Sept. 17, 2002
Former Notre Dame righthanded pitcher Brad Lidge (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) is scheduled to make the first start of his Major League baseball career on Wednesday night, Sept. 18, in the Houston Astros-Milwaukee Brewers game. Lidge – Houston’s first-round draft pick in 1998 – is in the midst of his second stint with the Astros this season and recently registered his first big-league victory (fittingly against his home-state team, the Colorado Rockies).
Lidge picked up the Sept. 9 win over Colorado after allowing one hit and recording three strikeouts in the 10th inning of that game. He was recalled to the Astros on Sept. 1, after ranking as one of the top pitchers on the triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs, with a 3.39 ERA, 5-5 record and 110 strikeouts in 112 innings (24 outings/19 starts).
Lidge is one of four former Notre Dame players to start on the Major League level during the past two seasons – with the most notable being early-1990s infielder Craig Counsell, a World Series champ with Florida and then Arizona (Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenley called him Arizona’s team MVP for the first half of the 2002 season).
Another former Irish player from that era, lefthander Chris Michalak, pitched with the Texas Rangers earlier this season (his third MLB team) while righthander Christian Parker (’95-’96) started for the New York Yankees in the opening week of the 2001 season, before an extended rehabilitation stint.
Here’s a complete list of the 14 Notre Dame players who were active in pro baseball at the end of the 2002 season, with their final/updated stats (as of Sept. 16):
C Mike Amrhein (’94-’97) – Promoted to triple-A Iowa Cubs of International League (.294 batting avg., 29 GP, 13 R, 5 2B, 11 RBI, SAC, SF, 5 HBP, 6 BB, 12 Ks, 26 starts at C, 3 Es) … opened season at West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx of the double-A Southern League (.302, 63 GP, 26 R, 13 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 30 RBI, SF, 7 HP, 20 BB, 24 Ks, 4-7 SB, 57 starts at C, 9 Es).
DH/OF Matt Bok (’00-’02) – signed as free agent with Los Angeles Dodgers and reported to the rookie-level Great Falls (Mont.) Dodgers (.213, 26 GP, 11 R, 3 2B, HR, 13 RBI, SAC, 2 SF, 3 HBP, 18 BB, 19 Ks, 1-3 SB, 3 starts at 1B, 19 at OF, 4 at C, 3 Es).
3B/C Andrew Bushey (’99-02) – Tri-City Dust Devils of the single-A Northwest League (.190, 49 GP, 9 R, 4 2B, 12RBI, 3 SAC, SF, 14 BB, 24 Ks, 2-2 SB, 10 starts at 3B/36 at C, 9 E), Colorado Rockies affiliate.
3B Craig Counsell (’89-’92) – Arizona Diamondbacks (.282, 112 GP, 63 R, 22 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 51 RBI, 45 BB, 57 Ks, 8 total Es, also played some at 2B and SS); scheduled to undergo season-ending back surgery on Sept. 18.
RHP Aaron Heilman (’98-’01) – Norfolk Tides of triple-A International League (3.28 ERA, 2-3, 10 GP/7 GS, 49.1 IP, .240 opp. avg., 85 H (7 HR), 97 Ks/28 BB, 6 HB, 5 WP) after being promoted from Binghamton Mets (3.82, 404, 17 GS, 96.2 IP, 85 H (7 HR), 97 Ks/28 BB, 6 HB, 5 WP).
LHP Tim Kalita (’97-99) – Toledo Mud Hens of triple-A International League (4.93, 1-9, 15 GS, 87.2 IP, 93 H (10 HR), 47 Ks/22 BB, 3 HB, 4 WP), Detroit Tigers affiliate.
RHP Brad Lidge (’96-’98) – currently pitching in second stint of 2002 with the Houston Astros (9.53, 1-0, 5 GP, 5.2 IP, 10 H, 9 Ks/7 BB, HB), after call-up from New Orleans Zephyrs of the triple-A Pacific Coast League (3.39, 5-5, 24 GP/19 GS, 111.2 IP, .207 opp. avg., 83 H (9 HR), 110 Ks/47 BB, 7 HB, 5 WP) … opened season with double-A Round Rock Express (2.45, 1-1, 5 GP, 11 IP, 9 H, 18 Ks/3 BB) before short stint with Astros (2 GP. 2.2 IP, 4 R), who selected him with the 17th overall pick of the 1998 MLB draft.
LHP Chris Michalak (’90-’93) – closed season with the Pawtucket Red Sox of the triple-A International League (5.77, 5-9, 17 GP/16 GS, 93.2 IP, .323 opp. avg., 125 H (15 HR), 52 Ks/31 BB, 9 HB, 2 WP) … opened season in triple-A Oklahoma City (1 GP, 1 IP, K) before being called up to the Texas Rangers (4.40, 0-2, 13 GP, 14.1 IP, 20 H (HR), 5 KS/10 BB, HB) … also has pitched in the Major Leagues with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays.
C/3B Paul O’Toole (’99-’02) – Lansing Lugnuts of the single-A Midwest League (.209, 25 GP, 9 R, 5 2B, 4 RBI, 2 HBP, 8 BB, 10 Ks, 2-2 SB, 5 E) … started 17 games at catcher, three at 3B, three in the OF and one at 1B with Lugnuts … opened with rookie-level Mesa Cubs (4-for-9, 3 GP, 2 R, 2B, RBI, 3 BB, K) before playing two games at 3B with the Boise Hawks in the single-A Northwest League (0-for-7, RBI, SF, K, E), followed by call-up to Lansing.
RHP Christian Parker (’95-’96) – out indefinitely on a rehab. assignment, after making his Major League debut with the New York Yankees in 2001.
CF Steve Stanley (’99-’02) – Modesto A’s of the high-A California League (.286, 63 GP, 48 R, 11 2B, 3B, HR, 17 RBI, 5 SAC, SF, 2 HBP, 39 BB, 46 Ks, 4-10 SB, 63 starts, 2 Es).
OF Brian Stavisky (’00-’02) – Vancouver Canadians of the single-A Northwest League (.294, 32 GP, 12 R, 10 2B, 3B, HR, 15 RBI, 2 SAC, SF, 5 HBP, 15 BB, 30 Ks, 5-5 SB, 16 starts, 2 Es), Oakland A’s affiliate … named by Baseball America as No. 18 prospect in Northwest League.
RHP Danny Tamayo (’98-’01) – Co-Player of the Year with the Wilmington (Del.) Blue Rocks of the high-A Carolina League (2.77, 14-4, 23 GP/20 GS, 123.1 IP, .259 opp. avg., 121 H (13 HR), 108 Ks/32 BB, 3 HB, 3 WP), Kansas City Royals affiliate.
IF Brant Ust (’97-’99) – Lakeland Tigers in high-A Florida State League (.236, 61 GP, 26 R, 12 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 29 RBI, SAC, 2 SF, 3 HBP, 21 BB, 47 Ks, 9-9 SB, 57 starts at 3B/5 at 1B, 14 Es) … opened season with double-A Erie Sea Wolves (.201, 60 GP, 28 R, 11 2B, 3B, 9 HRs, 20 RBI, SAC, 2 SF, 5 HBP, 20 BB, 55 Ks, 1-2 SB, 58 starts at 3B, 11 Es).