Rematch - Lions & Eagles at the Grand Finale

Francisco Vicente | UPDATED 1/17/2013 - 10:16 pm


The Cibao Eagles and Lions of Escogido, which again ended the postseason as the two best teams in this tournament baseball invernal dominicano 2012-2013, "In Memoriam" Dr. Jose Hazim Azar, the Grand Final will begin today in the Cibao stadium, here, starting at 7:30 PM

Those two were the finalists of the last winterball season, so this series has been known to many as "The Revenge" in Santiago.

The last edition in 9 exciting games favored the Lions in an ending that is still latent in the minds of fans of both team and all who follow the favorite pastime of Dominicans

The Eagles, 20 times were national champions so they go after crown number 21, who came within five outs to achieve this number in the last championship.

The Lions, however, seek their title number 16.

The Troops of Felix Fermin, the winningest manager in winterball will enter in their number 37 finals.

The Lions, on their side, under the command of Creole Audo Vicente, who replaced the fired Ken Oberkfell U.S., will be in this type of appointment for the 27th time.

Angel Castro (2-1, 3.42), coming from the bullpen who has become a solid starter, will be on the hill for the Eagles.

The lions will present Edward Valdez (4-0 and 0.68), the most dominant of all pitchers the just ended the round robin, ascends the red mound.

The Eagles took the regular season easy with 32-18 record, and won the round robin with, 11-6.

The Chosen, however, crossed a Round Robin, by earning a sudden death match against the Gigantes, concluding with, 23-28 record, and now compiles a record, 10-7, in the round robin.

Collectively have a squad with veterans and young players valuable, all thirsty and hungry to achieve the title of champions.

One, to take revenge, and the other looking to defend their crown of the last championship series.

Balance offensive and pitching

The Eagles have more "table" than the "wood" , but in pressure plays a key role.

The Cuban Mauro Gomez, with 6 HR and 14 RBI, is the power house of the Lions, taking to his side the formidable Starling Marte and Jordany Valdespín, Julio Lugo, Fernando Tatis, Henry Blanco, Ramon Santiago, Melky Mesa, Eury Perez and others, could lead the "table" of the Lions.

Edward Valdez, join the imported Kris Johnson, Jose De Paula and Nelson Figueroa, as their pitching starters, and the bullpen, which looks solid features Fernando Rodney, Francisco Cordero, Octavio Dotel, Runelvis Hernández, José Cobo, Jose Cabrera and others.

They added to this final stretch to utility player and veteran Jorge Cantu, and reliever Luis Ramirez.

Miguel Tejada's leadership and the charisma of Manny Ramirez, instrumental in the final matches, and they add capitán Héctor Moon, Erick Almonte, Elian Herrera, Joaquin Arias, Juan Carlos Perez, Francisco Peña and player Leury Garcia's time.

Carlos Colmenares and Seth Etherton, lasAguilas were selected as lottery players as imported players from the team that were eliminated.

Colmenares, who reinforced the Estrellas Orientales since starting the semifinal, finished with an average of .377 batting(49-18), five doubles, two triples and a home run, drove four runs scored 6.

Etherton, on his side pitched for the Toros del Este ending 0-0, 4.00 ERA in two starts covering 9.0 innings, giving up 7 hits, 4 runs clean, walked two and struck out nine.

EAGLES AND LIONS ....

The Grand Final , which starts tomorrow in Santiago and continues Saturday in the capital, is scheduled for the best of 9 series.

The first four games will be played in four straight days, and after a day of rest (Tuesday 22), then come the other five in a row, and an extra day in case they are needed after the fifth.

The Eagles and the Lions played in the championship games 11 times and the Eagles won 6 to 5.

Aggressiveness. Hector Luna, of the Eagles, arrives safely at third, while third baseman Fernando Tatis, the Lions, falls on the anatomy of Luna, after catching a bullet from catcher Henry Blanco erratic.

BASEBALL

Lions give the "table" in Santiago

Imposing 10-7 in 10 innings to get ahead in the series final of professional winter baseball

Juan Saint Hilaire

Santiago

The Lions of Escogidowent ahead in the final series of the autumn winter baseball tournament with a 10-7 victory in 10 innings over the Cibao Eagles in the match held at the stadium last night Cibao of Santiago de Los Caballeros.

A three-run rally in the top of the tenth inning and Jose Cobos relief appearance with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning in the closing moments were decisive for the success of the Lions, defending champions of the crown, that just before the Águlas won last year in a final series that extended to the maximum of nine games.

The Lions achieved their scoring with three separate rallies of 3, 4 and 3 runs at innings fourth, fifth and tenth, respectively. Cobos (1-0) was the winning pitcher, while TJ Pena (0-1) took the loss. Jesus Feliciano debuted with three hits for the Lions. Juan Carlos Perez and Erick Almonte ligated two hits each for the Eagles.

DOMINICAN BASEBALL 10-7 DECISIVE POINT IN THE RED VICTORY:

BATTING
Jorge Cantu's double was the decisive blow

PITCHING
José Cobos relief appearance with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth.

INNING
The tenth inning winner with a rally three times, hits by Cantu and Henry Blanco and Jesus Feliciano.

What today
In the second match of the final series is scheduled to take place Saturday from five in the afternoon at the Quisqueya Stadium in Santo Domingo.

The Puerto Rican rookie pitcher Tomas Santiago will be the starting pitcher for the Lions of Escogido who will seek to take 2-0 lead in the clash that is scheduled to best of nine games.

For the Eagles, the pitcher is announced as the veteran Lorenzo Barcelo, who will try to help the Cibao to even the series 1-1.

In the round robin, the Eagles won their two visits to the Lions in Santo Domingo, while the Lions were 3-0 in the Cibao stadium.

Escogido Cantu decides triumph over the Eagles
The first match of the final series of Dominican baseball could not have had more drama: It extended into extra innings, the score was tied four times and ended after midnight.

With the score tied at 7 in the tenth inning and playing before more than 14,000 fans in attendance at Estadio Cibao, the imported Mexican, Jorge Cantu hit an RBI double and the tiebreaking run and gave the victory to the Lions of Escogido who took the lead in the final set to defeat the Cibao Eagles 10-7.

The lions after they fell under the first three innings, kept fighting back until the final outcome in their favor. The Puerto Rican Jesus Feliciano led the production of the lions as the imported connected for three hits.

The stage seemed to be defined when attacking closer Johnny Nunez in the ninth with the game tied with only one out had the potential winning run at third, the bases loaded, but to inherit this situation, reliever Aztec José Rafael Cobos Ynoa suffocated the rally with a punch out looking and an easy fly to Elian Herrera in left field.

What shaped up as a duel of starters finished with a total of 17 pitchers parading through the cibaeño mound. The lions starter Edward Valdez allowed five runs in three innings and eagles Angel Castro gave up five runs in four innings.

Cobos won (1-0) after 1.2 innings and TJ Pena (0-1) took the loss. The importedPuerto Rican Feliciano led the production of the lions by connecting three hits.

For the Lions, Feliciano went 5-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, Ramon Santiago hit a 4-2, Jordany Valdespín and Henry Blanco had two hits each. From the Eagles, Miguel Tejada, Juan Carlos Perez, Erick Almonte, Hector Luna and Manny Ramirez connected two hits each.

After the victory, the Escogido has remained unbeaten in Santiago throughout the current postseason.

The lions connected their first hit of the game in the fourth inning and scored three times to take over the scoreboard lead for the first time in the game. The Eagles tied the lions took command plating four times in the fifth. This action continued until the ninth when the eagles tied the game.

SHORT ....
Key:
The relief of Jose Cobos, who with the bases loaded and one out retired the two batters he faced in the 9th, including a strikeout-hitter Rafael Ynoa, when the Eagles were able to even the score at 7.


Debut :
Jesus Feliciano, who was in Puerto Rico nicknamed "Motorita", had three hits, drove in two and scored two on his debut for Escogido. Another debutant was Jorge Cantu, who also hit a major hit in the tenth to bring the advantage (8-7).

Numbers :
Miguel Tejada continues to prove he is the "Giant" last night with a sacrifice fly to plate the tying run, and hit pair of hits, reaching 80 hits in the final series, matching with Manuel Mota in the list of best hitters of all time in this instance. The 13th is also his. Local baseball final series, tied with Cesar Geronimo, Manuel Mota, Luis Polonia and Felix Kitten-Martinez.

Health :
The Eagles' second baseman Joaquin Arias, had to leave the game in the sixth inning after suffering from migraine. The imported Carlos Colmenares took over the position.

Unhappy :
Veteran reliever Miguel Batista, upon leaving the mound was a little upset and said some words to the receiver Francisco Peña.

Curiosa :
A Mexican (Jorge Cantu), and Puerto Rican (Jesus Feliciano) and Venezuela (Henry Blanco) were heroes in the triumph for the Lions.

Villa flirts with no-hitter in Game 2 win

Former Minor Leaguer loses bid on two-out single in eighth, fans 10

01/19/2013 9:11 PM ET

Puerto Rican Winter League

Caguas 3, Mayaguez 1

Former Royals farmhand Kelvin Villa carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Danny Gonzalez singled with two outs as the Criollos grabbed a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 Championship Series. Villa ended up allowing a run on two hits while striking out 10 over 7 2/3 frames. Giants prospect Johnny Monell went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs for Caguas, which got three hits from Carlos Rivera. Irving Falu singled home the Indios' lone run.

Game 1: Mayaguez 4, Caguas 5
Game 2: Caguas 3, Mayaguez 1
Criollos de Caguas lead series 2-0

Game 3: 01/20 4:15 p.m.
Game 4: 01/22 7:15 p.m.
Game 5: 01/23 7:15 p.m.
Game 6: 01/25 8:00 p.m.
Game 7: 01/26 7:15 p.m.

Dominican Winter League

Escogido 8, Aguilas 5

Pirates outfielder Starling Marte went 3-for-4 and scored twice, helping the Leones open a 2-0 lead in the best-of-9 Championship Series. Game 1 hero Jorge Cantu had a pair of RBIs for Escogido, while Dodgers newcomer Wilkin Castillo delivered a two-run single. Hector Luna went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer for the Aguilas, giving him a league-leading 20 RBIs in 19 playoff games.

Game 1: Escogido 10, Aguilas 7
Game 2: Aguilas 5, Escogido 8
Leones del Escogido lead series 2-0

Game 3: 01/20 5:00 p.m.
Game 4: 01/21 5:00 p.m.
Game 5: 01/22 7:30 p.m.
Game 6: 01/24 7:30 p.m.
Game 7: 01/25 7:30 p.m.
Game 8: 01/26 5:00 p.m.
Game 9: 01/27 5:00 p.m.

Mexican Pacific League

Guasave 8, Mexicali 7

Jose Rodriguez singled home the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Algodoñeros rallied to force a decisive seventh game in their semifinal series. Ronny Paulino homered and collected three RBIs and Orioles farmhand Zelous Wheeler singled twice, walked, drove in a run and scored twice for Guasave. Jorge Guzman slugged a three-run homer and Jon Weber and Yuniesky Betancourt added two-run shots for Mexicali.

Venezuelan Winter League

Zulia 4, Caracas 1

Former D-backs farmhand Cesar Valdez struck out six and gave up two hits over six shutout innings as the Aguilas handed the Leones their third straight round-robin playoff loss. Phillies infielder Freddy Galvis provided a spark at the top of the Zulia lineup, going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Ernest Mejia (Braves) chipped in three hits, including his third postseason homer. Nationals Minor Leaguer Carlos Rivero provided Caracas' offense with his second playoff homer.

Lara 6, Magallanes 3

Cubs infielder Luis Valbuena continued his stellar postseason by going 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs as the Cardenales climbed into a first-place tie in the round-robin playoffs. Robert Perez contributed three hits, including his fourth postseason homer, for Lara, while Eliezer Alfonzo smacked a two-run shot in a losing effort.
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Quincy latimore

Dominican Winter League

•Edward Paredes: (RP, Aguilas Cibaenas): 1 IP: Paredes entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, with two runs already in, only one out, and runners on first and third. He would give up an inherited run on a force out to his first batter, and then got out of the inning with a fly out. He would face one batter in the eighth inning, getting a fly out, before coming out of the game. Paredes has yet to give up an earned run in the playoffs, and is 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA in 37 ballgames.

Puerto Rican League

•Rob Bryson: (RP, Criollos de Caguas): H (3), 1/3 IP: Bryson is now at 20 games and 19 1/3 innings without giving up a run in winter league games so far this season. He has given up some inherited runners though, so that 0.00 ERA is a bit misleading. On Saturday night, he came in with two on and two outs and shut the door.

Venezuelan Winter League

•Ezequiel Carrera: (LF, Navegantes del Magallanes): 1-for-3, 1 BB, 1 K, CS, PO: Carrera is hitting .250 for the playoffs, and .274 overall in the DWL. The important number for the potential future fourth outfielder for the Indians is the OBP, which is at a very respectable .358. With rumors that the Indians are about to sign Ryan Rayburn, Carrera’s future as a member of the Indians past spring training is certainly in question.

•Asdrubal Cabrera: (DH, Leones del Caracas): 0-for-3, 1 K: Caracas did nothing offensively as Caracas got blasted 4-1. Cabrera’s playoff average dipped to .283, with his overall slash line at .280/.379/.390, for a .769 OPS. With Cabrera slated to play in the WBC, it should be interesting to see where his stamina and shape are in as the season progresses in 2013.

Australian League

•Andrew Campbell: (CF, Brisbane Bandits): 0-for-3: Campbell has gone 2-for-16 in his last four games ending the momentum of a five-game hit streak. His average dropped under .300 again, but the leadoff hitters OBP is at a solid .363 for the third place Bandits as they head towards the end of the Aussie League regular season.

•Quincy Latimore: (CF, Adelaide Bite): 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 1 PO: Latimore was an on base machine on Saturday night, using a single, a double, three walks and a fielding error to get on base an impressive six times. The Raleigh native has hit safely in six straight games, going 10-for-23 during that stretch. His overall slash-line is .302/.415/.534, which would be among the league leaders if he had the at bats to qualify.

By Jim Pete
January 20, 2013

Tournament

Lions win game 2 in the final

1/20/2013 8:24 a.m. - AP

Ramon Santiago and Mauro Gomez each contributed to Saturday's win as the Escogido Lions defeated 8-5 at Cibao Eagles in the second game of the final series of the Dominican Baseball.

With the game tied 5-5 in the seventh inning, Santiago hit a RBI double, Gomez singled to center, and Valdespín Jordanny grounded out that capped a three-run entry. The Lions took a 2-0 lead in the final best of nine scheduled games.

Further, Starling Marte also produced three hits in four at bats, including a double. Jorge Cantu drove in two turns, for the Lions.

Mexican Jose Cobos (2-0) retired two picking up the save for the second straight night in a row and Johnny Nunez handled the ninth for the save, one day after failing on a prior opportunity.

The Eagles produced four runs in the third inning with a triple by Elian Herrera, an rbi by Leury Garcia and a three run homer by Hector Luna.

They also scored a run in the fifth inning with an rbi hit by shortstop Miguel Tejada, but the Eagles saw their bullpen explode for a second straight game.

The loss went to Marco Tovar (0-1) after two and two thirds innings in which he was pummeled with four hits and two earned runs. He also allowed one walk and fanned one.

For the Lions, Marte batted 4-3 with a double and a run scored, Santiago, 4-1, with a double and an RBI; Wilkin Castillo went 3-2, with a pair of RBIs.

For the Eagles, Luna homered and drove in three turns, Tejada went 4-1 with an RBI and reinforcement Leury Garcia 3-3, with an RBI and a walk.

The third game will be played on Sunday.

BASEBALL | 1/19/2013 8:22:00 PM

Eagles pin the loss on Caracas

The raptors were imposed on the Lions with a great work by Cesar Valdez and complicated the Lions playoff options

Jesus Milano | A . -

Aguilas del Zulia took their elimination in a good way. The Aguilas arrived in the capital with the intention of putting the pebble on the road against Caracas as Cesar Valdez, handcuffed he offensive of the Caracas Lions by the score of 4 runs for 1 , to compromise their chance of qualifying.

Valdez worked six scoreless innings . The Aguilas starter struck out six batters and allowed just two hits for the win. Ernesto Mejia sent a home run for a second day in a row, while Freddy Galvis went 5-4 to command the win for the winged.

The playoff qualification to take shape in a game the will see the Cardinals at Magallanes in Valencia.

The Lions could only reach the finals by forcing a three-way tie between the Cardinales and Caribbeans.

Galarraga reached the sixth, but had no run support (AVS Photo Report)

Win or Die

Published 19/01/2013 Press Leones del Caracas / By José Manuel Fernández

Caracas. -

Los Leones del Caracas suffered a crippling loss to the Aguilas del Zulia, 4-1, and will now have to win Sunday and Monday if they want to stay alive in this round robin.

"The players know they have to win every day," manager Frank Kremblas released at the press conference. "This defeat should not change anything about how we play every day," said the manager.

Cesar Valdez was indestructable on the mound for the Aguilas, with six shutout innings in which he only allowed two singles, struck out six and walked one. The Dominican gave no walks and retaliated against the same team that had inflicted a defeat on him Monday.

"He threw very well," admitted Kremblas. "No mistakes."

Armando Galarraga not marred. Although he gave up 10 hits, managed to extend his start until the sixth. The problem detail is that the his fellow players suffered on offensive.

Ernesto Mejia showed why he is the MVP of the season and delivered a solo homer in the third. The first baseman finished 5-3, while Freddy Galvis shortstop also starred with four hits in five opportunities.

Carlos Rivero and Ramon Cabrera were the only respondents. Both combined to shoot four of the five hits for Caracas. Rivero, who returned to the playoffs after overcoming an injury to his left hand, hit a solo homer in the eighth inning.

The homer against Lara caused the 15,000 people who attended the game at the University stood up, but not for long, since Josh Schmidt and Marcos Tabata took care of removing the final five outs without any problems.

The road ahead is limited to wins Sunday and Monday, with Cardinals and Mariners respectively. To achieve this, the first thing to do is hit. Before the day today, the Lions had a collective average of just .252, the lowest in the round robin.

Valdez and his followers caused the average to fall further. The Lions won seven games in Maracaibo against the hawks this season, but tonight received a dose of their own medicine.

That's baseball.

Figueroa puts Leones in the driver's seat

D-backs right-hander tosses eight shutout innings in Dominican League Finals

01/20/2013 7:04 PM ET

Dominican Winter League

Escogido 9, Aguilas 0

D-backs right-hander Nelson Figueroa struck out seven and allowed four hits over eight innings as the Leones took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-9 Championship Series. Jorge Cantu drilled a two-run homer and Mets utility man Jordany Valdespin and Tigers infielder Ramon Santiago also had two RBIs apiece for Escogido. Manny Ramirez accounted for half of the Aguilas' hits.

Game 1: Escogido 10, Aguilas 7
Leones del Escogido lead series 1-0
Game 2: Aguilas 5, Escogido 8
Leones del Escogido lead series 2-0
Game 3: Escogido 9, Aguilas 0
Leones del Escogido lead series 3-0

Game 4: 01/21 5:00 p.m.
Game 5: 01/22 7:30 p.m.
Game 6: 01/24 7:30 p.m.
Game 7: 01/25 7:30 p.m.
Game 8: 01/26 5:00 p.m.
Game 9: 01/27 5:00 p.m

Puerto Rican Winter League

Mayaguez 2, Caguas 1

Twins prospect Daniel Ortiz and Major League veteran Randy Ruiz hit back-to-back homers in the opening inning and the Indios held on to get within 2-1 in the best-of-7 Championship Series. Mets prospect Randy Fontañez allowed two hits over three innings of scoreless relief to get the win, while Minor League veteran Miguel Abreu drove in the Criollos' lone run with a sacrifice fly.

Game 1: Mayaguez 4, Caguas 5
Criollos de Caguas lead series 1-0
Game 2: Caguas 3, Mayaguez 1
Criollos de Caguas lead series 2-0
Game 3: Mayaguez 2, Caguas 1
Criollos de Caguas lead series 2-1

Game 4: 01/22 7:15 p.m.
Game 5: 01/23 7:15 p.m.
Game 6: 01/25 8:00 p.m.
Game 7: 01/26 7:15 p.m.

Mexican Pacific League

Mexicali 12, Guasave 4

Major League veteran Chris Roberson doubled twice, drove in three runs and scored once out of the leadoff spot as the Aguilas won the decisive seventh game of their semifinal series. Jorge Guzman hit a three-run homer and former Angels farmhand Ricky Alvarez contributed two RBIs while falling a triple shy of the cycle for Mexicali, which will face Obregon for the title. Red Sox newcomer Mark Hamilton smacked a three-run homer and Freddy Sandoval added a solo shot for the Algodoñeros.

Game 1: Mexicali 1, Guasave 8
Algodoneros de Guasave lead series 1-0
Game 2: Mexicali 4, Guasave 3
Series tied 1-1
Game 3: Guasave 5, Mexicali 11
Aguilas de Mexicali lead series 2-1
Game 4: Guasave 4, Mexicali 5
Aguilas de Mexicali lead series 3-1
Game 5: Guasave 8, Mexicali 5
Aguilas de Mexicali lead series 3-2
Game 6: Mexicali 7, Guasave 8
Series tied 3-3
Game 7: Mexicali 12, Guasave 4
Aguilas de Mexicali win series 4-3

Venezuelan Winter League

Lara 7, Caracas 4

Robert Perez smacked a three-run homer to cap a four-run first inning as the Cardenales prepped for the Championship Series by handing the Leones their third straight loss. Blue Jays newcomer Luis Jimenez went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored for Lara, while Padres infielder Jesus Guzman had two hits, including a solo homer, for Caracas.

Caribes 3, Zulia 2, 11 innings

Cardinals prospect Ildemaro Vargas capped a three-hit day with an RBI single in the 11th inning as the Caribes outlasted the Aguilas. Former Rays farmhand Cesar Suarez chipped in two hits and drove in a run for Anzoategui, which got eight strikeouts over seven innings from Indians right-hander Paolo Espino. Eduardo Perez homered and walked twice for Zulia.
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Paolo Espino

Dominican Winter League

•Delvi Cid: (PR, Aguilas Cibaenas): 0-for-0: Cid is just a runner in this league at this point, but does have a hit in his only playoff at bat. In 11 total games in the Dominican, he’s 2-for-6 with a stolen base and two runs. I’m a huge Cid fan based on his speed, but he is what he is at this point. I’d love to see him have a breakout season, but his days with the organization are likely numbered.

Venezuelan Winter League

•Paolo Espino (SP, Caribes de Anzoategui): 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 1 HR: Espino is an interesting watch during the 2013 season. No, he’s not a top prospect. No, he doesn’t have a plus pitch that has him on the radar. With all of that said, Espino is a performer. Espino’s playoff ERA is a solid 2.53, which has lowered his overall ERA under 4 to 3.96. Will that translate that into a true shot at the big league club in 2013? I doubt it, but you never know. Sometimes you play so well, folks have to take notice.

•Asdrubal Cabrera: (DH, Leones del Caracas): 0-for-5, 2 K: Cabrera is now 0-for-his-last-8, and his playoff average is down to .259. Overall, his average is down to .267. With his winter league season nearly over, he’ll get some time off before he needs to report to spring training and the WBC. Let’s hope this keeps him in shape for the upcoming season.

Australian League

•Andrew Campbell: (CF, Brisbane Bandits): 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB: Campbell has now gone 0-for-10 in his last three games, and 2-for-19 in his last five. On Sunday, he managed to get on base twice via a walk, and scored both times, including a lead-off walk and eventual score in the first. Campbell’s overall slash-line is .277/.363/.401.

•Quincy Latimore: (CF, Adelaide Bite): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K: Latimore upped his hit streak to seven games, and is now 11-for-27 during the stretch. Latimore played a stretch of games for the Bite in 2010, hitting .313, with five homers and 25 RBI in 31 games, so he’s familiar with success in the Australian League. Adelaide finds themselves four games out of first and two games out of third with only four games remaining. The top three seeds get into the playoffs.

By Jim Pete
January 21, 2013

Winter Ball Notebook: Ramirez's season comes to an end

Winter Ball NotebookBy Steve Orbanek

January 18, 2013

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It’s hard to believe, but winter ball will soon be over.

The League Championship Series matchups have both been decided in the Dominican Winter League and the Puerto Rican Winter League. The DWL matchup pits Aguilas Cibaenas and Leones del Escogido against one another while the PWL championship will see Indios de Mayaguez vs. Criollos de Caguas.

With the seasons wrapping up, that means fewer and fewer Indians players will be competing in winter ball. So, this is unfortunately one of the last editions of the Winter Ball Notebook.

In two weeks, I plan to rank the top 10 overall Indians performers from all of the various winter leagues this season.

But, that is still two weeks away. So, until then, here are my thoughts deep and shallow in regard to Indians players competing in the winter leagues this past week…

— Jose Ramirez’s winter season officially came to a close on Wednesday after Toros del Este failed to qualify for the Dominican Winter League Championship Series. It was thought that Ramirez might get one more shot to impress Tribe fans, but Thursday’s DWL games were cancelled after it was known that Aguilas Cibaenas and Leones del Escogido had clinched the top two spots in the league. It’s a bummer that Ramirez did not get one more game because that may have been all he needed to further impress. There was really no point at all this winter season that Ramirez started to slow down. He finished the season with a .315/.384/.379 line while going 64-for-203 in 53 games. Ramirez also recorded 13 stolen bases along the way. Prior to this season, Ramirez was essentially an unknown, especially when you consider that he had gone unranked in Tony Lastoria’s Top 100 Prospects rankings. Yet, where would Ramirez be placed now? One has to expect that we’re now looking at a Top 20 guy. It’s absolutely remarkable.

— Jesus Aguilar generated some fear among Indians fans earlier this week when he left a game after a strained left leg. His removal was thought to be only a precautionary move, but the big first baseman has yet to play since that game. Unlike the Puerto Rican and Dominican winter leagues, which are now entering into their league championship series, the Venezuelan Winter League still has some time left as the round robin playoffs do not end until Monday. Aguilar’s team, Leones del Caracas, is currently tied for first place in the round robin playoffs, so there’s a chance that he could see even more action beyond Monday. However, this is all said with the assumption that the Indians do not make the decision to shut Aguilar down, which could be quite likely as teams often get spooked when a player goes down with an injury in winter ball. Even still, it’s been an impressive winter for Aguilar, especially considering the poor start that he got off too. In 29 games, Aguilar has posted a .279/.340/.581 line. You can’t help but love the slugging percentage there.

— Tied aside Leones del Caracas for the top spot in the VWL Round Robin Playoffs is Magallanes de Navegantes, which happens to be the team of outfielder Ezequiel Carrera. Carrera, like Ramirez, has played in a large number of winter league games this season. In 42 games, Carrera has posted a .278 average to go along with 20 walks and 23 strikeouts. Many have been hoping that the improved plate discipline is a sign of things to come as that’s been one area where Carrera has struggled on the Major League level. However, the improved plate discipline is likely the result of decreased competition; it’s an area that Carrera has excelled in each of the past two winter seasons. For example, in 2010, Carrera hit .261 with 20 walks and 17 strikeouts in 41 games. Also, in 2011, Carrera hit .270 with 18 walks and 21 strikeouts in 39 games. In other words, the numbers are quite similar, which seems to indicate that Carrera really has not turned the corner in regard to plate discipline.

— Quincy Latimore, the player recently acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Jeanmar Gomez, has put up some decent numbers in his limited playing time for Adelaide Bite in the Australian Baseball League. In 10 games, Latimore has gone 11-for-40 with four doubles, two home runs and nine RBI. Ten games is an extremely small sample size, but you have to like the power numbers that he’s displayed as six of his 11 base hits have gone for extra bases. At this point, Latimore does not look to be much more than organizational depth, but you never know for sure. Plus, the acquisition of him seemed to be a better alternative than just getting nothing for Gomez when he was designated for assignment.

— Andrew Campbell has now played in a total of 36 games this winter in the Australian Baseball League, which is a pretty decent sample size. Overall, Campbell has posted a .299/.379/.433 line with three doubles, one triple, four home runs and 12 RBI. The most impressive aspect of Campbell’s winter season is the consistency that he has played with. It seems as if he is able to at least record one hit on every night that he plays, and he’s avoided going into any long slumps. He’s not a player to get overly excited about, and we always say that he has to hit stateside for it to really matter. However, one key thing to remember is that Campbell really has not had the opportunity to be an everyday player in the states. He has had that opportunity this winter with Brisbane, and he seems to have taken advantage of it.

— Amazingly, with the DWL round robin playoffs ending, only one offensive Indians player remains in action: Delvi Cid. It would be an understatement to say that Cid’s playing time has been limited this winter. Despite the fact that he has been with Aguilas Cibaenas since the season began, Cid has been primarily used as a pinch runner, and it’s really an extreme rarity when he gets the opportunity to take an at-bat. Overall, Cid has gone 2-for-6 in nine games this winter. What’s discouraging is the fact that Cid is actually coming off a very strong season at High-A Carolina where he posted a .281/.343/.774 line in 95 games. It would have been nice to see him get an opportunity to replicate that kind of success with Aguilas Cibaenas.

— With the final days of the winter season ahead, Asdrubal Cabrera is probably now the most interesting Indians player to follow moving forward. In 24 games in the VWL, Cabrera has gone 28-for-97 with five doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI. The most encouraging point is that this is really the first successful winter season, from a performance standpoint, that Cabrera has had in the past three years. Cross your fingers that this means that Cabrera will be showing up for spring training in much better shape than years past.

All about the WBC:

http://mlb.mlb.com/wbc/2013/index.jsp?p ... -519356970

Marte, Leones one win from title

Pirates outfielder drives in a run; boasts .415 average in playoffs for Escogido

01/21/2013 9:43 PM ET

Dominican Winter League

Escogido 3, Cibaenas 2 (11 innings)

Pirates outfielder Starling Marte collected two hits and drove in his 14th run of the postseason to help the Leones take a 4-0 lead in the best-of-9 Championship Series. Veteran Jesus Feliciano was 2-for-6 and scored the winning run while Rays reliever Fernando Rodney struck out one and allowed a hit over a scoreless inning. Miguel Tejada, who signed a Minor League deal with the Royals in December, had three hits for the Aguilas.

Game 1: Escogido 10, Aguilas 7
Game 2: Aguilas 5, Escogido 8
Game 3: Escogido 9, Aguilas 0
Game 4: Aguilas 2, Escogido 3

Leones del Escogido leads series 4-0


Venezuelan Winter League

Anzoategui 6, Zulia 3

Luis Ugueto (Padres) was 3-for-5 with a triple and three runs scored for the Caribes. Former Major Leaguer Jose Castillo had two RBIs and Angels prospect Jairo Diaz tossed a perfect ninth inning to earn the save. D-backs hurler Garrett Mock struck out six and allowed two runs on five hits over five innings, but did not figure into the decision for the Aguilas.

Magallanes 4, Caracas 1

Free agent Juan Rivera, who spent the 2012 season with the Dodgers, slugged a two-run homer for the Navegantes. Fabio Castro struck out seven and allowed two hits over five innings while Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus hit a solo homer. Red Sox prospect Ronald Bermudez was 2-for-3 in the loss for the Leones.
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Ezequiel Carrera

Dominican Winter League:

Edward Paredes (LHP, Aguilas Cibaenas): 0.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K. Paredes came in and faced one batter in a tight situation in the 8th inning. With two on and one out he promptly walked the only batter he faced and was then removed with the bases loaded. Fortunately, his bullpen mates bailed him out as his Aguilas team was able to escape the inning with no runs being pushed across.

Venezuela Winter League:

Ezequiel Carrera (LF-CF, Navegantes del Magallanes): 0-for-4, K. Carrera and his teammates have moved on to the championship series in the VWL, and their series with Cardenales de Lara begins later this week. He has had a healthy offseason piling up 172 at bats and hitting .267 with a good 23-26 walk to strikeout ratio.

By Tony Lastoria
January 22, 2013

Leones sweep their way to another crown

Johnson hurls six shutout innings, nails down spot in Caribbean Series

01/23/2013 2:25 AM ET

Dominican Winter League

Escogido 3, Aguilas 0

The Leones captured their second straight championship and third in four years as Pirates newcomer Kris Johnson allowed four hits over six innings to complete a five-game sweep of the Aguilas. Former Major Leaguer Fernando Tatis fell a triple shy of the cycle and drove in all three runs for Escogido. Hector Luna collected three of Cibaeñas' five hits.

Game 1: Escogido 10, Aguilas 7
Game 2: Aguilas 5, Escogido 8
Game 3: Escogido 9, Aguilas 0
Game 4: Aguilas 2, Escogido 3
Game 5: Escogido 3, Aguilas 0

Leones del Escogido win series 5-0


Puerto Rican Winter League

Mayaguez 6, Caguas 5, 11 innings

Reds prospect Juan Silva drew a two-out walk in the 11th inning and scored on an error as the Indios tied the best-of-7 Championship Series at 2-2. Royals infielder Irving Falu doubled, singled and drove in a run for Mayaguez, while Randy Ruiz delivered an RBI double and walked three times. Minor League veteran Miguel Abreu drove in a pair of runs for the Criollos.

Game 1: Mayaguez 4, Caguas 5
Game 2: Caguas 3, Mayaguez 1
Game 3: Mayaguez 2, Caguas 1
Game 4: Caguas 5, Mayaguez 6

Series tied 2-2

Game 5: 01/23 7:15 p.m.
Game 6: 01/25 8:00 p.m.
Game 7: 01/26 7:15 p.m.


Mexican Pacific League

Obregon 5, Mexicali 3

Royals right-hander Luis Mendoza struck out 11 over six strong innings, helping the Yaquis take the opener of the best-of-7 Championship Series. Carlos Valencia singled twice and drove in three runs and former Major Leaguer Doug Clark scored three times for Obregon. Free agent Yuniesky Betancourt homered, tripled and drove in two runs for the Aguilas.

Game 1: Obregon 5, Mexicali 3

Yaquis de Obregon lead series 1-0

Game 2: 01/23 7:30 p.m.
Game 3: 01/25 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: 01/26 6:00 p.m.
Game 5: 01/27 5:00 p.m.
Game 6: 01/29 7:30 p.m.
Game 7: 01/30 7:30 p.m.


Venezuelan Winter League

No games scheduled

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Edward Paredes

Dominican Winter League

•Edward Paredes (RP, Aguilas Cibaenas): 0 IP, 1 BB. Well, Paredes' appearance was a brief one as he faced only one batter and unfortunately was unable to record an out. In general, walks have been an issue for Paredes this winter as he has now walked 13 batters in 20 2/3 innings of work while only striking out 11. Plain and simple, that type of ratio is not going to cut it in the Major Leagues.

Puerto Rican WInter League

•Rob Bryson (RP, Criollos de Caguas): (L, 0-1), 0.2 IP, 1 R/0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. Bryson allowed a run in the contest, but it was of the unearned variety, so his perfect ERA remains intact. The right-hander entered the contest in 11th inning and proceeded to strikeout the first batter, Angel Sanchez before getting the next batter to ground out. However, Bryson then walked two straight batters, and the game unfortunately came to an end after the next batter got on a base thanks to a fielding error by Luis Mateo. The error proved to be the clincher as Juan Silva scored on the play to clinch the win for Indios de Mayaguez and clinch the loss for Bryson.

By Steve Orbanek
January 23, 2013

Sandoval, Navegantes strike first in Finals

World Series MVP collects three hits, two RBIs, helps sink Cardenales

01/24/2013 1:53 AM ET

Venezuelan Winter League

Magallanes 5, Lara 2

World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs, sending the Navegantes past the Cardenales in Game 1 of the best-of-7 Championship Series. Free agent Juan Rivera chipped in two hits, including his fourth postseason homer, in support of Carlos Zambrano, who allowed a run on four hits over five innings for Magallanes. Royals farmhand Paulo Orlando collected three hits and scored a run for Lara.

Game 1: Lara 2, Magallanes 5
Navegantes del Magallanes lead series 1-0

Game 2: 01/24 7:30 p.m.
Game 3: 01/25 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: 01/26 6:00 p.m.
Game 5: 01/28 7:30 p.m.
Game 6: 01/29 7:30 p.m.
Game 7: 01/30 7:30 p.m.

Puerto Rican Winter League

Caguas 4, Mayaguez 2

Giants prospect Johnny Monell hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the fourth inning as the Criollos doubled up the Indios to get within one win of their second title in three years. Carlos Rivera doubled twice and drove in the other two runs for Caguas, which took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 Championship Series. Former Minor Leaguer Michael Nix hurled six strong innings for his second playoff victory, while White Sox newcomer Angel Sanchez went 3-for-3 with two RBIs for Mayaguez.

Game 1: Mayaguez 4, Caguas 5
Game 2: Caguas 3, Mayaguez 1
Game 3: Mayaguez 2, Caguas 1
Game 4: Caguas 5, Mayaguez 6
Game 5: Mayaguez 2, Caguas 4
Criollos de Caguas lead series 3-2

Game 6: 01/25 8:00 p.m.
Game 7: 01/26 7:15 p.m.

Mexican Pacific League

Obregon 4, Mexicali 2

Juan Miranda hit a tie-breaking homer in the seventh inning as the Yaquis opened a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 Championship Series. Fellow Major League veteran Alfredo Amezaga provided a spark out of the leadoff spot for Obregon, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base, an RBI and a run scored. Jorge Guzman capped a two-run first with an RBI single for the Aguilas.

Game 1: Obregon 5, Mexicali 3
Game 2: Obregon 4, Mexicali 2
Yaquis de Obregon lead series 2-0

Game 3: 01/25 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: 01/26 6:00 p.m.
Game 5: 01/27 5:00 p.m.
Game 6: 01/29 7:30 p.m.
Game 7: 01/30 7:30 p.m.

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Ezequiel Carrera

Venezuelan Winter League

•Ezequiel Carrera (LF, Navegantes del Magallanes): 1-for-3. Carrera has seen his numbers take a bit of a hit as of late as the left-handed hitting outfielder has now gone 47-for-175 (.269) in 47 games. He did manage to get one hit on Wednesday, however, and Navegantes del Magallanes now leads the Venezuelan League Championship Series 1-0.

•Carlos Zambrano (SP, Navegantes del Magallanes): 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 4 K. Many have suggested that Jair Jurrjens could possibly be someone that the Indians should take a flyer on, but don’t overlook Zambrano. He’s pitched well this winter (3.90 ERA in VWL regular season, 3.23 ERA in postseason), and it seems as if he could be an ideal potential minor league signing for the Indians to explore. He’s certainly not the same old Big Z that he used to be, but the Indians lose nothing by offering him a minor league deal.

Valbuena homers as Cardenales tie series

Cubs infielder goes yard in fifth to propel Lara to 3-0 win and knot Finals, 1-1

01/25/2013 12:37 AM ET

Venezuelan Winter League

Lara 3, Magallanes 0

Cubs infielder Luis Valbuena homered in the fifth to put the Cardenales on the board and Gabriel Noriego (Mariners) and Yangerivs Solarte (Rangers) later added RBIs in the inning en route to the win. Noriega finished 2-for-3, adding a double and scoring once. Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus reached base safely three times for the Navegantes, going 1-for-2 with two walks out of the No. 2 spot. The Venezuelan Championship Series is tied, 1-1.

Game 1: Lara 2, Magallanes 5
Navegantes del Magallanes lead series 1-0
Game 2: Lara 3, Magallanes 0
Series tied 1-1

Game 3: 01/25 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: 01/26 6:00 p.m.
Game 5: 01/28 7:30 p.m.
Game 6: 01/29 7:30 p.m.
Game 7: 01/30 7:30 p.m.

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Andrew Campbell

Venezuelan Winter League

•Ezequiel Carrera (LF): 1-for-3. Carrera's team dropped their playoff game last night, as Navegantes del Magallanes could not get a run across all game. A 1-for-3 night from Carrera is not bad, but it is symptomatic of the lack of power in his game (.084 ISO). Speed is Carrera's calling card, but being that deficient of pop in the Venezuelan League is still worrisome.

•Luis Valbuena (2B): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 SO. Valbuena has spent the entire winter league season hitting home runs. Well, not every game, but he has nine (if I am reading the regular season/playoff stats right). And Valbuena has 17 home runs in 310 career major league games. Reason #435 that winter league stats cannot be taken at face value.

Australian Winter League

•Quincy Latimore (CF): 1-for-4, 1 R. Latimore cooled off a little bit last night, though his overall line through 13 games remains scorching. The outfielder's .294/.400/.510 line and seven extra base hits are very impressive, though the small sample and lower quality of competition caveats apply. It will be very interesting to see where Latimore fits in 2013, and with a strong Spring Training, he could force his way as high as Columbus.

•Andrew Campbell (CF): 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 SO. Campbell continued his solid Australian campaign Thursday, moving his season line to .277/.360/.404 in 40 games. I am tired of writing phrases like "this is a good first step, but he needs to bring it stateside," so I am very glad that Spring Training is almost here and Campbell will get a chance to prove himself in Arizona before too much longer.

•Ryan Battaglia (DH): 0-for-3. You never want to read too much into winter league statistics, but Battaglia's .234/.326/.481 line certainly leaves something to be desired. The power has been there at times (10 extra base hits in 23 games), but it would have been nice to see more consistency out of Battaglia this winter.

•Chuck Lofgren (SP): L (4-3), 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO. Lofgren did not have his best stuff Thursday, but it was a rare blip in his winter league season. Last night's start was the first time in seven starts that Lofgren did not go at least 5.2 innings while allowing fewer than two earned runs. His 3.05 ERA and 59:24 SO:BB in 62.0 innings are quite impressive, though we all wish that the former fourth round pick and Baseball America Top 100 was doing it in the majors, not Australia.

Winter Ball Notebook: Championship series continue

Winter Ball Notebook

By Steve Orbanek

January 25, 2013 ShareThis


All of the league championship series in the Caribbean are either currently in action or they have been decided.

In the Dominican Winter League, we’ve seen Leones del Escogido already capture the league championship while in the Venezuelan Winter League, Navegantes del Magallanes and Cardenales de Laras are tied at one game apiece. In the Puerto Rican Winter League, Criollos de Caguas leads Indios de Mayaguez 3-2.

With the winter baseball season almost officially over, this will be the second to last winter ball notebook of the season for IBI.

Next week’s notebook will feature a countdown of the top 10 performers from the various winter leagues. They can be a participant from any of the Caribbean leagues as well as the Australian Baseball League and Arizona Fall League.

My top ten list is pretty much set, but if there is any player that you want to make a case for, then feel free to shoot me an e-mail with your thoughts.

But with that being said, here are my thoughts on Indians players competing in the various winter leagues this past week…

— Rob Bryson has now pitched in 20 games this winter for Criollos de Caguas, and his ERA is still a sparkling, perfect 0.00. En route to that perfect ERA, Bryson has pitched 20 innings, allowed seven hits, walked 11 batters and struck out 23. Bryson has also allowed one unearned run, and he has allowed some inherited runners to score. This past week, Bryson entered a contest in the 11th inning and managed to get two quick outs. However, he then walked two batters and then gave up the winning run after the next batter reached base on an error. The unearned run doesn’t affect Bryson’s ERA, but Bryson was saddled with the loss, and that seems to be fair. Had he not allowed the two runners to reach base via the free pass, Bryson would not have found himself in that situation. It was an unfortunate way to see Bryson make his first appearance the PWL Championship Series.

— In 48 games with Navegantes de Magallanes, Ezequiel Carrera has gone 48-for-178 (.270) with five doubles, two triples and two home runs. It’s somewhat surprising to think that Carrera is the last Indians offensive player to still be toiling away in one of the winter leagues. Carrera’s team has a legitimate chance to capture the VWL League Championship, and Carrera has been a big part of that as he’s been one of the most consistent performers since day one this winter. Hopefully, Carrera can provide similar production this coming season in Cleveland. Since he is left-handed, Carrera will likely have a good chance to earn the fourth outfielder job in Cleveland. Carrera could relieve the right-handed Drew Stubbs at times, which would help whenever a tough right-hander was the mound. Carrera’s season has been a fine one, so it would be nice to see that translate over to Cleveland this season.

— Paolo Espino’s winter season came to an end this past week, but he did manage to go out on a positive note. His final start may have been his best yet. On Sunday, the right-hander pitched seven innings, while striking out eight and allowing just one run, which came off of a solo home run. Overall, Espino went 1-2 this winter with a 3.96 ERA in 11 starts and 52 1/3 innings of work. He also struck out 48 while walking just 16. The numbers would be a bit more encouraging if Espino had not allowed 12 home runs, which is an average of more than one per start. Espino is certainly an easy guy to root for, but if he allowed this many home runs in winter ball, what would his numbers look like in the pros?

— Asdrubal Cabrera unfortunately ended his winter season on a bit of a sour note as he was 0-for-8 in his last eight at-bats. The scuffle at the plate affected his average, which dipped all the way down to .267 (28-for-105). Cabrera will now likely have some time off before spring training and the World Baseball Classic. Hopefully, all of this extra baseball that he’s been doing this year will ensure that he’s in great shape when the season opens. No one has really suggested this, but it would be nice to see Cabrera play with a bit of a chip on his shoulder this season considering all of the trade rumors from this past year. Sometimes playing angry can be a good thing.

— In 40 games, Andrew Campbell has now gone 39-for-141 with four doubles, one triple and four home runs. The ABL playoffs are about to start, and Brisbane is currently tied for the third and final playoff spot. Campbell has been one of the most consistent performers all winter and probably has not received the praise he deserves because the ABL is considered to be a less competitive league. Even still though, it’s hard to not be impressed with Campbell’s numbers, and they will likely only continue to get better if Brisbane does indeed make the playoffs.

— Quincy Latimore may have only played 13 games this winter, but he has made the most of them. In those 13 games, Latimore has gone 15-for-51 (.294) with five doubles, two home runs and 12 RBI. It will be interesting to see where Latimore is positioned this coming season. One would think that he could even make it as high as Triple-A Columbus, though Double-A Akron may be a more reasonable expectation. Like Campbell, hopefully Latimore can build off his strong winter season in the ABL this coming year. The numbers are nice, but for a soon to be 24-year-old, this kind of production should probably be expected in the ABL.

Players point to national pride in choosing Classic

By Joey Nowak / MLB.com | 01/25/2013 10:00 AM ET

As Brandon Phillips deliberated whether to participate in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, he essentially formulated a pros-and-cons list in his head.

Phillips initially wasn't sure about the idea, fearing injury or additional wear on his body and how it might affect his usual rhythm in preparing for the Major League season. However, there was one overriding factor that tipped his hand and ultimately led to him being named to Team USA for this year's tournament, to be played in March.

"Just talking to [Team USA manager] Joe Torre, it's like you're representing the country," Phillips said. "It's something I can always say to my kids and their family and their kids, just to say I played and represented the country."

Although some high-profile players passed on the Classic, many were drawn to their respective national teams by the allure of representing their country on a global stage.

"It's an incredible honor for me," said Rays utilityman Ben Zobrist, who will join Phillips on the U.S. team. "It's one of my career goals, one of my career dreams to play for Team USA in the WBC. So when I heard the possibility I could be added to the roster, I was of course elated. It's such a distinct honor to represent your country in any way, especially a country like ours."

It's unlikely that any Major League team will be better represented in the Classic than the Brewers, who are expected to send as many as 14 players -- including 2011 National League MVP Award Ryan Braun and catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who were named to Team USA. Pitchers John Axford and Yovani Gallardo and outfielder Carlos Gomez are among the others.

Lucroy said knowing general manager Doug Melvin's stance on the Classic was a factor in his enthusiasm to participate.

"I know that, for Doug, one of his things is he supports guys playing for their countries, because it doesn't happen a lot," Lucroy said. "It's kind of a rare thing."

Lucroy said he was actually surprised when Torre reached out to him about joining the roster, but he called accepting the offer "a no-brainer." Lucroy recognized the sacrifices players make in potentially missing a large chunk of Spring Training, but he considered his situation with the Brewers and believed playing was a reasonable choice.

"It is [a sacrifice], but, then again, if I'm going to catch guys during the early part of Spring Training when I'm there, I'm very comfortable with the rest of the staff," he said. "I'll catch the guys I haven't seen before, which is only four to five of them, so it should be fine."

Said Zobrist: "At this point in my career, I feel like those 2 1/2-to-three weeks of Spring Training are kind of ingrained in my mind and body a little bit, so I don't feel like I won't be able to pick up very quickly with the team and what's happening at the point I get back, if we go all the way.

"I considered that in my desire to play in the tournament and I felt like it's going to help me be even more game-ready at the start of the season because of the competitive at-bats, and hopefully I'll be able to get some of those. It's that playoff atmosphere that I think will be really exciting. It will be interesting for me to feel that in March. I'm not used to feeling that in March."

Despite all the time missed, many managers see the benefit in having their players return with international experience they can use in bringing value to their big league clubs. Reds manager Dusty Baker was asked at this year's Winter Meetings if he hoped his players' World Baseball Classic teams would fall out of competition early so he could have them back at camp in Goodyear, Ariz.

"No, I can't say that," Baker said. "No, I couldn't do that, because I remember talking to Joey Votto and some of the other guys about how much fun it was playing for their country. I had Joey address the team one time about what it was like, the excitement and the vision that that was the playoffs and a World Series-type atmosphere."

Beyond the time missed with their clubs, the participating players are most concerned with getting ahead of schedule on their winter workouts so they'll be in game shape sooner.

Zobrist said he goes to Spring Training with his fielding preparation "pretty much ready to go" but he is working to ramp up the speed of his swing. Phillips, too, said he started his workouts sooner.

"I started a little bit earlier this year, because I don't want to look stupid on TV," Phillips said. "I've been working my butt off."