2008 Opening Day Wilmington Blue Rocks (Single A) Roster Released

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com – Wilmington, DE – The Kansas City Royals have released the 2008 opening day roster for their Advanced Class-A affiliate, the Wilmington Blue Rocks.  The list of 27 names includes a dozen players who played all or part of the 2007 season in Wilmington plus three players who were born and still reside in the tri-state area.  Overall, first-year manager Darryl Kennedy’s club will be comprised of 12 pitchers, two catchers, seven infielders and four outfielders, with a pair of players starting the season on the disabled list. 

Of the 12 players who spent time with the Rocks a season ago, six are pitchers.  Right-handers Tyler Chambliss, Jason Godin, Russ Haltiwanger, Chris Nicoll and Blake Wood join southpaw reliever Gilbert De La Vara as the staffers who pitched on the Riverfront in 2007.   

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Wood, who made a pair of starts for the Rocks following a late-season promotion from Low-A Burlington, is perhaps the most exciting of the returnees.  The Atlanta, GA native is among Baseball America’s top five prospects in the Kansas City organization entering the new campaign.  De La Vara, meanwhile, is the lone returning Carolina League All-Star among the group.  The lefty, who earned a midseason promotion to Double-A Wichita, went a combined 5-3 with a 3.02 ERA and eight saves last year. 

The remaining group of six hurlers that round out the Wilmington staff includes righties Henry Barrera, Aaron Hartsock, Chris Hayes, Greg Holland, Matt Kniginyzky, Mario Santiago and left-hander Everett Teaford.   

Holland and Santiago each were named Pitcher of the Year at their respective levels in 2007.  A Royals draft choice from last June, Holland led short-season Idaho Falls with six wins and six saves while appearing in 22 games.  Santiago, a native Puerto Rican, went 5-10 with a 3.74 ERA in 26 games for Low-A Burlington.  Hayes, a teammate of Santiago’s at Burlington, will begin the season on the DL. 

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A loaded infield will feature four familiar faces, as Josh Johnson, Chris McConnell, Wilver Perez and Miguel Vega will all begin 2008 in the First State.  Joining this foursome, the Rocks will have Jeff Bianchi, Kurt Mertins, Anthony Seratelli and David Wood at their disposal.  Vega, the Carolina League leader in strikeouts in 2007, will be disabled to begin the season. 

A defensive wizard who Baseball America rates as the Best Defensive Infielder in the Royals farm system, shortstop McConnell is a Philadelphia native presently residing in nearby Franklinville, NJ.  He isn’t the only local boy on this year’s squad, as Bianchi (Lancaster, PA) and Seratelli (Edison, NJ) each have area roots.  Of further interest, Bianchi’s former high school coach in Lancaster is the brother of former Blue Rocks skipper Jeff Garber. 

Two of the four outfielders on the roster spent time roaming the Frawley Stadium grounds in 2007, as Brett Bigler and Derrick Robinson return to the Rocks.  A near-everyday fixture for Wilmington, Bigler led the Carolina League with 74 walks last season, while the 20-year-old Robinson – a late season call-up – is a celebrated speedster whom Baseball America rates as the No. 11 prospect in the Royals system.  The Gainesville, FL native led all Royals minor leaguers with 35 steals last year. 

A pair of left-handed stickers, Joe Dickerson and Jarrod Dyson, completes the list of outfielders.  

The two backstops on the Wilmington roster are both newcomers.  Jeff Howell enters his fourth season in pro ball, having split time between Low-A Burlington and Double-A Wichita a year ago.  A lefty bat, Matt Morizio clubbed five homers in 71 games with the same Burlington team.

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