More minor-league releases

Via Jayne at the invaluable What the Heck Bobby:

I just got word that RHP Charles Basford, LHP Kenny Long and IF Ryan Dineen have been given their unconditional release. #Astros
— Jayne Hansen (@JayneWTHB) March 21, 2014

*Charles Basford was acquired from the Yankees in the Fernando Martinez trade, and allowed 25H/8ER, 26K:13BB in 26.1IP for Tri-City last season.

*Kenny Long was a personal favorite of Astros County. The 22nd Round draft pick in 2012 out of Illinois State, Long straight dominated until he got to Corpus (21IP, 38H/21ER, 13K:15BB). Last May we wrote a post entitled "The Legend of Kenny Long." Up to that point, lefties were hitting a career 1x55 with 33K:4BB. Sorry to see him go.

*Ryan Dineen was the 25th Round pick of the 2012 draft out of Eastern Illinois University. Between Tri-City and Quad Cities in his two seasons (559 PAs), Dineen hit .218/.324/.269 with 120K:66BB.

Lancaster/Corpus moves

The Hooks tweeted a couple of transactions this afternoon:

-Kenny Long has been sent from Corpus down to Lancaster.
-T.J. (Theron) Geith has been brought up from Lancaster.
-Matt Heidenreich is now on the DL.

Kenny Long, the subject of a fawning AC post back on May 9, struggled at Corpus. In 21IP at Double-A, Long allowed 38H/21ER, with 13K:15BB - when he had walked eight batters in his first 30.1 professional innings total.

Theron Geith has a 2.86 ERA/1.32 WHIP in 44IP at Lancaster this season. In those 44IP, he has allowed 43H/14ER, with 36K:15BB and one homer allowed. In the Cal League, that's pretty impressive.

The Legend of Kenny Long

Okay, I even keep up with this kind of thing and it still blew me away. It's time we focused on the Legend of Kenny Long, called up to Corpus today from Lancaster (where his parents apparently just flew in to see him).

As mentioned in the last post, Long was drafted in the 22nd Round of the 2012 draft - the 669th overall selection - out of Illinois State University. At Illinois State, his 15 saves broke the single-season school record (once held by Jeremy Accardo). In 2012, he threw 41IP (leading the bullpen), with 24H/9ER, 42K:9BB, and a .166 batting average against (team-best). His 1.98 ERA was second on the team.

He was assigned - like most college players - to Tri-City where, in his professional debut against Vermont on June 19, 2012, he allowed 1H/2ER, striking out one and walking three batters. The one hit was a double. He hasn't allowed an extra-base hit since then. 

Overall for the ValleyCats, Long pitched in 17 games (14.1IP), and in those 17 games allowed 4H/3ER, with 20K:5BB. 79% of his pitches were thrown for strikes, 46% of them swinging. I've been looking at this for a while, and I've never seen a swinging strike percentage that high.

Thus, he earned a promotion to Lancaster. In his Cal League debut have gave up 1H/0ER, 2K:0BB. He allowed two more hits in his next seven innings, and just one earned run which scored because the reliever after him allowed the inherited runner to score. His BABIP-against in Lancaster was .375, yet opponents hit just .115/.179/.115. He struck out 18 batters, walking two, in those 17 games. He was on the mound for the last out of the Cal League title-winning game.

Righties hit .214/.303/.250 with 10K:4BB against Long in 2012. Lefties? 1x43 with 28K:3BB for a stout .023/.087/.023 line. For the 2012 season? 22.1IP, 7H/4ER, 38K:7BB. 15.3 K/9, 5.43 K/BB ratio. Opponents were 7x71 for an .099/.177/.113 line.

But wait. There's more. Somehow Long opened the 2013 season back in Lancaster. In six games for the JetHawks, Long has allowed 2H/0ER, 8K:1BB. Opponents are hitting .077/.111/.077. 84% of his pitches have been thrown for strikes, 41% of them swinging. He has faced 27 batters, and three have reached base. Lefties are 0x12 against him with five strikeouts and one walk.

Just to reemphasize the point: For his professional career, left-handed batters are 1x55 with 33K:4BB.

Long's career: 1.19 ERA/0.56 WHIP. One extra-base hit allowed. 13.6 K/9, 5.75 K:BB ratio.

In his last five outings, Long has thrown 7IP and 41 pitches total. 37 of them have been for strikes. In his last three appearances, Long has thrown 23 pitches, every single one of them for strikes. Nine of the last 16 pitches he has thrown have been swings-and-misses.

Now, let's try to find some criticism so that it doesn't seem like I'm just a shrieking fan (I am). Long is in his Age 24 season. The average age of California League batters in 2013 is 22.9. So Long was about a year older than his competition. The average age of Texas League batters is 24.1, so we'll get a better indication this season. If he continues his domination of LHBs (let's face it, that level of domination is unsustainable), then a trip to Houston this season isn't out of the question.

A couple of minor-league moves

So the Austin Wates-to-Oklahoma City thing from yesterday was confirmed, but Jason Schwartz (excellent play-by-play man for the Lancaster JetHawks) tweeted a couple of other moves:

Kyle Hallock - from OKC to Lancaster (not a demotion, mind you, Hallock jumped from Quad Cities to OKC to fill some needs)
Kenny Long - from Lancaster to Corpus

In 8IP as the JetHawks' closer, Long has allowed 2H/0ER, 8K:1BB. He was the Astros' 22nd Round pick in 2012, and in 35 games (30.1IP - all in relief) he has allowed...wait for it...9H/4ER with 46K:8BB. That's a 0.56 WHIP. Can he come to Houston now?

7-Day DL listings

So there was great consternation last week when we posted our Who Still Here offering, listing the players who made the Opening Day rosters across the four full-season teams.

"Where is (Player)!" the masses shouted.

Well, now we have some explanation from Baseball America. Here are the players placed on the 7-Day DL:


Sergio Escalona
Murilo Gouvea
Grant Hogue
Chia-Jen Lo
Kenny Long
Telvin Nash
Andy Simunic
Max Stassi
Kyle Weiland
Brandon Wikoff

Catching you up on the Tranzactionz

Here's a recap of the Tranzactionz that have gone down in the last 15 hours:

George Springer from Lancaster to Corpus.
Delino DeShields from Lexington to Corpus (Wait. It's Lancaster.).
J.D. Martinez from Houston to Oklahoma City.
Matt Downs to Oklahoma City.

Via What the Heck, Bobby:
2B Jose Fernandez from Corpus to OKC
2B Kike Hernandez from Lancaster to Corpus
RP Kenny Long from Tri-City to Lancaster
OF Andrew Aplin from Tri-City to Lancaster

Obviously this is a much-needed shuffle at the major-league level. During this epic time of losing (June 28-present), Martinez hit .231/.277/.314 with 25K:8BB and seven extra-base hits in 130 plate appearances. Downs has hit .259/.306/.379 in the same span, with three extra-base hits and two walks in 63 plate appearances.

Moves have to be made, and it's not like the Astros are trying to find out any more about 2012.

Meanwhile, the prospects move up. DeShields, in a repeat year at Lexington (where he'll be just 20 years old next week), was hitting .298/.401/.439 with 83 steals. George Springer, who reaches Double-A in 533 career plate appearances, was hitting .316/.398/.557 for Lancaster - with 131 strikeouts in 500 plate appearances, in addition to 28 stolen bases.

Get used to it, Astros fans. There's a lot of losing left this season - though with an eye toward winning on the horizon.

Thursday morning draft updates

*Jonathan Mayo praised the Astros' draft class:
It might be easy to give credit to the team with the No. 1 overall pick, but it's not just Carlos Correa that gives the Astros a good Draft grade. Getting Correa, though, made it possible for Houston to feel confident it could draft and sign Lance McCullers, a first-round talent, in the comp round. The Astros didn't stop there, however. After taking some solid college talent, they took high-end high schoolers like 3B Rio Ruiz and OF Brett Phillips.

*3rd Round pick Brady Rodgers signed last night, and while terms were not disclosed, Rodgers knew all along he would sign:
"I knew what I wanted to do. With the Astros drafting me, it was pretty easy. The hometown team, the team I grew up loving. It's pretty simple. It was either sign or sign."

*22nd Round pick Kenny Long will sign:
“It’s something I’ve been working at for pretty much my whole life. It really hasn’t sunk in yet that I’ll be playing professional baseball, but it’s something I’m so honored to do.”

*25th Round pick Ryan Dineen doesn't know what position he'll play, but it'll be with the Astros:
"They said we'll have you come down and play wherever we need you, short, second or third. They're thrilled I'm versatile, and I'll play any one of those spots in the game for them."

*26th Round pick C.J. Hinojosa wasn't picked where he would have preferred, but it was still nice to get drafted. Will he sign?:
“I honestly don’t know. I have to sit down with my family and talk with my adviser and see what will happen.”

*27th Round pick Tanner Mathis isn't sure if he'll return to Ole Miss for his senior season, or sign with the Astros:
"As far as what happens from here, I have no idea. We'll just play it by ear. I'll be in contact with them, talk to the coaches. We'll find out what will happen pretty soon."

*28th Round pick Angel Ibanez is going to sign, after talking with his parents:
“They think it’s time. I’m going to go ahead and do that, start new.”

*29th Round pick Christian Garcia almost missed his name being called due to a jacked up internet connection, but looks like he'll sign.

22-669: LHP Kenny Long

With the 1st pick of the 22nd Round (669th overall), the Astros select 6'0" 165lb Kenny Long, a senior RHP out of Illinois State University, which MLB.com is kind enough to add, is in Illinois.

Long set the Illinois State record with 15 saves in 2011, breaking the old record of 12 saves, held by Jeremy Accardo. In 2012, he threw 41IP (leading the bullpen), with 24H/9ER, 42K:9BB, and a .166 batting average against (team-best). His 1.98 ERA was second on the team.

Baseball America previewed Long for the 2012 Roth Stars - named for the lesser-known prospects.
Skinny fifth-year senior touches 82 mph, but throws breaking balls from multiple slots and was 4-1, 0.92 with six saves last year.

He was College Baseball Daily's #78 player on their Top 100 Countdown at the end of 2010, and prior to the 2012 season was put on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association pre-season Stopper of the Year watch list.

Long will likely be happy with this selection, as he tweeted last night:
Tomorrow is going to be the longest day ever. Hopefully somebody gives me a chance. I don't want to stop playing

Here's some video: