Ironpigs 2011 Part 3: Second Base

No position better mirrors the struggles of the Ironpigs in their first three seasons more than second base.  From Gookie Dawkins to Casey Smith to Oscar Robles to Pablo Ozuna to Miguel Cairo to David Newhan to J.J. Furmaniak to Luis Maza to Melvin Dorta to Ozzie Chavez, the Ironpigs have certainly gone through their share of second basemen in their 3 year history.  And that was just the “short” list.  Names like Jason Donald, Jorge Velandia, Joey Hammond and Keoni De Renne also come to mind.   Last year, an injury to Jimmy Rollins bumped Wilson Valdez to the Phillies before he ever played a home game for the Ironpigs.  Have the Ironpigs ever had a second baseman who returned for a second year?  I can’t think of any.   On paper it appears that the 2011 Ironpigs  may have the best group of second basemen in their short history    The top 3 candidates for 2011 are listed below.  Keep in mind that it’s not a lock that Wilson Valdez makes the Phillies opening day roster this year so he could be back.  Also, the Phillies pick in the Rule 5 Draft, Michael Martinez is primarily a second baseman.   The Phillies would have to negotiate a deal with the Washington Nationals if Martinez doesn’t make the major league roster and stay there all year (ala David Herndon) but if that happens, he would be assigned to either AAA or AA.  The Phillies also obtained second baseman Albert Cartwright from the Astros in exchange for Sergio Escalona but Cartwright is at least a year or two away from AAA.

The top 3:  
 
Josh Barfield
DOB 12/17/82,  Barquisimeto, Lara,  Venezuela.   6’0″ 190.  Bats/Throws: R/R 
 
Josh is the son of former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jesse Barfield. He was born in Venezuela when his mother went to visit his dad who was playing baseball in the Venezuelan Winter League.   Josh was a 4th round pick by the San Diego Padres in the 2001 draft.   He hit .310 in the Rookie League in 2001 and followed it up by hitting .297 in 2002 and .337 with 16 homeruns in 2003.  In 2004, Baseball America listed him as the #1 prospect in the Padres organization.  Playing his first year at the AA level in ’04 he hit just .248 but blasted 18 homeruns.  In 2005 he was again listed as the #1 prospect for the Padres and was promoted to AAA Portland where he hit .310 with 15 homeruns.   In 2006 at the age of 23 he was in the major leagues with the Padres where he played 147 games at second base, hitting .280 with 13 homeruns while stealing 21 bases.  However after the season ended he was traded to the Cleveland Indians in a deal that brought Kevin Kouzmanoff to the Padres.   Josh played 120 games for the Indians in 2007 but saw his batting average drop to .243 with just 3 homeruns.  He found himself back in the minors in 2008 where he hit just .251 at the AAA level.  He also spent most of 2009 in AAA and hit .252.  At the end of the ’09 season he was granted free agency and on February 19, 2010 he signed with his original team, the San Diego Padres.  He spent the 2010 season at Portland in the Pacific Coast League and hit .294.  At the end of the season he again became a free agent and on November 19, 2010 he was signed to a minor league contract by the Phillies with an invitation to major league spring training.  Josh’s younger brother Jeremy is a highly rated outfielder in the Oakland organization.
 
Pointless trivia:  Jesse Barfield, father of Josh Barfield and John Mayberry Sr., father of John Mayberry Jr., combined for a total of 496 major league homeruns. 
 
Pete Orr
DOB 6/8/79, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.  6’1″ 175.  Bats/Throws:  L/R
 
Peterson Thomas Gordon Orr was signed as an amateur free agent by the Atlanta Braves in 1999.  In his minor league career he has played every position except catcher and first base with most of his games coming at second base, shortstop and third base.    He slowly progressed through the Braves farm system reaching the AAA Richmond Braves in 2004 where he hit .320 with 24 stolen bases.  He made his major league debut in 2005 and had 45 hits in 150 at bats for a .300 average.  He was used primarily as a utility man with the Braves, playing games at second, third, shortstop and left field.  He also spent the 2006 season with the Braves and hit .253 but most of his playing time came at second base.  He split the 2007 season between AAA and the Braves.  The Braves released him following the 2007 season and he was signed by the Washington Nationals on December, 15, 2009.  He hit .253 in 75 at bats for the Nationals in ’09 but spent most of the year with the Syracuse Chiefs where he hit .245 with 9 homeruns.  He played for Syracuse again in 2010 and hit .264 with 12 homeruns and 25 stolen bases.  He was granted free agency on November 6, 2010 and was signed by the Phillies on November 10th.  Pete played third base for Canada in the 2004 Summer Olympics.   Expect to see him at second base, third base and shortstop this summer. 

Pete Orr playing shortstop for Syracuse vs. John Mayberry & the Ironpigs

Harold Garcia
DOB 10/25/86, Maracaibo, Venezuela.  5’11” 164.  Bats/Throws: S/R
 
Harold was signed by the Phillies as a non-drafted free agent on September 7, 2004.  From 2005 to 2007 he played in the Venezuelan Development League and steadily improved each year.  In 2008 he played in the Gulf Coast Rookie League  and hit .299 with 5 homeruns.  He moved up to Lakewood in 2009 and hit .291 with 8 homers but it wasn’t until 2010 that he really emerged as a highly regarded prospect.  He began 2010 at Clearwater and hit .335 in 46 games.  He had a 37 game hitting streak for the Threshers, breaking a  Florida State League record  that had been on the books since 1951.   He earned a promotion to AA Reading where he hit .281 with 5 homeruns in 55 games.  Harold recently finished his season in the Venezuela Winter League where he hit .286.  He will likely begin 2010 at Reading but if he continues to improve he could move up at some point during the 2011 season.