Coop Scoop

Where are they now? Indianapolis Indians

THE PRESENT: The Mud Hens begin a series Monday against the Indianapolis Indians, a team with three former Mud Hens on the roster.

THE PAST: RHP Brooks Brown pitched for the Mud Hens in 2009 and 2012 after coming to the Detroit system in a trade with Arizona. He was 3-13 with a 4.71 ERA here in 2009 and last season when 4-4 with a 4.90 ERA. Brown signed with Pittsburgh as a six-year free agent. … LHP Andy Oliver came to Toledo for the first time in 2010, his first pro season. That year he was 3-4 with a 3.23 ERA in nine starts here; in 2011 he went 8-12 with a 4.71 ERA with the Hens, and last season he split time between starting and the bullpen and was 5-9 with a 4.88 ERA. Oliver was traded to the Pirates in the deal that sent C Ramon Cabrera into the Tigers system (he is with Double-A Erie). … IF Brandon Inge played for the Mud Hens in all or part of seven different seasons (2000-03, 2008, 2011-12). He also spent 12 seasons with Detroit, with his best seasons coming in 2006 (.253 average, 27 homers, 83 RBIs) and 2009 (.230-27-84). He signed with Pittsburgh as a free agent this off season.

THE FUTURE: Brown is working out of the Indians’ bullpen, where he has given up two hits and three walks in two innings and has a 9.00 ERA. … Oliver was Indy’s opening day starter against Columbus and give up just two hits and three walks in six shutout innings, striking out six along the way. If he continues with that command, Oliver won’t be with Indianapolis long – he will be called up to Pittsburgh. … Inge has played in the Tribe’s first four games, batting .182 with a solo home run accounting for his only RBI. He has struck out four times in 11 at-bats but also has drawn four walks for a .438 on-base percentage. It’s interesting to note that Inge, who is on a rehab assignment with Indianapolis after suffering a fractured shoulder blade March 14, played three games at second base (and was the DH for the fourth). My understanding is that his rehab assignment may end as early as Wednesday, and the chances are good he will NOT be with the Indians when they come to Toledo.

Parrish returns to Tigers organization at Lo-A West Michigan

Former Mud Hens manager Larry Parrish is back in baseball -- and back in the Tigers organization.

Parrish has been named the manager of the West Michigan Whitecaps, Detroit's team in the Lo-A Midwest League.

Parrish managed the Mud Hens in 1994, then from 2003-06 and 2008-10 and posted a Toledo record of 569-551. He is winningest manager in Toledo's pro baseball history, and his .508 winning percentage in fifth-best in history. He led the Mud Hens to Governors' Cup titles in 2005 and 2006.

Parrish, who also served as Detroit's manager at the end of 1998 and all of 1999, going 82-104, left the Hens to become the hitting coach for the Atlanta Braves in 2011. He was let go after one season and was out of baseball this past year.

Parrish also had managerial stops in the Tigers’ system at Short Season Niagara Falls and Double-A Jacksonville. He has also served as the Tigers bench coach, roving hitting instructor and scout.

Parrish replaces another former Mud Hen as the Whitecaps manager as Ernie Young was let go after two seasons in West Michigan.

Rhymes returns to Toledo, says he enjoyed time with Tigers, Hens

There was a familiar face in an unfamiliar place at Fifth Third Field this week.

Will Rhymes has played games with the Mud Hens in each of the past four seasons. But these past few days Rhymes found himself in the visitor's dugout as a member of the Durham Bulls.

Rhymes was released by Detroit this past off-season and signed as a minor-league free agent by Tampa Bay. The four-game series between the Hens and Bulls was his first games in Toledo since last year.

"I was a little surprised when I was non-tendered [by the Tigers]," Rhymes admitted when asked about the off-season. "I enjoyed my time with Detroit, and I enjoyed my time with Toledo, but it was a good time for a change of scenery.

"I won't say I'm happier, but I would say I'm in a good place here."

Rhymes had a six-game cameo with the Mud Hens in 2008, then hit .260 with three homers, 41 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 109 games here in 2009. In 2010 the Houston native batted .305 with 22 steals in 95 games to earn a promotion to Detroit, where he hit .304 in 54 games.

Last season Rhymes began the season with the Tigers but split the year between Detroit, where he hit .235 in 29 games, and the Mud Hens, where he batted .306 with 13 steals in 104 games.

Rhymes has spent extended time with Tampa Bay this season, playing in 47 games. He has seen action at both second base and third base for the Rays and hit .228 in his time in the big leagues.

"It's been a good year, for the most part," Rhymes said. "I was given a chance to play a lot up there, which was awesome, and I thought I contributed up there.

"The way [Tampa Bay manager] Joe Madden used me was that he likes to play match-ups, so that was great."

After spending the month of April with Durham, the Rays promoted him to Tampa Bay on May 2. And Rhymes hit well early in that stint in the majors, batting .283 before he was struck on the forearm by a 95-mph fastball from Boston's Franklin Morales.

You probably remember the video: Rhymes gets plunked, makes his way to first base, then collapses in the arms of Tampa Bay first-base coach George Hendricks. What you may not remember is that Rhymes returned to the lineup just three days later, but he hit just .114 in June and was sent back to Durham recently.

"It's hard to say [if the injury caused my troubles at the plate]," Rhymes said. "In retrospect, I probably came back a little too soon from it. Tampa Bay had a lot of injuries, so I came back.

"But I wasn't the same: mentally I was fine, but my hand was numb. I tried my best to play through it. I wouldn't say it was a turning point in the season, but it was unfortunate timing. I was getting comfortable with the Rays [organization], comfortable with the team. And I was playing well."

Rhymes has hit .267 with three home runs, 18 RBIs and a pair of stolen bases in 37 games with the Bulls.

"He's the same guy I saw here in Toledo -- a gamer who plays the game the right way," Durham manager Charlie Montoyo said. "Actually he has been more in the big leagues more than he has been with us."

Montoyo said Rhymes will see action in left field, at second base and third base for the Bulls.

"When he goes to Tampa Bay, he plays all over," Montoyo said. "So the goal for us is to give him at-bats and keep him sharp at different positions, in case they need him again."

Former Mud Hen selected to represent U.S. at Closing Ceremonies

Curtis Pride, who played for both the Mud Hens and Tigers, is one of six people named to the delegation representing the United States at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London, President Barack Obama announced Thursday.

Susan E. Rice, U.S. representative to the United Nations, will lead the delegation, which also includes Louis B. Susman, United States ambassador to the United Kingdom; Benjamin Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communication and speechwriting; Michelle Kwan, Olympic figure skating champion; and Reginald Love, former special assistant and personal aide to the President.

Pride, current the baseball coach at Gallaudet University, was an outfielder who played in 95 games for Detroit in 1996 and 79 the next season. His major-league career also included stops in Montreal, Boston, Atlanta, the New York Yankees, and the Los Angeles Angels.

Pride played in nine games for the Mud Hens in 1996 and batted .231 with a home run and two RBIs.

Where are they now? Timo Perez

THE PRESENT: Former Mud Hen Timo Perez recently signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League.

THE PAST: Perez began his pro career in Japan before coming to the United State in 2000. He played with the New York Mets from 2000-03. He was traded to the White Sox in 2004 and played for two seasons in Chicago before joining the St. Louis organization in 2007 and splitting time between the Cardinals and Triple-A Memphis. Perez played for the Mud Hens in 2007, batting .309 with 13 homers and 69 RBIs, and in 2008, when he hit .302 with 13 homers and 63 RBIs. Perez also saw action with the Tigers in 2007, hitting .389 in 29 games. He bounced around the minors before last season, when he rejoined the Mud Hens and hit .304 in 122 games and finished with six home runs and 50 RBIs. After the season, MLB suspended Perez for 50 games because he failed a drug test during the season.

THE FUTURE: This might be the best possible situation for Perez because of his suspension. Perez will see action as a DH for the Ducks and will be an attraction for the team, since he is a former New York Met playing on Long Island. The suspension will likely keep him from returning to organized ball: Since he has to sit out 50 games, and most minor league teams have only 50 games left, it’s practically impossible for him to become eligible before the season ends.

Click here for a more complete analysis of Perez following last season. Click here to read about the suspension Perez received from MLB.

Hessman named to PCL All-Star team

The Pacific Coast League announced its roster of all stars for the Triple-A All-Star Game, and a familiar face to Mud Hens fans has cracked the PCL's starting lineup.

Mike Hessman has been named the PCL starter at first base for the contest, which will be played Wednesday, July 11 in Buffalo.

Hessman has played in 63 games for the Oklahoma City RedHawks, Houston's Triple-A affiliate, and has hit .281 with 23 home runs and 50 RBIs. Hessman is tied for the league lead in home runs, and his average of one home run every 9.43 at-bats also is the best in the PCL.

Hessman played five season for the Mud Hens and twice was named to the IL All-Star team (2007-08). He is Toledo's career leader in home runs (140) and the modern-era (1965-present) leader in RBIs (373), doubles (104) and runs scored (326).

Click here to look at the entire PCL roster for the game.

Chris Bootcheck was named Toledo representative on the International League team for that contest. Click here to read that story.

Miner returns to the Tigers

The parent Tigers Friday acquired former Mud Hen and Tiger Zach Miner from the Kansas City Royals for cash.

Miner will report to Detroit's Double-A club in Erie.

Miner spent last season in the Royals' minor-league system. Last season he split time between Double-A Northwest Arkansas in the Texas League, where he was 1-6 with a 7.16 ERA in 11 starts, and Triple-A Omaha, where was used in relief and was 2-1 with one save and a 1.59 ERA.

Those numbers don't go together, do they? Here's a bit of an explanation: Miner was coming back from Tommy John surgery in 2010 and wasn't at full strength at the start of the year with Northwest Arkansas. The won-loss record is affected by low pitch counts, which kept him from earning wins, although the ERA does speak for itself, to a degree.

When he went to Omaha, he was throwing fewer innings and getting a little sharper. He still had the walk trouble he had with the Tigers and Mud Hens (with Omaha he allowed 10 walks in 22.2 innings), but he allowed just 16 hits with the Storm Chasers, helping them win the Pacific Coast League pennant.

This season Miner has not pitched in a regular-season game, instead spending time in extended spring training.

Miner pitched for the Mud Hens from 2005-2008 after coming to Detroit in trade from Atlanta. Miner was 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA for Toledo in 2005 and was 6-0 with a 2.82 ERA the next season before getting called up to Detroit. He was 1-4 with a 4.88 ERA with the Hens in '07 and 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA the following season.

Miner also spent four seasons with the Tigers (2006-09). He was 7-6 with a 4.84 ERA with Detroit in 2006, followed by a 3-4 mark with a 3.02 ERA in 2007, an 8-5 record and 4.27 ERA in '08 and a 7-5 ledger with a 4.29 ERA in 2009.

Miner did not pitch in 2010 and signed with Kansas City as a free agent before the 2011 season.

Miner is going to Erie to provide pitching depth for the SeaWolves, who have been hit by call-ups in the same way the Mud Hens have. Erie already has used 15 pitchers, including six different starters, and has a 5.05 team ERA.

The Mud Hens have used 16 pitchers already this season, including eight different starters for just 14 games. Toledo has three pitchers who were supposed to begin the season with Erie -- LHPs Ramon Garcia and Austin Wood as well as RHP Rob Waite -- and do have a strong 3.68 ERA. But the bigger reason for the Hens' 9-5 record is an offense that has mashed, scoring 81 runs in 14 games (5.8 runs per game).

Where are they now? Dane Sardinha

THE PRESENT: Former Mud Hen C Dane Sardinha signed as a minor-league free agent with the Baltimore Orioles.

THE PAST: Originally signed by Cincinnati after he was taken in the second round of the 2000 draft, Sardinha eventually played for the Reds in one game in both the 2003 and 2005 seasons. In 2007 he signed a minor-league contract with Detroit and played for the Mud Hens for the next three seasons. His most productive year in Toledo was 2007, when he hit .202 with 10 homers and 47 RBIs in 117 games. He also played in 17 games with Detroit in 2008 and 12 in '09. In 2010 Sardinha signed with Philadelphia and spent most of the next two years in Lehigh Valley, although he did see action with the Phillies in 13 games in 2010 and 15 games last season.

THE FUTURE: Sardinha probably is ticketed for a back-up role in the minors with the Orioles, although he also gives the major-league club insurance behind the plate. Mud Hens fans may have a chance to see him if he is with Norfolk when the Tides visit Fifth Third Field on June 22-25.

Where are they now? Max St-Pierre

THE PRESENT: Former Mud Hen C Max St-Pierre signed as a minor-league free agent with the Boston Red Sox.

THE PAST: Originally drafted by the Tigers in the 26th round of the 1997 draft, St-Pierre slowly rose through the organization before playing in one game with the Mud Hens in 2002. He spent the next three seasons in Double-A Erie before making the Toledo roster in 2006; he hit .202 with three homers and 31 RBIs for the Hens in '06. In 2007 he signed with Kansas City, then was traded to Milwaukee before the season began. In early May he was released by the Brewers, who sent St-Pierre to their training camp to try and make him a pitcher. That effort didn't work, and St-Pierre resigned with the Tigers in 2008 and split the next two seasons between Erie and the Mud Hens. In 2010 he again began the season with the SeaWolves but was promoted to Toledo on May 13 and hit .300 in 39 games with the Hens. He was promoted to Detroit on Sept. 4 that season and hit .222 in six games with the Tigers. Last season St-Pierre played in 77 games with the Mud Hens and hit .207 with four home runs and 25 RBIs.

THE FUTURE: St-Pierre probably is ticketed for a back-up role in the minors with the Red Sox, who have several top catching prospects in the upper levels. His legion of fans in Toledo hope he will be with Pawtucket when the PawSox visit Fifth Third Field on May 1-4.

Former Hen Perez files suit in Dominican court to play baseball there

Timo Perez is suing the Dominican Winter League to allow him to play in that league this season.

Latin American journalist Dionisio Soldevila is reporting that Perez has filed a petition with a labor court in the Dominican Republic that would allow the 36-year-old outfielder to join the league's Licey club.

This past October, Perez was suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball for a violation of its minor-league drug code. And this year, the Dominican League has said that it will not allow players who are suspended for drug violations to play in the league.

Click here to read about the suspension of Perez.

Soldevila wrote that, "in the past, players suspended for doping, including Ronny Paulino, had played in the country [without problems].

"This fall, when Manny Ramirez said he wanted to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic, the [league] office said that Major League players suspended for doping in the United States could not play in winter leagues until they [served their suspension.]"

Perez said in his legal brief that, while he is willing to accept the punishment from MLB in the United States, that suspension should not affect his ability to play in the Dominican Republic.

Click here to read a translation of Soldevila's story; click here to read the original story in Spanish.

Last season Perez played in 122 games with the Hens and finished ninth in the International League with a .302 batting average while collecting six home runs and 50 RBIs. He also finished fifth in the league with 144 hits and was one of the toughest hitters in the IL to strike out, fanning once every 12.61 plate appearances.

Perez also played for the Hens in 2007-08. In 2007 he batted .309 with 13 homers and 69 RBIs in 122 games, earning a promotion to Detroit, where he hit .389 in 29 contests.

The following season Perez hit .302 with 13 homers and 63 RBIs in 112 games with the Hens.

Perez also has spent time in the major leagues with the New York Mets (2000-03), the Chicago White Sox (2004-05) and St. Louis (2006).