Below is a feature story on York Revolution left-fielder James Shanks and his quest to return to form after a tough 2012 season. Before we get to that, though, just wanted to point out my column in Monday’s paper about the rally plantain coming to York. Click here to read the column, which also includes a three-minute video compiled by York Dispatch photo editor Randy Flaum.

Also, here’s a blog post on newly acquired outfielder Cody Johnson, who the Revs signed on Monday.

Finally, check out the game story from York’s come-from-behind 4-3 over Lancaster on Monday night.It mainly focuses on Lancaster starter Will Savage, an Oklahoma City native who made the start just moments after finding out his wife and their 1-year-old son were safe from the tornado that took the lives of more than 50 people on Monday evening. It also includes quotes from Revs’ first baseman Brian Burgamy, who has family in Lawton, Okla., located about 90 minutes southwest of Moore, Okla., where the tornado hit.

The Revs won the four-game series over Lancaster, 3-to-1 and improved to 17-14 overall with Sugar Land coming to town for a three-game set that starts Tuesday. The Skeeters (25-5) own the league’s best record. On Tuesday, York right-hander Corey Thurman (2-4, 3.72 ERA) will face right-hander Scott Elarton (2-2, 3.75).

 

He had made similar plays several times before in his previous 14 years as a pro baseball player. The only difference this time is that it came after the toughest 12 months of his career.

So when a fly ball came rocketing his way in left at Sovereign Bank Stadium last Saturday night, James Shanks wanted to do more than just make the out. The York Revolution left-fielder needed to prove to himself that he could still play all out and make the highlight catches.

And his confidence was admittedly boosted when Shanks made a diving grab to save a run mid-way through last Saturday’s game against Lancaster.

“That lets me know what I was doing and working on, I was doing the right thing,” Shanks said Sunday night in the York clubhouse following a 3-1 loss to the Barnstormers.

The play was exemplary of how Shanks wants to play. But in order to do so, he spent the past off-season focusing on getting his body in shape.

“It was really all about me making the decision to come back and do what I can do. I wanted to be healthy enough to play,” he said. “I didn’t want to just go through the motions. I wanted to actually play the way I’m capable of playing.”

Shanks, 34, was held back from making those type of plays last season, mainly because tendonitis in his aging knees limited his playing time. It also had a negative impact on his performance at the plate. He batted just .249 in 77 games before York released him in early August. A former prospect of the Kansas City Royals and Miami Marlins, Shanks finished out the 2012 season with Southern Maryland. But he didn’t fair much better with the Blue Crabs, posting a .225 average in 25 games.

The numbers were a drop-off from those he put up with York’s Atlantic League championship clubs of 2010 and 2011. The 6-foot, right-handed hitting Shanks held a .314 average in 2011 and .325 average in 2010.

Comeback: Shanks, who signed back with York on May 11, isn’t sure how much longer he wants to keep playing. At the very least, he wants to prove he still has what it takes to succeed at the sport that has consumed much of his life.

To get back into form, Shanks spent this past off-season in his native Georgia dropping about 20 pounds.

“Basically just working on my knees and stuff. That’s what was the problem as far as having tendonitis (last season),” Shanks said. “I worked out and did a lot of work with my knees. Just regular stuff like sprints and long-distance running. I didn’t want to do any heavy weights because that’s basically what made my knees flare up.”

Record breaker?: Through Sunday, Shanks is batting just .240 but does have two multi-hit games, five RBIs and two doubles. He also hit a homer in his third game of the year at Long Island on May 15.

He won’t need to do much more to become a record holder in several York Revolution categories. He’s just one hit shy of tying Scott Grimes for the club record in hits (374), seven short of tying Grimes in extra-base hits (128), two shy of tying Grimes in triples (13) and 19 short of tying Ramon Castro for RBIs (214). He’s already the club leader in bunt hits (31).

No matter the records, Shanks is just glad to get another shot with York.

“It means a lot,“ he said. “It feels like you’re starting over again.”

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It was back on April 18 when former York Revolution manager Andy Etchebarren caught my ear when he briefly mentioned outfielder James Shanks.

Sitting in the chair in his old office in the Revs’ clubhouse before York’s season opener that night, Etchebarren chatted about several topics. Although he’s retired from managing, Etch’ is staying busy this season helping the Atlantic League improve the umpiring and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs improve their attendance.

Etch’ also mentioned he was currently helping Shanks find a job. It makes sense considering Shanks played for Etch’ in York and helped the Revs win back-to-back Atlantic League titles in 2010 and 2011. But Etch’ was also the manager in York last year when the Revs released Shanks mid-way through the season after he batted just .249 in 77 games. It was a drop-off from the .325 average he carried in 2010 and .314 average he had in 2011.

Plus, Shanks finished out last season with Camden, where he hit .225 in 25 games. So, it was a little surprising to hear that Shanks, 34, was still looking for a job after a year like last season, one in which he battled numerous nagging injuries.

“He (Shanks) wants to play at least two more years,” Etchebarren had said last month.

Shanks will get at least one more season with the Revs, who signed Shanks over the weekend. A former prospect of the Kansas City Royals and Miami Marlins, Shanks will return for his fourth straight season in York and sixth straight in the Atlantic League.

The move comes at a time when the Revs are lacking in depth with position players thanks to injuries. Center fielder Tyler Graham (groin) and utility man Eric Patterson (right quad) have missed time recently due to injuries. Plus, first baseman/right fielder Johan Limonta got signed by the San Diego Padres earlier this week.

Graham, Jason Repko and Jeff Fiorentino were York’s only everyday outfielders on the roster at the start of this week. York has been looking at bringing Shanks in this Friday all along. But when Graham went down on Tuesday, the Revs needed an outfielder right away and signed indy league journeyman outfielder Ruddy Yan on Wednesday.

So Shanks, who played in left field in York the last three years, will provide even more depth to the Revs’ outfield.

Shanks joins starting pitcher Corey Thurman as the only players on York’s roster to have played for the club’s championship teams in both 2010 and 2011. Shanks, Thurman, starting pitcher Chris Cody, relief pitcher Kris Regas and catcher Salvador Paniagua are the only players on York’s roster that played on the Revs’ 2011 championship squad.

York’s active roster is now at the Atlantic League maximum 27 players. Teams can carry 27 players until the end of May, when rosters have to be paired down to 25 players.

Records: Shanks, an Atlantic League all-star with the Revs in 2010 and 2011, ranks high on many Revs’ records. He’s first in franchise history in bunt hits (31), second in triples (11), total hits (367), total bases (574), homers over the left-field wall at Sovereign Bank Stadium (11) and RBIs at Sovereign Bank Stadium (106), third in extra-base hits (116), plate appearances (1,211), RBIs (188), stolen bases (31) and total homers hit at Sovereign Bank Stadium (21), fourth in home runs (40), runs scored (189), strikeouts (176), most RBIs on road games (82) and tied for fourth in total homers hit on the road (19), fifth in doubles (65), seventh in pinch-hits (two), eighth in infield hits (20) and ninth in slugging percentage (.474).

He’s also the club leader from most starts in left field (253) and among a list of just five players to hit a home run for their first hit in a Revs’ uniform when he hit a homer on April 22, 2010 in a 4-3 win over Southern Maryland. And his 265 games played for York in the outfield is second in club history behind Scott Grimes (353).

As far as single-season records in club history, Shanks is the leader in hits (172 in 2010), bunt hits (16 in 2010), multi-hit games (54 in 2010), singles (120 in 2010) and plate appearances (530 in 2010), second in total bases (266 in 2010) and tied for second in doubles (six in 2011), third in runs scored (91 in 2010) and tied for third in pinch-hits (two in 2010), fifth in RBIs (86 in 2010),  sixth in games played (131 in 2010), seventh in homers (19 in 2010) and extra-base hits (52 in 2010), eighth in slugging percentage (.502 in 2010) and tied for eighth in infield hits (14 in 2010).

His 11 bunt hits in 2011 is also third in club history for a single-season mark. And he holds the club records for most RBIs against a single opponent with 27 runs batted in against Lancaster in 2010.

Defensively, Shanks is second all-time in club history in outfield assists (26), six behind the top mark of 32 set by Scott Grimes.

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There are a number of guys not returning to York after playing for the Revs at some point last season. Among that large group, slugger Chris Nowak, infielder Ramon Castro and outfielder James Shanks arguably had the biggest impacts during their career in York.

We already know Nowak has retired. And Revs’ manager Mark Mason has said previously he is not going to be welcoming back Castro. Shanks, however, is a different story.

“I talked to James,” Mason said Thursday night. “I told him at the time what he had signed and things of that nature. We have talked to James and for right now we weren’t gonna bring him into camp. But if we get two or three outfielders signed here right away, you know what can happen.”

It’s a real possibility York could have a couple of their outfielders signed early in the season. Jeff Fiorentino, Tyler Graham and Jason Repko all have big league experience. Graham, 29, made his major league debut at the end of last season. And Repko has seen time in the big leagues each of the last seven seasons.

Still, should York need a fill-in for the outfield, it could always turn to position players like Johan Limonta and Andres Perez – both of whom have seen time in the outfield in their careers despite playing the infield in recent seasons – and utility men Brian Burgamy and Eric Patterson.

But Shanks, 34, did rack up impressive numbers during his time in York before a significant drop-off in production in an injury-plagued 2012 season that eventually led to his release.

The Revs acquired the veteran outfielder in 2010 and he went on to help the club win back-to-back Atlantic League titles.  n 2010, Shanks hit .325 with 19 homers and 86 RBIs in 131 games. He followed that up by batting .314 with 12 homers and 61 RBIs for the Revs in 2011.

Battling tendonitis in his knee in one leg and a hamstring injury in the other leg in 2012, Shanks struggled with a .249 average to go along with just nine homers in 77 games.

Shanks soon found work in Southern Maryland, but not much changed there, as he held a .225 average in 25 games with the Blue Crabs.

Mason said Southern Maryland did not have Shanks on its protective list of players after the 2012 season – had he been on the list, the Blue Crabs would own his negotiation rights if he opted to come back to the Atlantic League in 2013.

“Jimmy really wanted to retire as a York Revolution player,” Mason said. “He won two champiohships here. I never close any doors. You never know.”

Thomas retires: Mason said reliever Adam Thomas, 33, has retired. Thomas first pitched for York in 2007, putting together a 1.50 ERA with five saves in 11 games before being picked up by the Oakland Athletics. Later that year he made it to Class AA Midland, but struggled there with an 8.31 ERA in 12 appearances.

He decided to retire following that season and dedicate all of his team with the Heroes Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas, that provides opportunities for children and teenagers to participate in baseball and basketball programs to prepare them for competition at the college level. Thomas had been working with Heroes Foundation in a small role since 2005, often giving baseball lessons to youngsters during the offseason.

He opted to return to baseball in 2011 and scored a minor league spring training tryout with the New York Mets, but was released in March. With most Atlantic League rosters full at the time, he eventually found a spot on the league’s all-travel Road Warriors. In his first full season back on the mound, he ended up posting a 1.73 ERA with 17 saves in 56 games.

Last season with York, he went 8-2 with a 3.66 ERA in 67 games.

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I’ll try to provide a series of recaps (hopefully have them all published by the end of next week when I find time) taking a look back at parts of the the 2012 York Revolution roster, both reviewing the season and giving my thoughts on the future at that position. We’ll start off with the outfield.

At the start: York’s opening day outfield consisted of Scott Grimes, James Shanks, Michael Hernandez and Stephen Douglas. Two of those players would no longer be with the team by the of the season.

York traded Douglas on May 23 to Laredo (American Association) in exchange for a player to be named later. Revs’ skipper Andy Etchebarren didn’t like what he saw out of Douglas defensively and he wasn’t putting up stellar numbers, either. Douglas batted just .221 with two homers, six RBIs, six runs scored and one stolen base in 21 games for York.

That left the Revs with three outfielders. But at the time, Grimes was dealing with bone chips in his right wrist. Just days earlier York brought in ex-major league outfielder Bobby Kielty that same week. Kielty wouldn’t stick around long, though, playing in just 19 games before ultimately deciding to retire, ending a 13-year pro career. He hit just .221 with three homers and eight RBIs for the Revs.

Roster moves: Just a day after shipping away Douglas, York signed speedy outfielder Brandon Haveman just hours after Lancaster released him. Haveman ended up being the spark plug that the Revs were looking for. Filling in for an injured Grimes in center field, Haveman took over duties as the lead-off as well and proved to be a big mid-season pick-up for the Revs. He finished the year batting .290 with six homers, 48 RBIs, 68 runs and 21 stolen bases in 106 games.

York later added outfielder Jeff Fiorentino in mid-July at a time when a couple outfielders were dealing with injuries. Like Haveman, the former big leaguer proved to be another big mid-season addition for the Revs. He went on to hit .311 with four homers, 27 RBIs, 49 runs scored and four stolen bases in 66 games.

Shanks: Shanks entered the season batting a combined .320 with York in 2010 and 2011. But he looked every the bit of his 33 years of age this season, often missing time with lower body injuries. His production also dropped off dramatically. The Revs cut ties with Shanks in early August after he hit just .249 in 77 games. Shanks soon found work in Southern Maryland, but not much changed there, as he held a .225 average in 25 games with the Blue Crabs.

Future: By the end of the 2012 season, York’s outfield consisted of Brandon Haveman in left, Scott Grimes in center and Jeff Fiorentino in right. Michael Hernandez mainly served as the designated hitter the final month or so.

The Revs’ outfielder could be very different come 2013. Grimes said Saturday night he’s not sure about his future as a ball player. That makes sense for the seven-year pro veteran. Grimes has been struggling the last two seasons to get back to the level he was at as the 2010 Atlantic League co-MVP. He batted .312 with 17 homers, 59 RBIs, 138 runs scored and 28 stolen bases that year as the Revs’ lead-off man. In 2011 he got off to a rough start but had a nice second half to finish the year with a .268 average to go along with 15 homers, 42 RBIs, 97 runs scored and 21 stolen bases. Grimes lost his lead-off spot in 2012, in part because of his struggles at the plate and also because Haveman excelled at the spot when filling in for an injured Grimes. When Grimes returned, Etch’ put him at the No. 9 spot in the lineup, basically serving as York’s “extra” lead-off man. Grimes finished the season batting .246 with 13 homers, 52 RBIs, 62 runs scored and 19 stolen bases. I would say it would be a smart move for York to cut ties with Grimes despite him being a fan favorite and a big part of the ball club since 2010. But Grimes is just too good defensively in center field. Only if York can find someone as adequate to play center (which is asking a lot) should the Revs think about that move.

Revs’ baseball operations manager Andrew Ball said Fiorentino would be a good candidate to be invited to spring training by a big league club in 2013. Should that be the case, and Fiorentino is successful in earning a spot, York would lose a solid outfielder and No. 2/No. 7 hitter in the lineup.

Though there are things he needs to work on, Haveman should definitely be brought back. in 2013. At 26 years old and just four seasons removed from playing college ball at Purdue, the speedster is definitely young enough to attract the interest of big league scouts (again, you have to remember the Atlantic League’s ultimate purpose is to get guys to the big leagues. Haveman still has to become more patient at the plate. There were too many times this season where he would swing at the first or second pitch of the at-bat. Etch’ repeatedly told me Haveman needs to take advantage of his best tool, which is his speed. That means Haveman needs to get on base more often. And he can do that by drawing walks. But that doesn’t happen when he goes down on just a few pitches. He could also improve his glove in the outfield, but that could come with time at Sovereign Bank Stadium, where the left-field wall can be tricky to deal with at times.

Of the four outfielders on York’s 2012 playoff roster, Hernandez is the only one I wouldn’t mind seeing go. He reminds me a lot of James Shanks last year. He put up good numbers despite being hobbled with knick-knack injuries throughout the season. Who knows how he’ll be at age 29 next year with those legs being a year older. And Ball said Hernandez might be playing winter ball during the off-season. One would think after being banged up for the last five months or so he’d just rest his body and get ready for 2013. Sure, he batted .303 with 13 homers, 55 RBIs and 55 runs scored. But he’s not the fastest outfielder in the world. So, if the Revs can find a replacement who can hit for average and is a little bit faster and younger (obviously easier said than done) then it would make sense to part ways with Hernandez.

 

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The York Revolution made an eye-opening move late Thursday night when the club announced the signing of veteran outfielder Johan Limonta and the release of outfielder James Shanks.

Below is the full press release put out by the team, which also includes Etch’s reaction to the move:

Limonta, 29, began the season at Triple-A Tacoma in the Seattle Mariners organization, where he batted .279 in 41 games played.  He then played in the Mexican League with Mexico City, hitting a whopping .384 in 27 games.  A year ago, the Cuban defector hit .319 with 14 home runs for Tacoma in his first promotion to the Triple-A level.  An accomplished hitter in Seattle’s farm system where he has spent his entire seven-year pro career, Limonta was a Southern League All-Star with West Tennessee in 2010, when he batted .302 with 14 long balls.  He is a career .297 hitter with 69 home runs and 420 runs batted in.

 

Born in Havana, Cuba, Limonta attended school in the United States at Miami-Dade College before being drafted by Seattle in the 20^th round of the 2006 draft.  He joins current Revs Ryan Feierabend, Stephen Penney, Brandon Haveman, and Travis Scott as former Mariners farmhands now together in York.

With already five outfielders under contract, the release of Shanks helps the team to avoid a logjam in an already crowded outfield.

“That was one of the most difficult moves I’ve ever had to make,” said Etchebarren.  “I love him like he’s one of my kids.  We’ve been together for five years, and he’s been part of two championships here in York.  But he’ll have the opportunity to sign elsewhere and get more at-bats than he would have gotten here.  He’s excited about that.”

Shanks batted .249 with nine home runs and 41 RBI in 77 games in an injury-plagued 2012 season.  He had only appeared in two of the team’s last six games.

It’s a drop-off of the numbers Shanks, 33, has put up the last two seasons with York. In 2010, he batted .325 with 19 homers and 86 RBIs in 131 games. The following year, he hit .314 with 12 homers and 61 RBIs in 101 games.

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The Revs dropped a 4-1 decision to the Camden Riversharks in front of 2,762 fans at Sovereign Bank Stadium on a muggy Sunday evening. It marked the final game of the first half for York (36-34), who officially finished in second place in the Atlantic League Freedom Division behind Lancaster (45-25) by nine games.

(To check out the full game story, click here).

And chatting with Revs’ skipper Andy Etchebarren after the loss, things don’t sound good on the health front for York. Outfielder James Shanks and third baseman Ramon Castro were out of the lineup on Sunday. Shanks, who has been battling tendonitis in his left knee all season, tweaked his hamstring at Camden on Saturday. Etchebarren said Castro is dealing with a health issue, too, but didn’t disclose further details. And he said the pair could be out of action when York begins the second half on Friday at home with the first of a three-game set against Lancaster.

“If you got to start the second half against Lancaster without those two guys, then you’re hurting a little bit. Do I gotta bring somebody else in? Probably,” Etchebarren said.

Outfielder Brandon Haveman will also miss time at start the second half. Haveman’s wife, Sarah, was recently named the new head women’s cross country and assistant track coach at Dayton (Ohio) University. Brandon Haveman said he needs to help his wife move from their old home in Indiana to their new home near Dayton. He still plans on playing in the 2012 Atlantic League All-Star game on Wednesday, but he’ll be out a total of six games for the Revs to start the second half, returning on July 19.

It’s unclear if Shanks or Castro will play in the All-Star game.

York’s poor start to the first half of the season (they began 3-10 and 8-16) made it even more difficult to catch Lancaster in the Atlantic League Freedom Division. And it sounds like the second half could off to a bumpy start as well.

Castro (.298 batting average, league-leading 50 RBIs), Shanks (.255, eight homers, 35 RBIs), and Haveman (.319, 31 runs, eight stolen bases) are three of York’s top hitters. Etchebarren said he might make a roster move in the coming days to make up for the possible absence of the three position players. He is also looking to improve the starting rotation.

“We got to try to improve the starting pitching somehow,” he said. “As for right now there’s nobody out there. Hopefully we can survive the first couple of weeks of the second half and we’ll have some pitchers the first week of August.”

Gomez named closer: On a lighter note, Etch’ said righty reliever Ricardo Gomez is officially the team’s closer. With a scoreless ninth inning on Sunday, Gomez has gone 13 scoreless innings in his last 12 games since returning from the disabled list on June 8.

“And he’s the closer when R.J. comes back, too,” said Etch’, referring to reliever R.J. Rodriguez, who had a 2.36 ERA and 11 saves when he was picked up on June 25 by Campeche (Mexican League). Rodriguez will likely return to York when the Mexican League wraps up its season in August.

“When R.J. left and went to Mexico, this guy (Gomez) has done a good job,” Etch’ said.

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