Mormon Baseball

Returning from the DL is sometimes a struggle, and sometimes its rejuvenating. Where some return and struggle to get back to form, other players start hot, as if the break put them back at the top of their game. With his strong return, Mitch Maier must be feeling great. During the week since he rejoined the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA), Maier has hit .353, including 5 runs, 6 rbis and 2 home runs, while managing 4 walks and a stolen base. His average for the season is now .333 — among the best in the league, except for the fact that he hasn’t enough plate appearances to make the stats lists.

His strength at the plate was followed close behind by Jeff Gelalich, who hit .304 this week, with 4 rbi and 3 runs scored. His performance the past two weeks has put him on the stats lists for the single A Midwest league in runs and stolen bases.

Among pitchers the standout was Taylor Mangum, who gave up just 1 hit and no runs in 2 innings of work last week. Brian Harper did the same, but over just a single inning. The other Mormon pitchers in the minors struggled as well, in particular Josh Johnson, who threw his 3rd rehab session last week and got hammered, giving up 6 earned runs and 8 hits during a 4 2/3rds inning session. But the Blue Jays brought him back to the majors anyway, saying that he felt fine. And in hist first game back in the majors he lost, but gave up just 6 hits and 1 earned run over 7 innings.

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Hitting Stats Leaders:

• Jeff Gelalich (Midwest-A) — 34 runs (tied 8th); 14 stolen bases (tied 10th)

Pitching Stats Leaders:

• Nik Turley (Eastern-AA) — 5 wins (tied 6th); 58 strike outs (10th)

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Current Roster Players:

• Tyson Brummett — relief pitcher (right handed) — New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA Eastern League) — Toronto Blue Jays
  0-0, 6.00 era, 2 hits, 2 er, 2 k, 0 bb in 3.0 innings
  YTD: 0-4, 6.09 era, 44 hits, 30 er, 38 k, 20 bb in 44.1 innings
• Taylor Cole — starting pitcher (right handed) — Lansing Lugnuts (Midwest League A) — Toronto Blue Jays
  1-0, 1.50 era, 5 hits, 1 er, 4 k, 4 bb in 6.0 innings
  YTD: 3-3, 3.88 era, 57 hits, 24 er, 39 k, 30 bb in 55.2 innings
• Jeff Gelalich — outfielder — Dayton Dragons (Midwest League A) — Cincinnati Reds
  7 for 23 (.304) 3 run, 4 rbi, 0 hr, 1 bb, 2 sb, 4 so
  YTD: .287, 34 run, 19 rbi, 0 hr, 22 bb, 14 sb, 38 so in 195 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
  0-0, 0.00 era, 1 hits, 0 er, 1 k, 1 bb in 1.0 innings
  YTD: 3-0, 3.24 era, 9 hits, 6 er, 18 k, 12 bb in 16.2 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
  0 for 9 (.000) 1 run, 1 rbi, 0 hr, 1 bb, 1 sb, 3 so
  YTD: .145, 5 run, 6 rbi, 1 hr, 4 bb, 3 sb, 22 so in 55 at bats
• Josh Johnson — starting pitcher (right handed) — Buffalo Bisons (International League – AAA) — Toronto Blue Jays (Rehab assignment)
  0-1, 11.57 era, 8 hits, 6 er, 3 k, 3 bb in 4.2 innings
  YTD: 0-1, 5.40 era, 12 hits, 7 er, 11 k, 4 bb in 11.2 innings.
  MLB YTD: 0-1, 6.86 era, 28 hits, 15 er, 19 k, 9 bb in 19.2 innings.
• Marcus Littlewood — catcher — Clinton LumberKings (Midwest League – A) — Seattle Mariners
  3 for 11 (.273) 0 run, 0 rbi, 0 hr, 0 bb, 1 sb, 3 so
  YTD: .237, 7 run, 1 rbi, 1 hr, 8 bb, 1 sb, 19 so in 59 at bats
• Mitch Maier — outfielder —Pawtucket Red Sox (International League – AAA) — Boston Red Sox
  6 for 17 (.353) 5 run, 6 rbi, 2 hr, 4 bb, 1 sb, 4 so
  YTD: .333, 13 run, 13 rbi, 3 hr, 9 bb, 1 sb, 8 so in 45 at bats
• Taylor Mangum — relief pitcher (right-handed) — Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Midwest League – A) — Milwaukee Brewers
  0-0, 0.00 era, 1 hits, 0 er, 3 k, 0 bb in 2.0 innings
  YTD: 1-3, 3.32 era, 21 hits, 8 er, 18 k, 9 bb in 21.2 innings
• Matt Neil — starting pitcher (right handed) — New Orleans Zephyrs (Pacific Coast League – AAA) — Miami Marlins
  0-1, 14.21 era, 10 hits, 10 er, 8 k, 3 bb in 6.1 innings
  YTD: 2-3, 5.08 era, 55 hits, 29 er, 39 k, 13 bb in 51.1 innings
• Stephen Parker — 3rd base — Nashville Sounds (Pacific Coast League – AAA) — Milwaukee Brewers
  4 for 19 (.211) 2 run, 2 rbi, 0 hr, 5 bb, 0 sb, 6 so
  YTD: .246, 21 run, 18 rbi, 6 hr, 21 bb, 2 sb, 48 so in 183 at bats
• Shane Peterson — outfielder — Sacramento River Cats (Pacific Coast League – AAA) — Oakland A’s (40-man MLB roster)
  4 for 29 (.138) 1 run, 3 rbi, 1 hr, 1 bb, 0 sb, 12 so
  YTD: .249, 35 run, 27 rbi, 5 hr, 38 bb, 6 sb, 54 so in 181 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, 4.50 era, 6 hits, 3 er, 6 k, 0 bb in 6.0 innings
  YTD: 5-3, 3.88 era, 48 hits, 26 er, 62 k, 31 bb in 60.1 innings

Foreign Leagues:

• Brandon Duckworth — starting pitcher (right handed) — Rakuten Golden Eagles (Japan)
  Did not pitch this week
  YTD: 2-3, 4.30 era, 43 hits, 18 er, 25 k, 17 bb in 37.2 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