Past Greeneville Astros on the Rise

GREENEVILLE, TN - The 2010 Greenville Astros roster will not be set until after the Amateur First-Year Player Draft takes place between June 7th-9th, and the first game for the Greeneville Astros this season will not take place until two weeks later. However, many past Greeneville Astros stars have moved on to full season clubs that begin their seasons this week, headlined by J.R. Towles, Felipe Paulino, and Sammy Gervacio on the Houston Astros opening day roster.

After breaking into the big leagues late in 2007, Towles and Paulino have both occasionally contributed in Houston over the past couple of seasons. This year, both were involved in Spring Training battles for roster spots.

Towles, who hit well during the spring, edged out top prospect Jason Castro to become Houston's number one catcher. Meanwhile, Paulino, who has battled injuries in the past, secured the fifth starting spot in the Astros rotation.

Gervacio will begin his first full season in the majors after a late season call-up in 2009. He will be used exclusively out of the bullpen.

A combined thirty-four other past Greeneville Astros will be looking to prove themselves on teams throughout Houston's minor league system with the Class A Lexington Legends, the Class A Advanced Lancaster JetHawks, the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, and the Triple-A Round Rock Express.

Left-handed pitcher Polin Trinidad, a member of Houston's 40-man roster, will begin the season with Round Rock. In 2009, he posted a 6-5 record with a 4.53 ERA in 12 starts at the Triple-A level after starting the year in Corpus Christi.

At the Double-A level, three more Greeneville standouts that are members of Houston's 40-man roster will suit up for the Hooks as lefty Fernando Abad and shortstop Wladimir Sutil return to the squad while right-hander Henry Villar will skip a level to Corpus Christi from Class A Lexington.

Right-handed pitcher Jordan Lyles, the 2008 supplemental first-round selection, will also be making the jump from Lexington. The 19-year-old posted 167 strikeouts in 144.2 innings during 2009.

Koby Clemens, who moved up to Corpus Christi late in 2009 after hitting .321 with 22 homers and 121 RBI in Class A Advanced Lancaster, will return to begin this season at the Double-A level albeit with another new position. Clemens will be moved over to first base after previously playing third base, catcher, and left field.

Left-hander Douglas Arguello and third baseman Jhon Florentino will also be returning to the Hooks.

The Lancaster JetHawks will have a total of thirteen former Greeneville Astros on their roster, including three past team MVPs in right-handed pitchers Kyle Greenwalt, Leandro Cespedes, and outfielder Josh Flores.

Greenwalt and Cespedes will be joined by a talented group of young pitchers including Ross Seaton, Brad Dydalewicz, Patrick Urckfitz, and Brian Wabick.

Along with Flores in the outfield will be returner Brandon Barnes, who provided some power to the JetHawks line up with 12 homers while hitting .293 in 68 games last season. Meanwhile, Jay Austin, the athletic 2008 second-round pick, will be moving up from Lexington.

Catchers Federico Hernandez and Jose Lopez will be behind the plate, while the infield will include Ebert Rosario and Albert Cartwright.

In Lexington, thirteen more players from Greeneville will be on the Legends roster including eight from the 2009 team.

The infield will be very similar to the one fielded in Greenville last season. Second baseman Jose Altuve, who was Greeneville's team MVP in 2009, will be joined by first-round shortstop Jiovanni Mier, third baseman Jonathan Meyer, Aaron Bray, Miguel Arrendell, and the power-hitting J.D. Martinez. In addition, first baseman Kody Hinze, who played in Greeneville in 2008, will return to Lexington.

On the mound, lefty Colton Pitkin will team up with hard-throwing right-handers Arcenio Leon and Jose Trinidad. Meanwhile, catcher Rene Garcia will move up from Tri-City to handle the pitchers.

Upon the release of the rosters throughout Astros system, Greeneville Astros general manager David Lane said, "It's always exciting to see where our former players go and to follow them on their paths to the majors. Each year, more and more Greeneville Astros alumni are getting closer to realizing their dreams. It is fun to know that, for most of them, it all began right here in Greeneville."

The Greeneville Astros home opener will be on June 25, 2010 at 7:00pm against the Johnson City Cardinals. Season tickets, half-season tickets, and ticket books are now available for purchase at the Astros Administrative office located at Pioneer Park on the campus of Tusculum College. The office is open Monday-Friday from 8:30am-5:30pm. For more information on the Astros, call (423) 638-0411.