Remember Shawn Wooten? After flaming out as a major league infielder/catcher, he went to the Independent American Association very briefly and then bounced around the Met and Padre organizations in 2007 and 2008 before retiring.

Now, he’s back – as a coach.

The Padre organization has hired Wooten to be the hitting coach at low-A Eugene of the Midwest League.

This is the first coaching position for the 37-year-old, and let’s hope the Emeralds don’t follow Wooten’s major league example of gradual degradation. His year-by-year OPS in six big league seasons (the first four with the Angels, the last two with Philly and Boston): 1223, 798, 773, 652, 454, 0.

Notice a pattern there?

Still, Wooten brings championship experience to Eugene, having won a ring with the Halos in 2002. And it’s not as if he was merely a passenger on that team – Wooten hit .474 in the postseason, the third-highest mark that year. The only dinger he hit in the playoffs during that run came in the deciding game in the ALDS against the Yankees.

Now that’s one for trophy case.

Angel Berroa wasn’t smiling when he failed to make the Yanks, but he’s gone to the minors and hit the cover off the ball. (Kathy Willens/Associated Press) Angel Berroa, who just missed the cut in his efforts to secure a reserve infielder job on the Yankees this spring, has gone down to Triple-A and done his [...] more

Shawn Estes, whose career has gone to the dogs in recent years, looked sharp in his first start at Triple-A. Did you happen to check out the first start by Shawn Estes, currently pitching in the Dodger organization at Triple-A Albuquerque? On Monday, he surrendered just three hits and a run over four innings, striking out [...] more

There was a familiar face taking the mound Friday for the Peoria Chiefs, the Cubbies’ Class-A Midwest League affiliate. Reliever Scott Eyre, rehabbing a groin injury he suffered last month, was touched up for two hits and an earned run in one inning in his first rehab appearance. Sunday, he got ripped for four hits [...] more

While the Mariners are managing to hold their own lately, overall, it’s been a nightmare season in Seattle. more