Results tagged ‘ Texas Rangers ’
Catching up with… Steve Buechele (Part Two)
Steve Buechele sees big things in Jurickson Profar’s future. (Alex Yocum-Beeman/RoughRiders)
In part two of my discussion with RoughRiders manager Steve Buechele, we talk about Jurickson Profar, Chris McGuiness and his own future in the game.
Alex Vispoli: This past season you had the distinct pleasure of sending four guys directly to the big leagues, by passing Triple-A. In your opinion, taking a look at those four guys (Justin Grimm, Wilmer Font, Mike Olt and Jurickson Profar), what do you think their ceilings are, how good can they get?
Steve Buechele: I don’t know, but I think they can all become great players. To tab every one of them as a great player, well what happens down the road you just never know. [Profar], he’s had so much talk about him and hype put on his shoulders, and the same with Mike Olt; I think they’re both going to be absolutely great Major Leaguers for a long time. I think Wilmer Font has a chance to very very good. And I think Justin Grimm, getting a taste and seeing what it’s like, I think he’ll be very good. And I could say that about a lot of other guys who were on our team this year. I think the fans and people around the Metroplex are going to find out that a pretty good number of kids who were on that team this year are going to be wearing a Rangers uniform. If not a Rangers uniform, they’ll be wearing a big league uniform pretty soon.
AV: Chris McGuiness was named the co-Player of the Week – along with Houston’s Jon Singleton – for the first week of action in the Arizona Fall League. I was pretty surprised by McGuiness’ season in that he was so productive. He started off slowly but hit for a .268 average with 23 home runs and it seemed like he raised his game to another level when Olt – who had been hitting in front of him for most of the season – went up to the big leagues. Here he is carrying the label of an “elite prospect” by going out to Arizona and by having the season that he had. He is known for being a pretty good defensive player as well. Is he someone who surprised you a little bit considering that he missed most of 2011 with injury and when he did play the results were not great?
SB: I don’t think he surprised me. I think what was key for him was that it was one of the first seasons where he went the full season injury-free. He’s always had little nicks and knacks and injuries that have knocked him out here and there. This year, for the most part, he was injury-free and played every day. And he was a kid who you saw him just develop and grow into a much more confident run producer and a much more confident hitter. I think maybe when Mike [Olt] got brought up, and I think even before that, you saw him develop and become a much more confident hitter as the season went on, certainly after the first half. Early in the year he had so many opportunities to knock in runs and I think became frustrated with it. It was just nice to see a kid at the Double-A level understand what it takes and what kind of hitter he needs to become to be a run producer. It was just great to see him do that. And he’s a great kid; to see that he was named “Player of the Week,” that’s not a surprise to me at all.
AV: With Profar, there’s so much hype around him and he had such a good season at 19 years old in Double-A, the youngest player in Double-A this year. You probably don’t know the answer to this and Jon Daniels might not know the answer either, but how do the Rangers work him in to get a more regular role than what he had in the last month of the regular season, considering the two positions that he can play are pretty well spoken for at the moment?
SB: I don’t know, that’s not my call. Do I think he’s a great utility player at the big league level if in fact they go with [Elvis] Andrus and [Ian] Kinsler [at shortstop and second base]? Yeah, no doubt he is. He would serve that role perfectly. Could he play every day in the big leagues? And my answer to that is yes too. He’s only 19 years old and you can’t overlook that. With Pro, what makes him so good is that he adjusts so quickly for a 19-year-old kid. The adjustments he makes and as smart as he is, it’s well beyond his years. I’ve said this a hundred times and you’ve heard it: very often you find kids that are afraid to fail. And he’s one of the rare players that you see who is not afraid to be great. I would be shocked if the Rangers don’t find some kind of role for him starting next season.
AV: I know you follow the Rangers very closely, I’m sure you were watching after our season ended. But from your vantage point, what happened to that team over the last two weeks of the season and that one playoff game?
SB: You know what, I don’t know. I’m not there, I watch it obviously just like everybody else. I don’t know. You hear their excuses and if you want to make excuses, to me it is kind of the result of what’s gone on the last two years. The grind, the long years, players becoming tired, I don’t know. I don’t think anyone has a definitive answer as to what happened. I think at the end of the season it looked like a very sluggish team to me, the energy level wasn’t there. What are the reasons for it? I’m not going to sit here and try to make any kind of excuse for them, but if I had to give you an opinion I think it’s just a result of what’s gone on the last couple of years and I think they just ran out of gas.
AV: Yeah, an extra month of baseball for two straight years and I think almost everyone played in a career-high number of games which probably helped cause that.
Still a Ranger even after all these years.
SB: Yeah.
AV:You have been mentioned as a guy that folks think has what it takes to be a Major League manager. Is that what you want eventually?
SB: Sure, I mean going back four years ago when I was asked to come back in the organization and be a part of it, managing was never on my radar screen. Coaching or getting back in some form was in my mind. But being a manager never was. I’ve enjoyed it and I love it. What other people say is what they say, I don’t care. I’m happy with what I’m doing and hopefully someday I’ll get a chance to be on a big league staff again.
AV: Is that something that you take an active role in trying to make it happen or is your philosophy “if it’s going to happen, just wait for it to happen”?
SB: I don’t know how active a role I can take in it. I think I’m pretty loyal to the Rangers. I’ve been a part of this organization for a long long long time going back to 1985 and always being a part of the organization, doing something for them in some extent and now I’m back in uniform. There are certain loyalties that I have to the Rangers and the hope on my end is that at some point, some time I’ll be able to wear that Rangers uniform again.
My thanks to Steve Buechele for taking the time to talk with us. Look out for more interviews with members of the 2012 RoughRiders throughout the off-season.
- Alex
Catching up with… Steve Buechele (Part One)
Steve Buechele shakes hands with Springfield manager Mike Shildt on Opening Day at Dr Pepper Ballpark on April 12, 2012. (Alex Yocum-Beeman/RoughRiders)
Recently, I had the chance to speak with RoughRiders manager and former Rangers third baseman Steve Buechele. We talked about the off-season, the playoffs and some of his players on the 2012 RoughRiders. This is part one of our conversation with part two coming tomorrow.
Alex Vispoli: First of all, how has the off-season been treating you?
Steve Buechele: It’s always nice when you get away from the field and spend some time with the family and just do family stuff. That’s what makes the off-season so special.
AV: It’s been about a month and a half since the season ended. Are you still enjoying your time off or have you gotten to the point where you’re itching to get back to the game?
SB: Oh no, I’m happy to be away. I think everybody looks forward to getting back to the game but you know, that there are still months to go and the time that you have to spend with your family and be away, it’s very precious. Once you get back into baseball, that’s what takes up all your time. I’m sure after the holidays and after Christmas when spring training comes close that’s when [we’ll all be looking forward to getting back to it]. It’s kind of like the swallows going back to Capistrano; you know you’re supposed to be somewhere, you get that itch and you want to get going.
AV: When does it all start up again for you? The season begins in April, the Minor Leagues’ spring training begins in March; are you out there in Arizona come February?
SB: Yeah, the Rangers bring the Double-A and Triple-A staffs to big league camp. [At the moment, the Rangers have not announced their spring training schedule, but pitchers and catchers reported to Surprise, Arizona on February 22 this past year.]
AV: The way the 2012 season ended, going back to the Cardinals series, was there something missing from the performance or did Springfield just out-execute you guys? How do you look back on that series?
SB: You know, when I look back at it we had a chance in Game 2 [in Springfield] with a four-run lead] and I think if you had to go back and do it all over again it’s one of those things where I wouldn’t do any thing differently. I would have felt absolutely awesome knowing that I’ve got Grimm and Wolf coming in to get the last four outs. But it’s the playoffs and it’s baseball and those kind of things happen. I think [the Cardinals] played good and I think we played good. They pitched well, we pitched well and they beat us. I don’t think we did anything to lose the series. I look back and I’m super-proud of my guys and the way we played. Obviously we all wished we could have won the championship but to get there with the group that we had was awesome.
AV: You can even see in this ridiculous Major League Baseball postseason the fact that momentum seems to carry such weight and it seems like it’s even more difficult to stop when you have it on your side. Especially when you’re at home like Springfield was in that Game 2.
SB: Well I think the momentum thing that you talk about, it probably applies more to that Corpus Christi series than anything else. To me, looking back, winning one game in Corpus Christi may have been one of our best accomplishments of the year. That’s a really tough place to play. The fans came out for the playoffs. Usually in the Minor Leagues stadiums are not full, they’re more toward the empty side. But Corpus Christi’s ballpark was full, they had the rally towels and just the atmosphere that was there in that game… You’re thinking you’ve got to play three of them there and we’re going to have a tough time getting through this. But to win that series [in three games] I think was a huge accomplishment for us.
AV: When you look back at the last game of the year, do you think about what could have been based on that controversial call that happened, down 2-0 in the eighth inning with Leury Garcia getting called out on the close play at first base and then Chris McGuiness then hitting the home run on the very next pitch?
SB: Yeah you can think about it. But you know what? Had Leury Garcia been called safe, they probably would have pitched McGuiness a little bit differently too. Those are the things in baseball that, the way they happen and what ends up happening, you look at it in a very general way and think, “Oh gosh, that would have been a two-run homer.” I guarantee you had Leury been called safe and been on first base they would have been careful to Chris McGuiness. I’m not saying he wouldn’t have hit a home run, but I don’t look at as if that home run would have definitely happened to tie the game up.
AV: Looking at the season as a whole, you really seemed to enjoy this season and this group. You spoke about it with me on plenty of occasions. In your mind, what made the group of players as special as it was?
SB:I think it was such a new group and such a fresh group, a bunch of guys coming up from A-ball and making that jump. It was a group of kids that was just raw for our level and learning and talented obviously, a very talented group. But you just don’t know how the kids are going to adapt to moving up a level and facing that challenge. Once you get to Double-A it’s a whole different ballgame as a lot of our kids found out. I think what made it special for me was that it was just a great group of kids that came to the park everyday ready to play, wanting to learn. And for the most part, they played their tails off and they played the game the right way. They took their lumps, a lot of those kids, but I think they all got better and they understand what it’s going to take to move on.
Team chemistry was always high for the RoughRiders in 2012. (Alex Yocum-Beeman/RoughRiders)
AV: Talking to people inside and outside the organization and there seems to be an intentional strategy of getting good clubhouse guys who are obviously talented as well. You saw how important that chemistry is at the big league level, the way the players interacted during the Rangers’ two World Series runs. Do you think that element on this year’s ’Riders team is more of a coincidence or was this part of the plan with this particular group just now reaching this point on the Minor League ladder?
SB: I’m not sure, Alex. I think when you draft and sign kids, to me, number one above ability is the makeup of the kid. I think a lot of times that gets thrown in the background a little bit because of a kid’s ability and his talents and his skill level. They wow you so much that, you know what, maybe you take a chance on the makeup of what kind of kid he is. To me, that becomes first and foremost is what kind of kid he is. How does he approach the game? What does he do when he’s on the field? How does he come to the ballpark everyday? Is he ready to go? How does he prepare? Those are more important to me sometimes than a kid’s physical abilities. And this was just a group of young kids that was raw, as I said, they had great talent. But for the most part those guys came to the ballpark every day and they were ready to play. What they did in the first half was, to me, very exceptional.
Coming tomorrow: We discuss Jurickson Profar’s future, what happened to the Rangers at the end of the season and his future in the game.
- Alex
Season in Review: August
With Mike Olt gone because of promotion, Chris McGuiness took up the slack and led Frisco’s offensive charge throughout the month of August. (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.
AUGUST
Record: 19-10 (1st of 8 TL teams)
Average: .269 (4th)
Home Runs: 19 (T-5th)
ERA: 3.31 (1st)
Top Offensive Players: Leury Garcia (.324-0-3, 2B, 3 3B, 9 R, 8-10 SB, .420/.426/.846), Chris McGuiness (.326-3-18, 8 2B, 14 R, .430/.505/.935), Jared Prince (.317-3-11, 4 2B, 11 R, .378/.476/.853)
Top Pitchers: Wilfredo Boscan (6 GS, 3-1, 2.73 ERA, 33 IP, 29 H, 31 K, 7 BB, 1.09 WHIP, .238 BAA), Cody Buckel (5 G, 4 GS, 3-0, 3.38 ERA, 26.2 IP, 23 H, 25 K, 8 BB), Wilmer Font (9 G, 1-0, 3.21 ERA, 1 SV, 14 IP, 9 H, 26 K, 7 BB, .180 BAA), Carlos Pimentel (7 G, 2 GS, 0-1, 0.50 ERA, 18 IP, 8 H, 20 K, 11 BB, 1.06 WHIP, .136 BAA), Ryan Rodebaugh (10 G, 1-2, 1.76 ERA, 2-2 SV, 15.1 IP, 11 H, 18 K, 2 BB, 0.85 WHIP, .204 BAA), Ross Wolf (12 G, 1-0, 3.00 ERA, 5-5 SV, 12 IP, 11 H, 11 K, BB, 1.00 WHIP)
Consistency is what made the RoughRiders so successful l in the season’s first two months. Led by a very good pitching staff and an opportunistic offense, Frisco put together the best record in the Texas League over first half. But that consistency abandoned the team for most of June and July and the ’Riders, though they had already qualified for the playoffs, looked like they would be due for an early exit. Corpus Christi was leading the division and looked particularly strong against Frisco. After some early season struggles, the Hooks won 11 of 14 games against the ’Riders in June and July.
But in August, Frisco got back to the formula that made the squad so good in the first place: terrific pitching and just enough offense. The ’Riders saw their rotation stabilize and bullpen bolstered with the additions of hard throwing right-handers Wilmer Font and Roman Mendez. That helped offset the tremendous loss of Mike Olt, who was called up to the big leagues early in the month.
Olt, who was among the league leaders in most offensive categories at the time of his promotion, was replaced by Tommy Mendonca, who was not producing at Triple-A Round Rock but rediscovered his offensive game back in the Texas League. Mendonca, Chris McGuiness, Leury Garcia, Jared Prince, Jared Hoying and Engel Beltre all took turns leading the offense in August.
As the team was primed for their playoff run, Frisco would be presented one more challenge by the end of the month with one last prominent player departing for the Majors.
TIMELINE:
August 1:Four roster moves are made before tonight’s game against Midland, most notably the addition of hard-throwing reliever Wilmer Font from Myrtle Beach. With a temperature of 106 degrees in Frisco at first pitch, this is the hottest start time for a ’Riders game this season. Frisco loses 6-5 in 12 innings despite Mike Olt’s Double-A leading 28th home run. After the game, news breaks that Olt has been promoted to the Rangers, where he will remain for the rest of the year. In 95 Texas League games, he hit .288 with 28 homers, 17 doubles, a triple and 82 RBI.
Tommy Mendonca salvaged his difficult 2012 season upon returning to Frisco early in the month. (Alex Yocum-Beeman/RoughRiders)
August 2: With Olt officially a Texas Ranger and the 106th RoughRiders player to make the Major Leagues, Frisco only manages two runs against RockHounds prospect Sonny Gray. Midland, however, gets blanked by four Frisco pitchers in a combined three-hitter as the ’Riders win 2-0. Mark Lowe finishes his rehab stint with Frisco by pitching two scoreless innings. Tommy Mendonca, a ’Rider and TL All-Star in 2011, arrives from Triple-A Round Rock to play third base in Olt’s absence.
August 4: After four straight no-decisions, Barret Loux (6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 2 K) wins for the 13th time in 2012 in a 6-1 victory at the Missions. Eight of nine Frisco batters reach base at least twice and the win ensures that the RoughRiders will finish with a winning record against division bully San Antonio for the first time since 2008.
August 6: Jared Hoying blasts a first inning home run, but so too does San Antonio’s Nate Freiman, igniting a fierce Missions attack in a 12-4 ’Riders loss. It clinches what will be the only series defeat of the month for the Frisco nine.
August 8: Chris McGuiness and Mendonca both crack two run home runs in the third inning at Tulsa, providing just enough offense in a 4-3 victory.
August 9: Former All-Star pitcher Lee Smith throws the ceremonial first pitch before Frisco’s game at Tulsa and seems to steal the “closer mojo” from ’Riders stopper Ross Wolf. Frisco takes a 6-2 lead into the ninth inning before the Driller strike for three runs against Wolf and put the tying runner in scoring position. The normally automatic Wolf settles down to strike out prospect third baseman Nolan Arenado and deliver the RoughRiders a stressful 6-5 win.
August 11: Nick Tepesch (6 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K, balk) is a bit shaky, but the ’Riders string together 16 hits and homers from Jared Prince and Mendonca to beat Northwest Arkansas 10-3.
August 12: The ’Riders take a 2-0 lead into the seventh at the Naturals, but Northwest Arkansas ties it and then takes a two-run lead in the eighth inning. Frisco, 0-43 when trailing after eight frames this season, shocks the Nats when McGuiness hits a grand slam off Brendan Lafferty and the ’Riders go on to win 6-4. It is McGuiness’ second slam of the year and it starts a hot stretch that continues for the rest of the South Carolinian’s season. In a strange statistical quirk, McGuiness has now homered in seven of the 14 games he has played on Sundays.
August 13:Again, the ’Riders blow a late lead at Northwest Arkansas but this time are unable to rally back in a 4-3 loss. The game ends when former RoughRiders catcher Manny Pina throws out Ryan Strausborger trying to steal third base with Jurickson Profar, who had homered earlier in the contest, standing in the batter’s box.
Wilfredo Boscan quietly emerged as a reliable starting pitcher, posting a 2.73 ERA and a 31-7 K/BB ratio in August. (Alex Yocum-Beeman/RoughRiders)
August 15: The Rangers send electric reliever Roman Mendez (up from Myrtle) and utility man Guilder Rodriguez (down from Round Rock) to Frisco. That night, Wilfredo Boscan (6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K) pitches marvelously against Tulsa in a no-decision. McGuiness’ two-run double triggers a three-run bottom of the eighth and Frisco pulls out a 4-2 victory. It is his fifth game-winning base hit of 2012 (he will finish with six in total), the most on the team.
August 17: Behind a bloodlessly efficient Nick Tepesch (7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K on just 78 pitches), Frisco silences the Drillers once again in a 5-1 win. Nolan Arenado’s two-out, ninth inning solo home run off Mendez is the only thing that prevents a shutout as the ’Riders sweep Tulsa for the second time this season.
August 18: After playing 123 games, the RoughRiders are rained out for the first time all season with the Naturals in town.
August 19: Playing their first doubleheader of the year, the ’Riders dispose of Northwest Arkansas twice. Mendonca hits two solo home runs in a 3-0 game one win while Alex Buchholz goes deep in game two, also won by Frisco 3-1.
August 20: Mendonca and Tepesch are named TL “Player” and “Pitcher of the Week,” respectively. Frisco gets another dominant pitching performance from a starter, as Cody Buckel (6 IP, 5 H, R, 0 BB, 7 K) handcuffs the Naturals in a 6-1 win. Prince, who has been heating up as the month goes on, swats a three-run home run – his 11th of the season – in the fifth inning as the RoughRiders finish their home stand with a perfect 6-0 record.
August 22: It is looking like a lost night for the ’Riders midway through their second game in San Antonio. Frisco leaves eight men on base over the first four innings – including the bases loaded twice – and Loux yields five runs in the fourth after looking very good early. Down 7-1 through five frames, the RoughRiders mount their biggest comeback of the season. They score two runs in the sixth inning, three in the seventh and three more in the ninth to emerge with a 9-7 victory, the team’s eighth straight. Hoying puts Frisco on top for the first time with a two-run double in the final frame. The team bangs out a season-high 20 hits with Hoying (4-for-5, 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R), Profar (5-for-6, 2B, 2 R), Engel Beltre (3-for-5, RBI, 2R, SB, HBP), McGuiness (3-for-4, RBI, BB, HBP) and Strausborger (3-for-6) leading the way offensively.
August 23: Frisco’s season-best eight-game win streak ends with a 9-3 loss to the Missions. Former RoughRiders pitcher Robbie Erlin (5 IP, 3 H, 2 R) gets the win.
August 25: The RoughRiders and RockHounds are rained out in Midland. Meanwhile at Whataburger Field, Corpus Christi defeats San Antonio 5-2 to clinch a spot in the postseason, where they will face Frisco in the South Division Championship Series next month.
August 26: Frisco and Midland play a long doubleheader, which is swept by the RoughRiders. Steve Buechele’s club takes game one by a 4-2 score. The seven-inning contest takes two hours and 36 minutes while game two takes an even longer two hours and 50 minutes. Frisco takes that game 11-4. Hoying has six hits on the day while Strausborger provides a pair of triples.
August 27:A strange series comes to a strange end in another long game at Citibank Ballpark. Midland ties it at 1-1 in the fourth inning and the score does not change for some time. The game goes to extra innings and the ’Riders, out of pitchers after the doubleheader the day before, insert infielder Rodriguez into the game to pitch in the 11th. To the amazement of his teammates, G-Rod throws a scoreless 11th and 12th innings with two strikeouts. His magic runs out in the 13th inning when a walk and an Anthony Aliotti double send the RockHounds to a 2-1 win in three hours and 44 minutes.
Before the season, most knew that Jurickson Profar would one day reach the big leagues. Few expected it to happen for him in 2012 as a 19-year-old. (Alex Yocum-Beeman/RoughRiders)
August 28: In a playoff preview, the ’Riders return home to face Corpus Christi and win a taut 2-1 affair. Up by a run in the ninth inning, Frisco allows the Hooks to load the bases with one out before Ryan Rodebaugh slams the door shut with back-to-back strikeouts, ending the game. In a foreshadowing of a future role, Profar enters the game late after starting on the bench. He repeats this in each of the next two contests.
August 29: Strausborger triples twice and Buckel (5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K) handles the Hooks bats in a 3-0 Frisco win. With Beltre’s triple the next day Frisco will finish the season with 59 three-baggers for the season, the most by any team in Minor League Baseball.
August 31: The RoughRiders play another tight game with the Hooks and lead 2-0 before Corpus Christi ties it up in the seventh against Justin Grimm, who is back from Round Rock to adjust to pitching out of the bullpen. Zach Zaneski snaps the 2-2 tie with an RBI double in the bottom of the inning and then later scores to give Frisco the lead. In the ninth, Wolf gives up a home run and puts the tying runner at first base, but escapes thanks to a game-ending double-play as the ’Riders win 4-3 and capture the series. After the game, the Rangers announce that Profar will be called up to the Major Leagues the next day when big league rosters expand.
Coming next week: Our season in review series concludes with a look back at September and the playoffs.
- Alex V.
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.
Season in Review: May
Carlos Pimentel and the RoughRiders wore Pink for a series in May to raise awareness for the fight against breast cancer. (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.
MAY
Record: 17-11 (T-1st of 8 TL teams)
Average: .268 (2nd)
Home Runs: 24 (3rd)
ERA: 3.27 (2nd)
Top Offensive Players: Mike Olt (.333-5-23, 7 2B, 16 R, .437/.556/.993, 3-3 SB), Jurickson Profar (.322-3-14, 9 2B, 2 3B, 21 R, .385/.513/.898, 3-5 SB), Zach Zaneski (.429-1-8), 3 2B, 7 R, .489/.571/1.061)
Top Pitchers: Chad Bell (7 G, 3 GS, 1-0, 0.69 ERA, 1-1 SV, 0.62 WHIP, .131 BAA), Justin Grimm (6 GS, 4-2, 2.08 ERA, 34.2 IP, 30 K, 6 BB), Joseph Ortiz (10 G, 0-1, 1.74 ERA, 2-3 SV, 10.1 IP, 8 H, 13 K ,3 BB, 1.06 WHIP, .211 BAA), Ross Wolf (9 G, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 13.2 IP, 9 H, 0 R, 16 K, 3 BB, 3.75 GO/AO, 0.88 WHIP, .188 BAA)
After a solid opening month, the RoughRiders continued their steady ascent in the Texas League in May. Frisco held at least a share of first place in the TL South for every day in April and claimed sole possession of the division lead for all of May as well. The ’Riders began the month by winning seven of their first nine games and held a season-best five-game lead over Midland in the division by May 12.
It wasn’t until Frisco’s first trip to west Texas in the middle of the month that Steve Buechele’s squad lost a second series for the season. The ’Riders first foray to Citibank Ballpark, home of the RockHounds, proved to be a frustrating experience. Midland walked off with a win in the first game before Frisco rallied the next day to win by one run. Big innings hurt the RoughRiders in each of the next two games, as the ’Hounds had six-run and five-run innings in the next two games respectively to win the series. Frisco responded by winning eight of the final 12 games of the month to steady the ship and tie for the best record in the league during the month.
Jurickson Profar authored a 29-game hitting streak that ended in May. (Alex Yocum-Beeman/RoughRiders)
The team’s success coincided with a remarkable period of roster stability, a rarity in this age of baseball. Frisco benefitted from the Rangers’ relative health and between April 29 and May 23, there were no roster moves made. That changed later in the month when the ’Riders suffered their first true loss in the game of musical chairs that is in-season player movement. Closer Johan Yan, who was leading the Texas League with ten saves, was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock on May 25 where he would remain for the rest of the season. Yan’s worth was evident in that the team was 12-3 in games decided by one run while he was a RoughRider.
During May, the team continued to get excellent work from Justin Grimm, wins from Barret Loux (5-0, but his ERA in the month rose to 4.71), terrific relief from the likes of Joseph Ortiz, Fabio Castillo, Trevor Hurley and Yan, and solid production from newly converted reliever Chad Bell. The lefty from Tennessee, who arrived in late April from Myrtle Beach, impressed in the bullpen enough to earn a starting role. In both functions, he combined to post a 0.69 ERA and kept hitters off-guard by working all parts of the strike zone with his deceptive delivery.
Offensively, Mike Olt began to hit his stride offensively, raising his season batting average by 44 points and hitting five home runs with 23 RBI. His teammate on the left side of the infield continued to improve as well. Jurickson Profar continued a hit streak and on-base streak that began in April deep into May. Profar ended up hitting in 29 straight games from April 19 – May 19, tied for the second-longest hit streak in either Major or Minor League Baseball this past season, and he reached base in every game he played over the month. Meanwhile, backup catcher Zach Zaneski earned himself more playing time by continuing to produce offensively every time he was given the opportunity.
With a four-game lead in the division and just two more weeks left until the end of the season’s first half, another trip to the postseason was looking like a stronger possibility by the day for the RoughRiders.
TIMELINE:
May 1: Tim Murphy and two relievers combine on a 2-0 shutout effort at San Antonio. The Frisco pitchers outduel former RoughRider Robbie Erlin, who allows two runs in eight innings. Erlin was part of the Mike Adams trade in July of 2011and was a member of the ’Riders when the deal was made.
May 5: The ’Riders host the RockHounds on Cinco de Mayo in the first game between the top two teams in the South Division. Trailing by a run in the seventh inning, Frisco strikes for two tallies in the bottom of the frame to win 3-2. Joseph Ortiz tosses 1.2 perfect innings for the save while Jurickson Profar extends his hitting streak to 16 games with a third inning single.
May 7: In a matchup of two players that would soon be in the big leagues, Justin Grimm (6 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 5 K) tops A.J. Griffin (6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K) as the ’Riders beat Midland 4-2. Frisco scores three runs in the decisive fifth inning, capped by Ryan Strausborger’s second home run of the season.
May 8: The RoughRiders beat up another future Major League hurler, Dan Straily (5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, BB, 6 K), in a 9-3 win to capture the series victory. Later that day, Grimm is named the Rangers’ “Minor League Pitcher of the Month” for April.
May 10: Frisco wallops Corpus Christi 10-2 in the first game of a series in south Texas. Profar runs his hit streak to 20 games with a 2-for-6 effort while Barret Loux (5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K) improves to 7-0 on the season. The true star is Brad Hawpe, who goes 4 for 5 with a double, one run batted in and three runs scored in the game. After the game Hawpe moves into second place in the Texas League in both batting average (.338) and on-base percentage (.455) but struggles moving forward.
May 14: After splitting their series in Corpus, the ’Riders pay their first visit to Midland and go on to lose in walk-off fashion for the first time in 2012. After Chris McGuiness was robbed of an RBI single on a line drive back to the pitcher to end the top of the ninth inning, Shane Peterson wins it for the RockHounds with a bases-loaded RBI hit off Ortiz to give Midland a 6-5 victory.
Closer Johan Yan bedeviled Texas League hitters, converting ten saves in 11 chances before a promotion. (Alex Yocum-Beeman/RoughRiders)
May 15:Johan Yan enters the ninth inning with a 5-3 lead over Midland but commits an error, gives up a run and loads the bases with one out. He gets out of the jam thanks to a spectacular stop and glove flip by second baseman Guilder Rodriguez that starts a game-ending 4-6-3 double play. Frisco wins 5-4 as Loux becomes the Minors’ first eight-game winner.
May 18: On the heels of their second series defeat of the season, the ’Riders look worn down against former big leaguer and San Antonio Mission Josh Geer, who takes a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Jared Prince breaks it up with a double to start off the frame, but Frisco goes on to lose 5-2. Profar narrowly extends his hitting streak to 28 games by tripling in his final at bat in the ninth inning.
May 19: A night after nearly being no-hit, the ’Riders come close to no-hitting San Antonio in a 13-0 victory. Chad Bell (4 IP), Carlos Pimentel (3 IP) and Corey Young (0.2 IP) combine to get to within four outs of the no-no but Young allows a double to Jeudy Valdez with two outs in the frame to spoil the bid. Profar wastes no time in moving his hit streak to 29 games, the longest in the Minors at that point, with a first inning double. Mike Olt closes the affair with a two-run home run in the eighth inning, his ninth of the season.
May 20: Profar fails to get a base hit in a game for the first time since April 17, ending his 29-game hitting streak in a 2-1 Frisco win over the Missions. By the end of the season, the streak would be tied for the second-longest in Major or Minor League Baseball in 2012. Profar does work a walk in the fourth inning to push his consecutive games on-base streak to 39.
May 21: Yan blows his first career save by giving up two runs in the ninth inning to San Antonio. He had been 25-for-25 in save opportunities since he converted from playing infield before today. His offense, with some help from a fortuitous Jonathan Galvez error, picks him up by scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning en route to a 6-5 win.
May 23 – 25: Division leaders Frisco and Tulsa play for the first time at the Drillers’ ONEOK Field. Tulsa wins two of three games to claim the series victory, in part thanks to a walk-off wild pitch uncorked by Wilfredo Boscan in the series finale.
May 26: The ’Riders score five runs in the bottom of the first inning off Northwest Arkansas’ Chris Dwyer, but the lead is short-lived as Loux surrenders five runs as well in the bottom of the frame. The big righty settles down to pitch six innings as the offense provides four more runs in a 9-6 win. Loux improves to 10-0 in his first ten starts of the season, setting a new Frisco record for most consecutive victories.
May 27: Hawpe, mired in a slump, goes 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in what proves to be his last game of the season, one the ’Riders lose 9-5 to the Naturals. Since his four-hit game on May 10, the former Major League All-Star has hit .130 (6-for-46) with no extra-base hits and one RBI.
May 28: Memorial Day becomes truly memorable for one RoughRider as Val Majewski and Alex Buchholz combine on back-to-back solo home runs off Northwest Arkansas’ Noel Arguelles in a game Frisco wins 9-6. It was Majewski’s first and only home run of the season; he goes 3-for-5 with another RBI and run scored for the day.
May 31: Frisco closes out the month of May with a 10-4 win at home over Tulsa. After a few days off, Hawpe goes on the disabled list with elbow fatigue (he had “Tommy John” surgery on his left elbow the previous August). Three weeks later he is granted his release by the Rangers organization and does not play again in 2012.
Coming tomorrow: A look back at the month of June.
- Alex V.
Season in Review: April
Jose Felix and an umpiring crew observe the singing of the National Anthem before a RoughRiders game.
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. (All photos by Alex Yocum-Beeman/Frisco RoughRiders)
APRIL
Record: 15-9 (2nd of 8 TL teams)
Average: .263 (3rd)
Home Runs: 26 (2nd)
ERA: 3.08 (2nd)
Top Offensive Players: Brad Hawpe (.321-3-8, .459/.554/1.013), Leury Garcia (.309-0-2, 2 2B, 3 3B)
Top Pitchers: Justin Grimm (5 GS, 4-1, 1.59 ERA, 28.1 IP, 27 K, 6 BB, .194 BAA), Barret Loux (5 GS, 5-0, 1.63 ERA, 27.2 IP, 28 K, 8 BB), Carlos Pimentel (6 G, 2 GS, 2-1, 1/1 SV, 1.35 ERA, 20 IP, 24 K, .174 BAA), Johan Yan (10 G, 0.87 ERA, 5/5 SV, .158 BAA)
High expectations can be a two-edged sword. On one hand, they can elevate preexisting senses of hope and confidence. A baseball team from which a lot is expected can thrive on the positive mojo and can achieve success. Conversely, that hype has the ability to crush a team under the weight of those expectations and it underperforms. Even if a team doesn’t collapse, the odds of it failing the live up to high expectations are much greater than actually meeting them.
Justin Grimm put himself on track for a breakout 2012 with a dominant April.
Enter the 2012 Frisco RoughRiders. With Frisco previously fielding playoff teams in six of the nine previous seasons, the expectations were already there for another successful season. But on top of that, Baseball America tabbed the RoughRiders as the third-most talented roster of players among all 120 full-season Minor League squads. The respected industry publication cited the presence of big-time infield prospects Jurickson Profar (number one on BA’s list of top Texas Rangers prospects), Mike Olt (three) and Leury Garcia (11) as well as pitchers Justin Grimm (15), Barret Loux (20) and Miguel De Los Santos (29). Throw in the toolsy, but mercurial Engel Beltre and 2011 Carolina League All-Stars Jared Prince, Ryan Strausborger and Zach Zaneski and it’s easy to see why Baseball America had its eye on the ’Riders.
But talented Minor League squads filled with prospects do not always translate into good teams. More often than not, it seems that rosters made up of older players with years of experience in their respective leagues have the most success and win championships.
The RoughRiders bucked those odds and finished April with the second-best record in the Texas League through a balanced combination of fantastic pitching and steady offense. From out of the gate, the team’s pitching staff was dominant. Justin Grimm anchored a rotation that anchored five intriguing prospects while the bullpen featured hard throwers aplenty. While the offense got off to a slow start (13 runs in the first five games), it rebounded nicely and proved to be the most dynamic in the TL.
TIMELINE:
Rangers infielders Ian Kinsler & Elvis Andrus returned to their old home ballpark for an exhibition game with the RoughRiders on April 4.
April 4: Before the regular season begins, the RoughRiders host the parent club Texas Rangers in an exhibition game. Making the occasion even more interesting, prized Japanese import Yu Darvish makes the start for Ron Washington’s club in his first pitching appearance in his new home market. Darvish does not disappoint, tossing four scoreless innings with two hits and two walks allowed to go along with five strikeouts as the Major Leaguers best the ’Riders 6-1.
April 5: The RoughRiders begin the regular season in Missouri with a 1-0 win over the Springfield Cardinals. Frisco’s only run scores on a Jose Felix sacrifice fly while Justin Grimm (5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 10 K) is brilliant in his Double-A debut.
April 6: Frisco falls 4-1 to the Cardinals with the team’s only run coming on Mike Olt’s first home run of the season. Earlier in the day the Rangers re-sign long-time big league outfielder and Westlake, Texas native Brad Hawpe and assign him to Frisco. Hawpe underwent “Tommy John” surgery while playing for the Padres in August of 2011.
April 7: In what was the first of many, Barret Loux earns his first win of the season in a 6-1 victory over Springfield in the series finale. Loux works out of trouble in nearly every inning (six hits and two walks) but does not allow a run over five frames. Hawpe leads the way by going 3-for-4 with a home run in his first at bat. He finishes a triple shy of the cycle with two runs scored and two RBI.
April 8: The ’Riders continue their season-opening road trip with an extra-innings 3-2 win on Easter Sunday at Arkansas. Felix hits a soft single to left-center field in the 11th inning that scores Engel Beltre from second base to win it. Jurickson Profar snaps his 0-for-13 start to the season by hitting a first pitch home run in the fifth inning to the deepest park of Dickey-Stephens Park.
April 14: In a showcase of two of the best position player prospects in the Minors, both Profar and Springfield’s Oscar Taveras hit first inning solo home runs in a game the RoughRiders eventually win 6-2. Profar officially puts his first week struggles (2 for 26 to begin 2012) to bed with a 3-for-4 night at the plate.
April 16: Frisco beats Arkansas 2-1 behind another excellent performance by Grimm (6.1 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 5 K) for its fourth straight victory. The win not only clinches the team’s fourth straight series victory to start the season, but it also moves Steve Buechele into the top spot for most wins ever by a Frisco manager. Buechele’s 155th win as the ’Riders’ skipper gives him one more than Tim Ireland, who managed the team in its first two years of existence and in 2004 won Frisco’s only Texas League championship.
April 19 – 22: After winning 10-0 at Corpus Christi in their first divisional game of the season, the ’Riders see their pitching get torched for 22 runs over the next three games en route to losing their first series of the season.
April 24: Following trips to the disabled list by starter Miguel De Los Santos and reliever Ryan Rodebaugh, Chad Bell is promoted to Frisco from Advanced-A Myrtle Beach. An under-the-radar prospect, Bell does not take long to impress, at first in relief and eventually as a starting pitcher. That night Olt hits his fifth home run and Profar triples in a 7-2 Frisco win over San Antonio.
April 25:The ’Riders score three first inning runs off San Antonio’s Hayden Beard but cannot hold the advantage as the Missions come back to tie the game by the third. After Bell surrenders a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth inning, Frisco ties it on Hawpe’s two-out RBI double in the bottom of the inning to send the game to extra innings. However in the 11th, Jeudy Valdez burns Corey Young for an RBI single to send San Antonio to a 6-5 win in three hours and 23 minutes.
Brad Hawpe’s comeback from elbow surgery got off to a great start as his bat provided the ‘Riders a big boost in the season’s first month.
April 26: After Fabio Castillo blows a ninth inning save, the ’Riders and Missions go to extras for the second straight night and take their time to settle things. The game goes to the 13th inning when Guilder Rodriguez strokes a base hit to center field to score Chris McGuiness and send Frisco to a 6-5 win, its first walk-off victory of the year. The game takes four hours and 26 minutes to complete. Earlier in the contest, Leury Garcia pulls up lame at first base running out a bunt and is eventually placed on the disabled list where he will remain for nearly a month because of a right hip flexor.
April 27: Grimm (6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, BB, 9 K) rebounds from his first poor outing of the season to outclass the Hooks’ Jarred Cosart in a 12-0 ’Riders romp. Chris McGuiness crushes a three-run home run – his fifth of the season – in a six-run fifth inning. Bell throws three perfect innings (4 K) for the save.
April 29: Loux strikes out eight batters and allows two runs over six innings as the ’Riders blast Corpus 10-3. The former Texas A&M Aggie ends May tied for the MiLB lead in wins at 5-0 with a 1.63 ERA. Six Frisco players have multi-hit games, including Profar (2-for-5), who extends his hit streak to 11 games.
April 30: Despite allowing four runs over the first two innings, Jake Brigham gets bailed out by his offense in a 9-4 Frisco victory over the Hooks. Zach Zaneski, who entered the game hitting .167 (116 points below his career average) with two extra-base hits, drilled two home runs while Alex Buchholz homered and tripled to pace the offense. The triple was Frisco’s 17th of the year, the most by any professional team through the season’s first month.
Coming tomorrow: A look back at the month of May.
- Alex V.
Catching up with… Mike Olt
Mike Olt was an All-Star third baseman for the RoughRiders before he was promoted to the Majors on August 2.
Occasionally throughout the off-season we will spend some time catching up with former RoughRiders. In this edition, we hear from Rangers rookie Mike Olt, who spent most of the 2012 season in Frisco. A Mid-Season and Postseason Texas League All-Star, Olt played in 95 games for the RoughRiders, hitting .288 with 28 home runs and 82 RBI. He was called up directly to the Texas Rangers on August 2 but has been hampered by a foot injury in most of his time as a big leaguer. ‘Riders broadcaster Alex Vispoli caught up with Mike at a recent Rangers home game to reflect on making the Majors and his time with Frisco.
Alex Vispoli: When you found out you were going up, was that a surprise for you or were you expecting it?
Mike Olt: No, it was definitely a surprise. It was weird how in those last couple of days they were trying to do some [different] things with me, especially playing first base on back-to-back days. But really going into the office I thought they were going to talk to me about what my plan was because the trade deadline was over, what they wanted me to shoot for. I knew I was ready, and then when they were able to say I was getting the call up, it was quite the feeling.
AV: I know Frisco manager Steve Buechele has had creative ways of telling guys that they are being promoted, the one with Justin Grimm comes to mind. If I remember correctly, he was telling you the route to get down to Round Rock?
MO: Yeah, he said to pack my car up and try and head out early to go to Round Rock and he kept the story going the whole time, he probably talked about for five minutes just to stay focused and keep doing what I’m doing, don’t change anything. And then, just when I’m leaving he’s like “make sure you’re in Arlington in time for C.J. Wilson.” So that was good, that’s something I’ll never forget.
AV: What are the emotions you’re feeling at that point, where’s your heart at that moment?
MO: Oh, I couldn’t talk. And that’s the first time in my life I probably couldn’t talk. I was just really excited. You always hear stories about [getting promoted to the big leagues]; I have some buddies that got called up and they tell you what their feelings are and you can understand where they’re coming from, but when you feel that [yourself] then you really understand what it’s like, you just get goose bumps. It’s everything you’ve worked for.
AV: Just in terms of the roller coaster for you, I remember talking to you the week or so leading up to the trading deadline and we weren’t really sure what was going to happen. You were trusting whatever the plan was and I guess the plan all along was to get you right up there after the trade deadline. Looking back on it the whole range of emotions must have made it both a little fun and at the time a little stressful.
MO: It was, but I did my best to block it all out. And I always said I was definitely able to block it out but there were times when I just wanted to know what was going on. When it was all over with that was definitely relieving, but I definitely did know that I was in a good situation either way so that helped.
AV: You had a base hit in your first Major League at bat. What’s going through your head when you step into the batter’s box in a big league game for the first time and then you connect on that base hit? Hitter’s always talk about getting that first hit early in a game to take some stress off the rest of the way and that you got a hit in your first-ever at bat must have been a weight off of your shoulders.
MO: I was nervous during the day but when it got to game time and I got out there and walked into the box it really felt like just another at bat. I tried to make it as close to normal as I could. Obviously facing C.J. Wilson it’s tougher to stay within your approach against a guy like that. But I wasn’t nervous which helped me stay [within myself] and not try to do too much so that helped.
AV:Have you had a moment yet where you’ve taken a step back and said to yourself “Wow, I’m in the big leagues.”? Have you had a “welcome to the big leagues” type of moment that you can remember where all of a sudden you realize that you’re not in the Texas League any more?
Olt gets a high five from Rangers manager Ron Washington after his walk-off pinch hit RBI single against the Tigers on August 11.
MO: That happened the first day, even with just the crowd. It’s a totally different feeling when you have 45,000 fans cheering for you, that’s a great feeling. And then in my second at bat I hit a ball up in the hole and a guy makes a “Top Play” on it. I get back to the dugout and that was a time where it was like “welcome to the big leagues.” That usually doesn’t get caught in Double-A.
AV: Unless it’s [Jurickson] Profar, right?
MO: Right [laughs]. No, I would have taken care of him if he caught it.
AV: Has it been nice to see four guys [Wilmer Font, Justin Grimm, Jurickson Profar and Robbie Ross] that you played with in the Minors on the big league roster now with you? Guys that you came up playing with, to play alongside them has that been a fun experience for you?
MO: Yeah, definitely. It always helps to have guys that you’ve played with and that you’re comfortable with. Especially because it’s a good group of young guys mixed with the good group of older guys. The veteran guys really show us the way and they make it really easy for us up here. Some of the other guys from other teams that I talk to, for them it’s a little of a different atmosphere. Not once when you’re here do the veteran guys make you feel like a rookie, so that also helps.
AV: How tough has it been just with the fact that you haven’t been able to get on the field in being a rookie and also with the injuries? Unfortunately you’ve had plenty of practice overcoming the minor injuries, but it’s still an adjustment.
MO: No, this isn’t the way I want to start my career with something as small as plantar fasciitis. I don’t even know how I got it; I don’t know how it happened or why it had to happen in the first four days of my big league career. But I was still able to get a lot out of [the experience here] while I was hurt and on the bench. I’ve learned a ton and I’m excited to take what I’ve learned and incorporate it with how I go about my business and improve.
AV: How proud were you of your Frisco teammates, following them from afar and seeing what they accomplished without you and without Profar?
MO: I watched every step of the way and I kept in contact with a bunch of the guys. I knew they didn’t need Profar or myself to win it; they had a great team and great pitching, timely hitting and that’s what we were going to need and we got it for the most part but came up a little short. So that’s tough but it was a great year and I have a lot of good memories there.
- Alex
The Newest Texas Ranger
Mike Olt played 13 games at first base in Frisco and is expected to play first for the Rangers tonight. (Photo by Alex Yocum-Beeman)
Last night, the Texas Rangers purchased the contract of Frisco infielder Mike Olt. They also put him on the 40-man roster sending utility player Brandon Snyder to Triple-A Round Rock and moving starter Colby Lewis from the 15-day to 60-day disabled list. Olt will make his debut with the Rangers tonight batting eighth and playing first base.
In 95 games with the RoughRiders, Olt had a .288 batting average with 17 doubles, 1 triple, 28 home runs and 82 RBIs. As of today, he is now in the Frisco record books. His 28 home runs put him in third place for single season home runs and ties him with Jason Botts for sixth in all-time home runs. We wish him luck tonight in his major league debut.
Story by Jarah Wright
Jake Brigham To Chicago Cubs
As of this morning, Brigham is now a member of the Cubs organization. (Portrait by Alex Yocum-Beeman)
The Texas Rangers traded RoughRiders’ pitcher Jake Brigham to the Chicago Cubs for catcher Geovany Soto. The trade was announced this morning. With the addition of Soto, Yorvit Torrealba was designated for assignment.
Brigham spent seven years in the Rangers’ organzation. During the 2012 season with Frisco, he had a record of five wins and five losses with an earned run average of 4.28. He has struck out 116 batters this season and 114 last season breaking several records. He sits in third and fourth place for the most strikeouts in a single season and is in second place for the most strikeouts all-time.
First Time ‘Riders Pitcher Rehabs
Mark Lowe became the third Texas Rangers player to rehab with the Frisco RoughRiders this season tonight when he joined first baseman Mitch Moreland in Frisco. The other, Neftali Feliz, pitched two innings in a rehab start on July 16 against the San Antonio Missions. He was the only one of the three to not have pitched in Frisco as a RoughRiders before.
He pitched one inning of relief tonight against the San Antonio Missions. He gave up a game tying home run to Edinson Rincon and struck out two batters.
The right handed reliever has made 26 appearances for the Rangers this season and posted a 2.30 ERA. In 31 1/3 innings Lowe has struck out 25 batters and given up 22 hits. He was placed on the Disabled List by the Rangers on June 29 with a strained right intercostals muscle.
The 29 year old was traded to the Texas Rangers as part of the Cliff Lee blockbuster deal at the trade deadline on July 9, 2010. The Rangers sent first baseman Justin Smoak, utility player Matt Lawson, and pitchers Blake Beavan and Josh Lueke to Seattle, all of whom played for the Frisco RoughRiders in either 2009 or 2010.
Written By: Michael Damman
Photo Illustration By: Jarah Wright
Photos courtesy of: Texas Rangers, Frisco RoughRiders, Seattle Mariners, and Philadelphia Phillies
