Results tagged ‘ Josh Whitesell ’

MINOR LEAGUE FREE AGENT LIST ANNOUNCED

Each season players not placed on the 40-man roster that have accumulated at least six years of service time (minors and majors inclusive) are free to sign with any of the 30 major league teams.

Last season the Nationals signed for AAA-Syracuse catchers Carlos Maldonado and Jamie Burke, infielders Eric Bruntlett, Chase Lambin, Pedro Lopez, and Josh Whitesell and outfielders Chris Duncan and Kevin Mench.  Pitchers Chuck James and Joel Peralta.  They also re-signed utility man Pete Orr and pitcher Andrew Kown.

The 2011 group of free agents includes Lambin, Lopez, Duncan, James, Orr and Kown along with 21 additional players from the single A to AAA level.

RHP:  Jimmy Barthmair -Potomac, Zach Dials – Potomac, Luis Garcia – Hagerstown, Jason Jones – Harrisburg, Andre Kown – Syracuse, Dan Leatherman – Harrisburg, Carlos Martinez – Potomac, LHP; Jesse English – Syracuse, Victor Garate – Syracuse, Glenn Gibson – Vermont, Chuck James – Harrsiburg, Yunior Novoa – Harrsisburg.

Catchers; Nolan Brannon – Vermont, Devin Ivany – Harrsiburg.

Infielders; Chase Lambin – Syracuse, Ofilio Castro – Harrisburg, Peter Orr – Syracuse, Wilberto Ortiz – Potomac, Pedro Lopez – Syracuse.

Outfieders; Jason Botts – Syracuse, Leonard Davis – Syracuse, Chris Duncan – Syracuse, Marvin Lowrance – Harrisburg, Edgardo Baez – Harrsiburg, Brad coon – Harrsiburg, Jerry Owens – Syracuse, Jamar Walton – Potomac.

We will follow the Nationals free agent signings during the winter and provide player interviews of possible 2011 Chiefs players.

Rate the IL Hotel!–Rochester edition

Good afternoon from Alliance Bank Stadium and thanks for joining us.  Coming up next, Rate the IL Hotel!  But first, the pick six:

4…
8…
15…
16…
23….and the super ball…..
42!
Congratulations to the winner, whoever you are!  It’s your lucky day!
Now, it’s time for the game show where the mint is always under the pillow, Rate the IL Hotel!  Here’s your host, Jason Benetti!
Thank you, thank you.  Hopefully we’ve got a winner in store for you after the poor performance by the Comfort Inn Pawtucket last week.  Today’s hotel:
The Rochester Plaza!
Remember the rules:  I’ll give you the positives and negatives of the hotel, then assign it an arbitrary point value between 0 and 50.
They Said It:  ”Standard crash pad that provides a riverfront view and within walking distance of two IL staples:  Dinosaur BBQ and the sandwich store next door.  Horrible room coffee provisions but the shop downstairs makes up for it if you can get there early.”
              –Ben Wagner, play-by-play announcer, Buffalo Bisons.
Pros:
1) Coffee shop and restaurant in the lobby.  Totally underrated amenities, as Ben alluded to.  A hot libation in the morning with minimal travel cost can gussy up a dreary day real fine.  And, if the food at the ballpark for players, coaches and radio types wasn’t enough, the ability to grab a meal close by postgame is a treat.  By that time, the last thing anyone needs is a 15-minute walk to the sports bar.
2)  The beds.  Very fluffy.  
3) The ballroom.  Only because it draws such upstanding, well-connected groups as the New York Association of Hostage Negotiators.
NYAHN.jpg
Cons:
1) The internet….again.  Hotels should watch more game tape.  If they did, they’d realize that molasses web-browsing can really ding performance on this program.  Rochester’s Plaza has two wireless internet connections:  rocplaza and rocplaza73.  In order to do anything of substance, one must alternate between networks.  Early returns on either network are decent, but–like a trip to the beach with an open wound on your leg–the longer you surf, the worse it gets.
2) The coffee shop;s hot chocolate.  Milk and water.  Don’t do it.
3) “Pardon our dust.”  That’s the sign which was posted near the elevators upon our arrival.  It stated that renovations were in progress on floors three, four and five.  Being in 417, I got to see (and hear) this close-up.  Two men were redoing the wallpaper in the maze-like hallway outside the room.  While I was in the shower on Friday, it sounded as though the hammer was coming through the wall.  Josh Whitesell told me that a staple gun (which rhythmically clicked three times, stopped and started again) woke him up around 8 A.M.  I certainly applaud the self-improvement by the hotel.  The major issue is that, by renovating floors three, four and five simultaneously, the seven-floor hotel is affecting about half its guest rooms at once.  The sign really should read:  ”Pardon our dust.  A plurality of rooms will allow for normal sleep during your stay.”
4) The name of the hotel.  When I first stayed in the hotel back in ’05, it was called the “Crown Plaza Rochester.”  Since then, it has dropped the franchise and re-named itself the “Rochester Plaza.”  Creative.  This sleight of appellation makes me think of this website (http://www.notfoolinganybody.com)
which chronicles buildings which were once restaurants and now are, not so subtly, other things.  My personal favorite is the IHOP-turned-auto dealership.
Rating:  9.
Tough break, Rochester “Plaza.”  See you in August.
Shoot me an email at jasonbenetti@syracusechiefs.com.  Love to hear from you.
Chiefs and Mud Hens tonight at 7.  Join us, won’t you?
Jason

Even Van Gundy was on hand

The first appearance by Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg was greeted by over 5000 Florida visitors, Mark Lerner, the team’s principal owner, MASN Television crew that included Bob Carpenter and Rob Dibble and former Knicks and Houston Rockets basketball coach Jeff Van Gundy who sat behind home plate with an Orlando Magic hat on.

Strasburg was worth the price of admission, even if it was only two innings and 27 pitches.  He will pitch in the major leagues some day, just what day got closer than a lot of people thought going in.
Nats lost again, and righthanded pitcher Tyler Walker has pitched his way to AAA-Syracuse roster with his second 6-run appearance.  Aaron Thompson tossed two shutout innings of relief and has looked very good in his first two appearances.
Nats hitting came to life in the 8th inning when they scored four runs and had the tying run on deck before Josh Whitesell popped up to centerfield to end the rally.  Nats lost their 7th straight, 9-4.
–Chiefs COO/Vice President Tex Simone was seen talking to Tigers manager Jim Leyland, 3rd base coach Gene Lamont before the game.  Leyland and Lamont were teammates in 1965 with the Tigers when Tex was the team’s trainer.  
–Tex had a busy day when he also ran into another former Tigers and Chiefs catcher John Sullivan who was visiting from western New York where he still resides.
–And the day ended when Tex hit the trifecta when he was seen talking to Braves manager and longtime friend Bobby Cox in the Braves dugout before the Phillies vs Braves game in Orlando.
–Former Chiefs outfielder Jayson Werth hit an opposite field bomb vs the Braves in the 2nd inning.  Werth is sporting an unusual long beard and hair style.
–Two local “graphers” reported that today they were able to secure signatures from Ivan Rodriquez, Drew Storen, Ryan Howard and Braves super prospect Jason Heyward. In the “graphing world”  that’s pretty good.
Last stop on the tour will be at the Braves minor league camp to catch up with former Chief Rocket Wheeler.

Nats sign Mench for Chiefs

The Washington Nationals signed veteran outfielder Kevin Mench as a free agent and assigned his contract to the Syracuse Chiefs.

Mench, 32 last played in the major leagues in 2008 with the Blue Jays appearing in 51 games and batting .243 in 115 at bats.  He also played 21 games for the Chiefs that season batting .284 with 1 HR and 12 RBI.

He spent last season with the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese Cemtral League and had only 54 at bats before a season ending injury.

The native of Delaware began his career in the Texas Rangers organization in 1999.  He joined the Rangers major league team in 2002 and spent parts of five season in Texas.  He had his best seasons in 2004- 26 HR 71 RBI .279 AVG and 2005 – 25 HR 73 RBI .265 AVG.

In 2006 he was traded to Milwaukee mid-way thru the season and batted a combined .270 with 13 HR and 68 RBI that season.

He spent another season with the Brewers in 2007 batting.267 with 8 HR and 37 RBI in only 288 at bats that season.

Mench joins Josh Whitesell, Chris Duncan, Eric Brunlett, Jerry Owens and Pete Orr (re-signed) as off-season pick-ups this season.

 

 

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