Yardbarker: Renyel Pinto

Marlins may look to move some interesting pieces..

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:33:00 -0500

The core of this Marlins team has been together since 2006 and while they've put together a winning record in two of the four seasons, they still have not created any substantial attendance numbers. While there is hope with the new stadium, that doesn't financially help the organization now. It doesn't appear that they will have another fire sale, but several players will become available who will be reaching their expensive arbitration years.Despite being in the same division the...

Odds & Ends: Beckett, Marlins, Dunn, Cubs

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:44:00 -0500

Here's some links to check out while waiting for what might be the final start in the great careers of Andy Pettitte and Pedro Martinez... WEEI.com's Rob Bradford mentions that Josh Beckett "isn’t likely to take a hometown discount" to stay with the Red Sox. Yesterday we learned that the two sides plan to meet in the coming weeks to discuss a contract extension. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro answers some hot stove related questions in his mailbag today. He ...

Offseason Outlook: Florida Marlins

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:19:15 -0500

Next up in our Offseason Outlook series, the Marlins. Their likely commitments for 2010: C - John Baker - $400KC - Ronny Paulino - $440K+1B - Jorge Cantu - $3.5MM+2B - Dan Uggla - $5.35MM+SS - Hanley Ramirez - $7MM3B - Emilio Bonifacio - $400KIF/OF - Alfredo Amezaga - $1.3MM+1B/3B - Wes Helms - $950KLF - Chris Coghlan - $400KCF - Cody Ross - $2.225MM+RF - Brett Carroll - $400KOF - Cameron Maybin - $400K? - SP - Ricky Nolasco - $2.4MM+SP - Josh Johnson - $1.4MM+SP - Chris Volstad...

Game #125: Marlins @ Braves

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:35:45 -0500

Turner Field - 1:30 PM - Ricky Nolasco vs Derek LoweBOXThe Marlins fought back from an early three run deficit to take the lead at the midway point of Sunday afternoon's rubber match against the Braves but a late decision by Fredi Gonzalez to pitch to Brian McCann rather than walk him to load the bases and put the double play in order led to their downfall. McCann singled back up the middle, knocking in two runs which wound up being the difference in a 7-5 loss.Ricky Nolasco: 4.1 IP, 9 H,...

Blogservations 06/26/09, Rays 7, Marlins 3

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:33:27 -0500

Late Blogservations today, I apologize. Let’s get right to this mess. The bullpen, oh the bullpen… In what was otherwise a tight matchup between two evenly matched starters, what broke the Marlins last night was the performance of their bullpen. Burke Badenhop allowed two hits after two fly ball outs, and Renyel Pinto began the trouble immediately [...]

Meyer Gets the Save

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:04:16 -0500

Dan Meyer does indeed get the closer job in the absence of Matt Lindstrom. Renyel Pinto sets him up and Meyer pitches a perfect ninth as the Marlins defeat the Orioles 5-2. That’s a nice, easy way for Meyer to earn the first save of his career. Cody Ross starred at the plate with [...]

Renyel Pinto reinstated

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:57:16 -0500

Renyel Pinto returns from the DL. On Friday, the Marlins announced Pinto was returned from his rehab assignment and reinstated on the 25-man roster. Right-hander Cristhian Martinez was optioned to Double-A Jacksonville. Pinto had been on the disabled list with left elbow inflammation, retroactive to May 23. That was quick rehab assignment in New Orleans, especially considering he only appeared in two games and threw two innings total. But, hey, I'm not complaining. ...

Yankees @ Marlins Series Preview

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:00:00 -0500

Yankees @ MarlinsLand Shark Stadium(three games)After thoroughly embarrassing themselves against the Nationals this week at the new stadium, the Yankees set out on a nine-game road trip through the NL East. The trip begins with three games in Florida against the Marlins starting tonight.The Yankees head into this trip with a 37-29 record, and in second place in the AL East, three games behind first place Boston. They lead the wild card by just one game over the Angels and Blue Jays, and two...

Marlins DL News

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:56:36 -0500

There is some news about a couple of the Marlins presently on the DL. Alfredo Amezaga's recovery from a deep bone bruise in his left knee continues to go slowly. Gonzalez said that Amezaga, who has been on the disabled list since May 17, might not be ready to rejoin the Marlins until after the All-Star break in July. Left-handed reliever Renyel Pinto, meanwhile, could be available by the weekend when the Marlins and New York Yankees play a three-game series at LandShark Stadium. P...

Every Game and Every Inning Counts - Cubs 2 Marlins 8

Fri, 01 May 2009 00:11:12 -0500

Game Twenty-One - Cubs 2 Marlins 8 - 10 innings WP - Renyel Pinto (2-0) LP - Aaron Heilman (2-1) Save - None Lou Piniella's crew finished the first month of the season with a 10-11 record and dropped below the .500 mark for the first time since April 5, 2008. For a team that was expected to run away with the Central Division they have not played anywhere near expectations. Ron Santo summed up the Cubs first twenty-one games during the top of the tenth inning, "When you look at...

Zambrano still Cray-Zee

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 02:10:32 -0500

Hat tip to Bleacher Nation for the find, but it appears that Carlos Zambrano has duped us all. Official rosters are set to be announced tomorrow but SI.com has the scoop on Team Venezuela.

Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs will stand in for Santana on the mound while sluggers Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers will lead Venezuela's offense, according to the line-up released on Monday by Edwin Zerpa, president of the Venezuelan Baseball Federation.

In addition to Santana, Anibal Sanchez, Angel Guzman, Maicer Izturis and Renyel Pinto will not be participating, mostly because their respective Major League teams would not clear them. Others did not want to risk injuries.

Zambrano was not originally expected to join the line-up, but the Cubs decided to clear him.

No good will come of this.

Cubs Finally Get Pevey

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:31:55 -0500

And it's about time!

The Cubs have announced their minor league field staff for 2009, and while a lot of attention is given to the promotion of Ryne Sandberg from?Peoria?to AA Tennessee, there were some other noteworthy moves made as well. ?

First of all,?AAA Iowa manager Pat Listach (2008 PCL Manager of the Year) accepted an offer to be 1st base coach with the Washington Nationals, and?he?will?probably receive?strong consideration to replace?Manny Acta should Washington GM Jim Bowden decide to make a mangerial change during or after next season. The Cubs should have made Listach?their 3rd base coach and infield coach a year ago, but oh, well...

Replacing Listach as Iowa manager?will be Bobby Dickerson, who has served as the organization's roving minor league infield & bunting instructor for the past couple of years, beginning his year?at minor league camp in Mesa in March, then traveling from city to city, spending a week at each affiliate during the season (April through August) before reporting to Fitch Park for the AZ Instructional League in September-October.

But before coordinating infield & bunting instruction,?Dickerson was a very successful minor league manager with the Cubs,?most notably as skipper of the Southern League Champion West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in 2002 and then the manager of what was arguably?the best Cubs minor league team of recent times, the 2005?West Tenn?Diamond Jaxx.

Bobby D's?'05 Jaxx?featured?twenty (that's right, 20) future major leaguers, including Carlos Marmol, Ricky Nolasco, Sean Marshall, Rich Hill, Felix Pie, Ryan Theriot,?Micah Hoffpauir, Eric Patterson, David Aardsma, Matt Murton, Renyel Pinto, Jae-kuk Ryu, Rocky Cherry, Luis Montanez, Jose Reyes. Buck Coats, Ryan O'Malley, Adam Greenberg, Casey McGehee, and Carmen Pignatiello, and it isn't much of a stretch to give Dickerson at least some of the credit for the players' development

In my opinion, Bobby Dickerson is the best manager in the Cubs organization, and his talent was somewhat misused?the last three?years while he served?as a roving?instructor. Not that he wasn't any?good at it (he did a fine job), just that his talents would seem to be better utilzyed as a manager at the AA or AAA level. Hitting Coach Von Joshua and pitching coach Mike Mason return to Iowa in 2009. ??????????

As has been extensively reported elsewhere in the media, Ryne Sandberg has been moved up from Peoria to?AA Tennessee, where?Ryno will manage the Smokies in 2009.?Sandberg seemingly had a rather frustrating season?at Peoria in 2008, as he was thrown out of a number of games after being perplexed by the mediocre skill level of the umpires?in the Midwest League. The umpiring should be better at AA, but I still am not sure how much longer Sandberg is going to want to travel around the?hinterlands by bus. I think it's pretty clear he has his heart set on becoming a big league manager ASAP.

Buddy Bailey was the manager at AA last season, after having previously managed at Daytona and AAA Iowa and after serving as the organization's roving catching instructor in one other season. Bailey has been around?the minors a long time (mostly in the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox organizations), and he does a good job no matter what role he is assigned. So it isn't a "demotion" for him to move from Tennessee to Daytona. It is just a matter of making room for Sandberg at AA. Longtime Daytona hitting instructor?Richie Zisk (he lives down there) and new D-Cubs pitching coach Tom Pratt (who was the pitching coach at Boise last season) will work with Bailey. A member of the South Side Hit Men in 1977, Zisk hit 207 HR in his 13-year MLB playing career. ?

2008?Daytona Cubs?manager Jody Davis has been reassigned as the organization's roving catching instructor.?I'm not sure if this is exactly the best role for Jo-Dee, especially since he was an "offensive-first" catcher in his playing days.?

Jody's predecessor as the organization's roving catching instructor was Casey Kopitzke, and he actually was an outstanding defensive catcher in his playing days in the Cubs organization.?But Casey quite obviously is a bright guy?with a future as a manager, so he has been named the manager at short-season Boise for 2009. As Boise manager, Kopitzke will run Extended Spring Training at Fitch Park April-June and will manage the EXST Cubs.?Kopitzke's pitching coach will be David Rosario (he was the pitching coach at Daytona last year) and the hitting coach will be?ex-SF OF Desi Wilson (he was hitting coach at Peoria last season). ?Standing?6'7, the players really look up to Wilson. ??

Last year's manager at Boise was Tom Beyers, and he had been a long-time organizational hitting instructor in the Cubs and Dodgers organization before trying his hand at managing.?Beyers spent a lot of time working with the Boise and Mesa hitters at Fitch Park last Spring, as he served as the de facto hitting instructor a lot of days. (Boise hitting coach Josh Arteaga?apparently was not invited to return in 2009). With Casey Kopitzke taking over as the?Boise manager, Beyers has been reassigned as hitting coach on Ryne Sandberg's staff at?Tennesee, where?the best Cubs minor league pitching coach (Dennis Lewallyn) will be returning for his third season.

Sandberg's replacement as manager at Peoria will be the organization's new guy, 46-year old Marty Pevey, who has been both a major league?coach and minor league coach and manager with the Toronto Blue Jays over the past 13?years.?Pevey was a catcher in his playing days (he got a "cup of coffee" with the Montreal Expos in?1989). Rich Bombard will return to the Peoria Chiefs as pitching coach in 2009, and ex-DET OF Barbaro Garbey will be the Chiefs hitting instructor (he was hitting coach at AA Tennessee last season).

The AZL Mesa Cubs play at Fitch Park after the Boise Hawks leave for Idaho in June, and the AZL Cubs will be managed by Juan Cabreja, who the manager for the DSL Cubs #1 team in the DSL last season. Cabreja replaces Franklin Font as the AZL Cubs manager, as Font has been reassigned as the organization's roving infield & bunting instructor (replacing Bobby Dickerson).?Font seemed a bit over his head last year as AZL Cubs manager. Rick Tronerud returns as the AZL Cubs pitching?coach, and Ricardo Medina returns as the AZL Cubs hitting coach. The avuncular Tronerud is the guy who is responsible for converting position players to pitcher at Fitch Park.?

The Cubs will continue to operate two clubs in the Dominican Summer League (DSL Cubs #1 and DSL Cubs #2), with Alberto Garcia (a one Cubs minor league 1B)?the new manager?for DSL Cubs #1 (replacing Carbreja) and Venezuelan?Franklin?Blanco returning as manager of DSL Cubs #2 (Blanco was the Cubs coach assigned to the Twins/Cubs co-op team in the Venezuelan Summer League in 2007). Leo Hernandez returns as pitching coach and ex-MLB INF Ramon Caraballo returns as hitting coach for DSL Cubs #1, while?Anderson Tavarez (who was a pitcher in th Cubs organization for several seasons) returns as pitching coach for DSL Cubs #2. Leonel Perez, who served as a player-coach ("mentor") at Daytona in 2008 after blowing out his arm following?a conversion from catcher to pitcher a couple of years ago, has been hired as the DSL Cubs #2 hitting coach. ?

Carmelo Martinez?will return as?the?Cubs Dominican?Field Coordinator (he basically oversees the two DSL Cubs teams).?Melo Carmelo was the temporaray manager of the Peoria club last August, the night of the big brawl at Dayton, when pitcher Julio Castillo got arrested for aggravated battery and SS Gian Guzman suffered a broken leg (Ryne Sandberg was at Cooperstown that weekend).??

Besides Jody Davis being reassigned as the organizaation's roving catching instructor and Franklin Font being reassigned to the position of?roving?infield/bunting instructor, the organization's Hitting Coordinator (Dave Keller),?Pitching Coordinator (Mark Riggins), and Outfield/Baserunning Instructor Bobby Dernier?(with Sandberg, the other half of the Cubs "Daily Double" in 1984-85) return to the same jobs?in 2009.

30-year old Danny Fatheree (Kerry Wood's catcher in HS) was re-signed to a minor league player contract for 2009, but he will probably once again actually serve as a player-coach ("mentor") for the young Cubs catchers at Fitch Park, helping kids like Matt Cerda learn the finer points of?catching. I think Fatheree would make an outstanding manager some day.?And 26-year old?Korean OF Min-Kyu Sung (who played college ball in the U. S. at Nebraska-Omaha) will be back with the Cubs in 2009, serving as a player-coach ("mentor")?wherever the young Korean?kids (Rhee, Lee, Min, and Ha) are located.??????

One-time Cubs 3rd base coach?and long-time minor league manager Dave Bialas continues to serve as the Cubs Minor League Field Coordinator, supervising the organization's roving instructors and?the managers and coaches with the eight Cubs minor league clubs. Bialas reports directly?to?Oneri Fleita.

Player Personnel Director Fleita is a bilingual Cuban-American from Miami who was an All-MVC catcher?at Creighton in the 1980's,?where he played for Coach Jim Hendry.?Fleita played briefly?in the?minor leagues?with the Orioles, before becoming a successful minor league manager in the Baltimore system.?Fleita?was hired by Hendry as a minor league manager?after Hendry was named the Cubs Player Development Director in 1994, and then Hendry appointed Oneri?the Cubs Latin American Scouting Coordinator in 1997 after Hendry took over as the (combined) Scouting?& Player Development?Director.?Fleita?replaced Hendry as the Director of?Player Development in 2000 when Hendry was appointed Assistant GM, and then Fleita was?promoted to the position of "VP - Player Personnel" in 2007.?He?gives a lot of?attention?to the Cubs minor league operations in Latin America.?

Cubs Deny Mariners, Close In On GM

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:10:40 -0500

Mariners executives contacted Cubs president Crane Kenney hoping to get permission to interview Cubs GM Jim Hendry, who has one year left on his contract. The Cubs denied their request and appear to be closing in on a three year extension with Hendry, who has built this Cubs team to two division championships. While he has traded some strong prospects away, they have made pretty good drafting decisions and are ready for a long term run atop the division. Bruce Miles breaks down some of the good and bad moves Jim Hendry has made over the course of his time with the Cubs.A
Personally, A I think the best move he made was trading Bobby Hill, Matt Bruback, and Jose Hernandez to the Pirates for Aramis Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, and Randall Simon.A
One of his worst...probably trading Ricky Nolasco, Renyel Pinto, and Sergio Mitre to the Marlins for Juan Pierre.A
This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Mets Leapfrog Fish: Mets-Marlins Series Recap

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 17:24:38 -0500

The Mets were in third place on Friday, and looking for revenge against the Marlins after their series loss in Florida. When the weekend ended they found themselves in second place after taking two out of three against the Fish. The Mets are now 7-5 against Florida, with six games remaing versus their division rival. Friday, Mets 3-0: Aaron Heilman Is Rollie Fingers Aaron Heilman came into the game in the eighth inning and picked up an old-fashioned two-inning save (not even Billy Wagner can do that). Six batters up, six batters down. Where the heck has that been? I think I even saw traces of a handlebar mustache as he walked off the field after the game. The first seven innings belonged to Oliver Perez. He loaded the bases in the second inning, but MacGyvered his way out of the jam, and pretty much cruised the rest of the way. The wacky lefty threw 120 pitches (why can't Johan Santana do that?) in seven innings, struck out eight and walked three. He's now 7-0 against teams that are .500 or better. Casey Stengel would often skip Whitey Ford's turn in the rotation to save him for the better teams. Maybe Jerry Manuel should give Perez the Whitey Ford treatment. Ollie also reached base on a Hanley Ramirez error. There's only one word for Ramirez's fielding: brutal. David Wright followed up his Thursday heroics with another two-run bomb in the first inning. Carlos Delgado added his 24th blast of the year. And Daniel Murphy keeps impressing, going two for three with a walk. Saturday, Mets 8-6: Murphy Scripts Happy Recap There's a new folk hero at Shea, and his name is Daniel Murphy. The rookie smashed his first career home run, when he took lefty reliever Renyel Pinto the opposite way for a two-run, pinch-hit, game-sealing tater. Murphy looks like the real deal. David Wright and Carlos Beltran each had three hits, with Beltran hitting a home run and picking up three RBIs. It was the center fielder's first long ball in 82 at bats. He was also back in the cleanup spot for a day. It looks like their slumps are over. Carlos Delgado also went yard. What else is new? On the mound, Brian Stokes made his Mets debut, and didn't completely fall down and embarrass himself. He went 5.2 innings, giving up four runs on two two-run homers, seven hits, one walk and struck out six. He also singled in his first big league at bat. It's looks like he may stay with the Mets and shift to the bullpen. And how about that new closer? Aaron Heilman notched his second consecutive save. In his last three games he has a win and two saves and hasn't given up a hit. Fielding-wise, Fernando Tatis made a circus catch on the opening play of the game, but only because he completely misplayed the ball in the first place and almost tripped over the clown car on the way there. And Murphy butchered a Mike Jacobs double in left. Hey, he's not perfect. Sunday, Marlins 8-2: Pelfrey Can't Beat the Marlins This was a blah, you-can't-win-'em-all game. The Bad: Mike Pelfrey. He only lasted 4.2 innings and just didn't have it today. He got tagged for six runs on seven hits and three walks. His last three loses have all come against Florida. Eddie Kunz made his third big league appearance and promptly threw a wild pitch with the bases loaded. And the offense couldn't really get anything going all game. The good: David Wright and Jose Reyes drove in runs and Daniel Murphy kept his hitting streak going. And Pelfrey hit Cody Ross in the back, possible payback for Wright getting buzzed on Saturday. Ross was yelling in pain before the ball even hit him. I haven't heard somebody screaming and crying like that since, oh, about an hor ago, when I told my daughter she can't have anymore cookies. The old Mets organist Jane Jarvis was at Shea today. Bring back the organ and get rid of the ear-splitting cacophony they have now, please. And it was good to see the Mets wearing their pinstripes with the blue hats two games in a row. No more black; the '90s are over.