After playing for the Revs in 2012, starting pitcher Ryan Feierabend and infielders Chris Nowak, Joe Thurston and Johan Limonta are currently playing winter ball in the eight-team Venezuela League.

Feierabend, Thurston and Limonta are teammates with the Lara Cardinals. Thurston is manning the outfield and batting .197 through 15 games while Limonta holds a .353 average in seven games. Feierabend has posted 2.12 ERA through three starts.

The trio is on a team that is trickled with current or former major league talent. The roster includes, among others, Chicago Cubs’ infielder Luis Valbuena, Chicago White Sox infielder Jose Lopez, Kansas City Royals’ short stop Alcides Escobar, Atlanta Braves reliever Luis Avilan and former longtime big league infielders Cezar Izturis and Tomas Perez. Somerset Patriots’ pitcher Justin Cassel, brother of Chiefs’ quarterback Matt, is also playing for Lara, as is Southern Maryland Blue Crabs’ pitcher Nick Green.

Nowak is hitting .263 with two homers in 11 games for Magellan’s Navigators (these team names are awesome, aren’t they?). Nowak is teammteas with some talented players as well, including Washington Nationals’ catcher Jesus Flores and former Lancaster Barnstormers’ infielder Jesus Merchan as well as former big league pitcher Gustavo Chacin, former big league outfielder Brandon Boggs and former New York Yankees’ catcher Francisco Cervelli.

Revs’ player-coach and Venezuela native Liu Rodriguez is also a bench coach for a team in the league.

Another member of the 2012 Revs’ squad, reliever R.J. Rodriguez, is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 11 appearances for the Guasave Cotton Growers (awesome name), of the winter Pacific Mexican League, where he is teammates with Lancaster Barnstormers’ reliever Beau Vaughan and Somerset Patriots’ utility man Freddy Sandoval.

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At the start: York’s infield at the start of the year had Chris Nowak at first base, Andres Perez at second, Danny Gonzalez at short stop and Ramon Castro at third with depth coming from back-ups in utlity man Joe Spiers and player-coach Liu Rodriguez.

With so many infielders, York soon shipped Spiers to Lincoln (American Association) on May 21 for a player to be named later – opting to give him an opportunity to play more often with the Salt Dogs instead of sitting on the bench in York. Spiers, who York acquired from Lancaster in an off-season trade for a player to be named later,  played in just three games for the Revs, batting 2-for-7 at the plate (.286) with a double, RBI and one run scored. He went on to bat a collective .305 with two homers, 29 RBIs 53 runs scored and 33 stolen bases in 86 games split between Lincoln St. Paul (American Association).

In the middle: York took a big blow to its lineup when Nowak got picked up June 22 by the Mexican League’s Mexico City club. Outfielder Michael Hernandez would end up playing first during Nowak’s brief absence. The Revs also signed Kyle Haines to provide some depth in the infield. However, Nowak soon returned July 2 after being cut by Mexico City – the team apparently needed to trim its roster for the playoffs and decided between Nowak and Johan Limonta (more on him later).

York released Haines a couple weeks later. He held a .217 average with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored in the eight games he played for the Revs. Haines soon found work with Lancaster and finished the year batting .239 with a homer, eight RBIs and 12 runs scored 42 games for the Barnstormers. He also had two at-bats in the Freedom Division Championship Series against York.

Anyway, the Revs ended up making a huge upgrade at short stop (and no, I’m not talking about the size of the players involved) by signing Joe Thurston and trading away Danny Gonzalez to Lancaster.

Gonzalez hit a disappointing .249 in 75 games for York. For what it’s worth, he also had three homers, 20 RBIs  and 39 runs scored. He didn’t have a great glove, either. Perhaps that’s why Thurston looked so good at short. Or perhaps it’s because he’s arguably the best short stop York has had at the position. Outside of four games at Class AA Reading in 2007, Thurston hasn’t played below the Class AAA level since 2001. The former big leaguer – mainly with the St. Louis Cardinals -  owns a career .291 average in more than 1,100 games at the Class AAA level. He went on to collect a .314 average, eight homers, 28 RBIs and 46 runs scored in 58 games for the Revs. In addition, consider that he put up those numbers after sitting out the previous couple months since the Minnesota Twins released him from Class AAA Rochester in mid-May.

The Revs also added infielder Johan Limonta (remember him?) in early August. He came up from the Mexican League’s Mexico City ballclub, where he batted an astounding .384 in 27 games. The Cuban defector wound up .277 with one homer and 15 RBIs in 39 games for the Revs.

Saying goodbye: Ramon Castro entered the 2012 season on thin ice with Andy Etchebarren. Sure, the infielder had put up good numbers since coming to York in 2010 and helping the ball club win back-to-back league titles. But at times during those two seasons, Etch’ would have appreciated a little more hustle from Castro. So, Castro was already on a short leash when he did something Etch’ didn’t approve of during a game Aug. 29 at Southern Maryland. Etch’ soon suspended Castro for what he called an “on-the-field incident.” The team would cut release him just a few days later. There could have been other factors into his release as well, like his 10 errors at third base or his .288 average in 105 games (a good average, but off from the .323 average he had in 2011 and .339 average he had in 2010).

In the end: By the of the end of the year, York’s infield consisted of Thurston at short stop and Perez at second base. With the departure of Castro, Limonta moved to first base while Nowak moved from first to third.

Nowak and Perez clearly had the the best seasons of any Revs players in 2012. Nowak became the club’s all-time leader in homers (59) and set York’s single-season home run mark with  34 dingers, which led the league. A clear candidate for the league’s MVP honor, Nowak was also the league’s highest home run total since 2005. His 107 RBIs were also tops in the league and the most since 2005. Twenty-one of his 34 homers came at Sovereign Bank Stadium, which set a club record for homers hit by a Revs’ player at home in a single season. He also holds the all-time stadium record (30). Though Nowak fnished with a .285 average, he did bat an impressive .320 in the final 67 games.

Perez, meanwhile, just had career-highs in homers (23) and RBIs (85). He ranked fourth in the league in homers and fifth in RBIs. He scored 86 times. In addition, Perez made quite an improvement moving from the outfield, a position he had played most of his career, to second base. Player-coach Liu Rodriguez can be credited with a nice job teaching Perez the tricks of the trade at second base.

Who should stay/go: I guess I should always preface this by saying if the team can afford the player then he should return. It’s recommended Atlantic League clubs pay out a maximum to a player of $3,000 a month. And after the years Nowak and Perez had, one can imagine they’ll be asking for raises.

With that being said, Nowak and Perez should be brought back. As should Thurston.  Nowak and Perez and still young enough to draw interest from major league clubs in the future (remember, that’s what the Atlantic League is here for, to send guys to the bigs). I hesitated on Thurston a little bit considering his age (32). I get the fact that he’s put up good numbers and consistently made dazzling plays at short. But there comes a point when Atlantic League clubs should cut ties with a player when he becomes older and not just keep him around because he puts up good numbers while scouts have very little interest of him because of his age. However, Thurston was last in the majors in 2011 at the age of 31. And he’s put up good numbers everywhere he’s been. So, I imagine there are still some scouts out there who are still interested in his services.

Limonta, meanwhile, is a different story. Don’t get me wrong, I like the guy. He seemed like he is good for the clubhouse and he was always respectful with the media. This is moreso because of the defense. Should Nowak return, I’d rather see him back at his normal position at first base. As much as Nowak improved through the season at third, he did end the year with a team-high 18 errors, which  tied for seventh in the league. So, put Nowak at first and find a solid defender at third who can match or do better than Limonta’s .277 average.

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In case you haven’t check out these blog entries yet, click here to read the final notes and observations from the Freedom Division Championship Series or here to read about former Revs pitcher Shawn Hill making history when picking up a win in the big leagues Saturday with the Blue Jays.

Also, check out my column reflecting on the Revs’ 2012 season.

THANK YOU! I understand if most of you check out on baseball for a little while. So, just in case, I want to say thank you to  all of those who daily check in on this blog throughout the year. It definitely makes me feel like all the hard work I put in for you all is worth it.

For those of you who stick around, I’ll be posting stuff on here at least through October related to the Revs and the Atlantic League, maybe recapping the pitching staff, outfield and infield, notable roster moves made that aided down the stretch (and moves that didn’t happen), as well as recapping the Atlantic League players who earned affiliated contracts this season. There’s also going to be an article on the final 2012 attendance numbers coming looking at the Revs and the rest of the Atlantic League.

Revs playing winter ball: No. York is not going to be suiting up during the months of November and December. Rather, there are quite a few Revs’ players planning on playing winter ball during the so-called “off-season.”

According to York baseball operations manager Andrew Ball, there are at least seven players who have expressed interest in playing somewhere this winter. He said slugger Chris Nowak, short stop Joe Thurston and first baseman Johan Limonta plan on playing in Venezuela. Starting pitcher Chris Waters, reliever Kris Regas, second baseman Andres Perez and outfielder Michael Hernandez also plan on playing somewhere this winter.

Roster moves: There are always outs and ends to tie up at the end of every season, sometimes there are previous deals like “player to be named later” or “future considerations” to seal up. Ball said the Revs could make roster moves right now, but Atlantic League clubs are advised to wait until the playoffs are finished to do so. As a result, clubs will likely start messing with their rosters around Oct. 10. As for the 2013 season, teams can’t begin to put their rosters together until Jan. 1, 2013.

Championship Series: The Long Island Ducks defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, 5-4, in the deciding Game Five of the Liberty Division series on Sunday night. Long Island scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to eventually to win it. Two of those came on a two-run homer from former Rev Bryant Nelson. Former Rev Matt Esquivel scored the final run on Shawn Williams RBI single. The Ducks will now move on to face the Lancaster Barnstormers in the Atlantic League Championship Series, which begins Wednesday in Lancaster. That will mean eight of the last nine league champions will have won a first-half division crown.

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York Revolution infielder Joe Thurston has 184 games of big league experience under his belt.

Some came as the proverbial cups of coffee in the big leagues from 2002 to 2008, until he played a full season for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009.

Outside of four games with the Class AA Reading Phillies in 2007, Thurston has played at the Class AAA level or higher since 2002. He’s made several minor league all-star teams. And he’s gathered more than 1,600 hits in the minors.

All of those accomplishments are impressive by themselves. For Thurston, they’re a little more valuable, especially considering a defect in his heart nearly kept him from playing the game he loves.

(To check out a video feature on this story, click here).

Heart surgery: Thurston first felt something wrong at the age of 9 when playing kick ball with some friends.

“I jumped up to catch the ball and my heart started beating real fast,” he said. “So then I go to my house and I’m like ‘Mom, my heart is beating real fast. I don’t know what’s going on.’ She said ‘Take a nap.’ So, I figured I was playing too hard. I don’t really remember it again until junior high.”

A couple years after a doctor incorrectly diagnosed Thurston with asthma when he was in junior high, another doctor visit revealed Thurston indeed had something wrong with his heart.

“Basically there was an extra something in my heart. Whatever it was, it would cause my heart to beat real fast. If I would do a certain movement or jump up or whatever, my heart would just beat super fast,” he said.

Thurston doesn’t remember the exact pronunciation of the condition. And rightly so, the correct term is paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

“One time they recorded it (my heart rate), they had it at 250 beats (per minute). So, if you did sprints or whatever, 180 would be normal. If I would have been at 300 per minute, my heart would have burst,” Thurston said.

The eventual solution for Thurston was surgery in his senior year of high school.

“They just went through my neck and my groin. They went through with a little camera,” he said.

Giving back: The 32-year-old Thurston said he still has a lot left in the tank. But he has thought about what he might do when his playing days are over.

Based on the interaction he’s had with players over his 14-year pro career, he’s come to the conclusion that coaching might be in his future.

“Even if I’m not going up to them first, I feel like people come up to me … younger guys will ask me questions about stuff. I don’t know why,” he said. “I feel like that’s kind of showing me, getting me prepared for the next step.”

Thurston has had plenty of talented players and coaches to learn from, too, including one of his popular cousins who goes by the name of C.C. Sabathia (and for what it’s worth, NBA swingman Josh Childress is his cousin, too). He and Sabathia played together at Vallejo (Calif.) High School in the late 1990s but have yet to face each other in the pros.

Versatility: Thurston signed with York on July 22 after sitting out the last couple months since the Minnesota Twins released him from Class AAA Rochester in mid-May.

He is batting .346 (9-for-26) in the six games he’s played for York thus far. He hit his first homer in a Revs’ uniform on Tuesday night. He’s also provided valuable depth to the infield by playing multiple positions.

“I can hit for average. I do the little things right. Try to sacrifice. I’m that type of player,” he said. “That’s the type of player that survives in the game.”

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The York Revolution continued to rebuild their roster over the weekend. After making several moves earlier in the week, the Revs announced the signing of former big leaguer Joe Thurston on Sunday.

To make room for Thurston on the roster, York moved outfielder Michael Hernandez to the disabled list. Hernandez has been out of action since July 13, when he hyper-extended his left (non-throwing) shoulder when diving for a fly ball.

Thurston comes to York after splitting time earlier this season between Class AAA Lehigh Valley (Phillies) and Class AAA Rochester (Twins).

The California native has seen 184 games of action at the big league level over seven separate seasons split between five different ballclubs. He last reached the majors in 2011 with the Florida (now Miami) Marlins, going 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a strikeout in one game.He saw limited action in the majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2002 to 2004, the Phillies in 2006, and Boston Red Sox in 2007 before the St. Louis Cardinals gave him an everyday spot for most of the 2009 season.  He is a career .226 hitter in the big leagues.

A former fourth-round draft pick of the Dodgers in 1999, Thurston was at one time a big-time prospect for L.A., twice earning the Dodgers’ minor league player of the award (2000 and 2002). He hasn’t played below the Class AAA level since 2001. He owns a career .291 average in more than 1,100 games at the Class AAA level.

Thurston has seen some time in the outfield over his now 15-year pro career. However, it’s likely the Revs won’t need him out there considering they still have four other outfielders in Brandon Haveman, Scott Grimes, Jeff Fiorentino and James Shanks.

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