Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Phil Warren Talks About Grizzlies Roster

Paul Baillargeon Photo
Hello all!  Opening Day is getting closer and closer.  Gateway opens up EXH play on May 7th @ Southern Illinois against the Miners.  The season opener is May 17th in Avon, OH @ Lake Erie.  Can't wait!

I had my monthly Manager's Chat with Phil Warren this morning @ GCS Ballpark.  Below is the link to
the full interview with the Grizzlies skipper.

Manager's Chat with Phil Warren

Great stuff from Phil, as usual.  As he mentioned there is A LOT of pitching on the roster heading into Spring Training, which should make for some excellent competition.  There is roughly 10 guys who will be competing for 5 rotation spots.  With that said, some of the guys competing for rotation spots have bullpen experience and could end up being placed there.

Speaking of pitching, right-hander Jason Sullivan has been at the ballpark the last couple of weeks working out and getting ready for the season.  Sullivan was acquired in the Alex Kaminsky trade earlier this offseason.  Richard Barrett (who is also an instructor at the Grizzlies Baseball Academy) and Jason have been at the ballpark every day throwing and working out in preparation for the season.  I love to see that...guys who report to camp early, show dedication and a strong desire to succeed, are always guys I pull for.

Phil had an intriguing signing recently.  He brought in Mt. Zion, IL native Ryan Hartman, who is only 20 years old.  Hartman has been in professional baseball since 2010 after getting drafted in the 16th round by the Chicago Cubs out of High School.

He's a 6-3 lanky right-hander with three years of professional experience.  Hartman is by far the youngest player on the Grizzlies roster.  In High School he was one of the top pitchers in the state and averaged over two strikeouts per inning during his JR year.  Reports I have read say he has an outstanding curveball and a heater in the low 90's.  I'm interested to see how he performs in Spring Training.  

For more Grizzlies news follow me on twitter, @youngpbp.  Go Grizzlies!

     -Voice of the Gateway Grizzlies, Adam Young


Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Grizzlies Build Roster; Opening Day Approaches

Hello all!  Opening Day is only 48 days away and we are exactly one month away from the start of Spring Training at GCS Ballpark..baseball will be back shortly Grizzlies fans!

Photo courtesy of Paul Baillargeon
Grizzlies manager Phil Warren has been extremely busy filling up his roster.  Numerous acquisions lately with the biggest one being the return of pitcher Logan Mahon.  Logan spent the entire '12
season with the Grizzlies before getting picked up by the Baltimore Orioles following the season.  He was released last week and now returns.

Logan was an integral part of the stellar Gateway bullpen from a season ago.  The 24-year-old went 2-1 with a 2.54 ERA in 33 relief appearances.  Logan is a former SEMO Redhawk who was drafted by the Rockies in the 22nd round of the 2011 draft.  One of the interesting things Phil Warren told me the either day is "Logan could be used as a starter or reliever for us..he's versatile enough to do both."  So we'll see how he is used.  Either way this is a great addition a month before the team gets going.

Phil also signed pitchers Tucker Jensen and Danny Martony.  Jensen went to Embry-Riddle University
(same college as Grizzlies reliever Phil Reamy) and spent the last two seasons in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, reaching High-A Dunedin.  He went 5-6 with a 4.31 ERA in 26 appearances (22 starts) over the two seasons.  His strikeout/walk ratio was excellent and the Grizzlies skipper has high expectations for this 23-year-old right-hander from State College, PA.  Don't be surprised if he is a front of the rotation starter out of the gate.

Martony enters pro ball after a nice college career at Division I Oral Roberts University (Summit League) where he went 9-1 in his three seasons @ ORU.  He only had one start in college so expect him to come in as a bullpen guy.

Don't forget fans, single game tickets are on sale NOW.  Call 618.337.3000.

   Go Grizzlies!

     -Voice of the Grizzlies, Adam Young