Patitucci off to excellent start in minors
Mike Patitucci’s minor-league career is off to an impressive start. Patitucci, one of five local products currently playing in the minor leagues, was drafted in the 19th round of the Major League Baseball draft on June 4 by the Baltimore Orioles and was assigned to Orioles’ Class A Rookie League team in Bluefield, W. Va.
The six-foot, 195-pound Brownsville graduate, joins Connellsville graduates John Dillinger and Clint Weibl, Laurel Highlands graduate Jason Bowers and Uniontown graduate Jory Coughenour in the minor leagues.
Patitucci, 21, has allowed only one run in six relief appearances for the Bluefield Orioles, who sport the best record in the Appalachian League at 15-5. The left-hander is 0-0 with a sparkling 1.59 ERA and has allowed seven hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
Patitucci recorded his first professional save on June 29 when he tossed one scoreless inning, striking out two batters in Bluefield’s 4-1 win over Princeton. His longest outing came on July 6 when he hurled 1 1/3 innings and got three of the four outs on strikeouts. His last outing came on Wednesday when he struck out one in pitching a scoreless frame.
Dillinger, who was coming off major surgery last year when he went 11-7 with the Class AAA Syracuse SkyChiefs of the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization, suffered injury problems again early this season.
The 6-5, 260-pound right-hander, who will turn 29 on Aug. 28, began the 2002 season in the New York Yankees’ system. He signed with the Class AAA Columbus Clippers of the International League on Jan. 9.
Despite a history of pitching much better as a starter, Dillinger was used mostly in relief while with Columbus. He appeared in nine games with two starts and was 0-1 with a 7.89 ERA before landing on the disabled list again on May 1. In 21 2/3 innings he allowed 24 hits and 12 walks with 24 strikeouts.
Dillinger was reinstated from the DL on May 18 and released by the Clippers, but then was signed on June 19 by the Salt Lake Stingers of the Pacific Coast League, the Class AAA team of the Anaheim Angels.
After making one relief appearance, Dillinger was placed in the starting rotation and won his first three starts. He is 3-0 with a 5.03 ERA in four games and has allowed 21 hits in 19 2/3 innings with five walks and 15 strikeouts. His ERA is 2.84 over his last two starts.
Dillinger gave up two earned runs on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings on July 5 to help the Stingers beat second-place Omaha in a Central Division showdown.
Salt Lake has the best record in the 16-team league at 56-35.
Weibl, a 6-3, 180-pound right-hander, is coming off shoulder surgery. He was limited to just two games last year after suffering the injury during spring training in preparing for his sixth minor-league season and fourth with the Class AAA Memphis Redbirds of the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization.
Weibl put together an outstanding season at Memphis in 2000 when he went 9-4 with a 2.83 ERA in 19 games, 18 of which were starts. He allowed just 98 hits in 120 2/3 innings and struck out 92 with just 37 walks.
Last year Weibl was 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts before being shut down.
The 27-year-old former Miami, Fla. star began this season on the DL before being activated on April 16. As he tries to pitch himself back into his 2000 form, he is currently 3-6 with a 3.66 ERA in 14 games (12 starts). He’s surrendered 87 hits in 76 1/3 innings with 12 walks and 38 strikeouts.
Surprisingly, Weibl has pitched better with runners on base (.256 batting average against) than he has with the bases empty (.311) so far this season. Just as eye-opening has been Weibl’s batting skills. He his 3 for 11 (.273) with a double and an RBI and sports a .333 on-base percentage.
Memphis is 45-43 and in third place in the Eastern Division of the Pacific Coast League.
Weibl’s career minor-league record entering the 2002 season was 47-41 with a 4.31 ERA, 245 walks and 529 strikeouts.
Like Weibl, Bowers was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals, is still in their system and began the year on the DL. The 24-year-old shortstop was activated on May 7 and inserted into the starting lineup for the Class AA New Haven Ravens of the Eastern League.
The 5-11, 170-pound right-handed hitter has a .292 batting average and a .338 on-base percentage. He has 52 hits in 178 at bats with 23 runs scored, eight doubles, two triple, one home run and 17 RBIs.
The Ravens are 45-42 and in second place in the six-team Northern Division.
Coughenour was chosen in the 20th-round of the 2000 draft by the Houston Astros.
After going 4-7 with a 5.06 ERA in one season at Class A Auburn, the 6-1, 200-pound right-hander blossomed last year while spending the entire season with the Class A Michigan Battle Cats of the Midwest League. He went 11-5 with a 3.78 ERA and record two saves, which was good enough to earn him Midwest League All-Star honor.
Coughenour, who played at the University of Pittsburgh before signing with the Astros, began this season with Michigan, but was promoted after going 1-0 with three saves and a 1.46 ERA in five games. The 24-year-old Uniontown native was sent to the Class AA Round Rock Express of the Texas League on April 22 and has flourished there as well.
Coughenour is 2-0 with a 2.48 ERA and two saves in 22 games, all but one in relief. He’s allowed 41 hits and 11 walks with 23 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings.