Results tagged ‘ Neil Ramirez ’
Season in Review: June
On June 15, the ‘Riders celebrated clinching a spot in the playoffs for the seventh time in ten seasons. (Alex Yocum-Beeman/RoughRiders)
The 2012 Frisco RoughRiders season was an unquestioned success. The ’Riders won the first half South Division title, finished with an 80-60 record (good for the second-best overall mark in the Texas League) and advanced to the Texas League Championship Series before losing to the Springfield Cardinals. Along the way, there were standout performances from big-time prospects, thrilling games and terrific storylines. Before looking ahead to the 2013 season, we look back at a special 2012 campaign that proved to be a memorable one for the ’Riders.
JUNE
Record: 11-16 (6th of 8 TL teams)
Average: .244 (6th)
Home Runs: 26 (2nd)
ERA: 5.20 (8th)
Top Offensive Players: Mike Olt (.325-10-24, 3 2B, 17 R, .438/.738/1.175), Chris McGuiness (.274-8-16, 5 2B, 14 R, .365/.619/.984), Jose Felix (.294-3-9, 2 2B, 5 R), Jurickson Profar (.290-2-12, 4 2B, 3B, 15 R, 2-3 SB)
Top Pitchers: Ryan Rodebaugh (8 G, 1-1, 0.69 ERA, 1-1 SV, 13 IP, 7 H, 18 K, 1.08 WHIP, .159 BAA), Carlos Pimentel (7 G, 1 GS, 2-0, 1.88 ERA, 14.1 IP, 10 H, 17 K, .204 BAA), Joseph Ortiz (9 G, 1-1, 2.79 ERA, 1-2 SV, 9.2 IP ,7 H, 0.93 WHIP, .200 BAA), Justin Grimm (2 GS, 0-0, 1.93 ERA, 14 IP, 11 H, 10 K, 2 BB, 0.93 WHIP, .216 BAA)
June was a month to remember and a month to forget at the same time for the Frisco nine. On one hand, the ’Riders experienced the high of clinching a spot in the postseason, an extreme power surge by Mike Olt, a direct promotion to the big leagues of Justin Grimm and the sight of a former Major League All-Star wearing a Frisco uniform. On the other hand, however, the team’s 11-16 record was by far its worst of the season and Steve Buechele’s club was hurt by sudden roster turnover, a sluggish offense and underwhelming pitching.
Roy Oswalt started on June 12 for the ‘Riders in a game that lasted nearly five hours. (Alex Yocum-Beeman/RoughRiders)
No doubt about it, June was eventful for reasons both good and bad. To paraphrase Buechele, it was evident that the RoughRiders, after two months of stellar play, were coming back to the pack as many players were forced to make their first true adjustments since joining the Texas League. The letdown factor after securing a playoff spot was evident and the relative inexperience of the team allowed the funk to permeate longer than it probably should have.
Still, the ’Riders were in an enviable position after finishing the first half with the best record in the Texas League. Frisco and Tulsa earned the right to play a little more relaxed in the second half, knowing that they were the only two teams guaranteed to keep playing after Labor Day.
TIMELINE:
June 1: After ripping off ten straight wins to begin the season, Barret Loux gets his first no-decision of the year. He and future 2012 big leaguer Edwar Cabrera of Tulsa pitched to a 3-3 stalemate before Ryan Strausborger sent Frisco to a 4-3 walk-off victory with an RBI single in the ninth inning. The win secured the ’Riders’ first series sweep of the season. In the game, Mike Olt goes 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored.
June 2: Frisco loses 10-5 to Northwest Arkansas in ten innings after the Naturals victimize Wilfredo Boscan and Zach Osborne in the extra frame. Olt goes 3-for-3 with two more home runs, four RBI and two walks while Jurickson Profar extends his on-base streak to 50 straight games with a single and a walk.
June 3: In a 10-3 loss to the Naturals, Olt makes it three straight games with two home runs with a pair of solo shots. In this three-game stretch, he increases his season homer total from 11 to 17, the most in the Texas League. Over his last 11 games, Olt is hitting .489 with eight home runs and 19 RBI. In the same game, Profar goes 0-for-4 and fails to reach base for the first time since April 6 (the second game of the season), ending his 50-game on-base streak. The streak would endure as the longest of its kind in Major or Minor League Baseball in 2012.
June 4: Profar is honored by the Texas League as its “TOPPS Player of the Month” for May while Olt is named the TL “Player of the Week” for his recent offensive heroics. That night, Frisco is swept for the first time this season in a 3-1 loss to Northwest Arkansas. In a reminder of the tenuous nature of the profession, ’Riders reliever Corey Young is released by the Rangers organization. Two days later, bullpen-mate Trevor Hurley is released as well.
June 8:The RoughRiders rebound from getting swept by winning their third in a row at San Antonio by a 5-2 final score. Zach Zaneski goes 2-for-4 with his first career triple to extend his season-best hitting streak to 14 games and raise his batting average to .346 (it was .188 through his first nine games). The triple was Frisco’s 32nd of the season, the most by any team in professional baseball. The win shrinks the ’Riders’ magic number for a playoff berth to seven.
Legendary pitcher Greg Maddux and Zach Zaneski share a moment during one of Maddux’s visits to Frisco this season. (Alex Yocum-Beeman/RoughRiders)
June 11: The Rangers name Olt their “Minor League Player of the Month” for May, but the night belongs to fellow corner infielder Chris McGuiness, who hits a grand slam in a 10-1 win over Midland. McGuiness had just hit a three-run home run the night before. The offense supports a dazzling Chad Bell (6.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K), whose performance was personally observed by pitching great and Rangers special assistant to the general manager Greg Maddux. The future Hall of Famer calls Bell’s performance one of the greatest he has ever witnessed by a Minor Leaguer.
June 12: Roy Oswalt, recently signed by Texas, continues his road back to the big leagues with a start for the RoughRiders against the RockHounds. Oswalt (3.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, BB, 3 K, WP) looks rusty, but so do both teams’ bats as the game progresses. The contest goes 14 innings before Jose Felix wins it with a walk-off single to send Frisco to a 5-4 victory. The four-hour, 47-minute affair ends nine minutes before midnight and is easily the longest game of the season. Complicating matters, the two teams must play an 11 a.m. game the next day. Midland easily wins that game 10-2.
June 14: On the day the All-Star Game rosters are announced, Justin Grimm is shocked to learn that he will be promoted directly to the Rangers in two days and make his Major League debut in a start against the Astros. That night, Frisco beats Corpus Christi 4-3 to whittle its magic number to one with five games remaining in the first half.
June 15: Ryan Strausborger’s RBI fielder’s choice in the eighth inning snaps a tie game and the ’Riders win 3-2 over the Hooks to clinch a spot in the Texas League playoffs for the seventh time in ten years. Nick Tepesch, just promoted to take Grimm’s recently vacated spot in the rotation, allows just two runs over seven innings in his Double-A debut.
June 16: While the ’Riders meekly fall to Jose Cisnero (two-hit complete game shutout) and the Hooks 5-0, Grimm wins in his first-ever big league game down the road in Arlington. Playing in front of a sellout crowd that includes former President George W. Bush, Frisco’s Opening Day starter allows three runs on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts over six innings as the Rangers beat Houston 8-3.
June 17: Facing a shortage of pitching, Steve Buechele is forced to turn to a pair of position players to pitch the 11th inning against Corpus Christi. With the game tied at five, outfielder Val Majewski and infielder Guilder Rodriguez combine to allow nine runs on eight hits, a walk and a hit batter. The Hooks prevail 14-5.
June 19: Frisco beats Midland 5-1 to finish the first half with a 41-29 record, the best mark in the TL. The ’Riders benefit from six RockHounds errors and a good game from Majewski (2-for-4, double, RBI) on his 31st birthday. Brad Hawpe, who played the first two months of the season for Frisco while recovering from elbow surgery, requests and his granted his release by the Rangers.
Fortunately, Mike Olt and Jurickson Profar are better hitters than they are dancers. Both had big months in June. (Alex Yocum-Beeman/RoughRiders)
June 21: Over a three-day period, the ’Riders experience a flurry of roster moves. Gone from the active roster are: LHP Bell (promoted to Round Rock), RHP Fabio Castillo (disabled list), LHP Tim Murphy (disabled list), LHP Joseph Ortiz (Round Rock) and IF Rodriguez (Round Rock). Frisco receives: LHP Richard Bleier (off the disabled list), RHP Cody Buckel (up from Myrtle Beach), OF Jared Hoying (Myrtle Beach), RHP Neil Ramirez (down from Round Rock) and RHP Ross Wolf (Round Rock).
June 22: Corpus Christi thumps Frisco 13-7 despite three solo home runs from McGuiness, a new career-high. After getting hit hard in a no-decision by the Hooks in his last outing, Loux (3+ IP, 8 H, 9 R, 8 ER, BB, 4 K, BK) cannot escape his first loss of the season this time. It is his first defeat in exactly 11 months; he last lost in 2011 to Frederick while pitching in the Carolina League. Buechele is ejected for the only time all season in the middle of the third inning while Profar is tossed in the ninth.
June 24: The ’Riders lose their season-high fourth straight game in a 3-2 defeat to the Hooks. In a matchup of terrific pitching prospects, Corpus Christi’s Jarred Cosart (6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, K) outduels Buckel (4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K), who is making his first Double-A start.
June 25: Ramirez (6 IP, 2 H, R, 3 BB, 6 K) makes his first start since coming down from Triple-A Round Rock and looks sharp in a 4-1 ’Riders victory over the Hooks. The result takes Frisco into the All-Star break on a winning note.
June 28: The North Division bests the South 3-1 in the Texas League All-Star Game at Tulsa’s ONEOK Field. Nine Frisco players were named to the South Division team: Bell, Engel Beltre, Jake Brigham, Grimm, Loux, Olt, Carlos Pimentel, Profar and Zaneski.
June 30: The ’Riders look listless in Springfield, losing their second straight game 11-6. Tepesch and Miguel De Los Santos combine to allow five home runs in the route.
Coming tomorrow: A look back at the month of July.
- Alex V.
Ramirez’s Route To Professional Baseball
Neil Ramirez pitching in Frisco in 2011. (Photo by Alex Yocum-Beeman)
Baseball has been part of RoughRiders’ pitcher Neil Ramirez since he was five years old. He started playing on tournament teams when he was around ten years old including a team called the Virginia Heat which was in the AAU. The spark that began his Ramirez’s initial interest in pitching came from a certain major league team.
“My favorite team growing up was the Atlanta Braves,” Ramirez said. “I loved the whole pitching staff, watching Smoltz, Glavine, Maddux, all those guys.”
High school ball was where Ramirez started garnering attention and standing out.
“I played all four years on the varsity team,” Ramirez said. “I wasn’t the main pitcher I would say until my junior year. We had a pretty good team. A couple of guys ended up playing at D-III schools and one kid, Matt Little, is in pro ball right now with the Tigers.”
Ramirez was drafted in the first round of the 2007 draft by the Texas Rangers out of Kempsville High School. He said he remembers draft day.
“(It was) nerve-wracking. It’s just kind of a waiting game waiting for your name to be called,” Ramirez said. “I heard different things from different people about where I was going to go so it was cool. It was an awesome experience.”
The biggest decision Ramirez had to make was deciding whether or not to go to college before pursuing professional baseball.
“It was a tough decision. It took all summer for us to kind of decide, me and my family,” Ramirez said. That was definitely one of the tougher decisions because I was going to Georgia Tech which at the time had two of my friends that were committed there and they ended up being top picks also so we would have had a really good staff.”
After deciding to return to college later and sign with the Rangers, his experience in the farm system began in Short Season Spokane. He said it was definitely a learning process.
“It was the first time out on my own really. That’s what I definitely remember a lot, just growing up and learning how to take care of myself,” Ramirez said. “I had a great group of guys that I played with. Zaneski’s still here playing with me now. We had a real fun team up in Spokane. We ended up winning that league that year too which was really neat to get a ring our first year.”
Ramirez spent the next two seasons pitching in Low-A Hickory before being promoted to High-A Myrtle Beach in 2011. He didn’t spend much time there as he was promoted to Double-A Frisco after one game. He made six appearances with the RoughRIders before moving up to Triple-A Round Rock. He began the 2012 season in Triple-A before returning to Frisco. Ramirez said he realizes why and hopes to continue and build upon the skills he has.
“I struggled in Round Rock which everybody goes through so I learned to deal with it. I got sent down here realizing that it’s all a process and not about right now. It’s about the future so I’m just continuing to try to get better every day,” Ramirez said. “I want to be consistent and go out there every five days and give my team a chance to win. I think if I can go out there and compete, battle hitters and stuff like that, it will work out.”
Story by Jarah Wright
Rangers Top 10
Baseball America recently released their list of the top 10 prospects in the Rangers organization. Three players on this list spent time in Frisco with the Roughriders — Neil Ramirez, Leonys Martin and Martin Perez. Several others should make their Frisco debut in 2012.
10) Rougned Odor, SS: The almost eighteen-year-old Venezuelan spent the 2011 season with the Spokane Indians of the Northwest League. Odor ended his first minor league season with a .262 batting average and .966 fielding percentage at shortstop. There is speculation that Odor will switch to second base this season. Odor’s uncle, Rouglas, is returning this season as one of the coaches for the Akron Aeros, the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.
9) Christian Villanueva, 3B: Villanueva spent the 2011 season with the Hickory Crawdads of the South Atlantic League posting a .278 batting average and a .942 fielding percentage at third base. Villanueva spent the 2009 season with the Dominican Summer League Rangers 2 and the 2010 season with the Arizona League Rangers.
8) Jorge Alfaro, C: The Colombian was just 16 when the Rangers offered him a contract in early 2010. With Spokane this past season, Alfaro had a .300 batting average with a .481 slugging percentage.
7) Cody Buckel, RHP: The Rangers signed Buckel in the second round of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft. Like Villanueva, Buckel spent the 2011 season with Hickory. In 101.2 innings of work, Buckel struck out 120 batters with an ERA of 2.61.
6) Neil Ramirez, RHP: The Rangers drafted Ramirez in the first round of the 2007 MLB June Amateur Draft. He has steadily risen through the minor league ranks playing for Spokane and Hickory in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Last season, Ramirez split time with three different teams — the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Frisco RoughRiders and the Round Rock Express. During his time with Frisco, Ramirez had an ERA of 1.89 and opponent batting average of .194. He is currently on the Texas Rangers 40-man roster and will probably spend the season in Round Rock.
5) Leonys Martin, OF: Martin had a whirlwind season climbing the ranks to the major league level within the span of a year. He was signed by the Rangers in May 2011 with a contract over $15 million. After a short stint with the Arizona League Rangers, he was promoted to Frisco where he played 29 games.
During his time with Frisco, Martin had a .348 batting average and a .571 slugging percentage. Martin then spent 40 games with Round Rock before being promoted to the Bigs. He played eight games at the major league level with a .375 batting average and .500 slugging percentage. He is listed on the Rangers 40-man roster and will probably remain at the major league level this season.
4) Mike Olt, 3B: Drafted by the Rangers in the first round of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft, Olt spent last season with the Arizona League Rangers for four games before making the transition to Myrtle Beach where he spent the remainder of the season. The third baseman has had strong numbers in Myrtle Beach including a .482 slugging percentage and a .954 fielding percentage. He’s jumped two levels in the course of the past season and could be promoted sometime this season.
3) Martin Perez, LHP: The Rangers signed the Venezuelan as a non-drafted free agent in 2007. Since then he has been working his way up through the minor league system. From 2008 to 2011, Perez has spent time playing for Spokane, Hickory and the RoughRiders. During the 2010 season with the ‘Riders, Perez struck out 101 batters in 99.2 innings of work. He ended the 2011 season playing in Round Rock with a record of four wins and four losses. He was a Futures Game Selection this past season and is currently on the Texas Rangers 40-man roster.
2) Jurickson Profar, SS: Profar was signed by the Rangers in 2009 and spent 2010 with Spokane and 2011 with Hickory. Between the two seasons, he has had fielding percentages over .950. Last season, he hit .286 with 12 home runs and 23 stolen bases leading him to be named the South Atlantic League Most Valuable Player. He was one of the Rangers representatives in the Futures Game this year.
1) Yu Darvish, RHP: The recent Rangers acquisition came at a price of a six-year $60 million contract which isn’t including the record-breaking $51.7 million posting fee. Darvish was drafted in the 2004 Nippon Professional Baseball amateur draft by the Nipponham Fighters and has remained with Nipponham throughout his career.
Last season Darvish had a record of 18 wins and 6 losses, an ERA of 1.44, and 276 strikeouts. Expectations are high for him as he plays his first season with the Rangers who see Darvish as one of their five starters.
By Jarah Wright, Media Relations Intern
Full From Thanksgiving
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and had the chance to connect with family and friends. My wife Heather and I made it back to see my parents in St. Louis and had a great time. We all have our favorites at Thanksgiving, mine is my mom’s sweet potato recipe. It might be the only dish at any holiday celebration that I can’t live without!
Since we chatted last, there have been some developments affecting the RoughRiders:
- Right-handers Jake Brigham, Neil Ramirez, and Justin Miller, along with lefty Martin Perez, were recently promoted to the Rangers 40-man roster. Placing them on the roster not only signifies how Texas feels about their potential, but more importantly, protects them from being acquired by another team in the Rule 5 draft. Interestingly enough, two players that are not being protect are two former ‘Riders: lefty Kasey Kiker and DH-first baseman Chad Tracy. Both can be taken in the draft by another team and signed for $50,000. The Rule 5 draft will be held this year on December 8 in Dallas.
- Some news that I’m especially excited about, the Rangers have hired Greg Maddux as Special Assistant to the
General Manager. In his role with the Rangers, Greg, the brother of Rangers’ pitching coach Mike Maddux, will be in uniform during Spring Training as an extra instructor for both the major and minor league staffs, along with visiting the club’s farm affiliates during the regular season. I’m really looking forward to (hopefully) meeting him and having him on the pre-game show.
- The Rangers have announced their 2012 Spring Training schedule, beginning with the Kansas City Royals on March 4 at Surprise Stadium. At the end of exhibition play, the Rangers will play against Triple-A Round Rock at the Dell Diamond on April 2, and will then play here at Dr Pepper Ballpark against the RoughRiders on April 4 at 2:05 p.m.
We’ll have more with the All-’Riders team tomorrow.
-AG
RoughRiders Around the Globe
Every September when the minor league season comes to an end and fall sets in, many think that it’s time for our RoughRiders to take a well earned vacation. However, what many don’t realize is that minor leaguers around the country travel around the world to play winter and fall ball. These leagues provide the players a chance for additional income and the opportunity to improve their game. Here’s where some RoughRiders, and other Rangers’ farm-hands, will be sending post cards from this off-season:
Arizona Fall League
Players: Miguel De Los Santos, LHP; Leury Garcia, INF; Ryan Kelly, RHP; Leonys Martin, OF; Justin Miller, RHP; Mike Olt, INF; Neil Ramirez, RHP; Elio Sarmiento, C; Ryan Strausborger, OF; Johan Yan, RHP. (All play for the Surprise Saguaros).
Mike Olt could possibly open up 2012 in Frisco (James Garner)
Rangers’ prospect Mike Olt was named the Arizona Fall League’s Player of the Week on Monday, batting .571 (8-14) with a double, 2 home runs, 8 RBI, and 5 walks the previous week. The 23-year-old matched the Fall League’s single-game high with a 6 RBI effort on Friday and represented the Rangers and Saguaros in the AFL Rising Stars Game on Saturday. The 6 RBI performance gave the University of Connecticut product a share of the AFL RBI lead (30), while he also leads the league in both home runs (8) and slugging percentage (.705).
OF Leonys Martin has seen action with the Saguaros as a member of the club’s taxi squad and hit a home run in his Fall League debut on October 19…OF Ryan Strausborger has hit safely in 8 of his last 9 games, raising his season average to .327 (17-52). The Arizona Fall League regular season continues through November 17.
Mexican Winter League
Players: Cody Eppley, RHP (Obregon); Jose Felix, C (Guasave)
RHP Cody Eppley has worked out of the bullpen for the Mexican Winter League’s Obregon, going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA (6 ER/15.0 IP) over 14 appearances.
Dominican Winter League
Players: Engel Beltre, OF (Licey); Julio Borbon, OF (Escogido); Fabio Castillo, RHP (La Romana); Andres James, INF (Licey); Carlos Pimentel, RHP (Escogido).
RHP Carlos Pimentel has posted a 0.82 ERA (1 ER/11.0 IP) with 15 strikeouts against 5 walks in 8 relief outings with Escogido.
Venezuelan Winter League
Players: Wilfredo Boscan, RHP (Zulia); Joey Butler, OF (Magallanes); Joseph Ortiz, LHP (La Guaira); Renny Osuna, INF (La Guaira); Guilder Rodriguez, INF (Lara); Tanner Scheppers, RHP (Magallanes).
Pan American Games
3B Tommy Mendonca and INF Chad Tracy each took home silver medals as part of Team USA in the Pan American Games hosted by Guadalajara, Mexico on October 19-25. Mendonca batted .333 (6-18) with one home run and a tournament-high 10 RBI in 5 games for Team USA, while Tracy hit .182 (2-11) with 2 RBI in 4 games. The Americans fell 2-1 to Canada in the Gold Medal Game and finished the tournament with a 3-2 record.
-AG
‘Riders in the Fall League
Once the playoffs end for the RoughRiders this year, Dr Pepper Ballpark will close its doors, the players will pack up their lockers, and everyone will deserve a long vacation. But what many don’t realize is that for a number of RoughRiders, the season doesn’t end. Many players travel to Venezuela, Puerto Rico, or Mexico to play in winter leagues to continue to get better and prepare for the next year.
A few select players, however, get the chance to remain stateside and play in the highly regarded Arizona Fall League. The 12-week, prospect driven league is entering its 20th season and is owned and operated by Major League Baseball. Big league All-Stars such as Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Braun have all spent time in the AFL. This year, three current ‘Riders have been tabbed to play in the Fall League with the Surprise Rafters.
RHP, Neil Ramirez
The former 44th overall pick in the 2007 draft is 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA in Double-A this season through six starts. The bulk of his season has been spent in Triple-A Round Rock where he made 17 starts and went 4-3 and had a 3.68 ERA. The right-hander was placed on the disabled list in mid-July because of shoulder fatigue which has limited his innings in the Texas League.
When I talked with Neil following his start Thursday night in Corpus Christi he was excited to be selected for the Fall League. ”It’s a big honor, for sure. It’s good competition and will great to see how you stack up.” The righty wants to continue to hone his mechanics while he’s there. ”I plan on working on making good pitches and will focus on the backside of my delivery. The Fall League will also give me a good idea what my off-season conditioning will look like.”
C, Elio Sarmiento
The ‘Riders switch-hitting catcher has had a terrific season in Frisco. He hit .327 in 16 July games and has been a constant presence behind the plate for the ‘Riders. He has always had a great rapport with the staff, but this has been his best offensive season in Double-A. Elio is batting .378 with runners on base, and is hitting .356 with runners in scoring position.
His selection to the AFL is a great way to conclude his 2011 campaign and he’s clearly grateful. ”I feel blessed, it’s a great opportunity for me and I consider it a reward for all the hard work,” His goals for the AFL season are pretty simple, “I want to finish healthy, do my best, and hope for even more opportunities with the Rangers.”
The Fall League works out well for Sarmiento because he makes his off-season home in Phoenix along with his wife and two children. His mother-in-law is also in Phoenix and for just the second time, Elio’s mother will visit the U.S. from Venezuela and will be able to watch him play in Surprise.
RHP, Johan Yan
He was originally a shortstop then got too big for the position and moved to third base. Then his bat wasn’t cutting it so the Rangers’ moved him to the mound. That didn’t work at first either. The last ditch effort was to change Yan from the traditional over-the-top delivery to a side-arm approach.
Bingo.
The right-hander went from thinking his playing days were over to now being selected to the top off-season league in the country. In 43 appearances combined between High-A Myrtle Beach and Frisco, Johan has allowed just eight earned runs in slightly over 66 innings of work and has a Double-A earned run average of 0.36. On August 15th against Tulsa he gave up his first earned run since June 1 when he was pitching with the Pelicans.
Like Neil and Elio, Yan is a hard worker who has really made the most of his opportunities and will only get better in Arizona.
Former ‘Rider from early in the season Miguel de los Santos will also be going to Surprise to play in the AFL. He’s pitched with Myrtle Beach after being placed on the DL with a shoulder injury after making six starts with Frisco.
The remaining prospects tabbed to play in Arizona who you have to imagine will be future RoughRiders are RHP Ryan Kelly, SS Leury Garcia, 3B Mike Olt, and OF Ryan Strausborger.
Congrats to Neil, Elio, Johan, and the rest of the group. We’ll keep you posted on how their season goes here on the Insider Blog.
-AG
Storylines for Frisco-San Antonio
Unless Midland can erase an eight-game deficit and win the second-half title in the South Division, the Frisco RoughRiders and the San Antonio Missions will square off in the first round of the Texas League playoffs.
The RoughRiders have had some great moments against the Missions this year (James Garner).
These two clubs kick off a four-game series tonight at Dr Pepper Ballpark, and it will act as a preview of that best-of-five series that is set to begin September 7. Let’s take you through some of the storylines.
1. Momentum Against the Missions?
The RoughRiders have played San Antonio tough this season, but they have only been able to muster a 10-18 mark. The Missions are the best team in all of full-season minor league baseball (86-40), so there’s no shame in that. However, to win a championship, the ‘Riders must get past them. It would be a big boost to win this series, especially because Frisco has only one series victory against the Missions in seven tries this season.
2. Ross, Hankins Face San Antonio
Ben Snyder (0-2, 3.75 ERA in 24 innings) and Carlos Pimentel (1-0, 2.70 ERA in 33 1/3 innings) have had success against the Missions this season, and they will pitch during the series. However, Derek Hankins has only seen them once (five scoreless innings) and Robbie Ross has yet to face the Missions. The Snyder-Pimentel-Hankins-Ross quartet figures to be the ‘Riders’ rotation right now, with Neil Ramirez building up strength as the club’s other starter. These four pitchers must have success to beat San Antonio.
The 'Riders saw Robbie Erlin earlier this month. They will face Joe Wieland Thursday (Alex Yocum-Beeman).
3. Wieland Back in Frisco
The RoughRiders saw Robbie Erlin in the Missions’ previous visit to Dr Pepper Ballpark, but they missed Joe Wieland. This time, it’s the other way around. Wieland, who is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA since joining the Missions, will start Thursday. Erlin held the ‘Riders to just one run on two hits in his first game against them, and Wieland gets his chance in two days.
4. Missions’ Offense Sputtering?
San Antonio is 16-4 this month, yet they are hitting a season-low .244 as a team. Obviously, it helps that the club has a 2.17 team ERA in August, but the offense has been declining ever since its remarkable April. Take a look at the team’s batting averages by month: .315/.268/.264/.252/.244. San Antonio averages just 4.8 runs per game against Frisco, so we’ll see if the ‘Riders can continue to slow them down.
5. Ready for a Late-Season Surge?
Yes, San Antonio has been the better team over the course of 126 games. However, the ‘Riders and Missions will (likely) meet in a best-of-five series in early September. Are the RoughRiders ready to start that last-minute run and carry the momentum into the playoffs? Following an 0-4 start to the road trip, the ‘Riders bounced back with back-to-back wins. This can be a chance to carry that work into and through a series with the heavy favorite in the Texas League.
This series should be fun. We hope you enjoy! More coverage to come soon.
- Brian
VIDEO & GAME PHOTOS: August 11 vs. Northwest Arkansas
The RoughRiders were in action again tonight at Dr Pepper Ballpark. Here is a video of Neil Ramirez warming in the bullpen, and photos from the game courtesy of Alex Yocum-Beeman.
Here is a look at Neil Ramirez warming up before the game.
Neil Ramirez went three scoreless innings while collecting five strike outs in his second start for Frisco.
Renny Osuna gets the out at second base.
Mike Bianucci connects for a double during the first inning.
-Stephen
Ramirez Joins RoughRiders’ Rotation
Stephen Harmon is back to introduce another Frisco newcomer. Neil Ramirez will take to the mound for the ‘Riders tonight. Read about his interesting journey to Frisco.
Rangers pitching prospect Neil Ramirez will make his Frisco debut tonight. After jumping from High-A Myrtle Beach to Triple-A Round Rock for a spot start in mid-April, the 22-year-old finds himself joining Robbie Ross as the newest members of the RoughRiders’ rotation.
Ramirez was taken in the first round (44th overall) of the 2007 draft, the same draft that saw former ‘Rider, Blake Beavan go 17th overall. After winning the 2007 Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year, the 6-foot-3 righty signed a letter of intent to play at Georgia Tech. However, after being offered a one million dollar signing bonus, Ramirez agreed to begin his professional baseball career with the Texas Rangers organization.
Ramirez made his professional debut with the Spokane Indians in 2008. The Virginia native spent the next two seasons in Hickory where he refined his mechanics and improved his control. After issuing 41 walks in 66.1 innings in 2009, Ramirez granted just 37 free passes while striking out 142 batters in 140.1 innings last year.
Those impressive numbers earned him a promotion to Myrtle Beach where he opened his 2011 campaign. However, after one dominant start with the Pelicans, Ramirez was sent as a temporary “fill-in” to Round Rock where he pitched six shutout innings against the Omaha Storm Chasers. That performance kept him in the rotation and led to another start where he struck out nine while allowing only two hits.
Overall on the season, the righty has gone 4-3 posting a 3.68 ERA. Perhaps the most impressive figure is his strikeouts per nine-inning ratio, which sits at 10.4. In fact, Ramirez still leads the Express with 85 strikeouts despite sitting out a month on the disabled list with shoulder fatigue.
Ramirez can light up the radar gun and impressed the Rangers with his mid 90’s velocity in spring training. Additionally, he commands an above average curveball and changeup that keeps hitters honest at the dish. Similar to former ‘Riders prospects, Joe Wieland and Robbie Erlin, Ramirez has a calm and relaxed demeanor on the mound.
With Wieland and Erlin in the rotation, the RoughRiders were cruising. Now, the attention turns to Ross and, now, Ramirez to continue the trend.
- Stephen
