Remember E-Rod? Eladio Rodriguez, the most prominent graduate of the Israel Baseball League, may be getting another shot at the New York Yankees' AA farm club, the Trenton, NJ Thunder.That would mean the Dominican mystery man would not be available to star in the exhibition tourney in Israel that's meant to be a teaser for El Presidente Solomonte's Dominican Republic of The Middle East Baseball League that he promises will replace the IBL in the winter.
And too bad, because as a Dominican-born IBL vet and MLB journeyman, E-Rod would be a better face for the new league than current, retired Dominican player Chico Escuela (left).E-Rod had been placed on the Thunder's disabled list, to make room for a right-handed pitcher, after going from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees to the Single A Staten Island Baby Bombers, back to Scranton, a step from Yankee Stadium, and down a step to the AA Trenton Thunder, all in the space of a month, before being kicked back down to the Single A NY-Penn League farm team in Staten Island and back up to Trenton at the beginning of June.
Hunterdon County Democrat beat writer Mike Ashmore writes in his Thunder Thoughts blog that Eladio may be getting a chance now that catcher P.J. Pilittere got a broken nose when he was hit in the face by a foul ball:
"...The former Israel Baseball League standout wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire down there, hitting just .095, but he was doing all right in limited action with the Thunder earlier this season, going 3-for-13 in four games.
"I don’t even think the Bo Hall move is official yet, so who knows when anything with Pilittere will be announced, but the likely move would be to place him on the DL so that a roster spot can be created.
"For what it’s worth, I haven’t understood why they won’t send Jason Brown down when a catcher is needed. Nothing against Eladio, but Brown has a similar reputation to P.J. in that pitchers really seem to like the way he calls a game, and I think he’d have a good influence on some of the guys on the staff."
"I don’t even think the Bo Hall move is official yet, so who knows when anything with Pilittere will be announced, but the likely move would be to place him on the DL so that a roster spot can be created.
"For what it’s worth, I haven’t understood why they won’t send Jason Brown down when a catcher is needed. Nothing against Eladio, but Brown has a similar reputation to P.J. in that pitchers really seem to like the way he calls a game, and I think he’d have a good influence on some of the guys on the staff."
"This is going to be the Dominican Republic of the Middle East"
--IBL's new "in-coming president" David Solomont
--IBL's new "in-coming president" David Solomont
Bravo Eladio! Bueno suerte, amigo.
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