University of Tennessee Athletics
2010 Vols in the Pros Recap
December 10, 2010 | Baseball
Dec. 10, 2010
By Kaleb Center, Media Relations Student Assistant
With 2010 quickly coming to a close, another Major League Baseball season in the books and the start of a new collegiate campaign right around the corner, it is time to catch up with former Vols playing at the professional level. Highlighting this year in review are a former UT player in the World Series and a veteran journeyman finally receiving major-league recognition. Below is the newest installment of how the Orange and White is faring at the next level - complete with links to video highlights.
MAJOR LEAGUES
J.P. Arencibia - C, Toronto Blue Jays - Stats
As a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, J.P. Arencibia played in 11 games after being called up for the first time in August. He authored one of the most memorable debuts in MLB history, going 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs, a double and three RBIs against Tampa Bay on Aug. 7. Prior to his arrival in Toronto, Arencibia posted some remarkable numbers with the Las Vegas 51s, eventually being named the MVP of the Pacific Coast League and to the Topps Triple-A All-Star Team. The 6-1 catcher from Miami, Fla., hit .301 with 32 home runs and 85 RBIs.
Historic MLB Debut | MLB Debut (Part Two) | Throws out a runner
Julio Borbon - OF, Texas Rangers - Stats
In his first full year in the big leagues, Julio Borbon helped the ALCS Champion Texas Rangers to their fourth 90-win season in franchise history and their first postseason appearance in 11 years and first ever World Series berth. Despite being used sparingly in the postseason, the speedy baserunner managed to score four runs in the eight playoff games in which he appeared. In two World Series plate appearances, he was 1-for-2 at the plate and scored a run. Borbon played in 137 regular season games this season, hitting .276 with 60 runs scored, three home runs and 42 RBIs. His 15 stolen bases on the year tied him with teammate Ian Kinsler for 25th in the American League.
RBI Single | Swipes Second | Brings Back a Grand Slam | Nabs Another Home Run | RBI Double | Squeeze Bunt | Running Catch | Diving Catch | Getting to Know Julio
R.A. Dickey - SP, New York Mets - Stats
One of the best stories in baseball this year, the 36-year old R.A. Dickey finished second in balloting for National League Comeback Player of the year after solidifying himself as one of the top pitchers on the New York Mets' staff. The knuckleballer pitched 174.1 innings, going 11-9 with a 2.84 ERA in 26 starts. His best performance came on August 13 when he held the Philadelphia Phillies to just one hit as he struck out seven for his second career complete-game shutout. For the season, Dickey tallied 104 strikeouts with just 42 walks.
Strong Start | Dickey's Gem | Picks Up Two Hits | Tosses a One-Hitter | Dazzling Start | Gutsy Outing | Dickey on the Knuckleball | On His Unusual Career Path
Chase Headley - 3B, San Diego Padres - Stats
The durable Chase Headley played more innings at the third-base position this season than any other player in baseball, helping the Padres to their first 90-win season in 12 years and their fourth all-time. On defense, he finished with the third highest fielding percentage in the National League and the fourth fewest errors, making him a candidate for the NL Golden Glove award. At the plate, Headley hit .264 with 11 home runs and 58 RBIs. He also stole 17 bases, good for 21st in the NL. The highlight of his season was a 4-of-5 performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 2, when he had a pair of doubles and a three-run home run against the division foes.
Great Defensive Play | And Another | And Another | And Another | And Another | And Another | And Another | And Another | Ok, You Get It | RBI Triple | Solo Shot | Two-Run Homer | Three-Run Shot | Walk-Off Single | Walk-Off Blast
Todd Helton - 1B, Colorado Rockies - Stats
Despite spending nearly a month on the disabled list, Todd Helton continued to be a force for opposing pitchers to reckon with in the batter's box, reaching base in 85 of the 118 games he played in during the 2010 season. The Knoxville native drew 67 walks over the course of the season, putting him 22nd in the National League in that category. Even with his extended absence, Helton finished seventh in the league for double plays, and among starting first-basemen he had the sixth fewest errors with eight. For the season, the Rockies legend hit .256 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs.
Two-Run Home Run | Diving Stop | Solo Shot | Leaning Grab | Walk-Off Sac Fly | Nice Defense | 15,500th Putout
Luke Hochevar - SP, Kansas City Royals - Stats
Luke Hochevar went on the disabled list with a right elbow sprain on June 16 and returned to the Kansas City rotation on September 7. The game just prior to his injury, a 4-2 loss to Detroit on June 5, was arguably his best pitching performance of the year, allowing one earned run and striking out 10 in seven innings. The former No. 1 overall draft pick finished the season with a 6-6 record and a 4.81 ERA, in addition to racking up 76 strikeouts with 103 innings pitched in 17 starts.
Strong September Start | Solid Outing | Complete-Game Gem | Seven Strikeouts | Scoreless Start
Mike Lincoln - RP, Cincinnati Reds - Stats
Mike Lincoln's 2010 season met an unfortunate early ending, as he was placed on the disabled list on June 2 with a strained muscle in his right side. In 19 appearances out of the bullpen for the Cincinnati Reds, he was 1-0 with a 7.32 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 19.2 innings of work.
Augie Ojeda - UTIL, Arizona Diamondbacks - Stats
A utility infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Augie Ojeda saw spot duty in 59 games this season, playing errorless-ball at third base, second base and shortstop. He snagged 25 putouts and 35 assists in 60 total chances with six double plays. Offensively, he hit .190 with only eight strikeouts in 79 at-bats.
RBI single | Flashing the Leather | Diving Stop
MINOR LEAGUES
Scot Drucker - RP, Toledo MudHens (AAA - Detroit Tigers) - Stats | Blog
A versatile member of the Toledo MudHens pitching staff, Scot Drucker took the mound in 42 games this season, including five starting nods, for the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. The 6-1 righty finished the season with a 4-5 record and a 5.61 ERA. Drucker struck out 69 batters this season while walking only 29. This offseason, the Miami native appeared in three games for the Tigres de Licey of the Dominican League, allowing no earned runs.
James Adkins - RP, Chattanooga Lookouts (AA - Los Angeles Dodgers) - Stats
Nashville native James Adkins was converted to a reliever this season, tossing 45.1 innings over the span of 40 games and posting a 3-1 record. The imposing 6-6, 230-pound lefty was brilliant in streaks, allowing only three earned runs in a 17-game stretch beginning April 23, and pitching 10.1 shutout innings in 11 games starting August 4. The career strikeout leader at Tennessee, Adkins totaled 54 punchouts for the Lookouts and Triple-A Isotopes this season, good for an average of nearly 10 batters per nine innings.
Deunte Heath - RP, Birmingham Barons (AA - Chicago White Sox) - Stats
Deunte Heath was valuable in his relief role for the Birmingham Barons' bullpen this season, compiling a 3.12 ERA with two saves in 39 appearances. He finished up the season on a roll, posting a 1.59 ERA in his last 13 appearances. For the season, Heath averaged more than 13 strikeouts per nine innings pitched and opponents hit a paltry .232 off of him.
Ty'Relle Harris - RP, Myrtle Beach Pelicans (High A - Atlanta Braves) - Stats
Ty'Relle Harris' 2010 season was a dramatic journey from the Low A Rome Braves, to the High A Myrtle Beach Pelicans to the Double-A Mississippi Braves of the Southern League. The 2009 draft pick was then one of three pitchers acquired by the Chicago Cubs organization in exchange for first-baseman Derrek Lee, bringing him back to East Tennessee with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies. Harris had an admirable 2.93 ERA during his first three stops, and made a lasting impression in his first appearance in a Mississippi Braves uniform, combining with Julio Teheran to throw a no-hitter on Aug. 2. For the Smokies, he pitched 7.2 scoreless innings in three games with the club, before giving up seven earned runs in his season finale, after the team had clinched a league title. Harris' overall 2010 record was 2-3 with a 3.38 ERA, 68 strikeouts, six saves and three starts in 34 appearances.
Kentrail Davis - OF. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low A - Milwaukee Brewers) - Stats
The 39th overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft, Kentrail Davis is considered a high-upside prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers' system. After trading in the heat and humidity of Brevard County in Florida for the cooler temperatures of Appleton, Wis., Davis hit at a blistering .335 clip with 26 doubles, five triples, three home runs and 46 RBIs in 64 games. The speedy outfielder hit safely in 22 of his last 28 games played to close out the season in strong fashion.
Nick Hernandez - SP, GCL Phillies (Short Season - Philadelphia Phillies) - Stats
Following a dominant start to the 2010 campaign with the Lakewood Blue Claws, Nick Hernandez suffered a temporary setback when he missed nearly two months due to shoulder weakness. The 6-4 southpaw returned to the mound for a pair of appearances with the GCL Phillies but spent the rest of 2010 on and off the disabled list. With the Blue Claws, Hernandez kicked off his second season in professional baseball by going 3-1 with a stellar 1.61 ERA in his first eight starts. During that time he had 52 strikeouts and just eight walks in 56.0 innings and was holding opponents to a miniscule .192 batting average.
Danny Wiltz - SP (Chicago White Sox) - Blog
After posting a 4-2 record and 4.25 ERA in 19 appearances in 2009, Danny Wiltz missed the entire 2010 campaign recovering from a knee injury. He had surgery on March 10 to repair tears in his ACL and lateral meniscus.
Cody Hawn - 1B, Helena Brewers (Short Season - Milwaukee Brewers) - Stats
One of the top hitters for UT the last two seasons, Cody Hawn jumpstarted his professional career with a tremendous rookie campaign in the minors. He finished atop the Pioneer League in RBIs, with 61, and tied for third in doubles (20) and homeruns (13) during the abbreviated regular season. The Knoxville native crowned his season and his team's with a 3-for-6, two-homer, eight-RBI performance in the decisive game of the league finals to bring Helena its first title since 1996. Including the postseason, Hawn batted .315 for the year en route to being named to the Topps Short Season/Rookie All-Star Team.
Stephen McCray - SP, Great Falls Voyagers (Short Season - Chicago White Sox) - Stats
Accompanying Hawn in the Pioneer League this season was fellow rookie, right-handed pitcher Stephen McCray. Starting the season as a reliever, he posted a respectable ERA of 3.64 in 11 appearances. He was bumped into the starting rotation on Aug. 3, where he flourished during his senior season at Tennessee. As a starter, he went 4-1 in seven starts with an ERA of 2.44. Including his time in the bullpen, he was 6-2 with two saves and a 2.48 ERA in a total of 54.1 innings of work this season. In earning his first win as a starter on August 8, he held former teammate Cody Hawn and the Helena Brewers hitless for six innings, striking out six, including Hawn.
P.J. Polk - OF, Connecticut Tigers (Short Season - Detroit Tigers) - Stats
The Detroit Tigers' 13th-round selection last June, P.J. Polk shined in his debut season. Always a threat on the basepaths, the speedy outfielder was named to the New York-Penn League All-Star Team after finishing third in the league in stolen bases. Polk was a key contributor in the All-Star game, plating a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to begin a decisive three-run rally. In 64 games with the Class-A Connecticut Tigers, Polk hit .267, led the Tigers in steals and on-base percentage and was among the team leaders in hits, doubles, walks, runs scored, and batting average.
Steve Crnkovich - SP, GCL Tigers (Short Season - Detroit Tigers) - Stats
Steve Crnkovich's rookie campaign started strong and only seemed to pick up momentum as the season progressed. The 6-4 ace was named the Detroit Tigers Pitcher of the Month for July after joining the season in-progress as a free agent signee June 23. In that month, Crnkovich pitched 31.2 innings in six appearances, going 4-2. During that stretch, he allowed fewer than five hits in each game, gave up only four earned runs, struck out 36 and walked just five. His encore performance on Aug. 6 was a 7 2/3 inning shutout in which he yielded only four hits with nine strikeouts and no walks. Crnkovich finished 2010 with a 1.58 ERA in 45.2 innings, one scoreless inning shy of qualifying as the second-best average in the Gulf Coast League.
Blake Forsythe - C, Brooklyn Cyclones (Short Season - New York Mets) - Stats
After a three-day stint in the Gulf Coast League, Blake Forsythe was called up to the Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York-Penn League. In 30 games with the Cyclones, the Mets' 2010 third-round selection hit .238 with three home runs. In his best outing, Forsythe singled twice and doubled, going 3-of-4 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored.
Bryan Morgado - RP, Williamsport Crosscutters (Short Season - Philadelphia Phillies) - Stats
The Philadelphia Phillies' fourth-round pick last year, Bryan Morgado fought off some command issues early in his first professional season before finishing on an upswing, allowing only four hits and striking out 10 in his final six appearances. Assigned to the Williampsort Crosscutters of the New York-Penn League, Morgado made the transition to the bullpen after starting for the Vols in his junior season. Overall, he posted a record of 1-2 in 14 appearances on the mound with 21 strikeouts and 22 walks in a total of 16.1 innings of action.
Aaron Tullo - RP, Orem Owlz (Short Season - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) - Stats
Aaron Tullo signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in early August, and was assigned to the Orem Owlz in the Pioneer League. He soon earned a spot in the starting rotation, and went 1-1 as a starter to finish with a 2-1 record overall. Tullo completed his first professional season with an incredible 2.05 ERA in seven appearances, including five starts. He struck out 21 batters versus just eight walks, scattered over 22 innings pitched.
