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Dragons Tales: Awards Season and Winter Ball

By Tom Nichols
November 5, 2014

Game Times

The Dragons announced today that their 2015 home "Opening Day" game on Sunday, April 12 will start at 4:00 p.m. against the South Bend Cubs. Midwest League rules prohibit starting the first game of any series earlier than 4:00 p.m. if the teams played on the previous date. The Dragons home opener on April 12 will follow a season-opening three-game series at West Michigan April 9-11. Game times and dates for the Dragons entire 2015 season are posted at daytondragons.com. 

Player Awards

It is "Awards Season" in professional baseball and several former Dragons have received special recognition. 

Starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (2006 Dragons) is one of three finalists for the 2014 National League Cy Young Award. Cueto, who threw the only no-hitter in Dragons history on May 13, 2006, became the Reds first 20-game winner this season since Danny Jackson won 23 in 1988. Cueto tied for the N.L. lead in strikeouts and led the league in innings pitched. He finished second in earned run average at 2.25, the best for a Reds starter since Gary Nolan in 1972 (1.99). His strikeout total was the best by a Reds pitcher since Mario Soto in 1983. Cueto holds the Dragons club record for career winning percentage (.900), going 8-1 in 2006 and then adding another win in a rehabilitation assignment in 2013. The Cy Young Award will be announced on November 12.

Center fielder Billy Hamilton (2011 Dragons) is one of three finalists for National League Rookie of the Year. Hamilton, who obliterated the Dragons club record for stolen bases in a season in 2011 with 103 (the second highest total is 40), finished second in the N.L. in steals with the Reds this season with 56. Hamilton led all N.L. rookies in runs scored, hits, doubles, games played, at-bats, and of course, stolen bases. He finished the year at .250 with six home runs and 48 runs batted in. The Rookie of the Year Award will be announced on November 10.

Hamilton, former Dragon Zack Cozart (2007-'08 Dragons) and Brandon Phillips were Reds players who were selected as one of three finalists at their respective positions for Gold Glove Awards, given to the top defensive player at each position in each league. The winners were announced on November 4 and none of the three won a Gold Glove, but the trio did help the Reds to the best team fielding percentage and fewest error total in all of Major League Baseball in 2014.

Cueto, Hamilton, and former Dragon Devin Mesoraco (2008 Dragons) are all in the running for 2014 Greatness in Baseball Yearly Awards (GIBBYs). The awards will be announced on December 6 based on votes by media, front-office personnel, MLB alumni, fans at MLB.com and the Society for American Baseball Research. Cueto was nominated for Starting Pitcher of the Year; Hamilton for both Best Rookie and Best Defensive Player; and Mesoraco for Breakout Hitter.

The Reds typically announce their Minor League organizational awards during the first week in December. Certain to be a contender for Reds Minor League Pitcher of the Year will be 2014 Dragons right-handed starter Nick Travieso. He led all Reds Minor Leaguers in earned run average (3.03) and tied for the organizational lead in victories, going 14-5 for the Dragons this season.

Fall & Winter Baseball

Several former Dragons are playing in winter or fall leagues, including seven in the prestigious Arizona Fall League, an invitation-only circuit featuring many of the top prospects in baseball. 

Jesse Winker (2013 Dragons) has enjoyed a huge season in the AFL. Through the season's first 24 games, he is batting .345 with a slugging percentage of .600, connecting on three home runs and driving in 16 runs. He ranks in the top four in the league in batting average, RBI, and slugging. His teammate, Kyle Waldrop (2012 Dragons), has also had an excellent season in the AFL, batting .308.  

Meanwhile, Donald Lutz (2011 Dragons) and Sebastian Elizalde (2014 Dragons) have gotten off to tremendous starts in the Mexican Pacific League. Twenty games into the season, Lutz is tied for the league lead in extra base hits (13), is second in total bases, and is tied for second with Elizalde in slugging percentage (.573). Lutz is batting .317 with four homers and 13 RBI. Elizalde is hitting .307 with four home runs and seven RBI. Lutz is the only player in Dragons history to hit for the cycle. He did it in reverse order (homer, triple, double, single) on July 21, 2011 at Fifth Third Field.

Here is the list of former Dragons in Winter Ball or Fall Ball, as of today:

Arizona Fall League: Outfielders Jesse Winker and Kyle Waldrop; infielders Seth Mejias-Brean and Juan Perez; and pitchers Nick Howard, Carlos Gonzalez, Ben Klimesh.

Mexican Pacific League: Outfielder Sebastian Elizalde; first baseman Donald Lutz.

Puerto Rican Winter League: Outfielders Gabriel Rosa and Juan Silva; catcher Yovan Gonzalez.

Venezuelan Winter League: Outfielder Nick Benedetto, pitcher Alejandro Chacin.

Dominican Winter League: Outfielder Junior Arias.

Transactions

The Reds announced several Minor League transactions today. Second baseman Jamodrick McGruder (2014 Dragons) and pitchers Daniel Renken (2011 Dragons) and Brian Pearl (2011 Dragons) have been released. Renken pitched one of the greatest games in Dragons history on June 29, 2011 when he struck out 10 consecutive Lansing batters and finished the game with 14 strikeouts over six innings (still tied for the club record).

Former Dragons Neftali Soto (2008 Dragons) and Radhames Quezada (2012, '14 Dragons) have become Minor League free agents. Either could potentially be re-signed by the Reds. Soto spent parts of the 2013 and '14 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Reds.

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