Results tagged ‘ Mitch Dening ’
Mitch Dening Released.
Mitch Dening (Blue Bay NSW, Sydney Blue Sox) has been released by the independent league Washington Wild Things after having been released by the Red Sox organisation after Spring Training.
Dening had hit .191 in 15 games.
Slammers’ winning streak comes to end – Mitch Dening
By Tim Tierney For Sun-Time
Every Frontier League team but one had more home runs than the Washington Wild Things, but it was the long ball Sunday that helped end the Joliet Slammers’ winning streak at five games.
Washington’s Mitch Dening lofted a three-run shot off the right-field light standard to erase a 4-2 Slammers lead in the third inning and ignite a comeback that finished with a 13-5 Wild Things victory in front of 2,303 at Silver Cross Field.
“That definitely got them going,’’ Slammers third baseman Abel Nieves said of the home run. “From there, they just kept hitting the ball.’’
Washington scored twice in the fourth, aided by two walks and an error, and six times in the fifth for a 13-4 lead.
Mitch Dening of the Washington Wild Things was slow off the mark but his bat is hotting up. Today Mitch went 1-3, scoring 3 including a home run and plating 3 RBI .
Mitch’s Avg so far is .209, hopefully with more to come.
Mitch playing for the Sydney Blue Sox hit .280 in the 2012 season with 2 home runs ,19 runs and 12 RBI.
Independent Leagues – Mitch Dening becomes a Wild Thing
The Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League signed outfielder Mitch Dening over the weekend. He played last season for the Portland Sea Dogs, the Boston Red Sox’s Class AA affiliate and was released at the end of Spring Training. Mitch, who signed with Boston at age 17, played for Australia in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
Washington has 28 players on its roster and must get down to the Frontier League limit of 24 by Thursday.
The Wild Things will open their 11th season Friday at Evansville. The home opener is May 22.
Mitch Dening released by Red Sox
No doubt Mitch will be hoping he gets picked up by another organisation
The worst day in camp – minor league cut day
By Kevin Thomas kthomas@mainetoday.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — It was early morning and baseball players gathered outside the minor league clubhouse at the new Red Sox complex here on the east side of town. Some stretched. Others headed for the indoor batting cages.
But there was a somber air about the place Friday. Not everyone was dressed in workout clothes and not every eye was dry.
Cuts were made and a handful of players are out of baseball, at least temporarily.
At least two former Sea Dogs were let go — outfielder Mitch Dening and first baseman/outfielder Jorge Padron. Others also were cut, although the Red Sox don’t always officially announce them.
Unlike major league camp, when a minor league player is cut he isn’t reassigned elsewhere. He’s gone.
“No fun,” said Sea Dogs Manager Kevin Boles, who has had to break the news to players in the past.
When Red Sox Manager Bobby Valentine was told that Friday was a day for cuts in the minor league camp, he winced.
“This is a lousy day,” he said.
Dening, 23, from Toowoon Bay, Australia, signed with the Red Sox a month after turning 17. He competed in the U.S. for the first time in 2007, batting .301 in the Gulf Coast League.
Dening moved up a level every season after that, batting .274 in 116 games in advanced Class A Salem in 2010.
Promoted to Double-A Portland last season, Dening was made the backup outfielder. It’s difficult for a player to keep his timing while playing occasionally. He had trouble adjusting and batted .220 in 86 games.
Dening did have six home runs, including a walk-off homer on July 20 before a near-capacity crowd at Hadlock Field.
Coming into spring training, the Red Sox had a glut of outfielders at the Double-A and Triple-A levels, including prospects moving up from Class A like Bryce Brentz, and prospects switching positions like Oscar Tejeda from second base to the outfield.
Dening knew the odds were against him, but that didn’t make Friday any easier when Red Sox officials gave him the news.
“I’m not surprised,” Dening said, his voice breaking. “It’s still a shock when it actually happens.”
With his gear bag slung over his shoulder, Dening hugged several former teammates. He then began the long walk out of the complex.
Teammates Jonathan Hee and Jeremy Hazelbaker accompanied him part of the way, each giving him one last hug.
“You spend every day together for six months at a time, for five years, you get real close to some of these guys,” Hee said. “They’re real good people. It’s always a hard day in camp.”
ABL rivals become friends in Florida
Twins' Tim Atherton. Photo: Ben Southall / SMP Images.
Brisbane’s Rory Rhodes and Canberra’s Tim Atherton share friendly rivalry at Minnesota Twins camp
By Alexis Brudnicki / Brisbane Bandits
Home sweet home.
Even though several of the Brisbane Bandits and other players from around the Australian Baseball League have left their homes down under to attend spring training in Florida and Arizona, it’s always nice to have a little reminder of where they came from.
For many, that means befriending those who played against them in the ABL and turning rivalries into friendships, at least for the duration of the affiliated season.
Bandits’ designated hitter Rory Rhodes and relief pitcher Justin Erasmus are both in Fort Myers for the pre-season with the Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox organisations, respectively. Joining Rhodes at Twins camp from the Canberra Cavalry is starter Tim Atherton, and with Erasmus in Red Sox territory are Sydney Blue Sox infielder Boss Moanaroa and outfielder Mitch Dening.
Though they don’t all see each other or hang out together, Rhodes believes that there is an Aussie bond that draws them to each other when they’re in the States.
“I’ve got a lot of other friends over here too, but you always know that you come from the same place and it always brings you together a bit easier than it does with people from other places,” Rhodes said. “But the Australians get along with pretty much everyone, so it’s pretty easy for us.”
Rhodes and Erasmus last played together just two months ago, but seeing each other again in Florida is a somewhat different experience. Instead of donning the Brisbane black at the RNA Showgrounds, the two Bandits got together off the field in Fort Myers to have dinner with fellow Australian and Rhodes’ current teammate, Atherton.
“It was sick,” Erasmus said of getting together with Rhodes and Atherton. “Seeing Rory again was pretty cool. We spoke when I left and I saw him. I left a month before him but seeing him was cool.
“But seeing Tim, I haven’t seen Tim in awhile. We were roommates at the Australian academy and we went to Canada together too. We’ve been friends for a long time now. And he used to come to my house at the academy and stuff so we’re very, very close. Last year he got picked up by the Twins and I had a chat to him, but it was good seeing him again. He’s a really, really good friend.”
Atherton’s affinity toward his fellow Australians goes beyond the Brisbane Bandits and stretches to the Sydney Blue Sox. Though he’s happy to have Rhodes in the same organisation, the right-hander is missing another one of his Twins’ teammates from last season.
“I guess when Rory or one of the other Aussies is up to the plate I’m always subconsciously cheering for them a little bit more than everyone else,” the Cavalry pitcher said. “It is good because although we do live so far apart we do see each other in the off-season and then we’re here.
“It’s tough because last year I lived with [Sydney Blue Sox pitcher] Todd Van Steensel, another Australian. So I was at the ballpark with him, I lived with him, I hung out with him. I was with him 24/7 and then he’s just been released. So although he only lives a little ways away from me back home, now I haven’t seen him. So that’s tough.”
Without Van Steensel in the Minnesota system, the friendly rivalry between Brisbane and Canberra only grows between the two current Twins players.
“Throughout the season, me and Tim spoke about it a little bit last year,” Rhodes said. “Unfortunately I didn’t get to face him [during the last ABL season] but it comes up a fair bit.”
With Atherton coming back from an injury just after the Cavalry faced Brisbane, the two didn’t get to square off against each other during the New Year’s series. The Canberra righty might want to consider himself lucky, since Rhodes went 6-for-18 with two home runs, two doubles, two walks, five runs scored and six RBI during that five-game set.
Between the Minnesota prospects right now, Rhodes has the advantage after taking Atherton deep during the inaugural ABL season. Canberra’s right-hander came back offering a little chin music to the Bandits slugger, though Rhodes didn’t even notice.
The Twins farmhands joke about one day having Rhodes charge the mound to put on a show for the fans at home.
“It’s funny because Rory hit a home run off me in Canberra and then sort of pointed his finger as he was going around first base,” Atherton said. “So then the next time I faced him I threw one past him and he didn’t know that I did it on purpose.
“And then he got here and he was like, ‘Man, I can’t believe you tried to hit me.’ He was getting upset about it. So then we said if we ever face each other, I’ll throw one past him again and we’ll just have a pretend scrap for the crowd.”
Aussies in Spring Training action – Dening, Kennelly T, Oeltjen, Tanner, Welch
Clayton Tanner still has a 0.00ERA
Clayton Tanner threw a scoreless 6th in the Reds 6-0 win over the Padres. He gave up 0H, 0BB and maintained his 0.00ERA. In 4 outings he has 4INN, 1H, 1BB, 3SO. He should be happy with that.
Trent Oeltjen got on by way of being hit in the 7th inning in the Dodgers’ 5-4 win over the Indians. Trent scored on Luis Cruz’ 2 out triple.
Mitch Dening was brought into the Red Sox game against Miami which Boston won 4-1. Mitch was brought into CF and went 0-2 in this, his 2nd game this spring.
Tim Kennelly came on to 1B in the Phillies 10-5 win over the Red Sox and went 0-3.
Stefan Welch had a brief introduction also today coming in at the end of the Pirate’s 5- 4 loss to Houston. He did not get a bat.
Aussies in Spring Training action – Hughes has a huge day, Blackley sees action
Aussies in Spring Training action – Dening, Hughes, T Kennelly, Oeltjen, Thompson gets Save
Rich Thompson picked up his 1st Save of the Spring.
Good to see Rich Thompson pick up his 1st Save of the Spring with two scoreless innings against the Brewers in the Angels 6-3 win. Rich came on in the 8th and also the 9th facing a total of 7 hitters, giving up 1BB and getting 3 strike outs in an outing which can only help in his quest to be on the Opening Day roster.
Trent Oeltjen went 0-2 in the Dodgers 2-0 loss to the Royals lowering his AVG to .300.
Tim Kennelly had his 2nd outing today with the Phillies coming in for 1 at bat and hitting a fly ball for an out in the Phillies 5-3 loss to the Yankees.
The Yankees had a split squad today and also played the Twins, winning 6-4 with Luke Hughes going 0-1. He is now hitting .258 for the Spring.
Mitch Dening had his 1st outing with the Red Sox in their 6-5 loss to the Orioles finishing 0-2 with 1K.
Mitch Dening adding to Blue Sox reinforcements
Further to our post yesterday that the Blue Sox were adding two American players to their team we can now report that they are also welcoming back Mitch Dening. In their announcement today they stated that
Mitch Dening will be rejoining the Sydney Blue Sox outfield as they return home this weekend. This will be the Australia native’s second season with the Blue Sox. Last year for the Blue Sox he played in 38 games, batting .201 with 4 homeruns and 19 RBIs.
Dening is currently a member of the Boston Red Sox organisation. He was signed in 2005 as an international free agent and started his professional career in 2007 with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox. This past season he played for the double-A affiliate Portland Sea Dogs under Manger Kevin Boles. In his five years with the Red Sox organisation Dening has won various awards including, New York Penn League Mid-Season All-Star, Baseball America Short Season All-Star, and Carolina League Player of the Week.
WORLD CUP – Australia limps to a 10th inning win over Dominican Republic
Justin Huber had 5RBIs
The young Australian team blew an 8-1 lead when the bullpen failed to follow in the footsteps of the veteran Dushan Ruzic who had given up only 1 run in 7 innings in what was probably his best International performance. Kable Hogben and Brendan Wise gave up 7 runs between them in their 0.2 and 1.1 innings respectively and Steve Kent allowed a run in his only inning as he finished off the game. Brendan was credited with the win. Fortunately for the bullpen the Australian hitters knocked out 12 hits for the game and saw the likes of Justin Huber and Mitch Dening get 5 & 4 RBIs with Justin and Stefan Welch hitting a HR each.
This what Todd Van Steensel had to say about the game in The Clubhouse Chronicles
This is how the IBAF reported the game:
Santiago, Panama. A long shot by Stefan Welch over the right fences of Omar Torrijos ballpark put the first run on the scoreboard during the second inning, setting a lead for Team Australia that last until the final inning of the game when the Dominican Republic scored four runs to tie the game.
The Dominican could not find the way to read and face effectively the pitches delivered by a consistent Dushan Ruzic but immediately started their rally over the bullpen.
The Aussies increased in the third, with an RBI single from Tim Kennelly and took off in the fourth, when Dominican reliever Arnaldo Muñoz Duran filled the bags allowing two singles and hitting Mitchell Dening with a pitch before Justin Huber emptied the bases with a double that set the score to five-nothing.
Ruzic had some trouble of control in the fifth and Alexis Gomez put the Caribbean on the scoreboard with a single, after two walks.
The reaction of the Dominican Republic was immediately driven back by the team from down under that, after a couple of long foul shots, found the way to hit it between the poles with a two-run homer by Justin Huber.
A single by Mitchell Dening in the eighth batted in the run number eight for Australia, then, after a thunderstorm delay, Ruzic did not re-entered the field, leaving the job to Kable Hogben, who walked two and had to give up three runs out of a double by Dionys Cesar and a sacrifice fly by Juan Richardson who enjoyed also the unintentional help provided by an error from third baseman Scott Wearne. Jon Deeble called Brendan Wise from the bullpen and the reliever made Christoph De La Cruz hit an easy grounder to close the inning.
Dominicana kept pushing and things went worse for Wise in the ninth, where the Caribbean put together four runs out of four singles, a sac fly and an error by Wise himself.
But the thrill was not over: under the tie-breaking rules of international baseball, Australia sent runners in second and first and James Beresford to the box, where he delivered a two-strike bunt who stopped fair just over the line, loading the bases for the match winning 3-run double by Dening out of new reliever Roberto Novoa Peña.
The Dominicans, in fact, scored once in the bottom of the tenth, with a single by Mendez against fireballer closer Steven Kent who gave the game an 11-9 end with two Ks and his team a new perspective on this World Cup.
