Game recap from the TinCaps:
Liriano Latest TinCap to Play for Padres
Former Fort Wayne Outfielder Makes Big League Debut
(August 12, 2014) — The only Midwest League MVP in Fort Wayne franchise history is now a Major Leaguer. Rymer Liriano, who played for the TinCaps in 2010 and 2011, debuted for the Padres on Monday night at Petco Park in San Diego after being recalled from Triple-A El Paso.
Liriano, 23, is the 128th former Fort Wayne Wizard or TinCap to make the big leagues. In his first game, Liriano started in right field and hit seventh against Colorado. He went 0-for-2 at the plate, but produced his first MLB RBI with a sacrifice fly.
“We’re proud of every guy who ever comes through here and one day makes it,” TinCaps President Mike Nutter said. “But it’s especially cool to see Rymer up there now. He’s a great example of player development and perseverance.”
Liriano won the Midwest League’s MVP award in 2011. That year, in 116 games with Fort Wayne, Liriano had the fourth-highest batting average in the league (.319) and was second to only Billy Hamilton in stolen bases with 65. He also led the TinCaps in runs (81), hits (145), doubles (30), triples (8), home runs (12), and total bases (227).
“He’s the most electrifying player we’ve had at Parkview Field,” said Nutter, recalling two occasions in which Liriano scored from second base on a passed ball. “Every time he was on the field, you wanted to watch.”
That success in 2011 for Liriano came after a trying initial experience in Fort Wayne in 2010. Then a 19-year-old, he hit .191 in 50 games before being transferred down to Short-Season A Eugene. At one point, Liriano went 41 consecutive at-bats without a hit.
The 6-0, 230-pound, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, native is the first player from the Padres Dominican Academy in San Cristobal, DR, which opened in 2008, to reach the Major Leagues.
So far during the 2014 MLB season, no fewer than 47 former Fort Wayne Wizards and TinCaps have been on big league rosters. (See list below).
With the exception of 1997, ’99, and 2013, every year of Wizards and TinCaps baseball has been represented in MLB this season. That includes the original year, 1993, thanks to LaTroy Hawkins, the first to debut in the majors in 1995 and who remains a reliable reliever with the Colorado Rockies.
The Wizards were an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins from 1993-98 and have been affiliated with the San Diego Padres ever since. Even so, former Fort Wayne players have played for 20 of MLB’s 30 teams thus far in 2014. The Padres lead the way with nine Fort Wayne products, while the Tampa Bay Rays have had five, and both the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers four.
Former Wizards and TinCaps on Major League Rosters in 2014
- P LaTroy Hawkins ’93 (Colorado Rockies)
- OF Torii Hunter ’94 (Detroit Tigers)
- C A.J. Pierzynski ’95-96 (Boston Red Sox)
- OF Michael Cuddyer ’98 (Colorado Rockies)
- RHP Jake Peavy ’00 (Boston Red Sox)
- LHP Oliver Perez ’01 (Arizona Diamondbacks)
- RHP Justin Germano ’01-02 (Texas Rangers)
- RHP Dale Thayer ’03 (San Diego Padres)
- C George Kottaras ’04 (Cleveland Indians)
- INF Chase Headley ’05 (San Diego Padres)
- LHP Cesar Ramos ’05 (Tampa Bay Rays)
- RHP Brandon Kintzler ’05 (Milwaukee Brewers)
- C Nick Hundley ’05-06 (Baltimore Orioles)
- C Jose Lobaton ’05-06 (Washington Nationals)
- OF Mike Baxter ’05-06 (Los Angeles Dodgers)
- RHP Joakim Soria ’06 (Texas Rangers)
- OF Will Venable ’06 (San Diego Padres)
- INF David Freese ’06 (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
- INF Kyle Blanks ’06 (Oakland Athletics)
- LHP Wade LeBlanc ’06 (Houston Astros)
- RHP Ernesto Frieri ’06-07 (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
- RHP Steve Delabar ’06-08 (Toronto Blue Jays)
- RHP Wilton Lopez ’07 (Colorado Rockies)
- INF Eric Sogard ’07 (Oakland Athletics)
- LHP Cory Luebke ’07-08 (San Diego Padres)
- RHP Brandon Gomes ’07-08 (Tampa Bay Rays)
- RHP Corey Kluber ’08 (Cleveland Indians)
- RHP Mat Latos ’08-09 (Cincinnati Reds)
- INF Andy Parrino ’08-09 (Oakland Athletics)
- C Ali Solis ’08-09 (Tampa Bay Rays)
- RHP Anthony Bass ’09 (Houston Astros)
- RHP Brad Brach ’09 (Baltimore Orioles)
- RHP Erik Davis ’09 (Washington Nationals)
- OF Jaff Decker ’09 (Pittsburgh Pirates)
- INF Vince Belnome ’09 (Tampa Bay Rays)
- OF Daniel Robertson ’09 (Texas Rangers)
- INF Cole Figueroa ’09 (Tampa Bay Rays)
- INF Dean Anna ’09-10 (New York Yankees)
- LHP Nick Greenwood ’09-10 (St. Louis Cardinals)
- INF Nate Freiman ’10 (Oakland Athletics)
- INF Jedd Gyorko ’10 (San Diego Padres)
- RHP Miles Mikolas ’10 (Texas Rangers)
- OF Rymer Liriano ’10-11 (San Diego Padres)
- INF Tommy Medica ’11 (San Diego Padres)
- RHP Kevin Quackenbush ’11 (San Diego Padres)
- INF Jace Peterson ’12 (San Diego Padres)
- RHP Matt Stites ’12 (Arizona Diamondbacks)
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