Manager: Bucky Dent (4th year) Career - 6 yrs. 443-392
Coaches: Neil
Allen (1st year); Sal Rende (1st year); Hop Cassady (14th year)
Stadium: Cooper Stadium (15,000)
Probable Starters: 1B - Ryan McGuire; 2B - Andy Phillips/David Post; 3B - Drew Henson; SS -
Erick Almonte; C - Michel Hernandez; DH - Nate Rolison/Fernando Seguignol;
LF - Juan Rivera; CF - Kevin Reese; RF - Marcus Thames
Key Pitchers: Starters - RH Adrian Hernandez, LH Danny Borrell, LH Alex Graman, RH Jorge
DePaula, RH Mike Thurman. Relievers - RH Alberto Reyes, RH Willie Banks,
LH Matt Beech, RH Brian Rogers.
Top Prospects: 3B Drew Henson, ranked #4 in the organization by Baseball America, returns
to Columbus hoping for a break-out season. The former Michigan quarterback
hit .240 with 30 doubles, 18 HR, and 65 RBI for the Clippers last year...SS
Erick Almonte will try to show why he was such a great prospect a few years
ago...OF Marcus Thames has always had a great 2nd season at every level.
He struggled in his Triple-A debut last year, but had an outstanding 2001
campaign at Double-A Norwich (.321/31/97). His 2002 highlight was a homer
off of Cy Young winner Randy Johnson in his first Major League at bat...LHP
Danny Borrell (#7 according to BA) and Jorge DePaula (#8) were the two best
pitchers in New York's system last year. Borrell led the Double-A Eastern
League with a 2.31 ERA and was a combined 13-5 with 135 strikeouts for Norwich
and Class A Tampa. DePaula had his second straight outstanding season, going
14-6 with a 3.45 ERA and 152 Ks for Norwich after a 2001 campaign in which
his combined record was 16-7, with a 3.29 ERA and 170 strikeouts for three
clubs.
Other Organizational
Prospects: LHP Brandon Claussen (#3) led the minors with 220 strikeouts
in 2001. His Triple-A debut was cut short last year when he underwent Tommy
John surgery in June...RHP Christian Parker has pitched just one game over
the past two seasons due to shoulder surgery. In his last full season (2000),
he went 14-6 with a 3.13 ERA and 147 Ks for Norwich.
Veterans to
Watch: Six-year free agents Ryan McGuire, Nate Rolison and Fernando
Seguignol need to provide this team with some left-handed power in Cooper
Stadium. Seguignol played in Japan last year (23 HR) after some outstanding
seasons in the IL with Ottawa, Rolison totaled 17 HR in 2002 for two PCL
clubs, and McGuire had 11 homers for Rochester...Veteran OF Nigel Wilson
is not ready to go now and may join the team later.
Items of Interest: This is the 25th Anniversary season of the Yankees and Clipper's affiliation.
It is also the 25th anniversary season of manager Bucky Dent's HR off Mike
Torres in one-game playoff to send the Yankees to the 1978 post-season and
is New York's 100th anniversary season...Manager Bucky Dent returns to Columbus.
He led the Clippers to the 1987 Governors' Cup Championship and a 210-202
record from 1987-89. Dent managed Triple-A Omaha (Kansas City) in 2002.
Strengths of
the Club: The 2003 Clippers should have a great balance of L/R
power in the lineup, better team defense and speed than a year ago.... The
starters have nice balance with two veterans (Hernandez/Thurman), one youngster
who pitched in Columbus last year (Graman), and the two organizational Pitchers
of the Year last year (Borrell/DePaula).
Weakness of
the Club: The quality and depth of the pitching staff is to be
determined as well as the strength of the Triple-A rookies on that staff.
