Hillcats' transition from Pirates to Reds went smoothly

After 15 years as a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate, the Lynchburg Hillcats began this season with a measure of uncertainty.

Last winter, the Pirates and Cincinnati Reds essentially swapped High-A clubs. The Reds’ affiliate was in Sarasota in the Florida State League, and the Pirates — whose spring training facility is in nearby Bradenton — were interested in purchasing that club and moving their High-A operations to the FSL.

The Reds, meanwhile, were itching to get back into the Carolina League.

So in essence, the 2010 season was a marriage of convenience between Lynchburg and the Cincinnati organization. The Reds took over the final year of the Pirates’ player development contract in Lynchburg, meaning 2010 was a trial run between the Hillcats and Reds.

Will the relationship last? That’s still up in the air. Hillcats general manager Paul Sunwall has been exploring all possible options and has not committed to re-upping with the Reds. In the coming months, the Hillcats will either explore other options or re-sign with Cincinnati for two or four years.

Hillcats manager Pat Kelly, a longtime member of the Reds organization, said he liked his time in Lynchburg and would love to see Cincinnati back here next season.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Kelly said after Lynchburg beat Wilmington on Aug. 29 in the Hillcats’ home finale. “I hadn’t been here in 30 years, but I’ve enjoyed it. The fans are very supportive. The management is very supportive. We’ve really enjoyed our time here.

“I think the Carolina League is where, as an organization, you want to be. Every player we’ve sent to Double-A has done just as good or better. This is a tough league. If you can play here, you can play higher for sure.”

A quick recap of the Hillcats’ 2010 season, which ended Monday in Myrtle Beach.

ä  The Reds sent big-time talent to Lynchburg — early. Catcher Devin Mesoraco might have been the Reds’ most important prospect this season. A 2007 first-round draft pick, Mesoraco struggled through a tough 2009 season in the Florida State League and had slipped all the way to No. 30 on Baseball America’s list of Reds’ prospects.

But working with Kelly, the organization’s minor-league catching instructor, on a daily basis helped Mesoraco immensely. He used a highly successful two-month stint in Lynchburg to launch his season, and he hasn’t slowed down. He hit .335 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs in 43 games here before breezing through Double-A. In each of his first two Triple-A games, Mesoraco hit grand slams. In October, he’ll participate in the prestigious Arizona Fall League and has an outside shot of making the Reds’ roster next spring training.

He wasn’t the only Hillcat to quickly move up. Outfielder Dave Sappelt and pitcher Jeremy Horst were on the Hillcats’ opening-day roster, and both ended the season in Triple-A.

ä  Big leaguers in town. Two members of the current Reds’ bullpen had rehab stints in Lynchburg. Edinson Volquez and Bill Bray were both battling back from arm injuries and each made pit stops in Lynchburg on their way back to the big leagues. Volquez, a 17-game winner with the Reds in 2008, pitched eight scoreless innings for the Hillcats in two starts.

ä  The Reds weren’t shy in moving people around. Cincinnati made close to 100 transactions involving Lynchburg, taking full advantage of the proximity between Lynchburg and Zebulon, N.C., home of the Reds’ Double-A club, the Carolina Mudcats.

ä  Because of that movement, chemistry suffered. The Hillcats never could quite start a run at any point this season. Unlike last season, when a team loaded with Pirates’ prospects made a big first-half run to earn a playoff spot, the Hillcats were never really in the playoff race in either half of the season. The closest they got was three games back of Potomac in the season’s final two weeks.

And once they snuck into the race, the Reds promoted Lynchburg’s top starter (Jordan Hotchkiss) and top two relievers (Donnie Joseph and Justin Freeman) to Double-A.

“It’s the nature of the game,” Kelly said. “We’re here to send people up. Those guys deserved it. Yeah, we’d love to keep them. But they deserve to go to Double-A and show their wares to set the table for next year.”

ä  Cody Puckett became the new fan favorite. Fans chanted “Cod-y! Cod-y!” before each of the 5-foot-10 infielder’s at-bats. He appealed to City Stadium fans because of his willingness to play hard, sign autographs and become a part of the community. And at the end of the year, he was voted both the team’s MVP and the team’s most popular player.

Even if the Reds return, don’t look for Puckett to come back. He had a breakthrough season and will most certainly start in Double-A next season, where he’ll deservedly get a shot to continue his path to the majors.

Read Lang’s blog at www.mynewsadvance.com and follow him on Twitter @ChrisLangLNA