While Jacob deGrom and Lucas Duda were beating the Brewers in Milwaukee yesterday, I was baking myself in the sun in Trenton as the Thunder trounced the Binghamton Mets 7-3.
It started out as a close game. Thunder starter Manny Banuelos did not allow a hit, although the B-Mets took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the third thanks to a walk, a throwing error, a wild pitch and a fielder’s choice ground out.
Continue reading “Can’t win ’em all: Trenton 7, Binghamton 3”
— Members of the Trenton Thunder staff joined volunteers from the Lakewood BlueClaws, Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs and Reading Fightin Phils to provide Hurricane Sandy cleanup assistance on Monday.
“It was our own ‘Baseball Volunteer Day,'” said BlueClaws General Manager Geoff Brown in a statement. “We thank all of these teams who came from a significant distance away during a busy time of the year to help out in our communities. That says a lot about all of these great teams. We are thrilled they are part of our baseball family.”
The Lakewood BlueClaws posted photos from the event on their Facebook page.
— Tonight is the deadline for major league teams to add players to their 40-man rosters to protect them from next month’s Rule 5 draft. (Minor League players with four seasons of experience that were signed before age 19, or five years and were signed before age 18, and have not been added to the 40-man roster are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft.
The Yankees added six players from their farm system to their 40-man roster, including five Trenton Thunder alumni: left-handed pitchers Manny Banuelos, Nik Turley, and Francisco Rondon, right-handed pitcher Brett Marshall and outfielder Ramon Flores.
— The Trenton Thunder are already offering Black Friday specials through their online store, including savings of 50 percent or better on recent Thunder team sets.
I spent Sunday afternoon in Trenton watching highly-touted New York Yankees prospect Manny Banuelos pitch for the Thunder against the Portland Sea Dogs.
I was not exactly impressed.
The good: Banuelos struck out seven and allowed just two hits and no earned runs.
The bad: Banuelos walked four in 4 2/3 innings and got pulled one out before qualifying for the win because he’d already hit his pitch count.
The ugly: The Sea Dogs scored their run as a result of a pair of walks, Banuelo’s throwing error on a botched pickoff play and a sacrifice fly.
Continue reading “Manny Banuelos reminds me a bit of Oliver Perez”
This weekend could be your only chance to see Washington Nationals’ prospect Bryce Harper play in New Jersey this season. Harper is hitting .371 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs so far this season – it’s only a matter of time until he gets promoted.
Harper’s Hagerstown Suns will play the Lakewood BlueClaws in a four-game series beginning Friday night at 7:05 p.m. There will be a post-game fireworks show Friday night.
Continue reading “Prospect Watch: Catch Harper, Banuelos & Betances This Week”
The Trenton Thunder released their 2011 Opening Day roster, which includes 14 players who are new to the team.
Arguably the most famous of the new faces is Kei Igawa, the former Hanshin Tigers star pitcher who hasn’t been able to find success in Major League Baseball. Igawa is in the final year of a five-year deal signed prior to the 2007 season.
Notable prospects include pitchers Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, catcher Austin Romine and outfielders Cody Johnson and Melky Mesa. Also of note are New Jersey native Steve Garrison and ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte. You can check out the full roster on the Trenton Thunder website (PDF format).
Your first chance to see the 2011 Trenton Thunder team comes tomorrow afternoon at the team’s Welcome North Fan Fest.
PaulHadsall.com 