With the minor league baseball regular season coming to an end on Labor Day, now is the perfect time to recap the former Duke baseball players across professional baseball.

Despite all the injuries the LA Dodgers have sustained this season, lefty Chris Capuano has been a stalwart. He has made 28 starts and is 11-10 with a 3.63 ERA. In 173.2 innings, he has allowed 160 hits and 46 walks compared to 152 strikeouts. He has had a few bumpy starts against divisional foes lately (which raised his ERA). The Dodgers will be fighting for a playoff spot over this final month and Capuano will be a key contributor.

Reliever Greg Burke had a very impressive season in the Baltimore Orioles organization after switching to his new delivery (submarine-style) to save his career. I am surprised that he wasn’t called up to help the O’s fight for a playoff spot. After a promotion from Double-A to Triple-A, he has put up similar numbers.

In his last ten appearances for Norfolk (totaling 18.2 innings), Burke allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits and five walks while striking out 13. Overall, he pitched in 44 games (totaling 64.2 innings) and finished with a 1.53 ERA. Fourteen of his 17 saves came in Bowie. Burke allowed one homerun all season.

Outfielder Alex Hassan has had a solid first season in Triple-A with the Boston Red Sox. Despite being on the DL since August 14th due to a gash on his left shin from a foul ball, he hit .254 in 94 games with 13 doubles and seven homeruns. He scored 39 runs and drove in 46. Hassan walked 55 times compared to 70 strikeouts. The hope is that he returns to play in the International League playoffs for Pawtucket, which begin tonight.

Right-hander Dennis O’Grady will still be pitching, as Fort Wayne has made the Midwest League playoffs (which begin tonight). He has had two rough relief outings in his last ten, but his last two have been scoreless (5IP, H, 4BB, 4K). Overall for Fort Wayne, he is 4-1 with a 4.73 ERA in 24 games (totaling 51.1 innings). O’Grady has allowed 54 hits and 23 walks while striking out 49.

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Currently, there is one former Duke baseball player in the big leagues. That is left-handed pitcher Chris Capuano, who has been a pleasant surprise for the LA Dodgers. Despite not being picked for the All-Star Game in Kansas City next week, he is putting up all-star caliber numbers. In 17 starts for the Dodgers, Capuano is 9-3 with a 2.62 ERA (which is eighth in the National League). In 106.1 innings, he has struck out 95 and opponents are hitting just .222 against him.

Right-handed reliever Greg Burke was just days away from being named an Eastern League All-Star when he was promoted to Triple-A. The Gloucester Catholic grad (I had to throw that in there because I graduated a year ahead of him), had 14 saves and a 1.53 ERA for Double-A Bowie (Baltimore Orioles) at the time of his promotion. In 29.1 innings, he struck out 20 compared to just four walks. Burke has made five appearances with Norfolk, with two of his last three outings being scoreless (with seven strikeouts).

Outfielder Alex Hassan has struggled a bit this season with Triple-A Pawtucket (Boston Red Sox), but raised his average after a .300 month of June. He continues to walk (43 times in 245 at-bats). Hassan thrives with runners on base (.304) and he hits even better with runners in scoring position (.329).

Right-handed reliever Dennis O’Grady began the season in the California League, but his last nine appearances came in the Midwest League with Fort Wayne (San Diego Padres). He struck out 21 in 20.2 innings.

Lefty Chris Manno has been pitching out of the bullpen for Double-A Pensacola (Cincinnati Reds) all season. In 27 games (29.2 innings), he has a 3.34 ERA with 29 strikeouts. Manno has allowed just one homerun this season. Left-handed hitters are hitting just .184 against him.

Shortstop Jake Lemmerman has been playing for Double-A Chattanooga (Dodgers) all season. He is hitting .259 in 66 games. He has 16 doubles, 29 runs scored, and 23 RBIs. Lemmerman has struggled in the 12 games after the All-Star break (.205) and at home (.250).

First baseman Nathan Freiman was a Texas League All-Star, as he is a member of Double-A San Antonio (Padres). He leads the league in RBIs (66) and is tied for second in homeruns (17). Freiman is hitting .284 with 19 doubles and 43 runs scored.

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Former Duke baseball player Nathan Freiman was named to the Texas League All-Star team on Thursday. The first baseman with the San Antonio Missions was named as a starter for the South Division.

Freiman is having a very solid season so far for the Missions (Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres). He is second in the TL in homeruns (15) and RBIs (52). Freiman is hitting .289 with 15 doubles and 22 runs scored in 249 at-bats (64 games).

The TL ASG will be held on June 28th in Tulsa.

With the professional baseball season opening up last weekend, it’s a great time to look at former Duke baseball players and where they are to start the 2012 season.

Chris Capuano is the lone former Blue Devil in the Majors, as he signed with the LA Dodgers this offseason and begins the season as the number 3 starter (with Ted Lilly on the DL). He made his first start of the season on April 7th at San Diego and struggled with his command. Capuano walked five and allowed four runs (but just two hits) over 4.2 innings. He makes his second start of the season today at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Alex Hassan last season with Double-A Portland

Outfielder Alex Hassan began the 2012 season with his first promotion to Triple-A. The Boston Red Sox farmhand has yet to collect a hit for Pawtucket (0-for-14). However he has walked five times.

First baseman Jim Gallagher returned to Triple-A Charlotte (Chicago White Sox) to start the 2012 season, but has struggled out of the gate. He is 1-for-17 with two RBIs. The one hit and RBIs came back on Opening Night (April 7th).

Pitcher Chris Manno began the 2012 season with his first promotion to Double-A (Cincinnati Reds). In three appearances with Pensacola, he has allowed two runs on one hit and a walk while striking out three.

Jake Lemmerman is the starting shortstop for Double-A Chattanooga (Dodgers). I had a chance to see him play during spring training with the Dodgers (when their games were on TV) and he looked good. However, he is hitting just .235 (4-for-17) over the Lookouts first six games.

First baseman Nathan Freiman hit a game-tying homerun on April 9th for Double-A San Antonio (San Diego Padres). He is hitting .294 (5-for-17) with three homeruns in his Double-A debut.

Pitcher Dennis O’Grady has made three appearances so far for High-A Lake Elsinore (Padres). Over five innings, he has allowed one run on seven hits and one walk while striking out five.

Except for the select teams that are still participating in the playoffs, the minor league baseball season has come to an end. Now is the prime time to take a look back at the former Duke players and how they performed during the 2011 professional baseball season.

Outfielder Alex Hassan spent the entire 2011 season with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The Eastern League All-Star hit .291 with 34 doubles, 13 homeruns, and 64 RBIs. He walked 76 times to just 79 strikeouts. Hassan had a .404 on-base percentage. Hassan struggled on the road in the EL, as he hit just .241 in 228 at-bats compared to .341 in 226 at-bats at home. He also cooled off after the All-Star break (.309 before), as he hit just .255 over the Sea Dogs final 41 games with just 19 RBIs.

Right-handed pitcher Greg Burke spent the entire 2011 season with the Tuscon Padres, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Burke struggled for much of the year, as he ended the season with a 5.70 ERA in 64 games. Over 79 innings, he allowed 50 earned runs on 100 hits. Burke walked 40 compared to 76 strikeouts and opponents hit .313 against him. He was good at home (2.91 ERA), but awful on the road (9.08 ERA).

After signing with the Washington Nationals as a non-drafted free agent this season, right-handed pitcher Ben Grisz made 11 appearances for the Auburn Doubledays. He was 1-0 with four saves and a 1.35 ERA. Over 20 innings, he allowed just three runs on 11 hits as opponents hit just .159 against him. Four hits and the three runs he allowed came in his 1.2 inning outing on July 9^th. Righties collected just two hits off him in 11 innings. Grisz also was tough on the road, as he allowed just five hits in 15.2 innings.

Right-handed pitcher Dennis O’Grady was drafted this June by the Padres. He ended the 2011 season with the Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Midwest League (Low-A). O’Grady made ten starts totaling 51.2 innings and went 4-2 with a 4.53 ERA. He walked 22 while striking out 43 and opponents hit .267 against him. O’Grady made one appearance for the TinCaps in the playoffs and pitched two perfect innings of relief with three strikeouts on September 11^th (the TinCaps lost to the Lansing Lugnuts in the division series).

Left-hander Chris Manno was drafted by the Nationals in 2010 and was a South Atlantic League All-Star this season while with the Hagerstown Suns. While in Hagerstown, Manno was just 1-3 but had a 1.04 ERA and 12 saves in 34 games (totaling 43.1 innings). He allowed just one homerun and 20 hits (a .135 batting average against him). Manno walked 15 while striking out 69. Near the trading deadline, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for veteran outfielder Jonny Gomes. Manno moved out to Bakersfield to play in the High-A California League. While there, he had just a 0.53 ERA in 13 appearances (totaling 17 innings). He allowed just six hits and one earned run as opponents hit just .107 against him. Manno walked six while striking out 31 (overall he had 100 strikeouts).

Shortstop Jake Lemmerman was the Pioneer League MVP in 2010 after being drafted that June by the LA Dodgers. In 2011, he began the season in the Cal League with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He hit .293 with 23 doubles, eight homeruns, and 54 RBIs. Lemmerman was a Cal League All-Star before being promoted to Double-A Chattanooga. He struggled there, as he hit .234 in 21 games. The Lookouts were ousted from the playoffs by the Tennessee Smokies but it wasn’t because of Lemmerman’s lack of offense. He got hot and hit .556 and went 3-for-3 in the team’s final game.

First baseman Nathan Freiman, a 2009 draft pick of the Padres, has spent the entire season in the Cal League with the Lake Elsinore Storm. During the regular season, Freiman hit .288 in 138 games with 35 doubles, four triples, 22 homeruns, and 111 RBIs. He and the rest of his Storm teammates are still playing, as the Storm are set to begin their series with the Stockton Ports for the Cal League championship. So far, Freiman is hitting .296 with seven RBIs in the postseason.

First baseman Jimmy Gallagher, a 2007 draft pick of the Chicago White Sox, struggled a bit this season with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. Overall he hit .246 in 126 games with 39 doubles, seven homeruns, and 54 RBIs.

Right-hander Mike Ness, a 2010 draft pick of the Houston Astros, spent the entire 2011 season in the Cal League with the Lancaster JetHawks. This season was a struggle, as he was 4-6 with a 5.98 ERA in 42 games (totaling 84.1 innings). He allowed 112 hits, 13 homeruns, and 56 earned runs (opponents hit .317 against him).

Catcher Ryan McCurdy signed with the Astros as a non-drafted free agent in 2010. He had a very good season with the Tri-City ValleyCats in the New York-Penn League in 2011. McCurdy hit .324 in 32 games with six doubles and 17 RBIs. He also had a .388 on-base percentage.

Left-handed pitcher Jeremy Gould spent this season with the Brooklyn Cyclones in the NY-Penn League after being drafted in 2010 by the NY Mets. Gould went 1-3 with a 3.26 ERA in 26 games (totaling 30.1 innings). He walked ten while striking out 46 and earned five saves. Gould was part of the Cyclones playoff team, who lost to the Staten Island Yankees. He pitched two innings and allowed two hits and a walk but did not allow a run in his only appearance.