Former Wild Things in affiliated ball

C.J. Beatty

The minor league baseball season started Thursday night in the full-season leagues and there are were (at least) six former Wild Things players and ex-manager on opening day rosters, along with two Washington County natives and a guy with a famous name who played his college baseball at Consol Energy Park.

Here is what a few roster searches found:

Class AAA
Vidal Nuno - Reno - The only Wild Things player to go on and play in a major league game, Nuno was the Aces' opening night starter last night. It was his first opening day start since 2011, when he pitched for the Wild Things at Joliet. Nuno was the winning pitcher in Reno's 8-2 victory over Albuquerque. He pitched five innings, gave up two runs (one earned), did not walk a batter and struck out six.

Class AA
Quincy Latimore - Bowie - Former Wild Things outfielder and Pittsburgh Pirates prospect spent last year in the Eastern League with Harrisburg and batted .277 in 108 games. Latimore signed with the Baltimore Orioles and is back in the eastern League with the Bowie Baysox. Latimore went 2-for-6 in Bowie's 3-2 loss to Richmond in 14 innings.

Darin Everson - New Britain - Former Wild Things manager (2009-10) is the manager of the Colorado Rockies' affiliate in the Eastern League, the New Britain Rock Cats. Everson was the hitting coach last year for the Rockies' Class AA affiliate in Tulsa. The Rockies switched affiliates this year with the Los Angeles Dodgers moving into Tulsa. New Britain's season opener was rained out.

High Class A
C. J. Beatty - Winston-Salem - Beatty was signed away from the Wild Things by the Chicago White Sox late last season and assigned to his hometown Winston-Salem Dash. Beatty is returning to Winston-Salem of the Carolina League. Beatty was not in the lineup for the Dash's 13-0 win over Frederick.

Robbie Garvey - Rancho Cucamonga - An outfielder on the Wild Things' 2012 team until he left the team before he could be traded to the Road Warriors, Garvey is in his second season with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Los Angeles' Dodgers' affiliate in California League. Garvey batted .229 for the Quakes last year but had 32 extra-base hits and 22 stolen bases. Garvey also had two at-bats with the Dodgers' major-league team in a spring training game March 21 against Colorado. Garvey went 1-for-4 in the Quakes' 3-2 season-opening win over Bakersfield.

Stewart Ijames - Visalia - Outfielder for the Wild Things the last two years was signed by Arizona shortly after the all-star break last season. He is currently with the Visalia Rawhide of the California League. Ijames was 2-for-3 with two run-scoring doubles and a walk as Visalia led 10-4 with two outs in the top of the ninth when the stadium lights went out, causing a late-night delay.

Low-Class A
Scott Kalamar - Like Ijames, a two-year veteran of the Wild Things. Kalamar was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks after the 2014 Frontier League season. He has been assigned to the Kane County Cougars of the Midwest League. He was not in the lineup for the Cougars' season opener.

Spring training was not good for three former Wild Things who were released from affiliated ball. Pitcher Steve Messner was released after one season in the San Francisco Giants system but he has re-signed with the Wild Things. Pitcher Al Yevoli, who pitched two seasons for Washington, was released by Arizona and has since signed with the Wichita Wingnuts of the independent American Association. Pitcher Chris Smith, who was 9-6 with a 2.92 ERA for the Wild Things in 2012, has been pitching in the New York Yankees' system since leaving Washington. He was on the roster of the Class AA Trenton Thunder as recently as Sunday morning but was released later in the day.

Two former Washington players who I could find no current information on are Mark Williams, a pitcher in the Milwaukee Brewers system, and Troy Marks, a starting pitcher from last year's Wild Things team. Williams was suspended for 50 games last August, so he might still be in the Brewers' system but serving the end of the suspension. I have no idea what has happened to Marks. He might be in extended spring training. I just don't know. If you know what happened to Marks since he signed with Arizona in the offseason, then let me know.

Two Washington County products continue to move up in the affiliated ranks. Pitcher Jordan Jankowski (Peters Township) has been promoted to Class AAA and is pitching in relief for the Fresno Grizzlies in the Houston Astros system. Matt Pierpont (Canon-McMillan) is with the Colorado Rockies' Modesto Nuts of the Class A California League.

Another tie to Washington County and the California League is Kyle Petty, a former California University standout. Petty is playing for the Bakersfield Blaze, an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.