5
2012
2012 Sand Gnats Roster and Preview
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The Savannah Sand Gnats (A) of the South Atlantic League, were the first of the Mets long-season league teams to unveil their “official” 2012 Opening Day Roster, and here it is:
PITCHERS
Marco Camarena (RHP)
T.J. Chism (LHP)
Michael Fulmer (RHP)
Jack “The Rocket” Leathersich (LHP)
Rafael Montero (RHP)
Estarlin Morel (RHP)
Alex Panteliodis (LHP)
Tyler Pill (RHP)
Brandon Sage (LHP) D.L.
Tyson Seng (RHP)
Domingo Tapia (RHP)
Carlos Vasquez (LHP)
Logan Verrett (RHP)
Jeffrey Walters (RHP)
Jared West (RHP)
The projected rotation: Logan Verrett, Dom Tapia, Rafael Montero, Tyler Pill, Michael Fulmer, Alex Panteliodis.
That’s right, a six-man rotation.
Petey’s projected closer: T.J. Chism
CATCHERS
Albert Cordero
Cam Maron
Juan Torres
INFIELDERS
Brandon Brown
Brian Harrison
Sam Honeck
Luis Nieves
T.J. Rivera
Aderlin Rodriguez
OUTFIELDERS
Dustin Lawley
Greg Pron
Tillman Pugh
Travis Taijeron
Charley Thurber
STAFF
Luis Rojas – Manager
Frank Viola – Pitching Coach
Joel Fuentes – Coach
Tom Truedson – Athletic Trainer
Jason Griffin – Strength and Conditioning Coach
An interesting squad. Plenty of depth on the pitching staff and in the rotation, although stretched somewhat thin in the infield. I understand why Brandon Nimmo was held back in extended ST, when I look at all the talent jammed into the Sand Gnats outfield. They have five experienced guys all 22 or 23-years-old, who could be starters. With Nimmo being as young as he is and short on experience, extended is a good place for him to learn. What really shocked me is that neither infielder Phillip Evans or J.C. Gamboa made the squad. If Brandon Brown, T.J. Rivera and Juan Nieves don’t perform up to expectations, Evans or Gamboa would certainly be options to be called up from extended.
I love the pitching staff here. It is so deep with quality arms, there are at least four pure power pitchers: Tapia, Montero, Fulmer and Leathersich. They have several accomplished college starters from major programs who are ready to see their first extended professional action in: Verrett, Pill and Panteliodis. And there are the makings of a very good bullpen here, with an experienced closer in Chism to anchor it.
I look for the Sand Gnats to once again compete for a league championship in the SAL. Go Gnats!
About the Author: Peter Shapiro
The first time I went to Shea was not for a Mets game, it was for the Beatles concert there in August of '66. My first Met game was '67, a guy named Salty Parker was the interim-manager then. My first pennant race was 1969. As a 12 year-old that summer and fall, I managed to get to the park for 3 games. The first was the beginning of the Miracle which actually started on Tuesday July 8, 1969 with a day game against the Cubs. I was there a lot in '73. I saw games 3 & 5 of the 1973 NL Playoffs against the "Big Red Machine", from the upper deck behind home plate. It was from there that I witnessed the fight between Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose, and the mayhem that ensued. And that sweet victory in game 5! I saw a couple of WS games at Shea that year against that legendary Oakland A's club. I was there in 1985 for every single game Dr. K pitched including his two 16 strikeout performances, and the day he one-hit the Cubs on an infield single and the Mets won 1-0. I loved being a Met fan in those days. Hopefully we are once again preparing to emerge from the darkness.
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Seven top notch pitching prospects and the best catching tandem at any level of our system.
Gamboa, Evans and Nimmo are three everyday regulars the FO has to be real excited about. Keeping them together may be part of the development plan.
Extended ST would be a pretty good looking team in the Gulf Coast League.
Mateo, Urbina, Morris and Matz on the mound, Evans and Gamboa in middle infield and Gomez, Tuschak and Nimmo in the OF.
Add those guys to the Sand Nats pitching staff and college OFers and that is almost guaranteed to from a nice core of 6-10 guys, albeit not for a while but starting in 2015 – 2017 there’s going to be some real talent flowing into Citi from these two teams.
The two catchers Cordero and Maron) in Savannah are our best in house hope too.
One of the few teams I get to see for an entire series. Nothing like seeing a Sand Gnat take on a Crawdad. LOL.
big roster. 29 guys? Not gonna run out of players with that!
I almost scheduled a trip next week to Charleston, and would have run down the Savannah as a side trip. Turns out won’t be getting that far south though.
my MiL goal is to get to a game at Bingo this year, before it’s too late!
Love Charleston and Savannah. I would rather go to either than to Myrtle myself.
ended up driving instead of flying, so going as far as nags head then wandering back through Williamsburg.
Plan to make a trip in the future to Charleston with just my wife (we are toting along our daughter on this one).