By Scott Barancik, Editor

Because we didn’t publish Minor-League Monday last week, today we give you highlights for the past two weeks (June 24-July 7, 2019):

Decker

Decker

Hitter of the Fortnight: Cody Decker (Diamondbacks)

1B Cody Decker (Diamondbacks/AAA/Reno Aces), whose 204 career home runs rank #1 among active minor leaguers, retired from baseball in style last week (see article). The California native called it quits shortly after hitting a walk-off home run in his final at-bat July 5 to give Reno a 10-9 win. Except for a brief appearance in 2015 with the San Diego Padres, Decker spent all 11 season in the minors, playing for 13 teams across six franchises. A fan favorite, Decker also played with Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. “I’ve given everything to this game — my blood, my sweat, my tears, my hair line,” Decker said at a press conference announcing his retirement. According to MLB.com, Decker and comedian wife Jennifer Decker will host a daily radio show and a weekly podcast. Cody also will join the staff of the Border Youth Athletic Association of El Paso, TX, which “plans to build a state-of-the-art baseball facility.”

Fishman

Fishman

Pitcher of the Fortnight: Jake Fishman (Blue Jays)

Jake Fishman (Blue Jays/AA/New Hampshire Fisher Cats) pitched 8.2 scoreless innings across 4 appearances, yielding 8 hits and a walk while striking out 13. Fishman hasn’t given up an earned run since June 7.

Mazel tov

  • OF Hunter Bishop (Giants/Rookie/AZL Giants), the 10th overall pick in the 2019 draft, signed with San Francisco for a $4.1-million bonus. He made his professional debut on July 7, going 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.
  • OF Blake Gailen (Dodgers/AAA/Oklahoma City Dodgers) took leave on June 26 to join the Israeli national baseball team for last week’s European Championship tourney. Gailen helped Israel go 6-0 in the series and was named tournament MVP.
  • P Kenny Koplove, released last month by the Colorado Rockies, has joined the Kansas City T-Bones of the independent American Association of Professional Baseball.
  • C Mitchell Kranson, released last month by the Minnesota Twins, has joined the Chicago Dogs of the independent American Association of Professional Baseball.

Other highlights

  • OF David Vinsky (Cardinals/A-short-season/State College Spikes), a 2019 draftee, hit a combined .302 (13-for-43) with 2 HRs, 3 doubles, 8 RBIs, and a .348 on-base percentage while playing for St. Louis’s A-short-season and rookie-league teams.
  • P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AAA/Columbus Clippers) pitched 5.2 scoreless innings across 5 games, yielding 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 9. Kaminsky hasn’t given up an earned run since June 4.
  • P Dean Kremer (Orioles/AA/Bowie Baysox), Baltimore’s #9 prospect, went 3-0 with a 2.63 ERA across 3 starts, yielding 15 hits and 3 walks over 17 innings while striking out 14. After starting the season 0-3, Kremer has gone 5-1.
  • P Brandon Gold (Rockies/AA/Hartford Yard Goats) went 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA across 3 starts, yielding 23 hits and 4 walks over 17 innings while striking out 18.
  • P Mitchell Osnowitz (Cardinals/AA/Springfield Cardinals) went 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA across 4 games, 3 of them in Double-A and one in High-A. Osnowitz yielded 2 hits and 2 walks across 5 innings while striking out 8.
  • P Kenny Rosenberg (Rays/AA/Montgomery Biscuits) went 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA across 2 games, yielding 10 hits and 7 walks over 12 innings while striking out 8. So far this season, Rosenberg is 7-1 with a 3.12 ERA.
  • P Keith Weisenberg (Giants/A/Augusta GreenJackets) went 0-0 with 2 saves and a 2.93 ERA across 4 appearances, yielding 10 hits and 7 walks over 12 innings while striking out an impressive 19 batters.
  • P Ben Gross (Twins/Rookie/Elizabethton Twins), a 2019 draftee, went 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA across 2 starts, yielding 8 hits and 2 walks over 12 innings while striking out 9.
  • P Josh Shapiro (Brewers/Rookie/AZL Brewers), a 2019 draftee, went 0-0 with a 1.00 ERA across 2 relief appearances and a start, yielding 8 hits and 2 walks over 9 innings while striking out 11.
  • P Justin Friedman (White Sox/Rookie/AZL White Sox), a 2019 draftee, went 1-0 with a 2.90 ERA across 3 games, yielding 7 hits and one walk over 6.2 innings while striking out 8.
  • P Greg Leban (Braves/Rookie/GCL Braves), a 2019 draftee, had a rough pro debut on June 24, yielding 5 earned runs over just 0.2 innings. But he bounced back with a scoreless 2.2-inning outing on July 2, yielding 2 hits and a walk while striking out 6.
  • P Jake Miednik (Indians/Rookie/AZL Indians) pitched 4 scoreless innings in a 3-game rehab assignment, yielding 2 hits and no walks while striking out 4.

Transactions

  • 1B Cody Decker (Diamondbacks/AAA/Reno Aces) announced his retirement on July 7, three days after he was activated from the injured list.
  • 2B Michael Wielansky (Astros/A/Quad Cities River Bandits) was placed on the injured list on July 5.
  • P Robert Stock (Padres) was reassigned from San Diego (MLB) to the El Paso Chihuahuas (AAA) on July 4, five days after he was called-up to the Majors.
  • C Ryan Lavarnway (Yankees/AAA/Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders) was activated from the injured list on July 4.
  • P Max Lazar (Brewers) was promoted from the AZL Brewers (Rookie) to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (A) on July 1.
  • P Evan Kravetz (Reds/Rookie/Greenville Reds), a 2019 draftee, was placed on the 60-day injured list on July 1.
  • LF Tyler Benson (Padres) was promoted from the AZL Padres (Rookie) to the Lake Elsinore Storm (High-A) on June 30.
  • OF David Vinsky (Cardinals), a 2019 draftee, was promoted from the Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie) to the State College Spikes (A-short season) on June 29.
  • P Mitchell Osnowitz (Cardinals) was promoted from the Palm Beach Cardinals (High-A) to the Springfield Cardinals (AA) on June 28.
  • P Jake Miednik (Indians) was sent on a rehab assignment from the Lake County Captains (A) to the AZL Indians (Rookie) on June 28.
  • P Jeremy Bleich (Red Sox) was sent on a rehab assignment from the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA) to the Lowell Spinners (A-short-season) on June 27.
  • SS Zack Kone (Pirates/A/Greensboro Grasshoppers) was activated from the injured list on June 27.
  • P Rob Kaminsky (Indians) was promoted from the Akron RubberDucks (AA) to the Columbus Clippers (AAA) on June 26.
  • SS Keaton Weisz (Angels), a 2019 draftee, was  promoted from the AZL Angels (Rookie) to the Mobile BayBears (Double-A) on June 26.
  • 3B/2B Zane Gurwitz (Angels) was promoted from the Inland Empire 66ers (High-A) to the Mobile BayBears (Double-A) on June 24.
  • P Zack Leban (Marlins/Rookie/GCL Marlins) was placed on the injured list on June 24.

Free agents

Injured list

Note to readers: Minor-League Monday does not include stats for all current Jewish minor-leaguers. Click here for a complete list of players, and then click on a player’s name to be taken to his stat page.

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