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. 

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.