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SATTERWHITE STRONG IN BRIEF ALL-STAR OUTING

Cody Satterwhite Crop

Independent Baseball Insider by Bob Wirz,  Vol. 12, No. 20,   July 17,  2014

Satterwhite Strong in Brief All-Star Outing

Cody Satterwhite (pictured), an exceptional reliever at Sioux City, IA (American Association) one year ago when he allowed only 14 hits in 28 innings while posting a 0.65 ERA and now pitching in the New York Mets’ farm system, seemed to have the best performance of six former Independent players who appeared in Wednesday’s Triple-A and Eastern League All-Star Games.

Satterwhite struck out two of the three hitters he faced in the seventh inning of the Class AA game with the third reaching base on an error. Teammate Jon Velasquez (Rockland, Can-Am League) was charged with an unearned run in an inning and a third Binghamton, NY player, Brian Burgamy, who has played in the American Association with St. Paul, was 0-for-1.

Major League Job for Kris Johnson

Kris Johnson appears to finally be in position for some significant major league opportunities after paying his dues in Independent Baseball and the affiliated minors.

Johnson, who spent most of 2011 at Kansas City, KS (American Association), had only brief work with Pittsburgh last season and one start for Minnesota back on May 1 in the majors for his nine professional seasons, but now Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire seems to be planning on a more serious test for the 29-year-old.

The onetime Wichita State standout was roughed up for two homers and five runs in four innings when he came back to the Twins to start in Colorado last Friday, but Gardenhire has told the media Johnson is going to be slotted in as the fourth or fifth starter after the All-Star break.  “We’ll figure out what day he pitches,” the manager told TwinCities.com.  “…he’s here and he’s a starter.”

“I thought I was more efficient with my pitches (than in the May start),” Johnson told The St. Paul Pioneer Press after facing the Rockies.  “I didn’t walk anybody.”  He earned the major league promotion by going 8-4, 2.75 in 16 starts in Triple-A, allowing only 78 hits in 98.1 innings, numbers not far off from his 6-3, 3.23 production in the American Association in a similar number of innings.

 (Fans may subscribe at newly-reduced rates to this Independent Baseball Insider column, which will be published 36 times in 2014, at www.WirzandAssociates.com.  Bob Wirz provides supplemental stories about Independent Baseball on his blog, www.IndyBaseballChatter.com.  The author has 16 years of major league baseball experience with Kansas City and as chief spokesman for two Commissioners, and lives in Stratford, CT.)  

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