Kinney starts strong in Japan Camden’s MacDonald now a reliever

The 2008 professional baseball season is under way from the majors through the minors, but team rosters aren’t dotted with as many Maine names as in previous seasons.

The most notable names in the pros, in general, are former University of Maine slugger Mark Sweeney, who is a backup outfielder-first baseman and pinch hitter for Joe Torre’s Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as Bangor resident and New Brunswick native Matt Stairs, a backup outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Then there are the guys still trying to make the jump to the big leagues. Guys like former UMaine pitchers Mike MacDonald and Rusty Tucker, former Mount Ararat of Topsham star Mark Rogers, Lewiston native and former University of Southern Maine standout Thomas “Tip” Fairchild, and former Bangor High School star and Boston Red Sox draft pick Matt Kinney.

Kinney is in a unique situation in this group as he has already played parts of fiveseasons in the majors and is now trying to get back by playing overseas in the Japanese Baseball League.

The 31-year-old righthander is currently 2-1 with the Pacific League-leading Seibu Lions with a 2.11 ERA after three starts. He has allowed just 10 hits and six walks while striking out 15 batters in 21 1/3 innings.

Kinney’s most recent appearance was Sunday, when he went 8 1/3 innings in a 4-3 victory over the Rakuten Eagles.

He spent all of the last two seasons with the Fresno Grizzlies, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, but was never called up to the big league club. Kinney has played with the Minnesota Twins (2000 and 2002), Milwaukee Brewers (2003-04), Kansas City Royals (2004) and Giants (2005). His best season was 2003, when he went 10-13 with a 5.19 ERA for the Brewers.

MacDonald, 26, is starting off the season back with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Toronto Blue Jays’ Eastern League franchise.

It’s a season of drastic change for MacDonald as the Camden native has gone from Triple-A Syracuse to Double-A New Hampshire and from starting pitcher to reliever. So far, the righthander has made one appearance, pitching a scoreless ninth inning Saturday, allowing one hit while also notching a strikeout.

MacDonald went 3-1 with a 2.51 ERA in five starts for the Cats and 6-8 with a 4.88 ERA in 23 starts for Syracuse last year.

Tucker has made one appearance so far for the Huntsville Stars, Milwaukee’s Double-A team in the Southern League. The 27-year-old lefthander from Gloucester, Mass., pitched two-thirds of an inning Sunday, allowing one walk, no runs, and no hits.

Last year, Tucker appeared in 12 games for the high Single-A Brevard County Manatees of the Florida State League. He pitched 15 1/3 innings, allowing 17 hits, eight walks, and seven runs (six earned) while notching 10 strikeouts. He also pitched for the Can-Am League’s New Jersey Jackals, notching 14 saves – the fifth-highest total in the independent league.

Tucker has played in five leagues (in Single-A, Double-A, or independent) for nine different teams since undergoing season-ending left elbow surgery in 2003, the same season he was selected as a Southern League All-Star after leading Mobile – and all San Diego minor leaguers – with 28 saves.

Rogers and Fairchild are both starting off the 2008 season on the disabled list. Fairchild underwent Tommy John reconstructive right elbow surgery May 9. Rogers missed all of the 2007 season after having arthroscopic right shoulder surgery in January to repair a torn labrum and loose ligament.

Fairchild, 24, went 0-1 with a 10.29 ERA last season. He appeared in just two games, allowing 14 hits, eight runs (all earned) and one walk in seven innings. The Houston Astros 12th round draft pick in 2005 also had four strikeouts.

Rogers went 1-2 with a 5.07 ERA in 16 starts (71 innings) for the Manatees when he last pitched in 2006. He also pitched four innings in three games with the Arizona Fall League Brewers team that year, going 0-0 with a 2.25 ERA.

aneff@bangordailynews.net

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