July 11, 2005
College baseball’s impact on Major League Baseball will be on display Tuesday night in the 2005 All-Star Game, as 24 of the players named to the all-star rosters – including former Notre Dame pitcher Brad Lidge – will be competing in the showcase of the world’s best baseball talent. The majority of the Major League media rarely give the college game its proper recognition but trends continue to show that players who have come through the college ranks have experienced great success on the Major League level.
The all-star honor marks the second straight season of major significance for Lidge, the dominating closer for a Houston Astros team that advanced to the 2004 National League Championship Series. That ’04 Astros team included 21 former college players among its 25-man playoff roster, compared to just one player who had entered pro ball directly out of high school (plus three who came directly from foreign countries).
Brad Lidge helped the Houston Astros nearly reach the 2004 World Series and has fashioned another top season in ’05 as a Major League all-star.
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Similar statistical margins were seen among the other three 2004 LCS teams (the Cardinals, Red Sox and Yankees) – yielding a 4-to-1 combined ratio of the ’04 LCS players who were college alums versus those who entered pro ball straight out of high school. The 100 players on the 2004 League Championship Series rosters included 60 former college players (the 21 on the Astros, plus 14 each on the Cardinals and Red Sox and 11 on the Yankees), compared to just 15 direct entries into pro ball out of high school – six on the Boston roster, four each on St. Louis and the Yankees – and 25 foreign players (10 on the Yankees, 7 on the Cardinals, 5 on the Red Sox and 3 on the Astros).
(Note: a statistical update of all former Notre Dame players currently active in pro ball is included below).
Among the 66 players named to the 2005 All-Star rosters (including injury replacements), 24 are former college baseball players while 21 are players who entered pro ball directly from a foreign country and 21 began their pro careers out of high school. Only two of the all-stars are products of the same college program (see below).
Lidge was a 42nd-round draft pick of the San Francisco Giants following his senior season at Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colo., before starting his college career at Notre Dame. He went on to be the BIG EAST Conference pitcher of the year as a junior in 1998 and signed with the Astros as their first-round selection in the ’98 MLB draft.
After finishing third in the 2003 NL rookie-of-the-year balloting, Lidge shifted into the Astros closer role in ’04 and the 6-foot-5, 210-pound righthander responded by setting a National League record for strikeouts by a reliever (157) in the 2004 regular season, including a final blitz that saw him strike out better than one out of every two batters he faced (37 of 70) during Houston’s final 23-7 sprint to the National League wild card.
Aaron Heilman
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Lidge’s impressive 2004 regular season included a 1.90 ERA in 80 relief appearances, with 29 saves in 33 chances, a 5.2 K-to-walk ratio (157/30) and a low .174 opponent batting average. His nine-inning averages in the ’04 regular season included 14.9 Ks, 2.9 walks and 5.4 hits.
Lidge – who added a dominating ’04 postseason that nearly helped Houston reach the World Series – entered the ’05 all-star break with a 2.43 season ERA, 20 saves in 23 chances and a 4-to-1 K-to-walk ratio (see full stats below).
Danny Tamayo
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In addition to Lidge, some of the other more noteworthy college baseball alums on the 2005 All-Star rosters include: former Georgia Tech stars Jason Varitek and Mark Teixeira, Roger Clemens (Texas), Brian Roberts (who played for his father at North Carolina and then played at South Carolina), Michael Young (UC Santa Barbara), Luis Gonzalez (South Alabama), Chad Cordero (Cal State Fullerton), Jeff Kent (California), David Eckstein (Florida), Morgan Ensberg (USC), Paul LoDuca (Arizona State), Alberto Pujols (Maple Woods Community College) and Mike Piazza (Miami Dade North CC, where he played for Demie “Doc” Mainieri, father of ND head coach Paul Mainieri).
Other former college players among the ’05 all-stars include the likes of: Moises Alou (Cañada CC), Billy Wagner (Ferrum), Mark Buehrle (Jefferson JC), Jason Bay (Gonzaga), Shea Hillenbrand (Mesa CC), Bob Wickman (Wisconsin-Whitewater), Joe Nathan (Stony Brook), B.J. Ryan (Southwestern Louisiana), Roy Oswalt (Holmes CC), Jason Isringhausen (Lewis and Clark CC) and Brian Fuentes (Merced JC).
Brian Stavisky
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The 21 foreign players on the ’05 all-star rosters include eight from the Dominican Republic, five from Venezuela, two each from Cuba, Panama and Puerto Rice and one each from Japan and Curacao.
The 21 current all-stars who entered pro ball directly from high school include seven California natives, plus three from Florida, two from Texas and one each from a variety of states including Rhode Island, New Hampshire and South Dakota (plus Pennsylvania, Michigan, Alabama, Colorado, Georgia and Indiana).
Matt Macri
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Notre Dame’s 17 former players currently active in pro ball include three major leaguers – Lidge, fellow righthander Aaron Heilman (New York Mets) and infielder Craig Counsell (Arizona Diamondbacks) – plus three on the triple-A level: RHP Danny Tamayo (Omaha Royals), LHP Chris Michalak (Tucson Sidewinders) and RHP Christian Parker (Colorado Springs Sky Sox). Steve Stanley and Brian Stavisky – two key leaders of the 2002 College World Series team – have been reunited in the outfield with the Oakland A’s double-A affiliate in Midland, Texas (both had a strong first half of the ’05 season) while their former teammate Matt Macri recently was promoted to the Rockies double-A team in Tulsa, Okla.
Here’s an updated look at the current professional players who honed their skills as members of the Notre Dame baseball program:
Craig Counsell
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NOTRE DAME BASEBALL ALUMS – PRO BASEBALL UPDATE (stats as of July 11, 2005)
RHP Aaron Heilman (’98-’01 ND career) … New York Mets … 4.63, 3-3, 68 IP, 61 Ks, 19 BB, 63 H (5 HR), 27 GP/7 GS, shutout, 1.21 “WHIP” (walks+hits/innings), .248 opp. avg., 8.07 Ks/9 IP, 3.21 K/BB ratio
Chris Michalak
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IF Craig Counsell (’89-’92) … Arizona Diamondbacks … .272 (88-for-323), 30 RBI, 52 R, 7 HR, 3B, 22 2B, 42 BB, 34 Ks, 11-14 SB, .363 OB, .412 slug, .775 OPS (on-base plus slugging)
RHP Brad Lidge (’96-’98) … Houston Astros … 2.43, 3-2, 20 saves (5th in the NL) in 23 chances, 37 IP, 57 Ks, 13 BB, 34 H (3 HR), 1.27 WHIP, .245 opp. avg., 13.86 Ks/9 IP, 4.07 K/BB … named to the National League All-Star Team
Steve Stanley
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RHP Danny Tamayo (’98-’01) … Omaha Royals (AAA, Royals) … 5.44, 4-6, 97.2 IP, 62 Ks, 39 BB, 128 H (14 HR), 20 GP/10 GS
LHP Chris Michalak (’90-’93) … Tucson Sidewinders (AAA, Diamondbacks) … 4.69, 5-9, 111.1 IP, 52 Ks, 29 BB, 120 H (21 HR), 18 GP/17 GS
RHP Christian Parker (’95-’96) … Colorado Springs Sky Sox (AAA, Rockies) … 9.22, 0-1, 13.2 IP, 6 Ks, 6 BB, 21 H (2 HR), 3 GP/2 GS … played with double-A Tulsa Drillers from April 7-June 25 (1.19, 4-1, 45.1 IP, 37 Ks, 11 BB, 32 H, 8 GS) … named to Texas League East Division All-Star Team
Chris Niesel
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OF Steve Stanley (’99-’02) … Midland Rockhounds (AA, A’s) … .322 (98-for-304), 31 RBI, 46 R, 4 HR, 2 3B, 17 2B, 37 BB, 39 Ks, 5-11 SB, .397 OB, .431 slug, .828 OPS
OF/1B Brian Stavisky (’00-’02) … Midland Rockhounds (AA, A’s) … .302 (95-for-315), 47 RBI, 43 R, 6 HR, 3 3B, 20 2B, 38 BB, 49 Ks, 0-4 SB, .377 OB, .441 slug, .818 OPS
Paul O’Toole
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3B Matt Macri (’02-’04) … Tulsa Drillers (AA, Rockies) … played with single-A Modesto Nuts from April 7-June 21 (.283, 69-for-244, 34 RBI, 7 HR, 3B, 16 2B, 33 BB)
RHP Chris Niesel (’02-’04) … Kinston Indians (A, Indians) … 0.00, 0-0, 1.1 IP, K, BB, H (0 HR), GP … played with single-A Lake County Captains from April 7-July 8 (4.48, 5-3, 74.1 IP, 69 Ks, 20 BB, 11 GS)
Steve Sollmann
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C Paul O’Toole (’99-’02) … Daytona Cubs (A, Cubs) … .194 (13-for-67), 9 RBI, 9 R, 3B, 3 2B, 7 BB, 22 Ks, 0-2 SB, .269 slug, .278 OB … played with double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx from April 8-May 30 (3-for-36, 4 RBI, 2B, 4 BB)
2B Steve Sollmann (’01-’04) … Brevard County Manatees (A, Brewers) … .278 (75-for-270), 21 RBI, 33 R, 3B, 9 2B, 26 BB, 36 Ks, 11-21 SB, .369 OB, .319 slug
IF Brant Ust (’97-’99) … Wilmington Blue Rocks (A, Red Sox) … .257 (71-for-276), 38 RBI, 31 R, 9 HR, 12 2B, 19 BB, 67 Ks, 1-2 SB, .307 OB, .399 slug
Brant Ust
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C Javi Sanchez (’01-’04) … Beloit Snappers (A, Twins) … .268 (41-for-153), 18 RBI, 28 R, HR, 8 2B, 21 BB, 23 Ks, 4-4 SB, .365 OB, .340 slug … selected as a reserve for the Midwest League Western Division All-Star team
RHP Grant Johnson (’02-’04) … Peoria Chiefs (A, Cubs) … 4.71, 1-3, 28.2, 21 Ks, 12 BB, 27 H (4 HR), 6 GP/6 GS
Javi Sanchez
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RHP Ryan Doherty (’03-’05) … Yakima Bears (short-season A, Diamondbacks) … 1.74, 0-1, 10.1 IP, 14 Ks, 3 BB, 6 H, 7 GP
1B Matt Edwards (’02-’05) … Batavia Muckdogs (short-season A, Phillies) … .227 (15-66), 6 RBI, 11 R, HR, 3 2B, 3 BB, 8 Ks, 0-0 SB, .268 OB, .318 slug
Grant Johnson
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