MWL notes: Padres' Baez shows his brilliance

Fort Wayne's Michel Baez gets a wistful look in his eyes when he thinks back on his native Cuba, and the family, friends and neighbors that he hasn't seen in about two years.
He can't text or email them because of internet issues on the Caribbean island. He worries that bringing his family to the United States, which has a strained history with Cuba, will be extremely challenging.

"Leaving Cuba [to pursue a path to Major League Baseball] was one of the toughest parts of the process," Baez said through his interpreter, fellow TinCaps pitcher Jose Galindo. "It was a hard decision."
Although the journey to leave Cuba was emotionally rending, baseball in the United States offered Baez a brilliant future. He went to the Dominican Republic, where his 98 mph fastball brought immediate attention, and a $3 million signing bonus from the Padres.
Baez, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound right-hander ranked as the Padres' No. 7 prospect, has benefitted from having three other players from Cuba on the TinCaps' roster -- Ronald Bolaños, Adrian Morejon and Jorge Oña. Baez said they help each other through the challenges of a new culture and the grind of pro baseball.
"It's great having them around," Baez said. "It's something that is very home-like, because [we] come from the same country."

Cuban contingent (l.-r.): Michel Baez, Ronald Bolanos, Jorge Ona and Adrian Morejon (Jeff Nycz/Mid-South Images)
Including Morejon (a left-handed pitcher who signed for $11 million), Ona (an outfielder who signed for $7 million) and Bolanos (a right-handed pitcher who signed for $2.25 million), the TinCaps boast four players in whom the Padres have invested a combined $23.25 million.
"A huge amount of credit goes to Chris Kemp, our international scouting director, who did a great job identifying these guys," said San Diego assistant director of player development Ben Sestanovich. "We spent a lot of money last signing period internationally, especially on Cuban players. It's a big emphasis. It's a scenario where we feel that good scouting can really give you an advantage. Chris and his group of international scouts have done a great job."
Baez, in particular, has been a shining star. In his first pro baseball experience in the States, the 21-year-old is 5-1 with a 1.93 ERA for Fort Wayne. He has allowed eight runs in 41 2/3 innings and given up 26 hits. Baez has struck out 61 and walked only five.

"Michel is an extremely physical right-handed pitcher with four pitches," said Sestanovich. "He pounds the zone. He attacks. We've been impressed pretty much all the way around, mound presence, stuff, ability to throw strikes, and he's really competitive. It's been fun to watch him to start."
Slowed down in Spring Training by back trouble, Baez was able to put himself on the fast track. He said he worked on his mechanics to eliminate the back pain. He also built up his strength and learned more about taking care of his body.
"[Michel] was trying to be overpowering with his fastball, because it plays really big," Galindo said Baez told him. "He knows that firing up his fastball was something that will get him get him around this league. Guys aren't going to catch up on it. He knows that he's overpowering. He knows from that [downward] angle, it's dominating with him being so tall. It's so tough for a hitter to pick that up. The down angle is very difficult."
Sestanovich said players in the Midwest League have started ambushing the fastball, so there is still work to be done at the Class A level for Baez.

In brief

Managerial carousel: The Clinton LumberKings have their third manager of the season. Tony Arnerich, the Mariners' Minor League catching coordinator, will be in charge for the final 25 games. Arnerich replaced David Macias, who resigned to become an assistant coach at Vanderbilt. Macias is a Vanderbilt alum, and his wife recently accepted a job in Nashville. Clinton was 18-27 under Macias, who took over the LumberKings on June 21, after Pat Shine was relieved of his managerial duties by the Mariners. 
Eclipse effect: A solar eclipse will take center stage when Bowling Green hosts West Michigan on Monday, Aug. 21. The game is set to start at 11:35 a.m. ET, and a total eclipse is projected to happen at 2:27 p.m. The Hot Rods will wear Moon jerseys, while the WhiteCaps wear Sun jerseys. The jerseys will be auctioned off to benefit the Norton Children's Hospital. Dr. Eric Rappin, a Mesonet Research Professor at Western Kentucky University, will be on hand to speak about the event, and the first 2,000 fans through the gate will receive solar eclipse viewing glasses. "We want to ensure the safety of our fans," said Hot Rods GM Eric Leach. "We know there are noncertified glasses out there, so we secured the best ones recommended by NASA for our fans."
Balk trouble: A pair of balks stung the Burlington Bees as Kane County scored both of its runs on balks in a 2-1, 10-inning victory on Aug. 8. The Cougars scored in the third when Andrew Vinson committed a balk, allowing David Sopilka to score from third. In the top of the 10th, Justin Kelly committed a balk that allowed Eudy Ramos to score what proved to be the winning run. The victory helped Kane County wrap up its best road trip of the season with a 6-1 record.