Left-hander Gustavo Chacin (Astros) went seven scoreless innings allowing five hits as Caracas evened the Venezuelan Winter League’s championship series at 3-3 to force a deciding game seven versus Magallanes. Caracas scored five runs in the top of the fourth inning. Carlos Maldonado hit a two-run homerun, outfielder Josh Kroeger added a solo homerun (2 hits), and second baseman Jose Lopez (Mariners) also added a solo homerun. There were over 16,000 fans in attendance.

Carlos Maldonado

There was excitement in the air in Venezuela as the top two teams squared off for the winter league title and a shot at representing the host country in the Caribbean Series. Even Pablo Sandoval was given special permission from the SF Giants to return to Magallanes for the decisive Game 7 to DH and help his team win (he went 1-for-4). Unfortunately for Magallanes, Caracas’ Jason Standridge was too much as he went seven innings allowing an earned run on seven hits to lead Caracas to a 7-2 title-clinching win. Julio Manon, Orber Moreno, and Juan Gutierrez combined to go three no-hit innings in relief of Standridge. Caracas’ offense was also too much as they scored four runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back (they had 16 hits total). Maldonado went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs and outfielder Gregor Blanco (Braves) had a solo homerun and scored two runs to pace Caracas. Yurendell de Caster had two hits, drove in a run, and scored a run for Magallanes. It was Caracas’ first title since 2006 and over 16,000 fans were in attendance.

Aaron Bates

The Puerto Rican Winter League finals lasted just five games with another extra inning affair. Through seven innings, Mayaguez led 5-3 but Caguas stormed back to tie the game at 5-5 in the eighth inning. Cesar Nicolas and Aaron Bates (Red Sox) hit back-to-back homeruns to tie the game. Both teams scored a run in their half of the tenth, but in the eleventh Mayaguez scored two runs to win the game. Both Jesus Feliciano (Mets) and Randy Ruiz (Blue Jays) scored a run in the eleventh to take the championship series 4-1. Angel Sanchez went 4-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI and Bates also doubled and scored two runs to pace Mayaguez to its first championship since 2005.

Mazatlan forced a decisive Game 7 in the Mexican Pacific League’s championship series by taking Game 6 4-3 over Hermosillo. Sergio Gastelum singled in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning as well as compiling three RBIs. Veteran Ruben Rivera homered again for Mazatlan. Mazatlan squandered a 3-0 lead in the game. Veteran Vinny Castilla drove in two runs while fellow veteran Geronimo Gil had three hits for Hermosillo. Veteran Esteban Loaiza went 6.2 innings allowing eight hits and two runs for Mazatlan while minor league veteran Travis Blackley went 6 innings allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out three in the loss.

Outfielder Chris Roberson led off Game 7 for Hermosillo with a triple and scored the game’s only run on a Castilla double. Roberson also made the key defensive play of the game in the sixth inning as he made a sliding grab of Robert Saucedo’s fly ball and doubled Rivera off of second base to end Mazatlan’s best threat. Mexican League veteran Juan Delgadillo went 7.2 innings allowing six hits while striking out three to earn the 1-0 title-clinching win. The hard-luck loss went to Walter Silva who gave up just the one run on two hits over eight innings while striking out seven. Hermosillo won the title for the second time in four years.

Tags:

Aaron Bates, Angel Sanchez, Caribbean Series, Carlos Maldonado, Chris Roberson, Gustavo Chacin, Jason Standridge, Jose Lopez, Mexican Pacific League, Pablo Sandoval, Puerto Rican Winter League, Randy Ruiz, Ruben Rivera, Venezuelan Winter League, Vinny Castilla

Jorge Sosa during the WBC

Major league free agent pitcher Jorge Sosa pitched six shutout innings in a 10-1 win for Licey over Toros in the Dominican Winter League round-robin playoffs. Sosa allowed just two hits while striking out six. Sosa, who is 42-50 with a 4.72 ERA in eight big league seasons, is hoping a dominant appearance in his home country’s winter league will lead to a big league job. Sosa’s Licey teammate Erick Aybar, the shortstop for the LA Angels, had three hits and three runs scored in the win. Aybar is hitting .293 in the playoffs. Offensively, Aybar is joined by major leaguers Ronnie Belliard, Ronny Paulino, Jose Bautista, Juan Miranda, and Emilio Bonifacio on Licey. Bonifacio, Miranda, and Bautista are all hitting over .300 in the playoffs.

Antonio Bastardo

Gigantes took a bigger lead over second-place Escogido by winning 4-3 on the arm of Jose Capellan. Capellan, a pitcher with the Houston Astros, struck out seven over seven innings of work while allowing five hits and three runs. Capellan is 2-0 in the playoffs for Gigantes. Antonio Bastardo is gearing up in the Dominican League for spring training with the Philadelphia Phillies as he is going to be given every opportunity to win a spot in the Phillies bullpen. Bastardo pitched an inning of relief behind Capellan, striking out two and lowering his playoff ERA to 0.93. Gigantes is 10-5 while Escogido is 7-6, with Licey in third-place at 6-8. The Toros are last with a 5-9 record.

In Venezuela, Magallanes continues their lead in the round-robin playoffs. They beat second-place Caracas 10-2 and beat Zulia in twelve innings. Magallanes continues to be led by Pablo Sandoval, who had three doubles and three runs scored in the win over Caracas (he’s hitting .477), and Richard Hidalgo, who hit another homerun in the win over Zulia. In the twelve inning win. NY Yankees prospect Marcos Vechionacci hit the game-winning three-run homer in the 12^th. The homerun was his first hit in the playoffs. Vechionacci needs a good showing in winter ball as he has struggled to produce and stay healthy with the Yankees (he hit .213 in 122 games with Double-A Trenton in 2009 and played in just 17 games in 2008 due to a strained right quadriceps muscle). After losing to Magallanes, Caracas got a much needed win versus Margarita to improve to 7-5.

Vinny Castilla

The best-of-seven semifinal rounds have begun in Mexico as Hermosillo is matched up with Culiacan and Mazatlan is matched up with Obregon. The ball was flying out of the ballpark as Hermosillo beat Culiacan 8-5 in Game 1. Former major leaguer Vinny Castilla hit one of Hermosillo’s four homeruns as he also tripled and drove in two. Castilla is also hitting .346 in the playoffs. New Milwaukee Brewers infielder Luis Cruz homered twice for Culiacan. Hermosillo leads the series 1-0. Mazatlan’s Jon Weber (of the Tampa Bay Rays) continues his hot hitting as he hit an RBI double in their three-run third inning. Weber is hitting .303 in the playoffs. Jasiel Acosta improved to 2-0 in the playoffs as he pitched six innings while giving up just one run on two hits. Acosta, the Mexican All-Star, also has a 1.46 ERA in the playoffs. Mazatlan took a 1-0 series lead over Obregon by winning 4-1.

Tags:

Antonio Bastardo, Dominican Winter League, Erick Aybar, Jasiel Acosta, Jon Weber, Jorge Sosa, Jose Capellan, Luis Cruz, Marcos Vechionacci, Mexican Pacific League, Pablo Sandoval, Richard Hidalgo, Venezuelan Winter League, Vinny Castilla

Kung Fu Panda at his best

When I previously wrote about the winter league playoffs in Venezuela, Caracas was leading the way. However a few bumps in the road have left them at 6-4 and in second place, with La Guaira just one game back. Caracas was 4-1 but is 2-3 in their last five games. Taking over first place is Magallanes, who are now 6-3 and continue to be led by the hot hitting Pablo Sandoval. Kung Fu Panda went 4-for-4 with a double, three RBIs, and two runs scored in Magallanes latest victory. In the playoffs, he is hitting .462 with 11 RBIs. However now Kung Fu Panda is getting offensive support, leading to their average of more than five runs a game. Alex Escobar has had a six RBI game with four courtesy of a grand slam. Escobar is hitting .400 in the playoffs. Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus contributed three hits and three runs scored in a win. Andrus is hitting .387 in the playoffs and has added three stolen bases. Former big leaguer Richard Hidalgo has driven in five in two wins. Hidalgo is hitting .344 in the playoffs. Michael Ryan is hitting .355. Leadoff hitter Ezequiel Carrera, a Seattle Mariners prospect, is hitting .333.

Travis Blackley with Australia in the WBC

The Mexican Pacific League has had two teams advance from their best-of-seven first round series. Obregon won their series against Mexicali 4-1 and has been led by veterans Erubiel Durazo and Victor Diaz. Durazo homered, drove in three runs, and scored three runs in the clincher. Hermosillo won their series over Navojoa four games to two on a dominant pitching performance by Travis Blackley (who is 2-0). Blackley tossed a one-hitter through eight shutout innings while striking out seven. Offensively former major leaguers have led the way for Hermosillo. Catcher Humberto Cota hit three homeruns and drove in five runs in Game 3 and had an RBI single in the series clincher. Vinny Castilla had a three-run homerun in a Game 4 loss. Culiacan came back after being down 3 games to 1 to force a Game 7 against Mazatlan. Culiacan has been led offensively by minor league veteran Mike Cervenak. What better way to end Game7 of a playoff series than to have the game go to extra innings and have a walk off win? Lorenzo Buelna drove in Jon Weber for the game winner in the 10^th inning as Mazatlan won 2-1. Weber, a Tampa Bay Ray, went 5-for-5 and drove in the other run. In the semifinals, Obregon is matched up with Mazatlan while Culiacan is matched up with Hermosillo in the best-of-seven series. Not sure how Culiacan advanced to the semifinals after losing in the first round, but they did.

Yurendell de Caster in 2009 with Scranton

The Dominican Winter League has Gigantes leading the pack at 9-5. They are also the hottest team as they have won five out of six. Escogido is right behind in second place with a 7-5 record. Minor league veteran Edward Valdez is 2-0 in the playoffs for Escogido. In Escogido’s seventh win, Cincinnati Reds minor leaguer Kevin Barker fell a triple shy of the cycle, as he went 4-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Licey and Toros are both 5-8. In the Toros fifth win, Yurendell de Caster, a veteran of the Netherlands national team, fell a homerun shy of the cycle as he went 4-for-5 with 4 RBIs.

Tags:

Alex Escobar, Dominican Winter League, Elvis Andrus, Erubiel Durazo, Humberto Cota, Jon Weber, Kevin Barker, Mexican Pacific League, Pablo Sandoval, Travis Blackley, Venezuelan Winter League, Yurendell de Caster

Venezuelan Fans

The Caribbean Series begins February 2^nd (and continues until February 8^th) at Estadio Nueva Esparta in Porlamar, Margarita Island, Venezuela. In 2009, Tigres de Aragua of Venezuela won the series in Mexico. The Caribbean Series pits the four winter league champion teams against each other for an overall winter league champion. The teams come from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. For many Latin American players, playing winter ball in their home country is a show of national pride and a form of giving back. For other players, like many Americans playing winter ball, it is a chance to get extra at-bats, showcase their talent against top competition, or to keep the baseball playing dream alive. Most baseball fans (and most people in general) do not pay attention to the winter league season. However in these Latin American countries, the fans are interested. Like in LaGuaira, Venezuela, nearly 19,000 fans came out to support the home team that fell to 0-3 in the playoffs.

Armando Galarraga

At this time of the winter leagues’ season, it is playoff time (except for in Puerto Rico which begins January 15^th) and when many of the major league players are added to the rosters. Pablo Sandoval of the SF Giants (or Kung Fu Panda as he is affectionately known in baseball circles) is now playing for Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League. There he is hitting .395 in 29 games with 8 doubles, 3 homeruns, 21 RBIs, and a .425 on-base percentage. These numbers get Giants fans excited to get the 2010 MLB season started as Kung Fu Panda continues to hit. Other big leaguers playing in the Venezuelan Winter League include Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga, Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, free agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba, and Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Ronny Cedeno. The Venezuelan Winter League is in a round-robin playoff format with Caracas leading the way at 4-1. Caracas is being led by Galarraga and former major leaguer Gustavo Chacin. Galarraga has started 2 games (12.2 IP) while allowing 9 hits, 4 runs, and struck out 6. Chacin has garnered the only loss, despite starting 2 games (11.2 IP) while allowing 16 hits, 4 runs, and struck out 9. Cedeno of Magallanes is 9-for-17 in 4 playoff games with 6 RBIs. Former Atlanta Braves prospect and now KC Royals first base prospect Ernesto Mejia of Zulia is 10-of-17 with 2 homeruns, 3 doubles, and 8 RBIs in 4 playoff games.

The Dominican Winter League is also in a round-robin format, where Escogido has vaulted into first place (4-3) with a 13 inning win over Gigantes. In the Dominican League, major leaguers like Toronto Blue Jays utility man Jose Bautista, Florida Marlins utility man Emilio Bonifacio, Detroit Tigers infielder Ramon Santiago, and veteran pitcher Ramon Ortiz dot teams in the playoffs. Former big leaguers like Wily Mo Pena and Felix Heredia are still playing in winter ball. The Gigantes are hitting around .220 in the playoffs but are holding a 4-3 record.

The Mexican Pacific League begins the playoffs with three best-of-seven series: Navojoa vs. Hermosillo, Culiacan vs. Mazatlan, and Mexicali vs. Obregon. Hermosillo leads their series 2-0 as does Mazatlan, while Mexicali and Obregon are all tied up at 1 game a piece. Mexicali has been led by former first-round pick, left-handed starter Dan Serafini as he is trying to make it back to the big leagues (he spent the last two seasons playing in Mexico). Former big league starter Esteban Loaiza has led Mazatlan to a 2-0 lead in their series. Culican is 0-2 based on the hitters .175 batting average, though their pitchers combined ERA is 1.69. Cincinnati Reds infielder Adam Rosales is leading the Mexican League in hits, doubles, and RBIs during the playoffs as he went 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBIs in Mexicali’s Game 2 loss.

The Puerto Rican League has welcomed free agent first baseman Carlos Delgado back to the game. He went 1-for-4 in his first game back since hip surgery. In winter ball, Delgado is hoping to prove he is healthy as not many teams have shown interest in the power-hitter.

The winners of these leagues will move on to Margarita Island in an electric environment of national pride.

Tags:

Adam Rosales, Armando Galarraga, Carlos Delgado, Dan Serafini, Ernesto Mejia, Esteban Loaiza, Gustavo Chacin, MLB Winter Leagues, Pablo Sandoval, Ronny Cedeno

The SF Giants can pitch and the 2009 team relied on the pitching staff to push for a playoff spot though they came up short. So this offseason the Giants’ management was hoping to sign some bats. Power is a top priority as the top homerun hitter was Pablo Sandoval with 25 and his 90 RBIs also led the team. The Giants also had a fairly young and inexperienced lineup with just Aaron Rowand, Edgar Renteria, and current free agents Randy Winn and Bengie Molina as the veterans before adding an injured Freddy Sanchez from the Pittsburgh Pirates. So going into 2010, the Giants had just three returning veterans.

Utility man Juan Uribe had hoped to receive a starting job offer while on the free agent market, but decided to return to the Giants to help them make the playoffs. Uribe can play second base, third base, and shortstop. He also adds a little pop (he hit 16 homeruns and 55 RBIs in 122 games) though he strikes out a bit (82 Ks). Uribe is not the greatest defender as he made 9 errors combined between the three positions (though he does have a cannon for an arm).

Mark DeRosa

The Giants signed one of the top free agents on the market in the versatile Mark DeRosa. Many believe that DeRosa will play third base, though he could play first base with Uribe at third base and Sandoval catching. DeRosa could also play left field with Sandoval at third base, Travis Ishikawa at first base, and rookie Buster Posey catching. With the St. Louis Cardinals for the second half of 2009, DeRosa played 3 games at first base, 2 games at second base, 63 games at third base, and 3 games in the outfield, making no errors. He did make 8 errors at third base in the first half of 2009 with the Cleveland Indians (42 games). Having DeRosa allows manager Bruce Bochy to change up his lineup and defense from game to game. While DeRosa provides good defense and solid offense, he does not provide a power bat.  Combined in 2009 with the Indians and Cardinals, DeRosa hit 23 homeruns, a career high. The signing of DeRosa is a good one as he is a great clubhouse guy, but they are still in need of a power bat. Will Barry Bonds come out of retirement to play left field? Doubtful, but the Giants haven’t had much power since he left.

Will the signing of DeRosa help the Giants in the next two years? I know that the Giants were interested in him once the 2009 season ended and he is a good fit, but they were supposed to be looking for position players that could hit 30+ homeruns a season. Coming off of a wrist injury, it is questionable on whether he will be able to put up a 20 homer season in 2010. Same goes for the re-signing of Uribe. He will not hit 20 homeruns if he does not get a lot of playing time. To make room for Uribe, the Giants will need to take someone off of the 40-man roster (and possibly lose that player). Since the roster is full, are the Giants going to make a trade for a power bat or go into the 2010 spring training with the roster they have right now?

Tags:

Juan Uribe, Mark DeRosa, Pablo Sandoval, SF Giants