WORLD SERIES: TinCaps Ties

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Not only is Fort Wayne native Andrew Saalfrank representing Northeast Indiana in the 2023 World Series, several other members of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers also have TinCaps connections.

In 2012, infielder Jace Peterson, catcher Austin Hedges, and outfielder Travis Jankowski led Fort Wayne to the Midwest League Championship Series. Now, Peterson and the D-backs are matched up against Hedges and Jankowski’s Rangers in the Fall Classic.

Since Fort Wayne’s franchise was founded in 1993, there’ve been 219 alumni to appear in Major League Baseball. Of those, six have been on the roster for a World Series winner: left-handed pitcher Max Fried (2021 Braves); shortstop Trea Turner (2019 Nationals); right-handed pitcher Joe Ross (2019 Nationals); right-handed pitcher Jake Peavy (2013 Red Sox and 2014 Giants); third baseman David Freese (2011 Cardinals); and catcher A.J. Pierzynski (2005 White Sox). They’re about to have company.

“It’s so cool to see guys we got to know and love here go on to compete on the game’s biggest stage,” said TinCaps President Mike Nutter.

Saalfrank, a 2016 Heritage High School alum who went on to IU before being drafted by Arizona, played at Parkview Field multiple times with the Patriots in the Parkview Sports Medicine Baseball Classic. Meanwhile, D-backs executive vice president and general manager Mike Hazen was an outfielder with the Fort Wayne Wizards in 1999 (before the team rebranded to TinCaps in ’09).

Rangers associate manager Will Venable was a Midwest League All-Star outfielder with the Wizards in 2006. Nick Hundley, a catcher for the Wizards from 2005-06, is a special assistant to the general manager for Texas. Rangers reliever Matt Bush, a member of the Wizards from 2005-07, was on the team’s roster earlier this postseason, though is not active to begin the World Series.

Moreover, 13 D-backs players previously appeared in the Midwest League with other clubs, while eight other Rangers are Midwest League alums. Both teams also have a handful of coaches and front office staff members with Midwest League ties. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy was the skipper of the San Diego Padres when they played exhibition games against the Wizards at Memorial Stadium in in 1999 and 2001.

There were 62 former TinCaps and Wizards players in The Show during the regular season, and 13 made postseason rosters.

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Diamondbacks Midwest League Connections

• RHP Miguel Castro – Lansing Lugnuts (2014)
• RHP Luis Frías – Kane County Cougars (2019)
• RHP Kevin Ginkel – Kane County Cougars (2017)
• C Jose Herrera – Kane County Cougars (2017-19)
• RHP Merrill Kelly – Bowling Green Hot Rods (2010)
• LHP Joe Mantiply – West Michigan Whitecaps (2014)
• INF Ketel Marte – Clinton LumberKings (2012-13)
• C Gabriel Moreno – Lansing Lugnuts (2019)
• LHP Kyle Nelson – Lake County Captains (2018)
• INF Geraldo Perdomo – Kane County Cougars (2019)
• INF JACE PETERSON – FORT WAYNE TINCAPS (2012)
• OF Tommy Pham – Quad Cities River Bandits (2007-08)
• OF Alek Thomas – Kane County Cougars (2019)
• RHP Ryan Thompson – Quad Cities River Bandits (2015)
• Hitting coach Joe Mather – Peoria Chiefs (2014)
• Assistant hitting coach Damian Easley – Quad Cities River Bandits (1990); son, Nate, played for TinCaps in 2017
• Assistant hitting coach Rick Short – Kane County Cougars coach (2018)
• Assistant pitching coach Dan Carlson – Clinton LumberKings (1991); South Bend pitching coach (2003)
• Assistant pitching coach Barry Enright – South Bend (2007); Kane County coach (2020)
• Third base coach Tony Perezchica – Clinton LumberKings (1985); South Bend manager (2004)
• Executive vice president and general manager Mike Hazen – Fort Wayne Wizards outfielder (1999)

Rangers Midwest League Connections

• LHP Aroldis Chapman – Dayton Dragons (2014)
• RHP Nathan Eovaldi – Great Lakes Loons (2009)
• C Mitch Garver – Cedar Rapids Kernels (2014)
• C AUSTIN HEDGES – FORT WAYNE TINCAPS (2012)
• C Jonah Heim – Bowling Green Hot Rods (2017)
• OF TRAVIS JANKOWSKI – FORT WAYNE TINCAPS (2012)
• INF Nathaniel Lowe – Bowling Green Hot Rods (2017)
• RHP Josh Sborz – Great Lakes Loons (2015)
• INF Corey Seager – Great Lakes Loons (2013)
• LHP Will Smith – Cedar Rapids Kernels (2009)
• Manager Bruce Bochy – Padres manager when team visited Fort Wayne in 1999 and 2001
• *Associate manager Will Venable – Fort Wayne Wizards outfielder (2006)*
• Bench coach/offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker – Peoria Chiefs hitting coach (2017)
• Assistant hitting coach Seth Conner – Lansing Lugnuts (2013-14); Great Lakes Loons coach (2018)
• Catching coach Bobby Wilson – Cedar Rapids Kernels (2004)
• Special assistant to the general manager Nick Hundley – Fort Wayne Wizards catcher (2005-06)

2023 World Series Umpires

• D.J. Reyburn (2002)
• Alfonso Márquez (1994)
• Brian Knight
• Vic Carapazza
• Quinn Wolcott (2007)