April 7, 2011
As the minor league baseball season gets underway this afternoon, the Vanderbilt Commodores will be watching some of its alumnus play around the country. Although 16 former players are in a pro team’s farm system, only 14 of them will be on an active roster on opening day while two players are out with injuries.
Former Commodore pitchers and 2005 third round draftees Jenson Lewis and Ryan Mullins will be starting the year at the AAA level for their respective teams. Lewis was selected by the Cleveland Indians and will be in the rotation for the Columbus Clippers. Last season, Lewis got the call to the majors and went 4-2 with a 2.97 ERA in 37 appearances after spending part of the year in Columbus. Mullins will be taking the mound for the Rochester Red Wings, the Minnesota Twins affiliate, in hopes of getting called up.
The only other player opening up at AAA is second baseman Matt Kata who was selected in the ninth round of the 1999 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kata is now in the Texas system and will be playing the infield for the Round Rock Express in central Texas.
Nick Christiani has moved up the ranks fast in the Cincinnati system after being drafted in 2009 and will begin the season pitching for the AA Carolina Mudcats. 2009 first round pick Mike Minor was slated to begin the year at the AAA level with the Gwinnett Braves but was called up to the Bigs on April 3 to pitch for Atlanta. The other pitcher from that class was Caleb Cotham – now residing in the New York Yankees farm system – who is out with an injury to begin the year.
Ryan Flaherty will be close to home this season while he plays third base for the AA Tennessee Smokies in the Cubs system. The former first round pick played 23 games for the Smokies last year after being called up from the Daytona Cubs. The other position player in AA is Ryan Klosterman who is playing in the outfield for the Marlins’ AA affiliate Jacksonville Suns.
Pitchers Casey Weathers and Matt Buschmann round out the group of AA players. Weathers is the lone Commodore draft pick from 2007 still playing ball in the minors while Buschmann is the only remaining ’06 player. Weathers made the roster for the Tulsa Drillers who are affiliated with the Colorado Rockies and Buschmann is in the San Diego system with the San Antonio Missions. This marks Buschmann’s fourth stint in San Antonio while Weathers makes his first trip back to Tulsa since going 2-1 with a 3.05 ERA in 2008.
Jeremy Sowers, who was drafted in the first round of the 2004 draft by the Cleveland Indians, was supposed to be pitching for their AA affiliate but has sustained an injury that will sideline him for the season.
Two players will be playing for an advanced A team this season with Minnesota’s 2009 15th round draft pick Steven Liddle leading the way on the Fort Myers Miracle. David Macias, a 2008 selection, will open the year at second base for the Daytona Cubs.
All four players who were drafted last season and chose to take the professional route have homes in the farm system this year. Pitcher Drew Hayes will take the mound for the Dayton Dragons; the Cincinnati class A affiliate while 41st round selection Chase Reid will be playing advanced A ball for the Palm Beach Cardinals. Russell Brewer and Andrew Giobbi are on the rosters for rookie ball clubs with Brewer suiting up for the Casper Ghosts, the Colorado affiliate, and Giobbi will sit behind the plate for the Pulaski Mariners.
The Commodores have a representative for every year dating back to 2004, but no one drafted from 2000 to 2003 is still playing ball. Matt Kata is the only alumni still playing who was at Vanderbilt during the ’90s.
