Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Baseball

South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends
vs. Greenville Drive

What: Three-game series

When: Monday through Wednesday (7:05 Monday and Tuesday nights; 10:05 a.m. Wednesday)

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), Boston Red Sox

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Monday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (1-1, 2.08) vs. RH Luis Diaz (0-1, 3.00); Tuesday, RH Tanner Bushue (0-2, 21.94) vs. LH Henry Owens (1-1, 12.15); Wednesday, RH Jonas Dufek (0-0, 6.00) vs. RH Matt Barnes (1-0, 0.00)

David Renfroe

Drive to watch: 3B David Renfroe (6-foot-3, 200 pounds, from Batesville, Miss.) brings a seven-game hitting streak to Lexington. He is second on the Drive with a .355 average (11-for-31) and leads the team in hits (11), doubles (5), homers (2), total bases (22), slugging (.710) and OPS (1.138). Selected by the Red Sox in the third round of the 2009 draft, out of South Panola High School in Batesville, he had committed to play quarterback for the Ole Miss football team. Instead, he turned pro and hit .190 in 2010, with two homers and 13 RBI over 58 games with the Lowell Spinners of the New York-Penn League. Last year, in 107 games for Greenville, Renfroe hit .240 with eight homers, 45 RBI and 43 runs. In high school,where he batted .470 with seven homers,35 RBI and 18 stolen bases as a senior, he pitched and played shortstop. His father, Laddie, made four relief appearances for the Chicago Cubs in 1991.

Luis Cruz

Legend to watch: LHP Luis Cruz (5-9, 170, from San Juan, Puerto Rico) is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA over three relief appearances and 8 1/3 innings. After giving up four runs in his first appearance, he has been solid. He surrendered one run in 1 2/3 innings at Hagerstown. Then, in Thursday’s home opener against Kannapolis, Cruz tossed four innings of one-hit shutout ball. Overall, he has 12 strikeouts and no walks. Selected by the Astros in the ninth round of the 2008 draft, Cruz made seven starts that year for the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League, going 1-1 with a 2.28 ERA. With the same team in 2009, he finished 1-4, 6.75. Cruz spent 2010 with the Legends, making 16 starts and finishing 8-5, 3.61. Last year, he split time between Lexington (5-4, 4.45) and the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League (0-1, 14.54).

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

Baseball

South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends
vs. Greenville Drive

What: Four-game series

When: Friday through Monday (7 each night except Sunday, 4 p.m.)

Where: Fluor Field (Greenville, S.C.)

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), Boston Red Sox

Foltynewicz

Alaniz

Quevedo

Cruz

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (5-8, 4,27) vs. RH Brandon Workman (3-6, 3.94); Saturday, RH Ruben Alaniz (5-9, 4.56) vs. RH Keith Couch (5-3, 2.97); Sunday, LH Luis Cruz (3-2, 4.09) vs. LH Manuel Rivera (5-4, 3.43); Monday, RH Carlos Quevedo (7-4, 3.83) vs. RH Kyle Stroup (3-5, 4.03).

Hector Rodriguez

Legend to watch: 2B/3B Hector Rodriguez (5-foot-11, 160 pounds, from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic) made his Legends debut Wednesday, going 1-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. The right-handed batter and thrower began the season by playing six games in the California League with the Lancaster JetHawks (.111, 2 runs), then played 17 games in the New York-Penn League with the Tri-City ValleyCats (.176, 3 RBI, 7 runs, 2 steals). Signed by the Astros as a free agent, Rodriguez broke in with the Dominican Summer League Astros in 2008, batting .214 with six RBI, 11 runs and four steals. With the same club in 2009, he improved to .269, 10 RBI, 33 runs and eight steals, earning all-star honors. Last year, with the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League, Rodriguez hit .303 with nine RBI, 15 runs and two stolen bases. He was Greeneville’s Defensive Player of the Month last August.

Christian Vazquez

Drive to watch: C Christian Vazquez (5-9, 195, from San Juan, Puerto Rico), in seven games against the Legends this season, is 7-for-26 (.269) with a double, four homers, seven RBI, six runs and a gaudy 1.091 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentages). He earned SAL Player of the Week honors on June 27. Overall, Vazquez is hitting .268 with 13 homers, 60 RBI, 57 runs and an .804 OPS over 82 games. Selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the 2008 draft out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy high school, the right-hander broke in with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, batting .190 with five RBI and seven runs over 21 games. In 2009, playing 10 games for the GCL Sox and 21 with the NYPL’s Lowell Spinners, Vazquez totaled two homers, 16 RBI and nine runs, batting .178. Last year, over 79 games with the Drive, he hit .263 with three homers, 32 RBI and 34 runs.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Baseball

                                    South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends
vs. Savannah
Sand Gnats

What: Four-game series

When: Saturday through Tuesday (6:05 p.m. Saturday, 2:05 p.m. Sunday, 7:05 p.m. Monday and Tuesday)

Where: Grayson Stadium (Savannah, Ga.)

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), New York Mets

Quevedo

Sogard

Alaniz

Foltynewicz

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Saturday, RH Carlos Quevedo (6-4, 4.25) vs. RH Ryan Fraser (6-6, 3.26); Sunday, LH Alex Sogard (1-3, 4.39) vs. RH Michael Hebert (0-0, 9.00); Monday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (5-8, 4.29) vs. RH Gonzalez Germen (6-5, 3.61); Tuesday, RH Ruben Alaniz (5-8, 4.93) vs. LH Angel Cuan (8-1, 3.26).

Ben Heath

Legend to watch: C Ben Heath (6-foot-2, 220 pounds, from Martinsville, Va.), through Thursday, is 10-for-29 (.345) over his last nine games, raising his average from .156 to .230 over 21 games with the Legends. Included during that nine-game span are his first two homers with the team, half of his 12 RBI and five of his eight runs. Before joining the Legends, Heath played 40 games with the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League, batting .262 with five homers, 23 RBI and 23 runs. Selected by the Astros in the fifth round of the 2010 draft, out of Penn State University, Heath divided 61 games last season between the New York-Penn League’s Tri-City ValleyCats (37 games), Legends (20 games) and the Corpus Christi Hooks (four games) of the Texas League. Combined, he batted .276 with 10 homers, 38 RBI and 29 runs. The individual highlight came Aug. 13, when Heath belted three homers and drove in seven runs during a 10-8 loss to West Virginia. As a junior at Penn State, the right-handed batter and thrower led the team in batting (.369), doubles (16), homers (school-record 19), RBI (57), total bases (148), slugging (.747), on-base percentage (.451) and runs (53).

Aderlin Rodriguez

Sand Gnat to watch: 3B Aderlin Rodriguez (6-3, 210 pounds, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) leads Savannah in games (93), at bats (363), hits (81), homers (12), RBI (60) and total bases (136) through Thursday. Batting .223, he’s also second on the team in runs (43), third in doubles (17) and fifth in slugging (.375). On the down side, he leads the team in errors (31), is second in strikeouts (78) and so lacks speed that he hasn’t even attempted a steal. Rated as the ninth-best prospect in the Mets system by Baseball America, which writes in part: “Rodriguez has more raw power than any player in the system and could mature into a 25-30 homer threat. His wrists are strong and quick, producing elite bat speed.” The righty signed as a free agent for $600,000 in 2008. He missed much of the 2009 season due to a wrist injury, batting .290 over 17 games. Last year, in 61 games with Kingsport of the Appalachian League, Rodriguez hit .312 with 13 homers, 48 RBI and 44 runs. He also went 6-for-30 (.200) over eight games with the Gnats.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Baseball

                                             South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends vs. Hagerstown Suns

What: Three-game series

When: Saturday through Monday (7:05 p.m. Saturday and Monday; 5:05 p.m. Sunday)

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), Washington Nationals

Sogard

Quevedo

Cruz

Legends probable pitchers (Suns rotation unavailable at time of this blog entry): Saturday, LH Luis Cruz (1-1, 4.28); Sunday, RH Carlos Quevedo (6-4, 4.45); Monday LH Alex Sogard (1-3, 2.98).

David Freitas

Sun to watch: All-star C David Freitas (6-foot-2, 225 pounds, from Wilton, Calif.) is 12-for-36 (.333) over 10 games against the Legends this season, with a homer and a team-leading 13 RBI. He also has scored six times against Lexington, posting a .400 on-base percentage and .472 slugging. Overall, the right-handed batter/thrower is hitting .301 with nine homers, 22 doubles, 55 RBI, 41 runs, .413 on-base percentage and .472 slugging (through Thursday). Selected by the Nationals in the 15th round of the 2010 draft, out of the University of Hawaii, Freitas played last season with the Vermont Lake Monsters of the New York-Penn League, batting .307 over 62 games. He earned NYPL all-star honors, knocking four homers and 40 RBI while scoring 32 runs.

Jay Austin

Legend to watch: CF Jay Austin (5-11, 170, from Atlanta is 5-for-19 (.263) in six games (through Thursday) since rejoining the Legends. Austin played 74 games this season for the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League, batting .257 with three homers, 37 RBI, 47 runs and 17 stolen bases. Selected by the Astros in the second round of the 2008 draft, Austin turned down a scholarship to Southern Cal and signed for $715,000. He played 55 games for the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League in 2008, batting .198 with 14 RBI, 31 runs and 14 stolen bases. With the Legends in 2009, Austin hit .267 and stole 23 bases over 101 games, with 33 RBI and 49 runs. He moved up to Lancaster last year, earning all-star honors while batting .261 with 10 homers, 59 RBI, 83 runs and a league-leading 54 stolen bases. Coming into this season, Baseball America rated him the 19th-best prospect in the Houston system.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

Baseball

                                 South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends vs. West Virginia Power

What: Three-game series

When: Monday through Wednesday (7:05 p.m. Monday, Tuesday; 12:05 p.m. Wednesday)

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), Pittsburgh Pirates

Sogard

Quevedo

Cruz

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Monday, LH Luis Cruz (1-0, 2.64) vs. RH Jameson Taillon (2-1, 2.96); Tuesday, RH Carlos Quevedo (5-4, 4.67) vs. RH Tyler Waldron (6-3, 4.26); Wednesday LH Alex Sogard (1-3, 4.38) vs. RH Zack Von Rosenberg.

Cole White

Power to watch: OF Cole White (6-foot-4, 205 pounds, from Midland, Texas) has only played 11 games for the Power (through Saturday), but already has two game-winning hits against the Legends. His home run on the first pitch of the 10th inning gave West Virginia a 2-1 walk-off win Monday. A night later, his double with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning drove in the final run in a 4-3 triumph. White is 13-for-42 (.310), with a homer, seven RBI and five runs since joining the Power. He began the season with the Bradenton Marauders of the High-A Florida State League. There, he went 13-for-63 (.206), with a homer, three RBI and eight runs. Selected by the Pirates in the 42nd round of the 2008 draft, out of the United States Military Academy, he spent the 2008 and 2010 seasons with the State College Spikes of the New York-Penn League, and did not play in 2009. His combined totals with State College included 63 games, four homers, 28 RBI, 26 runs and a .280 batting average.

Legend to watch: Monday’s starter, Luis Cruz (5-9, 190, from San Juan, Puerto Rico), began this season with the Lancaster JetHawks of the High-A California League. He struggled, going 0-1 with a 14.54 ERA over four starts and 13 innings. Opponents hit .407 against him and he had 10 strikeouts to six walks. Since being reassigned to Lexington, Cruz has settled down. Over seven games, including three starts, he has worked 30 2/3 innings, going 1-0 with a 2.64 ERA, 24 strikeouts and five walks. Legends opponents are batting .219 against Cruz. Selected by the Astros in the ninth round of the 2008 draft out of Academia Santa Monica (high school), the left-hander doesn’t turn 21 until September. He spent his first two pro seasons with the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League, going a combined 2-5 over 19 games, including 17 starts, with a 5.40 ERA, 60 strikeouts and 29 walks. Last year, with the Legends, Cruz appeared in 20 games, including 16 starts, and finished 8-5 with a 3.61 ERA, 88 strikeouts and 26 walks over 99 2/3 innings.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

Baseball

South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends at Asheville Tourists

What: Four-game series

When: Friday through Monday (7:05 Friday and Monday nights; 6:05 p.m. Saturday; 2:05 p.m. Sunday)

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

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends); Colorado Rockies

Foltynewicz

Minaya

Dydalewicz

Quevedo

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (0-0, 1.80) vs. RH Ricardo Ferrer (0-0, 4.50); Saturday, RH Carlos Quevedo (1-0, 4.50) vs. RH Erik Stavert (0-0, 2.25); Sunday, RH Juan Minaya (0-1, 5.40) vs. RH Joshua Slaats (0-0, 1.80); Monday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (0-2, 4.91) vs. LH Edwar Cabrera (1-1, 4.91).

Gouvea

Legend to watch: RHP Murilo Gouvea (6-foot-2, 200 pounds, from Sao Paulo, Brazil) Is the first Brazilian to play for the Legends. In one appearance last two innings, he has yielded an unearned run, a hit and a walk while striking out two. Orginally signed by the Chicago White Sox in 2006, he made his pro debut with the Dominican Summer League White Sox in 2007. He progressed to Bristol in 2008 and part of 2009. Also in 2009, he reached the South Atlantic League with the Kannapolis Intimidators. Since joining the Astros system, he appeared with Greeneville and Tri-City before moving up to Lexington this season. In his four seasons before joining the Legends, Gouvea appeared in 61 games, including 22 starts. He compiled a 9-12 record, two saves adn a 5.49 ERA, with 206 strikeouts and 87 walks.

Garneau

Tourist to watch: C Dustin “Drago” Garneau (6-1, 225, from San Pedro, Calif.) is 7-for-14 (.500) through his first four games of the season, with six RBI and four runs scored. Those hits include a pair of solo home runs and three doubles. A 2009 19th-round draft pick out of Cal State-Fullerton, Garneau has a gaudy 1.705OPS (combined on-base and slugging percentages of .563 and 1.143. Garneau made his pro debut in 2009 with the Casper Ghosts of the Pioneer League, going 18-for-72 (.250) over 23 games, with a homer and 13 RBI. Last year, he played 42 games for Tri-City of the Northwest League and 12 games with Modesto of the California League. Combined, he went 45-for-185 (.243), with three homers and 34 RBI.

Notes: The Legends activated 1B Telvin Nash (right groin strain) from the seven-day disabled list Wednesday. To make room for Nash, RHP Ruben Alaniz was reassigned to the Tri-City ValleyCats and, in the interim, extended spring training.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

J.D. Martinez

Lexington Legends outfielder J.D. Martinez is among 10 players selected to the Topps Class A All-Star team. Topps, in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, honors the top performances in all minor-league classifications.

J.D. Martinez

Class A includes the South Atlantic, Midwest, California and Florida State leagues — 52 teams in all.

Martinez, MVP of the South Atlantic League and Minor League Player of the Year in the Houston Astros organization, is the only SAL player named to the Topps All-Star team.

Martinez, 23, led all of Class A with a 1.030 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentages). He also led the SAL in batting (.362), slugging (.598) and on-base percentage (.433). At the time of his promotion from Lexington to Double-A Corpus Christi on July 15, he led the league in hits, doubles, extra-base hits, runs and total bases. He hit 15 home runs and drove in 64 runs over 88 games with the Legends.

Topps Class A All-Stars

Pos.  Player                  Team/League    MLB affiliate  Avg.-HR-RBI
1B   Paul Goldschmidt     Visalia/California      Arizona        .314-35-108
2B   Kyle Seager             High Desert/Calif.    Seattle         .345-14-74
3B   Stephen Parker       Stockton/California   Oakland      .296-21-98
SS   Grant Green            Stockton/California   Oakland       .318-20-87
OF   Johermyn Chavez   High Desert/California  Seattle     .315-32-96
OF   J.D. Martinez           Lexington/SAL           Houston      .362-15-64
OF   Mike Trout              Cedar Rapids/Midwest L.A.Angels .341-10-58
                                      Rancho Cucamonga/California
C    Jason Hagerty          Fort Wayne/Midwest   San Diego  .302-14-74
DH   Rich Poythress       High Desert/California  Seattle     .315-31-130
                                                                                           W-L    ERA
P    Matthew Moore      Charlotte/Fla. State     Tampa Bay  6-11    3.36

Jarvis moves from Diamondbacks to Padres

Kevin Jarvis

Kevin Jarvis, 41, is switching organizations as a major league scout, moving from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the San Diego Padres.

Jarvis, a former Tates Creek High School and Wake Forest standout, pitched for the D-backs and Padres, among others, over a 12-year big-league career.

During his time with the Padres (2001-03), the right-hander was 18-23 with a 5.06 ERA over 55 starts. For his career, Jarvis was 34-49 with a 6.03 ERA.

The Padres also named former catcher Brad Ausmus as special assistant to baseball operations, and former Arizona State University head coach Pat Murphy as manager of the short-season A Eugene (Ore.) Emeralds.

Lawless, Clapp, Montague assigned to Hooks

Tom Lawless

Stubby Clapp

The Astros have stocked the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks staff with multiple connections from the Legends.

Named as manager is Tom Lawless, who held the same post with Lexington in 2009 and High-A Lancaster last season.

His staff includes former Legends hitting coach Stubby Clapp and trainer Eric Montague. Also on Lawless’ staff is pitching coach Don Alexander.

Jake Goebbert

The Houston Astros Player Development Department named the 2010 Most Valuable Players for its minor-league affiliates Friday, including Jake Goebbert from the Lexington Legends.

Each of the eight MVP were selected by the field staff of each team.

Two former Legends were honored: Koby Clemens of the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks and Brandon Barnes of the High-A Lancaster JetHawks.

The rundown on each player follows.

Class A – Legends outfielder Goebbert finished his second professional season with a .291 average (151-for-519), franchise-record 48 doubles, 10 home runs and franchise-record 98 RBI to earn MVP honors. He finished first in the South Atlantic League in doubles, while ranking second in RBI and sixth in hits (151). Among Astros prospects, Goebbert finished the season ranking first in RBI. He was named SAL Player of the Week from July 26-August 1, and earned Defensive Player of the Month honors twice for the Legends. Goebbert was a 13th round pick of the Astros in the June 2009 Draft.

Avg.      AB      H      R      2B      3B     HR     RBI     SB
.291    519    151    91    48      1      10      98    14

Baseball

South Atlantic
     League

Lexington Legends vs. Kannapolis Intimidators

What: Four-game series

When: Wednesday through Saturday (7:05 each night)

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

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), Chicago White Sox

Zach Grimmett

Juan Minaya

Tanner Bushue

Luis Cruz

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Wednesday, RH Zach Grimmett (5-2, 3.86) vs. RH Cameron Bayne (11-9, 3.90); Thursday, LH Luis Cruz (7-3, 3.14) vs. RH Justin Collop (8-10, 4.62); Friday, RH Tanner Bushue (7-8, 4.07) RH Andre Rienzo (7-4, 3.90); Saturday, RH Juan Minaya (4-10, 5.02) RH Ryan Buch (4-2, 3.19).

Ian Gac

Intimidator to watch: SAL all-star 1B Ian Gac (6-foot-3, 245 pounds, from Seattle) is hitting .286 and leads Kannapolis in hits (132), doubles (32), homers (20), RBI (86), runs (61), walks (42) and a league-leading 224 total bases. Signed by the White Sox last December as a free agent, Gac was selected out of Edmons-Woodway (Wash.) High School by the Texas Rangers in the 26th round of the 2003 draft. Baseball America wrote that Gac had the “best raw power” among that Texas draft class. However, his highest batting average over his first five seasons of pro ball came in his first year, .242. In 2008, he blossomed and earned Midwest League all-star honors with the Clinton LumberKings. In 67 games with the Kings, he hit .310 with 19 homers and 60 RBI. That earned him a promotion to Bakersfield of the California League, where he batted .257 with 13 homers and 49 RBI over 63 games. In 2009, his last season in the Rangers organization, Gac hit .238 with 22 homers and 55 RBI over 104 games with Bakersfield. This season, he’s batting .298 against right-handed pitchers, .259 versus lefties. Since the all-star break, he’s batting .296 overall.

Brenden Stines

Legend to watch: RHP Brenden Stines (6-2, 190, from Mishawaka, Ind.,) has made 11 appearances in relief since joining the Legends in July, compiling a 2-0 record and 4.05 ERA over 20 innings. Selected by the Astros in the 33rd round of last year’s draft, out of Ball State University, Stines began this season with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League. There, in five outings spanning 7 1/3 innings, Stines was 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA. He also spent 2009 with Tri-City, going 3-0 with a 4.93 ERA over 24 games and 38 1/3 innings. Control has been his bugaboo, as he has had identical totals for strikeouts and walks this season both at Tri-City (7) and Lexington (13). He has performed best at home (1-0, 2.89, 6 games) for the Legends. Overall with Lexington, he is holding opponents to a .247 batting average.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

Baseball

South Atlantic
    League
 

Lexington Legends vs. Delmarva Shorebirds

What: Five-game series

When: Friday through Tuesday (7:05 each night except Sunday, 5:05 p.m.)

Where: Arthur W. Perdue Stadium (Salisbury, Md.)

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), Baltimore Orioles

Juan Minaya

Jose Cisnero

Luis Cruz

Zach Grimmett

Tanner Bushue

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Juan Minaya (4-10, 5.17) vs. RH Brent Allar (2-1, 4.50); Saturday, RH Jose Cisnero (6-5, 4.00) vs. RH Kenny Moreland (6-5, 3.33); Sunday, LH Luis Cruz (5-3, 3.60) vs. RH Jesse Beal (7-6, 3.86); Monday, RH Zach Grimmett (4-2, 3.81) vs. RH Pat Kantakevich (0-4, 3.98); Tuesday, RH Tanner Bushue (5-6, 4.32) vs. RH Bobby Bundy (2-4, 3.96).

Michael Flacco

Shorebird to watch: 1B/3B Michael Flacco (6-foot-5, 220 pounds, from Audobon, N.J.) is 11-for-32 (.344) with an RBI and a run scored in nine games since being promoted from the Aberdeen IronBirds of the New York-Penn League. Over 30 games with Aberdeen, Flacco hit .250 with 16 RBI and 12 runs. The younger brother of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, he was selected by the Orioles in the 31st round of the 2009 draft, out of the Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville. Flacco played 65 games last season — 60 with the Bluefield Orioles of the Appalachian League and five with Delmarva — and hit a combined .263 with three homers, 35 RBI and 28 runs. Before turning pro, he missed two seasons of athletic competition due to a stress fracture in his back.

Bubby Williams

Legends to watch: C David “Bubby” Williams (6-0, 190, from Las Vegas, Nev.) joined the Legends on Thursday, taking the roster spot vacated when C Jordan Comadena was transferred to the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League. Williams, an 11th round draft pick of the Astros last year, hit .244 with five homers, 12 RBI and 14 runs scored over 25 games this season with the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League. Over 11 road games, Williams hit .429, but over 14 home games his average was .093. Drafted out of Crowder (Mo.) Community College, Williams played 39 games with Greeneville last year, hitting .202 with four homers, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored. A free swinger, over his 64 pro games, Williams has struck out 60 times while drawing five walks.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300