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MLB

Lowell Spinners Second Decade Team Revealed

By
March 31, 2016

 

 

As part of our 20th Anniversary Season, the Lowell Spinners are proud to reveal our official Second Decade Team. The team consists of players who played for the Spinners from 2006-2015 and the players were selected based on their performance in Lowell. Positions were assigned based on where each player spent most of their playing time with the Spinners. The Spinners would like to extend a big "thank you" to our team historians Bob Ellis and Chaz Scoggins for all their research that went into selecting the Second Decade Team.

 

C Luis Exposito (2006): In his lone season at LeLacheur Park, "Expo" batted .250 with a home run and 23 RBI. He also led the team in doubles with 13. Expo made his Major League debut on May 4th, 2012 with the Baltimore Orioles where he appeared in 9 games in his lone MLB season.

1B Sam Travis (2014): Travis set the Spinners single season batting record for a right-handed hitter when he hit .333 in 40 games. He has since rocketed through the Red Sox farm system, ending last season in AA Portland at the age of 21. This year in Spring Training, Travis led the Red Sox with a .536 average in 28 AB before being sent down to Pawtucket.

2B Mookie Betts (2012): Before he was a highlight-making outfielder at Fenway Park, Mookie was a scrappy middle infielder for the Lowell Spinners. In 71 games, Betts led the team in RBI with 31 as well as 20 SB and a .267/.352/.307 slash line. Betts made his Major League Debut on June 29, 2014 and has since become one of the best lead off hitters in baseball. Some national media outlets have even pegged Betts as a dark horse MVP candidate for 2016.

SS Mauricio Dubon (2014): Equally smooth with both the bat and the glove, Dubon shot up the Red Sox prospect rankings after posting a .320/.337/.395 slash line in his lone season with the Spinners. He also posted some impressive power numbers, mashing 3 HR and 34 RBI in 66 games. Dubon split his 2015 season between Low-A Greenville and High-A Salem and could find himself in AA Portland to start the 2016 season.

3B Will Middlebrooks (2009/2011): World Series Champion Will Middlebrooks made his professional debut with the Spinners back in 2009. In his first stint with the team, he batted .254 with a home run and a team leading 17 2B. While on a rehab assignment in 2011, he had 3 HR in just 4 games. Middlebrooks made his Major League debut in 2012 with the Red Sox, where he batted .288 with 15 HR and 54 RBI in his first season. He currently is a member of the San Diego Padres organization.

OF Zach Daeges (2006/2011): In 55 games with the Spinners in 2006, Daeges posted a dominating slash line of .288/.402/.409. He whacked co-led the Spinners with 4 HR and led the team with 32 RBI. Daeges went on to play as high as AAA Portland in 2009 and briefly returned to Lowell in 2011 before calling it a career.

OF Ryan Kalish (2006-2007/2011): A 9th round draft pick in 2006, Kalish's first season with the Spinners was nothing to get excited about, batting .200 over 11 games with no HR. In 2007 however, Kalish established himself as a "can't miss" prospect. In 23 games, he batted .368, jacked 3 HR, drove in 13 RBI, stole 18 bases, all while posting a .471 OBP and a .540 SLG. Kalish made his MLB debut on July 31, 2010 with the Red Sox but struggled to stay in the show following a string of injuries. He is currently a member of the Chicago Cubs organization.

OF Andrew Benintendi (2015): The most recent position player on team, "Benny" came to Lowell after being the 7th overall selection in the 2015 First Year Player Draft. He quickly made an impact in his professional season, posting a .290/.408/.540 slash line while co-leading the team in HR with 7. He also played a flawless CF at LeLacheur, never recording an error in 31 games. Benintendi finished the 2015 in Low-A Greenville and is expected to start the 2016 season in High-A Salem.

DH Ryan Westmoreland (2009): A New England native, "Westy" had arguably the greatest individual season ever by a Spinner in 2009 when he batted .296 with 7 HR, 35 RBI, and 19 SB over 60 games. His standout season in Lowell would be his only professional season after it was discovered following the season that he had a cavernous malformation, a medical condition that required three brain surgeries and ended his playing career. Westy's impact with the Spinners was so strong that in 2014 his number "25" was retired by the Spinners, the first to ever be retired by the team.

LHP Jose Alvarez (2009): Before becoming a reliable reliever in the majors, Jose Alvarez was among the most effective starting pitchers in Spinners history. In his lone season at LeLacheur, Alvarez posted team records in wins (8), ERA by a lefty (1.52), and shutouts (2). He made his MLB debut on June 9, 2013 with the Detroit Tigers and currently comes out of the bullpen for the Los Angeles Angels, where he appeared in 64 games with a 3.49 ERA last season.

RHP Brock Huntzinger (2008): In just 8 starts with the Spinners, Huntzinger became one of the most reliable arms to ever come through Lowell. With a 5-0 record and a 0.64 ERA in 42 IP, Huntzinger held opposing batters to just a .168 AVG. He reached AAA Pawtucket in 2012 and has bounced around the minors since then and currently finds himself as a member of the Albuquerque Isotopes, the AAA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.

RHP Stolmy Pimental (2008): Pimental appeared in 13 games (11 GS) for the Spinners in 2008. With a 5-2 record, he struck out 61 batters in 63.0 IP while posting a 3.14 ERA. He was also a key member of the team's 2008 Stedler Division championship team. Pimental made it to the show on September 4, 2013 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has since bounced around between the majors and minors as member of both the Pirates and Texas Rangers. He currently is in New York Mets Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.

RHP Kyle Weiland (2008): A graduate of Notre Dame, Weiland made his professional debut with the Spinners in the summer of 2008. In 15 appearances (10 GS), he dominated the competition, holding opponents to a .166 AVG and striking out 68 batters in 60.0 IP while only walking 10 batters on the season. He ascended through the Red Sox farm system and made his MLB debut in 2011, where he appeared in 7 games. Weiland was traded to the Houston Astros in 2012 and last pitched professionally in 2014.

LHP Nick Hagadone (2007): Starting in 10 games for the Spinners, Hagadone struck out a hair-raising 33 batters in just 24.1 IP. His 1.85 ERA and .163 BAA only further illustrated his dominance of the New York-Penn League. Along with fellow All Second Decade teamer Justin Masterson, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2009 for Victor Martinez. He made his Major League debut with the Indians in 2011 and spent the next four seasons coming out of their bullpen.

RHP Josh Papelbon (2006): Among the great closers in team history, Jonathan's little brother, Josh, made a name for himself dominating the 9th inning in the New York-Penn League. With 13 saves in 25 appearances, Papelbon posted a 1.86 ERA and struck out 36 in just 29.0 IP of work. He stuck around the Red Sox organization for several years after and last pitched professionally for AA Portland in 2009.

RHP Stephen Fife (2008): Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2008 First Year Player Draft, Fife made his professional debut with the Spinners. Making 14 appearances out of the bullpen, Fife struck out 41 batters in 38.2 IP and recorded 2 saves of his own. In 2012, he made his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers, an organization he bounced around until 2014. Recently, Fife was in camp with the Chicago Cubs as a non-roster invitee.

RHP Joe Gunkel (2013): Gunkel kicked off his professional career with a dominating season coming out of the Spinners bullpen. In 14 games, he posted a 1.35 ERA and recorded 5 saves. The most eye-popping number is the 32 SO he had in just 20.0 IP. Gunkel gradually rose through the minors and most recently pitched with the Bowe Baysox, AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, where he posted an 8-4 record in 17 games as a starter.

LHP Matt Kent (2015): The most recent pitcher on the team, Kent posted a 7-1 record out of the bullpen for the Spinners in his first professional season coming out of Texas A&M. Kent made Spinners history when he became the first pitcher to earn a win in each of his first six decisions. He will likely start the 2016 season in either Low-A Greenville or High-A Salem.

RHP Justin Masterson (2006): Arguably the nicest guy to ever come through Lowell, Masterson got his career off to a hot start by making an impression out of the Spinners bullpen in 2006. In 14 games, he went 3-1 with a 0.85 ERA, 33 SO, and only 2 BB. Masterson quickly rose through the Red Sox farm system and made his big league debut in 2008. He has enjoyed an 8-year career with the Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, and St. Louis Cardinals. In 2013, he was named to the American All Star team as a member of the Indians.

C Tim Federowicz (2008): The back stop behind a Stedler Division Championship, Federowicz posted a .244/.338/.315 slash line. He also flashed some athleticism during his time at LeLacheur with 10 SB. After being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Federowicz made his MLB debut in 2011 and spent the next few season bouncing between the majors and minors, highlighted by a 56 game season in 2013. He is currently a member of the Chicago Cubs organization playing in AAA Iowa.

INF Travis Shaw (2011): Before he was the Mayor of Ding Dong City, Travis Shaw was starting off his professional career at LeLacheur Park. As a versatile corner infielder, Shaw put his power on display early, hitting 8 HR, 36 RBI, 13 2B, and a .446 SLG. He currently holds the record for most extra base hits in a game with 4. Shaw made his MLB Debut last May, hitting 13 HR in 65 games for the Red Sox. He will see time at both first and third base for the Sox in 2016 and will look to provide a power bat to the middle of the lineup.

OF Mitch Dening (2008): Australian-born Mitch Dening batted a strong .321 in his lone season with the Spinners. A key member of the 2008 Stedler Division Championship team, he added 3 HR, 20 RBI, and 9 SB. Dening continued his rise through the organization and reached AA Portland in 2011. He has been playing professionally abroad since 2013 in both Australia and Japan.

MGR Gary DiSarcina (2007-2009): With 125 wins in three seasons, DiSarcina is the 2nd winningest manager in team history. He was the skipper of the only two Stedler Division Championships in Spinners history. 23 different Spinners who played under DiSarcina went on to play in the majors. After bouncing around the majors for several seasons following his stint in Lowell, DiSarcina was named 2013 Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America after winning the Governors' Cup with the Pawtucket Red Sox. He is currently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Angels.

Check back next week for when we reveal our 20th Anniversary Team, consisting of the best players in Spinners history since the beginning in 1996. Until then, catch up on a little Spinners history.