Ehren Wasserman

[MnSoxFan]

From Birmingham newspaper.

 

Samford's Wasserman may be on his way to The Met again

 

 

04/12/04

 

DOUG SEGREST

News staff writer

 

 

Former Samford pitcher Ehren Wasserman may be on the road back to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

 

The 23-year-old Sylacauga native attended an open tryout at The Met last summer and made an immediate impression. On the advice of Chicago White Sox regional scout Warren Hughes, Wasserman was signed to a free-agent contract and shipped off to Bristol for rookie league play.

 

After just four appearances, Wasserman was promoted to Low-A Kannapolis, where he pitched in six games, striking out 10 batters in nine innings.

 

Wasserman opened the 2004 season in Kannapolis again, and in his first appearance of the year he earned his first professional save in a 3-1 win over Lakewood Saturday night.

 

More good work and Wasserman could be on the move again. The next stop would be High-A Winston-Salem, followed by Double-A Birmingham.

 

Birmingham would be a good fit, considering Wasserman's Samford degree is in sports medicine.

 

Rising stock:

 

Arnie Munoz. A career reliever, Munoz made the move to the starting rotation this spring. In his first start with the Barons, Munoz set the table for a 5-0 blanking of West Tenn.

 

Declining stock:

 

Ruddy Yan. The swift Barons IF has been slowed by a shoulder injury, missing his last two games. Yan has 220 steals in three minor league seasons and in his only Birmingham appearance swiped a base in the season opener.

 

On deck:

 

The Birmingham Barons' Sunday matinee to close out the opening series with West Tenn was postponed. The game has been rescheduled as part of a June 2 doubleheader.

 

While the weather battered Hoover Metropolitan Stadium Saturday night and Sunday morning, the real culprit behind the postponement was a power outage.

 

According to Mike Hobson, the Barons' media relations director, power throughout the concourse level and club offices was out, and electricians had been dispatched to repair the problem in time for today's 7 p.m. first pitch against the Montgomery Biscuits.

 

Top 10 White Sox prospects:

 

According to Baseball America: 1. OF Jeremy Reed, Charlotte; 2. RHP Kris Honel, Birmingham; 3. LHP Neal Cotts, Charlotte; 4. OF Ryan Sweeney, Winston-Salem; 5. OF Joe Borchard, Charlotte; 6. LHP Ryan Wing, Birmingham; 7. OF Brian Anderson, Winston-Salem; 8. RHP Shingo Takatsu, Charlotte; 9. OF Chris Young, Kannapolis; 10. LHP Arnie Munoz, Birmingham.

[Guest JimH]

Mn, thanks for posting these articles. Great stuff.

[MnSoxFan]

Mn, thanks for posting these articles.  Great stuff.

You're welcome Jim. This kid was a non drafted FA, seems to be doing ok for not being drafted.

[MnSoxFan]

DENNIS VICTORY

For The Birmingham News

 

 

Birmingham and Montgomery, the two franchises with the most titles in Southern League history, renewed their rivalry Monday night after a 29-year hiatus when the new Montgomery Biscuits made their first trip to the Hoover Met.

 

 

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The Barons (2-2) proved rude hosts to their new Southern League brethren, downing the Biscuits 4-3 in front of 1,627 fans.

 

"I expect everybody in this league to be a good rivalry," said Barons manager Razor Shines. "I know all the coaches, and they're all very competitive.."

 

The last time the two met was in 1975, and Montgomery was on its way to winning the first of three straight Southern League titles as a Detroit Tigers franchise.

 

The Barons were playing their final season as an Oakland A's franchise.

 

Birmingham would be without minor league baseball for five seasons until Art Clarkson brought the Montgomery Rebels to Birmingham in 1981.

 

In the renewal Monday night, Tetsu Yofu threw five scoreless innings in his first start of the season to pick up the victory for Birmingham. Yofu scattered four hits, walked none and struck out three.

 

"His pitching was the key to the ballgame," Shines said. "When you get that kind of starting pitching, you should win the game."

 

Yofu was less enthusiastic about his performance.

 

"I had some control problems," Yofu said. "I was pitching behind in the count too much."

 

Birmingham's bullpen shut down the Biscuits until the ninth when a double and two errors led to three runs for Montgomery (1-4).

 

Birmingham scored the first run in the second inning on Chris Stewart's run-scoring double down the left field line, scoring Nate Murphy, who singled two batters earlier.

 

The Barons broke it open in the fifth with three runs on three hits and a pair of walks. Aaron McNeal provided the big blow with a two-out, two-run single.

 

"In this young season, McNeal has stepped up to the plate with his hitting," Shines said. "Without his bases-loaded knock, it would have been a different game."

 

The teams play the second game of the three-game series tonight at 7 with Heath Phillips making his Barons debut against Scott Autrey for the Biscuits. Autrey was Montgomery's opening night starter at Huntsville. The series finale is Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. Thursday is a league off day, and the Barons begin a road trip to Carolina and Tennessee on Friday.