Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Three teams from Kentucky are among the top 10 ranked cross country squads in the Southeast Region, both on the men’s and women’s lists compiled by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Cory Thorne

The top ranking among state schools came from the Louisville men at No. 4. William & Mary is No. 1, followed by North Carolina State, Virginia and Louisville.

The Cardinals, who will host the NCAA Southeast Regional on Saturday, Nov. 14, are coming off a fourth-place finish in the Big East Conference championships. Cory Thorne, a senior, became U of L’s first-ever Big East cross country individual champion.

After Louisville comes No. 5 Duke, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Eastern Kentucky and, at No. 10, Kentucky.

Wesley Ruttoh

EKU, led by individual champion Wesley Ruttoh, captured its fourth consecutive Ohio Valley Conference championship last weekend.

UK, paced by Luis Orta in 13th place, finished seventh at the Southeastern Conference championships.

Ranked women’s teams from the Bluegrass are Western Kentucky, Kentucky and Louisville at 7-8-9.

Duke leads the women’s rankings, trailed by Virginia, N.C. State, North Carolina, William & Mary, James Madison and the three Kentucky teams. Charlotte completes the top 10.

Janet Jesang

Chelsea Oswald

Western got a 1-2 finish from Janet Jesang and Marion Kandie to run away with its fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference title.

UK, led by freshman Chelsea Oswald in 14th place, took eighth in the SEC meet.

Sixth-place individual Tarah McKay helped U of L’s team take seventh at the Big East meet.

Astros add pair of former Legends to 40-man roster

The Houston Astros announced Thursday that they have purchased the contracts of left-handed pitcher Fernando Abad and infielder Wladimir Sutil, and added the pair to the 40-man roster.

Fernando Abad

Wladimir Sutil

Both former Lexington Legends were eligible to become minor-league free agents if they had not been added to the 40-man roster by Monday.

Abad, 23, has been in the Astros system for seven seasons. The Dominican spent most of the 2009 campaign with High-A Lancaster, where he was 4-6 with a 4.14 ERA over 41 relief appearances. He struck out 79 and walked only eight. He also made three starts for Double-A Corpus Christi, where he was 0-1 with a 3.21 ERA, 13 strikeouts and three walks.

With the 2008 Legends, Abad was 2-7 with a 3.30 ERA over 45 relief outings. He struck out 94 and walked 13 over 76 1/3 innings. Over his seven seasons in the minors, spanning 410 2/3 innings, Abad has struck out 437 and walked only 59.

Sutil, a Venezuelan who played 66 games over parts of two seasons with the Legends, earned Texas League post-season all-star honors with Corpus Christi in 2009. The shortstop hit .273 over 125 games, with a homer, 37 RBI, 77 runs scored and a club-best 19 stolen bases. He had more walks (44) than strikeouts (42).

Sutil played six games for Lexington in 2005, going 6-for-23 (.261) and driving in three runs. In 2006, he played 60 games with the team before being promoted to High-A. He hit .272 for the Legends, with 12 RBI, 31 runs and 20 stolen bases. Over seven seasons in the Astros system, Sutil has 161 stolen bases.

Tommy Johnson, named Thursday as coach of the Kentucky Horsemen, says the “stamp” he intends to put on the arena football team starts with defense.

Tommy Johnson

“Defense is what’s going to lead us to a championship,” he said. “I played on an Alabama team that had probably one of the best defenses in college football, and that’s one of the things that’s been my staple for a long time, is defense.

“I think that you will see a team that, first of all, has a lot of character. We want to make sure that our young men understand that this is just a sport, this is just a game. Children wake up every Saturday and play this for free, and you have the privilege ofplaying it for money. So you’ll see a team that’s full of character and you’ll see a team that’s going to play just-nasty defense, and we’re going to score a lot of points.”

Johnson replaces Mike Harmon, the Tates Creek head coach, who recently resigned from the Horsemen. Johnson says he plans to consult Harmon: “Absolutely, I will. I’d be crazy not to. Coach Harmon, he’s had some success on the football field here. I’d be crazy not to seek a little information on the guys and what they can do.”

Matt DiLorenzo, general manager of the Horsemen, said that he consulted with football contacts, Arena Football League officials and the commissioner of arenafootball2.

“The same name kept coming up,” DiLorenzo said, indicating Johnson.

So an interview was arranged.

“I knew within the first three minutes that this man was our man,” DiLorenzo said.

Johnson is the former head coach of the Louisville Fire. He was hired to be defensive coordinator of the Colorado Crush last season, but the AFL suspended operations before the season began.

A defensive back, Johnson was a team captain at Alabama, which won the 1992 No. 1 ranking by beating Miami in the Sugar Bowl. He also played professionally with the Jacksonville Jaguars, with several AFL teams and in NFL Europe. His coaching career began in 2001 as defensive coordinator of the Fire.

He and his wife Monica live in Louisville, where he is a volunteer assistant on Tim Green’s staff at Kentucky Country Day High School.

Also on the KCD staff is Justin Rascati, who split Horsemen quarterback chores last season with Jared Lorenzen.

Johnson says that continuing a quarterback rotation is not in his plans, though.

“When you have a quarterback of those two guys’ caliber, you have to go with one guy and you have to stick with him,” Johnson said. “You have to get a guy in there that can lead your team. I think every good team has a starting quarterback and a quarterback they feel comfortable with coming in if something happens with that starter. But the rotation thing, it gets those guys our of their rhythm. We want to get those guys in a situation where they’ve got their rhythm and they’re moving our team down the field and scoring points.”

Brett Kincaid, chairman of the board for the team, said the Horsemen will be changing leagues next season, moving from arenafootball2 to a league that will include AFL teams and teams from some smaller leagues. The Horsemen begin training in March.

About 10 players attended Thursday’s press conference, held on the Rupp Arena concourse.

Johnson stressed to them that he expects them to put the community first, show respect, play hard and do what they can to make the fans feel at home. If they do, they will be rewarded with a faithful following that will “cheer us to championships. We will win football games. We are going to take this thing to the next level.”

DiLorenzo said the team is “looking into” adding a “kid zone” for home games; freezing and lowering ticket-package prices; offering payment plans, and merging sponsorships and family ticket packages with the new basketball team in town, the Bluegrass Stallions.

Johnson accepted an on-the-spot offer by Stallions owner Tony Chase to suit up for a game as the basketball team’s 13th man – a celebrity roster spot that each team has for home games.

Most of all, though, Johnson wants to win football games.

“We want to get back to that championship trophy. We want to get back to that point where we’re the cream of the crop,” he said. “The Horsemen have a storied history of being the best and we’re going to get back to that. … I am overly excited about getting started because I know the potential of this team and where we can go.”

Johnson says he has interviewed some “pretty exciting candidates” to be on his staff, but will continue the search: “We are going to interview every coach that wants to interview.”

Asked what his salary will be, Johnson said, “Haven’t negotiated that yet. I can tell you this: it is a league-mandatory salary cap. … I just don’t know how much I will be compensated.”

And he has a message for the public: “To all the fans out there that have not been to an arena football league game, give us one game. I promise you, at the end of the game, you will come up to me and say, ‘Coach, you were right. This is a phenomenal, family-fun game.”

Lexington's Tyson Gay

Lexington native Tyson Gay has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week for a second time this season.

Gay’s 9.69 ties Bolt’s winning time from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, matching the second-fastest “legal” time ever. Gay’s race Sunday had the maximum allowable wind, 2 meters per second (about 4 1/2 mph).

Former University of Kentucky standout and reigning world champion Dwight Phillips had the best long jump by an American during the week, 27 feet, 5 1/4 inches.

Dwight Phillips

LaShawn Merritt

Allyson Felix

Wurth-Thomas

 

 

 

 

 

Best American marks for the week ending Sept. 20. X — Sunday at Shanghai, China; Y — Tuesday at Szczecin, Poland; Z — Sunday at Talence, France.

MEN

100 — 9.69, Tyson Gay (adidas) X                        American record
200 — 20.21, Tyson Gay (adidas) Y
400 — 45.28, LaShawn Merritt (Nike) X
800 — 1:46.33, Nick Symmonds (Oregon TC Elite) Y
110 hurdles — 13.15, Terrence Trammell (TSA) X
High jump — 7-5 1/4, Andra Manson (Nike) X
Long jump — 27-5 1/4, Dwight Phillips (Nike) X
Shot put — 70-6 1/4, Christian Cantwell (Nike) Y
Decathlon — 8,189, Tom Pappas (Nike) Z

WOMEN

Photos courtesy of USA Track & Field

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods

What: Four-game series (Final series of the 2009 season)

When: Friday through Monday (7:05 Friday and Saturday nights; 5:05 Sunday; 1:05 Monday)

Where: Bowling Green Ballpark, Bowling Green, Ky.

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (8-13, 4.10) vs. RH Chris Andujar (10-4, 2.74); Saturday, RH Jordan Lyles (6-11, 3.31) vs. TBA; Sunday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (7-5, 3.87) vs. LH Frank De Los Santos (4-10, 3.79); Monday, RH Robert Bono (8-8, 3.41) vs. TBA.

Chris Andujar

Hot Rod to watch: All-star RHP Chris Andujar (6-foot, 182 pounds, from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic) gets the start Friday. Andujar’s 10 victories are tied for third-best in the league (through Tuesday) and his 2.74 ERA ranks fourth. Over 30 appearances, including 16 starts, Andujar has worked 115 innings, striking out 76 and walking 39. Signed by Tampa Bay as a free agent on April 25, 2006. With Hudson Valley of the New York-Penn League last year, Andujar went 3-4 with a 5.65 ERA. He averaged nearly a strikeout per inning, fanning 57 over 65 2/3 innings.

Brian Pellegrini

Legends to watch: 1B/LF/DH Brian Pellegrini (6-1, 240, from Willoughby, Ohio) smashed the franchise records for career homers (28, by Tommy Whiteman and Justin Humphries) earlier this season and needs just one more to take sole possession of the team’s single-season record. He goes into the series with 46 bombs as a Legend. His 25 this season lead the league and match the single-season record set by Beau Hearod and tied by Hunter Pence. Pellegrini played his first 30 games of the season for High-A Lancaster, hitting another seven homers. Through Wednesday, Pellegrini is hitting .290, with 68 RBI and 60 runs scored, over 98 games with the Legends. He was selected by the Houston Astros in the 12th round of the 2007 draft, out of St. Bonaventure University, where he was the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 2006. He played five games for Tri-City in 2007. Last year, in 87 games with the Legends, Pellegrini hit .226 with 21 homers 69 RBI and 50 runs scored. Despite his linebacker-type build, Pellegrini is surprisingly quick. He stole 13 bases last season and has nine this year. 

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Bud Norris

Henry Villar

Matt Nevarez

Also of note: Former Legend RHP Bud Norris, now with the Astros, has been named Pitcher of the Year in the Pacific Coast League, where he played for the Round Rock Express. Norris went 4-9, but led the PCL with a 2.63 ERA over 19 starts. Since being called up by the Astros, Norris is 3-3 with a 6.61 ERA over six starts. … Mike Tauser’s “Farmstros Five” for the week, all RHPs, includes Legends Henry Villar and Matt Nevarez. Corpus Christi’s Chia-jen Lo tops the list, joined by Jose Cisnero of Greeneville and Kirk Clark of Tri-City. For more on the Farmstros, see Tauser’s blog: http://farmstros.blogspot.com/

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Asheville Tourists

What: Three-game series

When: Tuesday through Thurday (7:05 each night)

Where: McCormick Field (Asheville, N.C.)

Robert Bono

Legends RHP Ross Seaton is set to start Wednesday. (Staff photo/Mark Cornelison)

David Duncan

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Tuesday, RH Robert Bono (8-8, 3.41) vs. RH Alan DeRatt (2-3, 4.91); Wednesday, RH Ross Seaton (8-10, 3.31) vs. RH Carlos Luna (0-0, 7.56); Thursday, LH David Duncan (4-3, 4.24) vs. RH Juan Nicasio (8-3, 2.41).

Tourist to watch: Switch-hitting CF Delta Cleary Jr. (6-foot-3, 180 pounds, from Jonesboro, Ark.) entered the season as the 11th-best prospect in the Rockies system, according to Baseball America. Through Sunday, he is hitting .258 with seven homers and 43 RBI over 100 games. He has stolen 31 bases in 42 attempts and scored 50 runs. He had three hits in each game, Saturday and Sunday, at Bowling Green. Rated by Baseball America as “best athlete” in the Rockies system, Cleary is a cousin of NBA pro Shawn Marion. Cleary, a guard, averaged 13 points a game to help his high school to the Arkansas Class 6A state title. He also quarterbacked the football team. Cleary then led his junior-college baseball team to the Division II national championship. Selected by Colorado in the 37th round of the 2008 draft, out of Louisiana State-Eunice JC, Cleary broke in to pro ball last year with Casper of the Pioneer League. There, he hit .276 with three homers, nine RBI and four stolen bases in 27 games.

Michael Hacker

Legend to watch: LHP Michael Hacker (5-9, 175, from Folsom, Calif.) struck out two Saturday in a scoreless inning of relief against the Hickory Crawdads. That was his first appearance since July 16 and bodes well after a horrendous season up to that point. His numbers: 0-1, 2.69 ERA, 20 strikeouts, 15 walks. Selected by the Houston Astros in the 25th round of the 2008 draft, out of Cosumnes River (Calif.) Junior College, Hacker played for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League last year. Over 23 appearances, all in relief, Hacker went 1-3 with five saves and a 2.73 ERA. He worked 26 1/3 innings, striking out 27 and walking 17. He held opposing batters to a .187 average and did not allow an earned run in his first 17 games. He was especially tough on the road, with an ERA of 1.08.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

MVP Jordan Pacheco

Derek Norris, top prospect

Also of note: Former Lafayette High School and University of Kentucky standout Michael Bertram is the Eastern League Player of the Week. Bertram, a third baseman for the Double-A Erie (Pa.) SeaWolves, went 9-for-26 (.346) with two doubles, two triples and two homers. He drove in 11 runs, scored eight times, walked three times and finished with an .808 slugging percentage for six games. … No Legends were on the annual list of SAL all-stars revealed Monday. The Charleston RiverDogs led the way with three selections: RHP David Phelps, 3B Corban Joseph and Melky Mesa (utility OF). West Virginia’s Rudy Owens was named Most Outstanding Pitcher, going 10-1 with a 1.70 ERA over 19 games before being promoted to Lynchburg of the Carolina League. Hagerstown Suns catcher Derek Norris, batting .288 with 122 hits and 23 homers in 121 games, was tabbed Most Outstanding Major League Prospect. Asheville catcher Jordan Pacheco, batting .325 with 139 hits and 13 homers through 111 games, was named MVP. Selections came from a vote of SAL field managers, general managers, sportswriters and broadcasters. Lakewood’s Dusty Wathan was selected as manager, Greenville’s Bob Kipper as coach. Other players picked: Asheville’s Scott Robinson (OF); Hagerstown’s Stephen Lombardozzi (2B); Augusta’s Josh Mazzola (1B); Bowling Green’s Tim Beckham (SS); Delmarva’s Ronnie Welty (OF); Hickory’s Erik Morrison (utility IF), and Lakewood’s Anthony Gose (OF).

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Greenville Drive

What: Three-game series

When: Saturday through Monday (7:05 Saturday and Monday nights, 2:05 Sunday afternoon)

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: (859) 422-7867

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Saturday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (8-12, 3.85) vs. RH Stolmy Pimental (9-7, 3.76); Sunday, RH Jordan Lyles (6-11, 3.23) vs. LH Fabian Williamson (10-4, 2.30); Monday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (7-5, 3.87) vs. RH Jeremy Kehrt (1-1, 3.51).

Will Middlebrooks

Drive to watch: 3B Will Middlebrooks (6-foot-3, 197 pounds, from Wake Village, Texas) took a 12-game hitting streak into Friday’s game against Kannapolis. Overall, Middlebrooks is batting .265 with seven homers and 54 RBI over 94 games. He has scored 49 runs and stolen five bases. Selected by the Boston Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2007 draft, he was 61-for-110 (.555) with five homers, 48 RBI and 22 steals in 38 games that year for Liberty-Eylau High School in Texarkana, Texas, and also went 13-0 pitching. With the Lowell Spinners last year, Middlebrooks hit .254 and led the team with 17 doubles. He also ranked second or third on the team in games (59), steals (10-for-10), hits (53) and extra-base hits (20). He led third basemen in the New York-Penn League with a fielding percentage of .927. Rated by Baseball America as having the “best infield arm” in the Red Sox system the last two years.

Russell Dixon

Legend to watch: RF Russell Dixon (6-2, 205, from Houston) has come alive at the plate, with hits in seven consecutive games until going 0-for-4 Thurday. Over those seven games, Dixon went 10-for-25 (.400), with six RBI and four runs scored. Included in that span were a two-hit game and a three-hit game — all five hits being doubles. Dixon struggled early in the season, hitting .134 over 30 games with the Legends. That earned him a demotion to extended spring training. He then moved to Tri-City of the New York-Penn League, where he hit .302 with a homer and 11 RBI over 38 games. In 12 games since rejoining the Legends, Dixon is hitting .244. Selected by the Houston Astros in the seventh round of the 2007 draft, out of Auburn University, Dixon hit .237 for the Legends last season, with three homers, 33 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 19 attempts.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Travis Driskill

Also of note: CF Jay Austin and LHP Michael Hacker have been activated from the disabled list. OF Steve Brown has been promoted to High-A Lancaster, while LHP Antonio Noguera moves to the inactive list. … The Astros have ticketed 10 Legends for Instructional League work, starting in mid-September: Austin, 2B Albert Cartwright, LHP Brad Dydalewicz, C Federico Hernandez, RHP Arcenio Leon, RHP Jordan Lyles, RHP Matt Nevarez, RHP Ross Seaton, RHP Henry Villar and SS Brandon Wikoff. Also scheduled to attend is LHP Patrick Urckfitz, who was recently promoted to High-A Lancaster. Instructors include Legends pitching coach Travis Driskill and two former Lexington staffers: Stubby Clapp (hitting coach) and Mike Smith (strength and conditioning coordinator). Pitching coach Charley Taylor, who missed this season due to bladder-cancer surgery, also plans to attend. … Mike Tauser’s most recent “Farmstros Five” players of the week is topped by Corpus Christi OF Drew Locke. The other four: Wikoff, Greeneville RHP Abraham Gonzalez and a pair of former Legends — Round Rock LHP Josh Muecke and Lancaster DH/OF/C Koby Clemens. For more details, see http://farmstros.blogspot.com/

My kind of town, Chicago is; my kind of town.

Which is where, on vacation last week, I caught up with two members of the Lexington Legends Hall of Fame: John Buck and Josh Anderson, in town for the Kansas City Royals series against the Chicago White Sox.

Buck, a catcher, played for the first and most popular Legends squad — the 2001 team that compiled the best record in professional baseball (92-48) and won the South Atlantic League championship.

Anderson, a centerfielder, is unquestionably the most popular individual to play for the Legends, in 2004. The first Kentuckian (Eubank, in Pulaski County) to play for the team, Anderson was selected by the Houston Astros in the third round of the 2003 draft, out of Eastern Kentucky University. He led the NCAA in stolen bases that season with 57.

With the Legends, Anderson set club records by batting .326 and stealing 47 bases in just 73 games before being promoted to High-A Salem (where he hit .268 and stole 31 bases). He tied a minor-league record by going 6-for-6 in a home game against the Greensboro Bats, scoring five times and stealing four bases in a 13-6 victory.

He rose to the big leagues in 2007, hitting .358 and stealing one base over 21 games with the Astros.

Soon after that season, the Astros traded Anderson to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for RHP Oscar Villarreal. Anderson spent most of the 2008 season with Triple-A Richmond, but also played 40 games for Atlanta (.294, 10 steals).

Josh Anderson

This season has been especially busy for Anderson, who turned 27 on Aug. 10.

On March 30, the Braves traded him to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for RHP Rudy Darrow. Anderson hit .242 with 13 steals for Detroit.

Then, just ahead of the trade deadline, the Royals got Anderson from Detroit on July 30 for cash.

Six days later, Anderson’s wife Heather gave birth to their first child, Easton Aaron.

“I got time off for the birth, but it kind of drug out and we waited around and waited around,” Anderson said. “Finally, he was born Aug. 4, and I had to leave Aug. 5. So my time at home wasn’t really with him a lot, but I was there for the birth and that’s the most important thing.”

If you thought going from the first-place Tigers to the last-place Royals would “bum out” Anderson, then you don’t know him very well.

“I just want to play,” he said. “And wherever I go I’m going to play my best and play hard. … The fact that I went from the Tigers (to) here, I didn’t think about that one bit, really. I just looked at the opportunity that was available here and the opportunity that I’ve been blessed with. And for that I’m thankful and looking forward to it.”

In his first 13 games with Kansas City, Anderson is hitting .233 and has a pair of steals.

He says the Royals have “made the transition very easy for me.” And he is enchanted by refurbished Kauffman Stadium.

“I think, of all the stadiums I’ve ever played in, it’s the prettiest park you’ll ever see,” he said. “The fans are great. They draw great crowds. And it’s a great place to play.

“You’ve got a staff here that cares about each guy and wants to win. And this clubhouse is full of great guys, so I don’t see how you can ask for much more than that.”

John Buck

Buck, now 29, hit 22 homers and drove in 73 runs to help the Legends to their 2001 title. His most memorable game came against the Charleston (W.Va.) AlleyCats. He smacked a first-inning grand slam homer and, an inning later, had a three-run blast.

He also handled a pitching staff that finished third in the SAL with an ERA of 3.10.

Now, he’s in his sixth season with the Royals. His career totals for 569 games include a .232 batting average, 67 homers and 252 RBI.

He came to Kansas City as part of a three-team deal involving the Astros, Royals and Oakland A’s.

An early season back injury has limited Buck to 44 games (through Monday) this season. Now, the injury is behind him.

“I feel great. The back’s good,” said Buck, who is hitting .212 with five homers and 29 RBI. “Didn’t play a whole lot when I had the bad back. With three catchers, it definitely gave me time to heal the way I don’t ever feel it, which is a good thing.

“Obviously, with a back injury, you’ve got to take it seriously and let it heal. Even though you feel good and want to go out there and just do it every day. But I’m glad I took the time off that I did because now I don’t feel it at all.”

Kansas City’s struggles are difficult on the psyche. Buck says the team isn’t playing up to it capability. Nevertheless, he continues to savor life in the big leagues.

“It’s what I dreamed of. We don’t win as much here as we did in Lexington, but you’re still playing baseball, you’re doing what you love to do,” he said. “Playing at the highest level. Even though we’re not having the best season, still, you’re playing big-league baseball.”

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Hickory Crawdads

What: Four-game series

When: Tuesday through Friday (7:05 each night)

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: (859) 422-7867

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Tuesday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (7-5, 4.02) vs. RH Wilfredo Boscan (6-7, 3.51); Wednesday, RH Robert Bono (8-8, 3.40) vs. RH Joe Wieland (4-5, 5.53); Thursday, RH Ross Seaton (8-10, 3.39) vs. RH Wilmer Font (7-2, 3.32); Friday, LH David Duncan (3-3, 4.50) vs. RH Jake Brigham (2-8, 5.42).

Matthew West

Crawdad to watch: 3B Matthew West (6-foot-1, 215 pounds, from Bellaire, Texas) is hitting .234 with five homers, 50 RBI and 10 stolen bases over 120 games (through Sunday). He leads active Crawdads in hits (97), runs (59), walks (48), doubles (24) and total bases (140). Selected by the Texas Rangers in the second round of the 2007 draft, when he was 18, West hit .301 and hit 17 homers in 29 games for the Arizona Rangers that year. However, he also was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. In 2008, with Spokane of the Northwest League, West hits .258 with four homers and 30 RBI over 67 games.

Matt Nevarez

Legend to watch: RHP Matt Nevarez (6-5, 220, from San Fernando, Calif.) was assigned to the Legends last week after the Houston Astros acquired him from Texas as part of the deal that sent C Ivan Rodriguez back to the Rangers. Through Sunday, Nevarez has pitched twice for the Legends, giving up no runs and two hits over 1 1/3 innings, striking out three. Selected by Texas in the 10th round of the 2005 draft, out of San Fernando High School, Nevarez had been with the Crawdads all season prior to the trade. With Hickory, he was 1-4 with nine saves and a 2.83 ERA. In 34 relief appearances covering 35 innings, he walked 15 and struck out 50, holding opponents to a .177 batting average. Besides being ranked among the top 200 draft prospects by Baseball America in 2005, Nevarez was an all-city football players and all-league basketball player in high school. Last season, with Spokane, Nevarez compiled a 4-2 record and 4.36 ERA over 16 games, including seven starts.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Also of note: The four-game series against the Crawdads is the start of Lexington’s final homestand of the season. The home season closes with a three-game series against the Greenville Drive, Saturday through Monday. … Hitting coach for the Crawdads is Brian Dayett, who held the same position with the Legends in 2004, when Ivan DeJesus served as manager. … The Legends are on track to surpass 300,000 in home attendance for the ninth year in a row (every season since joining the SAL).

Promotions during the final homestand:

Tuesday — Quarter Hot Dog Night and Kraft Singles Night

Wednesday — Ladies Night

Thursday — Thirsty Thursday

Friday — AT&T Advertising Solutions Game Day and Champion Window Giveaway

Saturday — Fireworks Night; Bucket Boys; Fan Appreciation Night

Sunday — Kids Club Sunday

Monday — Dollar Day and Kids Eat Free

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Greensboro Grasshoppers

What: Four-game series

When: Friday through Monday (7:05 Friday, Saturday and Monday nights; 4:05 p.m. Sunday)

Where: NewBridge Bank Park (Greensboro, N.C.)

Probable pitching matchups (Legends listed first): Friday RH Ross Seaton (8-9, 2.82) vs. LH Brad Hand (6-12, 5.35); Saturday, LH David Duncan (2-3, 4.39) vs. RH Kyle Kaminska (8-8, 3.96); Sunday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (7-12, 3.89) vs. RH Sandy Rosario (2-0, 2.41); Monday, RH Jordan Lyles (6-10, 3.15) vs. RH Graham Johnson (5-7, 5.02).

Ben Lasater

Grasshopper to watch: 1B Ben Lasater (6-foot-3, 195 pounds, from Las Vegas, Nev.) leads Greensboro in games (109), at-bats (417), RBI (65), hits (117) and total bases (191) through Wednesday. Batting .281, he shares the team lead in homers (15). He also has 29 doubles and has scored 60 runs. Selected by the Florida Marlins in the 29th round of the 2007 draft, out of the College of Charleston (S.C.), Lasater split last season between Jamestown and Greensboro. He earned mid-season all-star honors in the New York-Penn League, hitting .324 with nine homers and 41 RBI over 59 games with Jamestown. In 33 games with the Grasshoppers, he batted .229 with seven homers and 24 RBI.

Steve Brown

Legend to watch: LF/CF Steve Brown (6-0, 180, from Cartagena, Colombia) is 21-for-66 (.318) in August, with three homers and 16 RBI. Overall, in 81 games through Wednesday, Brown is hitting .254 with six homers, 42 RBI, 43 runs scored and eight stolen bases. He has not committed an error. Signed by the Houston Astros as a non-drafted free agent on Dec. 1, 2003, Brown’s minor-league career began with two seasons in the Venezuelan Summer League, followed by a season with Greeneville of the Appalachian League (2006), another with Tri-City of the New York-Penn League (2007) and the past two seasons with the Legends. Totals for his first five seasons include: .267 average, 19 homers, 128 RBI, 55 stolen bases.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends
vs. Kannapolis Intimidators

What: Four-game series

When: Monday through Thursday (7:05 each night)

Where: Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium (Kannapolis, N.C.)

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Monday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (7-11, 3.90) vs. RH Nevin Griffith (2-4, 4.24); Tuesday, RH Jordan Lyles (6-10, 3.27) vs. LH Joey Serafin (1-1, 2.70); Wednesday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (7-5, 3.91) vs. RH Stephen Sauer (6-5, 3.27); Thursday, RH Robert Bono (8-8, 3.39) vs. LH Charlie Leesman (12-4, 2.97).

Jared Mitchell

Intimidator to watch: CF Jared Mitchell (6-foot, 195 pounds, from New Iberia, La.) was a first-round draft pick (23rd overall) of the Chicago White Sox in the June draft. In 24 games with the Intimidators (through Saturday), he is 24-for-78 (.308), with nine doubles, two triples, six RBI, eight runs scored, four stolen bases and a .443 on-base percentage. Mitchell hit .327, with 11 homers, 50 RBI, 64 runs and 35 stolen bases this year to help LSU win its sixth NCAA title. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series. Mitchell led the Tigers in steals, walks and on-base percentage. Baseball America tabbed him as Best Athlete and Fastest Runner among draft-eligible collegiate players. Mitchell also played on LSU’s national championship football team (2007). Over three seasons at wide receiver, he caught 24 passes for 274 yards.

Patrick Urckfitz

Legend to watch: LHP Patrick Urckfitz (6-3, 190 pounds, from Rochester, N.Y.) has developed into a dominant closer. Over 48 1/3 innings and 41 games, he is 4-0, with 13 saves and a 2.61 ERA. He has struck out 40 and walked 13. At the all-star break, he was 3-0, seven saves, 3.00 ERA. Since then, he is 1-0, six save, 1.96 ERA. Signed with the Houston Astros as non-drafted free agent out of Monroe (N.Y.) Community College on June 29, 2008. Worked 15 games in relief for Greeneville last year, going 1-0 with one save and a 1.40 ERA. Had 23 strikeouts and nine walks over 19 1/3 innings.   

Radio: WLXG AM-1300