Results tagged ‘ Jake Petricka ’
Five Dash alums reassigned to minor league camp
Jake Petricka dealt two scoreless innings in big league spring training (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash).
For many minor league players, spring training is an opportunity to get a taste of a big league atmosphere and pick the brains of those at higher levels. As camp progresses, some of these players are sent back to minor league camp for their own good (more at bats or innings to prepare for the season) and the team’s own good (big league players are gearing up for the season, too).
Today, the White Sox announced that five non-roster invitees to spring training, all of whom are Dash alums, have been reassigned to minor league camp: C Mike Blanke, RHP Jake Petricka, INF Tyler Saladino, C Kevan Smith and INF Andy Wilkins.
Here are their’ stats from big league spring training:
- Blanke: 3 games played, 0-for-1
- Petricka: 2 appearances, 2.0 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs
- Saladino: 6 games played, 2-for-6, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Smith: 2 games played, 1-for-1, 1 run
- Wilkins: 4 games played, 3-for-9, 2 runs, 3 RBI
Obviously, statistics from a small sample size during spring training are not incredibly important, but these Dash alums performed well with many White Sox decision makers watching them. Congratulations to them.
The White Sox made one other move today: LHP Charlie Leesman was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Leesman, a 2010 Winston-Salem alum, did not appear in a game with Chicago in spring training.
The Sox still have 55 players remaining in big league camp, and many of them are Dash alums. We will keep you posted on any spring training transactions that take place.
- Brian
More Countdown Fun
I’ve had a blast coming up with the daily countdown to the 2013 season. Every number from 100 to 53 has been represented, and we went through some of them a few weeks back.
If you have missed any, 100-86 can be found here, and 85-53 is available below:
85 – In ’85, Winston-Salem won the CL title despite a regular season record of just 58-81. (Still counts!)
Keenyn Walker is a speedster with some gaudy stolen base numbers.
84 – This past season, right-handed pitching prospect Jake Petricka struck out 84 men while with the Dash.
83 – 1983 was the final year of the Winston-Salem Red Sox, the team with the most wins (1635) & Carolina League titles (5) in Winston-Salem history.
82 – Five years after playing in Winston-Salem, Hall of Famer Wade Boggs made his MLB debut in 1982.
81 – Mike Blanke, who earned a non-roster invite to spring training, had 81 hits a year ago in Winston.
80 – In the Dash’s 80th PA of the game, Chase Blackwood’s RBI single gave the Dash a 4-3, 20-inning win on May 19, 2010, against Myrtle Beach.
79 – Bill Slack, the winningest manager in W-S and CL history, was the 1979 Manager of the Year.
78 – Winston-Salem hit a league-best .278 in 2012.
77 – 2011 first rounder Keenyn Walker has 77 stolen bases in just 165 minor league games.
The Dash played 76 games on this beautiful field last year.
76 – The Dash played 76 total games at beautiful BB&T Ballpark last season.
75 – Chris Bassitt struck out 75 in his 91 innings last season in Winston-Salem.
74 – Fan-favorite Dan Black led the Dash with 74 hits at BB&T Ballpark in his MVP season.
73 – All-Star Michael Earley drove in 73 runs with the Dash in 2012 (T-4th in the CL).
72 – On July 4th, 2012, a single-game record 7,285 fans enjoyed a Dash game at BB&T Ballpark.
71 – MLB Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson started 71 games in 1956, the final season of his amazing 10-year career (this was the fact on January 31, Robinson’s birthday).
BB&T Ballpark hosted a record crowd on July 4 of last season.
70 – In 70 innings pitched with the White Sox last year, rookie Hector Santiago posted a 3.33 ERA.
69 – In game 69 of 2012, the Dash clinched the 1st-half title with a 9-5 win at Wilmington June 16.
68 – On July 17, 1968, Ed Phillips tossed the first perfect game in CL history. It is still Winston-Salem’s only perfecto in franchise history.
67 – In 67 innings in Winston-Salem last season, Terance Marin recorded an impressive 2.42 earned run average.
66 – Reliever Kevin Vance boasted a 1.66 ERA in 11 outings with Winston-Salem in 2012.
65 – Winston-Salem was 65-23 when hitting at least one home run in 2012. This record was the best on the circuit.
64 – If you attended every regular season game at BB&T Ballpark in 2012, you watched an even 640 innings of baseball!
63 – Winston-Salem’s single-season batting average record is .363, set by 8-year MLB vet Ray Jablonski in 1951.
62 – All-Star Matt Heidenreich whiffed 62 batters with the Dash before a July trade to the Houston organization.
The Dash’s offense did plenty of this in 2012.
61 – Winston led the Carolina League with a 61-22 mark when scoring first in 2012.
60 – In 1960, Ed Olivares hit 35 home runs for Winston-Salem, which still remains a single-season franchise record
59 – Both Marcus Semien and Brady Shoemaker drove in 59 runs for Winston-Salem last season.
58 – Carlos Sanchez, who is currently in big league camp with the White Sox, scored 58 times for the Dash in ’12.
57 – 57 different players suited up for the Dash in 2012, and they posted full-season Minor League Baseball’s best mark (87-51)!
56 – Outfielder Keenyn Walker led all White Sox farmhands with a combined 56 stolen bases between Low-A Kannapolis and Winston-Salem last year.
55 – Since becoming the Dash prior to the ’09 season, Winston boasts a .554 winning percentage (317-255). This includes regular season and postseason games.
54 – Trayce Thompson hit .254 with CL-bests in homers (22) and RBI (90) with the Dash a year ago.
53 – The Dash boasted 5 year-end All-Stars (Dan Black, Michael Earley, Carlos Sanchez, Brady Shoemaker and Trayce Thompson) and 3 midseason All-Stars (Earley, Shoemaker and Matt Heidenreich).
That’s another installment of “Countdown Catch-Up.” Stay tuned to our social media sites (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) for the rest of our daily countdowns. The home opener is only 52 days away!
- Brian
Rising White Sox Prospects
Marcus Semien and 15 other Dash alums were on another Top 25 countdown (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
The talented folks at FutureSox.com released their preseason Top 25 White Sox prospect list, and 16 of these prospects have played for Winston-Salem at some point.
Among the 16 Winston-Salem alums, 10 of them played with the Dash last season. The notable trend within this group is a significant improvement between the 2012 midseason list and the 2013 preseason ranking.
Here’s why: eight of the 10 Dash alums on this list either remained in the same spot or climbed the rankings since the midway point of last season. Take a look at the list:
#1 – OF Courtney Hawkins (Midseason: 1)
#2 – OF Trayce Thompson (Midseason: 7)
#4 - RHP Erik Johnson (Midseason: 18)
#5 – INF Carlos Sanchez (Midseason: 10)
#7 – RHP Andre Rienzo (Midseason: 15)
#8 – OF Keenyn Walker (Midseason: 8)
#9 – LHP Scott Snodgress (Midseason: 38)
#16 – INF Marcus Semien (Midseason: 34)
#22 – RHP Jake Petricka (Midseason: 16)
#25 – C Kevan Smith (Midseason: 24)
Improvement is the goal, and the Dash saw plenty of it from the 2012 crop of players who dominated the Carolina League en route to full-season Minor League Baseball’s best record.
Congratulations to all of the players on this list. Standing out in the minors is not easy, but these players have done just that.
- Brian
Can A 2012 Alum Start 2013 In Chicago?
Carlos Sanchez has the best chance of any 2012 alum to begin the season with the White Sox (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash).
The White Sox announced their non-roster invitees to spring training yesterday, and 13 of the 20 players heading to Glendale are former Dash players.
Of those 13 players, nine contributed to the Dash’s 2012 run to full-season minor league baseball’s best record and a Mills Cup Championship Series appearance.
It is an honor for these players to receive an invitation to spring training, and the goal is to impress while with the “big boys.” However, it is important to note that highly-touted prospects who go to spring training are not normally true contenders to make a roster unless they have significant experience in Double-A or Triple-A.
The flurry of invitations still bring about a question: can any of these 2012 Dash alums wow the Sox enough to break camp with the big league squad?
First off, any player who ended the season with the Dash would need to make a three-level jump in order to crack the roster, which means C Mike Blanke, RHP Erik Johnson, SS Marcus Semien, C Kevan Smith, LHP Scott Snodgress and OF Keenyn Walker will be long shots.
This leaves three other 2012 Dash alums: RHP Jake Petricka, INF Carlos Sanchez and OF Trayce Thompson.
Petricka has been a highly-ranked prospect in the White Sox system for the last few years, but he did struggle a bit with both Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham. The Minnesota native has plenty of potential, but additional minor league seasoning is almost certainly necessary.
Trayce Thompson still may need some more time in the minors before heading to The Show (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash).
Thompson has all the tools, but he has taken some time to adjust to every level. In 2011, the former second-round pick started crushing Low-A pitching, and his ascension to the top of the home run and RBI totem poles in the Carolina League this season stemmed from his surge after the All-Star break.
While Thompson reached Triple-A for the postseason, he still likely needs some time in the International League to figure out how to hit at that level. Thompson will be in the big leagues at some point, but Opening Day 2013 seems a bit too early.
This leaves Sanchez, who jumped up prospect rankings with a tremendous 2012 showing. The 20-year-old led the CL in batting average among qualifiers before going to Birmingham, where he hit .370 in 30 games. This prompted a late-season bump to Charlotte.
In 18 games with the Knights (regular season and playoffs), Sanchez hit .237 (14-for-59) with seven runs scored. These numbers are not eye-popping, but the Venezuelan most certainly held his own at the minors’ highest level.
Sanchez’s name even came up in Scott Merkin’s story about the non-roster invitees on whitesox.com yesterday.
“Carlos Sanchez also could be a long shot in consideration for that utility infield job. But with the 20-year-old phenom having just two years of professional experience and 991 Minor League at-bats to his credit, the White Sox goal is to get Sanchez a full season of at-bats at Triple-A Charlotte during the 2013 campaign. He topped all White Sox Minor Leaguers with a .323 average and 169 hits in 2012.”
A “goal” can always be changed, and Sanchez certainly has plenty of momentum from last season. He is an underdog in the race for one of the elusive 25 spots on Robin Ventura’s Opening Day roster, but he appears to be in the running.
You never know. A great spring could open the door for a 2012 Dash alum to reach The Show in 2013. Good luck to Carlos and the rest of the former Dash players heading to Arizona next month.
- Brian
Friday News And Notes
Blake Tekotte will compete for a big league spot in spring training. His hair should certainly give him a chance! (KOMU).
We are less than two weeks away from Thanksgiving, but there are plenty of news and notes to discuss from the last few days.
- Former Dash hurler Brandon Kloess is now a member of the Padres’ organization. The White Sox traded Kloess, who was 3-4 with a 3.70 ERA in Winston-Salem between 2010 and 2011, to San Diego for outfielder Blake Tekotte, who has played a combined 30 games in the big leagues over the last two seasons. Tekotte should figure into the outfielder mix in spring training with the Sox.
- Another Dash alum is heading out of the White Sox organization. Former Warthogs pitching coach Juan Nieves, who was Chicago’s bullpen coach for the last five seasons, is heading to Boston to become the Red Sox pitching coach. He will join new Boston skipper John Farrell, who was recently hired from Toronto.
- Baseball America’s annual list of the top 10 prospects in each organization is underway, and the White Sox will learn about their top farmhands Monday. I would anticipate that the list will be outfielder-heavy.
- Here is my guess (in no particular order) of the top 10: Keon Barnum, Courtney Hawkins, Erik Johnson, Charlie Leesman, Nestor Molina, Jake Petricka, Carlos Sanchez, Scott Snodgress, Trayce Thompson, and Keenyn Walker.
- For a comparison, MLB.com has its top 20 available here. It is great to see so many players who have come through Winston-Salem.
- Finally, I had a chance to return to my alma mater Ohio University for a couple of days this week. My time in Athens made me who I am today, and it was great to see some familiar faces and take in a football game. If you are looking at colleges, you can’t go wrong with Ohio.
Have a great weekend, and we’ll talk to you next week when the Baseball America rankings are released.
- Brian
52 Days Later…
The Dash are back in Wilmington for the first of three against the Blue Rocks at Frawley Stadium. While walking from the clubhouse to the broadcast booth, I couldn’t help but reminisce back to the Dash’s last trip to Delaware.
Winston-Salem arrived June 14 with a three-game cushion on Salem with four days left in the first half. The Dash’s magic number was two. After a series-opening loss Thursday night, the Dash corralled a thrilling 2-1 victory Friday to set up a clinch chance on a Saturday night in Wilmington.
That night was 52 days ago, and it was a memorable one for the Dash. Despite spoiling an early five-run advantage, Winston-Salem pulled away for a 9-5 victory that officially punched the Dash’s ticket to the Carolina League playoffs for the 25th time in franchise history.
Since that euphoric Saturday night in the First State, nine of the 24 players have left the active roster. The White Sox plan is working well because seven of those nine have advanced to Double-A Birmingham (Spencer Arroyo, Miguel Gonzalez, Nick McCully, Jake Oester, Jake Petricka, Carlos Sanchez and Brady Shoemaker), while another (Matt Heidenreich) is in Double-A with Houston’s organization after a deadline deal.
Check out some of the links below that take us all back to that incredible final weekend of the first half:
- Setting the tone the night before the clinch
- Highlights from the division-clinching win
- Post-game interviews after the victory
- The first half’s theme: “Best team I’ve ever been on…”
The Dash won’t be clinching anything over the next three days, but today begins a long stretch of mostly road games. Winston-Salem will play 14 of its next 17 away from home. Once this run is over, more clinching opportunities will present themselves with the playoffs on the horizon.
- Brian
Dash Alumni Update
Matt Heidenreich will make his first professional start outside the White Sox system tonight (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
Over the last few weeks, the Dash’s roster has gone through drastic changes. Winston-Salem has endured 29 roster moves this month, with some of its bigger names leaving the Triad.
How have some of these former Dash players fared elsewhere? It’s time to find out.
Miguel Gonzalez (promoted to Double-A July 24): Gonzalez just joined the Barons after spending the entire season with the Dash. He started his first Southern League game last night and went 1-for-4 with a double during the Barons’ loss at Chattanooga.
Matt Heidenreich (promoted to Double-A July 4; traded to Houston July 21): After a starting spot in the All-Star Game and a team-leading eight wins in Winston-Salem, Heidenreich earned his first promotion to Double-A on our nation’s birthday. In three starts, the righty struggled a bit (1-2, 5.89 ERA). However, the White Sox saw a chance to improve their big league roster and shipped Heidenreich and Blair Walters to Houston for big league reliever Brett Myers. Heidenreich, now with Double-A Corpus Christi in the Texas League, makes his debut in the Astros’ system tonight against San Antonio.
Jake Petricka (promoted to Double-A July 21): The number five prospect in the White Sox minor league system according to Baseball America, Petricka was challenged with a promotion to Birmingham after having an up-and-down season in Winston-Salem. So far, so good for the right-hander, who recorded a quality start in his first appearance since the promotion. He held Montgomery to a pair of runs in six innings of action.
Carlos Sanchez has hit safely in all four games with Double-A Birmingham this season (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash).
Carlos Sanchez (promoted to Double-A July 21): Sanchez, who still leads the Carolina League with 115 hits, has begun his Double-A career tremendously. The 20-year-old infield prospect is hitting .500 (8-for-16) with two runs scored through four games. He has hit safely in all of those contests, including a pair of three-hit showings. Sanchez went 3-for-4 in his Double-A debut Saturday.
Brady Shoemaker (promoted to Double-A July 2): A triple crown candidate in the Carolina League, Shoemaker is hitting .288 with two homers and 10 RBI in 20 games with the Barons. His power numbers may be a bit down, but the Brazil, Ind., native is still hitting .303 with a 1.023 OPS with runners on base.
Blair Walters (traded to Houston July 21): The other prospect shipped to Houston for Brett Myers, Walters was assigned to High-A Lancaster in the California League. He has yet to pitch for the JetHawks, but he is close to his home town of Oak Park, Calif., which is just an hour and a half away from his new home.
It was fun watching these guys, and many other former Dash players, compete in the Carolina League. Good luck to them in Alabama, California, Texas and beyond.
- Brian
Another Day, Another Roster Move
Scott Snodgress went to Stanford before the White Sox nabbed him in the fifth round last year (Stanford athletics).
Over the last five days, the White Sox have moved 13 players. It began with three moves Wednesday, highlighted by the first High-A promotion for Keenyn Walker. Friday, a pair of Kevin’s–Kevin Moran and Kevin Vance–joined the Dash’s bullpen.
Also Friday, we learned that Brent Morel would begin a rehab that continues today. Morel will play at third base for five innings this afternoon.
There were some huge moves on Saturday as well, with Jake Petricka and Carlos Sanchez heading to Double-A Birmingham and Erik Johnson and Daniel Wagner coming to Winston-Salem. Also yesterday, news broke that the White Sox had dealt now former Dash arms Matt Heidenreich and Blair Walters to Houston for big league closer Brett Myers.
Today, the White Sox released two more moves, placing Moran on the disabled list and receiving left-hander Scott Snodgress from Low-A Kannapolis.
Moran made his High-A debut Saturday night at BB&T Ballpark and worked two-thirds of an inning, allowing two runs thanks to four walks.
Snodgress has been a solid starter for the Intimidators throughout the season. The southpaw was 3-3 with a 3.64 earned run average in 19 starts. Over 99 innings of action, the Yucaipa, Calif., native struck out 84 men and held South Atlantic League swingers to a .233 batting average.
Winston-Salem and Frederick meet in a rubber match today at 5:00 p.m. Pre-game begins at 4:45 here. Talk to you then.
- Brian
Thompson Talks Trade, Walker, Morel, More
It has been a busy day here in Winston-Salem. From the promotions of Jake Petricka and Carlos Sanchez to Double-A Birmingham to Brent Morel’s rehab assignment to the White Sox trade with Houston to Keenyn Walker’s great High-A debut, there is plenty to chat about here with the Dash.
The main man to talk about all of this is Winston skipper Tommy Thompson. Here’s my conversation with him about all of these topics and much more. It is a MUST listen.
- Brian
Prospect Shuffle – White Sox Edition
From Winston-Salem to Kansas City to Birmingham, Carlos Sanchez has had a busy month of July (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
Roster moves in minor league baseball always pique some fans’ interests, but there has not been a day quite like this one involving the Dash in some time.
The White Sox announced four moves affecting the Dash this morning. A pair of top prospects–infielder Carlos Sanchez and right-handed hurler Jake Petricka–has been promoted to Double-A Birmingham.
The Dash have received two solid players in return. Righty Erik Johnson, Chicago’s second-round selection last year, earned his first promotion to the Carolina League from Low-A Kannapolis. Finally, utility man Daniel Wagner is back with Winston after spending exactly one month with Birmingham.
Let’s begin with Sanchez, who likely capped off his Carolina League career with a 4-for-5 showing last night at BB&T Ballpark. Sanchez, who just turned 20 in late June, sits fifth in the Carolina League with a .315 batting average to go along with 42 RBI and 19 stolen bases. He also paced all Dash swingers with 32 multi-hit efforts. Sanchez’s time to shine came in the All-Star Futures Game earlier this month, and he went 1-for-2 and chipped in with two great defensive plays at third base.
Jake Petricka’s second trip to Double-A promises to be longer than his first (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash).
Petricka, the number five prospect in the White Sox system according to Baseball America, had an up and down season with Winston-Salem. He went 5-5 with a 5.33 earned run average in a team-high 19 starts. Petricka shined in multiple outings, including his seven-inning blanking of Carolina June 2 at BB&T Ballpark. The righty made one spot start for Double-A Birmingham in May, but this promotion figures to be a long-term move.
There is no doubt that the Dash will miss both Sanchez and Petricka, but they are receiving a solid duo in return. Johnson joined the Intimidators at the start of June and he was a key cog in the club’s rotation. The 80th overall pick in last year’s draft, Johnson posted a 2-2 record and a 2.54 ERA in his eight starts in the South Atlantic League. In 39 innings of work, the former California Golden Bear whiffed 35 and limited opponents to a .238 average.
Finally, Winston-Salem will get Wagner back after a one-month stint with Double-A Birmingham, where he hit .270 with seven RBI in 19 games. While with the Dash, Wagner owned a .253 average with a homer and 18 RBI in 51 games. The Belmont product posted a 13-game hitting streak from May 15-28, and he proved to be very versatile with the Dash. Wagner played at four different positions during the first half with Winston (second base, third base, center field and right field).
There have been plenty of roster moves lately, but this is what the White Sox want to see happen. Players are thriving at the High-A level, so they make the climb to Double-A. So far, the Dash have been able to remain at the top of the heap in the Carolina League, and this is likely to continue with more talent waiting at the lower levels.
Winston and Frederick continue a three-game series tonight at 7:00. Pre-game coverage begins at 6:45, and you can tune in here. Talk to you then.
- Brian
