Press Clippings November 21, 2012

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER

Pitching is pricey, transactions By John Fay | 11/20/2012 12:17 PM ET

Want to know why the Reds would be wise to lock up and long-term?

The agreed to a three-year deal with Jeremy Guthrie that pays him $5 million on 2013, $11 million in 2014 and $9 million in 2015.

He went 8-12 with a 4.76 ERA and 1.41 WHIP.

Bailey went 13-10 with a 3.68 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP.

Latos went 14-4 with a 2.48 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP.

It’s a bit apples and oranges: Guthrie is a free agent; Bailey is arbitration-eligible for the second time, Latos for the first. But the point is starting pitching — even mediocre starting pitching — is expensive.

SIX ADDED: The Reds added right-handers Carlos Contreras, Daniel Corcino, and Josh Ravin, left-hander Ismael Guillon and Yorman Rodriguez to the roster in order to protect them from the .

Report: Former Red Frank Pastore badly hurt in motorcycle wreck By dclark | 11/20/2012 7:55 PM ET

The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin is reporting that former Cincinnati Reds Frank Pastore, a Christian radio personality in California, was badly injured Monday night after being thrown from his motorcycle onto the highway near Duarte, Calif.

From dailybulletin.com’s Juliette Funes:

A 55-year-old motorcyclist from Upland was taken to a trauma center when his motorcycle was by a car on the 210 Freeway Monday night.

He was ejected from the motorcycle and found unconscious on the freeway, according to California Highway Patrol Sgt. Aaron Knarr.

Los Angeles-based Radio station, 99.5 KKLA, identified the motorcyclist as Pastore, an Alhambra native, who played high school at Damien High and was a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds from 1979 until 1985. He was been the host of “The Frank Pastore Show” on the Christian radio station since 2004.

“Last night Frank Pastore was in a motorcycle accident,” a statement on the KKLA website reads. “We do not know how extensive his injuries are, but we know they are serious. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.”

The collision happened at 7:33 p.m. on the eastbound 210 Freeway, east of Buena Vista Street.

CHP officials said a gray Hyundai Sonata was eastbound on the No. 2 lane when for some reason, the driver lost control of the car.

The Sonata started moving toward the center divider and hit a Honda Shadow in the car pool lane.

The rider was thrown off the motorcycle. Because of his injuries, Knarr said the man was taken by helicopter to County USC Medical Center.

Pastore was 45-57 with a 4.30 ERA in seven seasons with the Reds (1979-85). He was a second-round pick of the Reds in the June 1975 draft.

Pastore is on Twitter, @frankpastore.

Dayton Dragons receive ’s top award By dclark | 11/20/2012 6:08 PM ET

Congratulations to the , selected as the 2012 winner of the John H. Johnson President’s Award, given annually to the top Minor League franchise.

Here’s the release the Reds sent us from Dragons director of media relations & broadcasting Tom Nichols:

Dayton, Ohio—Minor League Baseball™ announced today that the Dayton Dragons have been selected as the 2012 winner of the John H. Johnson President’s Award. The Dragons will receive their award at the annual Baseball ™ Banquet on Thursday, December 6 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

The John H. Johnson President’s Award is the top honor that can be given to any Minor League Baseball franchise. This award is given annually to just one Minor League team in the nation, from among 160 teams from all classifications (-A, -A, -A). The Johnson award is the highest honor for any minor league franchise and it is based on the total comprehensiveness of the franchise.

The award has been presented annually since 1974. Over those 39 years, the Dragons are only the third team to win the award, and just the second in the past 32 years.

“The Dayton Dragons epitomize how a Minor League Baseball club should operate,” said Pat O’Conner, President of Minor League Baseball. “They have become a cornerstone for the community in which they reside.”

“The award is an honor for the entire Dayton and Miami Valley community and the culmination of 13 years of efforts by everyone who has contributed to the Dragons success,” said Robert Murphy, Dragons President. “Our community should be very, very proud of what they have accomplished.”

In announcing the award, Minor League Baseball recognized the Dragons 913 game sell- streak, the attendance marks, community involvement, and numerous other awards won by the franchise. MLB.COM

Corcino among six added to Reds' 40-man roster Club's No. 4 prospect part of group protected from December's Rule 5 Draft By Mark Sheldon | 11/20/2012 10:27 AM ET

CINCINNATI -- Ahead of Tuesday's deadline, the Reds added six players to their 40-man roster to protect them from being selected in next month's Rule 5 Draft.

The list includes two top 20 prospects in the organization, as ranked by MLB.com -- right-handed Daniel Corcino (No. 4) and outfielder Yorman Rodriguez (No. 19). Also protected were right-handed Carlos Contreras, Curtis Partch and Josh Ravin and left-handed starter Ismael Guillon.

Major League Baseball's deadline to protect players was Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players first signed at age 18 must be added to 40-man rosters within five years or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process. Players signed at 19 years old are to be protected within four years.

Clubs pay $50,000 to select a player in the Rule 5 Draft, to be held on Dec. 6 at the conclusion of the Winter Meetings in Nashville. If that player doesn't stay on the 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $25,000.

With the additions, the Reds' 40-man roster currently sits at 39 players.

Corcino skipped a level by going from low Dayton to Double-A Pensacola. In 26 starts, the 22-year- old was 8-8 with a 3.01 ERA, 65 walks, 111 hits and 126 in 143 1/3 . In June, the Dominican pitcher took part in a tandem no-hitter by throwing the first eight innings before reaching his pitch limit.

Rodriguez, 20, struggled to bat .156 in 23 games at Class A-Advanced Bakersfield before he was sent back to Dayton. With the Dragons, he batted .271 with six homers and 44 RBIs in 65 games. Rodriguez was signed as a teenager out of Venezuela in 2008.

A 21-year-old reliever from the , Contreras posted a 3.12 ERA in 49 games with Dayton and Bakersfield. He spent most of the season in the Midwest League, where he had 19 walks with 51 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings.

Partch, who just completed a stint in the , was a 26th-round pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. In 52 regular-season games, including seven near the end at Pensacola after playing with Bakersfield, he was 7-4 with a 4.26 ERA. The 26-year-old had 36 walks and 79 strikeouts over 82 1/3 innings.

A fifth-round pick in the 2006 Draft, Ravin was limited to 23 games this season because of an oblique injury. Twenty of those relief appearances were at Pensacola, where he was 1-3 with a 5.25 ERA. It was the 24-year- old Ravin's first year as a reliever after being a starter his whole career. In 15 games, including 14 starts for Rookie-level Billings and Dayton, Guillon was 6-1 with a 2.38 ERA, 61 hits, 31 walks and 90 strikeouts over 75 2/3 innings. The 20-year-old was signed as a free agent out of Venezuela in 2008.

Dragons win MiLB President's Award Dayton is third Midwest League club to garner honor By Minor League Baseball | 11/20/2012 10:16 AM ET

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Minor League Baseball™ announced Tuesday that the Dayton Dragons are the winners of the John H. Johnson President's Award. The Dragons will receive their major award at the Baseball Winter Meetings™ Banquet at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville on Thursday, Dec. 6.

The President's Award, Minor League Baseball's top honor, has been presented annually since 1974 to honor the complete baseball franchise. The award's criteria are based on franchise stability, contributions to league stability, contributions to baseball in the community and promotion of the baseball industry. The Dayton Dragons are just the third Midwest League club to win the John H. Johnson President's Award, joining the Quad-City Cubs (1980) and (2008).

The Dragons have sold out a professional record 913 games in a row since they began play in Dayton in 2000. The club broke the record of 814 games held by the NBA Portland Trailblazers from (1977-95) in 2011. Their incredible accomplishment has also allowed the Dragons to establish a new Class A® regular season attendance mark on four occasions.

From day one, Dayton has preached "unsurpassed customer service" to their full-time and seasonal employees as a major part of their business philosophy. Preseason and in season training sessions, known as Dragons University, a customer service committee and employee performance recognition programs are some of the elements that embody this philosophy. The fact that the club's retention rate of employees has averaged more than 90% is a testament to the efforts of the Dragons during their 13 seasons in this southwest Ohio city.

Dayton feels that every game must be a great event and sports entertainment experience. The club spends a great deal of time and resources insuring that fans are entertained from the moment they enter Fifth Third Field to when they exit it. The Dragons use a variety of skits, dance routines, movie clips and scoreboard interaction to make sure the product surrounding the action on the field remains fresh and entertaining.

Mascots Gem and Heater and Roofman, who turns that get stuck on the roof into softee balls and then gives them to fans, are staples at every home game.

The Dragons impact on the Dayton community is extremely large, in scope. Initiatives such as the MVP Program, an educational tool for fourth and fifth grade teachers to use to motivate and reward their students; the Hometown Heroes Program honoring military members and their families; and Home for Life, where someone who has overcome a significant medical event takes a symbolic lap around the bases during a game, interacting with players from both clubs along the way, are just a few of the ways Dayton gives back to its community.

Dayton also hosts several charitable walks, runs and other events at its ballpark throughout the year. They donated to more than 500 groups in the form of money, sponsorships and gifts in-kind. The Dragons made more than 200 player and mascot appearances and 100 speaking engagements this year. The Dragons also have a concession stand program in place that has given back more than $3.9 million to nonprofits that have volunteered to work the concessions during games.

Fifth Third Field, which received new grass and an irrigation and drainage system before the season, also hosts Cedarville University, Sinclair Community College and high school baseball games, as well as various clinics, including one for mentally challenged children and adults.

This year, the Dragons became the first minor league club from any sport to be nominated as a finalist for Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal "Team of the Year."

"The Dayton Dragons epitomize how a Minor League Baseball club should operate, as well as become a cornerstone for the community in which they reside," Pat O'Conner, President of Minor League Baseball, said. "Their philosophies and business models involving the game day experience, customer service and local initiatives and events have proven to be rock solid and have really been embraced by the Dayton community.

"The Dragons' incredible streak of selling out every one of their 913 home games further validates their selection to receive our highest honor, the John H. Johnson President's Award."

"On behalf of the Dayton Dragons organization we are very proud and excited to be selected as the 2012 John H. Johnson Award winner," remarked Dayton Dragons President Bob Murphy. "This has truly been a collaborative effort. The success of the Dayton Dragons is due to the hard work of many.

"First, we must thank the great fans of Dragons Baseball. They are the best fans in the country. Our corporate partners and our suite holders have been terrific in supporting our team and the many great programs in the Dayton community. We owe a debt of gratitude to the many community leaders who have worked with us to make Dayton baseball great.

"In the spirit of not forgetting those who have helped us along the way, we would like to thank the staff of Minor League Baseball, our league President, Mr. George Spelius, our partner teams in the Midwest League, and our affiliate, the Cincinnati Reds. Each of these organizations has been very important to us through our 13-year history.

"To our ownership group, Mandalay Baseball Properties, thank you for believing in us, in what we do, and how we do it.

"To all of our staff through the years, thank you. There are no other words that can convey our gratitude for all that you have done."

John H. Johnson President's Award Winners

Year Club League 1974 Rochester International 1975 Tacoma Pacific Coast 1976 Mexico City Red Devils Mexican 1977 Fresno California 1978 Iowa American Association 1979 Denver American Association 1980 Quad-City Midwest 1981 Great Falls Pioneer Year Club League 1982 Tacoma Pacific Coast 1983 Louisville American Association 1984 Albuquerque Pacific Coast 1985 Las Vegas Pacific Coast 1986 El Paso 1987 Syracuse International 1988 Indianapolis American Association 1989 Durham Carolina 1990 Pawtucket International 1991 Albuquerque Pacific Coast 1992 Buffalo American Association 1993 Norfolk International 1994 Billings Pioneer 1995 Columbus International 1996 Salt Lake Pacific Coast 1997 Richmond International 1998 Lynchburg Carolina 1999 Tulsa Texas 2000 Portland Eastern 2001 Eugene Northwest 2002 Iowa Pacific Coast 2003 Reading Eastern 2004 Rochester International 2005 Trenton Eastern 2006 Altoona Eastern 2007 Midland Texas 2008 Cedar Rapids Midwest 2009 San Jose California 2010 Billings Pioneer 2011 Tennessee Southern 2012 Dayton Midwest

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

Record-setting Hamilton tops list of prospects at Arizona Fall League By | 11/20/2012 10:58 AM ET

Evaluating prospects in the Arizona Fall League is done at one's own peril. Those who watched play in the league last year, for instance, were not convinced they were looking at anything close to the AL MVP runner-up 12 months later. Trout hit .245 with one home run and was gassed from the extra month of baseball. But after spending the past three weekends watching Arizona Fall League games, I bravely will venture into the tricky territory of forming impressions about top prospects in the league. Granted, those players not grinding through their first full pro season are likely to have held up better through November baseball. Top starting pitchers, because of innings limits, generally skip the league altogether unless they missed significant time during the season.

But also keep this in mind: The AFL last year included Trout, Bryce Harper, Will Middlebrooks, Mike Olt, Brandon Crawford, Adeiny Hechavarria and David Phelps. It does bear the look of a Coming Attractions feature. Over the past three years, an average of 23 players from the Rising Stars Game, the AFL All-Star Game, were in the big leagues the next season.

What follows is a list of players I saw who might follow in their footsteps. There are no Trouts or Harpers in the bunch, but the quantity of top prospects is impressive. The list is not comprehensive and it's not meant to be a list of ranked players or even a list of those closest to the big leagues. It's a personal list of the most impressive players in a short sample -- to be considered at your own peril.

1. Billy Hamilton, 22, Reds, CF

MLB comp: Vince Coleman

After getting a whopping 681 plate appearances this year and attempting 204 stolen bases (successful on 165 of them), the 160-pound Hamilton had his long season end when he crashed into the centerfield fence trying to make a catch in the Arizona Fall League championship game Saturday. Hamilton stayed on the ground for nearly five minutes before walking off with assistance and with what was described as lower back stiffness.

Hamilton is an impact offensive player because of his speed and fearlessness, though the pounding his body takes -- he is constantly diving into bases on steal attempts, bunts and pickoffs -- may be a concern. Hamilton, a former shortstop, took well to the transition to centerfield, and he is much more than a slap hitter. He does have gap power from both sides of the plate.

Hamilton is a game-changer. He has scored from second base on a groundball back to the mound as well as an infield pop-up, and he can bunt for a hit just about any time he wants, including with two strikes. Eventually he will need to refine his baserunning game when confronted with the major league tactics of defending it. For now, Hamilton is a guy who likes to take walking leads and time pitchers. Major league teams will counter that preference by making sure he has to take off from a stopped position, which pitchers can enforce with multiple throw-overs and holding the ball.

It's easy to imagine Hamilton has a big-league impact player. He's more than just a burner, and he plays with such an easygoing joy that he is especially fun to watch.

2. Mike Zunino, 21, Mariners, C

MLB comp: Javy Lopez

A Florida Gator last spring, Zunino could be a Mariner at some point next season -- he's that polished of a prospect. Zunino caught more than 120 games this year among the Gators, Class A Everett, Double-A Jacksonville and the Arizona Fall League. He hit .360 this summer in minor league ball and .288 in the AFL.

Zunino, who is 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds and is the son of Reds scout Greg Zunino, profiles as a who can hit in the middle of the order with power and become a team leader, not unlike and in a best-case scenario. The Mariners, by the way, are so loaded with prospects that maybe they should keep Felix Hernandez around after all. They're not that far off from contending. Middle infielder will be ready next year with surprising pop in his bat, and pitchers , Taijuan Walker and Danny Hultzen (Walker and Hultzen are top 10 prospects who were not in the fall league) are close.

3. Rymer Liriano, 21, Padres, OF

MLB comp: Raul Mondesi

He has terrific tools -- a major league rightfielder's arm, size (6-foot-0, 210), plus power and enough speed to steal 98 bases the past two years -- but Liriano also showed an advanced approach at the plate and smarts on the bases. Signed at 16, he has not put up huge numbers (.270/.338/.419 in 492 games), but he only now seems to be putting it together.

4. Mark Montgomery, 22, Yankees, RHP

MLB comp: Carlos Marmol

He will be pitching out of the Yankees at some point next year, perhaps even at the start of the season. Montgomery has a that has such fierce spin and late break that it would rank among the best in the majors right now. Said Yankees catching prospect Austin Romine, "Never seen anything like it. With two strikes the hitters know it's coming and they can't touch it."

The Yankees found Montgomery in the 11th round in 2011 out of Longwood University. His career rate is 14.6 per nine innings and he has allowed only one home run in 99 2/3 innings. And if righthanded hitters sit on that slider away, he can run a 92-mph in on their hands.

5. Anthony Rendon, 22, Nationals, 3B

MLB comp:

Rendon is a wristy hitter with easy opposite field power, similar to Wright. He has been limited by ankle and shoulder injuries, but he was healthy in the AFL and played well defensively at third base. A pure hitter, he had more walks than strikeouts in the AFL.

6. Nick Castellanos, 20, Tigers, OF

MLB comp: Magglio Ordoñez

Detroit moved Castellanos to the from third base to give him a quicker path to the big league club. He hits a bit like Rendon, with loose wrists, and some observers think he has the kind of pure hitting ability to challenge for a batting title someday.

7. , 22, Yankees, OF

MLB comp: Josh Hamilton

The comparison is bit unfair because Heathcott should not be expected to put up MVP numbers the way Hamilton has done. But it's apt because Hamilton is Heathcott's favorite player and Heathcott shares a profile with Hamilton that includes a power lefthanded bat, plus speed and the skills to play centerfield. The Yankees took him four picks after the Angels took Trout, New York's pick if Trout were still on the board at 29. Heathcott's development has been slowed by two shoulder injuries, and though his power hasn't translated into games quite yet, when you watch him take batting practice you see the bat speed and the ability to backspin balls are there. And there is one more skill to like: he plays with an all-out intensity in the vein of Trout and Harper. On an otherwise routine out at the plate in a fall league game, Heathcott plowed over the catcher.

8. , 24, Diamondbacks, RHP

MLB comp:

A smallish righthander without overpowering stuff, Anderson posted a 2.86 ERA in 21 starts in Double-A because he has excellent command and changes speeds well. (He missed most of 2011 with a flexor tendon strain). His career rates of strikeouts (9.3) and walks (2.1) per nine innings are intriguing, and suggest he could be a good back-of-the-rotation option.

9. , 22, Cardinals, 2B

MLB comp: Jose Altuve

So polished is Wong that he may have the best chance of any AFL player of being an starter in the bigs next year. "He stands out from everybody else in terms of how advanced he is," said one AFL . Listed at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, Wong is a prototypical number two hitter who works counts, takes walks, steals bases and uses the whole field.

10. Nate Roberts, 23, Twins, OF

MLB comp: Reed Johnson

You won't find many scouts who give high grades to his tools. A fifth round pick out of High Point, Roberts turns 24 next February and hasn't played out of A ball yet. But at some point you have to pay attention to the numbers this guy keeps putting up: He led the nation in runs and OBP in college, he posted a .439 OBP in 179 pro games and he put up a ridiculous slash line in the AFL: .446/.565/.662. Yes: a .565 on-base percentage. Part of his on-base skill is getting hit by pitches (56 times in 179 games). If nothing else, he is a prototypical grinder who should not be undersold.

Worth mentioning

David Adams, 25, Yankees, INF: Can flat-out rake, like Michael Young, though an ankle injury may have reduced speed and range just a bit.

Heath Hembree, 23, Giants, RHP: A closer with a power sinker who came back well from a flexor tendon strain.

Kevin Quackenbush, 23, Padres, RHP: Another closer with a power sinker who has given up one home run in 99 2/3 innings.

Brian Goodwin, 22, Nationals, CF: Five-tool player with a quick, short stroke and good strike zone recognition.

Jon Singleton, 21, Astros 1B: He hit cleanup in Double-A at age 20, which gives you an idea of his talent, which includes power and patience.

Kaleb Cowart, 20, Angels, 3B: Power from both sides of the plate and a rocket arm and athleticism at third base. He should begin next season at Double A.

Tommy Joseph, 21, Phillies, C: Line drive hitter with 15-20 home run potential, he has been described as a born leader who gets better and better behind the plate after catching only one year of high school ball.

Chris McGuiness, 24, Rangers, 1B: The AFL's Joe Black Award winner as most outstanding player, he has continued to improve since the Red Sox drafted him in the 13th round of 2009. Very similar to Texas' .

Didi Gregorius, 22, Reds, SS: High-energy player with an impressive arm who could push for the starting job.

Jake Marisnick, 21, Marlins, OF: Played in the AFL championship with a Blue Jays jersey, and had a Marlins jersey on hand just in case the big trade became official during the game. (Miami gave him the okay to play in the game after he was held out of games and workouts for three days.) Marisnick is a 6-foot-4 centerfielder with power and speed who was drafted with a compensation pick the Jays obtained from the Yankees for losing A.J. Burnett in free agency.

Chris Owings, 21, Diamondbacks, SS: Major league ready with the glove, he has enough power to get himself in trouble at times. Just needs to polish his offensive game to raise his OBP (he had no walks in the AFL), which seems to be just a matter of time and at-bats.

TRANSACTIONS

Tuesday's Sports Transactions By The Associated Press November 20, 2012

Major League Baseball

American League

BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Traded INF to Seattle for OF . Selected the contracts of INF Jonathan Schoop and LHP from Bowie (EL). Assigned RHP Oliver Drake outright to Norfolk (IL).

CHICAGO WHITE SOX: Selected the contracts of OF Jared Mitchell, C , RHP Andre Rienzo, LHP Santos Rodriguez and RHP Charles Shirek from Charlotte (IL).

DETROIT TIGERS: Selected the contracts of RHP Melvin Mercedes, RHP Bruce Rondon and SS Dixon Machado from Toledo (IL). Released OF Ryan Raburn. Assigned RHP Tyler Stohr outright to Toledo.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS: Agreed to terms with RHP Jeremy Guthrie on a three-year contract.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS: Named John Gibbons manager. Selected the contracts of SS Ryan Goins and C A.J. Jimenez from New Hampshire (EL). Designated 1B Mike McDade, INF Mike McCoy and RHP Cory Wade for assignment.

National League CINCINNATI REDS: Selected the contracts of RHP Daniel Corcino, RHP Curtis Partch and RHP Josh Ravin from Pensacola (SL), RHP Carlos Contreras from Bakersfield (Cal) and LHP Ismael Guillon and OF Yorman Rodriguez from Dayton (MWL).

MILWAUKEE BREWERS: Selected the contracts of RHP Nick Bucci, RHP Hiram Burgos, OF , INF Scooter Gennett and OF from Nashville (PCL).