New rules put spin on international scouting

By Jesse Sanchez

MLB.com | 01/02/13 10:00 AM ET

Some scouts hide in plain sight. Others scour the back roads of the Caribbean to hunt for undiscovered players.

One of the worst kept secrets inside the game of international scouting is every big league scout's desire to find the next "guy" in Latin America, sign him at age 16 and put the teen into their club's academy before the competition can beat them to it.

[This is what the Dominican Prospect League is all about]

Inside this circle of scouts, a "guy" is slang for a good prospect. He's usually big -- almost always at least six feet tall and close to 200 pounds -- and he's definitely athletic. He's often a right-handed power pitcher, a country-strong corner outfielder or a slick-fielding shortstop or center fielder who can run and has some pop in his bat.

Gustavo Cabrera, ranked No. 1 on MLB.com's International Prospect list, is a "guy" everyone knew about last summer. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound outfielder signed with the Giants for a $1.3 million bonus on July 2 to kick off the international signing period. He could be a big leaguer one day. Ronny Carvajal, ranked no. 14, is a prospect the Rangers believe in, and that's why they signed the outfielder in December when other clubs passed on him.

At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Carvajal has the physique and some of the tools scouts are looking for, but what he represents might be just as significant: Carvajal is one of the new faces of the evolving scouting and signing system in Latin America. The movement made headlines last year when new rules restricted the amount of money a team could spend on the international market. Some believe those new rules, combined with prospects being evaluated in games against their peers, is helping to even out the market, somewhat similar to the way the new spending guidelines impacted the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

Scouting through the traditional tryout format, which dates to the 1970s, is still a key part of the international game. The quest to find the right prospect for an organization hasn't much changed in the last 40 years. However, the methods and circumstances that determine who fits the criteria is evolving.

Just ask Carvajal and the Rangers.

In 2011, the Rangers signed two players and set a record for the highest international amateur bonus when they paid Nomar Mazara $4.95 million, and later singed Ronald Guzman for $3.45 million. The club signed teenage outfielder Jairo Beras for $4.5 million in February before the new guidelines were instituted, but Major League Baseball suspended the teen for a year because of a dispute over his age.

Those types of paydays appear to be over. Carvajal signed with Texas for $80,000.

In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team was allotted $2.9 million to spend on the international market starting July 2, 2012, without penalty. Exceptions -- such as a team's six highest signing bonuses of $50,000 or less and players signed for $7,500 or less -- do not count against the spending cap.

This July's international signing period works in a similar way and the amount clubs are allowed to spend will be based largely on its record in the 2012 season. The pools for each team will range from an estimated $4.9 million (for the lowest winning percentage) to $1.8 million (for the highest winning percentage). Clubs will also be allowed to trade pool money.

"[The new system] has the same effect of the Draft without naming it a draft, and obviously teams don't have the ability to pick in a certain round on the international market like they do for amateurs in the United States," said Brian Mejia, co-founder of the Dominican Prospect League. "If scouts are out there working, it is fair for everybody because the worst team gets the most money. ... If you compare it to the Draft, it's fair because it's about evening talent amongst teams."

Additionally, the growth of leagues like the Dominican Prospect League, International Prospect League and Major League Baseball's Prospect League, which provide a neutral environment for prospects, have also helped to shape the baseball landscape in the Dominican Republic by allowing scouts to evaluate under game conditions.

"The idea is not to devalue the player, but to get a truer gauge of who a player is," said Joel Araujo, manager of Latin American game development for MLB. "It is about giving the club best chance at evaluating a player and seeing who is who. The more games the better."

It's unclear how many offers Carvajal had on July 2, or if his trainer, who also serves as his agent, miscalculated his player's value on the market. Scouts also wonder if Carvajal was hurt a bit because he struggled against live pitching and had a high amount of swings and misses during games, which are now an important part of the scouting process.

A frustrated Carvajal almost quit playing the sport altogether before signing with Texas.

"The top guy will set the market, but the middle tier is tough for trainers to figure out what they should be asking for," Araujo said. "And before you know it, the market has moved and it drops drastically after July 2. When negotiating, the trainers go off of history, and there was no history because last year was a transition year. Next year will also be a transition year with the new restrictions as well."

Several players have already signed.

According to MLB.com's analysis, more than 400 international prospects from Australia, Brazil, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Taiwan and Venezuela have signed with Major League teams since the most recent international signing period began. The Mets gave Ahmed Rosario the highest bonus at $1.75 million, followed by Jose Castillo, who signed with the Rays for $1.55 million and Juan Paniagua, who signed with the Cubs for $1.5 million. In all, 10 players signed for at least $1 million and 62 players signed for more than $250,000. The average signing bonus for players was $283,000 -- excluding exceptions.

"As far as a class and how it compared to other years, it was a solid 'average'," Mejia said. "The abilities were not as outstanding as the previous years, but in an open market without the restraint of $2.9 million, I can see them getting more money. There was also more information out there for teams and more strategic play than before because teams had a better feel about the money their competition had and what they were doing with it."

The Rays have spent the most money on the international market since July 2, $3.7 million on 22 players. Overall, half the teams have spent more than $2 million.

"It's all been positive," Araujo said. "It's always a good thing when you can get a clear evaluation of a player and sign him. There are also a lot of guys are still signing."

In addition to Carvajal, recent signings include pitcher Alex Reyes, who signed with the Cardinals for $950,000, and outfield prospect Geraldy Martinez, who signed with the Brewers for $50,000.

"Ronny is a good kid and his goal is to prove everyone wrong," Mejia said. "One of the lessons here is that trainers have to really evaluate a player's talent before declining substantial money. When all 30 teams have multiple evaluations and have an offer of 'X,' you can't ask for 'Y' and always expect to get it in this new climate."

Ronny Carvajal signs with the Texas Rangers

Posted December 17th, 2012 by DPL & filed under DPL News, Featured Post, Transactions.

OF RONNY CARVAJAL 6-3, 180lb, R/R, 10/9/95, Bani, DR

Trainer: Miguel Delgado

PERFECT GAME SCOUTING REPORT:

Carvajal flashes tools in every area and has an outstanding 6-foot-3, 180-pound build that should fill out and get really strong. He has easy athletic actions and shows good instincts in center-field but ran between 6.93 and 7.19 in his three 60s, so he’s not going to be any more than an average runner in the future. That will likely limit him to a corner outfield position and put pressure on him to develop his hitting potential.

Carvajal hits with a big leg raise trigger, which can negatively affect his timing, but has a long, loose swing that generates very good bat speed at times with plenty of lift in his swing. Carvajal is a mature player who shows lots of energy on the field and looks to have some leadership abilities.

Carvajal was a DPL All-Star and was selected to the DPL Elite Travel team that toured Florida and Arizona during spring training 2012.

The Texas Rangers and Carvajal reach an agreement for $80,000. The contract is pending MLB approval.

The author with Ismel Jiménez at the 2012 Haarlem Baseball Week.

Ismel Jimenez Approaches Cuba’s Most Unbreakable Pitching Record

by Peter C. Bjarkman

December 29, 2012

Easily the most unapproachable record in the full annals of modern-era Cuban League baseball is the 1966 back-to-back no-hit, no-run feat of Aquino Abreu.

It is almost beyond imagination to envision another pitcher surpassing Abreu with three consecutive no-hit and no-run masterpiece games. But when it comes to career standards (as opposed to one-time flukes) then the argument swings to Orlando Hernández.

A decade and a half after leaving the island El Duque still owns the career record for winning percentage (126-47, .728) making him by this important measure the most successful of all modern-era Cuban League hurlers.

Of course it must be noted that the one-time Industriales hero earned his place in the record books in large part because he left the island in mid-career, after only ten full seasons. While the subsequent decade brought Hernández considerable success in the North American major leagues, it is rather doubtful that a .700 winning ledger would have survived another ten-plus years of Cuban League action.

The same can be said for another .700-plus pitcher and eventual MLB-convert, José Ariel Contreras (117-50, .701). Had either El Duque or Contreras opted to play out an entire career in Cuba their equally impressive lifetime ledgers would almost certainly have experienced some considerable late-career erosion of their stellar winning numbers.
The most serious single challenge to El Duque’s often-touted milestone over the years has been mounted by Santiago’s durable right-hander Norge Luis Vera.

Surviving a late-career injury that almost took his life in 2009, Vera hung on to his winning ways for nearly two decades and retired within percentage points of Hernández. Vera’s own consistent winning resume is all the more amazing if only because of the way it stood the test of time across a half-dozen injury-plagued late-career seasons. He also is perhaps the most impressive among the four owning .700-plus career percentages since he boasts the most wins (176) and features fifty more victories and 71 more game decisions than the celebrated El Duque. In the end Vera pitched nearly two decades in the Cuban League whereas his three closed challengers in the “rate of successful winning” category boast barely a decade apiece. It is also worth noting that Vera is the only one among the several pitchers under discussion here to accomplish such other milestones as hurling a no-hit, no-run game (January 21, 2001), pacing the circuit in ERA (0.97 in 2000, with the only sub-1.00 mark after 1992), and ranking on the island’s Top Ten career victories list (at number ten). El Duque was never an ERA pacesetter and Contreras earned the honor only once; neither ever tossed a Cuban League no-hitter.
Now a new challenger has arisen in the person of 29-year-old Sancti Spíritus ace right-hander Ismel Jiménez (born September 1983). Jimenez made a large leap with his 19-5 mark last season and has now supplemented his charge to the front with an unblemished 5-0 record so far during this current campaign. Ismel Jiménez is hardly a back-page story in Cuba, having enjoyed several stellar outings (mostly as a reliable middle reliever) in major international outings with the Cuban national team over the past half-dozen years. And Trinidad native boasts at least one distinctions not owned by any of his three rivals: he has already on three separate occasions been a full-season league leader in games won (2009, 2011, 2012). For all their regularity in ringing up victories, Vera, Hernández and Contreras paced the National Series in the win column on only a single occasion each.

The unflappable Sancti Spíritus ace also enjoyed a true breakout season during last winter’s National Series #51, missing by a single victory of becoming only the second-ever single-season league 20-game winner (José Ibar posted a 20-2 ledger with Habana Province in 1998 and Braudilio Vinent also went 19-4 way back in 1973). And so far this year Jiménez has continued the magic by racing to a 5-0 start which has him trailing only Isla’s Wilbur Pérez (6-0) atop the leader board in victories. Maintaining an unblemished mark or even a league-best ledger will, however, be anything but easy during the current campaign, since the new split season format will feature reinforcements in the lineups of the league’s other seven surviving second-half ball clubs. But on the positive side, Ismel Jiménez is backed up by a talented Gallos lineup under rookie manager Yosvani Aragón that boasts the league’s top slugging offense – one featuring Freddie Cepeda and Liván Monteagudo alongside Yulieski Gourriel, and Eriel Sánchez. And an equally strong supporting mound corps (including top starters Noelvis Hernández and Angel Peña plus quality relievers Omar Guardarrama and rookie Yoanni Hernández) means that Ismel likely will not suffer from any added pressures of carrying the entire pitching load on his own potentially overworked shoulders.
Jiménez will temporarily edge ahead of Norge Vera on the career victory-percentage chart if he captures his next outing, which will likely come at home versus weak Holguín on January 4, immediately following the one-week year-end league shutdown. Two added uninterrupted victories (the second being career win number 100) will temporarily unseat El Duque from the long-held top slot. With a strong team behind him this season (Sancti Spíritus currently sits alone in first place with a 17-7 ledger) it is not entirely inconceivable that Jiménez might cling to the acme position all the way until season’s end. But his long-term chances of holding on to that distinctive edge will not remain all that bright since continuing such a relentless pace during late career seasons poses a truly stiff challenge. Few hurlers in any league escape the inevitable slump that eventually comes with an aging arm and waning physical talents.

Mexico Playoffs

Venezuela Round Robin

Dominican Round Robin

Puerto Rico Round Robin

Four teams battle

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

After a strong regular season, Caguas, Mayaguez, Santurce and Carolina begin today the battle to define the two finalists of the Winter League.

Giants Carolina

................In the special drawing of reinforcement players for the postseason, the Crabbers chose Fernando Cabrera and Zack Segovia, a move that makes sense, because the Giants lost their services bullpen lefty Giovanni Soto and the possibility of having no more in their rows to grandesligas JC Romero.

Soto had a 1.17 ERA in 11 games with the Giants before the Cleveland organization recommended to stop playing. Romero, meanwhile, was the leader in games saved in the ninth with seven and was about 2.35 ERA in 14 games..................

Guti's winter ball showing has Mariners excited

By Greg Johns / MLB.com | 01/02/13 7:00 PM ET

SEATTLE --

Center fielder Franklin Gutierrez has wrapped up his Venezuelan Winter League season, and the Mariners will be thrilled if he can carry his success there over into Spring Training next month in Arizona.

Gutierrez put up torrid numbers in his last four games for Leones del Caracas, batting .474 (9-for-17) with two doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs between Dec. 18-21.

The native of Venezuela was 8-for-15 in his final three games, closing out with a 3-for-6 outing with four RBIs against Magallanes. He hit a grand slam two days earlier against Margarita in a 3-for-4 game that included five RBIs.

For the season, Gutierrez batted .349 (30-for-86) with 13 runs, six doubles, three home runs and 19 RBIs in 22 games. His batting average would rank second in the VWL if he had enough at-bats to qualify among the league leaders.

Gutierrez played just 40 games in 2012 for the Mariners, so his health is of primary concern as they head toward Spring Training in six weeks.

If Gutierrez is full go, he'll fill the center-field spot and allow Michael Saunders to play one of the corners. The Mariners also have Casper Wells and free-agent signees Raul Ibanez and Jason Bay competing for outfield positions, along with Eric Thames, Carlos Peguero and possibly Mike Carp, if his throwing shoulder has healed sufficiently.

Among other Mariners playing in the Venezuelan League, reliever Yoervis Medina continues throwing for Cardenales de Lara. The big right-hander appeared in two games last week, giving up four hits and no runs in 1 2/3 innings as he lowered his ERA to 2.40 in 30 innings over 27 outings.

Gabriel Noriega, a 22-year-old second baseman who split time between Class A High Desert and Double-A Jackson last year, is seeing considerable action for Lara in the VWL. Noriega went 3-for-5 in a pair of games last week and is hitting .262 with nine RBIs in 130 at-bats over 46 games.

The Venezuelan League continues through Jan. 21, though many Major League participants cut back after the holidays in order to rest up before camps open in February.

Several Mariners prospects in the Dominican Winter League appear to have ended their participation. Shortstop Carlos Triunfel played a part-time role for Tigres de Licey, but hit just .147 (5-for-35) in 25 games.

Peguero went hitless in his last two games for Gigantes del Cibao on Dec. 20-21, putting him at .333 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in 18 games. The 25-year-old outfielder is now listed on the roster of Toros del Este in the Dominican League, though he's yet to play for them.

Meanwhile, young first-base prospect Ji-Man Choi continues playing well in the Australian Baseball League. Choi, 21, spent last year in Class A Clinton after missing all of 2011 with a back injury. He was named the player of the Week in Australia for the final week of December after batting .350 (7-for-20) with two home runs and five RBIs.

Choi has hit safely in 15 of his last 18 games to raise his average to .326 (28-for-86) with 15 runs, five home runs and 17 RBIs in 24 games in the ABL.

The native of Korea, an interesting catching prospect for the Mariners before his back injury, played first base and DH for Clinton last year and hit .298 with eight home runs and 43 RBIs in 242 at-bats with a .420 on-base percentage.

Dodgers' Miller dazzles in Indios opener

First-round pick tosses six three-hit innings, strikes out seven in playoff opener

01/03/13 2:23 AM ET

Puerto Rican Winter League

Mayaguez 1, Santurce 0

Aaron Miller and a trio of relievers combined to shut down Santurce on Wednesday in a four-hitter did not feature an earned run. The 2009 first-round Dodgers Draft pickallowed three hits and three walks, striking out seven, over six innings as Mayaguez took Game 1 of the round-robin playoffs. Twins' No. 6 prospect Eddie Rosario scored the game's only run on a throwing error by catcher Orlando Mercado in the second.

Caguas 9, Carolina 0

Andy Gonzalez (White Sox) homered, doubled and drove in five runs as regular-season champion Caguas opened the postseason with a rout. Powered by Gonzalez's blast and a two-run double by Carlos Rivera, the Criollos took a 6-0 lead after two innings. Michael Nix was strong on the mound, scattering three hits over 6 2/3 shutout frames. He struck out six and walked one.

Venezuelan Winter League

Caribes 8, Caracas 1

Hector Gimenez (White Sox) went deep twice, finishing 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored, as the Caribes steamrolled Caracas in the postseason opener for both teams. No. 7 Twins prospect Oswaldo Arcia also homered and scored twice in the rout, while leadoff hitter Niuman Romero (Tigers) went 2-for-4 with a walk and a game-high three runs scored.

Magallanes 10, Lara 6

The Navegantes jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, surrendered the next six runs and responded with six more in the bottom of the eighth to take down the Cardenales. Major Leaguers Endy Chavez, Juan Rivera and Jesus Flores homered in the contest for Magallanes, with World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval adding a pair of RBIs.

Dominican Winter League

Toros 8, Aguilas 3

Este scored seven runs in the seventh, sending 11 men to the plate before cruising to a comfortable win. The Toros needed just two hits in the frame as Aguilas pitchers issued four walks (one intentional) and hit two batters. A two-run homer by Erick Almonte (Brewers) in the fourth was the Aguilas' lone extra-base hit in the game.

Escogido 5, Estrellas 0

Edward Valdez improved to 2-0 in the round-robin with seven one-hit innings as de Oriente remained winless in five games. The Leones, who improved to 3-2, plated four runs in the second frame with five consecutive singles. Indians farmhand Juan Diaz went 1-for-2, leading off the bottom of the third with the Estrellas' lone hit.

Mexican Pacific League

Obregon 3, Guasave 2

Doug Clark's solo homer in the top of the eighth proved to be the difference as the Yaquis edged Guasave for a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. All three Obregon runs came by way of the long ball. Albino Contreras opened the scoring with a two-run shot in the fifth.

Culiacan 5, Hermosillo 4, 11 innings

Yankees prospect Ronnier Mustelier went deep on the third pitch of the bottom of the 11th to give the Tomateros a dramatic win in the series opener. Major League veteran Marlon Byrd also homered for Culiacan while Luis A. Garcia, Karim Garcia and Jesse Gutierrez tallied solo shots for Hermosillo.

Mazatlan 7, Mexicali 3

Wes Bankston, who worked his way up to Triple-A in 2010, homered twice, plated four runs and scored three times for the Aguilas. Free agent Yuniesky Betancourt added two RBIs and starter Marco Duarte (Red Sox) hurled five one-run frames in the winning cause.

<
Venezuelan Winter League

•Ezequiel Carrera (LF, Navegantes del Magallanes): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K. Wednesday marked the opening night for the playoffs in the VWL, and Carrera started things off nicely with one hit and a walk. The left-handed hitting Carrera had a strong regular season this winter, going 32-for-112 in 30 games. Also, if you factor in Wednesday’s playoff game, Carrera has now hit in four straight contests.

•Asdrubal Cabrera (SS, Leones del Caracas): 1-for-4, 1 R, 2B, 1 K. Asdrubal also had a decent start to the VWL playoffs as he recorded one hit, and it was of the extra-base variety. Overall, in 12 games, Cabrera has now gone 14-for-51.

Dominican Winter League

•Jose Ramirez (SS, Toros del Este): 0-for-4. Ramirez had a rare off night on Wednesday. Though when you’ve been as hot as Ramirez, games like this have to be expected once in awhile.

•Juan Diaz (SS, Leones del Escogido): 1-for-2, K. Diaz collected one hit Wednesday as his team earned a 5-0 victory in round-robin play. Diaz has had an up-and-down season this winter and one has to wonder if he’ll remain a part of the Indians 40-man roster considering all of the roster moves that still need to be made

By Steve Orbanek
January 3, 2013

For Cleveland Carlos Santana and Melky Mesa the Season Is Over

03/01/2013 12:00 AM - Julio E. Castro C.

By Julio E. Castro C.

Carlos Santana was batting .429.

The receiver Carlos Santana stay with the Lions of the Chosen came to an end yesterday, after the Cleveland Indians ordered him not to continue playing in the winter tournament. The decision of the tribe runs in a time when Santana recorded his best performances of the winter during the Round Robin. The decision weakens the Lions lineup for the next games. During the first four playoff games of the Lions, the receiver recorded a .429 batting average, six hits in 14 at bats, including a double, a home run, four RBIs and five runs scored. Without yesterday, Santana led the department runs batted in (5) and was co-leader with Ricardo Nanita in runs scored with four. He was also the fourth best hitter in the league for the playoffs.

Living legacy: Walker carries spirit of Clemente

Father of Bucs infielder nearly took fateful plane trip that claimed life of legend

By Tom Singer / MLB.com | 01/03/13 12:40 PM ET

On Sept. 8, 1972, Tom Walker, a young relief pitcher for the young Montreal Expos, trots in from the Jarry Park bullpen to work the top of the ninth against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

A No. 1 Draft choice four years earlier by the Baltimore Orioles, the finesse right-hander retires Gene Clines on a fly to center, gets Vic Davalillo on a grounder to second and begins to work on Al Oliver, while keeping an expectant eye on the on-deck circle.

When Oliver pulls a bouncer to first to end a three-up, three-down inning, the on-deck batter starts a slow jog to right field, rather than his characteristic slow walk into the batter's box. The 23-year-old Walker strolls toward his dugout, ironically disappointed that having done his job too well ruined a meeting with immortal greatness.

A couple months later, Walker finally got to meet Roberto Clemente.

He even shared his uniform: He and another Expos pitching prospect, Balor Moore, were Puerto Rican Winter League teammates of Clemente.

The experience, associating with a legend on his home turf, was an incredible one for a youngster still weaving his own big league dreams. Walker wanted to spend as much time as possible in Clemente's aura, whether that meant answering a call to the bullpen or a higher calling.

Thus, when Clemente's heart and conscience drew him to earthquake-torn Nicaragua and a plane had to be loaded with relief supplies -- tons of it: food, clothing, medical goods -- Walker rolled up his sleeves.

He was only one among numerous ballplayers helping load the plane. But he was the most adamant about also wanting to help unload it -- about going along for the relatively short flight, accompanying Clemente, who was personally delivering the supplies to ensure that they stayed out of the hands of corrupt government forces.

It was Dec. 31. New Year's Eve. San Juan is a fabulous party town. In the distance, the bright lights and sounds of revelry already crackled the night sky.

"No," Clemente told Walker. "You need to go back and enjoy the evening. Go home. Go enjoy New Year's Eve."

So Walker stayed. And stayed alive, when the plane carrying Clemente and four others exploded into flames, disintegrating, soon after takeoff.

Tom Walker spent six seasons chasing that big league dream, with modest success. He also pitched for the Angels, the Cardinals and the Tigers. The Florida native married and settled down in Pittsburgh, without ever having pitched for the Pirates, but drawn by something to the area.

The Walkers had sons, Matt and Sean, then a daughter, Carrie. Finally, in 1985, another son, Neil, was born.

Neil Walker now starts as the hometown team's second baseman, and every time he runs out to his position at PNC Park, his eyes burn through The Clemente Wall in right field.

This story is well-known in Western Pennsylvania, ingrained in local legend. But it received unprecedented national exposure through MLB Network's retrospective on the 40th anniversary of Clemente's death, with Tom Walker's recollections a haunting part of the segment.

"Forty years later," Walker said on the MLB Network production, "I think of a man that saved my life. I can't help but think about that now. I've had four wonderful children, and it turns out that one of them is the second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates."

The second baseman grew up as a huge fan of the team for which he now stars, exponentially raising his posthumous appreciation of The Great One.

"It was a terrible tragedy," Neil Walker recalled of Clemente's doomed mercy mission during PNC Park ceremonies on Sept. 30 commemorating his 3,000th hit. "I feel fortunate that Dad didn't get on that plane. The memory of Clemente has been a big part of our life."

It is a part that also reinforces baseball's near-mystical quality of linking generations and closing circles.

On Opening Day 2011, his first one with the Pirates, who had called him up for good the previous May, Walker hit a grand slam at Chicago's Wrigley Field. The only other Opening Day grand slam in the club's long history was by Clemente, on April 10, 1962, in Forbes Field against the Phillies.

One other thing.

Tom Walker goes by his middle name, his given first name being Robert.

And Clemente's full name was Roberto Clemente Walker.

Arias sparks Aguilas to playoff victory

Giants infielder collects four hits, scores a run, helps defeat Leones

01/04/13 2:07 AM ET

Dominican Winter League

Aguilas 5, Escogido 2

Giants infielder Joaquin Arias went 4-for-5 and scored a run as the Aguilas beat the Leones to move into a first-place tie in the round-robin playoffs. Former Marlins prospect Juan Carlos Perez homered and drove in two runs for Cibaeñas, which got three hits and a run scored from leadoff man Elian Herrera (Dodgers). Orioles newcomer Alexi Casilla had two hits and an RBI for Escogido.

Estrellas 5, Toros 4, 12 innings

Carlos Colmenares capped a three-hit, two-RBI night with a run-scoring triple in the 12th inning as the Estrellas snapped the Toros' three-game playoff winning streak. Tigers farmhand Eliezer Mesa went 3-for-6 with a pair of triples and three runs scored, while Angels Minor Leaguer Luis Jimenez contributed a pair of RBIs for Oriente. Donell Linares and Diory Hernandez both had two hits and scored a run for Este.

Puerto Rican Winter League

Mayaguez 6, Santurce 0

Red Sox prospect Jeremy Kehrt scattered nine hits over seven innings, helping the Indios improve to 2-0 in the round-robin playoffs. Twins prospect Kennys Vargas and Adonis Garcia slugged two-run homers for Mayaguez, while former Mets farmhand Luis Garcia went 3-for-3 in a losing effort.

Caguas 4, Carolina 3

Major League veteran Ramon Castro drove in three runs, two with a go-ahead double in the eighth inning, as the unbeaten Criollos rallied past the winless Gigantes. Blue Jays prospect Fernando Hernandez tossed five hitless innings for Caguas, yielding an unearned run on a pair of walks and three strikeouts. Former big leaguer Chris Pettit homered and drove in two runs for Carolina.

Venezuelan Winter League

Lara 6, Caribes 1

Rangers farmhand Yangervis Solarte hit a solo homer, singled and scored twice in the Cardenales' first round-robin playoff win. Braves Minor Leaguer Yohan Flande did not figure in the decision after limiting the Caribes to a run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. Twins prospect Oswaldo Arcia provided Anzoategui's offense with his second postseason homer.

Zulia 3, Magallanes 1

A's newcomer Yeiper Castillo yielded one hit over three innings of scoreless relief, helping the Aguilas win their playoff opener. Phillies infielder Freddy Galvis delivered a two-run single and Reds prospect Felix Perez went 3-for-4, stole a base and scored twice for Zulia. Free agent Jesus Flores singled home the Navegantes' only run.

Mexican Pacific League

Obregon 5, Guasave 2, 11 innings

Juan Miranda and Sergio Contreras hit RBI singles in the 11th inning as the Yaquis took a 2-0 lead in their best-of-7 first-round playoff series. Contreras also ripped a two-run homer and Doug Clark went 3-for-4 with a run scored for Obregon. Jose Rodriguez collected three hits and an RBI for the Algodoñeros.

Culiacan 2, Hermosillo 1, 10 innings

Former Tigers farmhand Maxwell Leon delivered a walk-off single in the 10th inning to give the Tomateros a 2-0 lead in their best-of-7 series. Major League veteran Rodrigo Lopez struck out seven and gave up a run on six hits over seven innings for Culiacan, while Jose Aguilar went 3-for-5 and scored the Naranjeros' lone run.

Mexicali 7, Mazatlan 1

Former Major Leaguer Chris Roberson fell a triple shy of the cycle, drove in two runs and scored twice out of the leadoff spot as the Aguilas took a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series. Ricky Alvarez and Roman Peña also had two RBIs apiece for Mexicali, while Enrique Osorio homered in a losing effort.

<
Jose Ramirez

Dominican Winter League

•Jose Ramirez (SS): 1-for-4, 1 BB. Ramirez went to the plate five times Thursday night and, in classic Ramirez form, reached base twice. He remains one of the hottest hitters in the organization and will be a thrill to watch in 2013.

Venezuelan Winter League

•Ezequiel Carrera (LF): 1-for-4, 1 CS. Thursday night was not too terribly eventful for Carrera on the field, but off the field, his path to a big league spot in 2013 was cleared. I love Thomas Neal, but with him being designated for assignment in wake of the Nick Swisher signing, Carrera has the inside track on the fourth outfielder spot on the big league team.

•Paolo Espino (SP): L (0-1), 5.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR. Espino continued alternating good and bad starts with a decent outing last night, but it was not enough to get his team the win. Espino has a great 32:8 SO:BB in 36.0 innings, but the 10 home runs are certainly cause for alarm.

Australian Winter League

•Andrew Campbell (LF): 2-for-4, 1 BB, 1 SO. Just another hot night for Campbell, who has a .309/.383/.447 line in 27 games. As is written almost every night, though, what is important is how Campbell translates it stateside.

•Ryan Battaglia (DH): 0-for-4, 1 SO. Power has been Battaglia's big calling card this offseason, but last night, the power was not there. The .259 ISO is great, but a .241 average and .333 on-base percentage in Australia is not the best.

By Jim Piascik
January 4, 2013

I watched last night's game when Estrellas went extra innings to beat the Toros 5-4 in 12 innings. Ramirez continued to impress. He moved over to shortstop for the playoffs after playing second base nearly the entire regular season. He's as good at short as he is at second.

The youngster did make a huge rookie mistake however. Leading off the home half of the 10th inning, Ramirez walked. Esteban German was batting. He was attempting to sacrifice but the pitches were not close, a couple of balls in the dirt. With a 2-1 count, Ramirez was caught stealing by catcher Robinzon Diaz. The pitch Ramirez ran on was high and tight but Diaz somehow got the throw off and the ball was right on the bag. The count went to 3-1. German eventually flied out and Nanita struck out. Two innings later, the Stars walked off with the win.

Winter Ball Notebook: Playoffs rage on

Winter Ball Notebook

By Steve Orbanek

January 4, 2013

ShareThis

With 2013 now upon us, that means that winter baseball is almost officially done. Round robin playoffs are currently taking place in the Dominican Winter League, Venezuelan Winter League and Puerto Rican Winter League.

A slew of Indians players are still in action, and that will remain the case for most of the month as the teams complete round robin play.

So, at least for the next couple weeks, the Winter Ball Notebook will remain and should provide readers with a nice opportunity to follow some players while the start of spring training looms. While it may not be as enticing as spring training, it’s about as close to baseball we can get in January.

So, with that being said, here are some thoughts deep and shallow in regard to winter ball participants from this past week…

— Shortstop Juan Diaz has basically done what one would expect him to this winter. In 44 games, he has gone 32-for-131 (.244), which is in line with recent regular season performances from the switch-hitting shortstop. Probably the most impressive aspect about Diaz this offseason is the fact that his legs have not yet fallen off. Between Double-A Akron, Triple-A Columbus and Cleveland, Diaz played 120 games this past season. He really did not have much of a break, and his off days this winter have been few and far between. Many have suspected that Diaz would be a likely candidate to be designated for assignment this offseason, but that has yet to occur. Perhaps the Indians just want a depth option at shortstop to protect Asdrubal Cabrera and Mike Aviles in case of injury. Nonetheless, the durability of Diaz has been very impressive and could be one reason why he's still a member of the 40-man roster.

— Another name that comes up when fans mention candidates to be DFAed is outfielder Ezequiel Carrera. Carrera, even more so than Diaz, has really shown his durability this offseason. After playing a total of 145 games with Columbus and Cleveland this past season, Carrera has continued to play with much regularity and has appeared in 31 games in the VWL. In that span, he has gone 34-for-119. Carrera's winter statistics likely don't factor much into how the Indians gauge his value as he has already spent part of the past two seasons in Cleveland, and the team's front office clearly has an idea of what skills he brings to the table. However, Carrera has certainly shown his value to his VWL team, Magallanes del Navegantes, as he has been one of the team's most consistent performers and a key reason as to why the team posted the best regular season mark in the league with a 36-27 record.

— Outfielder Andrew Campbell started his new year off with a bang as he collected two hits on Thursday in what was the first game he had played in so far in 2013. Campbell overall has been hot in his last two games as he has gone 5-for-8 with a home run and two RBI. It's been a very strong winter season for Campbell who has hit from the start, as indicated by his .309 average in 27 games. Though, for Campbell, the real test is going to come this fall. His numbers have been nice as he has shown some enticing power, which is evidenced by his slugging percentage of .447. However, the competition in the Australian Baseball League is somewhat suspect. Yet, if Campbell can indeed put up similar numbers in the states during the 2013 season, well, then he may just become someone to watch moving forward. It's a big if, but you have to like what he's done so far this winter.

— Starting pitcher Paolo Espino made his first start of the VWL postseason on Thursday, and he put together a solid performance as he pitched 5 1/3 innings of work and allowed eight hits and two earned runs. Espino has been one of the more consistent performers over the years in the Tribe's system, and aside from a seven-run blowup in mid-December, he really has pitched pretty well this winter. However, Espino has always pitched relatively well, and it's still not done much in regards to getting him noticed. Espino is any easy player to like as he’s a hard worker, and he’s got that bulldog mentality that’s such a desirable trait for a pitcher. Perhaps he can continue to pitch well this postseason to position himself to start out the year at Columbus. Then maybe, just maybe, he may be in line for a call-up to Cleveland sometime next year.

— Like his Brisbane teammate Andrew Campbell, Ryan Battaglia had been having a pretty solid winter campaign. Unfortunately, Battaglia seems to have hit a bit of a roadblock as of late. In his last five games, Battaglia has gone 2-for-16 and his average now sits at .241. It was nice to see Battaglia get some regular playing time this winter because, like Campbell, he only played sparingly in the United States this past season, and his numbers were far from impressive. However, it appears as if Battaglia's performance seems to be trending toward what he showed during this past season. Because he's a catcher and has some pop, it would be great to see Battaglia make some positive strides within the organization. However, the unfortunate reality is that he may just not have the hitting ability to make it out of the lower levels of the minors. 2013 will certainly be a big year for the left-handed hitter, but he unfortunately has not started it on the right foot.

— Carlos Santana has now not played in the last two playoff games for Leones del Escogido. It’s a shame too as Santana seemed to be settling in at the plate as he had actually brought his average all the way up to .235 (20-for-85). It’s unknown as to whether or not Santana’s winter season is actually over or if he is just getting some well-deserved rest. That answer may present itself in the coming days, though Leones del Escogido probably hopes Santana will be around for the rest of the postseason as the switch-hitter could play a major role in how far the team ultimately goes.

— On Wednesday, we saw right-hander Jeanmar Gomez designated for assignment by the Major League club. It almost seems to be a foregone conclusion that Gomez will be claimed by another club, but his winter league statistics certainly do him no favors. In five starts and 14 1/3 innings, Gomez has posted a 5.65 ERA. The struggles from the regular season clearly seemed to follow him to the VWL. Since he really has not pitched consistently well since the beginning of the 2012 season, one has to think there could be a slight chance that he goes unclaimed. However, he’s still an MLB-experienced pitcher with three solid offerings, so he probably does get snatched.