Crawdads' roster features 18 from Spokane team

The Texas Rangers' farmhands, apparently packing a winning attitude, have landed in Hickory.

Of the 25 players on the Hickory Crawdads' roster, 18 were members of the Rangers' Northwest League championship team at Spokane (Wash.) last year.

"It's a pretty good feeling," Hector Ortiz, the Crawdads' new manager, said in his office before a team workout Tuesday. "They know what it takes to win and they know how it feels to win.

"It's a good 18 guys to have."

The Crawdads, South Atlantic League affiliates of the Pittsburgh Pirates for the last 10 years, will be playing their first season as a farm club of the Rangers.

The team will open its schedule Thursday night at home (7 p.m.) against Bowling Green (Ky.), which has replaced Columbus (Ga.) in the SAL's only franchise move this year.

The Crawdads' fans, who watched the Pirates' last Hickory team go 52-87 last summer, have reason to expect a much better record this year. Spokane, featuring some outstanding pitchers, went 51-25 in the 2008 regular season.

"They're going to see a very aggressive team on the basepaths and some exciting pitching," Ortiz, who is in his first season as a manager, said, " and they're going to enjoy a lot of winning baseball.

"These guys showed me how much they wanted to win, even in spring training."

PITCHING

Ortiz called his pitchers, four of whom are from Venezuela, the strongest part of the team.

"Out of my 13 pitchers, all are prospect guys," the manager said. "All these guys have a good chance of being in the major leagues someday."

Wilfredo Boscan, who probably will start Thursday's opener, had a 9-1 record to lead the Northwest League in wins and ranked fourth in the league with a 3.12 ERA last season.

Carlos Pimentel went 6-3 for the Spokane Indians and had the Northwest League's fifth-best ERA (3.31).

Left-hander Martin Perez had only a 1-2 record but turned in the league's seventh-lowest ERA last year. He is scheduled to share Friday's pitching duties with Jacob Brigham, a sixth-round draft choice in 2006 who missed last season because of an injury.

Left-hander Richard Bleier, the Rangers' sixth-round pick in June, was 4-5 with a 4.02 ERA at Spokane.

Left-hander Cliff Springston, who pitched in relief for Spokane, has joined the starting rotation for the Crawdads.

Boscan and Pimentel both are only 19 years old and Perez, who was rated the second-best prospect in the Northwest League, reached his 18th birthday on Saturday.

HITTING

"We've got a pretty good offensive team," Ortiz said. "We're coming out of a real good spring training."

First baseman Clark Murphy, another 19-year-old, was the Rangers' fifth-round draft choice out of high school last June. He batted .358 in 25 games in the Arizona League, for rookies.

Right fielder Michael Bianucci, an eighth-round draft selection in June, hit .316 and had Spokane's best OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) in 114 at-bats.

Ninth-round pick Jared Bolden, an outfielder who is expected to be the Crawdads' designated hitter Thursday, tied for the team lead with 48 runs at Spokane.

Third baseman Matt West, a second-round pick in 2007, also scored 48 runs for the Indians.
Center fielder David Paisano was Spokane's RBI leader with 44 and catcher Doug Hogan led the Indians in home runs with seven.

Eric Fry, a .296 hitter at Spokane, will be in right field.

DEFENSE

"Defensively, we're not where we want to be," Ortiz said. "We have to make sure we can catch the ball behind these pitchers here."

Paisano, one of six Venezuelans on the squad, might be a defensive standout.

"He can go get it," Ortiz said. "He's a guy who can be a 'five-tool' player in his career."

FAN FARE

Beginning with the opener, beverages will be sold for $1 at each of the Thursday home games, as usual, at L.P. Frans Stadium.

Fireworks displays again will be held after every Friday game and on July 4.

All of the Crawdads' home night games will start at 7 p.m. and their Sunday home games all will begin at 3 p.m.