You start to realize that Spring Training is right around the corner when Baseball America and MLB.com announce their annual prospect rankings, tracking not only the Top-100 minor league players in baseball, but also the Top-10 players for each position in the minors.

Recently, the Cubs farm system didn’t have the star power that other clubs did – minimal Draft talent at the upper reaches of the prospect list (Brian Dopirak, Ryan Harvey, and Grant Johnson didn’t pan out; Josh Vitters has not established himself as a viable option at third base; while Jeff Samardzija and Andrew Cashner are probably the best picks in the last 10 years – and are middle of the rotation starters at best).  The best draft prospects have ended up being Brett Jackson (’09 Hawk) and Josh Donaldson (’07 Hawk) – with Donaldson now the third-baseman for the A’s, while the top Cubs’ prospect of the last decade would probably be Starlin Castro, who was a NDFA.

There is much optimism in 2013, as unlike in the past, a trio of Cubs’ youngsters are in not only in the Top-100, but the Top-50, while three former Boise Hawks are in the Top-100.  2011 alum, Javier Baez (pictured right), tops the list of Cubs’ prospects at No. 16 – coming off a season where he hit 16 homers and drove in 46 runs in just 80 games.  Baez had a quick drink of coffee in Boise during his rookie season and was with the squad during the 2011 postseason run.   A 2012 Hawk is also on the list, as outfielder Albert Almora (pictured left0, the Cubs top-pick from the most recent draft, is No. 39.  Scouts love Almora’s make-up and Boise fans can attest – he is a true gamer and has that “it” factor.  Almora hit .321 with 12 doubles, two homers and 19 RBI in 33 professional games last season.   A third Cub on the list is one that bypassed Boise, Jorge Soler, as the Cuban defector is ranked No. 42 after hitting .299 with five homers and 25 RBI last season – and looks to be a possible right-fielder of the future in the Chicago system.

Lost in the list is the third former Boise player – Hak-Ju Lee (pictured right), who was a Northwest League All-Star in 2009.  Lee (who was remembered as much for his singing in Boise as his stellar play, who was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays as part of the deal that sent the Cubs’ Matt Garza, was the No. 56 rated prospect in baseball.  With the AA Montgomery Biscuits, he hit .261 with 10 triples and 37 stolen bases and is one of the top defensive shortstops in the minor leagues.

What intrigues me about the list – is how good the Northwest League truly is and how many blue chip prospects come through Memorial Stadium on a yearly basis.  Most fans don’t realize the caliber of talent that wear the uniforms of Vancouver, Everett, Spokane and Tri-City; Salem-Keizer, Eugene, now Hillsboro, and the Hawks.

A total of nine of the Top-50 players on the list are Northwest League alumni, while a total of 18 former NWL players are in the Top-100.  I remember many of them vividly – including the top prospect in all of pro baseball, Jurickson Profar (pictured left) of the Rangers, who made his MLB debut last September.  He was a 17-year-old raw talent a couple years back in Spokane, but one could tell that he had the make-up of being a superstar.

Spokane has had its share of talent – slugging third-baseman Mike Olt, who was a college teammate of former Hawk, Pierre LePage at UConn, is No. 22, slick fielding catcher Jorge Alfaro (I can still hear Mike Boyle saying Jorrrr-hayyyyy Al-farrrr-o after a big hit against Boise) is No. 88, while tough left-hander Martin Perez is No. 95.

Vancouver has been loaded in the pitching department the past few years – helping the club to two-straight NWL titles, and those arms are prevalent on the list – including No. 29 Noah Syndegaard, No. 35 Aaron Sanchez, No. 72 Justin Nicolino, and No. 90 Roberto Osuna – who pitched Game 2 against the Hawks in the 2012 NWL championship series.

A pair of Eugene infielders – Jedd Gyorko (No. 50) and Rymer Liriano (No. 55) made the cut, as did former Yakima (now Hillsboro) third-baseman Matt Davidson at No. 77.  I do feel for Everett, as the Mariners skipped many of their top pitching talent that rank highly on the chart, but did send No. 23 Mike Zunino to the Aquasox, as the Hawks saw first-hand in the five-game set in the Puget Sound area last summer – as the catcher hit 10 homers in just 29 NWL games.

It will be interesting to see who the new cast of characters will be this summer and potentially crack the list in the near future.

The 2012 Boise Hawks season was one that might not be repeated again – for various reasons, but it was one that I definitely will remember for years to come.

A season that started so slowly, as a 12-25 start in the first half – including 10 losses by one-or-two run margins, as the Hawks limped into the second half. (But did have a big highlight, as Rock Shoulders hit a MAMMOTH homer at Salem Keizer)

But some key roster moves made immediate impacts – most look directly at Dan Vogelbach, who crushed 10 homers in a half a season with the Hawks and gave the clubhouse some much-needed life.  I remember sitting on the side of I-84 in early August – Vogelbach’s first true road trip in minor league ball, and could see that this young kid has something special – charisma.  He hit a game-winning home run in Spokane that I don’t think has come down, then followed by hitting six homers in four games at Everett – as the Hawks completed a string of 12 wins in 15 games.

But it wasn’t just Vogelbach – Gioskar Amaya broke the franchise record for triples with 12; Stephen Bruno just flat out hit, winning the league batting crown; Marco Hernandez hit over .300 in the second half of the year; Willson Contreras came up big with a pair of walk-off hits; Rock Shoulders went into a late season home run tear (including this grand slam in the NWL East Division Series); Trey Martin played nearly flawless defense; and Jeimer Candelario had a knack for knocking in runs.

But as much as the offense blitzed the NWL in the second half of the year, the pitching got some much needed support.  Tayler Scott, Jose Arias, and Felix Pena all became dominant #1 starters in their own right, while lefty Nathan Dorris and righty Eddie Orozco became late-inning stoppers – something the Hawks desperately didn’t have in the first half of the season.

Then throw in the addition of first-round picks Albert Almora and Pierce Johnson late in the year – Almora (who hit a HR in his first game with the Hawks) giving the Hawks the best defensive outfield in the NWL and coming through with the biggest at bat of the season with his two-out triple in the eighth inning of Game 2 of the East Division series in Yakima (with the Hawks trailing 4-3), turning the series completely around.  Johnson looks to be something special – a devestating cut-fastball and was outstanding in his final start against Vancouver.

A 7-4 trip on the long grind during the Western Idaho Fair locked up a postseason berth for a second-straight year (here is the final out that clinched the pennant) – including their first road sweep since the 2004 season, and a 3-2 win over Yakima in Game 3 of the East Division series sent the Hawks into their first NWL Championship series since 2006 .  It was an epic series – Boise squandering a 7-1 lead in the sixth inning in Vancouver to lose 10-7, but rallying three times in Game 2 at home, ending it on a Contreras walk-off single in the ninth, to set up a winner-take all title tilt.  Facing NWL Pitcher of the Year Taylor Cole, the Hawks jumped on the board on a Vogelbach three-run homer in the first and led 7-5 with two outs in the eighth inning.  However an error prolonged the inning, and the C’s scored seven unearned runs and took the title with a 12-9 victory.

It didn’t take away from the job Bill Buckner did with the youngest team in the league (one night in Yakima, the Hawks oldest player on the diamond was younger than the youngest player on the Bears squad).  The Hawks led the league in runs scored (410), averaging over 5.5 runs a night, hits (733), doubles (140), triples (29), home runs (64), RBI (368), slugging percentage (.426), and batting average (.278).

It was a fun ride – one that will take Mark Johnson to Kane County to try and rekindle the magic with this squad.

It was a great day for seven former Boise Hawks players, as the rosters for the 16 international teams that will compete at the 2013 World Baseball Classic were announced on MLB Network.

Of the seven, only one is a household name, as 1999 Boise Hawk and former MLB All-Star Francisco Rodriguez was named to a star-studded Venezuela team that includes Felix Hernandez, Carlos Gonzalez, and Pablo Sandoval.

2008 Hawk Ryan Searle was named to the Australian entry that is anchored by Atlanta Braves righty, Peter Moylan.  Searle saw action in six games with the Hawks during the ’08 season, going 1-2 with a 1.03 ERA and had an 8-5 record between Daytona, Tennessee, and Iowa in 2012.

The Taiwanese entry in the WBC will feature a pair of former Hawks – Hung-Wen Chen and Yao-Lin Wang.  Chen, who pitched in two games for the Hawks in 2007, spent most of 2012 with Campeche in the Mexican League, while the 21-year-old Wang, who spent part of 2010 and the entire 2011 season with the Hawks (going 4-4 with a 3.22 ERA), is coming off a solid year in Peoria, where he had a 4-5 record and 3.92 ERA, adding 12 saves.

Another member of the 1999 Hawks will play for Team Mexico, as Alfredo Amezaga will be one of their utility infielders.  Amezaga, who won a World Series ring with the 2002 L.A. Angels, spent the 2012 season with the Iowa Cubs – but has since by signed by the L.A. Dodgers.

Closing out the group are two players who will compete for Team Italy – Alex Maestri (pictured right) and Anthony Granato.  Maestri, who posted a 4-3 record and 3.60 ERA with the 2006 Hawks, will pitch for the Italian squad for the second time.  After being released by the Cubs in 2010, he bounced between the independent American Association and the Australian Baseball League in 2011, before having a solid 4-3 record and 2.17 ERA with the Orix Buffaloes in the Nippon League in Japan.

Granato (pictured left) is a story in itself – as the former VCU player spent a month with the Hawks in 2004, hitting three home runs in 27 games.  After being released by the Cubs in 2005 and released by the Rockies a year later, Granato spent four seasons bouncing around the independent circuit before heading to Italy, where he became a star with T&A San Marino in the Italian Baseball League.  A native Canadian, Granato recently received his Italian citizenship and thus a spot on the WBC roster.

The WBC begins with games in Asia on March 2 -with all games broadcast on the MLB Network.

I would like to thank all of the Boise Hawks fans who have made “On the Mike” an MLB Top-100 Pro Blog for the second-straight year – climbing from No. 80 in 2011 to No. 58 this season.

Throughout the summer, we were receiving anywhere from 100-200 hits per day on the site, as I try to give you, the fan, an insight within the Cubs’ short-season club.

On the same note, I would like to appologize for the past four months – starting in late August – for the lack of fresh content.  My full-time job as sports information director at The College of Idaho had a major push for a new athletics website (our second web redesign in less than a year) and had to get all of the content loaded – which meant instead of having some extra time each night to post, the time was loading content (you can see my work at http://yoteathletics.com).

However, it’s time to get after it…look in the coming weeks for recaps on the 2012 season, an update as to where former Hawks have moved during the offseason, and I will also attempt to have a Hot Stove Podcast of some kind as we amp up for the 2013 season, which begins on June 14 in Eugene.

I am back fans – and it’s time to get after it, just as many former Boise Hawks are currently doing in Arizona!!!

The road is typically an interesting place – an opportunity to experience new things, see new sights and sounds, and live out of a suitcase for days on end.  For the Boise Hawks, it has turned into home during the month of August, as the team has three days remaining on a stretch of 19 road contests in 24 day.  But, as crazy as it sounds, the Hawks are 12-4 on this stretch, including last night’s 11-5 victory in Vancouver.

(Note the lack of pictures – all of the photos are on my cell phone, which is turned off as to not incur international roaming charges in Canada)

It looks like Playoff Fever will be in Boise (now, whether the fans or media buy into it, that is a different story) – as the Hawks need a combination of either two wins or two losses from Spokane and Yakima to clinch their first division crown since 2006.  In talking with the staff, there will be no “celebration” – as the median age of the team is under 21 and the Cubs have a policy regarding a “typical” celebration when the majority of players are under the legal drinking age.  As much as I’d love to have a champagne/beer shower as I did in 2004 (courtesy of Alfredo Francisco and Jerry Blevins), I also agree with the Cubs – you wouldn’t want something “dumb” to happen.

With the Magic Number trimmed to 2, it looks as if we will get to experience Yakima one more time – a final trip to County Stadium, a final trip to the Best Western Ahtanum Inn, a final trip to the Gearjammer Truck Stop for a Subway run, a final stop in the Palm Springs of Washington.  It was bittersweet leaving the place on Wednesday morning – as I thought back to the 48 other games I had called in the steamy radio booth (that actually turned a bit chilly in the wind on Tuesday night) – remembering seeing a young Mark Reynolds and Carlos Gonzalez playing in the part, watching Wade Miley make his pro debut.

The food also is something in Yakima I am going to miss – year in and year out, I have gotten some outstanding and crazy food.  Years ago, it was a philly cheesesteak, or a philly cheesesteak piled on a footlong hot dog; they’ve had huge teriyaki bowls, huge burritos, and huge plates of pulled pork nachos; but this year, they beat them all – the Seattle Dog.  Radio man John Hadden alerted me to this one – their big beef hot dog piled high with onions, sweet and hot peppers (similar to an Italian Beef), but with one exception, cream cheese is on the bun.  Sounds weird, tastes AMAZING.

Border Crossing pro – Bob Grimes is a professional at what he does, whether it be the traveling secretary, whether it be handling the bumps and bruises and the wear and tear of the Boise Hawks, whether it be crossing of an international border. From the time we stopped at the US-Canada border on Wednesday until we crossed, it was just 31 minutes (with three buses in front of us) – but it was just nine minutes from when Grimes left the bus until we crossed, what a great job.

Life in Vancouver is as it always is – expensive.  We receive 95 cents in Canadian money for every U.S. dollar – whether you go to a bank, the Casino, or even the hotel, it’s 95 cents (I remember getting $1.35 for a dollar not to long ago – are things that bad in America?).  Luckily, Subway has a $5.00 footlong special (Salami, Egg Salad, or Ham) – but if you want a beer, be ready to pay $6.00 for a pint (or $28.00 for a 12-pack, or $52 for a case).

Nat Bailey Stadium is still the old gem of the league – I love their Game Day staff. Rob Fai, their radio man is a riot, as is K.P. Wee, his assistant, and Jeremy Knight, his longtime confidant.  They also have an outstanding blog – you should check it out on http://www.canadiansbaseball.com.  Had an outstanding pulled pork sandwich and tackled a foot long hand dipped corn dog last night, plus, they have the BEST relish in the Northwest League (was worried it was gone, as I saw the Heinz containers in the concourse, but sure enough, the tart and tangy relish was next to the onions, right where it should be).

The ride has been fun – Willson Contreras has a 15-game hit streak, Stephen Bruno’s streak is 14.  Albert Almora had a four-hit game last night, Dan Vogelbach continues to be Dan Vogelbach, and Trey Martin continues to kill Vancouver pitching.  Hayden Simpson fanned seven in a win, and the Hawks doing this with Jeimer Candelario mired in an 0-for-22 slump.

Enjoy the ride – but let’s keep this bus rollin’.

Another night on the road, another win for the Boise Hawks – I honestly do not know what has gotten into this team on the road.  In fact, many of the host families who made the trek up to Pasco tonight all wondered the same thing – how does a team go from 2-16 on the road to 9-2 on the road in the span of less than a month.

Tonight, it was some timely hitting – two out hits in the third inning by Jeimer Candelario and Dan Vogelbach (legging out a triple), a big safety squeeze by Lance Rymel, and a flat-out crushed home run from Stephen Bruno that helped the team to a 7-1 lead in the fifth inning.

Justin Amlung was solid, Mike Heesch rebounded after three rough outings by throwing first-pitch strikes and retired 6-of-7.  However, James Pugliese continued to struggle – allowing three runs on four hits in the fifth, but got a key strikeout of Derek Jones to keep the score at 7-4.  Su-Min Jung ran out of gas in the seventh and nearly surrendered the lead, but also fanned Jones with the tying run at third.

And what can you say about Eddie Orozco – he has embraced the late inning role (was a starter in college), recording his fourth save in four opportunities, moving into a tie for fourth in the league in saves.

NO WIND – It has been a rare glimpse into the weather of the Mid-Columbia Valley, as for a second-straight day, there has been no wind to speak of at the park.  No dust, no smoke, just pure 100-degree heat.  In all of my years, I remember a day or two without the famous wind, but not back to back days.

TALKING FOOD: We took a break from reporting on the food from before we took off on the previous road trip – with a new leader in the clubhouse, thanks to my new favorite meal – a turkey sandwich.  Home Plate Food Services in Boise began serving a turkey sandwich prior to games earlier this season and it is dynamite, but then when they offered it in Everett a week and a half ago, that was perfect, as we stay away from the hot dog game.  Food Standings (as of August 17) – Ham/Turkey Sandwich (12), Chicken Sandwich (7), Pulled Pork Sandwich (6), Pizza (5), Hot Dogs (5), Meatball Sandwich (5), Smoked Sausage (4), Hamburger (4), Chicken Caesar Wrap (4), Philly Cheesesteak (3), No Food (3), Pulled Pork Nachos (2), Salisbury Steak (1),  Fish & Chips (1), Chicken Cordon Blue (1).

My appologizes for missing the past week from the blog – but it wasn’t for lack of effort – as I got the new College of Idaho athletic website launched (you can view it at http://yoteathletics.com) and had to get everything in order on the home front to be on the road for 11-straight days.

What happened since – first-rounders arrived.  Pierce Johnson, the supplemental first-round pick from Missouri State has made a pair of appearances, including a stellar performance last night vs. Tri-City, striking out five men in two innings, showcasing a devastating cut-fastball.

Also arriving to a lot of accolades is sixth-overall draft pick, Albert Almora, the nearly four-million dollar man (I have dubbed the Mariners Mike Zunino the four million dollar man as he signed for four large, while Almore signed for 100K less – still more $$$ than I’ll make in a lifetime).  All Almora did was hit a homer in his Boise debut – just as he did in Mesa

The team played well during the homestand, despite losing 3-of-5 to a much-improved Salem-Keizer team.  The Hawks had the lead in the fifth inning or later in all five games, and just couldn’t hold on in a couple of them.  Home runs continue to rain for the Hawks, as every position player has at least one home run – with Dan Vogelbach and Rock Shoulders leading the way with eight each.  Vogelbach’s seven homers in five days earned him some accolades from the MLB Network, who talked about him on their prospect report.

Marco Hernandez had his 18-game hit streak snapped, but Willson Contreras has followed him with an 11-game streak that is still active.  Felix Pena has recorded a win in his last three appearances, and Tayler Scott has improved his record to 5-1 this season.  The back-end of the pen in Eddie Orozco and Nathan Dorris is solid, the duo combining for seven saves.

With the Hawks having won 2-of-3 games in Everett and sitting atop the East Division with a 10-5 record, it’s time to take a quick look at things here in Everett – located about 30 minutes north of downtown Seattle.  The first look is that of the ballparks – as there are two Everett Memorial Stadiums (one for baseball and one for football, adjacent to each other) – with the video taken from the locker rooms that serve as the baseball clubhouse.

The ball park is unique, with multiple nooks and crannies in the outfield – including a manual scoreboard in straight away right-center that is just 340 feet from home plate.  I have always enjoyed the homer porch in right, where fans have the opportunity to sit on a grass berm and catch a home run ball.  I also enjoy the vistas from the park – as on a clear day (which is sometimes rare in this parts), you can see the snow-capped Cascade Mountains, including Mount Baker looming large over the left field wall.

Food options are vast in Everett, though the prices are definitely more that what you find in Boise – as a Miller Lite will set you back $7.00 (compared to $5.50 in Spokane and $5.00 in Boise), but they have things like chili and clam chowder bread bowls and the biggest bags of popcorn in the Northwest League.  The condiment bar is outstanding – and I feel that Everett is No. 1 in that category – with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sauerkraut, relish, jalapenos, and BBQ sauce, to go along with the typical mustard and ketchup (Salem-Keizer is still the lone yard that has pickles for the fans).

The team hotel is one of the better facilities in the league – as the Holiday Inn Downtown Everett is seven stories tall with a quality restaurant and a good breakfast for the team.  There are other dining options – but not great ones for the fellas (outside of Dennys) following games.  The night life in Everett has improved as the downtown corridor has numerous nightclubs and watering holes.

Our final look at the Alumni Report focuses on the two highest levels – the AAA and those in the Big Leagues.  Crazy enough, there are more former Boise Hawks in the majors than any other classification, a total of 28 players on current rosters, including eight alone on the Cubs roster.  Another seven players are currently playing at AAA that have seen time in MLB this season.

Major League Baseball (28)   # includes MILB stats

 POS  YEAR           NAME                               TEAM                         STATS

P      1999             John Lackey                      Boston                       60 Day DL (Tommy John Surgery)

P      1999             Francisco Rodriguez          Milwaukee                   53 G      2-6  5.48 ERA, 3 SV, 46 K in 47.2 IP

P      2000             Joel Peralta                       Tampa Bay                 52 G      1-4  3.80 ERA, 2 SV, 56 K in 45.0 IP

P      2002             Ricky Nolasco                   Miami                         22 G      8-11  4.95 ERA, 86 K in 131.0 IP

P      2002/03         Rich Hill                             Boston                       17 G      1-0  2.63 ERA, 11 K in 13.2 IP (DL)

P      2002/03         Clay Rapada                      New York (AL)             51 G      2-0  2.70 ERA, 28 K in 30.0 IP

P      2003             Sean Marshall                    Cincinnati                    50 G      4-3  2.34 ERA, 9 SV, 49 K in 42.1 IP

P      2004/05/06    Darin Downs                      Detroit                        38 G #    1-2  2.35 ERA, 46 K in 39.1 IP

P      2004/06         Jerry Blevins                      Oakland                      41 G      4-1  2.45 ERA, 45 K in 47.2 IP

P      2006             Jose Ceda                         Miami                         60-Day DL (Tommy John Surgery)

P      2006             Jeff Samardzija                  Chicago (NL)               21 G      7-9  4.37 ERA, 124 K in 125.2 IP

P      2007             Alberto Cabrera                  Chicago (NL)               40 G #    4-1  3.71 ERA, 80 K in 57.2 IP

P      2008             Jeff Beliveau                     Chicago (NL)               40 G #    4-5  3.83 ERA, 53 K in 47.1 IP

P      2008             Andrew Cashner                 San Diego                  33 G #    5-3  3.21 ERA, 67 K in 51.0 IP (DL)

P      2008             Chris Carpenter                  Boston                       60-Day DL (Tommy John Surgery)

P      2009             Brooks Raley                     Chicago (NL)               23 G #    6-11  4.11 ERA, 102 K in 134.2 IP

C      2002             Geovany Soto                   Texas                         56 G      .200  6 HR 16 RBI, 7 2B

C      2002             Robinson Chirinos              Tampa Bay                 60-Day DL (Concussion Symptoms)

C      2006/07         Steve Clevenger                 Chicago (NL)               47 G      .236  1 HR 15 RBI, 9 2B                .

C      2006             Welington Castillo              Chicago (NL)               62 G #    .266  11 HR 35 RBI, 8 2B

IF      2002             Ronny Cedeno                   New York (NL)             48 G      .295  3 HR 20 RBI, 9 2B

IF      2008             Marwin Gonzalez                Houston                     60 G      .253  2 HR 9 RBI, 9 2B

IF      2008             Ryan Flaherty                     Baltimore                    60 G      .205  4 HR 11 RBI

IF      2008             Josh Harrison                    Pittsburgh                   68 G      .243  3 HR 11 RBI, 8 2B

IF      2008             Josh Vitters                       Chicago (NL)               113 G #  .300  17 HR 70 RBI, 33 2B

OF    2006             Tyler Colvin                        Colorado                    85 G      .274  13 HR 43 RBI, 14 2B

OF    2007             Brandon Guyer                   Tampa Bay                 41 G      .270  3 HR  13 RBI (60-Day DL)

OF    2009             Brett Jackson                    Chicago (CHC)            109 G #  .251  15 HR 47 RBI, 22 2B, 27 SB

 AAA (24)  ( * Combined with MLB Numbers, # MLB Rehab)

 POS  YEAR           NAME                               TEAM                         STATS

P      1996             Ramon Ortiz                       Empire State (NYY)     22 G      9-5  3.20 ERA, 82 K in 138.0 IP

P      2001             Angel Guzman                   Albuquerque (LAD)      22 G      2-1  4.50 ERA, 17 K in 22.1 IP

P      2002             Randy Wells                      Iowa (CHC)                 21 G *    4-5  6.32 ERA, 43 K in 72.0 IP

P      2003             Ronnie Bay                        Tucson (SD)               21 G      2-7  5.12 ERA, 50 K in 89.2 IP

P      2005             Mitch Atkins                       Syracuse (WAS)          24 G      6-8  4.78 ERA, 78 K in 105.1 IP

P      2005             Donnie Veal                       Charlotte (CHW)          35 G *    6-3  2.13 ERA, 57 K in 49.0 IP

P      2007             Al Alburquerque                 Toledo (DET)              6 G   #   0-0  5.40 ERA, 12 K in 5.1 IP

P      2007             Blake Parker                      Iowa (CHC)                 18 G #    1-0  1.62 ERA, 15 K in 18.1 IP

P      2008             Casey Coleman                  Iowa (CHC)                 29 G *    2-6  5.62 ERA, 68 K in 80.2 IP

P      2008             Jay Jackson                      Iowa (CHC)                 30 G      2-6  6.87 ERA, 71 K in 76.0 IP

P      2008             Erik Hamren                       Tucson (SD)               49 G      2-5  3.14 ERA, 10 SV, 68 K in 51.2 IP

P      2008             Marcus Hatley                    Iowa (CHC)                 33 G      3-1  3.63 ERA, 4 SV, 57 K in 52.1 IP

P      2009             Chris Rusin                        Iowa (CHC)                 22 G      7-8  4.81 ERA, 81 K in 121.2 IP

C      2006             Blake Lalli                          Iowa (CHC)                 85 G *    .236  6 HR 36 RBI, 16 2B

IF      1999             Alfredo Amezaga               Iowa (CHC)                 93 G      .263  5 HR 35 RBI, 13 2B

IF      2006             Russ Canzler                      Columbus (CLE)          109 G     .261  16 HR 60 RBI, 28 2B

IF      2007             Tony Thomas                     Pawtucket (BOS)         50 G      .247  7 HR 21 RBI, 8 2B

IF      2007             Josh Donaldson                Sacramento (OAK)      76 G *    .262  13 HR 51 RBI, 15 2B

IF      2009             Greg Rohan                       Iowa (CHC)                 110 G     .285  19 HR 88 RBI, 35 2B

OF    2002             Felix Pie                            Gwinnett (ATL)            76 G      .294  5 HR 43 RBI, 19 2B

OF    2004             Lou Montanez                    Memphis (STL)            78 G      .254  1 HR 17 RBI, 7 2B

OF    2005             Jesus Valdez                     Harrisburg (WAS)        99 G      .291  8 HR 49 RBI, 24 2B

OF    2007             Ty Wright                           Iowa (CHC)                 73 G      .295  6 HR 37 RBI, 20 2B

OF    2008             Tony Campana                   Iowa (CHC)                 86 G *    .267  1 HR 8 RBI, 6 2B, 36 SB

Today’s look at the Alumni Report focuses on players that typically have been out of Boise for a couple years – players at the Advanced-A or Double-A levels.  Strangely enough, only 14 former Hawks are on Advanced-A rosters (California, Carolina, Florida State Leagues), while 18 are currently on AA rosters (Southern, Texas, Eastern Leagues).

Advanced A

RHP        Ryan Acosta       Rancho Cucamonga (LAD)            23 G   1-1 3.86 ERA, 56 K in 44.1 IP

LHP        Kyler Burke         Daytona (CHC)                                  23 G   3-7 3.10 ERA, 83 K in 116.0 IP

RHP        Eduardo Figueroa            Daytona (CHC)                  31 G  3-3  3.09 ERA, 64 K in 46.0 IP

LHP        Austin Kirk          Daytona (CHC)                                  21 G  6-3  3.20 ERA, 75 K in 123.2 IP

RHP        Matt Loosen      Daytona (CHC)                                  20 G  10-4  3.33 ERA, 96 K in 100.0 IP

RHP        Ryan Searle        Daytona (CHC)                                  35 G  6-5  4.87 ERA, 53 K in 68.1 IP

LHP        Matt Spencer    Daytona (CHC)                                  10 G  2-0  6.92 ERA, 11 K in 13.0 IP

RHP        Rob Whitenack Daytona (CHC)                                  12 G  1-5  6.25 ERA, 27 K in 40.1 IP

C             Micah Gibbs       Daytona (CHC)                                  50 G  .207  4 HR  14 RBI, 4 2B

C             Rafael Lopez      Daytona (CHC)                                  54 G  .289  2 HR  25 RBI, 16 2B

IF            Arismendy Alcantara      Daytona (CHC)                  85 G  .302  7 HR  51 RBI, 13 2B, 25 SB

IF            Javier Baez          Daytona (CHC)                                  59 G  .321  12 HR  33 RBI, 18 2B, 20 SB

IF            Rebel Ridling      Daytona (CHC)                                  112 G  .213  11 HR  61 RBI, 20 2B

IF            Elliot Soto            Daytona (CHC)                                  82 G  .217  0 HR  13 RBI, 7 2B

Double-A

LHP        James Leverton                  Jacksonville (MIA)           24 G  4-2  3.59 ERA, 56 K in 52.2 IP

RHP        Dallas Beeler                      Tennessee (CHC)             22 G  4-6  3.99 ERA, 59 K in 115.0 IP

LHP        Eric Jokisch                          Tennessee (CHC)             22 G  10-6  3.28 ERA, 94 K in 131.2 IP

RHP        Trey McNutt                      Tennessee (CHC)             25 G  6-8  4.77 ERA, 55 K in 83.0 IP

RHP        Dae-Eun Rhee                   Tennessee (CHC)             22 G  7-6  5.24 ERA, 60 K in 115.0 IP

RHP        Tony Zych                            Tennessee (CHC)             38 G  3-4  4.22 ERA, 6 saves, 52 K in 49.0 IP

C             Mike Brenly                        Tennessee (CHC)             68 G  .228  5 HR  24 RBI, 10 2B

C             Chad Noble                        Tennessee (CHC)             57 G  .184  0 HR  20 RBI, 8 2B

IF            Marquez Smith                 Portland (BOS)                  60 G  .297  4 HR  30 RBI, 21 2B

IF            Jake Opitz                           Reading (PHI)                    61 G  .301  7 HR  40 RBI, 19 2B

IF            Hak-Ju Lee                          Montgomery (TB)            111 G  .267  4 HR  37 RBI, 15 2B, 10 3B, 37 SB

IF            Justin Bour                          Tennessee (CHC)             112 G  .306  15 HR  95 RBI, 31 2B

IF            Matt Cerda                         Tennessee (CHC)             88 G  .231  2 HR  17 RBI, 12 2B

IF            Dustin Harrington            Tennessee (CHC)             51 G  .208  0 HR  9 RBI, 5 2B

IF            Logan Watkins                   Tennessee (CHC)             107 G  .281  5 HR  40 RBI, 13 2B, 10 3B, 21 SB

OF          Kyung-Min Na                   San Antonio (SD)              36 G  .141  0 HR  6 RBI

OF          Jae-Hoon Ha                      Tennessee (CHC)             96 G  .266  4 HR  33 RBI, 21 2B

OF          Matt Szczur                        Tennessee (CHC)             89 G  .279  2 HR  35 RBI, 22 2B, 40 SB