Play Ball - June

www.RiverBandits.comPB 1

ISSUE #3 | JUNE 2013

Credit: Sean Flynn Photography

www.RiverBandits.com2 3


6 Staff Directory

10 River Bandits Roster

12 River Bandits Coaching Staff

18 Promotions Roundup

24 Reviewing April and May

26 Community Events

40 Three Bandits earn All-Star honors

50 Major League alumni

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23

Entering with a BOOM

Highly touted first baseman belts a home run in first three games

28 Inside the MLB Draft

River Bandits players recollect the 2012 draft and the Astros organiztion

23

River Bandits receive MLB presence from Astros

Houston assigns reliever Josh Fields to a MLB rehab at Quad Cities

8

Table Of Contents

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(Sean Flynn Photography)

(Sean Flynn Photography)


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2013 River Bandits Staff

Andrew Chesser Assistant

General Manager

Patrick GlackinDirector of Food and

Beverage

Brittany CarterDirector of Community

Relations

Shawn BrownVice President

of Sales

Marco LaNaveDirector of Media

Relations

Andrea NolanDirector of

Client Relations and Events

Steve EckertBusiness Manager

Shane HuffDirector of Marketing and

Promotions

Dave Heller President

Main Street Baseball

Elliott SweitzerDirector of Stadium

Operations

Stefanie Brown Executive Director

Harold CrawGeneral Manager

Andrea WilliamsBox Office Manager

Stacy IssenProduction Manager

Amanda HenzenAccount Executive &

Merchandising Manager

Jason GlatzBaseball Operations

Supervisor

Ryan WrightAccount Executive

Shauna LearnSpecial Events Manager



Right-handed reliever Josh Fields became the first player assigned to a major league rehab stint with Quad Cities in Davenport in nearly seven years on May 9.

“I’m excited to be here,” said Fields, who made his first trip to the state of Iowa and the Quad Cities. “I like it up here, it kindof reminds me of home.”

Fields made two appearances with the River Bandits during his assignment. He made his first career start in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Modern Woodmen Park on May 10. The Athens, Ga. native, fanned three Kernels and allowed one Kernel hit in two innings.

Three days later Fields excuted his second and final outing with the River Bandits, giving up one hit and striking out a batter in two scoreless innings in relief against the Peoria Chiefs on May 13.

The former University of Georgia Bulldog struck out Texas’ Craig Gentry as the only batter he faced in his major league debut with the Astros against the Rangers on April 2.

“It was a dream come true,” recollected Fields on his debut. “To be able to step foot on a major league mound was just unbelievable.”

He retired the only batter he faced in his second outing the very next day, and was then placed on the disabled list with a right forearm strain on April 8, retroactive to April 4.

The Seattle Mariners originally selected Fields in the first round (20th overall) in the 2008 draft, and he was acquired by Boston with left-handed pitcher Erik Bedard in a three-team deal on July 31, 2011. The Astros selected him with the 1st overall pick in the major league portion of the 2012 Rule-5 Draft.

Former St. Louis Cardinal left-hander Mark Mulder was the last major leaguer to make a rehab assignment with the Quad Cities in Davenport, in a game against the Clinton LumberKings on Aug. 6, 2006.

River Bandits receive MLB presence from Astros

Houston assigns reliever Josh Fields to a MLB rehab at Quad CitiesBy River Bandits Staff

Sean Flynn Photography



# Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB 2012 Club

# Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB 2012 Club

22 Omar Lopez Manager44 Dave Borkowski Pitching Coach11 Joel Chimelis Hitting Coach

Steve Miller Athletic TrainerJulio Diaz-Berrios Strength/ConditioningVince Coleman Outfield/Baserunning

# Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB 2012 Club

# Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB 2012 Club

Field Staff

Roster Current as of 04/29/2013

18 Bircher, Joe (DL) L/L 6-4 220 3/27/90 Tri-City37 Cain, Colton L/L 6-3 256 2/5/91 Brandenton-PIT, Lancaster9 Cotton, Jamaine R/R 6-1 202 9/27/90 Tri-City30 Hauschild, Mike R/R 6-3 210 1/22/90 Greeneville41 Holmes, Brian L/L 6-4 210 1/30/91 Tri-City16 Jankowski, Jordan R/R 6-2 200 5/17/89 Greeneville19 Lamb, Cameron R/R 6-3 211 5/20/89 AZL-SF, Salem-Keizer-SF39 Lambson, Mitchell L/L 6-1 205 7/20/90 Greeneville, Lexington23 McCullers, Lance R/R 6-2 205 10/2/93 GCL/Greeneville13 Minor, Daniel R/R 5-11 195 2/9/91 Greeneville28 Neely, John R/R 6-2 195 7/7/90 Tri-City31 Rodriguez, Richard R/R 6-4 205 3/4/90 Lexington, Greeneville27 Sanchez, Gerardo R/R 6-0 188 6/8/89 GCL20 Velasquez, Vincent S/R 6-3 203 6/7/92 Tri-City

15 Hamblin, Miles L/R 6-3 208 10/22/88 Lexington14 Morales, Jobduan S/R 5-10 215 6/7/91 Tri-City/Lexington10 Pena, Roberto R.R 6-0 217 6/8/92 Lexington/Lancaster

17 Blasik, Brian R/R 5-11 180 3/15/90 Greeneville1 Correa, Carlos R/R 6-4 205 9/22/94 GCL/Greeneville6 Elkins, Austin S/R 5-11 190 12/21/90 Tri-City8 Ruiz, Rio L/R 6-2 215 5/22/94 GCL/Greeneville36 Singleton, Jonathan L/L 6-2 235 9/18/91 Corpus Christi

4 Hernandez, Teoscar R/R 6-2 180 10/15/92 GCL/Lexington2 Joyce, Terrell R/R 6-3 230 5/29/92 Greeneville26 Ovando, Ariel L/L 6-4 226 9/15/93 Greeneville3 Scott, Jordan L/R 6-2 180 9/22/91 Lexington



Omar Lopez will begin his sixth season as a manager in the Astros organization when he leads the River Bandits for the first time on Opening Day April 4. Lopez, 36, managed the rookie-level Greeneville Astros in the Appalachian League the last two seasons, the Gulf Coast League Astros in 2009 and 2010, and the Venezuelan Summer League Astros in 2008. Prior to managing, Lopez served as a hitting and infield instructor in the Astros Venezuelan program and as a scout for the organization from 1999 to 2007. He was the Astros International Man of the Year in 2005 and Player Development Man of the Year in 2010. A native of Valencia, Venezuela, Lopez was an infielder for three seasons in the minor league systems of the Chicago White Sox (1996-97) and Arizona Diamondbacks (1998). He played two seasons for the rookie-level Bristol White Sox and his final season with the South Bend Silver Hawks of the Midwest League.

Lopez becomes the 34th manager for the Quad Cities franchise since it joined the Midwest League in 1960. He is the fifth to manage an Astros affiliate in the Quad Cities, following Steve Dillard (1993-94), Jim Pankovits (1995-1996), Manny Acta (1997) and Mike Rojas (1998). Acta was a major league manager the past six seasons for the Washington Nationals and Cleveland Indians, while Rojas is the bullpen coach of the defending American League Champion Detroit Tigers.

2013 River Bandits Field Staff

Manager - Omar Lopez

Ptiching Coach - Dave BorkowskiFormer major league pitcher Dave Borkowski will serve as the River Bandits pitching coach this season, which will be his fourth as a coach in the Astros organization following 15 seasons (1995-2009) as

a professional pitcher.

Borkowski, 35, compiled a 13-20 record with a 5.87 ERA in 181 ma-jor league games over seven seasons with Detroit (1999-2001), Bal-timore (2004) and Houston (2006-08). Borkowski appeared in 181 Major League games (21 starts) and was 13-20 with one save and a 5.87 ERA in seven combined seasons with Detroit (1999-2001), Baltimore (2004), and Houston (2006-08). His first professional

season was in 1995 after being selected in the 11th round of the June 1995 draft by Detroit. Borkowski recorded a career-high five wins with Houston in 2007, finish-ing 5-3 with a 5.15 ERA. He pitched in 264 career minor league games and was 79-70 with a 3.85 ERA and six saves. He pitched in the Midwest League for the 1997 West Michigan Whitecaps.

Borkowski coached the pitching staff of Class-A Lexington in the South Atlantic League in 2011 and 2012, and he was the pitching coach of rookie-level Greeneville in 2010.

Former major leaguer Vince Coleman will be a development specialist focused on outfield and baserunning. He will be with the club for homestands and also be a scout and roving instructor within the Astros organization. Coleman played 13 seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals (1985-90), New York Mets (1991-93), Kansas City Royals (1994-95), Seattle Mariners (1995), Cincinnati Reds (1996) and Detroit Tigers (1997). Coleman was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1985 and led the league in stolen bases in each of his first six seasons.

Baserunning/Outfield Coach - Vince Coleman


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Athletic Trainer - Steve Miller

2013 Field Staff continued

Steve Miller enters his second season as a trainer in the Astros organization after spending 2012 with the Gulf Coast League Astros. Previously, Miller

served as the Triple-A New Orleans head athletic trainer in the Marlins system for six seasons. This season marks Miller’s 14th in baseball, as he also spent time with Carolina (2004), Class-A Greensboro (2003) and Kane County (2002) in the Midwest League.

Miller began his career with the Marlins’ Class A Jupiter in 2000 and spent the following year with the Gulf Coast League Expos. He was named head athletic trainer for the 2010 Pacific Coast League All-Star

Game.

Miller received a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Southern Illinois University in 1997 and a master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 2000.

Joel Chimelis will serve his eighth consecutive season as a hitting coach in the Astros organization and 10th overall as a minor league coach following a 14-season professional career. Chimelis, 45, previously coached in the Astros organization with short-season Class-A Tri-City (2006-10), Class-A Lexington (2011) and Double-A Corpus Christi (2012). He spent 2004 and 2005 with the Savannah Sand Gnats of the Washington Nationals (Montreal Expos in 2004) organization.

Chimelis was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 11th round of the 1988 Major League draft. He was as a minor league infielder in the Athletics (1988-1991), San Francisco Giants (1991-1995) and New York Mets (1996) organizations. He was called up to the Giants major league roster in 1995 but did not appear in a game. Chimelis also played in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Taiwan and Korea.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Chimelis played baseball at Howard Junior College in Big Spring, Texas, and was a member of the 1988 University of Texas squad. He was named to the 1988 NCAA Central Region team with the Longhorns.

Hitting Coach - Joel Chimelis

Julio Diaz Berrios begins his first season with the Astros as the strength and conditioning coach of the River Bandits. Diaz Berrios’ atheltic training resume includes Baseball COLICEBA (PR), the Handball Federation of Puerto Rico and the men’s baseball and volleyball teams at the University of Puerto Rico. He received his bachelor of science degree in athletic therapy from the University of Puerto Rico, and is also bilingual.

Strength Coach - Julio Diaz


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Welcome guests to June’s Promotions Roundup chalk full of giveaways, entertainment acts and more FUN

than ever before! With so much going on, I’m going to make this as easy to follow as possible, because believe me, you don’t want to miss a thing! June 11 – We kick off June with a BANG...literally! After the game on Tuesday, a Kids Eat Free Tuesday, we’ll have fireworks that go BOOM in the night sky. June 12 – We follow up a rare fireworks Tuesday with US Bank Pay Your Bill Wednesday! Friends, if you’re not coming to Wednesday games, you’re missing out on one of the best promotions ever invented! Each and every Wednesday home game, we pay two lucky fans’ bills up to $100.00! If you want a chance to have your next bill paid, simply bring a copy of an unpaid bill and drop it in the golden hopper located at the US Bank table. It’s FREE money!!! June 13 – Let the entertainment acts begin! After receiving a free hat and mini flag upon entrance courtesy of Modern Woodmen of America, you’ll be entertained by the Red Trouser Show throughout and after the game! You may not have heard of this amazing acrobat duo before the game, but I guarantee you won’t forget them afterwards! June 14 – The 2013 season just wouldn’t be complete without a salute to farming with Agriculture Night presented by the Illinois Farm Bureau. And what a better way to honor the farming community by providing one of the most electric entertainment acts around, Quick Change! Back for a second year in a row, Quick Change has performed on the elite stage at America’s Got Talent and won’t disappoint. Not only that, but there are fireworks postgame, and Boy Scouts camping out on the field overnight. June 15 – If two is good, three is better! Our third entertainment act in as many days, back after a year hiatus, is crowd favorite Cowboy Monkey Rodeo appearance! Picture this, real monkeys riding dogs, herding sheep! Pointing with your mouth wide open in amazement is guaranteed to happen. June 16 – Celebrate Father’s Day watching America’s Pastime! Dad, you’re going to love Father’s Day at the ballpark, as it will be a day full of prizes! Not only is it a Flat Screen Family Sunday, where three (3) lucky fans will walk away with a brand new, free 32” flat screen TV, but we’ll be giving away prizes to Dads all night long! That’s not enough though, is it. How about this? Before the game, there will be a Father’s Day catch in the outfield! It’s like catch in the yard with you child, but on the same field the River Bandits play on! June 20 – After a short three-day breather, the Bandits return on a Thirst-Day Thursday. It’s also our second Mega Cubs Fantacular Giveaway, Ladies Night, and for those of us with a bright future, Mediacom will be giving away sunglasses upon entrance. Cubs fans, this is your opportunity to win more Cubs stuff. As for you ladies,

Promotions Roundup

With Suga Sheezy

Continued on page 20



I know you’ve been dreaming for a date with Suga, but we’ve got the next best thing: a player date auction! This is your opportunity, ladies, to bid on a date opportunity with a River Bandits player! June 21 – It’s another Fireworks Friday featuring the best fireworks show in the QC! And while the boys had their night a week ago, it’s the girls turn with Girl Scout Night, featuring a camp out on the field after the game! June 22 – Let the premium giveaway items begin! Our first of six bobblehead sets features former Quad Cities starting pitcher Johan Santana and will be given out to the first 2,000 guests through the gates! Make sure to arrive early, as gates open a half hour earlier at 5:00pm for another Vintage Baseball Game. Be witness to the first days of baseball in America, as players will wear vintage uniforms and play using rules set before the 1900’s! This unique game will give you insight into how the game was first played before any of us were born. June 23 – It’s our Halfway to Christmas Celebration, and what better way to celebrate than by giving away three presents everyone wants: three FREE flat-screen TV’s! You’ll also receive sunglasses courtesy of Mediacom upon entrance, so really everyone gets a present for Christmas! Plus, the kiddos get to run the bases after the game, and dogs with antlers are welcome as a part of Bark in the Park night! June 29 – Because we don’t want to overwhelm anyone with fun and entertainment, we’ll take a work week off before coming back to our second annual gnome giveaway! This year, it’s a Rascal gnome, and as gnomes go, there’s a good chance a few will escape the week before. If this happens, and I have a good feeling it will, check our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/riverbandits) for the locations of these escaped gnomes. First person to find the gnome will get to keep it before it’s available to the public! June 30 – We close out June on a high, a sugar high that is with the Mega Candy Drop! Hundreds of pounds of candy rains down from a helicopter onto the outfield grass for kids to pick up and enjoy! How are you going to collect all that candy? Great question and HyVee has the answer, as they’re providing tote bags to be given away to guests as they enter the ballpark that day! It’s also another Flat Screen Family Sunday, where three more lucky fans will walk away with FREE TV’s! There’s no other way to put it, friends. June is going to be the best month of baseball, entertainment and fun in the sun EVER! Please come join us, then come back for the best time of your life! As always, I encourage you to say hi as I’m running by. Enjoy the show!

Promotions Roundup (Continued)


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First baseman Jonathan Singleton was assigned to the River Bandits on May 27, and the 21-year-old welcomed the Quad Cities with a solo home run to the left field berm in his first at-bat the next day against the Kane County Cougars. He finished his Midwest League debut by going 2-for-2 with 2 RBI by adding a RBI-single and a walk in the contest.

“It was good,” reflected Singleton on his impression of Modern Woodmen Park. “I think a lot of fan expected it to rain, it was kindof a gloomy day, but it was a pretty good turnout.”

The top Astros top prospect and the No. 1 first base prospect according MLB.com followed up his debut with another solo shot over the DHCU On-Deck in right field in his second game with Quad Cities on May 29. Singleton finished the evening going 2-for-4 with a double against Kane County.

A third home run followed two days later on a two-run shot at Beloit on May 31.

Singleton, the No. 2 prospect in the Astros organization according to Baseball America, joined a roster consisting of four more River Bandits in the Astros system’s top 13 prospects according to Baseball America. The other four are Carlos Correa (No. 1), Lance McCullers (No. 4), Rio Ruiz (No. 8) and Vincent Velasquez (No. 13).

While with Double-A Corpus Christi last season, Singleton boasted career-highs with 131 games played, 21 home runs, 79 RBIs, 94 runs and a .497 slugging percentage en route to earning the club’s Most Valuable Player award. His efforts also led to him being named a Baseball America Minor League All-Star, a Texas League Midseason and Postseason All-Star, and selection to the 2012 SinusXM All-Star Futures Game and Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game.

A native of Lakewood, Calif., Singleton was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth round of the 2009 draft, and was dealt to the Astros along with three other minor leaguers for outfielder Hunter Pence on July 29, 2011.

A booming introductionHighly touted first baseman belts a home run in first three games

By River Bandits Staff

Singleton launches his first home run as a River Bandit. (Credit: Sean Flynn Photography)


MIDWEST LEAGUEMIDWEST LEAGUE201120112011

QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITSQUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS

Triple Play

April 28

5-game win streak

a zip through

With runners on first and second, Rio Ruiz fields a ground ball, steps on third base and fires to Catfish Elkins at second base, who shoots the ball over to first baseman Jesse Wierzbicki for a 5-4-3 Triple Play. It was the 14th in franchise history and first since June 16, 2007.

April 4-8

Quad Cities opened the season with five straight wins and averaged 4.6 more runs than opponents during the streak. (Photo by Sean Flynn Photography)


Highlights of the first two months of the season


MLB Rehab

the 2013 season

May 10-13Astros reliever Josh Fields (right, photo

by Sean Flynn Photography) became the first player to make a rehab assignment for the Quad Cities franchise in Davenport since Mark Mulder in August 2006.

singleton arrives , snap skidMay 25-31

Quad Cities rebounds from a season-high six-game losing streak from May 17-23, to embark on a sea-son-high six-game winning streak. 1B Jonathan Singleton jons the club on May 28, and homers in his first three River Bandit games.


Highlights of the first two months of the seasonBy Matt Bierl


River Bandits

Catchers Roberto Pena, Jabduan Morales and Strength Coach Julio Diaz-Berrios visit Davenport West High school 8th grade Spanish Class on May 17.

River Bandits’ Players and Coaches were invited into Senior Dean Burrier-Sanchis’ 8th grade Spanish class to ask questions about their Countries and practice their Spanish with the natives. After the photo shoot they shared traditional dishes for a feista.

Last month the River Bandits were all over the Quad Cities. Including the QC walk for Diabetes, the Promise Walk, and the Heart Walk. Due to flooded paths behind the park the River Bandits opened their gates and let the Heart Walk detour through the stadium and back on track for their walk.

Next month you can catch the River Bandits at the Boy Scout Conference June 12, Moline Community Fair June 15, and Relay for Life in Aledo on June 28. The River Bandit players will also visit with the kids at School Age& Youth Center June 14 and the Family Museum June 22.

For any community appearance requests or questions please contact Brittany at (563)333-2736 or [email protected]

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A Kids Club event will happen after the game on the field following the June 23rd game. Members will be playing a game of balloon dodgeball. Bins will

ATTENTION all Kids Club members!

If you are not already enrolled in Kids Club it is never too late. Forms can be found at the RIA Federal Credit Union Concierge desk or call 563-333-2736.

be placed in the outfield filled with water balloons ready for a good battle. Kids club members are asked to please meet in the party plaza immediatly following the game.


The 2013 Major League Baseball Draft was on June 6, and with it more than a thousand young high school and college baseball players came one step closer to their dream of becoming a major league baseball player.

River Bandits Lance McCullers and Rio Ruiz were both selected by the Astros in the 2012 draft, and remember just how they felt.

“I remember being excited and a little nervous, but at the end of the day I knew that whatever team picked me was the team that I needed to be with,” said McCullers, who was taken in the first supplemental round (41st overall). “We were all (friends and family) just in the living room, huddled around waiting and when it happened it was a real pleasant surprise.”

McCullers’ father, Lance Sr., was taken 41st overall in the 1982 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.

“I really didn’t know what to expect because [of] my situation after high school,” said Ruiz, who missed most of his senior season at Bishop Amat High

School (La Puente, Cal.) after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot from his shoulder. “The Astros took a chance on me and I’m very thankful that they did and I’m just trying to prove them right and play baseball.”

Houston selected Ruiz in the fourth round and assigned him to the rookie-level Gulf Coast League (GCL) Astros, where he was tabbed by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in the GCL following the season.

Inside the MLB draft

By Matt Bierl

River Bandits players recollect the 2012 draft and the Astros organiztion

Lance McCullers is 2-4 with a team-best 1.70 ERA in his first 13 games this season. (Credit: Sean Flynn Photography)

Ruiz is hitting .219 with three homers and 20 RBI in 39 games. (Credit: Sean Flynn Photography)

MLB draft (page 32)



Upcoming Home Series

Dates: June 11-13 @ Modern Woodmen ParkSeason Series: Cedar Rapids leads 2-1

Top Prospects: Byron Buxton (2), Jose Berrios (7), Mason Melotakis (13), Jorge Polanco (14), Travis Harrison (17), Tyler Jones (23), Niko Goodrum (26)

About the Kernels: Cedar Rapids is the Class-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins and are managed by former River Bandit Jake Mauer (2002). The Kernels kicked off their season on a six-game win streak and ended April riding a nine-game streak. Their 305 RBIs are more than 50 ahead from the next closest team in the league. The 2nd overall pick in the 2012 draft, Byron Buxton is second among the league with a .333 average while Adam Brett Walker leads the MWL with 49 RBI and is second with 10 home runs.

Cedar rapids Kernels

Dates: June 14-16 @ Modern Woodmen Park

Dates: June 20-23 @ Modern Woodmen Park

Season Series: Tied at 1-1

Season Series: River Bandits won first half series 7-2

Top Prospects: Reid Scoggins (15), Cam Bedrosian (28)

Top Prospects: Albert Almora (2), Pierce Johnson (6), Dan Vogelbach (7), Jeimer Candelario (8), Dillon Maples (18), Marco Hernandez (20), Gloaskar Amaya (21), Lendy Castillo (28), Trey Martin (30)

About the Bees: Burlington is the Class-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. The River Bandits and Bees will play a doubleheader at Modern Woodmen Park to makeup a rainout at Burlington on April 10. Burlington hit .235 as a team in its first 52 games and were led by Kyle Johnson’s .311 average. Johnson is second in the league with a .423 on-base percentage and his 29 steals rank third. Ryan Crowley leads the staff with a 2.22 ERA (fifth in MWL) and a 0.99 WHIP (tied for third in MWL) to complement his 4-1 record.

About the Cougars: Kane County is the Class-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The River Bandits and Cougars face each other in the first series of the second half of the 2013 season. The Cougars lead the Western division while ranking second in the league with a team .267 batting average. Rock Shoulders’ 12 home runs are top in the MWL, while Bijan Rademacher is fifth in hitting at a .320 mark. Pierce Johnson is tied for second place Dayton’s Ismael Guillon with 60 strikeouts. The Cougars roster features 2012 first round selection Albert Almora.

Burlington Bees

Kane County Cougars

Upcoming Home Series on page 38

*Rosters as of May 28, May 23, and June 3, 2013 respectively*Statistics through June 3, 2013* Top prospect rankings by Baseball America


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Carlos Correa and his family were invited to attend the 2012 draft, live at MLB Network Studios.

“It was a great feeling, you are there with your family, smiling and remembering all the hard work that you did to get there,” said Correa, who was taken by the Astros with the 1st overall selection. “It was really emotional, I was there with my family. It was something special.”

From Santa Isabel, P.R., Correa became the first player from Puerto Rico to be selected first overall.

“I was really anxious waiting to know what team I was going to play for,” recollected Correa. “Thank God I was drafted number one so I didn’t have to wait very long,” he added with a smile.

McCullers, Ruiz and Correa join an organization in the midst of rebuilding after back-to-back seasons with the worst record in the majors.

“We’re out here playing hard everyday to help the Astros become a better organizaton,” said Correa.

That rebuilding has brought a lot of attention to the minor leagues, but McCullers and Ruiz aren’t feeling any pressure.

“Houston and all the fans are real supportive, and are expecting us in the minors to come up and bring the Astros back to their winning days,” said McCullers. “You can see things [in the organization] happening from the bottom up and that’s the most exciting to me.”

The trio as well as the rest of the Astros organizaton are happy to be with an organization that is so involved with its minor league development and for the future the organization has.

“I grew up hearing my dad talk about all the big names they (Houston) have -- Biggio, Ensberg -- and it’s great to be a part of it now,” said Ruiz. “I’m 19 years old right now, and I plan on hopefully having a big future with them.

“I’m blessed and privileged to be an Astro and I can’t wait to be in Houston, and hopefully it will be for a really long time,” said McCullers.

Correa leads the Bandits with 33 RBI, while hitting .275 with three home runs and 10 doubles in 43 games. (Credit: Sean Flynn Photography)

MLB draft (continued from page 28)


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The Triple-A Oklahoma City RedHawks (31-24) are knotted at a tie for first place in the Pacific Coast League American Southern with the Round Rock Express through June 2.

The RedHawks went 15-13 during the month of May to maintain their spot at the top of the division. LHP Eric Berger, RHP Jason Stoffel and RHP Jose Valdez were electric out of the bullpen. Berger was 0-1 with a 1.98 ERA in nine relief outings, Stoffel went 1-0 with a 1.65 ERA in 12 relief appearances while Valdez went four for five in save opportunities. As a pitching staff, Oklahoma City boasted a 3.59 ERA in 238 innings during May.

On the leader boards, INF Jonathan Villar shares the stolen base lead with Reno’s Tony Campana at 16 steals. RHP Jarred Cosart is in fourth in the PCL with a 2.65 ERA, and Valdez’s 12 saves are fifth.

The Houston Astros called up six RedHawks to the majors during the month of May, and assigned RHP Josh Fields to Oklahoma City for a rehab stint on May 28. Fields started his rehab with Quad Cities (see page 8).

ALUMNI NOTES: LHP Kyle Hallock (2013) made one start in May, allowing an earned run in four innings for a 2.25 ERA on the month. The southpaw was assigned to High-A Lancaster of the California League on May 9. INF Brett Wallace (2008) belted six home runs in May, to complement his 26 RBI and .324 batting average in 28 games. Wallace is hitting .313 with eight homers and 30 RBI in 39 games as a RedHawk. RHP C.J. Fick (2008) did not allow a run in four innings of relief. He is 1-0 with a 4.24 ERA in 13 relief outings this season, and was placed on the disabled list on May 9.

Brett Wallace hit .327 with five home runs and 25 RBI in 41 games with the River Bandits in 2008.

By Matt Bierl

CatChing up

with the

farm



By Matt Bierl

CatChing up

with the

The Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks (35-21) exploded during May, and now posess the best overall record in the Texas League, and are three games ahead of Frisco in the South division. The Hooks also have the best home record in the league, posting a 20-8 mark at Whataburger Field.

Going 19-10 on the month, the Hooks were aided by a team batting average of .278 during the span. INF Erik Castro led the way with a .360 average, while OF George Springer and OF Michael Burgess clubbed eight and seven home runs respectively.

RHP Josh Fields’ rehab assignment sent him to Corpus Christi after Quad Cit-ies. The former Unviersity of Georgia Bulldog did not post a record and had a 3.00 ERA in five relief outings before joining Oklahoma City on May 28.

Springer leads the league with 17 long balls, while RHP Jake Buchanan is top among the league with a 0.77 ERA.

The Lancaster JetHawks (35-21) have taken a commanding lead in the California League South division, seven games ahead of second place High Desert and Inland Empire. The team hit .300 with 34 homers in 30 May games. Six players boasted batting averages above .300 with a minimum of 20 games played.

OF Preston Tucker is tearing up California League pitching. The former Florida Gator is in first with 57 RBI, second with 69 hits and fourth in hitting with a .318 average. INF Nolan Fontana has the best on-base percentage with a .452 mark and is fifth in hitting with a .317 season average.

ALUMNI NOTES: INF Joe Sclafani (2013) was promoted from Quad Cities to Lancaster on May 7, and celebrated with a 10-game hit streak after his first two games played. In 22 games with the JetHawks, Sclafani (right, Credit: Sean Flynn Photography) is hitting .393 with 17 RBI and 23 walks, plus 14 multi-hit contests. The switch-hitter was hitting .241 with nine RBI in 19 games with Quad Cities before the promotion. LHP Kyle Hallock (2013) made his JetHawk debut by going five scoreless frames in a start against Stockton on May 12. He is a perfect 3-0 with a 4.91 ERA in five appearances (three starts). INF Carlos Perdomo (2013) is hitting .286 (8-for-28) in his last 10 games to raise his season average from .111 to .217.

farm



Dates: June 29-July 30 @ Modern Woodmen ParkSeason Series: River Bandits won first half series 4-2

Top Prospects: Victor Sanchez (10), Tyler Pike (14), Gabby Guerrero (15), Tim Lopes (25)

About the LumberKings: Clinton is the Class-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Dylan Unsworth’s 2.25 ERA is the best on the team and ranks fifth in the league, while his 0.88 WHIP ranks first in the MWL. The LumberKings do not have a player in the top 10 for hitting, despite being fifth as a team with a .259 team batting average. Ketel Marte is hitting .571 with two homers in five games against Quad Cities this season. They are 19-6 when leading after the first five innings, while are 3-23 when trailing after as many frames.

Clinton lumBerKings

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Upcoming Home SeriesContinued from page 30

*Roster as of May 24, 2013*Statistics through June 3, 2013* Top prospect rankings by Baseball America



Shortstop Carlos Correa and pitchers Jordan Jankowski and Lance McCullers have been selected to represent the Quad Cities River Bandits at the 2013 Midwest League All-Star Game June 18 in Dayton, Ohio, the league announced on Wednesday.

All three River Bandits were 2012 draft picks by the Houston Astros and earned their first professional All-Star selections.

Correa was named the starting shortstop for the Western Division All-Stars and was the youngest player selected for either All-Star roster. The Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, native and No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft is hitting .275 in 43 games. He leads the River Bandits with 33 RBIs and 14 multi-hit games and is tied for the team lead with three home runs. In the month of May, Correa led the team with a .349 batting average, 38 total bases and 18 RBIs.

Jankowski, 24, was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 34th round of the 2012 draft out of Catawba College. The McMurray, Pa., native is 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA in 12 games, including seven starts for Quad Cities. In 48 1/3 innings, Jankowski has walked just nine batters and struck out 42. He leads the pitching staff with a 1.06 walks-plus-hits per inning pitched (WHIP). He had a team-high 32 strikeouts with a 0.80 WHIP in May while assembling a streak of 23 1/3 innings without a walk from May 3 to May 31.

McCullers, 19, was drafted in the first supplemental round with the 41st overall pick of the 2012 draft out of Jesuit High School in Tampa, Fla. He leads the Midwest League with a 1.70 ERA and is 2-4 in 13 appearances and eight starts with Quad Cities. In 47 2/3 innings, he has allowed just 37 hits while posting 51 strikeouts – the second-highest total on the pitching staff. His first professional win came on May 28 against Kane County, and he also won his next start June 2 at Beloit.

The Dayton Dragons are hosting the 2013 Midwest League All-Star Game Tuesday, June 18, at Fifth Third Field.

Three Bandits earn all-star honorsBy Marco LaNave

From left to right: Jordan Jankowski, Carlos Correa and Lance McCullers. (Credit: Sean Flynn Photography)


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Infielder Jermaine Curtis made his major league debut as a pinch hitter in place of infielder Matt Carpenter for the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 27.

A fifth round selection in the 2008 draft, the former UCLA standout was hitting .292 with 17 RBI in 17 games with Triple-A Memphis before his promotion. He hit .304 in 30 games with the River Bandits in 2009.

Right-hander Seth Maness made his debut with a scoreless eighth in-ning right after Martinez against Milwaukee on May 3. He followed by earning his first career win the next day, pitching a scoreless two-thirds of an inning.

Maness was selected in the 11th round by the Cardinals in the 2011 draft, and joined Quad Cities that same season. He is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in two relief outings as a River Bandit.

Right-handed pitcher Keith Butler (right) became the third pitcher from the 2011 Midwest Leauge champion River Bandits to make his major league debut with the Cardinals against the Giants on June 1.he 24-year-old allowed one hit, issued a walk and struck out a batter in one inning. Butler tossed a scoreless frame the following day as well.

He went 0-1 with a 1.17 ERA in 12 relief outings with the River Bandits in 2011.

Right-hander Carlos Martinez (left) pitched a scoreless seventh inning in his debut with St. Louis at Milwauke on May 3. He has no record and a 4.50 ERA and nine strikeouts in seven relief appearances.

Martinez went 3-2 with a 2.33 ERA and 50 strikeouts in eight starts with Quad Cities in 2011.

Moving to St. LouisFour former River Bandits make MLB debuts with Cardinals

By Matt Bierl


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Name YR Team AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS OBP SLGAdams, Matt 2008 STL .333 23 51 5 17 3 0 3 11 3 13 0 0 .370 .569Ankiel, Rick 2005 NYM .244 14 45 5 11 4 1 2 6 3 15 0 0 .292 .511Brown, Andrew 2008 NYM .200 6 15 2 3 0 0 1 2 2 5 0 0 .294 .400Carpenter, Matt 2009 STL .309 49 191 41 59 16 0 4 18 26 27 1 0 .394 .455Cruz, Tony 2007 STL .133 10 15 1 2 0 0 0 2 1 3 0 0 .188 .133Curtis, Jermaine 2009 STL .000 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 .333 .000Greene, Tyler 2006 CHW .235 20 51 7 12 2 1 1 3 2 18 0 0 .264 .373Jackson, Ryan 2010 STL .000 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 .000 .000Jay, Jon 2006 STL .260 49 177 29 46 7 1 4 23 17 36 2 1 .337 .379Jones, Garrett 2002 PIT .269 48 145 14 39 12 0 5 26 11 35 1 0 .323 .455Kozma, Pete 2008 STL .276 49 163 19 45 8 0 1 21 16 31 1 1 .335 .344Kubel, Jason 2002 ARI .253 27 83 10 21 3 1 3 12 8 22 0 1 .315 .422Mauer, Joe 2002 MIN .330 46 188 32 62 17 0 4 16 25 46 0 0 .408 .484Morneau, Justin 2001 MIN .293 48 191 22 56 12 0 2 34 14 31 0 0 .343 .393Punto, Nick 2004 LAD .327 40 104 15 34 5 0 1 10 16 24 2 0 .413 .404Rasmus, Colby 2006 TOR .242 49 165 20 40 9 0 8 23 14 64 0 1 .308 .442Robinson, Shane 2006 STL .184 30 38 9 7 0 0 0 1 10 8 3 0 .354 .184Solano, Donovan 2007 MIA .278 30 108 8 30 2 0 1 5 8 15 1 0 .333 .324Span, Denard 2004 WAS .272 49 195 20 53 9 3 0 14 16 30 6 3 .330 .349Wallace, Brett 2008 HOU .042 7 24 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 17 0 0 .115 .042

Name YR Team W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SOBalfour, Grant 1999 OAK 0 0 1.69 21 0 0 0 11 21.1 14 4 4 3 11 25Carpenter, David 2009 ATL 0 0 2.84 5 0 0 0 0 6.1 8 2 2 1 3 6Crain, Jesse 2002 CHW 1 1 0.78 26 0 0 0 0 23.0 16 2 2 0 8 31Garcia, Freddy 1996 BAL 1 2 4.61 5 5 0 0 0 27.1 27 15 14 7 6 9Garcia, Jaime 2006 STL 5 2 3.58 9 9 0 0 0 55.1 57 26 22 6 15 43Kelly, Joe 2010 STL 0 2 7.13 15 0 0 0 0 17.2 29 14 14 4 6 19Lynn, Lance 2008 STL 7 1 2.95 10 10 0 0 0 61.0 43 20 20 3 24 66Maness, Seth 2011 STL 4 1 1.59 10 0 0 0 0 11.1 14 3 2 1 3 5Martinez, Carlos 2011 STL 0 0 4.50 7 0 0 0 0 8.0 9 4 4 0 3 9Miller, Shelby 2010 STL 5 3 2.02 10 10 1 1 0 62.1 45 16 14 4 16 65Mortensen, Clayton 2007 BOS 1 2 5.33 19 0 0 0 0 25.1 23 15 15 2 15 17Neshek, Pat 2003 OAK 1 0 2.50 20 0 0 0 0 18.0 18 7 5 1 8 13Ottavino, Adam 2006 COL 0 1 2.13 16 0 0 0 0 25.1 23 10 6 3 8 27Perez, Chris 2006 CLE 2 1 4.32 17 0 0 0 6 16.2 15 9 8 4 10 18Perkins, Glen 2004 MIN 1 0 3.38 19 0 0 0 10 18.2 13 7 7 2 6 29Rosenthal, Trevor 2011 STL 0 0 2.08 26 0 0 0 0 26.0 24 8 6 2 6 39

2013 Major League Quad Cities alumni

SHELBY MILLERPOS: RHP B/T: R/R Ht: 6-3 Wt: 215

Tossed first career complete game shut-out against the Rockies on May 10thIs 2-1 with a 1.99 ERA in five May startsHas held right-handed hitters to a .167 batting average

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS*Statistics through May 28, 2013


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