Mormon Baseball

The Sacramento River Cats’ Shane Peterson is hot once again. After all but taking over spring training as a personal showcase, he cooled down during the season, settling into a sub-.250 batting average. But this past week Peterson has become hot again. In games against Albuquerque and Round Rock Peterson has exploded, going 10 for 22 with a home run, 5 rbis, 4 runs scored and six walks. In the process he has raised his season average to .241. With Oakland leading the AL West and expecting to make the post-season, they will want another hot bat on the bench when the roster expands to 40 on September 1st. Will Peterson be ready?

Another 40-man roster candidate is the Yankee’s Nik Turley, currently playing in the AA Eastern League for the Trenton Thunder. Turley has steadily improved over the past few weeks and could also be ready for the expanded roster on September 1st. This past week he was stellar, giving up just 1 run in 11 innings (0.82 era), striking out 9 and posting a WHIP of 1.00. For the season the lefty’s era is down to 3.77 and his WHIP stands at 1.31, and given the doubts about the Yankee’s pitching, he may make his first appearance in the majors this Fall.

With the trade deadline at the beginning of the week, several moves affected the Mormons in the minors. Adam Rosales, who had been up and down between AAA and the majors for Oakland was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers. Brandon Lyon, who was traded from the Mets to the Red Sox in mid-July and played 4 games for Pawtucket (AAA), was released, and has yet to find a home.

Meanwhile, Mitch Maier returned from the DL this past week to AAA Pawtucket and Mitch Talbot continues a rehab assignment in the Gulf Coast League before returning to the New Orleans Zephyrs.

But the best news of the week may be that Adam Law, who has been among the leaders in the Arizona League in most categories, has been promoted to the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League.

.

Hitting Stats Leaders:

• Adam Law (Arizona League – Rookie) — .357 BA (2nd); .430 OBP (2nd); 29 runs (tied 2nd); 21 stolen bases (1st)

Pitching Stats Leaders:

• Nik Turley (Eastern-AA) — 8 wins (tied 8th); 113 strike outs (tied 6th)

.

Current Roster Players:

• Jaycob Brugman — outfielder — Vermont Lake Monsters (New York-Penn League A short season) — Oakland As
  3 for 16 (.188) 2 run, 0 rbi, 0 hr, 1 bb, 1 sb, 8 so
  YTD: .252, 12 run, 22 rbi, 1 hr, 5 bb, 4 sb, 40 so in 139 at bats
• Tyson Brummett — relief pitcher (right handed) — New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA Eastern League) — Toronto Blue Jays
  0-0, 0.00 era, 1 hits, 0 er, 2 k, 0 bb in 2.0 innings
  YTD: 1-6, 6.01 era, 77 hits, 47 er, 68 k, 27 bb in 70.1 innings
• Taylor Cole — starting pitcher (right handed) — Lansing Lugnuts (Midwest League A) — Toronto Blue Jays
  1-0, 3.00 era, 6 hits, 2 er, 6 k, 0 bb in 6.0 innings
  YTD: 6-10, 4.16 era, 123 hits, 51 er, 80 k, 51 bb in 110.1 innings
• Jeff Gelalich — outfielder — Dayton Dragons (Midwest League A) — Cincinnati Reds
  4 for 22 (.182) 2 run, 2 rbi, 0 hr, 2 bb, 0 sb, 6 so
  YTD: .263, 54 run, 34 rbi, 1 hr, 49 bb, 18 sb, 80 so in 358 at bats
• Jacob Hannemann — outfielder — Boise Hawks (Northwest Leauge A short season) — Chicago Cubs
  Did not play
  YTD: .268, 9 run, 7 rbi, 1 hr, 2 bb, 4 sb, 12 so in 71 at bats
• Bryan Harper — relief pitcher (left handed) — Hagerstown Suns (South Atlantic League – A) — Washington Nationals
  0-0, 0.00 era, 0 hits, 0 er, 2 k, 1 bb in 3.0 innings
  YTD: 5-1, 4.58 era, 27 hits, 20 er, 38 k, 26 bb in 39.1 innings
• Cale Iorg — Second base — Aberdeen IronBirds (New York-Penn League A short season) — Baltimore Orioles
  Did not play. Reportedly demoted from Bowie Baysox (Eastern League AA)
  YTD: .145, 5 run, 6 rbi, 1 hr, 4 bb, 3 sb, 22 so in 55 at bats
• Adam Law — 3rd base — Ogden Raptors (Pioneer Leauge A) — LA Dodgers
  2 for 16 (.125) 1 run, 3 rbi, 0 hr, 2 bb, 2 sb, 5 so
  YTD: .350, 30 run, 17 rbi, 0 hr, 14 bb, 23 sb, 24 so in 137 at bats
• Marcus Littlewood — catcher — Clinton LumberKings (Midwest League – A) — Seattle Mariners
  3 for 13 (.231) 4 run, 3 rbi, 0 hr, 6 bb, 0 sb, 4 so
  YTD: .244, 25 run, 14 rbi, 3 hr, 28 bb, 1 sb, 41 so in 156 at bats
• Brandon Lyon — relief pitcher —Pawtucket Red Sox (International League – AAA) — Boston Red Sox
  Did not pitched — released
  YTD: 0-0, 1.69 era, 5 hits, 1 er, 3 k, 1 bb in 5.1 innings
  MLB: 2-2, 4.98 era, 43 hits, 19 er, 23 k, 13 bb in 34.1 innings
• Mitch Maier — outfielder —Pawtucket Red Sox (International League – AAA) — Boston Red Sox
  1 for 5 (.200) 1 run, 0 rbi, 0 hr, 1 bb, 0 sb, 1 so
  YTD: .310, 32 run, 22 rbi, 3 hr, 24 bb, 3 sb, 26 so in 113 at bats
• Taylor Mangum — relief pitcher (right-handed) — Brevard County Manatees (Florida State League – A+) — Milwaukee Brewers
  0-1, 20.25 era, 9 hits, 6 er, 3 k, 0 bb in 2.2 innings
  YTD: 2-7, 4.24 era, 57 hits, 24 er, 50 k, 17 bb in 51.0 innings
• Adam Miller — pitcher (right-handed) — Missoula Osprey (Pioneer League – Rookie) — Arizona Diamondbacks
  0-1, 5.40 era, 3 hits, 3 er, 2 k, 2 bb in 5.0 innings
  YTD: 0-2, 3.86 era, 31 hits, 14 er, 25 k, 8 bb in 32.2 innings
• Clayton Mortensen — relief pitcher (right handed) — Pawtucket Red Sox (International League – AAA) — Boston Red Sox
  0-0, 0.00 era, 2 hits, 0 er, 5 k, 1 bb in 4.0 innings
  YTD: 1-0, 3.92 era, 18 hits, 9 er, 23 k, 13 bb in 20.2 innings
  Majors YTD: 1-2, 5.34 era, 32 hits, 18 er, 21 k, 16 bb in 30.1 innings
• Matt Neil — starting pitcher (right handed) — Jacksonville Suns (Southern League – AA) — Miami Marlins
  0-0, 0.00 era, 0 hits, 0 er, 3 k, 0 bb in 3.0 innings
  YTD: 4-5, 4.10 era, 100 hits, 43 er, 82 k, 27 bb in 94.1 innings
• Stephen Parker — 3rd base — Nashville Sounds (Pacific Coast League – AAA) — Milwaukee Brewers
  3 for 12 (.250) 1 run, 3 rbi, 0 hr, 2 bb, 0 sb, 2 so
  YTD: .208, 28 run, 28 rbi, 6 hr, 36 bb, 3 sb, 85 so in 312 at bats
• Shane Peterson — outfielder — Sacramento River Cats (Pacific Coast League – AAA) — Oakland A’s (40-man MLB roster)
  10 for 22 (.455) 4 run, 5 rbi, 1 hr, 6 bb, 0 sb, 4 so
  YTD: .241, 54 run, 59 rbi, 8 hr, 63 bb, 15 sb, 96 so in 361 at bats
• Adam Rosales — shortstop — Sacramento River Cats (Pacific Coast League – AAA) — Oakland A’s (40-man MLB roster)
  Did not play — promoted to the majors
  YTD: .280, 7 run, 7 rbi, 1 hr, 3 bb, 1 sb, 8 so in 50 at bats
• Mitch Talbot — starting pitcher (right handed) — GCL Marlins (Gulf Coast League – Rookie)— Miami Marlins
  Rehab Assignment
  0-1, 3.60 era, 3 hits, 2 er, 5 k, 0 bb in 5.0 innings
  YTD: 2-1, 1.38 era, 8 hits, 2 er, 11 k, 3 bb in 13.0 innings
• Nik Turley — starting pitcher (right handed) — Trenton Thunder (Eastern League – AA) — New York Yankees (40-man MLB roster)
  0-1, 0.82 era, 6 hits, 1 er, 9 k, 5 bb in 11.0 innings
  YTD: 8-6, 3.77 era, 94 hits, 49 er, 117 k, 59 bb in 117.0 innings

Foreign Leagues:

• Brandon Duckworth — starting pitcher (right handed) — Rakuten Golden Eagles (Japan)
  1-0, 0.00 era, 5 hits, 0 er, 6 k, 2 bb in 6.0 innings
  YTD: 5-4, 3.11 era, 67 hits, 25 er, 48 k, 30 bb in 72.1 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
• Austin Hall — pitcher (right handed) — AZL Brewers (Arizona Leauge Rookie) — Milwaukee Brewers
• Blaine Howell — relief pitcher (left handed) — unassigned?? (was with Bakersfield Blaze of the California League – A+) — Cincinnati Reds
• 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