This from today’s Dayton Dragons game report:
J.C. Sulbaran makes his professional baseball debut tonight for Dayton. He has been in extended spring training in Sarasota due to a blister problem on his right (pitching) hand.ÂÂ
Sulbaran has pitched in some big international games. He appeared in two games for Team Netherlands in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and started a game for the Netherlands in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing against Cuba. Sulbaran moved from the island of Curacao in the Caribbean to the Miami area with his family at age 16 to further baseball career. He was honored as the Miami-area pitcher of the year in 2008, going 11-0, 1.40.ÂÂ
He fell to the 30th round of the 2008 draft due to his commitment to the University of Florida but the Reds eventually signed him with a $500,000 bonus, a record for that round.ÂÂ
He was voted the best pitcher in the 2004 Latin American Youth Baseball Tournament while playing for the Netherlands Antilles.ÂÂ
He was rated by Baseball America as the 20th best prospect in Reds organization prior to 2009 season. His high school teammates included first baseman Eric Hosmer, who was selected with the third pick in the first round of the 2008 draft by the Kansas City Royals, and catcher Adrian Nieto, taken in the fifth round by the Washington Nationals.
I saw him pitch in the WBC and he looked to have nasty stuff. I’m hoping that he is as impressive at Dayton.
UPDATE: From the Dragons announcement:
Pitcher Leonardo Astorga has been sent from Dayton to Billings. Astorga made four starts with the Dragons and went 0-3 with an earned run average of 18.00. The Dragons roster remains at the Midwest League limit of 25 players.