2008 Rochester Red Wings season

2008 Rochester Red Wings
Class-level
AAA (Since 1899)
Minor league affiliation
International League (Since 1899) North Division (Since 1998)
Major league affiliation
Minnesota Twins (Since 2003)
Location
Frontier Field (Since 1997) Rochester, New York (Since 1899)
2008 information
Owner(s)	Rochester Community Baseball, Inc.
General manager(s)	Dan Mason
Manager(s)	Stan Cliburn
Local television	Time Warner Cable SportsNet
Local radio	Sportsradio 1280, News Power 1040
Stats	The Baseball Cube
	Baseball-Reference

The 2008 Rochester Red Wings season was the franchise's 110th season and their sixth season as the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. The team, a member of the International League since its inception, attempted to win their first Governors' Cup Championship since their inaugural season at Frontier Field in 1997; however, the team went 74–70, good for third place in the IL North Division. The Wings finished 14 games behind the first-place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees and 11½ games behind the second-place Pawtucket Red Sox; both the Yankees and the Red Sox earned playoff berths.

Regular season

First half summary

The Red Wings entered the season with high expectations, with many predicting a playoff berth. However, the team failed to live up to the expectations in the first half of the season. The Red Wings went into the All-Star break with a 45–54 record, putting them in fourth place in the International League's North Division. The mark was 16½ games behind that of the first-place Pawtucket Red Sox, who posted a league-best 61–37 record in the first half.

Although the team struggled as a collective unit in the first half, several players fared well individually. Randy Ruiz, the Wings' first baseman and designated hitter, entered the All-Star break on a 22-game hitting streak. The streak was the longest of the season to that point in all of Triple-A and the longest by a Red Wing since 1985. Francisco Liriano, the 2005 International League Rookie of the Year and 2006 American League All-Star, starred for the Red Wings as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He went 7–2 with a 3.53 ERA in the first half; additionally, in his last three starts prior to the break, Liriano pitched 20 consecutive scoreless innings for Rochester. Outfielder Darnell McDonald was voted to start for the International League in the Triple-A All-Star Game in Louisville, Kentucky, after a hot start to his season. He was the Red Wings' lone representative on the team.

Second half summary

The Wings' play greatly improved in the second half of the season. At one point in August, Rochester won 10 of 11 games (from August 4 to August 14) to reach the .500 mark (64–64) on August 14. The team had last been at .500 on April 13, when the Red Wings were 13–13. Rochester continued to remain around .500 until August 22 when they defeated the Pawtucket Red Sox to improve to 68–67. The Red Wings remained over .500 for the rest of the season.

Rochester closed out its season in dramatic fashion on September 1 at home against the Buffalo Bisons. With the score tied at six and two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth, Garrett Jones, playing in what was ultimately his final game with the Red Wings, drilled a three-run home run into the Red Wings' bullpen to win the game 9–6. The win moved Rochester to 74–70, their high-water mark for the season, and closed out a second half in which the Wings went 29–16. They finished 11½ games behind Pawtucket—a gain of five games compared to the standings at the All-Star break—but also 14 games behind the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, who surged in the second half to pass Pawtucket and win the North Division.

Standings

International League North	W	L	Pct.	GB
x – Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees	88	56	.611	—
y – Pawtucket Red Sox	85	58	.594	2½
Rochester Red Wings	74	70	.514	14
Syracuse Chiefs	69	73	.486	18
Buffalo Bisons	66	77	.462	21½
Lehigh Valley IronPigs	55	89	.382	33

x – division champion
y – Wild Card winner

Roster

2008 Rochester Red Wings roster
Players				Coaching staff
Pitchers 21 Ricky Barrett 22 Brian Bass 20 Carmen Cali 45 Casey Daigle 35 Julio DePaula 53 Brian Duensing 30 Mariano Gomez 23 Danny Graves 49 Philip Humber 28 Bobby Korecky 43 Tim Lahey 24 Kevin Mulvey -- Tom Shearn † 37 Anthony Swarzak † disabled list ‡ temporary inactive list Roster updated September 1, 2008		Catchers 31 Jeff Christy  7 Ryan Jorgensen -- José Morales † Infielders 12 Howie Clark 18 Luke Hughes 38 Alejandro Machado  5 Matt Macri 17 Brock Peterson  9 Trevor Plouffe 19 Sergio Santos Outfielders 50 Garrett Jones -- Darnell McDonald † 11 Jason Pridie -- Tommy Watkins †		Manager 16 Stan Cliburn Coaches 44 Riccardo Ingram (hitting) 33 Stu Cliburn (pitching) -- Rich Miller (Roving Baserunning/Outfield Coach)

Regular season transactions

• April 3 – Zach Day placed on the disabled list
• April 3 – Danny Graves placed on the disabled list
• April 3 – Alejandro Machado placed on the disabled list
• April 3 – Doug Deeds placed on the disabled list
• April 3 – Darnell McDonald placed on the disabled list
• April 5 – Denard Span called up to Minnesota
• April 5 – Francisco Liriano called up from Ft. Myers to Rochester
• April 11 – Doug Deeds activated from disabled list and traded to Chicago Cubs to complete November 2007 trade for Craig Monroe
• April 12 – Francisco Liriano called up to Minnesota
• April 12 – Danny Graves activated from disabled list and sent to Ft. Myers
• April 14 – Tim Lahey placed on the temporary inactive list
• April 15 – Darnell McDonald activated from disabled list
• April 18 – Tim Lahey sent from Rochester to Ft. Myers
• April 19 – Brian Buscher called up to Minnesota
• April 22 – Zach Day activated from disabled list and sent to Ft. Myers
• April 22 – Tim Lahey called up from Ft. Myers to Rochester
• April 25 – Tommy Watkins placed on the disabled list
• April 25 – Bobby Korecky called up to Minnesota
• April 25 – Denard Span sent from Minnesota to Rochester
• April 28 – Francisco Liriano sent from Minnesota to Rochester
• April 29 – Matt Macri placed on the disabled list
• April 30 – Ryan Jorgensen activated from suspended list
• April 30 – Jon Knott traded to Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations
• May 1 – Brian Buscher sent from Minnesota to Rochester
• May 1 – Eli Whiteside released
• May 1 – Kevin Slowey sent from Minnesota to Rochester on rehab assignment
• May 2 – Tommy Watkins activated from disabled list
• May 8 – Kevin Slowey called up to Minnesota
• May 10 – Glen Perkins called up to Minnesota
• May 10 – Danny Graves called up from New Britain to Rochester
• May 11 – Alexi Casilla called up to Minnesota
• May 14 – Darnell McDonald placed on the disabled list
• May 14 – Sergio Santos claimed off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays
• May 15 – Matt Macri activated from the disabled list
• May 17 – Howie Clark called up to Minnesota
• May 22 – Denard Span placed on the disabled list
• May 22 – Darnell McDonald activated from the disabled list
• May 23 – Felix Molina called up from New Britain to Rochester
• May 23 – Matt Macri called up to Minnesota
• May 30 – Bobby Korecky sent from Minnesota to Rochester
• June 2 – Howie Clark sent from Minnesota to Rochester
• June 2 – Felix Molina sent from Rochester to New Britain
• June 6 – Heath Totten released
• June 11 – Howie Clark placed on the disabled list
• June 12 – Brian Buscher called up to Minnesota
• June 12 – Denard Span activated from the disabled list
• June 12 – José Morales placed on the disabled list
• June 13 – Trevor Plouffe called up from New Britain to Rochester
• June 13 – Jeff Christy called up from New Britain to Rochester
• June 13 – Alejandro Machado activated from the disabled list
• June 19 – Chris Basak traded to New York Yankees for future considerations
• June 23 – Matt Macri sent from Minnesota to Rochester
• June 30 – Howie Clark activated from the disabled list
• June 30 – Denard Span called up to Minnesota
• July 24 – Adam Everett sent from Minnesota to Rochester on rehab assignment
• July 28 – Brian Duensing placed on the temporary inactive list
• July 28 – Tommy Watkins placed on the disabled list
• July 28 – Anthony Swarzak called up from New Britain to Rochester
• July 28 – Tom Shearn signed as a free agent
• July 29 – Adam Everett called up to Minnesota
• July 31 – Darnell McDonald placed on the disabled list
• July 31 – Luke Hughes called up from New Britain to Rochester
• August 1 – Francisco Liriano called up to Minnesota
• August 1 – Randy Ruiz called up to Minnesota
• August 5 – Michael Cuddyer sent from Minnesota to Rochester on rehab assignment
• August 9 – Brock Peterson called up from New Britain to Rochester
• August 12 – Bobby Kielty signed as a free agent
• August 23 – Casey Daigle released
• August 23 – Brian Bass sent from Minnesota to Rochester
• August 27 – Tom Shearn placed on the disabled list
• September 1 – Bobby Kielty released

Player stats

Batting

Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
Basak, Chris !Chris Basak	56	173	45	.260	6	17
Buscher, Brian !Brian Buscher	53	185	59	.319	8	30
Casilla, Alexi !Alexi Casilla	32	96	21	.219	2	18
Christy, Jeff !Jeff Christy	36	90	19	.211	0	5
Clark, Howie !Howie Clark	93	338	99	.293	6	48
Cuddyer, Michael !Michael Cuddyer	4	10	3	.300	0	1
Daigle, Casey !Casey Daigle	1	1	0	.000	0	0
Everett, Adam !Adam Everett	5	19	6	.316	0	3
Gomez, Mariano !Mariano Gomez	1	1	1	1.000	0	0
Graves, Danny !Danny Graves	1	2	1	.500	0	0
Hughes, Luke !Luke Hughes	29	106	30	.283	3	21
Jones, Garrett !Garrett Jones	138	527	147	.279	23	92
Jorgensen, Ryan !Ryan Jorgensen	65	198	49	.247	8	25
Kielty, Bobby !Bobby Kielty	16	55	12	.218	2	8
Knott, Jon !Jon Knott	17	55	10	.182	1	3
Machado, Alejandro !Alejandro Machado	54	195	66	.338	2	31
Macri, Matt !Matt Macri	89	313	81	.259	11	48
McDonald, Darnell !Darnell McDonald	93	369	99	.268	11	57
Molina, Felix !Felix Molina	3	2	0	.000	0	0
Morales, Jose !José Morales	54	197	62	.315	4	15
Peterson, Brock !Brock Peterson	11	40	7	.175	2	6
Plouffe, Trevor !Trevor Plouffe	66	250	64	.256	6	39
Pridie, Jason !Jason Pridie	138	559	151	.270	13	61
Ruiz, Randy !Randy Ruiz	111	416	133	.320	17	68
Santos, Sergio !Sergio Santos	86	297	72	.242	5	43
Span, Denard !Denard Span	40	156	53	.340	3	14
Watkins, Tommy !Tommy Watkins	76	233	51	.219	1	18
Whiteside, Eli !Eli Whiteside	8	24	4	.167	1	1

Starting pitchers

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Bass, Brian !Brian Bass	2	9	1	0	4.00	6
Duensing, Brian !Brian Duensing	25	138.2	5	11	4.28	77
Graves, Danny !Danny Graves	25	84.1	4	6	6.30	32
Humber, Philip !Philip Humber	31	136.1	10	8	4.56	106
Liriano, Francisco !Francisco Liriano	19	118	10	2	3.28	113
Mulvey, Kevin !Kevin Mulvey	27	148	7	9	3.77	121
Perkins, Glen !Glen Perkins	7	33.1	2	1	2.97	27
Shearn, Tom !Tom Shearn	6	28.2	1	2	5.34	26
Slowey, Kevin !Kevin Slowey	1	5	0	1	3.60	9
Swarzak, Anthony !Anthony Swarzak	7	45	5	0	1.80	26

Relief pitchers

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
Barrett, Ricky !Ricky Barrett	50	4	5	2	3.21	81
Cali, Carmen !Carmen Cali	50	5	1	2	4.52	49
Daigle, Casey !Casey Daigle	44	1	5	1	3.78	65
DePaula, Julio !Julio DePaula	51	3	5	2	5.70	65
Gomez, Mariano !Mariano Gomez	54	5	2	1	2.76	45
Korecky, Bobby !Bobby Korecky	53	6	5	26	2.91	71
Lahey, Tim !Tim Lahey	48	5	5	8	5.43	53
Totten, Heath !Heath Totten	16	0	2	0	5.79	21

External links

• 2008 Rochester Red Wings, provided by Baseball Reference.