Every week, staff writer Phillip Suitts will take a look at the careers of a number of former Terrapins athletes embarking on professional careers in a variety of leagues. Every Tuesday, it’s former baseball players.
Brett Cecil, LHP, Toronto Blue Jays
2013 stats: 5-1, 3.02 ERA, 1 save, 44 hits, 69 strikeouts, 23 walks in 59.2 IP
Skinny: Cecil’s workload has decreased, just like his manager said it would but that hasn’t lead to increased effectiveness. Cecil made one appearance since last Tuesday, and he allowed two runs off three hits, retiring only one of the four batters he faced before being replaced. The Blue Jays overcame Cecil’s rough outing and held on to beat fellow Terp Justin Maxwell and the Kansas City Royals, 3-2.
Justin Maxwell, OF, Kansas City Royals
2013 stats: .259 average, .335 on-base percentage, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 32 runs, 5 stolen bases, 64 strikeouts, 19 walks
Skinny: Maxwell probably wishes he had faced Cecil on Friday. In four games this week, the 29-year-old struck out in 7 of his 13 at-bats. He singled and scored Thursday in a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Twins. The former 4th-round draft pick has a .358 on-base percentage at home compared to a .307 road OBP.
Adam Kolarek, LHP, Binghamton Mets (New York Mets Double-A affiliate)
2013 stats: 3-3, 2.28 ERA, 1 save, 52 hits, 64 strikeouts, 24 walks in 67 IP
Skinny: Kolarek returned to nearby Bowie and pitched in front of a large group of friends and family twice this week and extended his scoreless streak to 10.2 innings. Kolarek, a Catonsville High product, will be on his fourth playoff team in as many professional seasons. Binghamton grabbed a postseason slot a couple weeks ago and will start a first-round five-game series Wednesday against Trenton.
Alfredo Rodriguez, 2B, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers Class-A affiliate)
2013 stats: .270 average, .363 on-base percentage, 2 HR, 35 RBI, 52 runs, 10 stolen bases, 52 strikeouts, 50 walks
Skinny: Rodriguez went 2-for-4 Monday with a double and an RBI in the Timber Rattlers’ final game of the 2013 season, a 3-1 loss. The Timber Rattlers were taken out of playoff contention with a 6-0 loss Friday. The 22-year-old hit .292 with a .381 on-base percentage after the Midwest League’s All-Star break compared to .244 and .340 marks, respectively, prior to the break. That wasn’t the only change the Oak Hill, Va., native experienced this season either. A shortstop last year in short-season Class-A ball and all four years with the Terps, he played just nine games there with the Timber Rattlers. Instead, he suited up as a second baseman 46 times, a third baseman 35 times and was a designated hitter in 21 games.
Sander Beck, RHP, Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles Class-A affiliate)
2013 stats: 1-1, 2.61 ERA, 3 saves, 14 hits, 24 strikeouts, 7 walks in 20.2 IP
Skinny: Beck ended a promising season on a sour note, giving up two runs Monday in a 6-5 loss, which was the Shorebirds’ last game of the season. In his next to last outing last Tuesday, Beck threw a scoreless inning, striking out one batter and walking another. Beck, a 33rd-round pick in the 2011 draft, moved up from a short-season Class-A affiliate to the Orioles’ Class-A squad after last season. Beck kept his ERA low despite the increase in quality of competition, going from 2.44 to 2.61 this year. Similarly, opponents batting average increased by just 12 points, going from .177 to .189. Beck did have a decreased workload though, pitching 20.2 innings in 2013, a far cry from the 44.1 he threw in short-season Class-A ball.
Charlie Haslup, RHP, Staten Island Yankees (New York Yankees’ Class-A short-season affiliate)
2013 stats: 2-0, 1.86 ERA, 1 save, 28 hits, 24 strikeouts, 12 walks in 29 IP
Skinny: Haslup made another extended relief appearance Friday in a 9-3 victory. He pitched three innings, his third straight outing of three or more innings and gave up one unearned run off three hits and one walk. The Easton native stuck out two hitters as well. Haslup, a second-year pro, has thrown 29 innings in relief this season, an increase over the 17 innings he pitched last year with Staten Island.
Jimmy Reed, LHP, State College Spikes, (St. Louis Cardinals Class-A short-season affiliate)
2013 stats: 3-2, 2.05 ERA, 2 saves, 12 G, 9 GS, 52 hits, 40 strikeouts, 12 walks in 52.2 IP
Skinny: After two scoreless starts, Reed gave up four runs (one earned) in a 6-4 comeback victory. Reed lasted 4.2 innings, gave up eight hits, one walk and struck out three batters. When Reed allowed a run in the third, his streak of 14 scoreless innings was broken. The Spikes, who are in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, start their first-round series Friday.
Jack Cleary, C, Helena Brewers (Milwaukee Brewers rookie affiliate)
2013 stats: .244 average, .284 on-base percentage, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 10 runs, 0 stolen bases, 13 strikeouts, 4 walks
Skinny: Clearly moved from the Arizona Rookie League to the Pioneer Rookie League, playing his first game with Helena on Friday. He went 3-for-5 at the plate, scored twice and drove in one run. Monday, the 23-year-old went 0-for-4. In 73 at-bats in the Arizona League, Cleary hit .233 with a .278 on-base percentage.
Michael Boyden, RHP, Gulf Coast Nationals
2013 stats: 0-0, 4.61 ERA, 1 save, 17 hits, 15 strikeouts, 14 walks in 13.2 IP
Skinny: Boyden hasn’t pitched since August 23 when he gave up two hits and two walks in an inning but allowed no runs. The second-year pro split time in the Gulf Coast League and in a short-season Class-A league last season but has played exclusively for the Gulf Coast Nationals this season.
