2010 Infield?

If the Diamondbacks transfer the Missoula infield to South Bend next season, it could be fantastic. Baseball America has rated the Pioneer League's top 20 prospects, and four Missoula Osprey made it, including the second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop. You have to be a subscriber to read the scouting reports on all the players, but this link will take you to the story and the top 20 rankings.

To save you a little time, here are the Diamondbacks prospects and where they were ranked in the league:

#3 - 3B Bobby Borchering: 1st round pick, 2009 (One spot ahead of A.J. Pollock)
#7 - SS Chris Owings: Supplemental 1st round pick, 2009 (41st overall)
#12 - LHP Mike Belfiore: Supplemental 1st round pick, 2009 (45th overall)
#19 - 2B David Nick: 4th round pick, 2009

The Northwest League (Yakima Bears) top 20 is announced today, so I'll post about that tomorrow morning. The Midwest League is set to be announced on Thursday, so I'll do a big post about that on Friday.

Bold Predictions Coming True

As a broadcaster, you often find yourself saying things that end up coming true. Usually it's the simple things like "look for the runner to steal on this pitch" or "expect a bunt here".

Mike Blowers of the Seattle Mariners broadcast team just outdid us all. In a "pick to click" segment before the game, he said that Matt Tuiasosopo would homer in his second at-bat of the game, on a 3-1 fastball (Tuiasosopo was a 2005 Wisconsin Timber Rattler by the way).

So imagine the surprise of all involved when it actually happened. Don't believe me? Go to this link, and listen to the audio of the prediction, and then of Hall of Famer Dave Niehaus' call of the actual homer. It's unreal.

Chad Tracy: Finished with Diamondbacks?

Chad Tracy played in just 54 games for the South Bend Silver Hawks in 2001, but they could not have gone any better. He hit .340 with 4 homers and 36 RBIs and was a major reason why the Hawks went to the MWL Finals that season.

He followed it up with averages of well over .300 in his next two seasons at double-A and triple-A, debuting in the majors in 2004. He started out fine, enjoying great success in his first three big league seasons. However, his production has dropped dramatically, he has lost his starting job at first base, and he's in danger of having his Diamondbacks career come to an end.

Over the weekend, Tracy homered on Saturday night, and then started the game Sunday in what many are saying was a grand gesture since it was likely his final home game at Chase Field. He ended up with three hits on Sunday.

I wasn't around when Tracy played in South Bend, but a lot of people have told me they really enjoyed watching him play, so I thought this post would be interesting for the fans that remember him from 2001.

Offseason Blogging

As you can probably tell, my goal for this offseason is to have at least one post every weekday. I don't know if that's possible or not since things really slow down in the winter, but that's the stated goal anyhow. So be sure to keep checking back daily for updates, and if you have any suggestions for things you'd like to see, please email me and let me know at oserey@silverhawks.com.

Once the MLB playoffs are fully set, I plan to do daily updates on them, highlighting former MWL players on every roster.

For today's update, here's a nice article on Miguel Montero ('04 Silver Hawk) that was written by Steve Gilbert and published on diamondbacks.mlb.com. Enjoy.

Diamondbacks in 2010

One of my favorite daily websites (and a source for most of my links that I post here) is www.mlbtraderumors.com. Usually, they just link to other articles, but they also have a series of offseason outlooks for the various teams throughout the majors.

Today, the Arizona Diamondbacks are up. Basically, click the link and find out what Arizona is committed to paying players for next year, and the decisions that they need to make. At the very least, it's an interesting read, and of course, it includes the names of a number of former South Bend Silver Hawks.

The Record Nobody Wants

Nobody wants to strike out more than any other player, but someone has to hold the record. And that someone is former South Bend Silver Hawks infielder Mark Reynolds, who is now playing with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Reynolds struck out a few times last night to break the previous record for most strikeouts in a season held by...Mark Reynolds.

Not that I'm wanting to make Mark Reynolds look bad, but let's compare Mark Reynolds over the last two seasons to a notable baseball Hall-of-Famer.

Mark Reynolds (2008-2009*)
Games: 297 (*through September 22nd)
Strikeouts: 410

Joe DiMaggio (1936-1951)
Games: 1,736
Strikeouts: 369

Drama in the Desert

Have you all been paying attention to what's going on in Arizona between the Diamondbacks and former South Bend pitcher Brandon Webb? It's a mess.

The backstory:

-Brandon Webb was the team ace, winning the Cy Young Award in 2006.
-The Diamondbacks loved Brandon Webb. They paid him a decent salary to keep him.
-Brandon Webb got hurt on Opening Day 2009. He hasn't pitched since.

Now, the contract stuff:
-Webb's contract has an 8.5 million dollar option for 2010. If he's healthy, this is a bargain for the Diamondbacks (at least, in my opinion it is).
-The Diamondbacks don't want to pay him 8.5 million dollars, given that they paid him all this season when he was hurt.
-If the Diamondbacks don't pick up his option, they have to pay Webb a 2 million dollar buyout, and he can test the free agent market.

Because they don't want to pay him 8.5 million, and they also don't want to pay him 2 million to go be a free agent, the Diamondbacks are trying to renegotiate the contract. Webb wants nothing to do with that.

Webb also thinks he can get at least 8.5 million on the open market, comparing himself to John Smoltz who just got over 5 million this year.

Now Catching for the Montreal Expos: Tom Brady

That headline doesn't make a whole lot of sense, unless you read this piece from Baseball America about NFL quarterbacks who were drafted as baseball players as well.

I've always found it fascinating how many athletes from other sports have been drafted to play baseball as well. I think a large part of that is because baseball has so many rounds, that sometimes they just draft "athletes" as opposed to baseball stars. And if you see a kid in high school who plays two sports, then you take a chance in the 40th round that he might decide to go ahead and sign with your team, hoping he develops.

At the bottom of the article, there is also some talk about Kansas City Royals pitching prospects, some of whom played for Burlington this season.

Notre Dame vs. Michigan State

I realize this is a baseball blog, but I got to do something on Saturday for the first time in my life: attend a Notre Dame football game. I grew up Irish Catholic, so obviously, it's in my DNA to be a Notre Dame fan, but I had never had a chance to make it to a game until this weekend. And boy, what a game it turned out to be. Notre Dame defeated Michigan State by 3 points, quieting the "Fire Charlie Weis" talks for the next few days.

I didn't have my camera with me (I didn't think I was going to the game until I happened into a ticket on Saturday morning), but I was able to snap a few photos with my camera phone. I apologize for the quality, but this gives you an idea of the environment and where I was sitting at Notre Dame Stadium.



This is at the end of the game, when the players gathered in front of the student section for the Notre Dame anthem.


It's my stated goal in life to watch a Notre Dame football game from the press box. Can you tell I'm a media dork?


I went into the stadium about an hour before game time. This is the view as people started to make their way to their seats.



Same basic shot as above, only with a full stadium this time.

2009 MWL Champs: Fort Wayne TinCaps

Fort Wayne completed the sweep last night. Here's the story:

Fort Wayne TinCaps 4, Burlington Bees 3

Fort Wayne raced out to a 4-0 lead, thanks largely to a two run homer by Jaff Decker, and then held on for a 4-3 win to complete the sweep and win their first Midwest League crown. Vince Belnome and Robert Lara added the other RBIs for the TinCaps. Juan Graterol homered for the Bees as part of a two hit night.

Mike Watt (WP, 1-0) started for the TinCaps, allowing three runs (one earned) in 5.1 innings. Alexis Lara, Zach Herr, Nick Schumacher, and Brad Brach (SV, 3) combined for 3.2 scoreless innings of relief.

MWL Finals (All Times Eastern)
Game one - Burlington @ Fort Wayne, TinCaps win 6-2
Game two - Burlington @ Fort Wayne, TinCaps win 2-0
Game three - Fort Wayne @ Burlington, Tincaps win 4-3

Prediction Update
Before game one, I said TinCaps in four. I was off by a game obviously.

2010 Schedule

In case you missed it in all the playoff hype, the 2010 Silver Hawks schedule has been released.

A few changes this year:

1) Bowling Green (KY) and Lake County (OH) enter the Midwest League, and will move into the Eastern Division. This makes both divisions 8 teams, making it more fair in terms of playoff qualifying. In years past, the East only had 6 teams, and with 4 making the postseason, it was easier for the East than the West. Not anymore.

2) Instead of playing a total of six games against the West (three each home and home), there will only be three games against the West in 2010. For example, the Silver Hawks go to Clinton for three games in July, but the LumberKings never come to the Cove next season. It will be reversed in 2011. I hate this, because that means only 24 games against the West and 116 against the East. Now no one can complain about not playing their division enough, but I wish it would be a bit more balanced.

3) Everything else remains virtually the same. Game times have not been announced as of yet, but they will be determined before you know it.

TinCaps Up 2-0 in MWL Finals

Here is the story from last night's game two:

Fort Wayne TinCaps 2, Burlington Bees 0

Fort Wayne starter Chris Fetter (WP, 1-0) combined with three relievers to shutout Burlington Wednesday night, holding the Bees to only four hits. Fetter went 5.1 scoreless innings, followed by Nick Greewood for 2.0 innings, Alexis Lara for 0.2 innings, and Nick Schumacher (SV, 1) for 1.0 inning.

The TinCaps scored a run in the second on a walk, two singles, and a wild pitch to score the only run they would ultimately need. Allan Dykstra added a solo homer in the sixth.

MWL Finals (All Times Eastern)
Game one - Burlington @ Fort Wayne, TinCaps win 6-2
Game two - Burlington @ Fort Wayne, TinCaps win 2-0
Game three - Fort Wayne @ Burlington, 7:30 Thursday
Game four (if necessary) - Fort Wayne @ Burlington, 7:30 Friday
Game five (if necessary) - Fort Wayne @ Burlington, 7:30 Saturday

Prediction Update
Before game one, I said TinCaps in four. I'll stick with it.

Offensive MVP

There's a new poll on the right of this page, asking you to vote for who you felt was the Silver Hawks offensive MVP.

With apologies to some of the players not nominated, you had to play at least two months with South Bend to be included, and your average had to be at least .230 to qualify.

My blog...my rules.

TinCaps take Game One

Here is the story from last night:

Fort Wayne TinCaps 6, Burlington Bees 2

Burlington had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 but couldn't hang on as the bullpen melted down. After Tim Melville started and allowed two runs through 5.0 innings, the Bees bullpen gave up four runs over the final three innings as the TinCaps rallied for the win.

Erik Davis (WP, 1-1) allowed two runs over 6.0 innings to earn the win for the TinCaps while Fort Wayne's bullpen combined for 3.0 scoreless innings. Daniel Robertson had three hits to pace the Fort Wayne's offensive attack.

MWL Finals (All Times Eastern)
Game one - Burlington @ Fort Wayne, TinCaps win 6-2
Game two - Burlington @ Fort Wayne, 7:05 Wednesday
Game three - Fort Wayne @ Burlington, 7:30 Thursday
Game four (if necessary) - Fort Wayne @ Burlington, 7:30 Friday
Game five (if necessary) - Fort Wayne @ Burlington, 7:30 Saturday

Prediction Update
Before game one, I said TinCaps in four. I'll stick with it.

Best D'Backs Single Season

At Diamondbacks.com, you can vote for who has had the best single season performance at each position in franchise history.

It's a somewhat odd promotion, but a few former Silver Hawks are nominated in various categories (including Upton and Reynolds amongst others), so I figured it was blog-worthy.

Vote here.

Baseball America loves Jaff Decker

Here's more love for Jaff Decker of Fort Wayne in Baseball America's article about prospects to watch in the postseason:

11. Jaff Decker, lf, low Class A Fort Wayne (Midwest)The two best prospects in the recently-completed Fort Wayne-Great Lakes series are about as different as it gets. Dee Gordon (Dodgers) is a wiry shortstop who relies on speed and athleticism, with little power but raw tools and a projectable frame. While Decker is more athletic than his stocky 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame would suggest, his game is about patience and power as one of the most polished 19-year-old hitters in the minor leagues. Decker is the one who's still playing, though, as the TinCaps advanced to the Midwest League finals yesterday thanks to 22-year-old catcher Robert Lara's game-ending home run in the bottom of the 10th.

Midwest League Finals are Set

Here are the results from last night:

Fort Wayne TinCaps 4, Great Lakes Loons 3 -- (10 innings)
Robert Lara led off the bottom of the 10th with a solo home run to lift the TinCaps into the MWL finals. Great Lakes closer Cole St. Clair gave up a run in the 8th to allow Fort Wayne to tie it, and then allowed the homer in the 10th.

Burlington 2, Cedar Rapids 1
Jason Taylor hit a two run homer in the first inning, and that's all the Bees would need on their way to a victory. Ivor Hodgson allowed only one run in 5.2 innings, with the Burlington bullpen combining for 3.1 innings of scoreless relief.

MWL Finals (All Times Eastern)
Game one - Burlington @ Fort Wayne, 7:05 Tonight
Game two - Burlington @ Fort Wayne, 7:05 Wednesday
Game three - Fort Wayne @ Burlington, 7:30 Thursday
Game four (if necessary) - Fort Wayne @ Burlington, 7:30 Friday
Game five (if necessary) - Fort Wayne @ Burlington, 7:30 Saturday

My Prediction
The TinCaps keep catching all the breaks. I'll take Fort Wayne in 4 games.

Baseball America Prospects Chat

Throughout the offseason, I will post links to various websites, stories, etc. that I see regarding prospects from the Diamondbacks, and other MWL teams. My primary source for this stuff will be BaseballAmerica.com. Each week, they do a "prospects chat", which has a lot of good information in it.

This week's chat can be found here.

Or below is the part of the chat that stood out to me. It has to do with the San Diego Padres top prospect for 2010.

Kirby (Lake Elsinore): James Darnell: #1 Padres prospect for 2010? If not, how close is he?

Ben Badler: I'm partial to Jaff (Decker).

I added in the last name for Jaff Decker so you knew who they were talking about. But based on Badler's answer, Jaff Decker of Fort Wayne has a good chance to be #1 in the Padres organization for the 2010 Prospect Handbook. James Darnell, who was the subject of the question, also played with the TinCaps until the All-Star Break, and I'd imagine you'd see him in the top 10, maybe even the top 5.

Click the link above for the full chat. There are some other former MWL players talked about, inlcuding Kyle Russell of the Great Lakes Loons. Not a whole lot of D'Backs chat in this one, but we'll keep you updated throughout the offseason.

Division Finals Going to Game Threes

Eastern Division

Fort Wayne defeated Great Lakes 9-4
Series Tied 1-1
Stars of the Game: FW's Justin Baum went 3-for-4 with a HR and 3 RBIs. Allan Dykstra also had two hits and two RBIs for the TinCaps.

Game three on Monday night @ 7:05 PM Eastern in Fort Wayne.

Loons will go with LHP Aaron Miller against TinCaps RHP Simon Castro in a fascinating pitching matchup. (There's a good chance I'll be driving down to this game, so my update tomorrow night will be late)

Western Division

Cedar Rapids defeated Burlington 4-1
Series Tied 1-1
Stars of the Game: CR's Manaurys Correa pitched 7.2 innings of one run ball. Kernels' Tyson Auer had a double, a homer, and two RBIs.

Game three on Monday night @ 7:35 PM Eastern in Cedar Rapids.

Bees will go with LHP Ivor Hodgson against Kernels LHP Will Smith.

Jarrod Parker to Start Throwing Program

Jarrod Parker was shut down at the end of July with an arm injury. I saw this story today about how he's starting a throwing program, and depending on how that goes, they'll determine if he needs surgery or not.

MWL Playoffs - Round Two Results/Matchups

Eastern Division

Great Lakes defeated Fort Wayne 11-10 in 11 innings
Loons lead series 1-0
Star(s) of the Game: GL infielder Jaime Pedroza hit a three run homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, and walked as part of the winning rally in the bottom of the 11th
Game two tonight @ Fort Wayne, 5:05 PM

Western Division

Burlington defeated Cedar Rapids 3-2
Bees lead series 1-0
Star of the Game: Burlington's Shawn Griffin had a two-run single to give the Bees the lead. The pitching staff tossed 8.0 scorless innings after allowing two runs in the first
Game two this afternoon @ Cedar Rapids, 3:05 PM Eastern

It's 2:31 AM...I should be asleep

But, of course, I'm not. Why? Because I rarely sleep at the end of baseball season.

After the game, we boarded the bus, and despite the tough loss tonight the players were in a good mood. For three days, the Silver Hawks went head-to-head with the best team in Minor League Baseball (in terms of win/loss record) and quite honestly, outplayed the TinCaps in many aspects. They knew they had battled until the very end and gave it a great shot.

We arrived back to the stadium around 1, and the players packed up their equipment, said their goodbyes, and headed on their way. Some are driving through the night to go home, others have early flights out of the country, while still more players have flights at various times throughout the day tomorrow. It all happens pretty quickly. One minute you're on the field battling to make the next round, the next minute you are packing your bags, and a few hours later you are either in Arizona for instructs or home for the winter.

Some players will be back in South Bend next year. Some will move up to Visalia. Some may retire. Some may be released. That's how it works in Minor League Baseball.

But through it all, I am thrilled to have met each and every one of the players, coaches, and even some parents and grandparents along the way, and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

I will continue to blog through the offseason, and hope that even if your sons/grandsons/brothers/friends don't play here any longer, that you stop in and say hello from time to time.

Thanks for following the blog all season long, and as I said on the air tonight, "less than 7 months until Opening Day 2010."

Thanks again and Go Hawks!

Tonight's Lineup - September 11th

Fort Wayne - 1st Half Champions
1) Blake Tekotte - CF
2) Daniel Robertson - RF
3) Jaff Decker - LF
4) Vince Belnome - 3B
5) Cole Figueroa - SS
6) Allan Dykstra - 1B
7) Yefri Carvajal - DH
8) Robert Lara - C
9) Kevin Hansen - 2B

SP) Chris Fetter- RHP

South Bend - 2nd Half Wild Card
1) A.J. Pollock - CF
2) Reynaldo Navarro - SS
3) Alfredo Marte - LF
4) Ryan Wheeler - 1B
5) Justin Parker - DH
6) Rossmel Perez - C
7) Alberto Diaz - RF
8) Victor Estevez - 3B
9) Jake Elmore - 2B

SP) Ryan Cook - SP

The pregame interview tonight is still to be determined.

MWL Playoffs - Round One, Game Three Matchups

Sorry for the lack of posts today. We had a late night getting in, and I had a lot of work to do before the commute back to Fort Wayne.

Eastern Division

South Bend (2nd Half Wild Card) @ Fort Wayne (1st Half Champs)
Series Tied 1-1
Game Time: 7:05 PM
Pitching Matchup: Ryan Cook vs. Chris Fetter

Great Lakes (2nd Half Champs) @ West Michigan (1st Half Wild Card)
Series Tied 1-1
Game Time: 7:0o PM
Pitching Matchup: Ethan Martin vs. Luke Putkonen

Western Division

Burlington (2nd Half Wild Card) defeated Kane County (1st Half Champs)
Bees win series 2-0

Cedar Rapids (1st Half Wild Card) defeated Peoria (2nd Half Champs)
Kernels win series 2-0

Burlington vs. Cedar Rapids will start on Saturday

Tonight's Lineup - September 10th

Fort Wayne - 1st Half Champions
1) Blake Tekotte - CF
2) Daniel Robertson - RF
3) Jaff Decker - LF
4) Vince Belnome - 3B
5) Cole Figueroa - SS
6) Allan Dykstra - 1B
7) Yefri Carvajal - DH
8) Adam Zornes - C
9) Kevin Hansen - 2B

SP) Erik Davis - RHP

South Bend - 2nd Half Wild Card
1) A.J. Pollock - CF
2) Reynaldo Navarro - SS
3) Alfredo Marte - LF
4) Ryan Wheeler - 1B
5) Justin Parker - DH
6) Rossmel Perez - C
7) Alberto Diaz - RF
8) Victor Estevez - 3B
9) Jake Elmore - 2B

SP) Keny Sosa - LHP

The pregame interview tonight will again be with manager Mark Haley.

MWL Playoffs - Round One, Game Two Matchups

Eastern Division

South Bend (2nd Half Wild Card) @ Fort Wayne (1st Half Champs)
TinCaps lead 1-0
Game Time: 7:05 PM
Pitching Matchup: Keny Sosa vs. Erik Davis

Great Lakes (2nd Half Champs) @ West Michigan (1st Half Wild Card)
Loons lead 1-0
Game Time: 7:0o PM
Pitching Matchup: JonMichael Redding vs. Adam Wilk

Western Division

Burlington (2nd Half Wild Card) @ Kane County (1st Half Champs)
Bees lead 1-0
Game Time: 7:30 PM
Pitching Matchup: Tim Melville vs. Murphy Smith

Peoria (2nd Half Champs) @ Cedar Rapids (1st Half Wild Card)
Kernels lead 1-0
Game Time: 7:35 PM
Pitching Matchup: Jeff Antigua vs. Tyler Chatwood

From the Notes - September 10th

South Bend Silver Hawks (59-78 Overall, 2nd Half Wild Card)
vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (94-46 Overall, 1st Half Champions)

Parkview Field, Fort Wayne, Indiana – 7:05 PM Eastern Time

Playoff Series: 1-0 TinCaps
Regular Season Series: 16-4 TinCaps
@ Coveleski Stadium: 8-4 TinCaps
@ Parkview Field: 8-0 TinCaps
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .247 – T-10th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 4.06 ERA – 9th
TinCaps Team Hitting: .266 – 3rd
TinCaps Team Pitching: 3.46 ERA – 2nd
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Game One: Simon Castro (WP, 1-0) threw 6.2 hitless and scoreless innings, leading the Fort Wayne TinCaps to a 3-1 victory over the South Bend Silver Hawks in game one of the best-of-three series on Wednesday night. The TinCaps scored a run in the first and added two big insurance runs in the eighth, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. That was plenty for Castro, who did not allow a hit in his time on the mound. South Bend’s lone run scored on a RBI single in the eighth inning by Reynaldo Navarro, ending the Fort Wayne no-hit bid. Brad Brach (SV, 1) pitched a perfect ninth. Eric Smith (LP, 0-1) suffered the defeat, despite allowing just one run over 6.0 innings.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OTHER MIDWEST LEAGUE PLAYOFF MATCHUPS:
· Great Lakes defeated West Michigan last night 7-2. Loons lead the series 1-0.
· Cedar Rapids rallied past Peoria 6-4 in 10 innings yesterday. Kernels have a 1-0 series advantage.
· Burlington held on for an 11-7 win over Kane County last night. Bees take a one game lead on the Cougars.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TEAM NOTES:
· The Silver Hawks have not missed the playoffs since 2002 (seven straight years of postseason play).
· Fort Wayne has qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
· The TinCaps finished the regular season with the best record in all of Minor League Baseball (94-46).
· South Bend lost game one of the first round at home in 2007, and then beat Dayton two straight on the road to win series.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
· Reynaldo Navarro finished the regular season on a 12-game hitting streak, a personal high and the team’s 2nd longest this year.
· Alfredo Marte tied his season high 10 game hitting streak when he singled against Lansing on Monday afternoon.
· Tonight’s starter, Keny Sosa, pitched 4.0 scoreless innings against Fort Wayne on June 21st at Coveleski Stadium.

MWL Playoffs - Round One, Game One Results

Eastern Division

Fort Wayne defeated South Bend 3-1
TinCaps lead series 1-0
Star of the Game: FW starter Simon Castro (Win, 6.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R)

Great Lakes defeated West Michigan 7-2
Loons lead series 1-0
Star(s) of the Game: GL outfielder Kyle Russell (2-3, 3B, HR, RBI, 3 Runs) and GL starter Aaron Miller (6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 9 K's)

Western Division

Burlington defeated Kane County 12-7
Bees lead series 1-0
Star of the Game: BUR first baseman Jason Taylor (3-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R)

Cedar Rapids defeated Peoria 6-4 (10 innings)
Kernels lead series 1-0
Star of the Game: CR first baseman Gabe Jacobo (2-5, HR, RBI, 2R)

Tonight's Lineups - September 9th

Fort Wayne - 1st Half Champions
1) Blake Tekotte - CF
2) Daniel Robertson - RF
3) Jaff Decker - LF
4) Vince Belnome - 3B
5) Cole Figueroa - SS
6) Allan Dykstra - 1B
7) Yefri Carvajal - DH
8) Adam Zornes - C
9) Kevin Hansen - 2B

SP) Simon Castro - RHP

South Bend - 2nd Half Wild Card
1) A.J. Pollock - CF
2) Reynaldo Navarro - SS
3) Alfredo Marte - LF
4) Ryan Wheeler - 1B
5) Justin Parker - 3B
6) Rossmel Perez - C
7) Clayton Conner - DH
8) Alberto Diaz - RF
9) Jake Elmore - 2B

SP) Eric Smith - RHP

The pregame interview tonight will be with manager Mark Haley.

MWL Playoffs - Round One, Game One Matchups

Eastern Division

Fort Wayne (1st Half Champs) @ South Bend (2nd Half Wild Card)
Series Tied 0-0
Game Time: 6:30 PM
Pitching Matchup: Simon Castro vs. Eric Smith

West Michigan (1st Half Wild Card) @ Great Lakes (2nd Half Champs)
Series Tied 0-0
Game Time: 7:05 PM
Pitching Matchup: Casey Crosby vs. Aaron Miller

Western Division

Kane County (1st Half Champs) @ Burlington (2nd Half Wild Card)
Series Tied 0-0
Game Time: 7:30 PM
Pitching Matchup: Kenny Smalley vs. Ivor Hodgson

Cedar Rapids (1st Half Wild Card) @ Peoria (2nd Half Champs)
Series Tied 0-0
Game Time: 7:30 PM
Pitching Matchup: Will Smith vs. Austin Bibens-Drikx

From the Notes - September 9th

South Bend Silver Hawks (59-78 Overall, 2nd Half Wild Card)
vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (94-46 Overall, 1st Half Champions)

Coveleski Stadium, South Bend, Indiana – 6:30 PM Eastern Time

Season Series: 16-4 TinCaps
@ Coveleski Stadium: 8-4 TinCaps
@ Parkview Field: 8-0 TinCaps
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .247 – T-10th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 4.06 ERA – 9th
TinCaps Team Hitting: .266 – 3rd
TinCaps Team Pitching: 3.46 ERA – 2nd
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Season Series Recap: The Fort Wayne TinCaps won the first 11 matchups of the season series, establishing a head-to-head dominance early. South Bend finally broke through in the final game of the first half, scoring eight times in the second inning on their way to an 8-3 win. However, the pendulum swung back in Fort Wayne’s favor to open the second half, with the TinCaps sweeping the four game set at Parkview Field. The two teams did not meet up again until mid-August, and for the first time all season, the Silver Hawks showed they would be competitive with Fort Wayne. The Hawks took 3 out of 4 at Coveleski Stadium, pinning losses on both Simon Castro and Erik Davis in the series.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OTHER MIDWEST LEAGUE PLAYOFF MATCHUPS:
· Great Lakes (2nd Half Champion) will take on West Michigan (1st Half Wild Card) in the other Eastern Division Matchup.
· Peoria (2nd Half Champion) will battle Cedar Rapids (1st Half Wild Card) in one West matchup.
· Kane County (1st Half Champion) will go head-to-head with Burlington (2nd Half Wild Card) in the other West series.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TEAM NOTES:
· The Silver Hawks have not missed the playoffs since 2002 (seven straight years of postseason play).
· Fort Wayne has qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
· The TinCaps finished the regular season with the best record in all of Minor League Baseball (94-46).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
· Reynaldo Navarro finished the regular season on a 12-game hitting streak, a personal high and the team’s 2nd longest this year.
· Alfredo Marte tied his season high 10 game hitting streak when he singled against Lansing on Monday afternoon.
· Tonight’s starer, Eric Smith, was college roommates with Fort Wayne pitcher Nick Greenwood at Rhode Island.

Final Practice Complete

The Silver Hawks practiced tonight at 6 PM. Just a light practice, a little throwing followed by batting practice to stay in the routine.

The time for practice is over, it's playoff time now.

Game time is tomorrow at 6:30 PM Eastern Time. If you live in South Bend, please come out to the stadium and support the team.

Thanks.

Poll Results

Here are the poll results for what everyone thought was the fate of the Silver Hawks:

11 people said they would miss the playoffs. I'm happy to report that 23% of you were wrong!
18 people said they would lose in the first round (39%)
8 people said they would lose in the second round (17%)
2 people said they would lose in the MWL finals (4%)
7 people said the would be MWL champions (15%)

Playoff Pitching Matchups

I've been given the rotation for the first round. Here's how it sets up:

Game One:
RHP Eric Smith (0-0, 2.75 ERA)
vs. RHP Simon Castro (10-6, 3.33 ERA)

Game Two:
LHP Keny Sosa (2-3, 2.19 ERA)
vs. RHP Erik Davis (16-6, 3.64 ERA)

Game Three (If necessary):
RHP Ryan Cook (11-11, 3.66 ERA)
vs. RHP Chris Fetter (2-1, 2.22 ERA)

South Bend Pitching Notes
-Eric Smith has not faced Fort Wayne, and will be making only his fourth start with South Bend.
-Keny Sosa has pitched 4.0 shutout innings against the TinCaps this season.
-Ryan Cook has struggled against Fort Wayne, going 1-4 with a 6.14 ERA in five starts against the TinCaps.

Fort Wayne Pitching Notes
-Simon Castro is the league leader in strikeouts and is 2-1 with a 4.09 ERA against the Hawks.
-Erik Davis is tied for the league lead in wins, but is only 2-2 with a 5.32 ERA vs. South Bend.
-Chris Fetter is new to the TinCaps, has not faced the Hawks, and will be making just his sixth appearance with Fort Wayne.

Today's Lineup - Sept. 7th

Pollock - CF
Estevez - SS
Marte - LF
Wheeler - 1B
Parker - 3B
Perez - C
Conner - DH
Asencio - RF
Elmore - 2B

Moorhouse - SP

We'll see the entire playoff picture for you in the pregame show today.

Playoff Update - One to Play

You know what's nice about this? I don't have anything to update. The playoffs are set. Today's games around the league are just for fun and final tuneups.

First Round begins Wednesday evening. Here are the matchups:

Fort Wayne @ South Bend
West Michigan @ Great Lakes
Kane County @ Burlington
Cedar Rapids @ Peoria

Clinched!

Dayton lost to Great Lakes.

South Bend has clinched the final playoff spot.

More information on www.silverhawks.com very shortly.

Today's Lineup - September 6th

Pollock - CF
Navarro - SS
Marte - LF
Wheeler - 1B
Parker - 3B
Diaz - RF
Estevez - DH
Davis - C
Elmore - 2B

Cook - SP

Pregame interview with reliever Bryan Woodall

Playoff Race - Two Remain

Only one spot for the playoffs remains, and it's going to either Dayton or South Bend. Here's your daily report:

About Last Night (only games that matter)
Dayton lost to Great Lakes (greatly hurting Dayton's chances)

Eastern Division Playoffs
West Michigan vs. Great Lakes
Fort Wayne vs. TBD

Western Division Playoffs
Cedar Rapids vs. Peoria
Kane County vs. Burlington

Today's Matchups with Playoff Implications
South Bend vs. Lansing
Dayton @ Great Lakes

Race for Second Half Wild Card in East
................W...L...PCT..GB
South Bend...31..36...463..--
Dayton........30..37...448..1.0


Magic Number
South Bend magic number for the wild card spot: 1

Games Left for South Bend (In order):
2 vs. Lansing

Games Left for Dayton (In order):
2 @ Great Lakes

West Division Update
First Half Champion: Kane County Cougars
First Half Wild Card: Cedar Rapids Kernels
Second Half Champion: Peoria Chiefs
Second Half Wild Card: Burlington Bees

Magic Number Now One

Dayton lost to Great Lakes on Saturday night, reducing South Bend's magic number to one.

South Bend will clinch the final playoff spot with:
1) One win in the final two games vs. Lansing
2) One Dayton loss in their final two games @ Great Lakes

Looking very promising...but it's not wrapped up yet. Get one tomorrow, and the Hawks will be in.

Tonight's Lineup - September 4th

Pollock - CF
Navarro - SS
Marte - LF
Wheeler - 1B
Parker - 3B
Perez - C
Conner - DH
Diaz - RF
Elmore - 2B

Smith - SP

Pregame interview is with Mark Haley.

Additional Playoff Information

As the comments section of the post below this one noted, the magic numbers are somewhat tricky.

If Dayton wins tonight, technically their magic number is two, but the head-to-head tiebreaker reduces that to one. Thus, if the Dragons win tonight, the only way South Bend makes the playoff is
1) Winning the final two vs. Lansing
AND
2) Dayton losing their final three vs. Great Lakes.

If South Bend wins tonight, techincally the magic number is three, but the head-to-head tiebreaker in this scenario goes to South Bend, reducing the magic number to two. Thus, if the Silver Hawks win tonight, they would need any of the following to happen to clinch
1) Win two games
2) Dayton lose two games
3) Win one and have Dayton lose one

Any of those three scenarios would give South Bend the playoff berth, provided they win tonight.

So in a word, tonight's game is HUGE!

Playoff Race - Three Left

Only one spot for the playoffs remains, and it's going to either Dayton or South Bend. Here's your daily report:

About Last Night (only games that matter)
Dayton defeated South Bend (and jumped over the Hawks in the standings)
Burlington held off Clinton (Bees clinched the West wild card)

Eastern Division Playoffs
West Michigan vs. Great Lakes
Fort Wayne vs. TBD

Western Division Playoffs
Cedar Rapids vs. Peoria
Kane County vs. Burlington

Today's Matchups with Playoff Implications
South Bend @ Dayton

Race for Second Half Wild Card in East
................W...L...PCT..GB
Dayton........30..35...462..--
South Bend...30..36...455..0.5

Magic Number
Dayton magic number for the wild card spot: 4
South Bend magic number for the wild card spot: 5

Games Left for South Bend (In order):
1 @ Dayton
Off Day
2 vs. Lansing

Games Left for Dayton (In order):
1 vs. South Bend
3 @ Great Lakes

West Division Update
First Half Champion: Kane County Cougars
First Half Wild Card: Cedar Rapids Kernels
Second Half Champion: Peoria Chiefs
Second Half Wild Card: Burlington Bees

Tonight's Lineup

Pollock - CF
Navarro - SS
Marte - LF
Wheeler - 1B
Perez - C
Conner - DH
Diaz - RF
Estevez - 3B
Elmore - 2B

Playoff Race - Only 4 Left

One spot remains in each division. One important note: South Bend could actually clinch a playoff spot by winning the final two games against Dayton. Under that scenario, Dayton could still tie the Hawks' second half record, but South Bend would have the head-to-head tiebreaker wrapped up.

About Last Night (only games that matter)
Dayton defeated South Bend (narrowed gap)
West Michigan routed Lansing (Lugnuts eliminated)
Burlington rallied past Clinton (Big win for the Bees, devastating loss for Clinton)
Quad Cities beat Beloit (River Bandits barely stay alive)

Eastern Division Playoffs
West Michigan vs. Great Lakes
Fort Wayne vs. TBD

Western Division Playoffs
Cedar Rapids vs. Peoria
Kane County vs. TBD

Today's Matchups with Playoff Implications
South Bend @ Dayton
Clinton @ Burlington
Beloit @ Quad Cities

Race for Second Half Wild Card in East
................W...L...PCT..GB
South Bend...30..35...462..--
Dayton........29..35...453..0.5
Lansing.......26..39...400..4.0

Magic Number
South Bend magic number for the wild card spot: 5

Games Left for South Bend (In order):
2 @ Dayton
Off Day
2 vs. Lansing

Games Left for Dayton (In order):
2 vs. South Bend
3 @ Great Lakes

Games Left for Lansing (In order):
2 vs. West Michigan
Off Day
2 @ South Bend

West Division Update
First Half Champion: Kane County Cougars
First Half Wild Card: Cedar Rapids Kernels
Second Half Champion: Peoria Chiefs
Burlington leads the wild card by 5 games over Clinton and Quad Cities with five to play.

Tonight's Lineup - Sept. 2nd

Pollock - CF
Navarro - SS
Marte - LF
Wheeler - 1B
Parker - 3B
Perez - C
Conner - DH
Diaz - RF
Elmore - 2B

Moorhouse - SP

Playoff Race - 5 to go

One spot remains in each division. One important note: South Bend could actually clinch a playoff spot by winning two out of three in the series with Dayton. Under that scenario, Dayton could still tie the Hawks' second half record, but South Bend would have the head-to-head tiebreaker wrapped up.

Eastern Division Playoffs
West Michigan vs. Great Lakes
Fort Wayne vs. TBD

Western Division Playoffs
Cedar Rapids vs. Peoria
Kane County vs. TBD

Today's Matchups with Playoff Implications
South Bend @ Dayton
West Michigan @ Lansing (Lugnuts are barely alive still)
Clinton @ Burlington
Beloit @ Quad Cities

Race for Second Half Wild Card in East
................W...L...PCT..GB
South Bend...30..34...469..--
Dayton........28..35...444..1.5
Lansing.......26..38...406..4.0

Magic Number
South Bend magic number for the wild card spot: 5

Games Left for South Bend (In order):
3 @ Dayton
Off Day
2 vs. Lansing

Games Left for Dayton (In order):
3 vs. South Bend
3 @ Great Lakes

Games Left for Lansing (In order):
3 vs. West Michigan
Off Day
2 @ South Bend

West Division Update
First Half Champion: Kane County Cougars
First Half Wild Card: Cedar Rapids Kernels
Second Half Champion: Peoria Chiefs
Burlington leads the wild card by 4 games over Clinton with six to play. Quad Cities is five games back while Beloit is 5.5 back.

From the Notes - September 2nd

South Bend Silver Hawks (30-34 Second Half, 57-75 Overall)
vs. Dayton Dragons (28-35 Second Half, 56-77 Overall)

Fifth Third Field, Dayton, Ohio – 7:00 PM Eastern Time

Season Series: 7-5 Silver Hawks
@ Coveleski Stadium: 6-2 Silver Hawks
@ Fifth Third Field: 3-1 Dragons
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .246 – 11th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.99 ERA – 8th
Dragons Team Hitting: .261 – T-4th
Dragons Team Pitching: 4.44 ERA – 12th
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LAST GAME: South Bend scored three in the sixth and three more in the seventh to rally past the Lansing Lugnuts 6-3 on Tuesday night at Coveleski Stadium. Ryan Wheeler’s RBI triple in the sixth ignited the offense, with Rossmel Perez and Clayton Conner adding RBIs to give South Bend the 3-2. Reynaldo Navarro continued the scoring with a RBI double in the seventh, with Alfredo Marte and Justin Parker adding RBI singles to cap the scoring. Keny Sosa (WP, 2-3) allowed only one earned run in 6.0 innings to earn his second straight win. Justin Mace (SV, 11) pitched a scoreless ninth for the save. Dustin Antolin (LP, 1-5) took the loss in relief for the Lugnuts.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PLAYOFF CHASE (5 Games Remaining in the Second Half – Top Two of Remaining Teams Qualify):
· South Bend leads Dayton by 1.5 games for the wild card spot. Lansing has fallen four games back of the Hawks.
· Great Lakes has clinched the second half title. Fort Wayne was the first half champion and West Michigan was the wild card.
· Peoria has clinched a spot in the West, with BUR leading the wild card. Kane County and Cedar Rapids were first half qualifiers.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TEAM NOTES:
· South Bend has 24 hits in the last two games after being held to just nine hits in the three games before that.
· South Bend’s magic number to clinch the second half wild card is now 5. A sweep of this series vs. Dayton would clinch it.
· The remaining 5 games will all be against other playoff hopefuls (3 @ DTN, 2 vs. LAN).
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
· Reynaldo Navarro extended his hitting streak to eight games with a RBI double last night. His season high is nine games.
· Alfredo Marte had seven of the team’s 20 hits in the series with Great Lakes. He added his 67th RBI in last night’s game.
· Justin Parker snapped an 0-for-20 skid with a RBI single last night. Alberto Diaz is 0 for his last 20 now.

Tonight's Lineup - September 1st

Pollock - CF
Navarro - SS
Marte - LF
Wheeler - 1B
Parker - 3B
Perez - C
Conner - DH
Diaz - RF
Elmore - 2B

Sosa - SP

Tonight's pregame interview is with pitcher Sean Morgan.

Playoff Race - 6 Remain

One spot remains in each division....here's your daily look.

Eastern Division Playoffs
West Michigan vs. Great Lakes
Fort Wayne vs. TBD

Western Division Playoffs
Cedar Rapids vs. Peoria
Kane County vs. TBD

Today's Matchups with Playoff Implications
Lansing @ South Bend
Everyone else is off today

Race for Second Half Wild Card in East
................W...L...PCT..GB
South Bend...29..34...460..--
Dayton........28..35...444..1.0
Lansing.......26..37...413..3.0

Magic Number
South Bend magic number for the wild card spot: 6

Games Left for South Bend (In order):
1 vs. Lansing
3 @ Dayton
Off Day
2 vs. Lansing

Games Left for Dayton (In order):
Off Day
3 vs. South Bend
3 @ Great Lakes

Games Left for Lansing (In order):
1 @ South Bend
3 vs. West Michigan
Off Day
2 @ South Bend

West Division Update
First Half Champion: Kane County Cougars
First Half Wild Card: Cedar Rapids Kernels
Second Half Champion: Peoria Chiefs
Burlington leads the wild card by 4 games over Clinton with six to play.

Busy Day

I'm running behind day...I'll try to get some stuff posted before the game. Hang tight. I hope to have the standings update and all that up in about an hour or two.