Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

A pair of Legends Hall of Famers attended the home opener: Charley Taylor (left), long-time pitching coach; and J.J. Cannon, manager the team's first two seasons, including the championship year of 2001. (Photo by Mark Maloney.)

Jose Cisnero

Waking up from a furlough* week. (* — A week off the job, not to be mistaken for vacation.)

The Lexington Legends still have two games left in a four-game series at Greenville, Monday and Tuesday nights at 7. Probable pitching matchups have Lexington RH Jose Cisnero (1-0, 7.11) vs. RH Roman Mendez (0-1, 15.26) Monday, and a Legend “to be announced” vs. RH Ryan Pressly (0-0, 3.00) on Tuesday.

The bigger – and encouraging – news comes from Legends Hall of Fame pitching coach Charley Taylor, who is sitting out a second season as he battles cancer.

Taylor, was on hand for the team’s April 16 home opener, has since been checked by doctors in Houston. In an e-mail, Taylor said he was told “the scan looked really good and that there isn’t any new cancer at this time, and some of the previous spots that were seen had either gotten smaller or were gone. He also said that some of those could have been scar tissue from surgery, but the bottom line is the scan looks good.”

Taylor, who overcame prostate cancer before coming to Lexington in 2001, writes that he knows he is not “out of the woods by any means, but tis is someting to certainly celebrate and feel good about.” He thanks all who have prayed for and offered support to him and his family.

University of Kentucky basketball standout Patrick Patterson was captured on the new video board at Applebee's Park when he threw a ceremonial first pitch during the Legends' opening homestand of the season. (Photo courtesy of Gary Durbin, Lexington Legends.)

• Speaking of the Legends, here’s a “two thumbs up” for the new video board in left-center field. How many big-league teams, let alone minor-league clubs, have two video boards?
• Former Legends RHP Sammy Gervacio was activated from the Houston Astros’ 15-day disabled list over the weekend. Gervacio, 25, had been on the DL due to an inflamed rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder. In three rehab appearances with Triple-A Round Rock, Gervacio worked three innings with a 3.00 ERA. Before going on the DL, Gervacio pitched 1 1/3 innings over two relief appearances for the Astros (0-1, 6.75).
• Can’t get too much lowdown on Astros prospects, including Legends and former Legends? Super blogger Mike Tauser is on the spot again this season at: 
  http://farmstros.blogspot.com.
  His “Farmstros Five” Players of the Week include a pair of Legends (Robert Donovan and Jonathan Meyer) and three former Legends (Doug Arguello, Kyle Greenwalt and Tauser’s Top Performer, Jordan Lyles). Legends catcher Jonathan Fixler is an occasional contributor with diary entries labeled the “Fixler Files.”
• The South Atlantic League Hall of Fame will induct three new members June 21 as part of the 51st SAL All-Star Game festivities. The game will be played June 22 at Greenville, S.C. The HOF inductees: Mike Dunn, general manager of the Rome Braves and the team’s predecessor in Macon; John Purdin, who pitched the only perfect game in SAL/Western Carolinas League history, for the Salisbury (N.C.) Dodgers on Aug. 8, 1964, and who went 14-3 with a 1.91 ERA and 182 strikeouts over 137 innings; and three-time World Series champion Curt Schilling, who led the SAL in 1987 with a still-standing club-record 189 strikeouts for the Greensboro Hornets.

After beginning the season with an eight-game road trip, the Lexington Legends will play their 2010 home opener Friday night at Applebee’s Park. The Legends will take on the Greenville Drive at 7:05 p.m.

Here’s a Who’s Who of the home team.

COACHING STAFF

Rick Aponte

Stubby Clapp

Rodney Linares

Rodney Linares, 32, becomes the eighth manager in the Legends’ 10th season, succeeding Tom Lawless. Linares, a Dominican native, spent the last three seasons as manager of the Greeneville Astros in the Appalachian League, going 74-127. He served as hitting coach for the Legends in 2005 and 2006. Before coming to Lexington, Linares spent six seasons with the Astros’ Dominican Republic operations, serving as a scout and hitting coach. Before joining the Astros coaching staff in 1999, he played three seasons of minor-league ball as an infielder in the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros organizations. His father, Julio, has been in the Astros organization since 1973 and is in his sixth season as special assistant to the general manager, for Dominican scouting and development. … Stubby Clapp, 37, returns to the Legends after spending one season on Linares’ staff at Greeneville. In 2008, his stay with the Legends was cut short so that he could play second base for Team Canada in the Beijing Summer Olympic Games. He also played for Canada in the 2004 Athens Olympics. From Windsor, Ontario, Clapp played for Texas Tech University. As a pro, he played from 1996 through 2004, reaching the big leagues in 2001 for 23 games with the St. Louis Cardinals. His No. 10 was retired in 2007 by the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. … Rick Aponte, 54, joins the staff after serving one season as pitching coach for the Gulf Coast League Astros. The previous two seasons, he was pitching coach for the Washington Nationals. Before going to Washington, he spent 32 years with in the Astros organization as a player, coach or scout, including 10 seasons as a minor-league pitching coach.  

Outfielders (Ht., wt., bats/throws, age, hometown, acquired)

Jake Goebbert

Grant Hogue

Jake Goebbert (6-0, 200, L/L, 22, Hampshire, Ill., 13th round June 2009 draft) hit .238 with 18 RBI over 59 games for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League last season. Played for Northwestern University. … Grant Hogue (6-1, 190, S/R, 23, Hattiesburg, Miss., 35th round June 2009 draft) is familiar to University of Kentucky fans. He patrolled center field for Mississippi State before turning pro. Hogue hit .284 with a homer, 14 RBI and 17 SB over 53 games with the Greeneville Astros last season. He was the team’s Defensive Player of the Month in July and August …

J.D. Martinez

Brian Kemp

Brian Kemp (5-9, 180, R/R, 21, East Rockaway, N.Y., 19th round June 2009 draft), out of St. John’s University, earned New York-Penn League all-star honors last year. In 66 games with Tri-City, he hit .259 with 11 RBI, 35 runs and 16 SB. He was Tri-City’s Offensive Player of the Month for July. … J.D. Martinez (6-3, 215, R/R, 22, Pembroke Pines, Fla., 20th round June 2009 draft) led the New York-Penn League in batting (.326) and OPS (.920 combined on-base and slugging percentages). Out of Nova Southeastern University, he earned NYPL all-star honors, with seven HR and 33 RBI over 53 games with Tri-City. He began the season at Greeneville, hitting .403 with five homers and 23 RBI in 19 games.

Infielders (Ht., wt., bats/throws, age, hometown, acquired)

Jose Altuve

Miguel Arrendell

Jose Altuve (5-5, 148, R/R, 19, Maracay, Venezuela, non-drafted free agent September 2006) was an Appalachian League all-star and MVP of the Greeneville Astros last season. He batted .324 with three HR, 18 RBI and 21 SB over 45 games. He had more walks (26) than strikeouts (16), and 25 of his 58 hits were for extra bases. He also played 21 games with Tri-City, batting .250 with seven RBI and seven SB. Overall, he led all Astros minor-leaguers with 28 SB. … Miguel Arrendell (6-0, 165, L/R, 22, San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, non-drafted free agent July 2006) hails from his manager’s hometown. In 2008, Arrendell was MVP of the Dominican Summer League, hitting .284 with 14 RBI, 37 runs and 20 SB over 57 games. He drew nearly twice as many walks as strikeouts (57-30). Last year, he hit .235 with three HR, 14 RBI, 24 runs and four SB for Greeneville. His .394 on-base percentage ranked No. 5 among Astros minor leaguers. …

Kody Hinze

Aaron Bray

Aaron Bray (6-0, 187, L/R, 22, Charlotte, N.C., 27th round June 2009 draft), out of N.C.-Charlotte, was Greeneville’s Offensive Player of the Month last August. Over 48 games with the team, he hit .278 with 20 RBI and 28 walks. … Kody Hinze (6-0, 225, R/R, 22, Houston, non-drafted free agent October 2007), out of Angelina College (Texas), split last season between the Gulf Coast League Astros and the Legends. In 32 GCL games, Hinze hit .262 with a homer and 14 RBI. In 27 games with the Legends, he .175 with four HR and 14 RBI. Including 2008 at Greeneville, Hinze’s career totals: .247, 13 HR, 60 RBI, 114 games. …

Jonathan Meyer

Andy Simunic

Jiovanni Mier

Jonathan Meyer (6-1, 195, S/R, 19, Simi Valley, Calif., supplemental third round June 2009 draft), in his first season beyond high school ball, hit .190 with three HR and 27 RBI over 62 games with Greene-ville. Yet, he led the Appalachian League with 36 walks. Baseball America likes his potential, rating him the 18th-best prospect in the Astros system. … Jiovanni Mier (6-2, 175, R/R, 19, Pomona, Calif., first round (21st overall) June 2009 draft) signed out of Bonita (Calif.) High School for a $1.358 million bonus. He played 51 games for Greeneville last season, batting .276 with seven HR, 32 RBI and 10 SB. While earning Appalachian League Player of the Year and all-star honors from Baseball America, he led the league in triples (6). Baseball America also tagged Mier as the second-best prospect in the Houston organization, best defensive player and best pro debut by a high school draft pick. … Andy Simunic (6-0, 170, R/R, 24, Collierville, Tenn., 17th round June 2008 draft) played 1B, 2B, 3B, LF and RF for the Legends last season. He hit .287 with six RBI and eight SB. He finished the year with Lancaster of the High-A California League, playing 21 games, hitting .286, with four RBI and two SB. His combined on-base percentage of .398 ranked fourth among Astros minor-leaguers. The former Tennessee Vol was team Defensive Player of the Month in July of the last two seasons — with Lexington in 2009 and Tri-City in 2008.

Catchers (Ht., wt., B/T, age, hometown, acquired) & Staff

Jonathan Fixler

Rene Garcia

John Patton

James Farrar

Jonathan Fixler (6-1, 205, R/R, 23, Park Ridge, Ill., 19th round June 2007 draft) divided last season among Lancaster, Corpus Christi and Round Rock. He played 80 games for the Legends in 2008, batting .248 with eight HR and 50 RBI. He was Lexington’s Defensive Player of the Month in April 2008. His three-year totals after leaving Indiana University: .223, 18 HR, 85 RBI, 147 games. … Rene Garcia (6-1, 172, R/R,20, Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, 35th round June 2008 draft) hit .295 for Greeneville in 2008 and .202 for Tri-City last year. Over 70 professional games, Garcia is batting .221 with two HR and 15 RBI. … James Farrar, 28, joins the Legends as strength and conditioning coach. From Templeton, Mass., and a graduate of Lasell (Mass.) College, he has worked five years as a personal trainer. This is his second season in the Astros organization, having been with Tri-City in 2009. … “General” John Patton returns for his third season as Legends trainer and his seventh year in the Astros organization. He served one season with former Astros affiliate Martinsville, then three seasons with Tri-City. Before joining the Astros, he spent one season as an intern in the Baltimore Orioles organization. A graduate of Manchester (Ind.) College, he works during the off-season for Orthopedics Northeast in Ft. Wayne, Ind.

Pitchers (Ht., wt., bats/throws, age, hometown, acquired)

Wander Alvino

Tanner Bushue

Jose Cisnero

Kirk Clark

Wander Alvino (5-11, 166, R/R, 23, Nizao, Dominican Republic, non-drafted free agent February 2006) spent two seasons with the Dominican Summer League Astros, then one each with Greeneville and Tri-City. Over those four seasons, he is 8-19 with a 4.37 ERA. He has 157 strikeouts to 70 walks over 204 innings. … Tanner Bushue (6-4, 180, R/R, 18, Kinmundy, Ill., second round June 2009 draft), out of South Central High School in Illinois, was named by Baseball America as the ninth-best prospect in the Gulf Coast League last season. In five starts for the GCL Astros, Bushue went 1-0 with a 2.42 ERA, with 19 strikeouts to five walks over 22 1/3 innings. Baseball America rates him the seventh-best prospect in the Astros system. … Jose Cisnero (6-3, 185, R/R, 21, Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic, non-drafted free agent December 2007) won back-to-back Pitcher of the Month honors (July-August) at Greeneville last season. Overall, he made starts, going 4-2 with a 3.56 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 30 walks over 55 2/3 innings. … Kirk Clark (6-2, 202, R/R, 21, Moline, Ill., free agent August 2009) made 10 relief appearances spanning 19 innings for Tri-City last season. He finished 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA, 24 strikeouts and three walks. …

Robert Donovan

Arcenio Leon

David Duncan

Robert Donovan (6-5, 195, R/R, 23 next week, Royal Palm Beach, Fla., 23rd round June 2009 draft), out of Stetson University, debuted with Tri-City last season. In 19 games, including four starts, Donovan was 2-5 with four saves, 3.74 ERA, 28 strikeouts and 21 walks over 33 2/3 innings. He was the team’s Pitcher of the Month in August. … David Duncan (6-9, 230, L/L, 23, New Richmond, Ohio, fifth round June 2008 draft), out of Georgia Tech, begins the season on the disabled list due to a sore arm. He split last season between Tri-City, Lexington and Lancaster, going a combined 4-14. With the Legends, Duncan was 4-4 with a 4.29 ERA, 52 strikeouts and nine walks over 56 2/3 innings. … Arcenio Leon (6-1, 162, R/R, 23, Maracaibo, Venezuela, non-drafted free agent February 2005) appeared in 41 games, including four starts, for the Legends in 2009. He finished 4-2 with a 5.86 ERA, 52 strikeouts and 49 walks spanning 70 2/3 innings. He spent the previous two seasons with Greeneville, which came after two years in the Venezuelan Summer League. His five-season totals: 10-16, 13 saves, 4.42 ERA, 167 K, 125 BB, 228 IP. Baseball America pegs him as the 19th-best prospect in the Astros system, noting “He sits at 93-95 mph with his fastball, topping out at 96. He mixes a slider than can be an electric pitch at 86-88 mph, a swing-and-miss offering with sharp, late break and depth.” …

Juan Minaya

Colton Pitkin

Daniel Sarisky

Juan Minaya (6-4, 185, R/R, 19, Maimon, Dominican Republic, non-drafted free agent September 2008) broke in last season with the GCL Astros, making 12 starts. Over 52 2/3 innings, he went 3-3 with a 4.27 ERA, while striking out 18 and walking 30. … Colton Pitkin (6-3, 210, R/L, 20, Baytown, Texas, 41st round June 2007 draft), selected out of Sterling High School in Texas, was Greeneville’s Pitcher of the Month in June and August of 2008. After two seasons with Greeneville, Pitkin moved up to Tri-City last year, compiling a 4-8 record with a 4.21 ERA. In 14 games, including 13 starts and one complete game, he worked 68 1/3 innings, striking out 49 and walking 32. … Daniel Sarisky (6-1, 175, R/R, 21, Duluth, Ga., 40th round June 2009 draft), out of Oglethorpe University, made 10 relief appearances for Greeneville and 10 for Tri-City last season. At Greeneville, he was 2-1 with a 4.73 ERA, 17 strikeouts and four walks over 13 1/3 innings. With Tri-City, he had no decisions, a 3.27 ERA, 24 strikeouts and nine walks over 22 innings. …

Michael Schurz

Jose Trinidad

Brandt Walker

Michael Schurz (6-2, 205, R/R, 23, Portsmouth, Va., 44th round June 2009 draft), out of the University of Iowa, sparkled in 23 relief outings last season. In 15 games with the GCL Astros, Schurz was 2-0 with six saves and a 2.25 ERA. He struck out 22 and walked six over 16 innings. Then, in eight outings for Tri-City, Schurz was 1-0 with a 0.66 ERA, 15 strikeouts and seven walks in 13 2/3 innings. … Jose Trinidad (5-11, 150, R/R, 22, Sabana Grande de Palenque, Dominican Republic, non-drafted free agent February 2006) led all Astros minor-leaguers in 2008 with a 2.73 ERA (17 earned runs in 56 innings). With the Legends last year, he was shut down after 13 relief stints and 21 innings due to injury. He was 0-3 with a save and a 4.71 ERA. His four-season minor-league totals, beginning with two years in the DSL: 9-11, 10 saves, 2.92 ERA, 134 strikeouts, 51 walks, 160 1/3 innings. … Brandt Walker (6-1, 165, R/R, 22, Austin, Texas, eighth round June 2009 draft), in his first season out of Stanford University, went 1-7 with a save and 7.92 ERA for Tri-City last season. He pitched in 16 games, including 11 starts, and totaled 50 innings, 39 strikeouts and 36 walks.

Coming up

South Atlantic League baseball

Lexington Legends at Kannapolis Intimidators

What: Four-game series

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

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

Probable starters (Legends listed first): Monday, RH Brandt Walker (season debut) vs. RH Justin Collop (season debut); Tuesday, RH Tanner Bushue (0-0, 0.00) vs. RH Matt Hopps (0-0, 0.00); Wednesday, RH Juan Minaya (0.0, 2.70) vs. RH Joe Serafin (0-1, 6.00); Thursday, RH Robert Donovan (0-0, 1.80) vs. RH Terry Doyle (0-1, 1.50).

Intimidator to watch: 2B Daniel Wagner (6-feet, 185 pounds, from Kannapolis) is off to a solid start with his hometown team. A 16th-round pick of the Chicago White Sox in last June’s draft, Wagner is a left-handed hitter out of Belmont University. Through four games, he is 6-for-15 (.400), with two RBI and a stolen base. All of his hits have come in a pair of three-hit games. Last season, Wagner hit .258 over 56 games for Bristol of the Appalachian League, with a homer, 26 RBI and 12 stolen bases. He also hit .293 and homered over 11 games with Kannapolis.

Kirk Clark

Legend to watch: RHP Kirk Clark (6-2, 202, from Moline, Ill.) has come out of the bullpen in two of the team’s first four games. Over 2 2/3 innings he has given up three hits and two walks, but no runs. He has struck out four and was the winner in Saturday’s win over Charleston. Signed by the Houston Astros as a non-drafted free agent last August, Clark played for Creighton University. He made 10 relief appearances for Tri-City of the New York-Penn League last season, going 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA. Over 19 innings, he struck out 24 and walked three

Wander Alvino

Roster move: RHP Wander Alvino was added to the Legends roster Sunday, called up from extended spring training. He takes the place of LHP David Duncan, who moves to the disabled list, retroactive to Thursday, due to a sore arm. Alvino surrendered three runs over three innings in relief Sunday. Last season with Tri-City, Alvino was 4-7 with a 5.17 ERA over 13 starts.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Coming up

South Atlantic League baseball

Lexington Legends

at Charleston RiverDogs

What: Four-game series

Where: Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park (a.k.a. The Joe), Charleston, S.C.

When: Thursday through Sunday (7:05 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 5:05 p.m. Sunday)

Tanner Bushue

Juan Minaya

Probable starters (Legends listed first): Thursday, RH Tanner Bushue vs. LH Shaeffer Hall; Friday, RH Juan Minaya vs. RH Graham Stoneburner; Saturday, RH Robert Donovan vs. RH Sean Black; Sunday, RH Jose Cisnero vs. RH Jose A. Ramirez.

RiverDog to watch: Game four starter Jose A. Ramirez (6-foot-1, 155 pounds, from Yaguate, Dominican Republic) won “Short-Season Starting Pitcher of the Year” from MLB.com last season. In 11 games (10 starts) with the Gulf Coast League Yankees, Ramirez went 6-0 with a 1.48 ERA. Over 61 innings, he struck out 53, walked 16 and held opponents to a .159 batting average. Ramirez, signed as a free agent June 10, 2007, also played one game with Tampa of the Florida State League. In three innings, he gave up one hit and struck out two. Baseball America rates Ramirez as the 20th-best prospect in the Yankees system. His fastball consistently hits 92-95 mph, according to Baseball America.

Jonathan Meyer

Legend to watch: 3B Jonathan Meyer (6-1, 195, from Simi Valley, Calif.) was a third-round supplemental draft pick of the Houston Astros last June. In 62 games with the Greeneville Astros, he hit just .190 with three homers, 27 RBI and 69 strikeouts. Nevertheless, he is highly regarded. Baseball America puts him at No. 18 on its list of prospects in the Astros system. He had several changes coming out of high school, where he played shortstop and tried switch-hitting as a senior. Baseball America says Meyer has “good bat speed, strong hands and patience, as he led the Appalachian League with 36 walks.”

Radio: WLXG AM-1300 

The Houston Astros, parent club of the Lexington Legends, announced Monday that 22 of the 51 players selected by the club in last week’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft have agreed to terms.

Next stop for most, if not all, of the draftees will be the Tri-City (N.Y.) ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League or Greeneville (Tenn.) Astros of the Appalachian League.

Tri-City opens its season Friday. Greeneville will open the following Tuesday, June 23.

For a closer look at all 51 Houston draftees, see my earlier blog entry: http://markmaloney.bloginky.com/2009/06/13/the-lowdown-on-51-potential-legends-in-the-making/

Players agreeing to terms thus far, by round drafted:

     Player                       Pos.     School                               Ht.  Wt.  Hometown
 2. Tanner Bushue         RHP   South Central (Ill.) H.S.  6-4  180  Kinmundy, Ill.
 3. Telvin Nash                OF   Griffin (Ga.) H.S.                6-2   220  Belleview, Fla.
 4. Brailon (B.J.) Hyatt   RHP  Univ. S.C.-Sumter             6-4  205  Taylors, S.C.
 5. Brandon Wickoff        SS  Univ. Illinois                       5-8  170  Peoria, Ill.
 9. Ben Orloff                    SS  Univ. Cal-Irvine                  5-11  175  Simi Valley, Calf.
11. David Williams            C  Crowder (Mo.) College      6-0  190  Blue Springs, Mo.
15. Ryan Humphrey         OF St. Louis CC-Meramec      6-0  190  Blytheville, Ark.
16. Ronald Sanchez         1B  Manuela Toro H.S.            5-10  180  Caguas, Puerto Rico
17. Justin Harper            RHP  Oklahoma City Univ.        6-3  225  Phoenix, Ariz.
18. J.B. MacDonald     RHP  Boston College                 6-2  190  Danvers, Mass.
19. Brian Kemp                OF  St. John’s Univ.                  5-10  180  E.Rockaway, N.Y.
20. Julio Martinez            OF  Nova Southeastern U.     6-3  210  Hollywood, Fla.
21. Barry Butera              2B  Boston College                   6-0  180  Madisonville, La.
22. Mark Jones              RHP  Manheim (Pa.) H.S.           6-7  205  Lancaster, Pa.
23. Robert Donovan     RHP  Stetson Univ.                   6-5  215  Royal Palm Beach, Fla.
24. Mike Modica           LHP  George Mason Univ.        6-1  185  Sewell, N.J.
25. Nicholas Stanley     1B  Fla. Southern College         6-2  195  Largo, Fla.
27. Aaron Bay                3B  UNC-Charlotte                    6-0  180  Charlotte, N.C.
31. Travis Smink           LHP Va. Military Institute          6-2  200  Dalmatia, Pa.
33. Brenden Stines       RHP  Ball State University         6-2  190  Granger, Ind.
34. Scott Migi               RHP  Texas A&M University    6-3  190  Houston
35. Grant Hogue             OF  Mississippi State Univ.     6-0  190  Hattiesburg, Miss.