Where have you gone, Joey Williamson?
When a pitcher’s first 18 decisions are all in the win column, any player development department would be watching with great interest. Marc Gustafson, who ushers players through the development levels for the Rockies, was no exception.
Williamson entered the Rockies’ organization as a 36th-round draft pick out of Notre Dame in the 2007 draft. He brought the luck of the Irish with him.
Williamson was 5-0, all in relief appearances, with Tri-City in his first season. In 2008, the 6-foot-2, 210- pound right-hander was 4-0 in 35 appearances, including two starts, with Asheville. That’s 9-0 in two seasons.
It was on to Modesto in 2009, and he won his first nine decisions before finishing the year 13-3 in 36 appearances, including 10 starts.
Williamson called it a “fun ride” when his victory string ended.
“You don’t expect it to not end,” Williamson said. “We had a lot of laughs as a team. I was pretty lucky along the way.”
Most of Williamson’s victories were registered out of the bullpen, meaning he had an uncanny knack for being in the game at the right time.
Gustafson had Williamson penciled in for duty with Tulsa of the Double-A Texas League for this year. But, he couldn’t believe what he heard when he began making assignments for the 2010 season.
“He told me he was retiring,” Gustafson said.
What? A pitcher that was 22-3, including 18 straight victories to start his pro career, was quitting?
“It was a surprise,” Gustafson said. “He had a lot of success, and there aren’t many players who have that kind of a start in their careers.”
Williamson said he wanted to explore opportunities in private business and was planning to get married. The life of a player in the minor leagues didn’t appeal any longer.
“We’d love to have him, but he’s going to be successful no matter what he does,” Gustafson said. “We looked at him as a fringe-type prospect who could have logged some major-league time.”
Gustafson and Walter Sylvester of the Rockies’ player development department saw some of the qualities possessed by the Rockies’ Matt Daley in Williamson.
“He wasn’t afraid to throw strikes,” Gustafson said. “Managers and pitching coaches felt comfortable putting him in a game. He was dependable.”
Williamson also has become hard to find. Gustafson’s calls to see if he has had second thoughts haven’t been returned.
Time crunch.
With only 3 1/2 weeks left in the Rockies’ extended spring-training camp at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, several top prospects are in a race with time to shake off injuries and get back on the field.
Outfielder Charles Blackmon, a second-round draft pick from Georgia Tech in 2008, should have a few games under his belt in Tulsa when the extended spring camp ends June 9. Blackmon is recovering from a pulled hamstring. The news isn’t so positive for third baseman Darin Holcomb, a 12th-round pick in 2007 who is slated for Colorado Springs. He is recovering from lower back pain and could be out of action until late June or early July.
Left-hander Christian Friedrich, the team’s first-round pick in 2008, came off the disabled list Friday and is starting for Tulsa. He returns to action with a 0-1 record in 20 2/3 innings over four starts.
Minor-league spotlight
James Cesario, Modesto
The word around the Rockies’ organization is that Cesario is exceeding expectations with the Modesto Nuts, the team’s Single-A affiliate in the advanced California League.
That opinion might be an understatement, especially when considering Cesario’s record over a 10-game stretch last week. In the 10 games, Cesario, a 46th-round draft pick in the 2008 draft from the University of Houston, hit .342 with 13 hits in 38 at-bats. He had a four-hit game and two, two-hit games, and drove in 11 runs.
When the 10 games were over, Cesario led all of the Rockies’ organizational players in hitting at .390, in hits with 46 and triples with six.
“He has tremendous ability to put the bat on the ball,” said Marc Gustafson, Rockies director of player development. “He can handle a lot of different pitches. Hitters always will find a place to play. He has exceeded our expectations.”
In his first two seasons in the organization, Cesario hit a combined .292 in Casper and Asheville. He made the South Atlantic League all-star team while with Asheville.
Cesario is listed as a second baseman, but probably would find a spot as a utility player.
Irv Moss, The Denver Post
Organizational leaders (Through Thursday)
BATTING: (28 games) James Cesario, Modesto, .390; Jordan Pacheco, Modesto, .383.
RUNS: Eliezer Mesa, Asheville, 26; Matt Miller, Colorado Springs, 25.
HITS: Cesario, Modesto, 46; Pacheco, Modesto, 44.
DOUBLES: Mesa, Asheville, 15; Jay Payton, Colorado Springs, 10; Pacheco, Modesto, 10; Orlando Sandoval, Asheville, 10.
TRIPLES: Cesario, Modesto, 6; Cole Garner, Colorado Springs, 4.
HOME RUNS: Jared Clark, Asheville, 7; Jeff Kindle, Tulsa, 5; Ryan Harvey, Tulsa, 5.
RBIs: Pacheco, Modesto, 27; Clark, Asheville, 26.
STOLEN BASES: Angelys Nina, Asheville, 10; Avery Barnes, Asheville, 10; Anthony Jackson, Tulsa, 9.
WINS: Ethan Hollingsworth, Modesto, 4; Alan Johnson, Colorado Springs, 3; Kenneth Durst, Modesto, 3; Wes Musick, Asheville, 3; Nicholas Schnaitmann, Asheville, 3.
LOSSES: Chaz Roe, Colorado Springs, 5; Jonathan Vargas, Asheville, 4.
SAVES: Adam Jorgenson, Modesto, 11; Juan Ricon, Colorado Springs, 6.
INNINGS: Hollingsworth, Modesto, 38 2/3; Juan Nicasio, Modesto, 38 2/3.
WALKS: Shane Lindsay, Colorado Springs, 17; Vargas, Asheville, 17.
STRIKEOUTS: Hollingsworth, Modesto, 39; Nicasio, Modesto, 17.
ERA: (starters) Johnson, Colorado Springs, 2.33; Christian Friedrich, Tulsa, 2.81 (relievers) Matt Reynolds, Colorado Springs, 0.00; Andrew Johnson, Colorado Springs, 0.47.
