MINOR LEAGUE PLAYOFF WOES

At the beginning of every season the goal of any team is a championship, all decisions affecting games and personnel are made with this in mind. Professional baseball teams are no different in their aim; it’s the farm system that makes baseball unique. Each MLB team has six or seven minor league affiliates who must balance their desire to win championships with their primary mission, player development; getting players ready to play in the major leagues.

Game preparation is only one aspect of playoff baseball in the minors, teams face an additional challenge.  Major Leagues clubs may expand their rosters from 25 to 40 players on September 1^st. Clubs continue to make roster moves throughout their affiliate’s playoff run, the major league team always comes first. The impact of the roster moves varies depending on the parent clubs playoff standing and pressing needs, pitching is usually affected most. MLB teams realize the importance of playoff experience for younger players and they take care in who and when players are called up.

“Joe Santry, Director of Communications/Media Relations & Team Historian for the Columbus Clippers relates how the team was affected in 2010 and 2011 “in our National Championship runs, the Indians took ten Clippers during the 2010 playoffs and eleven the following year.  In 2011 the Indians called up Corey Kluber and he was not available to the Clippers for playoffs.   Before of the championship game the Tribe told Columbus not to use rested starters Zach McAllister or Mitch Talbot because they may need them in Cleveland.  RHP Joe Martinez stepped up and won the ball game.”

Tampa Bay has three affiliates in the playoffs, in addition to Durham, Rookie-Level Princeton and Short-Season A Hudson Valley join the fray. With the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox out of the playoff hunt Durham and Pawtucket won’t be affected as dramatically as Columbus and Syracuse. Cleveland also has three affiliates  gearing up for the postseason, AA Akron and A Lake County join the AAA Clippers, couple this with the Indians postseason push and movement throughout the farm system will require a synchronized vertical response from the Indians. The Nationals are making a run in the National League East and will look to Syracuse for additional help.

ROSTER MOVES

Cleveland plucked for key components from the Clipper roster in as the calendar turned to September, Zach McAllister, Jesus Aguilar, Austin Adams and Bryan Price will not be a part of the Governors’ Cup chase for Columbus.

To offset the loss of Aguilar the Indians signed free agent Russell Branyan and placed him on the Columbus roster. Branyan was hitting .296 with 19 home runs and 56 RBI in the Mexican League.

Pitchers Adam Miller, Enosil Tejeda and Nick Maronde joined the club from Akron. Reliever Scott Barns was activated from the disabled list.

Tampa Bay called up Brandon Gomes and Steve Geltz was placed on the reserve list.

Washington recalled Sandy Leon, Xavier Cedeno, Blake Treinen, Aaron Barrett and Tyler Moore from Syracuse.

Boston called up Steven Wright from Pawtucket.

By Mike Tanchevski
Senior Baseball Writer Covering the International League