World Series tied at 2, Goldeyes excercise option in 18 players & will host 2014 American Association All-Star Game

Hey ya'll. So I'd first like to apologize because I haven't been covering the World Series. I've been very busy. For any of you who are baseball fans, you know that the series is tied at two games a piece with game five being played in St. Louis as I type this.

If I had to make a prediction, I'd say that tonight's game will decide the series. If St. Louis can go back to Boston up 3-2 then they'll only have to win one game in Boston to take the series. If Boston wins tonight and goes up 3-2 it will be next to impossible for the Cards to beat the Sox twice at home. I think tonight's game will decide the series.


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Locally, the Winnipeg Goldeyes have exercised the option on 18 players from the 2013 team for the upcoming 2014 American Association season. The following list of players have had their option exercised for next season.

C- Luis Alen
C- Jordan Guida
LHP- Gabe Aguilar

LHP- Brendan Lafferty
LHP- Mark Hardy (Canadian)
LHP- Chris Salamida
RHP- Matt Rusch
RHP- Matt Jackson
RHP- Patrick Keating
RHP- Chris Kissock (Canadian) 
RHP- Kaohi Downing
RHP- Taylor Sewitt
IF-Yurendell deCaster
IF/OF- Josh Mazzola
IF/OF- Ryan Scoma
IF- Amos Ramon
IF- Casey Haerther
OF- Ray Sadler

These players still need to be signed to American Association contracts, or they can play out their option year with the Goldeyes. Forney would love to get all of these guys back and they'd be a force to be reckoned with if they could. This is a large portion of their core from last year, as well as a solid starting rotation. Should all these players choose to play in Winnipeg for the upcoming season, they'll have built a good team. Forney always does.

Two players who didn't have their options exercised were speedsters Fehlandt Lentini, and Tyler Graham. The 36-year-old Lentini, who's currently playing in Mexico, will be given a chance to decide whether or not he wants to retire before the season starts. Graham, who served as the Goldeyes leadoff hitter for the majority of the 2013 season was released for the same reason, but was picked up off waivers by the Sioux City Explorers. This may have something to do with veteran issues, as American Association teams can only carry a certain amount of veteran players. 

One issue that Forney has to deal with is finding an everyday short stop. After Nate Samson's contract was purchased by the Chicago Cubs last season, Josh Mazzolla, a natural outfielder and first basemen played short for the Goldeyes for the remainder of the season. 

Although Mazzola did a good job at short, Forney may move him back to the outfield with the departures of Graham and Lentini, and try to find an every day short stop. 

Two other good American Association outfielders were also released by their teams today. Adam Klein, the 2013 American Association Championship Series MVP was granted release from the Gary-Southshore RailCats for his retirement, and the best name that's ever been, Jeremiah Piepkorn (pronounced "pep-corn") was released by the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.

In other Goldeyes news, the American Association has announced that the Fish will host the 2014 American Association All-Star Game and skills competition. This will be the first time since 2010 that the American Association will hold an All-Star game, and Winnipeg has been given the chance to host it. You can see the full story on the Goldeyes website. 
http://goldeyes.com/news/news-releases/565-goldeyes-to-host-american-association-all-star-game