Nine players signed
The Wild Things announced Monday the signing of nine players, including six who were with the team last season.
Returning are relief pitchers Rick Austin, Dan Horvath and Matt Maradeo and Josh Eachues, who was a catcher last year but is being converted to relief pitcher. Eachues was a briefly used as a reliever in the Philadelphia Phillies' system last spring.
Also back are outfielder Matt Sutton and catcher Kris Rochelle, pictured. Sutton is the most interesting of the nine signings. He was one of Washington's top players in 2007, when he batted .295 with 12 home runs and 26 stolen bases. He also had a big postseason that year as the Wild Things reached the Frontier League championship series. Last year, however, Sutton played only 33 games with the Wild Things before being suspended and eventually released. Sutton was free to sign with any team for 2009.
Rochelle had elbow surgery last September and will likely not be ready until mid-season.
Also signing contracts were infielder Joe Spiers, right-handed pitcher Sean Heimpel and left-handed pitcher Craig Snipp. Each player was acquired in trades during the offseason. Spiers played last season for Chillicothe. Heimpel and Snipp played last year in the independent Can-Am League. Heimpel pitched in five games for Nashua. Snipp spent two years in the Can-Am and had a 10-7 career record including an 8-5 mark with a 3.94 ERA for Sussex.
Labels: Craig Snipp, Dan Horvath, Josh Eachues, Kris Rochelle, Matt Maradeo, Matt Sutton, Rick Austin, Sean Heimpel
posted by Chris Dugan at
3:17 PM
14 Comments:
Sutton is back? Chris what was the deal with him last year? I remember hearing he was suspended for breaking team rules. Do you know what rules he broke? After listening/reading everything about how bad of a manager Jelks was last year, the rule he broke must have been serious. If that is true, why is Mason allowing him back? Or maybe the breaking of the rules was just a cover up.
Thoughts anyone???
Hotel misconduct! That was the final straw.
It was a serious infraction of team rules(I will not post what happened).But knowing Matt and the type of person he is I am sure he righted everything and got himself back to where he needs to be..
Gentlemen, even murderers are released from prison.
Sutton's misdeeds were real, and they were serious violations of team rules.
His return hinges completely on his ability to toe the line with regards to conduct, on and off the field, at home and on the road.
Sutton is arguably the most talented player in the Frontier League. He has natural tools that normally are not seen at this level. He can run, hit with power to all fields, and throw with the best of them. The only reason he is not in affiliated ball right now is because of his off the field indiscretions.
Just look at his numbers. The guy has performed at the highest level with every team he has been a part of. If Mason can take Sutton for who he is and accept that he is a man, who is going to do what he wants, Washington just backed themselves into signing a Frontier League MVP candidate.
It's nice to see him back. I wish him the best. He's a lot of fun to watch.
Did Sutton write that last comment? ha
Hmmmm, interesting comment 2 above. Take him for who he is??? I guess unc wilmington, coastal carolina, and last year's wild things couldn't. That looks like 0/3 on that one.
From the sounds of that one comment, I guess Mason is supposed to treat Sutton like the Manny Ramirez of the Frontier League. They haven't installed a door in the outfield fence at Falconi, have they?
Don't dis' Manny like that. He never threw a chair out of a hotel window that I know of....
True Statement!
Hey Brant has anyone evr told you about the name change? - it's NOT Falconi any longer.
I see you stil have a case of HUA.
Lloyd
Brant,
Can you please give one example of a time Sutton did not play hard? Can you give an example of where he showed he was in baseball simply to make money? Can he be catagorized as a pima donna? No, it's an impossibility.
Sutton runs out ground balls, steals bases, is an above average outfielder (not a liability like Manny), and is as hard-nosed as they come. Therefore, your comparison to Manny Rameriez just shows your lack of knowledge not just for the Wild Things, but for baseball in general.
As for the off-the-field incidents that you think you all know about, unfortunately it is all speculation. You will not get the truth from anyone, including those who will cite Jelks because as anyone who knows anything about last years team will tell you, Jelks and Sutton weren't exactly buddies.
What is wrong with being supportive of your team, for once?! Obviously, with the increase in crime, poverty, and unemployment in the area, its you have given up on supporting other aspects of the community long ago. Why not hold onto one of the few bright spots left?
As a former player who wants to remain anonymous, I would not want Sutton on my team. He was a distraction on and off the field. And those rumors about past incidents, all sad but true. Letting him back is a big disappointment for this whole organization.
Eisenberg?
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