Farmstros

JetHawks are Holding a Book Drive Monday Night at The Hangar

2013-05-19T22:07:00.001-05:00

JetHawk fans can help support literacy Monday night at The Hangar. The JetHawks are collecting new and gently used children's books before their game against Rancho Cucamonga. Collected books will distributed to kids throughout the Antelope Valley by Child Care Resource Center. Fans who donate a book will receive free admission to Monday's game.

Buchanan Keeps Throwing Zeroes

2013-05-19T21:45:00.001-05:00

Jake Buchanan has extended his scoreless streak for Corpus Chrisit to 24 1/3 innings. After his most recent appearance on Friday, Buchanan's ERA for the season is 0.93. Buchanan has only allowed one run in his last seven outings. Over that period, he has surrendered 18 hits, walked two and struck out 20 while pitching 35 1/3 innings.

Astros to Purchase Hooks

2013-05-17T14:30:00.001-05:00

During the press conference to announce Reid Ryan as the new president of the Astros, it was revealed that the organization has reached an agreement to purchase the Corpus Christi franchise. The Hooks will remain in Corpus Christi. The sale is expected to be finalized after the season.

Rumors that Jim Crane will be forced to move the Hooks to the Southern League as a part of the deal are completely unfounded.

Oakland and Houston's System having a Showdown this Weekend

2013-05-17T09:25:00.001-05:00

@Oak_AllDay pointed out on Twitter this morning that Houston and Oakland's affiliates are facing off on three levels this weekend. This scheduling quirk has reportedly made @Oak_AllDay a mortal enemy of @astroscounty. However, it also gives the Astros minor league system a chance to pick up their big league counterparts. The parent club has lost six straight games to Oakland thus far in 2013.

An update on how Jeff Luhnow's farm system is faring against Billy Beane's farm:
Through Thursday night

AAA- Oklahoma City vs. Sacramento
Oklahoma City won first match up of season Thursday night.

Upcoming- OKC at Sacramento, Today through Sunday

AA- Corpus Christi vs. Midland
Corpus Christi leads the season series 6 games to 2.

Upcoming- CC at Midland, Today through Monday

High A- Lancaster vs. Stockton
Lancaster leads season series 4 games to 0.

Upcoming- The JetHawks travel to Stockton June 3-5

Low A- Quad Cities vs. Beloit
No games have been played yet.

Upcoming- Quad Cities hosts Beloit, Today through Monday.

Houston Food Bank- Empty Bowls Fundraiser this Saturday, May 18

2013-05-16T21:24:00.001-05:00

The Houston Food Bank is hosting its ninth annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser Saturday, May 18 from 11-3 at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. You can read more about the event at the above link. In a nutshell, local artists have donated original pottery bowls, which can be "purchased" with a donation to the Houston Food Bank. A soup lunch is included with your bowl.

I went to this event last year and enjoyed it very much. It is a unique way to engage with and support the work of the Houston Food Bank.

Captain Kirk Takes the Field Tonight

2013-05-16T12:14:00.000-05:00

Kirk Clark begins his season tonight, and this time he is a Canary. Clark, who spent four years in the Astros' organization as an undrafted free agent, made the opening day roster of the Sioux Falls Canaries. The Canaries, who play in the independent American Association, host Sioux City tonight in their season opener.

Looking for Information on the Young Latin American Astros? Kristian Trompiz is the Go To Guy

2013-05-16T11:28:00.001-05:00

If you want to keep up with some of the young players in the Astros' organization from the Dominican Republic, it's a good idea to follow @Kristiantrompiz.

Trompiz is a 17-year old shortstop who the Astros signed out of Venezuela last summer. To put it simply, he tweets a lot. Best of all, he and some of his teammates like Jean Estrella distribute pictures of players.

As best I can tell, Trompiz is in Florida taking part in Extended Spring Training, but I may be missing something in the translation, and he might be in the Dominican. He recently tweeted out a line up that showed he was playing in a game with the following members of the Houston organization.

Luis Payano, OF
Jean Estrealla, IF
Hector Roa, OF
Randy Cesar, IF
Marlon Avea, C
Yonathan Mejia, IF
Juan Cortorreal, IF
Oliver Toribio, C
Geronimo Franzua, LHP
Brian Pena, C
Victor Tavarez, C
Arturo Michelina, IF
Joselo Pinales, RHP
Junior Garcia, LHP
Victor Mesa, RHP
Robert Corniel, RHP
Edwin Villarroel, LHP
Harold Arauz, RHP
Angel Heredia, RHP

The Latest on Quad Cities' BDQ

2013-05-14T13:45:00.001-05:00

I just had updated the Base Displacement Quotient for the Quad Cities River Bandits through Monday's game. Feel free to check out the latest numbers.

The top three BDQs among regulars on the team are:

Jesse Wierzbicki- .585
Teoscar Hernandez- .571
Carlos Correa- .505

Hallock, Cruz Post No-Hitter for JetHawks

2013-05-12T19:11:00.000-05:00

Kyle Hallock and Luis Cruz combined for a no-hitter in Lancaster Sunday afternoon. Only one Stockton base runner reached, on a Delino DeShields error against Hallock in five innings. Cruz pitched the final four innings allowing only a ninth inning walk. Cruz faced the minimum of 12 battters as the batter who walked was erased on a game-ending double play. The JetHawks defeated Stockton 2-0.

Jayne from What The Heck, Bobby was at The Hangar for the contest. So, if she hasn't posted any first hand reports from the game yet, that should be forthcoming.

Jason and Maris Castro Launch Literacy Initiative in Houston ISD Saturday

2013-05-10T23:16:00.001-05:00

I would like to thank Jason and Maris Castro for taking a big step to encourage literacy amongst students in the Houston ISD. As Brian McTaggart reported earlier on Friday, the Castros are partnering with the HISD and embarking on a multi-faceted program to cultivate an more reading in that district. The Castros will be at a Houston area Barnes and Noble Saturday afternoon for a "Name that Book Red Carpet Event."

River Bandits Get the Major League Rehab Assignment they've been Longing For

2013-05-10T11:59:00.000-05:00

For the first time in seven years, fans at Modern Woodmen Park, the home of the Quad Cities River Bandits, will get a chance to watch a Major League player rehabilitate. The Astros have sent Rule 5 pick Josh Fields to their Low A affiliate, Quad Cities, to knock the rust off after suffering an early season injury. As a Major Leaguer, Fields has an 0.00 ERA in two appearances with the Astros(2/3 IP). He split 2012 between Boston's AA and AAA affiliates (Portland and Pawtucket).

A lack of Major League rehabilitation assignments was reported to be one of the reasons that the River Bandits decided to move on from their affiliation with the Cardinals. The last Major Leaguer to rehab in Quad Cities was Mark Mulder in 2006.

Astros' Urban Youth Academy Hosting Summer Camps

2013-05-10T10:40:00.000-05:00

The Astros Urban Youth Academy has announced that they will be holding baseball camps for youth ages 7-17 in June and July. The camps will run Monday through Friday from 9 am to noon the following weeks:

June 10-14
June 17-21
June 24-28
July 8-12
July 15-19

More information can be received by emailing uya@astros.com

Did Somebody Say Rocking Chair?

2013-05-10T10:23:00.002-05:00

The rocking chairs were in full force Thursday night in Corpus Christi and Oklahoma City.

In his second AAA start, Asher Wojciechowski logged six scoreless innings for the RedHawks. He struck out three and allowed only five hits. In 10 innings since being promoted to Oklahoma City, Wojciechowski has allowed only one run while striking out eight.

Meanwhile in Corpus Christi, Jake Buchanan struck again. Buchanan surrendered only two hits in five scoreless innings. He lowered his season ERA to 1.14. In his previous outing, Buchanan retired all 11 batters he faced.

Houston, We've Had a Problem

2013-05-09T09:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday on Astros County, (Not Hank) Aaron made a post that did a very good job of tying together the current situation of the Astros with the actual origins of the oft misquoted phrase, "Houston, We've Had a Problem." If you haven't read it yet, I recommend it.

RedHawks Unleash some Bricktown Magic Wednesday Afternoon

2013-05-08T16:24:00.000-05:00

As Alex Freedman put it during his broadcast, the RedHawks were buried five feet, 11 inches Wednesday afternoon by Tacoma. Fortunately for the Astros' AAA affiliate, a full six feet is required for complete burial.

With no one on and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the RedHawks trailed the game 6-0, and it appeared likely that their eight-game home winning streak was about to end. However, six batters later, Jonathan Villar deposited a grand slam over the fence, and the contest was tied at six.

Oklahoma City went on to win the game in the bottom of the tenth inning. Brandon Laird scored from third when Andrew Simunic reached base on an error.

Trio Shares April Player of the Month Honors

2013-05-07T08:56:00.001-05:00

Voting for the April Player of the Month award ended Sunday night with three players tied for the lead. Jimmy Paredes, Marc Krauss and George Springer are the co-winners of the honor voted on by the Farmstros Village.

Buchanan Perfect on the Back End for the Hooks

2013-05-04T22:54:00.002-05:00

By the time Jake Buchanan's turn on the mound came Saturday night in San Antonio, the Hooks were trailing the Missions, 5-2. The Hooks couldn't overcome the deficit, but Buchanan retired all 11 batters he faced after relieving Carlos Quevedo. Buchanan induced nine ground outs, one fly out and struck out a batter in his 3 2/3 perfect innings. He lowered his ERA for the season to 1.31.

Travis Ballew is the April Pitcher of the Month

2013-05-04T22:12:00.000-05:00

What else can I say but Travis Ballew, or at least his fans, broke the voting for the April Pitcher of the Month? After some technical difficulties, I switched the voting procedure for the award to Survey Monkey. Unfortunately, unless I shell out $17 a month, Survey Monkey only allows me to see the first 100 votes.

As I type this post, nearly 300 votes have been cast. Travis Ballew received 92 of the first 100 votes cast. Based on this information, I am awarding Ballew the award. In April for Lancaster, Ballew struck out 17 batters in 7 2/3 IP. He picked up one win and recorded three saves.

I intend to tweak the voting process by the end of May to accommodate higher vote volumes.

Midwest League BDQ Leaders

2013-05-02T21:47:00.000-05:00

Entering play on Thursday, the Midwest League BDQ Top 10 looked like this:

Byron Buxton, Cedar Rapids- .936
Thomas Coyle, Bowling Green- .868
Andrew Toles, Bowling Green- .841
Jabari Henry, Clinton- .833
Jacob Wilson, Peoria- .807
Rock Shoulders, Kane County- .787
Marty Gantt, Bowling Green- .768
Devon Tavis, W. Michigan- .761
Tyler Ogle, Great Lakes- .753
Adam Brett Walker II, Cedar Rapids- .741

The Top River Bandits among those with a qualifying number of plate appearances:

32. Teoscar Hernandez- .611
48. Jesse Wierzbicki- .549

For more information about Base Displacement Quotient(BDQ), please click here.

April 2013 Farmstros Pitcher of the Month Candidates

2013-05-02T12:10:00.001-05:00

Here are the candidates for the April 2013 Farmstros Pitcher of the Month(Please vote below)

Due to some issues with the Poll Widget on Blogger, this month's voting will be done through Survey Monkey. Please click on this link to go to the voting page. Voting will run through Sunday night. My apologies for any inconvenience.

Player of the Month Candidates can be found here

Travis Ballew, 22, RHP, Lancaster. Ballew struck out 17 batters in 7 2/3 innings for the JetHawks. He had three saves and only allowed five hits in his seven appearances.

Jake Buchanan, 23, RHP, Corpus Christi. Buchanan, the 2011 Farmstros Pitcher of the Year, allowed only five runs in 30 2/3 innings for the Hooks. He posted an 0.72 WHIP for the month.

Jarred Cosart, 22, RHP, Oklahoma City. Cosart made six appearances for the RedHawks, pitching 27 1/3 innings. He struck out 29 and posted a 2.63 ERA.

Luis Cruz, 22, LHP, Lancaster. Cruz struck out 30 batters in 23 1/3 innings in the California League. He only allowed 18 hits and posted a 3.47 ERA.

Jorge DeLeon, 25, RHP, Corpus Christi. DeLeon finished April with a 1.17 ERA. He only allowed four hits in his 7 2/3 IP.

David Martinez, 25, RHP, Corpus Christi. The longest-tenured member of the Astros' organization, Martinez allowed only three earned runs over 22 2/3 IP. He surrendered 15 hits and five walks.

Lance McCullers, 19, RHP, Quad Cities. McCullers appeared five times for the River Bandits. He struck out 19 and posted a 1.93 ERA over 18 2/3 IP.

Carlos Quevedo, 23, RHP, Lancaster/Corpus Christi. Between AA and High A, Quevedo pitched 20 innings and posted a 1.35 ERA. Quevedo walked four and struck out six.

Jason Stoffel, 24, RHP, Corpus Christi. In seven appearances, Stoffel recorded five saves for the Hooks. He posted a 1.23 ERA and has been promoted to Oklahoma City.

Jose Valdez, 30, RHP, Oklahoma City. Valdez saved seven games for the RedHawks. He struck out 10 and posted a 1.42 ERA in 12 2/3 innings.

Vincent Velasquez, 20, RHP, Quad Cities. Velasquez struck out 31 in his 25 2/3 innings for the River Bandits. He finished April with a 2.45 ERA.

Asher Wojciechowski, 24, RHP, Corpus Christi. Wojciechowski, who has been promoted to Oklahoma City, started the season with a 20 1/3 inning scoreless streak. He ended April with a 2.08 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 26 innings.

April 2013 Farmstros Player of the Month Candidates

2013-05-02T08:58:00.000-05:00

Here are the candidates for the April Farmstros Player of the Month.

Due to some issues with the Poll Widget on Blogger, this month's voting will be done through Survey Monkey. Please click on this link to go to the voting page. Voting will run through Sunday night. My apologies for any inconvenience.

PITCHER of the Month Candidates can be found here.

Matt Duffy, 24, IF, Lancaster. Duffy had a 15-game hitting streak. He batted .324 with 10 extra base hits and 20 RBI.

Jake Elmore, 25, IF, Oklahoma City. Elmore scored 14 runs and had 30 hits for the RedHawks. He was 30 for 90 over-all.

Nolan Fontana, 21, SS, Lancaster. Fontana finished the month with a 1.078 OPS. He had seven doubles and 19 RBI.

Rene Garcia, 23, C, Corpus Christi. Garcia batted .333 for the Hooks. He had five extra-base hits in 13 games.

Teoscar Hernandez, 20, OF, Quad Cities. Hernandez led the River Bandits with a .297 batting average. He had 12 RBI, 18 runs scored, three triples and eight stolen bases.

Zach Johnson, 24, IF, Lancaster. Johnson, who has been called up to Corpus Christi, drove in 20 runs for the JetHawks. He batted .298 with 14 extra-base hits.

Marc Krauss, 25, OF, Oklahoma City. Krauss led the RedHawks with six home runs. He sported an OPS of 1.096 with 25 RBI.

Jimmy Paredes, 24, OF, Oklahoma City. Paredes batted .356 in 25 games for the RedHawks. He scored 18 runs, drove in 15 and had six stolen bases and 13 extra-base hits.

Carlos Perez, 22, C, Corpus Christi. Perez, who has been promoted to Oklahoma City, batted .283 for the Hooks. He had five RBI and five extra-base hits.

George Springer, 23, OF, Corpus Christi. Springer got off to a hot start with the Hooks. He had eight doubles, eight home runs and 20 RBI in the month of May.

Preston Tucker, 22, OF, Lancaster. Tucker led the JetHawks with 22 RBI for the month. He hit five home runs and scored 18 runs.

Jonathan Villar, 22, SS, Oklahoma City. Villar posted a .289 batting average in 25 AAA games. He had five doubles, three triples and seven stolen bases.

Jesse Wierzbicki, 24, IF, Quad Cities. Wierzbicki led the River Bandits with 22 RBI. He had eight extra-base hits and three stolen bases.

NOTE: I had some issues with the posting of this poll. If you voted Thursday morning or early afternoon, I apologize that your vote may have been deletd.

It's Never Too Early to Think about the 2013 Rule 5 Draft

2013-04-30T11:48:00.001-05:00

On TCB, Snake Diggity recently posted a rundown of the members of the Astros' organization who are vulnerable to the Rule 5 Draft after this season. It may be early in the season, but players' performances in the next few months will be essential as the club determines who to protect on the 40-man roster once November rolls around.

Thanks to the Astros' Urban Youth Academy

2013-04-27T20:31:00.002-05:00

I wanted to take a moment to show some appreciation for the Astros' Urban Youth Academy. The UYA hosted a free viewing of "42" for Saturday for kids who participate in their baseball instruction programs. My son is a sometimes participant in the program, and as such, was able to attend the screening.

About 30 young baseball players and some parents/caregivers(parents paid their own way) attended the show at a local theatre. In addition to movie tickets, the youth also received popcorn and a drink. This event was made possible through the Astros' partnership with Vista Bank, Texas.

Special thanks to Daryl Wade, Brandon Denton, and Marian Harper for heading up the event. There were other Astros support staff in attendance, but I didn't recognize them. Jimmy Wynn attended the screening as well. He was scheduled to speak to the youth after the movie. We had to leave to go to a baseball game, so we missed that part of the event. (My son and I did sit behind him during the movie, which was neat.)

I intended this event strictly as a parent, but felt compelled to share with the Farmstros Village about what the Astros did for the Houston community.

Operation Piggyback-22 days in(High A/Low A)

2013-04-26T16:30:00.000-05:00

Here's part II of how the Astros tandem starters have fared thus far in 2013:

Lancaster-G-GS-IP-ERA
Rollins-5-2-21 2/3-3.32
Rodgers-5-3-21-4.71
Perez-5-3-20 2/3-4.35
Devenski-5-2-20-3.60
West-5-3-18 1/3-6.87
Cruz-5-2-18 1/3-4.42
Foltynewicz-5-4-18-5.00
Gillingham-3-1-8-11.25

Quad Cities-G-GS-IP-ERA
Velasquez-4-2-18-1.50
Minor-4-3-16 1/3-4.41
Bircher-4-2-16-3.94
Hauschild-4-2-15 1/3-2.93
Jankowski-4-3-15-4.20
McCullers-4-2-13 2/3-2.63
Holmes-4-2-13 1/3-7.43
Cain-4-2-11 2/3-11.57

Operaton Piggyback- 22 Days in(AA and AAA)

2013-04-26T14:19:00.001-05:00

The Astros experiment with tandem pitching just passed the three week point. Here is a look at the numbers the "starters" in Oklahoma City and Corpus Christi have put up so far.

OKC- G-GS- IP- ERA
Cosart-5-4-22-2.86
Lyles-5-4- 18 2/3- 6.27
Owens-4-3-17- 3.71
#Musick-5-1-13 2/3- 3.29
Oberholtzer-3-3-12 1/3-9.49
Seaton-3-2-12 1/3- 8.03
Cisnero-3-1-8 2/3- 9.35
Clemens-1-1-5-5.40
Ely-1-0-4-0.00
#Blackley-1-1-2-4.50

#-Musick and Blackley have started games despite not being part of the original 8-man rotation.

CC-G-GS-IP-ERA
Buchanan-5-4-23-1.57
Wojo-5-3-23-0.78
Tropeano-5-3-21-2.57
Alaniz-5-3-19 1/3-4.66
Doran-5-2-18 1/3-2.95
Martinez-5-2-17 2/3-1.53
Heidenreich-5-2-13 2/3-10.54
Seaton-1-1-5-3.60