The Dodgers have officially inked a Minor League contract with relief pitcher Justin Miller, who will also get an invitation to Major League camp.  If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Miller played for the Isotopes in 2007 and was dominant, posting a 1.50 ERA with six saves in 11 games before joining the Marlins in May.  With Florida, the right-hander was just as excellent, going 5-0 with a 3.65 ERA in 62 games.  Miller battled through injuries the next season, making one last appearance for Albuquerque in 2008 before he was released by the Marlins. 

Last year, he was picked up by the Giants and went 3-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 44 games before again he was sidelined by injuries.  In September, San Francisco placed Miller on the 60-day disabled list and the reliever underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery in October. 

 
 

Fans might also remember Miller’s extensive sleeve tattoos, which necessitated he wear a long-sleeved shirt when he pitched to keep from distracting hitters. Of course a hard-rockin’ guy needs a hard-rockin’ song, so here’s Symphony of Destruction by Megadeth.  

On a cold, dreary day in Indianapolis, we need some musical sunshine to warm us up and who better to provide this lift than Randy Newman and his iconic I Love L.A.  Of course, this choice is also twofold, since last night the Dodgers held their annual reception in which they thanked all of their Minor League affiliates. Nearly every Major League team hosts a reception of some sort at the Winter Meetings, which basically consists of commandeering a room at the hotel or convention center for a couple of hours for free drinks and finger foods.  As you’d expect, the Dodgers do things a little different.  They secured a bus that picked everyone up from the hotel and took them to Scholar’s Inn Restaurant, a very chic spot in downtown Indy. Once there, in addition to free food and drink, Los Angeles General Manager Ned Colletti and Assistant GM / Director of Player Development DeJon Watson spoke before turning things over to Tommy Lasorda, who delivered one of his classic pep talks. 

While the whole first class affair was a lot of fun, the Dodgers still have work they’d like to do at these Winter Meetings, namely finding a starting pitcher.  In his story in today’s L.A. Times, superb Dodgers beat writer Dylan Hernandez suggests former Isotopes All-Star Charlie Haeger may be in line to be the fourth starter in the Los Angeles rotation behind Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuroda. Another name in the mix for a possible fifth rotation spot is Josh Lindblom, who was used mostly as a reliever in Albuquerque last year but will be converted to a starter next year.  If Lindblom doesn’t crack the L.A. rotation next spring, ‘Topes fans can count on the right-hander being the ace and anchor of Albuquerque’s rotation.    

This installment’s music interlude will be provided by the song Graveyard Shift by the seminal band Uncle Tupelo. Perhaps no band in history has been as influential yet remains largely anonymous to most except die-hard music fans.  In the middle of the grunge wave of the early 90s, Uncle Tupelo burst onto the scene combining punk rock and country, creating an entire genre.  After the group’s acrimonious break-up in 1994, two other great bands were formed in Son Volt and Wilco.  

Unlike the raucous songs of Uncle Tupelo, the 2009 Baseball Winter Meetings have started very quietly.  So far, the only big move is Brad Penny signing with the Cardinals, while the fates of players like Matt Holliday, John Lackey, and Roy Halladay remain unknown.  It will also be interesting what action (if any) the Dodgers take this Winter Meetings.  While it’s quiet now, no doubt things will heat up as the Meetings continue. 

Other than baseball, a topic drawing hot debate among travelers to Indy is who is the bigger sports legend in the state of Indiana, Larry Bird or Peyton Manning?  It’s an interesting comparison. Bird of course grew up in the state and became one of the best to ever play the game of basketball, which is more religion than sport in the Hoosier State.  Even though Bird played professionally in Boston, he came back to run the state’s NBA team, further cementing his legend here.  You’d be surprised, though, how close Manning is to Bird’s popularity, despite the fact he is not a native Indianan.  Maybe it’s because we’re in the middle of football season, but there are Manning jerseys everywhere.  In fact, I’m convinced Manning could run for governor as part of the communist party and win in a landslide. 

One correction to pass along.  Morden1399 astutely pointed out that our news a couple days ago on Dee Brown signing with Winnipeg was not in fact the same Dee Brown that played in Albuquerque last year.  After some further checking, he is absolutely correct, and our Dee Brown has not signed with anyone yet this off-season, so we’re holding out hope that he’ll be back in the Querq in 2010.  Thanks for having our back on this, Morden!   

First, let’s cue the music.  For this installment, we’re going to play Bagged Me A Homer by Lurleen Lumpkin.  Longtime fans of The Simpsons will remember the episode in the third season when Homer became the manager of Lurleen, much to Marge’s dismay, and helped guide her to country music stardom.  Anyway, it’s a fitting tune because at today’s annual awards luncheon, ‘Topes slugger Mitch Jones was officially awarded the Joe Bauman Award for hitting the most home runs in Minor League Baseball.   

As you can see, in addition to the $200 he received for each of his 35 home runs ($7,000 total!), Mitch got a handsome trophy that he can also use to serve punch out of at the next Jones family get-together. 

In all seriousness, it’s a pretty impressive achievement to lead all of Minor League Baseball in home runs and it’s even more amazing when you consider he missed nearly a month while making his Major League debut with the Dodgers.  His exploits certainly gave ‘Topes fans a thrill and he’s a great guy and great family man in addition to being a terrific player. 

Jones has not signed with anybody yet and is still entertaining offers from a number of clubs.  Here’s hoping that next spring Mitch is hitting home runs out of a Big League ballpark instead of The Lab.     

Well, the Isotopes contingent has arrived in Indianapolis ready to begin the 2009 Baseball Winter Meetings, which will kick off tomorrow with an annual awards luncheon.  In fact, Isotopes slugger Mitch Jones will be receiving the Joe Bauman Award for hitting the most homers in Minor League Baseball at this year’s event. 

Since this is one of probably a million blogs on the Winter Meetings we will be doing things a little bit differently in an effort to inform and entertain. 

First and foremost, this will be the only blog during the Winter Meetings that will feature a soundtrack.  Each entry will have a link to a song that hopefully will enhance your blog-reading experience. 

So, in honor of our arrival in the Hoosier State, please enjoy Indiana’s native son John Cougar Mellencamp’s magnum opus Pink Houses.  (This is a link to the Pop-Up Video version of the song, which is full of great tidbits.  For example, did you know that Mellencamp and David Lee Roth are from the same Indiana town?  By the way, how great was Pop-Up Video?) Anyway, nothing sums up hard-scrabble Midwestern living quite like Pink Houses, and the video also incidentally features John Cougar Mellencamp’s other contribution to society – the feathered mullet. 

Now that there’s a song in your heart, I’ll tell you a little bit about Indianapolis.  Evidently, Siberia was booked this year so the organizers of the Baseball Winter Meetings elected to hold the meetings in the next coldest place.  Currently, it’s about 25 degrees and we are not expected to see the sun once during our five days here. Makes you really appreciate winter in New Mexico, where even if it gets cold, the odds are still pretty good you won’t go a week without seeing the sun. 

The actual meetings are being held at the Indianapolis Convention Center which is linked to Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Colts, right smack dab in the middle of downtown.  Not only are the convention center and the stadium linked by an indoor walkway, most of the hotels that surround the convention center are similarly linked, much like those hamster towns you can buy at Petsmart.  So, while it’s going to be cold, we can spend the week traveling from building to building without going outside at all. 

Downtown Indy seems clean and nice, with a lot of bars and restaurants.  Unfortunately, there are no indoor walkways to these establishments, so you have to weigh your interest in leaving the hotel – convention center causeway against the fear of frostbite. 

Anyway, it’s good to be here and it should be a fun week renewing acquaintances.  Again, we’ll be blogging throughout the meetings so check back here often!  

One player signing to report.  Outfielder Dee Brown, who was a fan favorite for the ‘Topes last year, has signed with the Winnipeg Goldeneyes of the Independent Northern League.  We’ll certainly miss him.  In addition to being a great player, Dee is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.        

 

In less than a week, the baseball world will descend on Indianapolis, Indiana for the annual Baseball Winter Meetings, which also signifies the beginning of the Hot Stove League.  So far, there hasn’t been too much to report with respect to Dodgers Minor League signings.  In fact, the most notable move to date impacting Isotopes fans was the official completion of the John Garland trade, in which electrifying ‘Topes infielder Tony Abreu was dealt to Arizona on October 9.  Many Albuquerque fans remember Abreu’s limbo status for a few days leading up to the PCL Playoffs while both the Dodgers and Diamondbacks decided on the parameters of the deal that sent Garland to Los Angeles on September 1. 

The Dodgers also added a pair of players to their 40-man roster with ‘Topes ties.  Kenley Jansen, a 6’6 native of Curacao, played eight games for Albuquerque at catcher last year before he was sent to Single-A Inland Empire and converted to a pitcher.  In 12 relief appearances for the 66ers at the tail end of last year, Jansen went 0-0 with a 4.63 ERA and it’s certainly possible that he could see more time in a ‘Topes uniform in 2010.  Infielder Ivan DeJesus was also added to the Dodgers’ 40-man after missing all of last season with a broken leg suffered in a Spring Training B-Game.  Many believed DeJesus, who had a break-out season with Double-A Jacksonville in 2008, would break camp with the Isotopes last year before his injury.  Rest assured, there will be many more moves to come.  Los Angeles General Manager Ned Coletti has a track record of aggressively improving the Dodgers and those moves will no doubt impact the Isotopes.

‘Topes Tattler will be on location in Indy next week and will be giving updates throughout the Winter Meetings.   

There have also been a couple of moves involving former Isotopes.  Relief pitcher Ross Wolf, who pitched in Albuquerque from 2006-08, has re-signed with the Baltimore Orioles after going 4-2 with a 3.95 ERA and a save in 47 games with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides last year.  Catcher, and long-time fan favorite Paul Hoover (an Isotope in 2003, 2006-08) has also re-upped with the Philadelphia Phillies. Last season Hoover played most of the season in Triple-A Lehigh Valley before getting called up at the end of the September and appearing in three games (one start) for the Phils.  While he wasn’t on the post-season roster, Hoover did join Philadelphia on its run to the World Series.  After their loss to the Yankees, the Phillies removed Hoover from their 40-man roster, but the catcher signed a Minor League contract and will get an invite to Spring Training in Clearwater next spring.    

Through its seven years, Isotopes Park has seen its fair share of big events; an exhibition between the Isotopes and defending World Champion Florida Marlins in 2004; a pair of exhibition games between the Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005, the 2007 Triple-A All-Star Game, and of course, who can forget about the arrival of a certain dreadlocked slugger last June. 

Next season, the ‘Topes will open up their eighth year of existence with another event sure to garner national attention as the Rockies and Seattle Mariners will play back-to-back exhibition games on April 2-3, 2010 at Isotopes Park. 

Both teams will have just broken Spring Training in Arizona and will be heading north to start the season (Rox will start in Milwaukee, Seattle at Oakland) meaning there is a very good chance Albuquerque will get to see the two Major League squads in an almost completed form.

If you look at both rosters, big names abound.  Ken Griffey, Jr., Ichiro, Todd Helton, and Troy Tulowitzki all could possibly be taking the field at Isotopes Park next April.  Tickets are on sale now for ‘Topes season ticket and mini-plan holders and ducats will go on sale to the general public on Feburary 20. For more information, click here.

 

The Dodgers’ sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals not only sends LA to its second National League Championship Series in as many years, it exacts a small measure of revenge for the Isotopes.  Almost exactly one month ago in the first round of the PCL playoffs, the ‘Topes were swept in three straight games to the Memphis Redbirds, Triple-A affiliate of the the Cards and now Albuquerque’s Major League affiliate has returned the favor in a dominating performance.

It’s also gratifying for Isotopes fans that two of the three wins were secured by pitchers who played in Albuquerque this season.  Jeff Weaver won game one in a relief appearance and Vicente Padilla, who made one start for the ‘Topes before joining the Dodgers, helped Los Angeles clinch with seven shutout innings. 

The Dodgers will now get some well-deserved time off before facing the Phillies or the Rockies in the NLCS.      

The Major League Baseball playoffs have just gotten underway and already a pair of former Isotopes have made an impact.   On Tuesday, ‘Topes alum Bobby Keppel, who pitched for Albuquerque in 2008, going 9-11 with a 5.99 ERA, earned the win for Minnesota as the Twins edged the Detroit Tigers in 12-innings to claim the American League Central Division and berth in the post-season. 

Last night, Jeff Weaver, the only player on the Dodgers’ post-season roster to have logged significant time with Albuquerque last year, earned a HUGE victory in the first game of the National League Division Series in LA.  Weaver entered the game in relief of starter Randy Wolf in fourth with two outs and the bases loaded and promptly coaxed Ryan Ludwick into an inning-ending groundout.  Weaver kept the potent Cards at bay again in a scoreless fifth before handing the ball to Ronald Belsario, one of five Dodgers relievers to stymie St. Louis in the 5-3 win.  

In five appearances for the Isotopes last year (one start), Weaver went 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA. 

While watching the Dodgers’ playoff run, we here at Isotopes Park have settled into off-season mode.  While the pace is obviously different than during the season, there certainly is still a lot to do.  If you are a season ticket holder, you will receive notification on renewing shortly (if you haven’t already).  If you’re not a season ticket holder and would like to become one, give us a shout at info@albuquerquebaseball.com or (505) 924-2255.  It’s never too early to get your seat for the 2010 campaign!   

American Conference Finals Game #3 Albuquerque Isotopes Game Notes

9-11-09_Notes.pdf