Latin America Winter Thread - Latest: Year-Round Sarfate

[Jim Goulart]

As it is each year, the Venezuelan League is the first to get underway. Let me know if you see names of players we'll know will be in the system in 2007 other than the three I mention here:

 

Pitchers link:

Corey Thurman with a nice start Saturday in an 8-1 win. He allowed one run in six innings....

 

www.lvbp.com/estadisticas/lanr0607.pdf

 

Hitters link:

Hurricane Hernan Iribarren 3-for-15 with two walks after four games, Guilder Rodriguez is also among the actives, no official AB's yet...

 

www.lvbp.com/estadisticas/batr0607.pdf

[Jim Goulart]

Along with reliever Joe Valentine (two runs in a 1 2/3 inning relief stint), Mike Jones is also pitching in the Mexican Winter League.

 

Jones has made one start (four IP, nine hits, six runs, three earned, one walk, no K's, two wild pitches).

 

Similar to the Venezuelan League links above, this page should update itself as the season moves along. As always, if someone sees another current Brewer, let us know. You can use uour "Edit, Find on this page" Windows option to search for Jones and/or Valentine on this page -- they're playing for two different squads...

 

www.ligadelpacifico.com.m...erales.htm

 

Jones' final option year is 2007. He needs to be in Milwaukee to stay or be exposed to waivers by 2008.

 

I don't think we toot our own horn too often, but it is kind of cool that you can come here to learn about Jones' assignment, prior to having it be reported by the Journal or the Brewers' own site...

[brewmann04]

always come here first for the most updated news.

Hopefully Jones can stay healthy and work his way up to Milwaukee

[Jim Goulart]

Baseball America informs us that Mike Jones made his second Mexican League start Tuesday, and again, didn't fare too well:

 

3 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 6 BB, 1 K, ERA of 11.57 after two starts with only one K in seven IP

 

It's early, we'll see; these latin winter leagues are pretty competitive, the ownership and management teams often won't put up with non-competitive efforts from American players on the squads. Here's hoping Mike turns things around quickly...

[brewmann04]

Mass i think the most important thing is he Pitching and he stays healthy

[Jim Goulart]

The Dominican Winter League is also underway, joining the Venezuelan and Mexican Leagues noted above. Players tend to migrate on and off the Dominican rosters pretty regularly.

 

Yet to see a truly helpful league roster and stat page, feel free to tool around here and see if you can help us out.

 

www.lidom.com/

 

But at this time, it appears that Jose Capellan, Carlos Villanueva, Ozzie Chavez, Fredy de la Cruz, and Rafael Lluberes may be among those taking part.

[Team Canada]

So far I've only found Jose Capellan and Nelson Cruz, both of the Gigantes del Cibao.

 

 

I love that the Spanish word for outfielders is "gardeners".

 

 

edit: Ozzie (Ossie) Chavez is on Los Toros del Este.

[Jim Goulart]

Mike Jones start in Mexico Sunday was very discouraging:

 

1.1 IP, no hits, five walks, four runs, three strikeouts

 

Jones leads the league in losses (3) and walks (12).

 

After three starts, his line reads:

 

0-3, 14.04 ERA, 8.1 IP, 14 H, 17 R, 13 ER, 12 BB, 4 K, 4 WP, 3.12 WHIP, .412 BAA

 

Joe Valentine:

 

0-2, 6.00 ERA, 6 G, 3-for-5 in save opportunities, 6 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 4 K, 2.00 WHIP, .400 BAA

[brewmann04]

as long as Jones continues to pitch all will be fine.

[OglivieHomePerm]

as long as Jones continues to pitch all will be fine.

 

Problem is (as Mass Haas stated earlier) that if Mike Jones doesn't start getting people out, he won't be pitching any longer...he may find himself sent home.

 

So while I think we all agree that Mike's health is more important than results right now, he does need some positive results to stay on his team.

[Jim Goulart]

Nashville's site notes the following for us re: the Venezuelan League --

 

Corey Thurman is 1-1 with a 1.37 ERA (3 ER / 19.2 IP) in three starts for Oriente. He has walked four batters and struck out 16.

 

Catcher Nestor Corredor is hitless in two at-bats through two games of action.

[brewmann04]

Corey continues to pitch very well and can be a darkhorse for the Nashville Rotation

[Jim Goulart]

Rotoworld:

 

Jose Capellan threw four scoreless innings Saturday in his first start in the Dominican Winter League.

He allowed three hits, walked none and struck out two. It's unlikely that this is a sign the Brewers will consider using Capellan as a starter next year. He should battle for a role as the primary eighth-inning man in front of Francisco Cordero.

[Jim Goulart]

Latest new name was caught by the Nashville staff:

 

Right-hander Luther Hackman, who joined the Sounds late in the season for his second stint with the club (also 2004), is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA (1 Er / 3.0 IP) with two strikeouts in one start for Hermosillo, where he is a teammate of fellow Brewers farmhand Mike Jones.

[DHonks]

perhaps the Crew should consider moving Capellan to a starting role. He was rather ineffective in setup this year. I know he's young, but if they sign some relievers, and he's comfortable starting, then perhaps it would work best.

[brewmann04]

Jose promblem as a starter i thought lacked a Quality 3rd Pitch to be a Starter

[Nader Raider Tim]

I actually seem to remember Jose saying that he liked pitching relief better than starting. Something about liking to get out there more often not having the down time. Not totally certain but pretty sure milwaukeebrewers.com had an article about that.

[pogokat]

I remember that as well...Plus, he didnt really fare that well as a starter in AAA...and lit it up once he was moved to relief...

[colbyjack]

Capellan was very solid during the middle of the year before having an awful September. His overall numbers and splits are good, during his first full season in the big-leagues.

[miwokE]

Justin Lehr appears to have replaced Mike Jones on the Hermosillo Naranjeros roster.

 

 

www.naranjeros.com/roster1.html

 

 

This website has pages 'altas' and 'bajas' (which I'm translating to mean promoted/demoted) that show Lehr replacing Jones on November 3rd.

 

Lehr pitched 5 shutout innings in his first game/first start on Nov. 3rd, with 2 Ks and 6 hits. Jones hadn't pitched since his not-so-memorable outing on Oct. 22.

[miwokE]

Corey Thurman is doing very well in Venezuela. In 5 games/5 starts, he is 2-1 with 5 BB, 28 SO and a 1.97 ERA in 32 IP.

 

In his last start, Nov. 5th, he allowed five hits, no runs while recording 0 BB and 8 SO in 6 innings.

[tigerbrew]

Looking at the stats today, Nelson Cruz is playing quite well so far, In 53 ABs, .358 ave, .452 obp, 4 homers and 11 RBIs, but the 19 Ks is not good.

 

Jose Capellan is also doing quite well so far, In 8.1 IPs, 1.08 ERA, 11 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB and 4 Ks.

 

www.gigantesdelcibao.com/estadisticas/2006-07/regular/gigantes.pdf

[Jim Goulart]

Still a heck of a winter season for Corey Thurman in Venezuela: 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA (10 ER / 37.0 IP) in six starts for Oriente.

 

Now at 185 IP for the year, this link includes all his winter league game logs:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...pid=407903

[Jim Goulart]

Newly acquired Greg Aquino is pitching in the Dominican:

 

www.escogido.com/stats/estrellas.pdf

 

Hopefully teammate Izzy Alcantara doesn't set him sour on the Brewers...

 

LHP Rafael Lluberes (W.V. Power, 2006) struggling in early action:

 

www.escogido.com/stats/gigantes.pdf

 

SS Ozzie Chavez getting significant playing time:

 

www.escogido.com/stats/azucareros.pdf

 

Old friend and minor league free agent LHP Derek Lee has been the Domincan League's best pitcher thus far:

 

www.escogido.com/stats/aguilas.pdf

 

Finally found a page that keeps updated Dominican stats -- they're the first six links you see here:

 

www.escogido.com/porequipos.htm

[Jim Goulart]

Latest update from Nashville's site includes Mike Rivera and Charlie Fermaint sightings in Puerto Rico:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2170