Tagged: Missoula Osprey

It’s Spring … Training

Your official Osprey countdowns – 93 days until Opening Night at home, 91 days until the season opener, and about 80-some days before the team arrives.

– A reminder for Season Ticket holders – you need to have your tickets paid for in full by March 31st to receive a voucher for a free popcorn and pop for each home game this season.

– Former Osprey slugger Paul Goldschmidt (2009) received a start on Sunday for the Arizona Diamondbacks back in big-league camp on Sunday, going 1-for-4 with a double. That moved his average to .429 in Cactus League play, with four doubles, a home run and seven RBIs in 14 games. Goldy and Adam Eaton (2010), who struck out in the ninth inning of the 5-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians, will likely be regulars in the call-up-to-fill-out convoy from minor-league camp for the next week or so. Yup, the breaking of camp is coming soon …

– Speaking of Eaton, sports writer David Jablonski of the Springfield News Sun likes keeping up with the Kenton Ridge High grad, and pens another update on Eaton. Eaton – who is now 2-for-6 with a double and home run in Cactus League play, is more than likely headed to Class A Advanced Visalia, but there is some thought that if there is a need, he may be moved ahead to Double-A Mobile. Eaton has been working out with the Double-A minor-league camp, accoring to Jablonski’s story.

– You can add former Osprey second baseman David Nick (2009) to that convoy – he had an RBI triple that helped the D-backs put away the Oakland A’s in a split-squad game on Sunday, 4-2. Nick has doubled and tripled in four Cactus League at-bats this spring. Nick’s triple capped the ninth-inning uprising, which was started with a one-out double by fellow former Osprey infielder Chris Owings (2009).

– There’s also growing speculation that it could be one of two former Osprey – left-hander Jordan Norberto (2006) and right-hander Esmerling Vasquez (2004) – who could end up with one of the available spots in the D-backs’ bullpen. According to Nick Piecoro, both are possibilities.

– From the video category comes the former Osprey who may very well be the fastest former Osprey of the bunch – Emilio Bonifacio. If you haven’t seen it, it’s the Opening Day 2009 inside-the-park home run Bonifacio hit in his Florida Marlins’ debut.

It was the first such Opening Day home run since Boston Red Sox outfielder Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1968.

– Bonifacio has also taken a step in the utility direction, and is looking to earn a Major League roster spot by being versatile.

– It’s also beginning to look like the 31st Osprey to make his Major League debut last fall will make his first Opening Day roster at the Major League level as well. That would be former Osprey infielder Pedro Ciriaco, who is showing enough to all but lock up a spot on the Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day roster.

Bracket Monday

OK, so this entry, coming on what is known as “Bracket Monday” will have nothing to do with a bracket of any sort, unless you were creating one to see whom Paul Goldschmidt would outlast in camp for the D-backs first base job. In which case, you bracket officially became busted on Sunday.

– The Arizona Diamondbacks made a bunch of roster moves over the weekend. The good news first – everyone on the 40-man roster now is under contract, including a handful of former Osprey. Those players who signed their one-year deals were right-handed pitchers Yonata Ortega, Daniel Stange and Esmerling Vasquez; left-handed pitcher Jordan Norberto; catcher John Hester; and outfielder Gerardo Parra.

– The inevitable news … the beginning of trimming the roster. Read about the former Osprey who were sent back to minor-league camp here.

– The D-backs’ now have 40 players in Major League camp, 32 on the 40-man roster and 8 non-roster players. One of those non-roster players – 2010 Osprey alum Adam Eaton, whom apparently reported to minor-league camp in great shape after working out with his former Miami University teammates in the off-season. Here’s a story from his hometown newspaper getting into more on his off-season.

– Here’s a story that ran in Sunday’s Arizona Republic on former Osprey outfielder Carlos Gonzalez. What might have been …

– Arizona Republic writer Nick Piecoro blogs about the minors, including the potential rotations in both Mobile and Visalia. A number of former Osprey are included in those rotations, and could see more, since the fifth spots are still up for grabs. They’ll start playing minor-league spring games on Tuesday.

– Another nugget that Piecoro sharea is that 17-year-old prospect Wanger Mateo would start his stateside pro career with a short-season club – which means Yakima, Missoula or in the Arizona Rookie League. Mateo – who was originally signed by the St. Louis Cardinals, but concerns about his vision caused the Cards to void his deal – hit .257 with four home runs and 45 RBIs in 67 Dominican Summer League games in 2010. And if you haven’t seen the video … this was done about two years ago, but it shows a bit of Mateo’s ability.

– By the way, a big thank you to all of those who visited the Osprey booth at the 2011 Kids Fair, and who participated in the Kids National Anthem tryouts.

– The Missoula Osprey’s biggest and most successful community program is the Hit the Books Reading Program, which begins today in 31 Missoula-area elementary schools. The 2010 Osprey Hit the Books Reading Program encouraged over 4,000 area students to read over 50,000 books, and over $100,000 of prizes were awarded to students by the Osprey.

Weekend ramblings

– It must be getting close to spring – Ollie Osprey was spotted about this weekend. In fact, there’s photo evidence of such. And, yes, Ollie has a lot of friends on Facebook, close to 3,500! He’s closing in on the single-game attendance record now …

– There’s some thought that D-backs’ outfielder, and former Osprey, Gerardo Parra (2006) could see more time in left field than planned originally. A lot has to do with Xavier Nady’s arm, which could also complicate the situation at first base.

– Chris Owings finally made his spring debut this weekend. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (quickly becoming a favorite among the Osprey staff) caught up with him and got the low-down on the debut through Owings’ eyes.

– Close to 80 former Osprey have rolled into the Salt River Fields complex and have reported for minor-league Spring Training camp. Four weeks from now, they’ll be either on their way to play on a full-season squad, or preparing for the grind of Extended Spring Training.

– Here’s some other information on Rusty Ryal (2005) heading to Japan. He’s not the only former Osprey in Japan, as Tony Barnette (2006) has headed back for a second season. The piece that includes Ryal does not include Barnette, although Tony did pitch as high as Triple-A in 2009.

– Speaking of Barnette, he is looking to improve on a 4-5, 5.99 ERA season in 2010. The Yakult Swallows play in Japan’s Central League. If you dare, or if you can read Japanese, here’s Barnette’s player page on the team’s website. Also, check out the beard … well-done, in our opinion.

Keepin’ on the beat …

The Osprey will be hosting a Kids Tryour to sing the National Anthem and ‘America The Beautiful’ during the Kid Fair on March 12 at Southgate Mall. Full details on the tryout can be found here, and more information about the Osprey at the kids fair – including an Ollie appearance – can be found here.

Now on to the alumnus of your Missoula Osprey …

– Carlos Gonzalez talked to the MLB Network as part of their “30 Clubs in 30 Days” series, and is excited about not only the 2011 season, but being a long-term Colorado Rockie.

– Before you pen Paul Goldschmidt into the Active Roster for the Arizona Diamondbacks come April, well … read what manager Kirk Gibson told Steve Gilbert of MLB.com on Wednesday. Goldy is making it hard to not be “in the mix” though, with a two-run pinch-hit single yesterday. Arizona Republic reporter Nick Piecoro added some other thoughts to the situation.

– Also from Piecoro, video of two former Osprey taking batting practice: 2009 alums Chris Owings and Bobby Borchering. Both are in big league camp as minor league invitees.

– You can add Charles Brewer and Bryan Shaw to the list of minor-league players with Missoula ties invited to big league camp. Brewer and Shaw were both listed as backups for the Cactus League game last night with the San Francisco Giants.

– Minor-league camp opens this weekend, and there are some players who have already reported to the complex and started their preparations for the 2011 season. Most of those players are a month away from reporting to their full-season destinations, while others will begin the grind of Extended Spring Training.

What’s happening …

Today brings us a mixed bag of things to check out, and know about, when it comes to the Missoula Osprey … just remember, it’s 111 days until the Osprey season opener, and 113 days before the Osprey home opener. It’s also 13 days before you begin to call the Osprey office and hear the countdown …

– If Gerardo Parra (2006 Osprey) wants to see some significant playing time this season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, hard work will have to come beforehand. So far, so good, according to this story.

– Another mixed-bag day for Osprey fans at Salt River Fields, with no Goldy, the return of CarGo and Mr. Smith getting touched up a bit by his former organization. Check out the box score here.

– Hector Ambriz (2006) will begin the season, by all indications, at Triple-A Columbus. The right-handed pitcher was outrighted to Columbus by the Cleveland Indians in late October, this after he was shut down in September with a sore elbow – a problem that Ambriz experienced during Spring Training. Ambriz was selected by Cleveland in the Rule V Draft in 2009, and stayed on the Active (25-man) Roster for the Tribe the entire season (DL time included). Ambriz was 0-2 with a 5.59 ERA in 2010, his first in the Major Leagues.

– Nothing like impressing your new teammates. Scott Hairston (2001 Osprey) did just that in a New York Mets intrasquad game last week. Hairston is off to a solid start this spring, going 2-for-5 in three Grapefruit League games (thru Tuesday’s games) with a double and two runs scored.

– Look for more information soon on a Kids National Anthem Tryout. It will take place during the Kids Fair on March 12, which means that Ollie Osprey will be flying by and making an appearance. The Kids Fair is the typical first weekend that Ollie gets to stretch his wings and fly back home to Missoula, although he has been spotted around town a little more frequently this winter. Details are coming soon.

– Lastly today, when looking for Osprey alumni stuff, we stumbled across this video of former Osprey, and Pioneer League Triple-Crown winner, Jesus Cota (2001), who has spent the past four seasons playing for Saltillo of the Mexican League. Cota was doing one of those “Get to know your Sarapellos” pieces. The audio, by the way, is in Spanish, although we’re pretty sure Denzel Washington translates the same in both English and Spanish.

Watching that swing, it’s not hard to see him winning a Triple Crown. He’s also hit over .330 the past two seasons for Saltillo, inlcuding when they won the Mexican League championship in 2009.

Notes for March 1

More notes from former Missoula Osprey players currently at Spring Training …

– MLB.com has released its Top 10 Prospects list for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and it should be no surprise that half of the list are former Missoula Osprey. Jarrod Parker, who pitched out of trouble in his Spring Training debut on Monday, is tops on the list. Read about the others, and the “under the radar” players, here.

– Guys who tend to struggle with controlling the strike zone have been put on notice … it’s time to throw strikes. One of those arms who is hoping to do just that is on the left side of former Osprey pitcher Jordan Norberto. A very telling quote from D-backs manager Kirk Gibson, from The Tao of Steve blog, written by MLB.com D-backs’ beat writer Steve Gilbert.

– Details from Monday’s rough one against the Rockies are here. At the bottom of the entry contains today’s pitching schedule. By the way, they will play the Rockies, again. It should be noted that when the play games in Extended Spring Training and Instructional League, they also play the Rockies, over and over again.

– Lyle Overbay is in a new camp this season, after signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Good piece from the Globe and Mail in his old stomping grounds in Toronto on his fresh start.

– Word has it that Sergio Santos could go from setup man to closer for the Chicago White Sox this season. He’s one of four under consideration for the role, one that he would welcome having sooner or later.

– Last but not least, it’s hard not to be a fan of D-backs’ lefty, and former Osprey, Clay Zavada (2006). As he comes back from Tommy John surgery to his left elbow, apparently there’s more than that making a comeback.