Hamlet Nalbandyan
The following are updates on local baseball players in the minor
leagues.
Freddy Sanchez, Pawtucket Red Sox: The Burbank High and Glendale
Community College standout has been living it up in the minors.
Not only has the 24-year-old been tearing things up on the field
for the triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, but he recently got
married to his high school sweetheart, Alissa.
Sanchez, who is the team's starting shortstop, is hitting .270 (33
for 122) in 30 games since getting called up from double A Trenton.
He has scored 17 runs, driven in 20, hit two home runs and stolen
four bases.
Sanchez has improved drastically since moving up to Pawtucket.
Through his first nine games, he was hitting just .238 with no home
runs and five runs batten in.
At Trenton, Sanchez was hitting an impressive .328 in 80 games,
with three home runs, 38 RBIs, 60 runs, 23 doubles and 19 stolen
bases.
Overall on the season, Sanchez is hitting .312 with five home runs
and 58 RBIs.
Jon Felfoldi, Vermont Expos: The Western State Conference co-most
valuable player in 2002 is having moderate success for the single-A
affiliate of the Montreal Expos.
The GCC standout is 0-2 in three relief appearances, but the lefty
has a strong earned-run average of 3.38 in eight innings of work.
Felfoldi also has six strikeouts and three walks.
Fernando Rios, Stockton Ports: The Glendale High graduate is
enjoying some success for the single-A affiliate of the Cincinnati
Reds.
Rios, 23, an outfielder for the Ports, is hitting .256 (50-195)
with four home runs, 29 RBIs, 32 runs and eight doubles.
Rios graduated from Glendale in 1996, where he led Spiro Psaltis'
group to the Pacific League title. The Nitros haven't finished higher
than third since.
Jason Botts, Charlotte Rangers: Botts, a 6-foot-6 power hitter
from GCC, has been doing just that for Charlotte, the single-A
affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
The 22-year-old first baseman has eight home runs and 44 RBIs, but
as things usually go with power hitters, he has plenty of strikeouts
to go along with his offensive numbers.
Botts has struck out 76 times in 314 at bats. In comparison, he
has just 80 hits for a .255 batting average.
However, Botts is a feared hitter. He has been walked 68 times. He
also has 14 doubles and five triples and has scored 58 runs.
Wes Hutchison, Shreveport Swamp Dragons: The 23-year-old Hutchison
has already been demoted once this season, and he just might be
again.
The former GCC and Burroughs High standout started his season with
the Fresno Grizzlies, the triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco
Giants, but he was 1-4 with a 7.08 ERA in 34 1/3 innings.
He was sent to double-A Shreveport, but things haven't gotten any
better.
In 11 contests, mostly from the bullpen, he is 0-8 with a 5.48
ERA.
He does have a pair of saves and has started twice. In 44 1/3
innings, he has allowed 46 hits, 29 runs -- 27 earned -- 25 walks and
struck out 23.
Overall on the season, Hutchison is 1-12 with a 6.22 ERA.
