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.

PreStros Morning Report: August 19

Oklahoma City (74-56), 6.0 up

The RedHawks scored six runs in the first and cruised from there for a 6-2 win over the Isotopes. Bobby Doran threw 7 IP and gave up 3H/2R (1 ER) with 3K:3BB. Eric Berger and Jose Cisnero each threw 1 scoreless inning in relief.

Trevor Crowe went 2x3 with 2 BB, 1 R, and 1 RBI. Che-Hsuan Lin was 1x2 with 2 BB, 1 R, and 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: Bobby Doran

Corpus (33-23), 2.0 GB

OFF

Lancaster (35-21), 8.0 up

OFF

Quad Cities (32-23), 5.5 GB

Mark Appel bounced back from his last outing to lead the River Bandits to a 6-1 win over Burlington. Appel went 5 IP and allowed 2H/1R with 6K:2BB. Mitchell Lambson and Andrew Walter each threw 2 scoreless innings in relief.

Teoscar Hernandez was 2x4 with 1 BB, 1 SB, and 1 R. Danry Vasquez was 2x4 with 1 BB and 2 RBI. Austin Elkins was 2x5 with 1 SB and 1 R. Jordan Scott was 2x4

Man of the Match: Mark Appel

Tri-City (35-25) 0.5 GB

Tanner Bushue got roughed up as the ValleyCats lost 7-2 to Vermont. Bushue threw 2 IP and gave up 5H/6R with 1 BB. Randall Fant went 4 IP and allowed 4H/1R with 2 BB. Charles Basford went the final 3 IP with 1 H and 4K:1BB. 

Ryan Dineen was 2x4 with 1 RBI. Tyler White went 2x4. 

Man of the Match: Ryan Dineen.

Greeneville (34-24), 1.5 up

Errors and the lack of timely hitting gave the Astros a 2-0 loss to the Twins. Frederick Tiburcio threw 4 IP and allowed 5H/2R (1 ER) with 6 K. Krishawn Holley went 3 scoreless innings with 3 H and 4 K. Chris Munnelly pitched the final inning with 1 H and 2 K.

Chase McDonald was 2x4 with 1 2B. 

Man of the Match: Krishawn Holley, I guess.

GCL Astros (24-27), 8.0 GB

The Astros lost to the Phillies 5-2. Kent Emanuel started with 3 scoreless IP with 5 K. Austin Nicely threw 2 IP and gave up 4H/3R with 1 BB. Devonte German went 1 IP and allowed 2H/2R with 1K:2BB. Javier Lozano and Zach Dando each went 1 IP to finsih up the game.

Jean Batista was 1x4 with a solo HR. Yonathan Mejia was 2x4 with 1 2B. 

Man of the Match: Kent Emanuel

DSL Astros (35-31) 9.0 GB

The Astros lost 6-1 to the Indians. Edwin Villarroel threw 4 IP and allowed 3H/4R with 2K:3BB. Juan Hernandez went 1 IP and gave up 1H/1R with 1 K. Junior Garcia and Geronimo Franzua each turned in 1 scoreless IP. Carlos Vazquez threw .2 IP and gave up 1H/1R with 1K:2BB. Juan Delis threw 1.1 IP with 1 K. 

Kristian Trompiz was 1x3 with 1 BB and 1 R.

Man of the Match: Kristian Trompiz

Playoff Report: Sept 11

Two good nights for the Astros affiliates...

Lancaster

Heading into Game 4 against High Desert, up 2-1, the JetHawks didn't get off to a great start, allowing three first inning runs. The JetHawks got one back in the bottom of the inning, but it was 3-1 High Desert going into the 4th. The teams traded runs, with the JetHawks scoring one in the bottom of the 5th and two in the bottom of the 6th inning to take a 5-4 lead. High Desert answered with two runs in the top of the 7th for a 6-5 lead. Then the 8th inning happened, and Lancaster scored four runs to provide the final margin - 9-6 - and clinch the South Division Championship.

Nick Tropeano allowed 9H/4R (3ER), 6K:1BB; Carlos Quevedo allowed 1H/2ER, 2K:2BB in 0.2IP (both runs allowed by Pat Urckfitz). Jorge De Leon got the win with 1.2IP, 0H/0ER, 1K:1BB.

Rafy Valenzuela was 3x4 with a double and 2RBI, Delino DeShields (BB, 3R) and Erik Castro (2B, BB, 3R) had two hits each. Jio Mier had 2RBI.

Man of the Match: Rafael Valenzuela.

The Cal League Championship Series begins Saturday against an opponent to be determined.

Tri-City

Hudson Valley's Luke Maile hit a two-run homer in the top of the 1st, and the Hudson Valley ValleyGirls (I'm 99% sure that's not what they're called) added another on to give them a 3-0 lead after the 1st. Tri-City roared back (get it?) with two runs in the 2nd and 3rd for a 4-3 lead that held up until the 9th, when Hudson Valley tied it up at 4-4. The ValleyCats got three straight singles to lead off the bottom of the 10th and Preston Tucker hit a deep fly ball to right, scoring Ryan Dineen from 3rd, and putting them one win away from their 2nd NYPL title in three years.

Juri Perez allowed 3H/3ER, 4K:3BB; Vincent Velasquez allowed just 2H/1ER (the game-tying homer in the top of the 9th), 2K:1BB in 3.1IP of relief, and John Neely got the final five outs for the win.

Austin Elkins (HR, 2RBI) and Ryan Dineen (2B) had two hits each; Joe Sclafani was 1x3 with 2BB. Dan Gulbransen hit a two-run homer in the 2nd inning.

Man of the Match: Everyone gets the MotM.

Tuesday morning draft notes

Back after an unexpected absence yesterday, so let's just pretend it didn't happen...

6th Round pick Brett Phillips has signed. His deal includes a $300,000 signing bonus and a clause that the Astros will pay for his college tuition. Phillips will start out at Kissimmee in the GCL, according to his adviser (who also happens to be the son of his head coach):
“The plan is to get Brett into the system and fast track him through the minors."

25th Round pick Ryan Dineen will sign with the Astros. Dineen's now-former head coach Jim Schmitz:
“We feel awful losing him. Losing Ryan as a junior is really putting a big hole in our lineup."

33rd Round pick Mike Hauschild has signed, and will report to Greeneville. Hauschild:
“I didn’t have the year I wanted to at UD, but the Astros took a chance on me, and it took a huge load off my shoulders when I heard I’d get a chance.”

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.

25-759: SS Ryan Dineen

With the 1st pick in the 25th Round (759th overall), the Astros select 6'2" 205lb 21-year old lefty SS Ryan Dineen, out of Eastern Illinois University.

Dineen hit .335/.429/.490 for EIU in 57 games (56 starts), with 17 XBH, 27Ks and a team-high 32 walks. He also stole 15 of 23 bases and posted a .935 Fld%.

2012 was a massive improvement over 2011, when he hit .198/.297/.261 in 41 games as a sophomore, with a .923 Fld%.

Dineen is a two-time EIU Athlete of the Week, hitting .643 for the week of May 14, and was named to the 2012 OVC All-Tournament Team.