSox Five (Webster, RDLR, Ranaudo, Barnes, and Workman when he returns), none of them seem to be #1 or #2 guys.  I could definitely see Owens surpass some of those guys by the end of the year.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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The two walks for Owens came in the 1st. Perfect through the final 5 in tough conditions.
 
My obsession with Mookie becoming the next Zobrist is growing to unhealthy levels. HR and three line drive singles, and twice scoring from first on Marrero doubles. I hope he goes 0/0 with 4 walks and 3sb tonight.
 

Cuzittt

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STORIES
 
PAWSOX
 
Game Story
 


The Pawtucket Red Sox did some things on opening night Thursday they have never done before. And they hope they never do them again, either.
The PaxSox, who had won eight straight opening games, fell to Lehigh Valley, 4-0, before 8,266 at McCoy. Pawtucket had never before been shut out in its home opener. It had been blanked in an overall season opener only once before, back in 1999.
Nothing went right for Pawtucket. Starting pitcher Allen Webster struggled, giving up three runs and was not able to get out of the fourth inning. The offense had only two hits all night, a single by Garin Cecchini in second and a double by Heiker Meneses in the third.
Kevin Boles will not have good memories of his first game as Pawtucket manager. He credited Lehigh Valley started David Buchanan for ruining the night for his team.
“It was Buchanan, quality stuff,” Boles said. “He utilized a mix, was able to add and subtract and when he missed he missed down. . . He pitched well.”
Webster did not fare as well. He lasted only 32/3 innings and allowed seven hits, three runs, all earned, with two walks and four strikeouts. He threw 81 pitches, 46 for strikes, and had a wild pitch.
Webster had a strange first inning. He struck out the side. The bad news was that he also gave up two runs.
Clete Thomas led off the game for the IronPigs with a double. Webster struck out long time major leaguer Ronny Cedeno. Maikel Franco then singled Thomas home. Franco came all the way around on a double to left by Jim Murphy.
“Three-two counts. There were four of them in the first inning,” Boles said. “They work counts.”
 
SEADOGS
 
Game Story
 

Just nine months after he pitched the first six innings of a combined no-hitter, Owens repeated his feat, throwing six no-hit innings in a 5-0 victory against the Reading Fightin Phils at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Moments after he walked off the mound after the last of his nine strikeouts, the Reading grounds crew covered the rain-soaked field with the tarp.
Thirty minutes later it was official: Owens became the first Sea Dogs pitcher to complete a no-hitter.
“It was only six innings so it was kind of a cheap one,” said Owens, “but it feels good. I was ready to get out of Florida and get the season started and get after it again. It was good to set the tone.”
Actually, Mookie Betts set the tone, opening the game with a homer off Jesse Biddle of Reading, the top-ranked pitcher in the Philadelphia Phillies’ organization.
Betts had an incredible Double-A debut, finishing 4 for 4 with three runs and a great defensive play.
Still, he was overshadowed by Owens, who, after a pair of first-inning walks, was perfect. He retired the final 16 batters he faced and struck out the final two.
“Incredible night,” said McMillon, who won his 300th game as a manager and first at Double-A.
Owens was backed by a pair of defensive gems, from third baseman Sean Coyle and one by Betts, who drifted back into shallow center and made a leaping stab to take a hit from Carlos Alonso in the sixth.
“It was crazy,” said Owens. “Coyle was making plays, (shortstop Deven) Marrero made a play up the middle, Mookie made that diving play. It was awesome.”
It was the first no-hitter against Reading since 2003, and Phillies Manager Dusty Wathan and his players were certainly impressed.
“Henry Owens threw a good ballgame tonight, I’ll tell you that,” said Wathan. “He’s got an outstanding change-up. Did what he’s supposed to do. He threw the ball very good in tough conditions. I give them credit. They jumped on us early and Henry took over, pretty much.”
 
SALEM
 
Game Story
 

Eager to unleash their swings for the first time in 2014, the Salem Red Sox found an easier route to success on Thursday night: Stand there and watch.
The Sox drew a whopping 13 walks — including 10 in the first four innings  — and pounded Myrtle Beach 10-3 on a long and oft-sloppy opening night at TicketReturn.com Field.
The Sox have now won a dozen straight games dating back to last season, when they stormed to the Carolina League championship. Among the victims during that postseason run were the Pelicans, who got swept in the best-of-three divisional round.
This one wasn’t in doubt after Salem’s six-run third inning, highlighted by a booming grand slam by Ryan Dent. The Sox already had scored two runs without putting a ball in play, opening the inning with five walks in six batters, before Dent unloaded against Pelicans reliever Sam Stafford.
A supplemental first round pick in 2007, Dent played 125 games with Salem over the 2009-10 seasons before spending most of the next three years at Double-A. His first game back in the Carolina League was a rousing success, as he roped a run-scoring single in his maiden at-bat and finished 2 for 5 with five RBIs.
“Fortunately for me, in the situations I came up in, he had walked some guys and guys were on base,” Dent said. “I knew he was going to try to get ahead with a fastball … I just told myself be aggressive, pick a zone, and if it’s there, don’t let it go by.”
 
DRIVE
 
Game Story
 

Starting pitcher Cody Kukuk held the Kannapolis Intimidators to one run on three hits over five innings and Jacob Dahlstrand and Joe Gunkel followed with four scoreless frames as the Greenville Drive won their season opener 3-1 Thursday.
The Drive (1-0) got all the runs they would need in the top of the third inning against Kannapolis starter James Dykstra (0-1). Jesus Loya drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third on a single to right by Carlos Asuaje and came in to score on a throwing error by Kannapolis catcher Omar Narvaez. Later in the inning, Tim Roberson lined a single to right field to score Asuaje and stretch the lead to 2-0.
Dahlstrand threw three perfect innings of relief, and Gunkel closed out the game with a scoreless ninth to earn the save.
The Intimidators scored their run against Kukuk in the bottom of the third. Adam Engel drew a two-out walk and promptly stole second. Cleuluis Rondon, a former Red Sox farmhand who was traded to the White Sox last July, then smacked a double to the center-field wall to cut the Drive lead to 2-1.
Roberson helped the Drive tack on an insurance run in the seventh as his run-scoring single drove in Loya, who singled to lead off the frame. Roberson went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs on the night, and Tzu-Wei Lin added three hits and two stolen bases.
 

ItOnceWasMyLife

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Jed Zeppelin said:
The two walks for Owens came in the 1st. Perfect through the final 5 in tough conditions.
 
My obsession with Mookie becoming the next Zobrist is growing to unhealthy levels. HR and three line drive singles, and twice scoring from first on Marrero doubles. I hope he goes 0/0 with 4 walks and 3sb tonight.
You mean 4 walks and 12 stolen bases, right?
 

SaveBooFerriss

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Merkle's Boner said:
That Salem lineup is not very good. They're going to need more nights like that (with 13 walks issued).
 
No Top 30 prospects in the lineup.
 
Dent should rake in Salem.  By age and experience, he should be in AAA.  Vinicio is the only guy I am remotely interested in in that lineup.