Happy Valley Hardball with a sabermetrics twist

Brandon King of Martinsburg West Virginia was a late recruiting prospect for PSU. King had verballed to Tennessee two years ago but the relationship between the two parties soured recently. King visited Penn State last week and there was some hope that he might choose the Nits to further his education.

Unfortunately, the Nationals sweetened the deal that they had offered their 21st round draftee by guaranteeing to pay his tuition at any school of his choice should he eventually walk away from baseball.

NEWARK, N.J. — Two years ago it appeared Nate Bump’s professional baseball career might be over.

The Towanda and Penn State graduate had been battling arm injuries that limited him to just six games in 2006 and none in 2007.

Last year Bump came back and had an effective year at Class AA Connecticut, but when this year started no big-league club came calling so Bump wound up in the independent Atlantic League.

On Tuesday at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, Bump took the mound on the biggest stage the Atlantic League has to offer as the starting pitcher of the league’s all-star game.


via All-star caliber | Sports | thedailyreview.com – The Daily & Sunday Review.

Blue Jays summon healthy arms, keep affiliate scrambling

By STEVE CARP

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

When a major league team loses its entire starting rotation to injury, that’s trouble.

And that trouble is guaranteed to cause considerable ripples for the team’s minor league affiliates.

Those are the predicaments the Toronto Blue Jays and the Las Vegas 51s are facing.

via Toronto injuries thin 51s’ pitching – Sports – ReviewJournal.com.

Dayton, Ohio—Miguel Rojas drilled a tie-breaking home run to left field leading off the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Dayton Dragons to a 5-4 victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps on Thursday night at Fifth Third Field.  It was the second “walk-off” win for the Dragons in Dayton this season.

via Dayton Dragons Nip West Michigan Whitecaps 5-4 – Midwest League – Minor League Baseball News – MLN – The Raw Feed – Baseball, hockey, basketball, football, lacrosse, auto racing, and soccer news from more than 800 teams..

He’ll be with the Vermont Lake Monsters in the NY Penn League; Unfortunately, the Spikes won’t be hosting the Lake Monsters this year so Gary won’t have a Medlar Field homecoming this season.

Now that the college draft is complete and the short season clubs are filling out their rosters, I’ll make a complete recap of where all the PSU alums are playing in a couple of weeks.

Righty aims to be known for more than just his name

By Jim Street / MLB.com

06/15/09 6:24 PM ET

SAN DIEGO — The last thing right-hander David Aardsma wants to be remembered for is the first pitch he threw in the Major Leagues.

That pitch, thrown on April 7, 2004, moved Aardsma ahead of former home run king Hank Aaron on the alphabetical list of players that have appeared in a Major League game.

via Aardsma settling in as a top closer | MLB.com: News.

MIKE CRANSTON

The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – One of nearly two dozen undrafted rookies with Carolina, Anthony Scirrotto faces long odds to make the Panthers’ regular-season roster.

Only the former Penn State safety has a fallback plan: professional baseball.

Sure, Scirrotto hasn’t played competitively since he was a power-hitting high school shortstop four years ago. But it didn’t stop the Kansas City Royals from taking him last week in the 50th and final round of the draft.

“This is my first priority, I want to play football,” Scirrotto said after Monday’s offseason workout with the Panthers. “But I look at (baseball) as a business opportunity.”

How Scirrotto got drafted in baseball and not football is a story that involves a pulled hamstring, a scout who got a bigger job, a high school coach who became a police detective but kept his baseball connections and a round of golf.

via Panthers rookie Scirrotto has baseball backup plan | AP | 06/15/2009.

Field expanded to 10 teams from each conference for unique college baseball event

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Following an inaugural event in which nearly 17,000 spectators attended games in a three-day period, the second Big Ten/BIG EAST Baseball Challenge, hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission, has been confirmed for the weekend of Feb. 26-28, 2010. The 2010 edition, to be held in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, FL, will feature 10 teams from each conference competing in 30 games and be managed by API Sports.

via The Buckeye Nine.

By Guy Cipriano – gciprian@centredaily.com

Cory Wine will become a third-generation professional baseball player this month. Anthony Scirrotto is trying to become a safety for the Carolina Panthers.

On Thursday, the former Penn State athletes shared something in common.

The Philadelphia Phillies selected Wine in the 38th round while the Kansas City Royals picked Scirrotto in the 50th round during the final day of the Major League Baseball Draft.

Wine spent four years playing first base for his father Robbie’s baseball team. Scirrotto started 38 games at safety over three years for Joe Paterno’s football team.

Wine, the grandson of former Philadelphia Phillies shortstop and coach Bobby Wine, will likely report to Williamsport next week to begin his professional career with the New York-Penn League’s Crosscutters

via Wine, Scirrotto selected on Day 3 | Penn State News | Sports – Centre Daily Times.

Matt is playing for the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League. Unfortunately, he’s not playing well, last on the team in hitting, batting only .188, has appeared in only 15 games, and has four errors already.