Results tagged ‘ Miguel Gonzalez ’
Tools Time
Kevin Vance has the best curveball in the system, per Baseball America (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
No, I’m not talking about Tim Allen’s “Tool Time” show in the Home Improvement series.
The Dash shined in Baseball America’s top 10 White Sox prospects countdown, which we broke down yesterday. However, the publication went beyond the top 10 list.
The annual countdown includes a look at the top prospect in Chicago’s system based on various tools, and seven 2012 Dash alumni earned at least one spot on this list:
Best Hitter for Average – Carlos Sanchez
Best Power Hitter – Courtney Hawkins
Fastest Baserunner – Keenyn Walker
Best Athlete – Courtney Hawkins
Best Curveball – Kevin Vance
Best Slider – Erik Johnson
Best Defensive Catcher – Miguel Gonzalez
Best Defensive Infielder – Carlos Sanchez
Best Infield Arm – Juan Silverio
Congrats to Sanchez and Hawkins, who both took home a pair of these “tools awards.”
You can read more about these players and the rest of Baseball America’s countdown here.
- 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
First Time Promotion, Righty Returns
Miguel Gonzalez will try to gun down runners in the Southern League (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash).
As we have discussed over the last few days, roster moves have drastically changed the Dash’s roster. This trend continued Tuesday with two more moves affecting Winston-Salem. For the first time in his minor league career, Miguel Gonzalez has earned a promotion to Double-A Birmingham. Also today, the Dash received Jon Bachanov from Double-A Birmingham.
Gonzalez was hitting .247 with a home run and 16 RBI in 50 games with the Dash. The Venezuela native’s best asset is his defense and, more specifically, his arm. He threw out 22 of 42 attempted base stealers, which is a 52 percent rate. For his career, Gonzalez has thrown out 42 percent of runners trying to steal.
Bachanov’s first stint at the Double-A level lasted almost four weeks. The Orlando, Fla., native was 0-1 with an earned run average of 9.00 in five outings with the Barons. In the bullpen, Bachanov only allowed two earned runs in four and a third innings of work. While with the Dash, Bachanov posted a 6-2 record and a 4.22 ERA in 18 appearances, nine of which were starts.
Over the last seven days, the Dash have been hit with 15 roster moves. Safe to say, this roster is in flux right now.
The Dash and Mudcats continue their four-game series tonight at 7:00. Pre-game begins at 6:45 here. Talk to you then.
- Brian
Local Product Earns Promotion to Winston
(Photo courtesy of Rob Moore and Appalachian State athletics).
Thousands of minor league baseball players jump from one affiliate to another during the course of the season. It is rare for a player to join a team so close to not only his hometown, but his college as well.
One of those rare instances happened today with the promotion of catcher Jeremy Dowdy, a Raleigh native and an Appalachian League State product, to the Dash.
Dowdy signed with the White Sox as an undrafted free agent June 12 and began his professional career with rookie-level Bristol in the Appalachian League. He hit .412 (7-for-17) with three RBI and two runs scored in five games.
Although Dowdy has only played in five of the B-Sox’s first 14 games, this is a common practice at that level. Most Appalachian League squads carry at least three catchers, and Bristol had four when Dowdy was on board.
According to the Mountaineers’ website, Dowdy is one of only three players in school history to play in at least 200 games. He is among the university’s all-time top 10 with 732 at-bats, 43 doubles, 127 RBI and 86 walks.
For the first time this season, the Dash have three catchers on the roster. Mike Blanke and Miguel Gonzalez have been with the Dash since the start of the season, and they will gladly take on the third catcher. In the minor leagues, catchers are responsible for any bullpen catching or pre-game sides. With the heat on full blast within the league, a respite here and there will help immensely.
The Dash wrap up their quick three-game road trip tonight at 7:05 against Lynchburg. Pre-game starts at 6:50 here. Talk to you then.
- Brian
Dash Pummel Potomac
It truly was an incredible effort by the Dash yesterday at BB&T Ballpark. Winston-Salem slammed Potomac 14-0. Here are some facts about the shellacking in front of more than 4,000 fans in Winston 24 hours ago:
- The Dash set season highs for runs (14) and doubles (five) in a single game while falling one short of their season high in hits (14 at Frederick April 11).
- Dash catcher Miguel Gonzalez set a career high with five runs batted in Wednesday afternoon. Gonzalez singled home a pair during Winston’s six-run sixth inning, and he capped off the scoring with a three-run double in the eighth frame. It marks the first time a Dash hitter has had five RBI in a game since Andy Wilkins drove in five during an 8-2 defeat of Myrtle Beach August 28, 2011.
Marcus Semien hit the eighth grand slam in Dash history Wednesday (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash).
- Marcus Semien entered Wednesday with a batting average of .211 and only four RBI, but he walked off the field with Winston-Salem’s first grand slam of the season. Semien went yard over the left field fence with the bases loaded in the sixth. It was just the eighth grand slam hit by Winston-Salem since the franchise became the Dash in ‘09.
- Winston’s five pitchers combined on a two-hitter, which is the lowest number of hits allowed by the club this season. It was also the Dash’s third shutout of the campaign.
- After a slow start, Dash catcher Mike Blanke has gotten hot lately. He owns a seven-game hitting streak, which is one away from the Dash’s highest this year. Blanke is hitting 8-for-26 (.308) with four RBI during the streak.
- Ryan Buch took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and finished with five scoreless innings. Four different relievers posted a scoreless frame behind Buch. It was the lowest hit output by a Winston-Salem opponent in a nine-inning shutout since the Dash held Salem to one hit May 13, 2011.
- Today, Winston-Salem has a chance to earn its first sweep since July 29-30, 2011, at Myrtle Beach. It would be the Dash’s first four-game sweep since July 25-28 at home against Kinston.
- Winston-Salem has not swept Potomac since a two-game series that was shortened because of a postponement May 5-6, 2006. The last time Winston-Salem swept Potomac in a four-game series was in Winston April 21-24, 2005.
We’ll let you know if the Dash can pull it off tonight, beginning with the Pre-Game Dash at 6:45. Talk to you then.
- Brian
