The Good:

The Hitters-

Greeneville is tied for second in the league in triples with 15. No Greeneville player ranks in the top 10 for errors! That is the only good news from the team front. Player wise, there is much more good news.

Ebert Rosario finally has enough at bats to qualify for the league leaders. He is tied for second with a .369 batting average. His OBP of .407 is good for 7th, and his OPS of .931 is good for 9th best.

Cody Hinze continues to get on base at a pretty good clip. His .394 is good for 10th best. His 21 walks ties him for 3rd best.

Frank Almonte is tied for 6th most triples with 3.

Jose Altuve is tied for 6th most triples with 3.

Devon Torrence took 19 walks before heading back to play football for OSU. That puts him at #7.

Jay Austin’s 10 stolen bases tie him for 4th most.

Richardo Bonfonte’s 7 stolen bases tie him for 9th most.

The Pitchers

Greeneville’s pitching has hit a rough patch and they have fallen out of the top 3 in teams of ERA. They still lead the league with 4 shutouts. They have given up the 3rd fewest home runs at 25. Their 10 holds tie them for 3rd most.

Kyle Greenwalt has the second most wins (5). His 2.96 ERA puts him in the top 10 at #10. He has also been the workhorse of the Greeneville staff throwing 48 2/3 innings which is the 3rd most in the league.

Jose Trinidad has thrown 45 innings for the 6th most pitched. His 1.13 WHIP is 7th best in the league.

Henry Villar has thrown 44 1/3 innings for the 7th most pitched. Villar’s 46 Ks puts him at 5th most in the league.

Brian Wabick’s 5 saves he earned before going to Tri Cities places him in a tie for 3rd most.

The Fans: Greeneville is averaging 1511 to lead the league in attendance.

The Bad:

The Hitters

As a team, Greeneville ranks in the bottom three in several offensive categories. Runs, RBI, Caught Stealing, OBP, and batting average are all the 3rd worst. Slugging and OPS are both 2nd worst.

Devon Torrence fanned 53 times before going back to school.

Jay Austin has been caught stealing 5 times (T-3rd most).

The Pitchers

As a team, Greeneville ranks with the worst in just a few categories. Hits (394) and WHIP (1.46) are both 2nd worst.

Kyle Greenwalt has given up 50 hits (3rd most),

Henry Villar has given up 47 hits (4th most), he has given up 23 earned runs (T-5th most), he has given up 5 homers (T-5th most). He has hit 4 batters tying him for 9th most.

Jose Trinidad has given up 45 hits (Tied for 5th most), he has hit 5 batters (T-4th most)

Arcenio Leon has given up 24 runs (8th most), but only 9 have been earned. He has hit 4 batters tying him for 9th most.

Jordan Lyles has given up 4 HR (T-10th most).

David Dinelli has hit 4 batters tying him for 9th most. He has also walked 22 batters (3rd most).

The Good

The Hitters

The Greeneville aggressive base running has put them in the league leaders among stolen bases. They rank 3rd with their 15 stolen bases.

Frank Almonte’s 2 triples ties him for 5th in the league.

Kody HInze’s 11 walks ties him for 2nd most in the league.

Devon Torrence’s 10 walks ties him for 5th most in the league.

Jay Austin’s 4 stolen bases ties him for 6th in the league.

Renzo Tello’s 3 stolen bases ties him for 9th in the league

The Pitchers

Greeneville’s 2 shutouts leads the league. They have only given up 9 HR (second lowest).

Arcenio Leon’s 1.10 ERA is the second best.

The Bad

The Hitters

There is a great deal to choose from here. They are next to last in average, OBP, Slugging, OPS, runs, hits, doubles, RBI, and total bases. They have been caught stealing a league leading 13 times. Their 6 home runs is the 3rd lowest in the league.

Devon Torrence has struck out 23 times, the 4th most in the league.

Among those tied for 3rd most caught stealings are: Richardo Bonfonte, Devon Torrence, Wilton Infante, Dionele Montas, along with 17 other Appy League baserunners.

The Pitchers

Greeneville has given up the second most hits (187) but they are in the middle of the pack when it comes to runs (6 out of 10) and earned runs (7 out of 10). However, the hits do drive their WHIP to the 3rd worst.

Kyle Greenewalt is tied for giving up the most hits (26). He is tied for 6th most runs scored (14) and alone in 7th for earned runs (13).

Jose Trinidad is tied for 8th most hits surrendered (22)

Arcenio Leon and Trinidad are tied for 3rd most hit batters with 3 each.

David Denilli has walked 9 batters which ties him for 7th most walks.

Jeiler Castillo has walked 8 batters which ties him for 9th most.

The Crowd

Greeneville continues to draw the fans. They lead the league with a 1661 average through 10 home games.

When you attend a game at Pioneer Park, you never know if the player you are watching today will make it to the big leagues in a few years. In 2007, the Greeneville Astros saw their first alumni make it to the Major Leagues. In fact, not just one, but four former Greeneville Astros made it “the Show” last season. Pitchers, Juan Gutierrez (‘04), Troy Patton (‘04), and Felipe Paulino, (‘04) joined catcher J. R. Towles (‘04) in making their MLB debuts in 2007. The climb to the Major Leagues is a difficult one. You must have talent, work hard, stay healthy, and have a little luck on your side. Every player who puts on the Greeneville uniform dreams of being one of the few who are able to climb the rungs of the organizational ladder and make it to the top.

Minor league teams serve the purpose to provide talent for their parent organization. Over the last few years, several promising players from the Astros farm system have joined the big league team. Sometimes, providing talent for the parent organization comes via trade. During the off-season, change was the name of the game as the Astros President, Tal Smith, and new General Manager, Ed Wade, charted a new direction for the Astros system. This new direction involved some blockbuster trades over the off-season that sent many Astros prospects to new teams. Those traded included LHP Troy Patton (Orioles), RHP Matt Albers (Orioles), OF Josh Anderson (Braves), and RHP Juan Gutierrez (Diamondbacks).

The trades made in the off-season brought major Astros contributors SS Miguel Tejada, RHP Jose Valverde, and CF Micheal Bourn to Houston. While these trades have been very effective at the Major League level, it has depleted some of the minor league system. However, there is still talent on the farm. Let’s take a look at some of the names that are climbing the ladder. (Players who played for Greeneville will be identified by having the year(s) they played for Greeneville in parentheses.)

Round Rock Express (AAA)

The Express has a great many new faces this year. None have created more buzz than Yordany Ramirez, who was signed as a minor league free agent out of the Padres organization. He is a fleet, sure gloved centerfielder who could play defensively in the big leagues right now. The Astros are excited about his glove, and hope he can continue to develop offensively to become a solid lead off hitter. One area that Ramirez continues to work on is increasing the number of walks he takes.

Pitcher Jack Cassell was another free agent signing in the off-season that has already twice filled needs in Houston due to injuries. Another pitcher to watch is former Kansas City Royal, Runelvys Hernadez. Both of these pitchers bring experience in the majors and may be called upon to help the Astros later in the season.

Corpus Christi Hooks (AA)
If you are looking for talent in the Houston organization, Corpus Christi is the place. Much of the Astros top tier talent is here, including several names that Greeneville fans will recognize.

Tommy Manzella may be the player in Corpus Christi that is closest to the majors. Reports are that the shortstop’s glove is ready for the big leagues, but questions remain about his offense. Manzella, who was drafted in 2005, is making the case that his bat is improving. He has hit over .300 through the first two months of the 2008 campaign.

Brad James, who pitched in Greeneville in 2004 and 2005, is considered one of the top starting pitching prospects in the Astros’ system. James is an example of the developmental process that takes place in the minors. During his time in Greeneville, his ERA was in the mid 4.00 range. However, as he has advanced, his sinking fastball developed, and he rose quickly through the ranks. He reached Double-A ball half way through last season and found out that what had been getting hitters out in Lexington and Salem wouldn’t work in the Texas League. He has adjusted and is continuing to improve his arsenal of pitches. After two months, he leads the Hooks with five wins.

Other prospects to keep an eye on in Corpus Christi are Eli Iorg (OF –‘05), Mitch Einertson (OF- ‘04), Chris Johnson (3B), Billy Hart (OF), Bud Norris (P), Sammy Gervacio (P-‘04), Sergio Perez (P), and Brian Bogusevic (P).

Polin Trinidad (P- ‘05, ‘06) started the season at Salem but was called up to Corpus Christi in mid May. It will be interesting to see how he handles the promotion to the next level.

Josh Flores (OF- ‘05) injured his knee in a freak accident this off-season and will miss the entire year. He is still considered on the Hooks roster, but will not play until possible the Arizona Fall League.

Salem Avalanche (High A)

Salem is a major step in a player’s development. Playing in the eight-team Carolina League, players have to make adjustments because they see the same pitchers and hitters constantly throughout the season. The ability to make adjustments often determines if players advance from this level or not.

Koby Clemens (‘05) is making a big adjustment this year. He was moved to catcher during the off-season. While he is still learning the nuances of the position defensively and will experience some growing pains there, his bat has come alive. Through the first two months of the season, he is hitting right around .300.

Jimmy Van Ostrand is one of the top first base prospects in the Astros’ system. He was invited to play in the Futures All-Star game last season and made the most of it by hitting a home run. This summer, he will take a break from the Avalanche to play for his home country of Canada in the Beijing Olympics.

Other prospects to keep an eye on in Salem are Douglass Arguello (P- ‘04), Jordan Parraz (OF- ‘04), Jason Dominguez (P), and Mark Ori (1B).

Sergio Severino (P- ‘05, ‘06) was called up to Salem from Lexington to take Polin Trinidad’s spot on the roster in mid May. Severino was impressive in Lexington at the start of the season. Keep an eye on him as he attempts to master the next rung on the ladder.

Lexington Legends (Low A)

Lexington is the first stop where players have to adjust to a full season of baseball. The grind of playing 140 games while riding a bus from as far south as Savannah, Georgia to as far north as Salisbury, Maryland tests a player’s mental and physical toughness. Here are some young players to keep an eye on in Lexington in 2008.

Matt Cusick (2B) has been the most consistent offensive performer for the Legends in the first two months of the season. His bat is ready for the next challenge but the Astros have decided his future is better at 3rd base, so he will begin the transition defensively prior to the move up to Salem.

Colin Delome, who was the top draft pick signed in 2007, is an outfielder with a power swing. He already has 11 home runs through the end of May. The Astros would like to see him cut down on his strikeouts as he continues to mature.

Leandro Cespedes (07) is a promising left-handed pitcher for the Legends. He has more strikeouts than innings pitched through his first 12 starts this season. He needs to reduce the number of home runs surrendered, but having just turned 21 in April, he still has plenty of time to develop.

Other names to keep an eye on with Lexington are Max Sapp (C ), Brian Pelligrini (OF), Russell Dixon (OF), Carlos Ladeuth (P – ‘06), Anthonly Bello (P – ‘06) and Thomas Vessella (P – ‘06). Vessella was called up during May and has gotten off to an impressive start in Lexington.

Tri Cities ValleyCats (Short Season A)

The ValleyCats are the level just above Greeneville. Their season runs a similar schedule to Greeneville’s, but features a roster that will be a mix of college age players who have been drafted, a few players who are spending their second season with Tri-City, and some players who spent last season with Greeneville.

Greeneville Astros (Rookie)

While Greeneville is the first stop for many prospects, it is not the bottom rung on the ladder of the Astros’ organization. The Astros also have teams in the Dominican Summer League (DSL) and Venezuelan Summer League (VSL). The Greeneville Astros have players every year who join them after experiencing success in the DSL or VSL.

The overall goal of any player is to traverse the many challenges they face in the minor leagues resulting in a Major League career. The players will push themselves to climb as high as they can to achieve their dreams of playing Major League baseball. In 2008, sit back and enjoy a season of players learning, growing, and hopefully winning as they chase their dreams and reach for the next rung on the ladder.

Quote

“It’s kind of a blur, everything went so fast,” said Torrence, a true freshman receiver who caught four passes for 31 yards in seven games this season. “I was hitting baseballs, now I’m trying to catch passes. I was at corner, then went to receiver. It’s been fun, though. I had to learn a lot of stuff this year, that’s for sure.”

Quote

“It’s been a humbling experience,” he said. “When I got to (Greeneville), I was striking out like crazy. … Then I get here and I’m used to scoring, and I don’t score a touchdown all year. I’m just taking it stride-for-stride.

Quote

He said Monday that he will graduate Dec. 15 with a double major in criminology and sociology.

And his notable season in Greeneville:

Quote

“I was happy with my season, especially as long as it was,” said Robinson, who resumed studies when the season ended.

Robinson struck out 25 and walked one in 291/3 innings for Greeneville.

Robinson relied on his fastball, curve and change-up but said he started working on a cutter late in the season.