So without further adieu, the lineup:
3B: Ofilio Castro, a 29 year old Nicaraguan national who reached AA last season with the Nationals organization. He is the teams leading hitting, hitting .301 through 97 games. He is a solid defender and provides reliable support for Clemens on the hot-corner. He walks as frequently as he strikes-out and is the perfect leadoff hitter to set the table. His one downside is the lack of speed but he is a solid hitter nonetheless.
2B: Dominic Ramos, 29 year old who has spent the past years in other independent leagues. He was a 17th rounder of the Red Sox in 2005, but spent the past season with the Bill Buckner managed Brockton Rox of the Can-Am League. Ramos is second on the team with 11 homeruns and is also a good defender at second.
CF: Bubba Bell, the third 29 year old in a row in the lineup has a career minor league line that is impressive, .287 Avg, 374 runs, 664 hits, 130 doubles, 61 home runs and 341 RBIs in 642 affiliated games from 2005 through 2011 (when he reached AAA with the Mets).
DH: Jason Lane, the designated hitter needs know introduction, Lane was an extremely solid Major League outfield in the mid-2000s and clubbed a homerun in the 2005 World Series for the Astros. Recently Lane has converted to pitching and acts as the DH for Skeeters in other days. But has made 12 starts for the Skeeters and may piggy-back Clemens tonight.
RF: Dionys Cesar, 35 year old switch hitting utility infielder/outfielder. Was in the Atlantic League in 2007 before bouncing overseas to Japan (Chunchi Dragons) and returning to play in the Mexican League. Just recently joined the Skeeters and provides critical versatility.
LF: Steve Moss, 28 year old who was a back-to-back all-star with the Bluefish the past two seasons. He clocked 41 homers over that span. He was a 29th rounder out of high school in 2002. He is having a major down season by all standards, but still is a major threat to pop one out.
1B: Aaron Bates, 28 year old who is probably the second-most recognizable name in the batting order. Bates had 11 Plate Appearances with the Red Sox in 2009 and spent the first-half of 2012 with the Cardinals and Twins AAA affiliates.
SS: Iggy Suarez, 31 year old infielder who was a Red Sox draftee in the early 2000s but has spent the last few years bouncing around the Atlantic League. Suarez is a relatively weak hitter, though he shows flashes of power. In the infield Suarez is good, but not great.
CA: Octavio Martinez, 33 year old catcher draws the start and will catch Clemens. Martinez was the starting catcher last season for the Atlantic League Champion York Revolution. In 2000 Martinez was an All-Star in Rookie Ball, but since then has bounced around. He is an overall solid catcher, but provides little with the bat. He is hitting over .250, but has only 8 extra base hits this season.
I expect Clemens will go 2-3 innings tonight, but I think he'll hold his own. The Bridgeport Bluefish have a ton of Major League Experience (17 players on the roster, active and inactive) and will likely set the table with speedster Joey Gathright. Other Bluefish names you may recognize include Shea Hillenbrand (7-year MLB vet) and Luis Lopez (2-year MLB vet).
Let's enjoy this, live on ESPN3 and ESPN Classic.
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