Tomorrow will be a big day at Isotopes Park as the ‘Topes, in conjunction with Citadel Broadcasting and the American Red Cross, will host a “Haitian Relief Pitch” drive-thru fundraiser tomorrow from Noon to 6:00 PM. 

The drive-thru will be set up in Parking Lot C (off of University Blvd.– on the west or third base side of the stadium) and those interested in donating can drive in and make a donation without leaving the warm, cozy comfort of their car.  Both cash and checks will be accepted, but if you do donate with a check, please make it out to the American Red Cross.  The cool part is that with every donation (whether you give $50 or 50 cents) you get a voucher for a free ticket to an Isotopes game next season as well as some swag from Citadel Broadcasting Company. 

While we’d love to see as many people come out to the ballpark as possible, but if you can’t make it, please donate to the Red Cross. If you’ve been following the news coverage from Haiti at all, you know how devastated the country is.  Roughly a third of the entire country’s population is still in need of emergency aid and is in desperate need of help. 

In baseball news. Ken Gurnick has a terrific story on pitcher Eric Stults on Dodgers.com.  It’s strange how quickly he went from bona-fide number five starter in Los Angeles to nearly forgotton Albuquerque Isotope, to the point where he did not get a September call-up and has not been in any of the off-season public discussions about the Dodgers rotation.  Here’s hoping he has a great Spring Training and breaks camp in the Los Angeles rotation.  You’d be hard pressed to find a nicer guy.      

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

The Dodgers continue to be busy on the free agent front,
signing four more players to Minor League contracts with invites to Major
League Spring Training.

Scott Dohmann (right-handed reliever)
Nick Green (infielder)
Argenis Reyes (infielder)
Jay Gibbons (outfielder) 

Dohmann started last season with the Hiroshima Carp in the
Japanese League before being released and joining Reno in the Diamondbacks
organization.  He’s logged 164 Major
League games between three clubs (Colorado, Kansas City, Tampa Bay), with most
of his action coming in a Rockies uniform (2004-06).  His last stint in the Big Leagues came in
2008 with the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Green spent last year with the Red Sox, batting .236 with six
homers and 35 RBI in 103 games before his season was shortened with a back disk
injury which necessitated surgery.  The
infielder is expected to compete this spring for the back-up shortstop job
handled ably by former Duke (and briefly Isotope) Juan Castro last year. 

Fellow middle infielder Argenis Reyes spent most of last
season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in the Mets organization, getting a
nine-game taste of New York in late June. 
The switch-hitter made his Major League debut with the Mets in 2008,
batting .218 in 49 games. 

Major League veteran Gibbons started last spring in Florida
Marlins camp but was released before the season started, later catching on with
the Newark Bears in the Independent Atlantic League.  From 2001-07, Gibbons was a mainstay in the
Baltimore Orioles organization and enjoyed a career year in 2003 when he was
named Most Valuable Oriole after leading the team in runs (80), RBI (100), hits
(173), and doubles (39).      

(Source: MLB.com)

According to MLB.com, Big League veteran starting pitcher Russ Ortiz has signed a Minor League contract with the Dodgers that includes an invite to Spring Training.  The right-hander has won 113 Major League games throughout his 15-year career, including 21 victories in 2003 when he was a member of the Atlanta Braves.  After missing the entire 2008 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Ortiz pitched for three teams last year, Colorado Springs (Rockies), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees), and Houston.  In 23 games for the Astros (13 starts), Ortiz went 3-6 with a 5.57 ERA.  

This is very similar to what the Dodgers did last year with Jeff Weaver, Shawn Estes, and Eric Milton, who were all invited to Spring Training and all started the season in Albuquerque. While Estes retired before he got a chance to get to L.A. both Weaver and Milton pitched for the Dodgers and helped contribute to Los Angeles’ NL West Title. 

L.A. inked a similar deal with outfielder Michael Restovich, who spent last season at Triple-A Charlotte in the White Sox organization where he batted .290 with 21 homers.  Restovich is a power threat in the same mold as ’09 Isotopes fan favorite Mitch Jones.  In six Triple-A seasons throughout his 12-year career (with five clubs: Edmonton, Rochester, Ioiwa, Columbus, and Charlotte), Restovich has averaged 22 home runs.   

Even though the calendar has turned to 2010, it’s not too late to take one final look at 2009, which will go down has one of the best years in Isotopes history.   Since retrospective lists are so popular this time of year, here is a quick compilation of the top 10 Isotopes moments of 2009.  Please feel free to add more if there are any you think were missed. 

10:  Record-Setting Home Winning Streak
Every night for an amazing 10-game stretch that stretched almost exactly a month from late June into July, Isotopes fans walked to their cars having witnessed a ‘Topes triumph.  The streak began on June 25 with a 4-0 rain-shortened, six-inning win over Nashville and continued with another shutout win over the Sounds the next night, a three-game Independence Day holiday sweep of the Memphis Redbirds, a four-game sweep of New Orleans right after the All-Star Break, and a series opening victory over Iowa on July 24.  The 10-game winning streak was not only the longest in team history (surpassing a nine-game home winning streak in 2005), but was part of a stretch from June 18 to July 31 that saw Albuquerque go an astonishing 25-3. 

9: Special Ks for McDonald
Right-handed starter James McDonald began the season in the Dodgers rotation but struggled, eventually finding himself in the bullpen before being optioned to the Isotopes on May 15.  Once with the ‘Topes, it took all of six games for McDonald to find his rhythm, with his last two starts for Albuquerque being flat-out dominating performances.  He fanned 10 Oklahoma City RedHawks while allowing a run on four hits in seven innings on June 8 before striking out a franchise-record 13 Round Rock Express batters on June 14.  Not only did he set a team record for Ks, he allowed just two hits in seven shutout innings while leading Albuquerque to a 4-0 win.  Not surprisingly, McDonald was called up the very next day and spent the rest of the year with Los Angeles, but his combined line for his last two starts at Triple-A was:  1-0, 0.64 ERA (1 ER / 14.0 IP), 3 BB, 23 Ks. 

8: Racking Up Runs
Isotopes Park will never be considered “pitcher-friendly” but July 30 was a particular rough day for opposing hurlers as the ‘Topes put up a record 23 runs in a 23-6 pasting of the Oklahoma City RedHawks at The Lab.  Thanks to an eight-run first and a six-run third, the score stood at 14-4 after just three frames and the ‘Topes kept piling on more, scoring four more in the fourth, four in the sixth and one in the eighth to coast to the record-setting win.  It was a pretty efficient outing for the Albuquerque offense, which scored the 23 runs on “just” 19 hits, eight of which were for extra bases.  The deluge shattered the previous mark of 18 runs in a game set on two prior occasions. 

7: The Famous Chicken Comes to The Lab
‘Topes fans are used to great promotional acts coming through over the course of a season, but fans got a special treat as the Famous Chicken (nee The San Diego Chicken) made his first-ever appearance at Isotopes Park on July 18.  The feathered one certainly did not disappoint either, as all of the classic bits, as well as a few new wrinkles, were brought out to the delight of the Isotopes faithful. 

6: Turnstiles Humming on Independence Weekend
With a record-setting season attendance of 602,129 last year, there were a number of huge crowds at Isotopes Park in 2009, but none were bigger than the throng that came to see the ‘Topes tangle with Memphis on July 3.  Fans showed up early and kept arriving through the game until 15,358 folks, the largest crowd ever to see a baseball game in Albuquerque, were in the stadium to enjoy fireworks and a 4-3 Isotopes win. 

5: A Pair of Personal Peak Performances
They don’t count as “moments” necessarily, but the performances of outfielder Mitch Jones and closer Scott Strickland throughout the season certainly deserve mention.  Jones belted 35 homers on the year, the most in Minor League Baseball, becoming the third Isotope in as many years to lead the PCL in dingers and the second in as many seasons to lead the minors.  Making his feat even more impressive was the fact Jones missed nearly a month while making his debut with the Dodgers, an eight-game stint in which he racked up his first Major League at-bat, start, hit, and extra-base hit (a double).  Meanwhile, Strickland easily out-paced the field while racking up a PCL-high 32 saves, an Isotopes record.  The former University of New Mexico Lobo came just one save away from tying the Pacific Coast League record of 33 set by Colorado Springs’ Ryan Speier in 2007 and was able to threaten that mark by finishing extremely strong.  Ten of the ‘Topes’ 18 wins in the month of August were saved by Strickland.

4:  Dramatic Pinch-Hit Homers
There’s nothing quite like the drama of a late-inning pinch-hit homer, and the Isotopes had enjoyed two of particular note in 2009.  The first came on May 30 in Oklahoma City, when the ‘Topes were trailing 1-0 in the seventh and final inning of the second game of a doubleheader in which Albuquerque was in danger of losing its fourth straight game while being swept in the twin-bill by identical scores of 1-0.   With two outs and the bases clear, Mitch Jones, who was nursing a sore hamstring, came off the bench and did his best Roy Hobbs / Kirk Gibson impression, lining a 1-2 pitch over the fence for a dramatic game-tying homer.  Of course, thanks to the momentum of Jones’s blast, the Isotopes added one more in the seventh and held on for a thrilling 2-1 win.  On July 1 at Isotopes Park, Luis Maza added his name to the Isotopes record books by delivering the first pinch-hit grand slam in team history.  Trailing 4-3 with two out in the sixth inning against Memphis, Maza came off the bench with the bases loaded and crushed the first pitch he saw over the center field fence for a grand slam that capped a seven-run ‘Topes inning and paced the home team to a 9-5 win. 

3: The Dodgers Return to Albuquerque
While the announcement that the Los Angeles Dodgers would return their Triple-A affiliate to Albuquerque was made in 2008, it was made official on Opening Day, April 9, 2009.  On a chilly evening, 10,141 fans came out to witness history as Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda threw out the first pitch and gave a great pre-game address that helped usher in a new era of professional baseball in Albuquerque. Putting the perfect cap on a story-book night was the fact the Isotopes prevailed 14-8 over Omaha,   

2: Mannywood, New Mexico
The rumors started in mid-June and reached a fever-pitch as the month, and the 50-game suspension of Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez, neared an end.   Finally, on June 22 it was announced that Manny would spend a three-game stay in Albuquerque, creating a firestorm in the Duke City.   Fans started lining up early to grab tickets and more than 60 media outlets from all over the country arrived in town to cover the festivities.  ESPN and MLB Network each did live cut-ins during each of Manny’s at-bats, which ultimately proved anti-climatic.  The slugger only played two games, going 0-3 with a strikeout and a walk.  Nevertheless, the excitement around Isotopes Park was incredible with 43,480 attending ‘Topes games from June 23-25, including a throng of 15,083 that showed up on June 25 for a game in which Manny didn’t even play.  

1: Playoffs!
For the first time in five years, the Isotopes’ regular season ended with a chance to sip champagne, as Albuquerque claimed its first division title since 2003.  With a record of 80-64, the team’s best record ever, the ‘Topes won their division by 11 games over Oklahoma City and celebrated with a clinching victory over Memphis on August 30 that culminated in players circling the warning track while spraying bubbly into the stands.  For his efforts in leading the ‘Topes back into the post-season, manager Tim Wallach was singled out as the PCL’s Manager of the Year and received “Best Manager Prospect” recognition from Baseball America.  It was an electric ending to an unbelievable campaign, and while the Isotopes were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Redbirds, it could not diminish what was a wonderful 2009 season. 

Now we turn our sights to the 2010 campaign, which is shaping up to be just as memorable.  With Major League Weekend on April 2-3 followed by another season with Tim Wallach at the helm, Isotopes Park will no doubt see its fair share of exciting moments in the months to come!     

The news that Tim Wallach, Jim Slaton, and John Moses were coming back to Albuquerque next season was a great Christmas gift for ‘Topes fans, since not only are all three great coaches, but they’re also great guys who work great together. 

It’s never easy being a manager at Triple-A, but Wallach did a phenominal job in his first season, earning accolades like PCL Manager of the Year and Best Manager Prospect by Baseball America.  This speaks as much to Tim’s baseball acumen as it does his personality, as his even-keel demeanor continually kept players focused and motivated despite a long season’s worth of distractions. Plus, he almost immediately established a great rapport with Isotopes fans and media. 

Of course, Tim relied heavily on Slaton and Moses, who each did a great job with the team’s pitchers and hitters, respectively.  Isotopes pitchers last season posted the lowest team ERA in team history, while ‘Topes hitters continued to pound the ball.

Dodgers.com has a great article on Tim here. 

All of us here at the ballpark are extremely thankful that all three are coming back!   

Mitch Jones, the reigning home run king in Minor League Baseball, has signed a deal with the Atlanta Braves that includes an invite to Major League Spring Training.  Obviously, Atlanta is enamored with Jones’s power potential, and has a good chance of winning a spot as the Braves fourth outfielder. 

As for the Dodgers, they’ve been busy the last couple days as well, signing a number of players to Minor League contracts with invites to Big League camp.  Most notable on the list is Doug Mientkiewicz, who made the Dodgers last year as a utility infielder but separated his shoulder diving into second in April, an injury that sidelined him for nearly five months.  Mientkiewicz did play in 11 games for the ‘Topes on a rehab assignment before re-joining Los Angeles in late September. 

Former American League Rookie of the Year Angel Berroa has also inked a deal with the Dodgers after splitting last season between both New York teams.  The 2003 ROY with the Royals started the season in the Yankees organization (where he played 16 games for the champs), was released on July 7 and was snatched up by the Mets, with whom he played eight games before getting hurt.  Berroa is also familiar with the Dodgers organization, having played parts of 2008 in Los Angeles. 

Here is a complete list of those players signed so far to Minor League contracts with invitations to Major League camp (2009 clubs): 

Luis Ayala – RH Reliever (Minnesota, New Orleans)
Angel Berroa – INF (Scranton / WB, NY Yankees, Buffalo, NY Mets)
Francisco Felix – RH Reliever (Chattanooga, Albuquerque)
John Lindsey – 1B (New Orleans)
Doug Mientkiewicz – IF (Los Angeles, Albuquerque)
Justin Miller – RH Reliever (San Francisco)
Juan Perez – LH Reliever (Gwinnet)
Prentice Redman – OF (Tacoma)

(Source – LA Times)

L.A. Times Dodgers beat writer Dylan Hernandez also has an interesting tidbit in his blog about the possibility of Chin-lung Hu being a part of a potential deal for Reds pitcher Aaron Harang. 

The hot stove is sure to heat up over the holidays!

.     

Closer Scott Strickland, who last year set an Albuquerque professional baseball record with 32 saves for the ‘Topes, has signed a Minor League contract with the Florida Marlins that includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training camp. 

The right-hander came just one save from tying the Pacific Coast League record of 33 set by Colorado Springs’ Ryan Speier in 2007. 

Of course, the biggest news of the day is that the Dodgers have traded Juan Pierre to the White Sox for two players to be named by January 7, 2010.  That means that, barring another outfielder acquisition, former Isotope Jason Repko will have a very good chance to win the fourth outfielder’s job next spring.   

There has been a flurry of activity involving Dodgers signings, including a few names familiar to Isotopes fans.  Pitchers Tim Corcoran and Francisco Felix, both of whom played in Albuquerque in 2009 (Corcoran also played for the Isotopes in 2008) are back with the Dodgers organization. 

Corcoran joined the ‘Topes on August 12 after Charlie Haeger was called up to Los Angeles and was excellent, going 2-0 with a 4.71 ERA in six games (five starts).   Felix, meanwhile, was a key component of the Albuquerque ‘pen down the stretch, going 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in 14 games after joining the club on July 25. 

Other notables include right-handed pitcher Josh Towers, who split time between the Yankees and Blue Jays last year, culminating in two September appearances for the Yanks.  Primarily used as a starter at Triple-A, Towers went 7-6 with a 2.74 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) for Scranton / Wilkes-Barre.  On September 6, Towers made the first of two long relief outings for New York, posting a total ERA of 3.38 (2 ER / 5.1 IP). 

First baseman John Lindsey is also back in the Dodgers organization after a successful campaign in New Orleans (Florida Marlins), where he batted .251 with 22 doubles,  19 homers, and 83 RBI.  In 2007 and 2008, Lindsey played in the Dodgers system and in ’08 enjoyed a superb year at Triple-A Las Vegas, batting .316 with 36 doubles, 26 homers, and 100 RBI. 

Minor League camp opens on March 10 when pitchers and catchers report, followed by position players reporting on March 12, which means the Minor League free agent signings will come fast and furious.    

(Source- Baseball America)

Dylan Hernandez has an excellent article in today’s L.A.Times about Blake DeWitt, who is getting ready this off-season to be the Dodgers’ starting second baseman in 2010. 

Last season, DeWitt was also slated to open the season as the team’s full-time second baseman until a late signing of Orlando Hudson pushed DeWitt to Albuquerque.  Even though he bounced back-and-forth between the ‘Topes and Dodgers six times, DeWitt batted .256 in Albuquerque with a team-high nine triples, 21 doubles, seven homers, and 47 RBI.  DeWitt also played 45 games at second, 39 at third, and even logged seven games at short, committing just eight total errors.

 

Last season was a bit of a whirlwind for outfielder Jamie Hoffmann, who started in Double-A and by the end of May, was making his Major League debut.  Most of his year, however, was spent in Albuquerque, where Hoffmann was a vital cog in helping to lead the ‘Topes to a division championship.  In 68 games for the Isotopes, Hoffmann batted .284 with 14 doubles, three triples, eight homers, and 48 RBI.  By the end of the season, when the Dodgers were looking to get Jim Thome, it was Hoffmann’s name that kept surfacing as the player Los Angeles would potentially send to the White Sox. 

Well Hoffmann didn’t get traded then, but he was left unprotected by the Dodgers and was immediately snatched up in this morning’s Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings.  Hoffmann was the first player taken, a selection made by the Washington Nationals, who then traded him to the New York Yankees as the player to be named in the Brian Bruney deal that was completed when the Meetings began. 

In Jonathan Mayo’s article on the Rule 5 draft at milb.com, Yankees GM Brian Cashman has some very complimentary things to say about Hoffmann. 

“We’ll see where it takes us,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman said. “We feel he’s got great makeup, he’s got ability, and we project him in the future as an everyday type player. It will be interesting to see how he mixes in.

“This guy has got some thump. He’s a big boy. He can play center, right or left as a plus defender. He’s been rated in the last few years as the Dodgers’ best defensive outfielder. He’s got a hockey mentality, a Minnesota kid. In our roster situation, where we’re at in terms of competing, he’s a guy that we’re hoping can be No. 25 on this roster and give [manager] Joe [Girardi] some choices.”

And with that, the 2009 Baseball Winter Meetings have come to a close.  The Isotopes contingent will head back today after a great week of seeing old friends and colleagues.  So, taking us out on this bittersweet moment is the ultimate in early 1990s soul – Boyz II Men and their sad a cappella anthem It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday.  Indeed it is.