Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Mizzou in the Minors 2010

It's time for a wrap-up of the summer's exploits by Tiger alumni in the Minor Leagues.
Brock Bond (06-07) spent most of the year with the Fresno Grizzlies (Pacific Coast League) in the San Francisco Giants organization. He was named a mid-season PCL All-Star in July. But then in late August the organization moved him down to the Richmond Flying Squirrels in the Double-A Eastern League, a move caused in part by the influx of draft-deadline signings and organizational shuffling of players. He never did make it back up to Fresno in 2010.


Bond finished the season with a combined .283 batting average. His BA at Triple-A was actually higher than AA, at .285.


MiLB feature on Brock Bond: Bond has enhanced his resume by playing more positions than just second this season, spending time at third base and shortstop. Bond said any way he can get to the Majors would be a good way.

"I've worked my butt off over the years," he said. "Ever since I was a little kid, I always had the dream of playing in the big leagues. That dream hasn't gone away, and I don't think it will until I either make it or they force me out."


Tyler Clark (08-10) was drafted in June and quickly signed with the Detroit Tigers, who sent him to the Connecticut Tigers (New York-Penn League). He posted a 3-1 record, plus 3 saves, with a 2.05 ERA. ■ Trevor Coleman (07-09) spent the season with the High Desert Mavericks (High-A California League) of the Seattle Mariners organization, posting a .216 batting average.

Aaron Crow (06-08) began the season with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) in the Kansas City Royals organization, and went nowhere fast. He posted a 7-7 record with a disappointing 5.66 ERA before being shipped down to Single-A and the Wilmington Blue Rocks, where he continued to struggle, posting a 2-3 record and 5.93 ERA. Crow will be spending time this fall in the Royals' instructional league in Surprise, AZ.


Nathan Culp (04-06) has spent the summer mostly with the AA San Antonio Missions (Texas League), with a number of short stints with the AAA Portland Beavers (Pacific Coast League) in the San Diego Padres organization. He pitched a total of 4 games in 3 stints with the Triple-A club. He was 5-8 with a 4.21 ERA with the Missions and 0-3 with a 9.95 ERA in Portland.


Erik Dessau (04-05), an independent leagues veteran, pitched in 2010 for the Calgary Vipers (Golden League). Dessau had a 4-3 record, with a 6.15 ERA.

Greg Folgia (07-09) spent his second summer in the pros with the Lake County Captains (Midwest League) of the Cleveland Indians organization. He hit just .232 for the season.


Evan Frey (05-07) spent a second consecutive year with the AA Mobile BayBears (Southern League) in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He hit for a .286 average. His numbers overall showed a modest increase from 2009.


Kyle Gibson (07-09), in his first full year in professional baseball, captured the attention of prospect watchers everywhere. He combined to go 11-6, 2.96 ERA (152.0 IP, 50 ER) with 39 walks and 126 strikeouts in 26 starts between Single-A Ft. Myers, Double-A New Britain and the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings. At season's end, he was named the Minnesota Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year, and is expected by most watchers to debut in the major leagues sometime next season.

Justin James (02-03) This has been quite a year for James, who played for the Tigers in 2002 and 2003 and was drafted in the 5th round by the Blue Jays in '03. He worked his way through the Toronto farm system until he was shipped off to the Reds organization in the off-season of 2007-08, and spent 2008 toiling in the Cincinnati minor leagues. In 2009 he found himself out of affiliated baseball and signed with the Kansas City T-Bones of the independent Northern League, where he played through 2009 and began the season in 2010.

On June 18, 2020, the T-Bones sold James' contract to the Oakland A's organization, who sent him to AA Midland, promoting him to Triple A a month later.

On August 31st, James was promoted to the Oakland A's parent club, where he is still pitching.

Andrew Johnston (05) spent the entire 2010 season with the Triple-A Colorado Springs SkySox (Pacific Coast League) in the Colorado Rockies organization, posting a 3-3 record and 4.85 ERA as a mid-innings reliever. His season was one of inconsistencies, posting excellent months (0.75 ERA in April and 1.69 in September, balanced by 7.81 in May and 8.74 in August.

Mike Liberto (09-10) was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in June and, after a short stint in the Arizona Rookie League, went on to the Rookie Midwest League Burlington Royals, then to the Appalachian League Burlington Bees, and finishing his season in September with the Single-A Idaho Falls Chukars. All together, he posted a .201 batting average.

Ryan Lollis (06-09) had a good year with the Augusta GreenJackets (South Atlantic League) of the San Francisco Giants organization, compiling a .287 batting average.

Kyle Mach (06-09) spent 2010, after playing in 5 games with the Augusta Greenjackets, with the A-ball Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of the San Francisco Giants organization, posting only a /184 batting average.

Doug Mathis (05) spent his summer on I-35 between the AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks (5/21-7/1; 7/11-7/16; 8/2-9/2) and the MLB Texas Rangers (4/11-5/14; 7/6; 7/20-7/24). He was 5-7 with a 5.56 ERA in AA and 1-1 with a 6.05 ERA at MLB.

Hunter Mense (04-06) racked up the frequent flyer miles for the Florida Marlins organization in 2010


• April 8-21: Jupiter Hammerheads (Single-A)
• April 22-May 15: New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA)
• May 16-26: Jacksonville Suns (AA)
• May 27-31: New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA)
• June 1-4: Jacksonville Suns (AA)
• June 5-7: New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA)
• June 8: Jacksonville Suns (AA)
• June 9-July 12: Jupiter Hammerheads (A)
In his own words: I've been everywhere, man (The Life and Time of Aitch)

After July 12th, though, the road trip ended, as the Marlins gave him his release.

And then his season got really interesting.

On July 28th, outfielder Hunter Mense signed with the Kansas City T-Bones of the independent Northern League . . . as a Left-handed Pitcher. He pitched a total of 9 innings in 8 appearances, racking up a 3.00 ERA.

Brett Nicholas (10): signed shortly after being drafted by the Seattle Mariners and spent most of his summer with the Single-A Spokane Indians (Northwest League), finishing with a .242 batting average.

Aaron Senne (07-10) was drafted by the Marlins organization in June and was soon off to the Single-A Jamestown Jammers (New York-Penn League), where he became a key member of the team. Of the players who spent the whole season with the Jammers, Senne was the leader in batting average (.296) and OBP (.381).

Andrew Shipman (03) pitched for the Gary Southshore Railcats (independent Northern League) posting a 4-2 record and 2.94 ERA. He led the Northern League in Saves, with 21.

Rick Zagone (06-08) began the season with the Frederick Keys (High-A Carolina League) and was promoted in early July to the Double-A Bowie Baysox of the Eastern League, both in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He was 5-6 with a 3.20 ERA in Frederick, and 5-5 with a 4.34 ERA in Bowie.

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