Simmons looks to impress in Rockers’ starting rotation
BY GREER SMITHENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITE
HIGH POINT — Seth Simmons is back playing baseball in High Point.This time, he’s on a much bigger stage as a member of the Rockers.That’s much different from the days when the Winston-Salem native faced Wesleyan Christian, High Point Christian or Westchester Countr yDay while playing for Calvary Day from 2005-07.
He then played for four years in college at East Carolina, went to the minors and stayed there until being released by the Padres organization last November.He made it to the Triple-A level in 2015, 2016, missed the 2017 season because of injury, and made it back to AAA again in 2018, going 1-1 with a 4.12 ERA in 13 games and six starts for El Paso of the Pacific Coast League.
He didn’t have a lot of interest from Major League organizations after his release.“I had calls from a couple of clubs but since I’ve had Tommy John surgery, most people want to see me healthy again fully through a season or part of a season as a starter again,” Simmons said after throwing in a simulated game Thursday at BB&T Point. “This was so close to home. I called Jamie (Rockers coach Jamie Keefe) and asked if I could compete for a job and he said come on.
”Simmons is projected as one of the Rockers starers and he feels ready to go.“I’m fully healthy but I’ve got to go out and still throw,” Simmons said. “The end of last year was up and down for me, my velocity dipped a little bit. I think I tried to push it too much after the surgery.”
Simmons wound up with the Rockers at the suggestion of his former ECU roommate and teammate Seth Maness, who was the first former Major Leaguer signed by the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball club.“We talk all the time,” Simmons said. “He’s the one who suggested I come here and gave me Jamie’s number. I told him I was thinking about independent ball. He’s said, ‘dude, you’ve got one in your back-yard.’ I had no idea they were building it. I started looking and said ‘it’s a no-brainer.’ It’s good baseball, too.”
Thursday’s simulated game came during the third day of workouts for the Rockers.“We like where we are at,” manager Jamie Keefe said. “Pitching is starting to shake itself out. We know who the 1 and 2 in the rotation are going to be (Matt Sergey and Seth Maness) but 3, 4 and 5 are working themselves out. As far as the position players go, it’s a straight-up battle. We’ve got some good players who aren’t going to be playing here. We’ve got 16 position players here and we’re going to carry 12, so that’s four who aren’t going to have a job.“
And the bullpen is really starting to shape up.”The Rockers have 33 players in camp and must cut down to 27 before the season opener April 26 at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. If the team starts with 12 position players, then it would need to cut two of the 17 pitchers in camp.
Keefe said final cuts will be made late Monday, in advance of leaving Tuesday morning on the season-opening road trip that will start with two exhibition games at Southern Maryland.Keefe said Brett Austin, who is from Charlotte and played at N.C. State and, California native Myles Schroder will be the catchers. Both played at the Triple-A level last year.
“It doesn’t get any better than that,” Keefe said. “Both played at the highest level other than the big leagues. They know to catch and run a staff. We’re excited but main-stays behind the plate with those two.”
Keefe also said former big leaguer Tyler Ladendorf could play a variety of positions.“He’s been unreal where he has been, at centerfield, shortstop or second base,” Keefe said.
“Anywhere you put him, he’s going to be able to play.”Among other players who have shown well, according to Keefe, are former Major League infielders Stephen Cardullo and Richie Shaffer, and former Triple-A infielder Shane Opitz.
“I just could go down the list,” Keefe said. “We’re ver y athletic. We’ve got 10 guys in camp who have played short-stop professionally. That in itself, you know they are ath-letic and can play anywhere. My likely center fielder and left fielder are infielders, as well, which is crazy. We’re just very athletic.
BY GREER SMITHENTERPRISE SPORTS WRITE
HIGH POINT — Seth Simmons is back playing baseball in High Point.This time, he’s on a much bigger stage as a member of the Rockers.That’s much different from the days when the Winston-Salem native faced Wesleyan Christian, High Point Christian or Westchester Countr yDay while playing for Calvary Day from 2005-07.
He then played for four years in college at East Carolina, went to the minors and stayed there until being released by the Padres organization last November.He made it to the Triple-A level in 2015, 2016, missed the 2017 season because of injury, and made it back to AAA again in 2018, going 1-1 with a 4.12 ERA in 13 games and six starts for El Paso of the Pacific Coast League.
He didn’t have a lot of interest from Major League organizations after his release.“I had calls from a couple of clubs but since I’ve had Tommy John surgery, most people want to see me healthy again fully through a season or part of a season as a starter again,” Simmons said after throwing in a simulated game Thursday at BB&T Point. “This was so close to home. I called Jamie (Rockers coach Jamie Keefe) and asked if I could compete for a job and he said come on.
”Simmons is projected as one of the Rockers starers and he feels ready to go.“I’m fully healthy but I’ve got to go out and still throw,” Simmons said. “The end of last year was up and down for me, my velocity dipped a little bit. I think I tried to push it too much after the surgery.”
Simmons wound up with the Rockers at the suggestion of his former ECU roommate and teammate Seth Maness, who was the first former Major Leaguer signed by the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball club.“We talk all the time,” Simmons said. “He’s the one who suggested I come here and gave me Jamie’s number. I told him I was thinking about independent ball. He’s said, ‘dude, you’ve got one in your back-yard.’ I had no idea they were building it. I started looking and said ‘it’s a no-brainer.’ It’s good baseball, too.”
Thursday’s simulated game came during the third day of workouts for the Rockers.“We like where we are at,” manager Jamie Keefe said. “Pitching is starting to shake itself out. We know who the 1 and 2 in the rotation are going to be (Matt Sergey and Seth Maness) but 3, 4 and 5 are working themselves out. As far as the position players go, it’s a straight-up battle. We’ve got some good players who aren’t going to be playing here. We’ve got 16 position players here and we’re going to carry 12, so that’s four who aren’t going to have a job.“
And the bullpen is really starting to shape up.”The Rockers have 33 players in camp and must cut down to 27 before the season opener April 26 at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. If the team starts with 12 position players, then it would need to cut two of the 17 pitchers in camp.
Keefe said final cuts will be made late Monday, in advance of leaving Tuesday morning on the season-opening road trip that will start with two exhibition games at Southern Maryland.Keefe said Brett Austin, who is from Charlotte and played at N.C. State and, California native Myles Schroder will be the catchers. Both played at the Triple-A level last year.
“It doesn’t get any better than that,” Keefe said. “Both played at the highest level other than the big leagues. They know to catch and run a staff. We’re excited but main-stays behind the plate with those two.”
Keefe also said former big leaguer Tyler Ladendorf could play a variety of positions.“He’s been unreal where he has been, at centerfield, shortstop or second base,” Keefe said.
“Anywhere you put him, he’s going to be able to play.”Among other players who have shown well, according to Keefe, are former Major League infielders Stephen Cardullo and Richie Shaffer, and former Triple-A infielder Shane Opitz.
“I just could go down the list,” Keefe said. “We’re ver y athletic. We’ve got 10 guys in camp who have played short-stop professionally. That in itself, you know they are ath-letic and can play anywhere. My likely center fielder and left fielder are infielders, as well, which is crazy. We’re just very athletic.
