Mormon Baseball

Yankees prospect Nik Turley got the call to move up a level last week, from the Trenton Thunder (AA) to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders (AAA), and although his pitching has been somewhat mediocre this year (4.46 era), he rose to the occasion. In a 6-inning start Turley gave up just one run and two hits (1.50 era), but ended up with a no-decision. But, despite a great performance, Turley was sent back to AA this week—apparently the Yankees don’t need him in AAA yet.

Turley pitched for the Yankees in spring training and is on the major league team’s 40-man roster, making him one of the more likely prospects to be brought up. But overall Turley’s AA performance says that he isn’t quite ready yet.

He isn’t the only Mormon in the minors on a major league 40-man roster. Oakland A’s prospect Shane Peterson, who is currently with the AAA Sacramento River Cats, is on the major league team’s 40-man roster and has already been brought up to the majors briefly, to cover an absence due to parental leave. And unlike Turley, Peterson, and outfielder, is playing very well. Not only does he have a .298 era, he is 8th in the Pacific Coast League in on base percentage and tied for 8th in runs scored.

Among other Mormon pitchers in the minors, Taylor Mangum (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – A) is still pitching very well, giving up just 2 hits and no runs over 3 innings last week and lowering his season era to 2.55. Bryan Harper (Hagerstown Suns – A) also blanked the batters he faced in 2 2/3rds innings, earning his second win in the process and lowering his era to just 1.00 (for just 9.0 innings pitched). Among position players, Jeff Gelalich also did great at the plate last week, hitting .318, scoring 6 times and earning 3 rbis. His average for the season is now .272.

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Hitting Stats Leaders:

• Shane Peterson (PCL-AAA) — 30 runs (tied 8th); .436 OBP (8th)

Pitching Stats Leaders:

(none this week)

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Current Roster Players:

• Tyson Brummett — relief pitcher (right handed) — New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA Eastern League) — Toronto Blue Jays
  0-1, 5.40 era, 6 hits, 3 er, 4 k, 1 bb in 5.0 innings
  YTD: 0-4, 7.31 era, 32 hits, 23 er, 25 k, 18 bb in 28.1 innings
• Taylor Cole — starting pitcher (right handed) — Lansing Lugnuts (Midwest League A) — Toronto Blue Jays
  0-0, 5.40 era, 7 hits, 3 er, 4 k, 3 bb in 5.0 innings
  YTD: 1-2, 4.50 era, 36 hits, 17 er, 29 k, 17 bb in 34.0 innings
• Jeff Gelalich — outfielder — Dayton Dragons (Midwest League A) — Cincinnati Reds
  7 for 22 (.318) 6 run, 3 rbi, 0 hr, 6 bb, 0 sb, 4 so
  YTD: .272, 22 run, 12 rbi, 0 hr, 14 bb, 8 sb, 24 so in 125 at bats
• Austin Hall — pitcher (right handed) — AZL Brewers (Arizona Leauge Rookie) — Milwaukee Brewers
  (opening game June 20)
• Bryan Harper — relief pitcher (left handed) — Hagerstown Suns (South Atlantic League – A) — Washington Nationals
  1-0, 0.00 era, 1 hits, 0 er, 5 k, 1 bb in 2.2 innings
  YTD: 2-0, 1.00 era, 6 hits, 1 er, 12 k, 5 bb in 9.0 innings
• Blaine Howell — relief pitcher (left handed) — unassigned?? (was with Bakersfield Blaze of the California League – A+) — Cincinnati Reds
  no information — did not play
  
• Cale Iorg — Second base — Bowie Baysox (Eastern League AA) — Baltimore Orioles
  Disabled — on 7-day DL — did not play this past week – last played April 23
  YTD: .179, 1 run, 0 rbi, 0 hr, 0 bb, 0 sb, 11 so in 28 at bats
• Marcus Littlewood — catcher — Clinton LumberKings (Midwest League – A) — Seattle Mariners
  Disabled — on 7-day DL — last played May 8th
  1 for 1 (1.000) 0 run, 0 rbi, 0 hr, 0 bb, 0 sb, 0 so
  YTD: .250, 5 run, 0 rbi, 0 hr, 4 bb, 0 sb, 11 so in 32 at bats
• Mitch Maier — outfielder —Pawtucket Red Sox (International League – AAA) — Boston Red Sox
  Disabled — on 7-day DL — did not play this past week – last played April 22
  YTD: .321, 8 run, 7 rbi, 1 hr, 5 bb, 0 sb, 4 so in 28 at bats
• Taylor Mangum — relief pitcher (right-handed) — Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Midwest League – A) — Milwaukee Brewers
  0-0, 0.00 era, 2 hits, 0 er, 3 k, 1 bb in 3.0 innings
  YTD: 1-2, 2.55 era, 17 hits, 5 er, 15 k, 7 bb in 17.2 innings
• Matt Neil — starting pitcher (right handed) — Jacksonville Suns (Southern League – AA) — Miami Marlins
  1-0, 2.92 era, 13 hits, 4 er, 9 k, 2 bb in 12.1 innings
  YTD: 1-2, 4.09 era, 36 hits, 15 er, 25 k, 7 bb in 33.0 innings
• Stephen Parker — 3rd base — Nashville Sounds (Pacific Coast League – AAA) — Milwaukee Brewers
  4 for 19 (.211) 3 run, 4 rbi, 1 hr, 7 bb, 1 sb, 8 so
  YTD: .248, 14 run, 11 rbi, 4 hr, 13 bb, 2 sb, 32 so in 121 at bats
• Shane Peterson — outfielder — Sacramento River Cats (Pacific Coast League – AAA) — Oakland A’s (40-man MLB roster)
  7 for 25 (.280) 6 run, 5 rbi, 1 hr, 5 bb, 2 sb, 6 so
  YTD: .298, 30 run, 18 rbi, 3 hr, 31 bb, 6 sb, 29 so in 121 at bats
• Mitch Talbot — starting pitcher (right handed) — New Orleans Zephyrs (Pacific Coast League – AAA)— Miami Marlins
  On 7-day DL – last pitched April 7th
  YTD: 1-0, 0.00 era, 2 hits, 0 er, 3 k, 2 bb in 5.0 innings
• Nik Turley — starting pitcher (right handed) — Trenton Thunder (Eastern League – AA) — New York Yankees (40-man MLB roster)
  0-1, 3.27 era, 7 hits, 4 er, 11 k, 6 bb in 11.0 innings
  YTD: 3-2, 4.46 era, 37 hits, 20 er, 41 k, 22 bb in 40.1 innings

Foreign Leagues:

• Brandon Duckworth — starting pitcher (right handed) — Rakuten Golden Eagles (Japan)
  Did not pitch this past week
  YTD: 2-3, 4.04 era, 39 hits, 16 er, 21 k, 12 bb in 35.2 innings

Last Year’s players released: (could still be picked up by other teams)

• Derek Cone — starting pitcher (right handed) — Los Angeles Dodgers organization Released.
  Cone has returned to school at ASU pursuing a degree in Accounting
• Willie Mays Eyre — starting pitcher (right handed) — Texas Rangers organization
  Retired
• Kyle Hurst — relief pitcher (right handed) — Independent
  Released
• Lance Pendleton — starting pitcher (right handed) — Tampa Bay Ray’s organization
  Released
  Now a salesman with Baker Hughes
• Jordan Whatcott — relief pitcher (right handed) — Philadelphia Phillies organization
  Released

Other players who may be Mormon:
[We need to determine if these players are Mormon before publishing further information about them.]

Rick Anton, Jay Brossman, Brian Budrow, Tyler Chism, Dallas Christison, Stephen Fife, Tyler Hanks,Steve Hirschfeld, Zachary Jones, Ryan Khoury, Kam Mickolio (apparently not Mormon, but I don’t have evidence either way), Cole Miles, A. J. Murray, Jordan Taylor Pratt, Tanner Robles, Braeden Schlehuber, Justin Smith, Matt Spring, Brad Thompson

Non-Mormons who may be confused for Mormons

Matt Carson (non-Mormon who went to BYU), Derek Christensen, Egan Smith, Jordan Smith