Happy Minor League Opening Day!

While the Padres are enjoying their third day off in the season’s first eight days, their four full-season minor-league affiliates kick off the 2011 schedule on Thursday. Here’s a little something to help you follow along from wherever you may be…

Triple-A Tucson Padres

The T-Padres open at Colorado Springs. Wade LeBlanc gets the start, with first pitch at 4:05 p.m. PT. Tucson players to watch include RHP Simon Castro, RHP Evan Scribner, 1B Anthony Rizzo, INF Everth Cabrera, INF Logan Forsythe, and OF Aaron Cunningham.

Double-A San Antonio Missions

The Missions open at Northwest Arkansas. Anthony Bass gets the start, with first pitch at 4:00 p.m. PT. San Antonio players to watch include RHP Anthony Bass, RHP Brad Brach, RHP Casey Kelly, LHP Joshua Spence, SS Drew Cumberland, 3B James Darnell, OF Jaff Decker, and OF Blake Tekotte.

High-A Lake Elsinore Storm

The Storm open at home against San Jose. Matt Lollis gets the start, with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. PT. Lake Elsinore players to watch include RHP Matt Lollis, RHP Jerry Sullivan, C Jason Hagerty, SS Jonathan Galvez, 3B Jedd Gyorko, 3B Edinson Rincon, 2B Jeudy Valdez, OF Reymond Fuentes, and OF Rymer Liriano. Also, OF Eric Patterson is rehabbing there.

Low-A Fort Wayne TinCaps

The TinCaps open at home against South Bend. Keyvius Sampson gets the start, with first pitch at 4:05 p.m. PT. Fort Wayne players to watch include RHP Zach Cates, RHP Adys Portillo, RHP Keyvius Sampson, OF Donavan Tate, and OF Everett Williams.

I knew I would forget something important… Also, be sure to visit our friends at MadFriars for more info about Padres minor leaguers.

There you go. Get out to the ballpark, or hover ’round the Internet like we did when we were kids.

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13 Responses »

  1. Finally.

    Definitely looking forward to my time in Fort Wayne, and I’ll be seeing the TinCaps play in several other places throughout the Midwest League as well.

    I’ll be sure to take some good pictures.

  2. Hey Tug, have a great trip and be safe out there. I look forward to your reports from the road.

  3. Correction: the Tucson/Colo Spgs game is at 6:05 MDT (5:05 PDT). I see that LeBlanc is starting tonight. Any idea who is starting the other games?

  4. Last year, the Padres announced in late March the minor league players who’d hit a wall and were released. This year, I’d heard of Kellen Kulbacki via twitter, and noticed Josh Geer wasn’t on the Tucson roster, but that’s it. Now I’m wondering who else was cut from the organization, and why there’s no announcement.

  5. Keyvius Sampson is getting the year off to an awesome start at Fort Wayne. 6 perfect innings with 10 Ks! Next pitcher Chase Marona gave up a hit in the seventh though.

  6. Friarhood looks to be doing a daily 1-page summary of the minor league games …

    http://www.friarhood.com/on-the-farm/daily-farm-round-up/789-daily-farm-round-up-opening-day-edition.html

  7. Larry, some other guys who are gone:
    RHP Dex Carter (who subsequently signed back with the White Sox, meaning Richard is the only man standing from the Peavy trade)
    RHP Alessio Angelucci
    RHP Mike DeMark
    RHP Rob Gariano
    RHP Byran Oland (it was a bad week to be a low name-rec/nice performance righty reliever!)
    RHP Nick Schumacher,
    RHP Rod Scurry (a particular blow for me as a fan of the early-80s Pirates and/or cocaine)
    C/1B/OF Mitch Canham
    OF Houston Slemp
    OF Gunnar Terhune

    From the journeyman big league/minor league collection, they’ve cut ties with
    RHP Geoff Geary
    RHP Mike Koplove
    2B David Newhan
    Pick-a-spot Oscar Salazar

  8. @David

    Poreda still works for us, even if he does a lot of work for the opposing hitters’ OBP too.

  9. I’m surprised to see Mitch Canham released. Another first rounder. Gunnar Terhune is another surprise. He was just drafted last year. I think he was the Padres last pick in the last round, but still, to get cut from rookie ball after just a few games!

    I realize players get hurt, especially pitchers, and some guys don’t have the mental makeup to succeed, but I get the feeling that a couple guys got squeezed out in logjams at some spots, and the Padres may be clearing the decks for the extra draft choices they have in June.

  10. IMO, Mitch Canham had the mental makeup to succeed … just not as much talent as that makeup had led folks to think they saw as he was leading Oregon State to 3 straight College World Series appearances and 2 straight CWS championships.

    On the other hand, the shortstop of all 3 of those teams is now playing for the Cubs … Darwin Barney … and after seeing him at-bat for 3 years, I’d have given him ZERO chance to advance much past A-ball … so what do I know!

    Go Beavs!

    ps. Padres still have 3 Beavers on the AA San Antonio Missions … Jorge Reyes (MVP, as a freshman, of that last CWS) + Dan Robertson + Eddie Kunz

  11. @Larry: Geer is still with the club. He starts today (Saturday).

    @David: Thanks for the info… and nice use of word “blow” in Scurry reference.