Soto Streaking Again

Last summer, Lowell outfielder Luis Soto entertained Spinners fans with a 20-game hit streak from July 11th to August 1st, hitting .358 (29-for-81) over that span. 

Soto is sizzling again, this time in South Carolina with the Red Sox Single A Affiliate Greenville Drive, already riding an 11-game hitting streak, in which he's hit .340 (16-for-47). Can he reach 20 for the second year in a row?

What do you remember most about Soto as a Spinner? His hit streak? His home runs? 

Former Spinners tops in the Minors, too

Former Spinners Kevin Youkilis (2001), Jonathan Papelbon (2003), and Hanley Ramirez (2002) are already taking the Major Leagues by storm, and each is already atop various MLB leaderboards.

In the minors, many more former Spinners are flourishing. Check out some of the highlights to date:

• Abe Alvarez, SP - Pawtucket Red Sox: Alvarez leads the Triple-A International League with a 3-0 record. He also sports a miniscule 1.96 ERA in 23 innings of work.
• Anibal Sanchez, SP - Carolina Mudcats: Sanchez rolled through the New York-Penn League in 2004, leading the league in both ERA and strikeouts. After four games with Carolina, he has 23 strikeouts in 22.2 innings and a 2.36 ERA.
• Jacoby Ellsbury, OF - Wilmington Blue Rocks: Solid at the plate with the Spinners last year, Ellsbury made his mark in Lowell with stellar defense and baserunning ability. He's already in High-A Wilmington, and he's third in the league in the following categories: batting average (.333), stolen bases (6), and hits (20).
• Tommy Hottovy, SP - Wilmington Blue Rocks: A 2004 Spinner, Hottovy is on fire this year. His 1.54 ERA is fourth-best in the league. He enjoys a 2-1 record after 23 innings pitched.
• Andrew Dobies, SP - Wilmington Blue Rocks: Dobies follows Hottovy in the ERA race with a 1.69 mark in 16 innings. His 2-0 record is tied for the best in the league.
• Jeff Natale, INF - Greenville Drive: It's hard to remember a time when Natale wasn't atop the leader boards. After hitting .400 in Lowell last year before being promoted, Natale is now batting .373 with four home runs. He is among the league leaders in batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. He's also tied for first in the league with 15 runs scored.

It's early in the season, but a bunch of former Spinners are already off to hot starts. It's great to see former Spinners taking their talents all over the country and succeeding!

Which former Spinner are you following in the minors? In the Majors? Comment below to let us know!

Spinners Round-Up

Yesterday was another big day for former Spinners in the Major Leagues.

• Jonathan Papelbon - RP, Boston: Records Major League Leading seventh save. Papelbon still has yet to allow a run to cross the plate while on the mound.
• Hanley Ramirez - SS, Florida: In the best performance of his short Major League career, leadoff hitter Hanley Ramirez belted two home runs, going 3-for-6 with four RBI. The 2002 Spinner boosted his batting average to .364, and his 15 runs scored tie him for fifth-best in the Major Leagues.
• Kevin Youkilis - 1B, Boston: Has two hits in each of the Red Sox last two games, and has keyed last-inning heroics for the team in both games. Youk, a Spinner in 2001, is now batting .318 with a .426 OBP. His five doubles are tied for the most on the Red Sox.
• Casey Fossum - SP, Tampa Bay: Former Spinner Casey Fossum started against the Red Sox last night and turned in a decent performance, lasting 6.1 innings while allowing only two earned runs.
• Freddy Sanchez - 3B, Pittsburgh: Slick-fielding Freddy Sanchez went 0-for-1 as a defensive replacement in Pittsburgh's 12-4 win over the Cardinals last night.
• Josh Hancock - RP, St. Louis: In his longest outing of the year, the 1998 Spinner allowed only one hit, but it was a Jack Wilson homerun.
• Shea Hillenbrand - DH, Toronto: Hillenbrand, the most recent Dick Berardino Alumni Award winner, went 1-for-4 en route to a Blue Jays 10-5 win over the Yankees.
• Adam Everett - SS, Houston: Everett boosted his batting average to .327 after last night's 3-for-4 showing in a 13-12 squeeker over Milwaukee. Everett, a Spinner in '98, has now recorded multiple-hits in the Astros last four games.
• Lew Ford - OF, Minnesota: Ford scored two runs and belted two hits last night, including a double. He also stole a base. Ford is batting .333 in limited action this season.
• Matt Murton - OF, Chicago (NL): Manning left-field for the Cubs, Murton went 1-for-4. The most recent former Spinner to make the Majors, Murton has become a mainstay in Chicago's lineup, racking up the second-most at-bats on the team.

It was a busy day for former Spinners. Who do you think had the better day?

Spinners Around the Majors

Former Spinners heating up on the major league diamonds

Chaz Scoggins’ latest Lowell Sun article details the 11 former Spinners on Major League Opening Day rosters. Perhaps the last of the 11 to secure a Major League spot, former Spinner Josh Hancock (1998), was the first to make big headlines:

“Hancock hasn’t spent a lot of time in the majors. But he earned a piece of history this week when he stopped the 38-game carryover hitting streak by Jimmy Rollins, inducing a fly to center in the Phillies shortstop’s final at-bat of the 39th game,” writes Scoggins.

Former Spinner Hanley Ramirez is enjoying his debut as the Marlins leadoff hitter and starting shortstop. To date he’s hitting .429, tied for fifth-best in the National League, with three extra-base hits and two stolen bases.

Meanwhile, Red Sox pitcher Jonathan Papelbon (2003) has struck out four while yeilding only one hit over four innings of scoreless relief. His three saves tie him for the most in the American League.

Which former Spinner do you think will have the best year in the Majors? Papelbon? Hanley? Somebody else?

Papelbon Saves the Sox

Beckett and Papelbon fire up Sox 

Well that didn't take long! In the first save chance of the season, Red Sox manager Terry Francona turned to Jonathan Papelbon, and Papelbon closed out the game with a scoreless ninth. He protected the one-run by striking out two and inducing a lazy pop-out. It was Papelbon's first professional save, although he was a closer in college.

Papelbon's save makes him the second former Spinner to record a Major League save. Who was the first? Leave your guess in the comments, and I'll give the answer next time.

Opening Day Round-Up

Baseball season has officially begun! Yesterday, most Major League teams began their seasons with Opening Day festivities. Among former Spinners taking the field for a Major League team were:

• Jonathan Papelbon, RP - Red Sox: one inning of hitless releif
• Kevin Youkilis, 1B - Red Sox: started at first base
• Hanley Ramirez, SS - Marlins: 1-for-4 as starting shortstop and lead-off hitter
• Adam Everett, SS - Astros: started at shortstop
• Josh Hancock, RP - Cardinals: .2 innings of scoreless relief
• David Eckstein, SS - Cardinals: 1-for-4 as starting shortstop and lead-off hitter
• Freddie Sanchez, 3B - Pirates: 0-for-1 in pinch hitting appearance

Did I miss any? Which had the best game? What's your take?