Before we get to the feature on newly-acquired Revs’ outfielder Mark Teahen, just wanted to point out some things:

- Here’s the game story from York’s 9-1 loss to Southern Maryland on Tuesday night. It’s the second-largest margin of defeat for York this season.

-Here’s a blog post on the retirement of outfielder Jeff Fiorentino.

-The Revs (31-26) are now eight games back of Sugar Land in the first-half Freedom Division race with 13 games remaining in the half.

-Teahen can play both corner infield and corner outfield spots. He started in right-field Tuesday night, going 0-for-4 at the plate.

-Revs’ manager Mark Mason said he’d like to eventually move Teahan to third base, keeping Andy Marte at first with three other middle infielders on the roster. The Revs’ currently have 14 pitchers and 11 position players. Mason said he’d like to eventually get to 13 pitchers and 12 positions players.

-Starting pitcher Nick Green, who left York for a deal in the Mexican League two weeks ago, is slated to return to pitch for the Revs on Sunday.

 

There were probably good reasons the Arizona Diamondbacks no longer wanted Mark Teahen. His numbers at the plate this season are far from impressive. He’s getting up there in age. And although he’s just two years removed from last playing in the big leagues, Teahen is also coming off an unproductive 2012 season in the minors.

So the D’Backs shipped Teahen from their Class AAA Reno affiliate to the Cincinnati Reds’ Class AAA Louisville affiliate earlier this season. The only problem was Louisville didn’t want him, either, after Teahen failed a physical despite having already played in more than a dozen games at Reno.

“I saw the team doctor and did all the standard exercises. He stretched my left arm and was like ‘Oh, that’s a little tight’ and I was like ‘Yeah, it’s been a little tight for a couple days,’” Teahen said. “The next thing I know the physical was failed without looking at it (my arm) really. I had been playing the whole time. I really don’t know (about the failed physical). That’s something for the Reds to answer.”

It’s been one of those seasons for Teahen, who was released by the Texas Rangers’ Class AAA Round Rock affiliate two weeks ago before officially joining the York Revolution on Tuesday.

Teahen, 31, comes to York after hitting a combined .198 in 106 total plate appearances in sporadic action (32 games) between Reno and Round Rock. This in his 12th year as a pro, which includes more than 800 games of experience in the majors.

“It’s a matter of getting at-bats really,” Teahen said. “I had a good spring. I felt good coming out. I rolled my ankle and probably should’ve stayed off it a bit. But I wanted to play. You don’t wanna say you’re unhealthy. I was just playing on it. It wasn’t a big issue.”

A California native with dual citizenship in the United States and Canada, Teahen admits there were thoughts of his retirement after his release from the Rangers earlier this month. But his decision to keep playing is made a little easier since his wife and their nine-month-old son travels with him during the season.

“Of course in a situation like that you think about it more than if you were in the middle of a contract in the big leagues or something,” Teahen said Tuesday before York’s series opener against Southern Maryland. “I don’t know. I think at this point if you’re gonna keep playing you have to go full boar and not be wishy-washy about it. I still got more baseball to play.”

That’s good news for a York club that has already been decimated by retirements this season. Four Revs players have decided to call it a career already this year, the latest being outfielder Jeff Fiorentino, who retired Tuesday.

A career .264 hitter in the majors, Teahen was expected to slide into the role of York’s every first baseman, something the Revs have been missing since slugger Brian Burgamy left for the Mexican League two weeks ago. But he’ll now fill the shoes of Fiorentino.

“I’m still young enough and healthy and want to play the game,” Teahen said. “Of course everyone wants to be playing in the big leagues. I’ve been fortunate enough to have played there for awhile. My wife is willing to travel across the country with me. So it’s a fairly easy decision (to continue playing).”

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The York Revolution officially added former big leaguer Mark Teahen on Tuesday. While that’s good news for the club, the bad news is how York ended up having room on the 25-man roster to add Teahen. That came through the retirement of outfielder Jeff Fiorentino, a former big leaguer who was in his second season in York.

Fio’ is the fourth York player to retire mid-season this year, joining outfielders Jason Repko and Dallas McPherson and relief pitcher Dustin Pease. Fio’ was the last remaining member of the outfield York started the season with after Repko’s retirement and the release of Tyler Graham.

The retirement is a bit surprising since Fiorentino was in the middle of another good season, although the 6-foot, 1-inch, 30-year-old outfielder had been battling nagging injuries for most of the year, including plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Plus, Fiorentino and his wife are expecting their first child, a boy, in August.

Fiorentino informed Revs’ manager Mark Mason about his decision to retire during last week’s series in Somerset and opted to stay on board until York was OK depth-wise in the outfield, Revs’ baseball operations manager Andrew Ball said. Teahen, who was expected to man first, will now likely play in the outfield. York has been aiming to fill a hole at first since slugger Brian Burgamy left the club for the Mexican League two weeks ago. Andy Marte moved over from third to first since Burgamy left, with a combination of infielders handling responsibilities at third.

Fiorentino returned to his native Florida earlier in the week. It’s the same place where he spent the off-season packing on about 30 pounds to come back stronger for the 2013 season.

“I trained hard. I still did all the things I needed to do, I just ate everything in sight. Taking protein and doing whatever I can,” Fiorentino had said during an interview following York’s first day of spring training back in April. “I have the lengthy figure so even if I got fat it wouldn’t look fat on me.

“I stayed at my in-laws house, they’re out in the middle of nowhere (in north Florida, Mariana). They had a golf cart, I pulled the golf cart, I pushed the golf cart. I did that for a couple months,” he said. “I went to a complex, it’s mainly an NFL combine place but during the off-season they do baseball also. Twenty guys between the majors and minors. It’s in Fort Lauderdale (Fla.). They train us there. They work you. We’ll do squats, ten sets of four. Two sets of box jumps. It’s all stuff that’s scripted out specifically for each person. I just got after it.”

Fiorentino had said he was staying with former teammate and current Baltimore Orioles’ outfielder Nick Markakis again this season while with York. The former Baltimore Oriole was batting .328 with three homers, 21 RBIs and 21 runs scored in 37 games for York. He retires with 58 games of big league experience – all but two games were with the O’s. He had a career .270 batting average in 148 plate appearances in the majors.

Below is a feature on Fiorentino from the 2012 season that was published in the York Dispatch:

On some occasions, when the York Revolution picks up a ballplayer, there’s a connection with somebody on the team. Maybe he previously played for Revs’ pitching coach Mark Mason. Or hitting coach Enohel Polanco has a connection with a player from the Dominican Republic.

But a couple times over the past few seasons, Revs’ skipper Andy Etchebarren has brought in a player who saw action for him in a previous organization. Just a year ago, Etchebarren signed left-handed reliever Scott Rice and catcher Octavio Martinez. Both had played for Etchebarren when he managed in the Orioles’ farm system.

For newly acquired outfielder Jeff Fiorentino, “Etch” has an even stronger connection. Back in 2004, Etchebarren served as a roving catching instructor for the Orioles when he recommended the O’s check out Fiorentino at Florida Atlantic University. Baltimore ended up drafting the 6-foot, 1-inch left-handed batter in the third round that year.

“He (Etchebarren) was a guy I worked with the first year I was a pro,” Fiorentino said before Monday’s game.

Getting the call: The Florida native saw action behind the plate and in the outfield during his time at Florida Atlantic. So, it wasn’t much of an issue when the O’s tried him in the outfield shortly after being drafted. The move ended up working out, so much so that the O’s called up Fiorentino to the big leagues from High Class A Frederick (Md.) in just his second year as a pro in 2005.

“I didn’t believe it. I thought they were messing with me,” he said. “I was in big league (spring training) camp. I just got drafted. I didn’t think it worked that way.”

 

Starting over: Fiorentino couldn’t stick at the big league level despite getting called up three more times in his career. He played in a total of 58 games in the major leagues from 2005 through 2009, split between Baltimore and the Oakland Athletics. He owns a career .270 batting average in the big leagues. Fiorentino, 29, comes to York and the independent Atlantic League for the first time in his career, about a month after asking the Athletics for his release from Class AAA Sacramento, where he hit just .186 in limited action (16 games).

“When I signed they had nobody and then they ended up trading for about five people and signing another seven or eight people. So they ended up with 15 people (outfielders) between Triple-A and the big leagues,” he said. “There were not enough spots. I knew it was going to be an uphill battle, but they didn’t even give me the at-bats to prove my worth.”

Depth: At the moment, Fiorentino is providing some depth to a banged-up Revs’ outfield. Staying with the Orioles’ outfielder Nick Markakis, Fiorentino makes a 25-minute drive north to York each day. With a 1-for-4 performance, including an RBI double and two runs scored, on Tuesday night, Fiorentino is batting .300 in five games as York’s lead-off man. After being out of game action for about a month, it’s likely he’ll get more comfortable at the plate with more at-bats. He already feels at home playing under Etch’s wing again.

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Just four teams and 11 players were involved in transactions last week, including four former big leaguers. It’s the least amount of teams and players involved in transactions in a one-week span all season. Before we get to the roster moves, though, here are some newsworthy items:

Pitcher of Month: Former Skeeters’ pitcher Michael Nix has been named the Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month for the month of May. Nix was recently picked up by the Chicago White Sox. During the month, Nix went 5-0 in five starts while holding opponents scoreless in 30.1 innings of work and accumulating 28 strikeouts to just six walks for the Skeeters.

Player of the Month: Somerset Patriots’ corner infielder Corey Smith was selected as the Atlantic League Player of the Month for the month of May. During the month he hit .333 with seven homers and 27 RBIs in 27 games.

Player of the Week: Lancaster pitcher Horacio Ramirez was named the Atlantic League Player of the Week for the week of June 10-16. Ramirez won both of his starts last week, striking out out 17 to just one walk while holding opponents to four earned runs in 12.2 innings of work.

Now on to the transactions….

 

CAMDEN RIVERSHARKS: Signed LHP Rusy Jones and UTL Dionys Cesar

Jones, 29,was released by the Long Island Ducks in May despite posting a 2.45 ERA – which was third-best on the team – in eight relief appearances, allowing two earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts and seven walks in 7.1 innings of work. Jones has spent his entire eight-year pro career in independent ball. Entering the 2013 season, the lefty reliever had a career 15-16 record and 5.06 ERA. A Kansas native, Jones went 4-1 with a 2.44 ERA in 32 appearances last season with Edinburg (North American League).

Originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 1993 by the Oakland Athletics, Cesar made his professional debut in 1995. The 36-year-old switch-hitter made his Atlantic League debut in 2007 with the Long Island Ducks and Lancaster Barnstormers before switching to international baseball in 2008 with teams like Laguna, Reynosa and Chunichi in the Japanese League. In the 43 combined games played with Long Island and Lancaster in 2007, Cesar batted .337 with a homer, 13 RBIs, 19 runs scored and four stolen bases. In 36 games with Sugar Land last season, Cesar posted a .267 average with three homers, 10 RBIs and 22 runs scored.

 

LANCASTER BARNSTORMERS: Signed OF Jerry Owens, RHP Brodie Downs and INF Matt Spencer, released RHP Alan Johnson

Owens returns to the ‘Stormers after leaving for the Mexican League earlier this year. In 35 games with the Barnstormers, Owens posted a .304 average with three doubles, a triple, eight RBIs and 17 runs scored. He also stole 10 bases. A former big leaguer, Owens retired from the game after the 2009 season but returned to the game this season when he became the first player to sign with the Barnstormers for the 2013 season back in February. In seven games with the Campeche Pirates in the Mexican League, Owens batted a team-low .194.

Downs, 33, last pitched in 2009 in the Seattle Mariners’ organization. The right-handed reliever has a career 6.20 ERA in 27 appearances at the Class AAA level and 4.57 ERA in 55 games (12 starts) at the Class AA level.

Spencer comes to Lancaster less than two weeks since being released by Bridgeport, where he batted .235 with no homers, 10 doubles, one triple, 11 RBIs and 12 runs scored in 32 games. A third-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007, Spencer spent the first four years of his pro career in the minors as an outfielder. In 2011, he split time between pitching and playing the outfield. In 2012, he was strictly a pitcher. As an outfielder, he reached Class AAA Iowa in the Chicago Cubs’ system. As a pitcher, he reached Class High A Daytona (Cubs) in 2012. This season is his first in the Atlantic League.

In 10 games (seven starts) for Lancaster, Johnson posted a 1-3 record and 8.02 ERA, walking 21 and striking out 20 in 33.2 innings of work. It’s a drop-off from the 14-6 record and 4.56 ERA the right-hander had for the ‘Stormers in 2012.

Lancaster now has 30 players under contract for the 2013 season (I’m guessing one more corresponding roster move has to be made to reach the 25-man limit since only two players are inactive – catcher Francisco Hernandez – while two others are on the disabled list – outfielder Ryan Harvey and right-hander Robert Hinton), including nine players with major-league experience.

SOMERSET PATRIOTS: Signed RHP Erik Arnesen, released OF Josh Kroeger and LHP Alex Hinshaw

Arnesen returns to the Pats’ just a month after being picked up by the Oakland Athletics and assigned to Class AA Midland, where he posted an 0-1 record and 10.03 in three games (two starts), striking out seven and walking six in 11.2 innings pitched. Arnesen, 29, spent his first seven years as a pro in the Washington Nationals’ organization before coming to Somerset. He has a career 3.76 ERA in 57 games at the Class AAA level. In five starts for the Patriots earlier this season, Arnesen went 2-1 with 4.10 ERA with 27 strikeouts and one walk in 30.2 innings of work. He reported to Oakland’s Class AA Midland (Tex.) affiliate.

In his first season in the Atlantic League, Kroeger held a .254 batting average with four doubles, 14 RBIs and 15 runs scored in 32 games for Somerset. Kroeger, 30, played in 22 games at the major league level with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005. He also has nine seasons of experience at the Class AAA level, played in the farm systems’ of the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves. He last played at the Class AAA level in 2007 with the Cubs.

A former big leaguer, Hinshaw leaves the Patriots after signing with them just two weeks ago. In his Atlantic League debut, Hinshaw allowed a run on a hit with four walks and two strikeouts in two relief appearances (one total inning) for Somerset. Hinshaw, 30, came to the Patriots after going 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in 12 games at Class AAA Buffalo (Toronto Blue Jays) earlier this season. Hinshaw has appeared in 90 big league games in his nine-year pro career, posting a career 3-2 big league record and 5.11 ERA. He’s less than a year removed from last pitching in the majors with San Diego and the Chicago Cubs last season.

Somerset now has 29 players under contract (infielder Anderson Hernandez and pitchers Graham Taylor, Brad Thompson and Ryan Zamorsky are inactive while outfielder Joe Holden is on the disabled list).

Sugar Land Skeeters: Los Angeles Angels signed LHP Dustin Richardson, Skeeters signed C Jeff Allen

Richardson became the fifth Skeeters’ player to be picked up by a big league organization this season (tops in the Atlantic League for most players signed by major league franchises this year). The left-hander posted a 1.03 ERA in five relief appearances and one start this year for the Skeeters, striking out five and walking two in 8.2 innings of work. A fifth-round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2005, Richardson last pitched in the majors in 2010 with the Red Sox, compiling a 4.15 ERA in 26 games. The 6-foot, 5-inch Texas Tech product split the 2011 season between Class AAA Gwinnett (Braves) and Class AAA nEW Orleans (Marlins), combining for a 4.79 ERA in 46 games. In his Atlantic League debt with the Skeeters in 2012, Richardson went 1-0 with a 3.77 ERA in 17 games (two starts), striking out 31 and walking 14 in 31 total innings.

Ramos played in one game for the Skeeters last season but didn’t see a plate appearance.

The Skeeters now have 28 players under contract (first baseman Josh Pressley, outfielders Steve Moss and Fernando Perez and pitcher Gilbert De La Vara are on the disabled list while infielder Anthony Granato is inactive).

Previous Atlantic League news, transactions:

June 3-9

May 27-June 2

May 20-26

May 13-19

May 6-12

April 29-May 5

April 22-28

April 15-21

April 8-14

April 1-7

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Atlantic League founder and chief executive officer Frank Boulton announced Monday the creation of a professional developmental league for players ages 21 to 26.

Dubbed the “Diamond League,” it will have no affiliation with the Atlantic League, although the Diamond League’s advisory board includes several Atlantic League officials.

The Diamond League is aiming to start in 2014, with six teams scheduled to play 60 games each, with the goal of expanding to eight teams and 84 games in 2015, according to a news release.

The news release did not provide details on where the teams will be located. Boulton could be not be reached for comment Monday night.

Here’s the official news release:

The formation of a new professional baseball league to be known as “THE DIAMOND LEAGUE OF PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL,” was announced today following a league meeting held this morning.

The announcement was made by Frank Boulton, the League’s Chief Executive Officer and by Michael Pfaff, Diamond League Executive Director. Boulton is also CEO and founder of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Clubs. Pfaff is currently President and General Manager of the successful Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League.

According to Boulton and Pfaff the Diamond League is being formed to create a platform for the developing professional baseball player. The Rule 4 draft or otherwise known as the “amateur draft” has shrunk from unlimited, to fifty rounds, to its current forty round format. Many college players, first, second and third year professional players are finding themselves undrafted or released with few options to further their baseball careers. The Diamond League will focus on the development of these talented athletes. Mike Piazza (drafted in the 62^nd round) and Keith Hernandez (drafted in the 42^nd round of the Rule 4 draft) are just a couple of examples of players that would not have been drafted if current limits were in place at the time of their drafts.

The Diamond League has announced that an advisory board has also been created consisting of professional baseball owners, executives, former major league players and current college coaches. The members of the advisory board include Joe Klein, former general manager of the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers; Bud Harrelson, former major league player and manager; Peter Kirk, president of the Atlantic League and minor league team owner; Kevin Baez, former MLB player and current Atlantic League manager; Tony Rosenthal, long-time minor league owner; Ellie Rodriguez, former MLB player; Joe Godri, current coach of the Villanova University Wildcats; and Tal Smith, former president of the Houston Astros.

Some specifics about THE DIAMOND LEAGUE:

Roster Limits and Player Eligibility:

Rosters will be comprised of a minimum of 22 players and a maximum of 24 players. Players must be 21 years of age and no player may be 26 prior to January 1 of the current season. No player with five or more years of professional service will be eligible to play in the Diamond League.

Regular Season:

2014-60 games for six team league

2015-84 games for eight team league

League Executives:

Frank Boulton-CEO/Chairman

Michael Pfaff-Executive Director/COO

Seth Waugh-Senior Vice President

League Office:

Diamond League of Professional Baseball Clubs, LLC

Bethpage Ballpark

3 Court House Drive

Central Islip NY 11722

631-940-3825

Website: DIAMONDPROBASEBALL.COM

Twitter: @DiamondProBB

The Diamond League of Professional Baseball Clubs, LLC is a six to eight-team professional baseball league that will be owned and operated by experienced professional baseball team owners and executives to create a platform for the developing professional baseball player.

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MLBdailydish.com’s Chris Cotillo reported late Sunday night former big league infielder Mark Teahen has signed with York. The Revs will be Teahen’s third club this season, which has been a bit bumpy for the corner infielder.

Teahen, 31, started out the year in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization, hitting .211 in 22 games at Class AAA Reno. He was then traded to the Cincinnati Reds, who sent Teahen back to Arizona after he failed a physical. Following his release from the D’Backs on May 20, Teahen joined the Texas Rangers’ organization and went on to bat .171 in 10 games at Class AAA Round Rock before being released June 3.

A California native, Teahen is mostly known for his five seasons in the majors with the Kansas City Royals from 2005 to 2009. His best year came in 2006 when he hit .290 with 18 homers in 109 games. The left-handed hitter last played in the big leagues in 2011, combining for 78 games of action between the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.

Cotillo reported Teahen will be in York on Tuesday. The Revs’ roster is currently at the Atlantic League maximum of 25 active players without Teahen. As a result, the Revs will have to open up a roster spot somewhere to add Teahen, who would be the 11th former big leaguer on York’s roster.

The signing makes sense, though, considering the Revs have needed to fill a hole at first since slugger Brian Burgamy left for the Mexican League two weeks ago.

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