July 14, 2009
By Richard Stevens — Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
The Boys of Summer chasing baseballs and dreams at different levels in pro ball are special to Lobo Coach Ray Birmingham. Some of them were once his Boys of Summer and when they came to him at the University of New Mexico and New Mexico Junior College, they were really more boy than man.
Moreover, many of them didn’t have much of a shot at ever chasing their dreams at the next level.
“I would say most of the kids I’ve sent into pro ball weren’t on the pros’ radar until they developed and changed a few things,” said Birmingham, who just completed his second season at UNM, sending a record six Lobos into a Major League draft.
“Development is huge. There are many programs in Division I that just recruit talent and organize practice. You become a Lobo and there is going to be a lot of work, a lot of development and you are going to have a chance to go to the next level.”
The marks of distinction that Birmingham has scratched out as a Lobo already are deep and impressive. He produced five .400 hitters in the 2009 regular season — the most in the nation. To put this amazing stat into perspective, consider there was only one .400 hitter on any of the 16 NCAA Super Regional teams and he was the No. 2 pick in the 2009 draft, Dustin Ackley of North Carolina. Birmingham’s Lobos also led the nation in hitting at a team record .363.
When the 2009 Major League draft was completed, Birmingham saw six of his diamond warriors, the same amount as national champion LSU, extend their dream at the level that leads to TV stardom and huge money. But most importantly, these Lobos get to dream on and play a game they love:
— Cole White, 6th round Kansas City Royals
— Brian Cavazos-Galvez, 12th round, Los Angeles Dodgers
— Mike Brownstein, 14th round, Milwaukee Brewers
— John Hesketh, 20th round, Seattle Mariners
— Cameron Monger, 27th round, San Diego Padres
— Dane Hamilton, 41st round, San Diego Padres
“A track record of kids getting drafted is important to a coach,” said Birmingham. “And it should be important. These kids grow up playing the game in the street, but they are all thinking about being Dodgers or Yankees or Cubs or whatever.
“That’s the American Dream of every young baseball player when he picks up a glove. He wants to be on TV. I want to get every kid that comes into my program a shot at that dream.
“Kids are looking at New Mexico and they are seeing we led the nation in hitting and we are getting kids drafted. The excitement about the Lobo program is all over the country. We have kids calling us now, good kids, great players, calling to let us know that they are interested in the Lobos.”
It’s fair to say that sure-fire, can’t-miss Major League prospects don’t go to Hobbs, N.M. and to New Mexico Junior College looking at the Thunderbirds as a stepping stone to the next level. You can say that about UNM, too. But Birmingham has proved that his programs do become a solid step up into the Majors.
In 18 years with the Thunderbirds, Birmingham sent 101 players into the Major League draft. He had an amazing 10 T-Birds drafted in 1996 and again in 2005. In only his second year at UNM, he set a school mark for the number of Lobos that took the step up, bringing his grand total to 109.
The Lobos’ previous best was five picks in the 1985 draft. That was 24 years ago when the pros called up Jim Fregosi (2nd round, Cardinals), Rod Nichols (5th, Indians), Bret Davis (9th, Mariners), Dean Duane (19th, Royals) and Greg Hall (23rd, Padres).
Birmingham’s Lobos no doubt have had a lot of team success on the field as marked by their presence in the Top 20 during 2009. The Lobos had six players on the All-Mountain West Team.
But it’s obvious that the Lobos’ hitting turned the nation’s head in the past two seasons. This year the Lobos had five .400 hitters during the regular season in Brian Cavazos-Galvez (.403), Kevin Atkinson (.404), Ryan Honeycutt (.416), Mike Brownstein (.426) and Rafael Neda (.416).
The point here is obvious, too. The reputation Birmingham built at New Mexico Junior College as one of the top hitting instructors in the nation has carried over to the Division I level in a big way and Birmingham is continuing to push once-unheralded players into the next level.
“You have to understand what pro baseball wants and then you have to evaluate each player’s needs,” said Birmingham. “You develop a player’s God-given talent and then you work on some of the things a player doesn’t do so well. You have to teach kids the right way to do things and that takes a lot of time, a lot of work from both the player and the coaching staff.
“But we’re not here just to develop an athlete. Let’s face it. Most of these kids won’t be playing on TV and they need an education to fall back on. You come to New Mexico and you will learn baseball and you’ll get a 3.0 or better and you’ll get a degree.
“I believe that whoever comes here to be a Lobo will leave as a better player, a better student, and a better person. All those things are part of being a Lobo.”
Here is an update of current Lobos in the professional ranks (last year as a Lobo):
Danny Ray Herrera (’06), Cincinnati Reds: The former Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Year has been on the parent team roster since Opening Day of 2009. The 5’6′ leftie from Odessa, Texas, is currently 1-4 overall with a 2.78 ERA in 35.2 innings of relief for the Reds. He earned his first MLB win on June 16 vs. Atlanta with three scoreless innings of relief.
Scott Strickland (’97), Albuquerque Isotopes (LA Dodgers – AAA): Strickland has been spending the 2009 season across the street from Lobo Field, helping the Isotopes take the lead in the Pacific Coast League American South. Strickland leads the `Topes with 17 saves in 30 games. Strickland is fourth on the team with 41 strikeouts, tops among relievers. He is 0-1 with a 3.34 ERA.
Matt Young (’04), Mississippi Braves (Atlanta – AA): An outfielder for Mississippi in the Southern League, Young is batting .280 through 90 games so far in 2009, the only Brave to play in every game this season. He leads the team in stolen bases with 26 and walks with 61. Young played in the Southern League All-Star Game for the second year in a row on July 13 at Rickwood Field in Birmingham. In the ’09 All-Star Game, Young was the lead-off hitter and one of only four South All-Stars to get a hit in the game.
Ryan Barba (’06), Rome Braves (Atlanta-A): Barba is playing shortstop for the Rome Braves after spending the 2008 season playing in the independent leagues. Barba has played the most games for Rome with 77 out of the team’s 88. He is currently hitting .204, is second in walks with 18 and fourth on the team in RBI with 21.
Chris Carlson (’06), Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit-A): Carlson is currently the DH for the Flying Tigers of the Florida State League. Carlson is batting .236 over 59 games, leading the team with 12 home runs and a .467 slugging percentage.
Jordan Pacheco (’07), Asheville Tourists (Colorado-A): Pacheco, now a catcher in the professional ranks, earned a trip to the South Atlantic League All-Star game in Charleston, W. Va. Pacheco leads the Tourists with a .343 batting average with 97 hits, 10 home runs, 18 doubles and 54 RBI. His batting average ranks second in the South Atlantic League.
Scott Gracey (’08), Auburn Doubledays (Toronto-A): Gracey started the 2009 season in Dunedin, Fla., before moving up to the Doubledays in June. At Auburn, Gracey is 1-3 with a 4.43 ERA in five starts. He has 19 strikeouts to seven walks.
Bobby LaFromboise (’08), Clinton LumberKings (Seattle-A): LaFromboise is currently 5-4 with a 4.08 ERA for Clinton. He has made nine starts in his 23 appearances on the mound for the LumberKings. He is third in strikeouts with 68 and tied for second with five wins.
Stephen Smith (’08), Great Lakes Loons (LA Dodgers-A): Smith has made 16 relief appearances for the Loons. He is 0-1 with a save and a 3.22 ERA in 36.1 innings.
Mike Brownstein (’09), Helena Brewers (Milwaukee-R): Brownstein moved quickly from the Brewers’ Arizona League team to the Helena club. After six games in Arizona, Brownstein was hitting .435, then packed his bags for Montana. Brownstein has played second and third base for Helena and hitting .256. He has five stolen bases and 10 walks in 13 games.
Brian Cavazos-Galvez (’09), Ogden Raptors (LA Dodgers-R): Cavazos-Galvez is hitting .284 in 20 games at Ogden. He leads the team with 19 runs scored and nine doubles, and is tied for second with six home runs, including four consecutive games with a solo home run. Cavazos-Galvez has played in 20 games for the Raptors.
Cole White (’09), Idaho Falls Chukars (Kansas City-R): White is currently 2-2 with a save and a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings of relief for the Chukars. White has thrown one game so far against former teammate Mike Brownstein with another series against Helena scheduled to begin on July 15. White could face Cavazos-Galvez later in the month when the Chukars face Ogden.
John Hesketh (’09), AZL Mariners (Seattle-R): Hesketh has made three appearances for the Mariners rookie team. All appearances have been in relief. Hesketh has a 4.15 ERA over 4.1 innings with seven strikeouts and one walk.
Cameron Monger (’09), AZL Padres (San Diego-R): Monger is hitting .301 with 11 stolen bases and 10 RBI over 17 games for the Padres. Monger is starting in center field for the rookie team.
Nate Melek (’06), Gateway Grizzlies (Independent): Melek has made nine starts, two complete games, for the Grizzlies and is second on the team in ERA at 4.90. Melek is third on the Frontier League team with 45 strikeouts.
2009 Lobo third baseman Dane Hamilton was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 41st round, but did not sign. Hamilton is on schedule to graduate in December with a degree in Communications.