Tag Archives: Deven Marrero

May 29, 2014 · 7:08 pm

Top Red Sox prospects litter Portland Sea Dogs roster

Mookie Betts and Deven Marrero

catcher Blake Swihart and pitcher Henry Owens

(Portland ME) Do you want to see the top Red Sox prospects? Portland, Maine should be your destination real soon.

The Portland Sea Dogs’ roster (according to MLB.com Prospect Watch) currently has three of the top five Red Sox prospects (Henry Owens, Blake Swihart, and Mookie Betts) as well as #13 Deven Marrero. Highly regarded Sean Coyle is also on the team along with recently arrived Bo Greenwell (Yes, Mike is his father.).

I was at Hadlock Field this morning/afternoon as the Sea Dogs pushed their won/loss record to 35-18 with a 2-1 win over the New Britain Rock Cats.

The Thursday weather for the 11AM start was downright awesome: sunny but not too hot.

Hoping to see some of the six prospects, I was blessed into a game in which all six took part. You talk about photo ops!

Henry Owens

#1 prospect Henry Owens was very impressive. The tall lefty went seven innings facing only twenty-five batters. Henry allowed three hits and kept the Rock Cats from making solid contact most of the time.

This was the first time I have seen #3 prospect Blake Swihart catch. Henry’s control gave Blake an easy-to-handle game.

I came to this game suspecting that it might be a last chance to see Mookie Betts (#5 prospect) in action. I am envisioning Pawtucket in his June future. The Sea Dogs centerfielder had a rare game for him………never got on base.

The best play I saw today? Easily it was what shortstop Deven Marrero did with Kennys Vargas’ grounder up the middle. It would have been a terrific play if Deven had just stopped the ball but he added to it by getting off the ground and getting the out at first. Granted, Kennys Vargas (6’5 – 275 pounds) appears to have David Ortiz-like speed, but the play was remarkable nonetheless. I have read in several places that Deven’s glove is major-league ready. Today I confirmed the fact for myself visually.

This young fan toasted Slugger

Mascot Slugger added to his losing streak as yet another young fan got the best of him circling the bases. This race should be under review because the young fan started halfway up the first baseline. This unfair start put Slugger way behind early and he just didn’t have the closing kick needed to win the race. Of course the way I saw it, the young fan should have been disqualified. I am starting to think these races may be fixed.

Plenty of Maine school kids in the house. There were some educational activities before the game and fun activities during the game. The Portland Sea Dogs management aims to please the attendees and again today they hit the target.

Thanks to Assistant GM Chris Cameron for arranging my visit.

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Deven Marrero dives back to first

Tony Thomas (former Sea Dog)

Sean Coyle

Mookie Betts signs

Henry Owens

Deven Marrero

Mookie Betts pregame

Blake Swihart

Deven Marrero

Blake Swihart

Nick Kvasnicka

Bo Greenwell

Deven Marrero steals second

pregame rocket launch

Mookie Betts, Blake Swihart, and Sean Coyle sighted at Portland Sea Dogs home opener

Peter Hissey and Sean Coyle

Sluggo circles Hadlock Field

(Portland ME) I saw my first home opener for the Portland Sea Dogs on Thursday night.

Cold, windy (normal April weather in these parts) but worth the trip.

I acquired a sense of urgency about getting to a game because of the terrific prospects that are on the Portland roster.

One thing I have learned the hard way is that prospects don’t always stay at AA very long. I missed seeing (photographing) both Matt Barnes and Anthony Ranaudo despite the fact that they were at Portland for quite a while.

Blake Swihart

So when players like Blake Swihart, Mookie Betts, and Sean Coyle are at Portland for the first time I want to get pictures of them while I can.

Blake wasn’t in the starting lineup but there were opening game activities that allowed me to get some shots of him. There were plenty of opportunities to get Mookie and Sean.

Henry Owens never appeared. He pitched on Wednesday night. I do have some shots of him from the Field of Dreams game at the end of last season. Probably a good thing, as Rob Bradford’s WEEI.COM posed this question today, “When will Henry Owens be moved up?”

There were plenty of activities to keep the fans interest during pre-game ceremonies. I had hoped to get a picture of my nephew’s son marching in the pre-game parade but he arrived late. He qualified to walk by completing a reading challenge from the Portland Library.

Mookie Betts in the Sea Dogs dugout

The Sea Dogs (4-3) defeated New Britain, 6-4, in the game although I confess that the adverse conditions had me heading south long before the game ended.

I greatly appreciated having Assistant GM Chris Cameron handle the arrangements for my visit.

Here are some of the things I got pictures of (they all enlarge if you click on them) on opening night:

Sean Coyle

Sean Coyle bats

Sean Coyle

“Play ball!”

Mookie Betts in the field

Mookie Betts keeps warm

Mookie Betts

Matt Spring crosses home with a run

Manager Billy McMillon

DJ Baxendale (New Britain starter)

Deven Marrero

Derrik Gibson

Corey Wimberly of New Britain steals second

Mickey Pena debuts in 4-2 Portland Sea Dogs win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Peter Hissey hustles to beat the throw to first enabling the Portland Sea Dogs to score their first run.

Derrik Gibson hustles to beat the throw to first enabling the Portland Sea Dogs to score their first run.

Christian Vazquez had three hits and drove in the 4th Portland run

(Portland) They fought like cats and dogs.

I’m sorry, I just had to use that. Why? Because it was true.

Tight game this afternoon with the Portland Sea Dogs getting three runs in the eighth inning on their way to a 4-2 win over the visiting New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

The Wednesday noon start brought out over six thousand fans and they saw the home team win an important game. The Sea Dogs are currently in 4th place in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League.

The top two teams will make the playoffs. Binghamton will get first but the race for second place is tightening up. Second place Trenton (Yankee farm team) leads Portland by 4 ½ games with 13 games left. However, by the luck of the schedule, the two teams will meet a remarkable nine times the rest of the way including the last five at Hadlock Field. The opportunity to move up in the standings is certainly there for the taking for the Sea Dogs.

Many of today’s attendees were disappointed to learn yesterday that phenom Henry Owens would not be pitching in today’s game. Henry has pitched once at Hadlock and that was after a two-hour rain delay. Let’s just say that not too many have seen him pitch in person at the AA level in Portland.

Mickey Pena made his AA debut pitching seven shutout innings

Mickey Pena got the start today for Portland and the lefty looked very good. There was no indication that this was his AA debut. He has been with Salem (A) this season. Mickey went seven innings giving up only five hits and no runs.

Marcus Walden of the Fisher Cats was just as effective as Mickey was. Marcus came in with the deceiving 6-12 record but he had won four games against Portland with a very impressive 1.56 ERA.

The Sea Dogs scratched out a run in the 4th inning. Christian Vazquez (three hits/1 run/1 rbi) scored from third as Derrik Gibson’s hustle prevented an inning ending double play.

That 1-0 looked safe after reliever Jeremy Kehrt retired the first two batters in the eighth inning but then the wheels came off. Jeremy gave up six hits to the next nine batters he faced. He did manage to escape with only one run given up in the eighth but the score was now tied.

Michael Almanzar had a two-out, two-run triple in the eighth inning.

A hit batsman and a walk surrounded two outs for Portland in their half of the eighth. Out went Marcus Walden and in came Evan Crawford. That switch did not go well! Michael Almanzar tripled to right bringing both runners home. That was the 24th run this season that Michael has delivered with two outs. Christian Vazquez followed with a single and Portland had a 4-1 lead.

In the ninth Jeremy Kehrt continued to struggle. He gave up a run (now 4-2) and he left with two outs and the bases loaded. Noe Ramirez came on to save the game getting Andy Burns to pop to shortstop Derrik Gibson along the left-field line.

I will have to admit that I was a bit disappointed not to see Henry Owens in action. However, maybe I’ll look back in a few years and say I saw Mickey Pena debut in AA ball. He could be a good one.

Deven Marrero

With Henry out of the mix, I was left to get recently called up Deven Marrero. Would you believe that he wasn’t playing either!

I did, however, get some shots of Deven before and during the game……but not any action shots.

Minor league baseball is a great take for the family. There certainly is plenty of entertainment for everyone. I did notice the there were few buses in front of Hadlock so obviously camps are over and the resumption of school is at hand.

I continue to be disappointed with the Sea Dog mascot Sluggo. How many times can he lose to opponents ¼ his size? He always gets a bad start and usually falls down, which gives him no chance. I wonder if he’s heard of the Washington Generals??

Sluggo loses to another youngster

Thanks to Portland Sea Dogs media director Chris Cameron for arranging my visit. I may try to get back to Hadlock during their five-game series with Trenton that ends the season. There is a big if. Henry Owens has to be pitching. I would like to think that in a five-game series, that might mean something, the 20-year-old would get a start.

(All of the pictures above and below enlarge considerably if you click on them.)