Just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a happy holiday season. Next to hot, summer days with baseball games to broadcast, Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love seeing family and friends, giving and receiving presents, going to mass on Christmas Eve, baking and eating cookies, and on and on.
I remember when I was a kid thinking that Christmas wouldn't be as much fun when I got older. As it turns out, it's more fun! It also has taken on extra meaning since I live 4.5 hours away from my nearest family member. I cherish my time at home a lot more than I ever did before.
Adding to the festivities this year is that I'm also trying to plan as many wedding details as I can while I have an extended break from work, so that will keep me busy as well.
Anyhow, that's my long-winded way of saying that I probably won't be blogging again until after the first of the year, unless something major happens between now and then.
Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
My Thoughts on the Silver Hawks Staff
As we wind down the 2010 year, I wanted to take a minute to look ahead to 2011 and the Silver Hawks coaching staff that was announced last week.
The return of Mark Haley for a seventh season doesn't get a lot of publicity in the South Bend area, because year-in and year-out it is assumed that he will be back again. He lives in nearby Granger, and is proud to manage his hometown team.
However, when you look around the rest of the Midwest League, you will see that more than half of the teams have new managers. Of those returning, none have been with their teams for as long as four years, let alone going on a seventh season.
"Hales" is a great baseball manager and should be celebrated a lot more for his dedication to the Silver Hawks. We retired his uniform number last year, meaning no one but him will ever wear #51 again. He's approaching 500 wins with South Bend alone, and is over 500 for his managing career.
That's not to say I always agree with every move he makes (anyone who listens to me regularly knows that I wish he would sacrifice bunt more). However, when you look around the Minor League Baseball landscape and see other managers come to town in April and leave in September without getting involved with the community, be grateful that the Silver Hawks have a manager who is unquestionably dedicated to both the Silver Hawks team and the Michiana community.
As for the other coaches, Wellington Cepeda is very similar to Mark Haley. "Beef", as he is affectionately nicknamed, has been a coach in South Bend four previous years, and this will be his fifth. I'm not qualified to evaluate how well he handles the pitchers, but as you look at the long list of his former players that are making the big leagues, I think that speaks volumes for his talents as a coach.
Hitting coach Bobby Smith will be new to coaching in 2011, so we don't have a lot to go by here. However, including parts of five seasons in the majors, he had a 14-year professional baseball career (the vast majority in the minors). Sometimes it is guys like that who are the best teachers, because they have been around long enough to fail, succeed, fail again, succeed again, etc. I'm excited to meet him and see how he works with the young hitters.
The return of Mark Haley for a seventh season doesn't get a lot of publicity in the South Bend area, because year-in and year-out it is assumed that he will be back again. He lives in nearby Granger, and is proud to manage his hometown team.
However, when you look around the rest of the Midwest League, you will see that more than half of the teams have new managers. Of those returning, none have been with their teams for as long as four years, let alone going on a seventh season.
"Hales" is a great baseball manager and should be celebrated a lot more for his dedication to the Silver Hawks. We retired his uniform number last year, meaning no one but him will ever wear #51 again. He's approaching 500 wins with South Bend alone, and is over 500 for his managing career.
That's not to say I always agree with every move he makes (anyone who listens to me regularly knows that I wish he would sacrifice bunt more). However, when you look around the Minor League Baseball landscape and see other managers come to town in April and leave in September without getting involved with the community, be grateful that the Silver Hawks have a manager who is unquestionably dedicated to both the Silver Hawks team and the Michiana community.
As for the other coaches, Wellington Cepeda is very similar to Mark Haley. "Beef", as he is affectionately nicknamed, has been a coach in South Bend four previous years, and this will be his fifth. I'm not qualified to evaluate how well he handles the pitchers, but as you look at the long list of his former players that are making the big leagues, I think that speaks volumes for his talents as a coach.
Hitting coach Bobby Smith will be new to coaching in 2011, so we don't have a lot to go by here. However, including parts of five seasons in the majors, he had a 14-year professional baseball career (the vast majority in the minors). Sometimes it is guys like that who are the best teachers, because they have been around long enough to fail, succeed, fail again, succeed again, etc. I'm excited to meet him and see how he works with the young hitters.
Friday, December 17, 2010
D'Backs Sign Two More Free Agents
I just recently received an email from the Diamondbacks, announcing the signing of Xavier Nady and Henry Blanco.
I post information like this for two reasons:
1) It obviously is big news for the parent club of the Silver Hawks
2) It directly impacts some former Silver Hawks who are trying to get to the majors
Today's signing could directly impact Gerardo Parra and Konrad Schmidt -- both of whom played in South Bend.
Parra's somewhat disappointing big league numbers are the reason why Arizona was looking for left field help. Nady will most likely be the starting left fielder, bumping Parra to the fourth outfielder spot (with Chris Young in center and Justin Upton in right).
Konrad Schmidt got a taste of the big leagues with a September call-up in 2010, and I guess you could say he had an outside shot of being the backup to Miguel Montero in 2011. However, with the addition of Blanco, Schmidt will likely go back to AAA Reno and not be a mainstay in the majors until 2012 at the earliest.
Oddly, only two (Montero and Upton) of the projected starting eight position players for Arizona would have spent time with the South Bend Silver Hawks.
I post information like this for two reasons:
1) It obviously is big news for the parent club of the Silver Hawks
2) It directly impacts some former Silver Hawks who are trying to get to the majors
Today's signing could directly impact Gerardo Parra and Konrad Schmidt -- both of whom played in South Bend.
Parra's somewhat disappointing big league numbers are the reason why Arizona was looking for left field help. Nady will most likely be the starting left fielder, bumping Parra to the fourth outfielder spot (with Chris Young in center and Justin Upton in right).
Konrad Schmidt got a taste of the big leagues with a September call-up in 2010, and I guess you could say he had an outside shot of being the backup to Miguel Montero in 2011. However, with the addition of Blanco, Schmidt will likely go back to AAA Reno and not be a mainstay in the majors until 2012 at the earliest.
Oddly, only two (Montero and Upton) of the projected starting eight position players for Arizona would have spent time with the South Bend Silver Hawks.
New Poll Question
It's been up for a day, but I'm kind of intrigued by the new poll question that I posted on the right side of the page. This time of year, all you hear about is how it's better to give than to receive. But let's be honest, many of us like to receive presents too!
I figured we should poll the audience. Besides, it's an anonymous poll, so no one is going to judge you if you're someone who would rather receive a cool gift than give one. There's no shame in that. Maybe you don't like shopping. Maybe you never know what to get your loved ones. Maybe the giving causes you way too much stress.
Or, are you someone who truly loves to give gifts? Someone who relishes the look on your loved ones faces when they open up that brand new (fill in the blank).
Speaking of giving, the Silver Hawks are giving out free tickets to families in need this year, but we need recommendations. The promotion ends today at 5 PM, so act quickly and send Santa Swoop an email today! All the information can be found as the lead story on http://www.silverhawks.com/.
I figured we should poll the audience. Besides, it's an anonymous poll, so no one is going to judge you if you're someone who would rather receive a cool gift than give one. There's no shame in that. Maybe you don't like shopping. Maybe you never know what to get your loved ones. Maybe the giving causes you way too much stress.
Or, are you someone who truly loves to give gifts? Someone who relishes the look on your loved ones faces when they open up that brand new (fill in the blank).
Speaking of giving, the Silver Hawks are giving out free tickets to families in need this year, but we need recommendations. The promotion ends today at 5 PM, so act quickly and send Santa Swoop an email today! All the information can be found as the lead story on http://www.silverhawks.com/.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Former Cubs Pitcher on Peoria's Staff
The Peoria Chiefs finally joined the party in announcing their 2011 field staff, and it includes a name that is going to be familiar to a lot of Cubs fans. The new pitching coach is Illinois native and former Cubs reliever Jeff Fassero.
Unfortunately, because of the new Midwest League schedule setup, Peoria will not be coming to Coveleski Stadium in 2011. The Silver Hawks host Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities, Clinton, and Kane County from the Western Division, while traveling to Peoria, Burlington, Wisconsin, and Beloit.
Peoria Chiefs
Manager - Casey Kopitzke
Pitching Coach - Jeff Fassero
Hitting Coach - Ricardo Medina
That leaves only the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers without a named field staff to this point. Please go bug Chris Mehring on his blog until he finally announces it.
Unfortunately, because of the new Midwest League schedule setup, Peoria will not be coming to Coveleski Stadium in 2011. The Silver Hawks host Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities, Clinton, and Kane County from the Western Division, while traveling to Peoria, Burlington, Wisconsin, and Beloit.
Peoria Chiefs
Manager - Casey Kopitzke
Pitching Coach - Jeff Fassero
Hitting Coach - Ricardo Medina
That leaves only the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers without a named field staff to this point. Please go bug Chris Mehring on his blog until he finally announces it.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Finally, Some Thoughts on the New Staff
(First of all, I had some blog issues today, thus the new design. More on that later.)
I've been promising you this for a couple of days now, but things have been busy around here and I'm just now getting around to putting it up.
First off, as a reminder, here is the Silver Hawks 2011 field staff:
Manager - Mark Haley
Pitching Coach - Wellington Cepeda
Hitting Coach - Bobby Smith
Rather than give you my thoughts on the guys, I figured I could do better. I just got off the phone with Mike Bell, who is Arizona's new Director of Player Development. I asked Mike about the staff and about what we can expect to see with the Silver Hawks in 2011. Here are some of his thoughts...
About Mark Haley...
-Everybody in Silver Hawks country knows Mark Haley.
-He is extremely dedicated, hardworking, and knowledgeable about the game of baseball.
-(on Mark staying with South Bend for seven years) You don't see it every day. Someone who is willing to go back, not only willing, but truly excited to be there. It gives our organization and staff some stability.
About new hitting coach Bobby Smith when they were teammates in Charlotte (AAA)...
-We were in similar situations in that we were both six year free agents and both trying to put ourselves back on the mat.
-Bobby and I had an unbelievable relationship on the field and made a commitment to each other that we would look after each other.
Even though we don't know exactly who is going to be here, here are Mike's thoughts on the group that is most likely to come to South Bend...
-There will obviously be some new faces. Yakima was in the playoffs, and even though Missoula didn't make it, they fought to the end, so you're going to get a group of winners.
-You'll see great pitching depth with the starters.
-South Bend will have a pretty talented infield, like you had last year.
-There is going to be some great competition in the outfield.
I want to thank Mike for his time, because you know how busy he is trying to evaluate players, and get acclimated to the new position. He was very gracious on the phone and I'm sure I'll have him for a pregame interview at some point (if not two or three times) in the upcoming season.
I've been promising you this for a couple of days now, but things have been busy around here and I'm just now getting around to putting it up.
First off, as a reminder, here is the Silver Hawks 2011 field staff:
Manager - Mark Haley
Pitching Coach - Wellington Cepeda
Hitting Coach - Bobby Smith
Rather than give you my thoughts on the guys, I figured I could do better. I just got off the phone with Mike Bell, who is Arizona's new Director of Player Development. I asked Mike about the staff and about what we can expect to see with the Silver Hawks in 2011. Here are some of his thoughts...
About Mark Haley...
-Everybody in Silver Hawks country knows Mark Haley.
-He is extremely dedicated, hardworking, and knowledgeable about the game of baseball.
-(on Mark staying with South Bend for seven years) You don't see it every day. Someone who is willing to go back, not only willing, but truly excited to be there. It gives our organization and staff some stability.
About new hitting coach Bobby Smith when they were teammates in Charlotte (AAA)...
-We were in similar situations in that we were both six year free agents and both trying to put ourselves back on the mat.
-Bobby and I had an unbelievable relationship on the field and made a commitment to each other that we would look after each other.
Even though we don't know exactly who is going to be here, here are Mike's thoughts on the group that is most likely to come to South Bend...
-There will obviously be some new faces. Yakima was in the playoffs, and even though Missoula didn't make it, they fought to the end, so you're going to get a group of winners.
-You'll see great pitching depth with the starters.
-South Bend will have a pretty talented infield, like you had last year.
-There is going to be some great competition in the outfield.
I want to thank Mike for his time, because you know how busy he is trying to evaluate players, and get acclimated to the new position. He was very gracious on the phone and I'm sure I'll have him for a pregame interview at some point (if not two or three times) in the upcoming season.
Updated Field Staffs
Great Lakes announced their staff over the weekend, the Silver Hawks made the announcement yesterday, and the Hot Rods followed suit today. I'll still have more thoughts on the Silver Hawks staff when I get the time (probably tomorrow -- busy today). We are waiting on the Chiefs and the Timber Rattlers to round out the league. Updatesd list is below.
Beloit Snappers (same as last year)
Manager - Nelson Prada
Pitching Coach - Gary Lucas
Hitting Coach - Tommy Watkins
Bowling Green Hot Rods (same as last year)
Manager - Brady Williams
Pitching Coach - RC Lichtenstein
Hitting Coach - Manny Castillo
Burlington Bees (Kane County's staff from 2010 due to affiliation change)
Manager - Aaron Nieckula
Pitching Coach - Jimmy Escalante
Hitting Coach - Haas Pratt
Cedar Rapids Kernels
Manager - Brent Del Chiaro (was hitting coach last two years)
Pitching Coach - Trevor Wilson
Hitting Coach - Mike Elyward
Clinton LumberKings
Manager - Eddie Menchaca
Pitching Coach - Rich Dorman
Hitting Coach - Terry Pollreisz
Dayton Dragons
Manager - Delino DeShields (former big league star)
Pitching Coach - Tony Fossas
Hitting Coach - Alex Pelaez
Fort Wayne TinCaps
Manager - Shawn Wooten
Pitching Coach - Willie Blair
Hitting Coach - Kory DeHaan
Great Lakes Loons
Manager: John Shoemaker
Pitching Coach: Kremlin Martinez
Hitting Coach: Lenny Harris
Kane County Cougars
Manager - Vance Wilson
Pitching Coach - Jim Brower
Hitting Coach - Damon Hollins
Lake County Captains
Manager - Ted Kubiak
Pitching Coach - Jeff Harris
Hitting Coach - Jim Rickon
Lansing Lugnuts
Manager - Mike Redmond
Pitching Coach - Vince Horsman
Hitting Coach - John Tamargo, Jr.
Peoria Chiefs - Not yet announced
Quad Cities River Bandits (same as last year)
Manager - Johnny Rodriguez
Pitching Coach - Tim Leveque
Hitting Coach - Joe Kruzel
South Bend Silver Hawks
Manager - Mark Haley
Pitching Coach - Wellington Cepeda
Hitting Coach - Bobby Smith
West Michigan Whitecaps
Manager - Ernie Young
Pitching Coach - Mark Johnson
Hitting Coach - Ben Oglivie
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Not yet announced
Beloit Snappers (same as last year)
Manager - Nelson Prada
Pitching Coach - Gary Lucas
Hitting Coach - Tommy Watkins
Bowling Green Hot Rods (same as last year)
Manager - Brady Williams
Pitching Coach - RC Lichtenstein
Hitting Coach - Manny Castillo
Burlington Bees (Kane County's staff from 2010 due to affiliation change)
Manager - Aaron Nieckula
Pitching Coach - Jimmy Escalante
Hitting Coach - Haas Pratt
Cedar Rapids Kernels
Manager - Brent Del Chiaro (was hitting coach last two years)
Pitching Coach - Trevor Wilson
Hitting Coach - Mike Elyward
Clinton LumberKings
Manager - Eddie Menchaca
Pitching Coach - Rich Dorman
Hitting Coach - Terry Pollreisz
Dayton Dragons
Manager - Delino DeShields (former big league star)
Pitching Coach - Tony Fossas
Hitting Coach - Alex Pelaez
Fort Wayne TinCaps
Manager - Shawn Wooten
Pitching Coach - Willie Blair
Hitting Coach - Kory DeHaan
Great Lakes Loons
Manager: John Shoemaker
Pitching Coach: Kremlin Martinez
Hitting Coach: Lenny Harris
Kane County Cougars
Manager - Vance Wilson
Pitching Coach - Jim Brower
Hitting Coach - Damon Hollins
Lake County Captains
Manager - Ted Kubiak
Pitching Coach - Jeff Harris
Hitting Coach - Jim Rickon
Lansing Lugnuts
Manager - Mike Redmond
Pitching Coach - Vince Horsman
Hitting Coach - John Tamargo, Jr.
Peoria Chiefs - Not yet announced
Quad Cities River Bandits (same as last year)
Manager - Johnny Rodriguez
Pitching Coach - Tim Leveque
Hitting Coach - Joe Kruzel
South Bend Silver Hawks
Manager - Mark Haley
Pitching Coach - Wellington Cepeda
Hitting Coach - Bobby Smith
West Michigan Whitecaps
Manager - Ernie Young
Pitching Coach - Mark Johnson
Hitting Coach - Ben Oglivie
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Not yet announced
Monday, December 13, 2010
2011 Field Staff Announced
It's finally here! Late this afternoon, the Silver Hawks 2011 Field Staff was announced. You can read the full press release on http://www.silverhawks.com/.
I'll have more tomorrow.
I'll have more tomorrow.
Now Pinch Hitting for the Great Lakes Loons...
Interesting title for this post, huh?
The Great Lakes Loons probably wish at some point this season that they could look down their bench and call upon their new hitting coach in a pinch hitting role. Why would they want to do that? Only because he's the MLB all-time leader in pinch hits.
That's right, Lenny Harris is the new hitting coach for the Great Lakes Loons, and I get the chance to meet another one of my favorite players as a kid (in addition to meeting Luis Quinones earlier this year. By the way, are you seeing a theme here? My favorite players are all scrappy infielders who are known much more for their pinch hitting than they are for anything else.)
The complete 2011 Loons field staff:
Manager: John Shoemaker
Pitching Coach: Kremlin Martinez
Hitting Coach: Lenny Harris
The Great Lakes Loons probably wish at some point this season that they could look down their bench and call upon their new hitting coach in a pinch hitting role. Why would they want to do that? Only because he's the MLB all-time leader in pinch hits.
That's right, Lenny Harris is the new hitting coach for the Great Lakes Loons, and I get the chance to meet another one of my favorite players as a kid (in addition to meeting Luis Quinones earlier this year. By the way, are you seeing a theme here? My favorite players are all scrappy infielders who are known much more for their pinch hitting than they are for anything else.)
The complete 2011 Loons field staff:
Manager: John Shoemaker
Pitching Coach: Kremlin Martinez
Hitting Coach: Lenny Harris
Friday, December 10, 2010
Poll Results
I asked you a while back which of the proposed stadium renovations were the most exciting, and here's how the responses came in:
Field Turf - 5 (15%)
New Team Store - 3 (9%)
Stage/Splash Pad/Fire Pit in Outfield - 2 (6%)
360-degree concourse - 11 (34%)
Updated picnic and group areas - 1 (3%)
State-of-the-art score/video board - 8 (25%)
Other - 2 (6%)
I thought the new scoreboard/videoboard would win, but I'm pleasantly surprised that the 360-degree concourse came out on top. I think this is a huge piece to making the Cove a better place by allowing fans the opportunity to walk entirely around the stadium, and check out all the new areas of the ballpark. It just opens up the stadium so much more and gives it a better feel.
A new poll is on the right.
Field Turf - 5 (15%)
New Team Store - 3 (9%)
Stage/Splash Pad/Fire Pit in Outfield - 2 (6%)
360-degree concourse - 11 (34%)
Updated picnic and group areas - 1 (3%)
State-of-the-art score/video board - 8 (25%)
Other - 2 (6%)
I thought the new scoreboard/videoboard would win, but I'm pleasantly surprised that the 360-degree concourse came out on top. I think this is a huge piece to making the Cove a better place by allowing fans the opportunity to walk entirely around the stadium, and check out all the new areas of the ballpark. It just opens up the stadium so much more and gives it a better feel.
A new poll is on the right.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Former Hawks Pitcher Traded to Pittsburgh
Cesar Valdez, a 2007 Silver Hawks pitcher, was traded today to the Pittsburgh Pirates as the player to be named later in the Zach Duke deal.
Valdez was 7-10 with South Bend in '07, but had an impressive 3.41 ERA and 106 strikeouts. He appeared in nine games with the Diamondbacks in 2010 -- his first appearances in the Majors.
Valdez was 7-10 with South Bend in '07, but had an impressive 3.41 ERA and 106 strikeouts. He appeared in nine games with the Diamondbacks in 2010 -- his first appearances in the Majors.
Busy, Busy, Busy
Sorry that it's been almost two days since I last posted. Things have been quite hectic the last few days.
To fill you in, here's a bunch of links for you:
-The Arizona Diamondbacks continued to be major players at the Winter Meetings, resigning Mike Hampton yesterday and then drafting a player in the Rule 5 Draft this morning.
-Reaction on the Diamondbacks moves can be found here and here.
-I gave a speech on behalf of the Silver Hawks to a career day at West Side Middle School in Elkhart yesterday morning. If you want to book a Silver Hawks speaker for your school, group, or business, go here.
-I also joined Swoop yesterday at the University Park Mall. We were guests of Sunny 101.5 FM as part of their Giving Trees promotion. Please stop by their tables and vote for your favorite tree -- all proceeds to to charity.
-Finally, we are still waiting on the Diamondbacks to announce the field staff for their Minor League affiliates. I think it's a safe bet that Mark Haley is returning, but we don't know the rest of the staff as of yet. Obviously, as soon as we know something, the information will be on http://www.silverhawks.com/.
To fill you in, here's a bunch of links for you:
-The Arizona Diamondbacks continued to be major players at the Winter Meetings, resigning Mike Hampton yesterday and then drafting a player in the Rule 5 Draft this morning.
-Reaction on the Diamondbacks moves can be found here and here.
-I gave a speech on behalf of the Silver Hawks to a career day at West Side Middle School in Elkhart yesterday morning. If you want to book a Silver Hawks speaker for your school, group, or business, go here.
-I also joined Swoop yesterday at the University Park Mall. We were guests of Sunny 101.5 FM as part of their Giving Trees promotion. Please stop by their tables and vote for your favorite tree -- all proceeds to to charity.
-Finally, we are still waiting on the Diamondbacks to announce the field staff for their Minor League affiliates. I think it's a safe bet that Mark Haley is returning, but we don't know the rest of the staff as of yet. Obviously, as soon as we know something, the information will be on http://www.silverhawks.com/.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
2011 Midwest League Field Staffs
Within the last day, a bunch of teams have announced their field staffs for 2011, so I figured now was a good time to catch up on the entire league in case I missed anyone else. We'll go alphabetically through the list of teams (links provided where available)...
Beloit Snappers (same as last year)
Manager - Nelson Prada
Pitching Coach - Gary Lucas
Hitting Coach - Tommy Watkins
Bowling Green Hot Rods - Not yet announced
Burlington Bees (Kane County's staff from 2010 due to affiliation change)
Manager - Aaron Nieckula
Pitching Coach - Jimmy Escalante
Hitting Coach - Haas Pratt
Cedar Rapids Kernels
Manager - Brent Del Chiaro (was hitting coach last two years)
Pitching Coach - Trevor Wilson
Hitting Coach - Mike Elyward
Clinton LumberKings
Manager - Eddie Menchaca
Pitching Coach - Rich Dorman
Hitting Coach - Terry Pollreisz
Dayton Dragons
Manager - Delino DeShields (former big league star)
Pitching Coach - Tony Fossas
Hitting Coach - Alex Pelaez
Fort Wayne TinCaps
Manager - Shawn Wooten
Pitching Coach - Willie Blair
Hitting Coach - Kory DeHaan
Great Lakes Loons - Not yet announced
Kane County Cougars
Manager - Vance Wilson
Pitching Coach - Jim Brower
Hitting Coach - Damon Hollins
Lake County Captains
Manager - Ted Kubiak
Pitching Coach - Jeff Harris
Hitting Coach - Jim Rickon
Lansing Lugnuts
Manager - Mike Redmond
Pitching Coach - Vince Horsman
Hitting Coach - John Tamargo, Jr.
Peoria Chiefs - Not yet announced
Quad Cities River Bandits (same as last year)
Manager - Johnny Rodriguez
Pitching Coach - Tim Leveque
Hitting Coach - Joe Kruzel
South Bend Silver Hawks - Not yet announced
West Michigan Whitecaps
Manager - Ernie Young
Pitching Coach - Mark Johnson
Hitting Coach - Ben Oglivie
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Not yet announced
Beloit Snappers (same as last year)
Manager - Nelson Prada
Pitching Coach - Gary Lucas
Hitting Coach - Tommy Watkins
Bowling Green Hot Rods - Not yet announced
Burlington Bees (Kane County's staff from 2010 due to affiliation change)
Manager - Aaron Nieckula
Pitching Coach - Jimmy Escalante
Hitting Coach - Haas Pratt
Cedar Rapids Kernels
Manager - Brent Del Chiaro (was hitting coach last two years)
Pitching Coach - Trevor Wilson
Hitting Coach - Mike Elyward
Clinton LumberKings
Manager - Eddie Menchaca
Pitching Coach - Rich Dorman
Hitting Coach - Terry Pollreisz
Dayton Dragons
Manager - Delino DeShields (former big league star)
Pitching Coach - Tony Fossas
Hitting Coach - Alex Pelaez
Fort Wayne TinCaps
Manager - Shawn Wooten
Pitching Coach - Willie Blair
Hitting Coach - Kory DeHaan
Great Lakes Loons - Not yet announced
Kane County Cougars
Manager - Vance Wilson
Pitching Coach - Jim Brower
Hitting Coach - Damon Hollins
Lake County Captains
Manager - Ted Kubiak
Pitching Coach - Jeff Harris
Hitting Coach - Jim Rickon
Lansing Lugnuts
Manager - Mike Redmond
Pitching Coach - Vince Horsman
Hitting Coach - John Tamargo, Jr.
Peoria Chiefs - Not yet announced
Quad Cities River Bandits (same as last year)
Manager - Johnny Rodriguez
Pitching Coach - Tim Leveque
Hitting Coach - Joe Kruzel
South Bend Silver Hawks - Not yet announced
West Michigan Whitecaps
Manager - Ernie Young
Pitching Coach - Mark Johnson
Hitting Coach - Ben Oglivie
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Not yet announced
Diamondbacks Sign Closer
In addition to trading Mark Reynolds and signing Melvin Mora that I wrote about yesterday, Arizona made another big splash at the Winter Meetings later yesterday evening.
News broke late that Arizona signed closer J.J. Putz to a two-year deal, adding more help to what was a horrible bullpen in 2010.
One thing that everyone is still wondering about though is whether the Diamondbacks will trade Justin Upton -- a rumor that has been picking up steam lately.
Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has some thoughts on all the deals on his blog, but this quote about Upton from GM Kevin Towers jumped out at me:
On the likelihood of a Justin Upton trade: “With Upton, if everything comes together, it's probably less likely we would end up moving him. We knew going into that exercise it was going to take an awful lot to make a trade. To trade a young player who is 23 years old who is a tool shed, who does pretty much everything and I think is only going to get better in time. But if someone was willing to overpay and we were able to fill multiple holes. We’re not one player away; we’re several players away from being good in a competitive division. I would say we’ll have a pretty good idea when we leave here on Thursday and I would say that it's highly unlikely that Upton leaves the desert.”
News broke late that Arizona signed closer J.J. Putz to a two-year deal, adding more help to what was a horrible bullpen in 2010.
One thing that everyone is still wondering about though is whether the Diamondbacks will trade Justin Upton -- a rumor that has been picking up steam lately.
Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has some thoughts on all the deals on his blog, but this quote about Upton from GM Kevin Towers jumped out at me:
On the likelihood of a Justin Upton trade: “With Upton, if everything comes together, it's probably less likely we would end up moving him. We knew going into that exercise it was going to take an awful lot to make a trade. To trade a young player who is 23 years old who is a tool shed, who does pretty much everything and I think is only going to get better in time. But if someone was willing to overpay and we were able to fill multiple holes. We’re not one player away; we’re several players away from being good in a competitive division. I would say we’ll have a pretty good idea when we leave here on Thursday and I would say that it's highly unlikely that Upton leaves the desert.”
Monday, December 6, 2010
Former Silver Hawks Star Traded
Well, we knew the Diamondbacks would be active at the Winter Meetings, and it took all of half a day for them to make a splash.
Today, former Silver Hawks infielder Mark Reynolds was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for a couple of prospects. Before you ask, the answer is no, neither of the prospects will appear in South Bend because they both already have MLB experience.
Arizona also signed Melvin Mora to a contract. Mora is 38 years old, but it's a low-risk signing for GM Kevin Towers to fill the vacated third base hole left by Mark Reynolds.
I'm not qualified to analyze deals that the Diamondbacks make, but Steve Gilbert of mlb.com and Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic certainly have more experience in that area. Click the links to view their blogs.
Today, former Silver Hawks infielder Mark Reynolds was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for a couple of prospects. Before you ask, the answer is no, neither of the prospects will appear in South Bend because they both already have MLB experience.
Arizona also signed Melvin Mora to a contract. Mora is 38 years old, but it's a low-risk signing for GM Kevin Towers to fill the vacated third base hole left by Mark Reynolds.
I'm not qualified to analyze deals that the Diamondbacks make, but Steve Gilbert of mlb.com and Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic certainly have more experience in that area. Click the links to view their blogs.
Baseball Winter Meetings
Unfortunately, I am not at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Orlando this week. Instead, I'm sitting in my office at Coveleski Stadium watching the snow fall. I'm also insanely jealous of everyone who is in Orlando.
The Baseball Winter Meetings are a time for many front office personnel in both the majors and minors to get together and well, have meetings. Various teams have meetings for all of their employees, there are sessions for individual job functions (media relations sessions, gm sessions, etc.), and many awards are handed out to organizations.
However, my favorite part of the Winter Meetings when I've been there has been the common area in the lobby of whatever hotel is hosting the event. It's not unusual to see a notable reporter such as Jayson Stark or Peter Gammons chatting up a MLB GM or even a player as you walk from one end of the hotel to the other.
The Winter Meetings also will be where many trades and free agent signings happen (or if they don't happen there, you can bet the conversations started in Orlando). I've told you this before, but the best place to follow all the rumors is http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/. They'll be working overtime this week, and it's an interesting collection of stories and links.
I'm not going to post all the rumors I read or see, but if anything becomes official from the Diamondbacks, I will let you know on this blog.
The Baseball Winter Meetings are a time for many front office personnel in both the majors and minors to get together and well, have meetings. Various teams have meetings for all of their employees, there are sessions for individual job functions (media relations sessions, gm sessions, etc.), and many awards are handed out to organizations.
However, my favorite part of the Winter Meetings when I've been there has been the common area in the lobby of whatever hotel is hosting the event. It's not unusual to see a notable reporter such as Jayson Stark or Peter Gammons chatting up a MLB GM or even a player as you walk from one end of the hotel to the other.
The Winter Meetings also will be where many trades and free agent signings happen (or if they don't happen there, you can bet the conversations started in Orlando). I've told you this before, but the best place to follow all the rumors is http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/. They'll be working overtime this week, and it's an interesting collection of stories and links.
I'm not going to post all the rumors I read or see, but if anything becomes official from the Diamondbacks, I will let you know on this blog.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Sad News from Chicago
I was sad to hear about the passing of Ron Santo, legendary Cubs player and broadcaster.
As a player, Santo was a borderline Hall-of-Famer. I'm not going to start that debate, so let's just leave it at he was a tremendous ballplayer. Unfortunately, he never got to play in a postseason. In fact, Santo played in the fifth most amount of games in baseball history without making a postseason appearance.
As a broadcaster, Santo was the epitome of what you learn NOT to do in broadcasting school. Shouting over the play-by-play guy, moaning, cheering, and the general flood of emotions at the simplest of plays is something that you learn to keep in check over time.
Yet, Ron Santo got away with it. He was allowed to do all of those things because he wasn't just a former Cubs player or the Cubs announcer. He was bigger than all of that. He was the voice of the fans.
I am not much of a Cubs fan and have said many times that "Pat Hughes is a saint for putting up with Ron Santo for all those years." Even still, I can appreciate an iconic figure and Ron Santo certainly was that and more to Cubs fans.
The Cubs family has lost a legendary member, and the broadcasting fraternity has lost a one-of-a-kind personality. Ron Santo will be missed.
As a player, Santo was a borderline Hall-of-Famer. I'm not going to start that debate, so let's just leave it at he was a tremendous ballplayer. Unfortunately, he never got to play in a postseason. In fact, Santo played in the fifth most amount of games in baseball history without making a postseason appearance.
As a broadcaster, Santo was the epitome of what you learn NOT to do in broadcasting school. Shouting over the play-by-play guy, moaning, cheering, and the general flood of emotions at the simplest of plays is something that you learn to keep in check over time.
Yet, Ron Santo got away with it. He was allowed to do all of those things because he wasn't just a former Cubs player or the Cubs announcer. He was bigger than all of that. He was the voice of the fans.
I am not much of a Cubs fan and have said many times that "Pat Hughes is a saint for putting up with Ron Santo for all those years." Even still, I can appreciate an iconic figure and Ron Santo certainly was that and more to Cubs fans.
The Cubs family has lost a legendary member, and the broadcasting fraternity has lost a one-of-a-kind personality. Ron Santo will be missed.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Notes from the Parent Club
It's kind of a slow day around the blog the last few days, but I can always count on the parent club Diamondbacks to be in the news. Here's a rundown on some good reads about what Arizona has been doing the last few days:
-First of all, I know some people are planning on attending Spring Training at the new facility. Here's a schedule of when the Diamondbacks will play in the Cactus League.
-Yesterday, the Diamondbacks inked former Dayton Dragons star Wily Mo Pena to a Minor League deal. He's an option in left field, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
-Arizona also has to make some decisions on whether to tender contracts to eight players. See the list here.
-First of all, I know some people are planning on attending Spring Training at the new facility. Here's a schedule of when the Diamondbacks will play in the Cactus League.
-Yesterday, the Diamondbacks inked former Dayton Dragons star Wily Mo Pena to a Minor League deal. He's an option in left field, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
-Arizona also has to make some decisions on whether to tender contracts to eight players. See the list here.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Lugnuts Announce Field Staff
The Lansing Lugnuts announced their field staff for 2011 late yesterday, featuring a 12-year Major League veteran as their new manager. You can read the full release on their website, or just view the summary below.
Manager - Mike Redmond
Pitching Coach - Vince Horsman
Hitting Coach - John Tamargo, Jr.
Manager - Mike Redmond
Pitching Coach - Vince Horsman
Hitting Coach - John Tamargo, Jr.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Did You Know...
...that the Diamondbacks have two of the top seven picks in next June's draft? I was browsing the Baseball America website, and saw the list of who would be picking where next year.
It looks like the Silver Hawks should continue to see a lot of top talent in the years to come.
If you want to check out the list, go to this link.
It looks like the Silver Hawks should continue to see a lot of top talent in the years to come.
If you want to check out the list, go to this link.
LumberKings Announce Coaching Staff
The Clinton LumberKings announced their coaching staff for 2011 yesterday. If you go to the link, you can read where their new manager once played in the Midwest League, as well as some biographical information on all the coaches.
If that doesn't interest you, allow me to just list the staff for you below:
Manager - Eddie Menchaca
Pitching Coach - Rich Dorman
Hitting Coach - Terry Pollreisz
If that doesn't interest you, allow me to just list the staff for you below:
Manager - Eddie Menchaca
Pitching Coach - Rich Dorman
Hitting Coach - Terry Pollreisz
Monday, November 29, 2010
Back At It
I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend and got a chance to spend time with family and friends.
To say that I had a great Thanksgiving would be an understatement. I proposed on Wednesday night to an amazing woman, and thankfully, she said yes. I'm a very lucky man and couldn't be happier.
In other baseball-related news since I last posted:
-The Diamondbacks acquired Zach Duke from the Pirates for a player to be named later. The PTBNL will be announced after the Rule 5 Draft takes place on December 9th because rosters are currently frozen. This doesn't necessarily mean that the player is eligible for Rule 5 selection, and according to the link above, indicates that he is a low-level player. I have no inside knowledge at all, but I'm guessing that when we find out who it is, it's going to be someone who played in South Bend within the last year or two.
-Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has more analysis on Duke and the deal on his blog, which you can read here.
-I saw this a few weeks ago, and am just now posting it. Here's a chart of the PDC status for every MLB club and their affiliates from the Baseball America website. It'll let you know when you might see affiliation changes around the MiLB landscape.
To say that I had a great Thanksgiving would be an understatement. I proposed on Wednesday night to an amazing woman, and thankfully, she said yes. I'm a very lucky man and couldn't be happier.
In other baseball-related news since I last posted:
-The Diamondbacks acquired Zach Duke from the Pirates for a player to be named later. The PTBNL will be announced after the Rule 5 Draft takes place on December 9th because rosters are currently frozen. This doesn't necessarily mean that the player is eligible for Rule 5 selection, and according to the link above, indicates that he is a low-level player. I have no inside knowledge at all, but I'm guessing that when we find out who it is, it's going to be someone who played in South Bend within the last year or two.
-Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has more analysis on Duke and the deal on his blog, which you can read here.
-I saw this a few weeks ago, and am just now posting it. Here's a chart of the PDC status for every MLB club and their affiliates from the Baseball America website. It'll let you know when you might see affiliation changes around the MiLB landscape.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
I just wanted to take a minute to wish everyone who views my blog a very happy Thanksgiving. Like most of you, I'll be spending the holidays with family and friends, eating too much and watching football.
If any major news happens, I'll try to post on here, but more than likely, you'll get a collection of stories when the typical work week resumes on Monday.
If any major news happens, I'll try to post on here, but more than likely, you'll get a collection of stories when the typical work week resumes on Monday.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Former Hawks Win AFL Championship
The Scottsdale Scorpions brought home the Arizona Fall League championship over the weekend, with seven former Silver Hawks on the winning squad.
Members of the winning team included:
Marc Krauss
A.J. Pollock
Konrad Schmidt (played only one game due to injury)
Josh Collmenter
Bryan Shaw
Daniel Stange
Bryan Woodall
Congrats to the former Hawks!
Members of the winning team included:
Marc Krauss
A.J. Pollock
Konrad Schmidt (played only one game due to injury)
Josh Collmenter
Bryan Shaw
Daniel Stange
Bryan Woodall
Congrats to the former Hawks!
40 Man Roster Notes
I got this late on Friday from the Arizona Diamondbacks:
The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today they have claimed right-handed pitcher Juan Jaime off waivers from the Washington Nationals, according to D-backs’ Executive Vice President and General Manager Kevin Towers. The D-backs also announced that they have selected two players, right-handed pitchers Josh Collmenter and Yonata Ortega, to the club’s 40-man roster.
Being on the 40-man roster protects a player from being selected in the upcoming Rule V Draft. Collmenter cemented his spot with a huge showing in the Arizona Fall League, while the Diamondbacks have long been enamored by Yonata Ortega's arm.
After watching Ortega for the last two years, I certainly think this is a good move for Arizona. Yes, he still has some occasional wildness and most fans know that his adventures in the ninth inning would sometimes cause me fits. However, he throws very hard and excelled in a promotion to Visalia later in the season.
The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today they have claimed right-handed pitcher Juan Jaime off waivers from the Washington Nationals, according to D-backs’ Executive Vice President and General Manager Kevin Towers. The D-backs also announced that they have selected two players, right-handed pitchers Josh Collmenter and Yonata Ortega, to the club’s 40-man roster.
Being on the 40-man roster protects a player from being selected in the upcoming Rule V Draft. Collmenter cemented his spot with a huge showing in the Arizona Fall League, while the Diamondbacks have long been enamored by Yonata Ortega's arm.
After watching Ortega for the last two years, I certainly think this is a good move for Arizona. Yes, he still has some occasional wildness and most fans know that his adventures in the ninth inning would sometimes cause me fits. However, he throws very hard and excelled in a promotion to Visalia later in the season.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Quad Cities Field Staff
They don't have it up on their website yet, but the Quad Cities River Bandits just sent out a press release announcing their 2011 field staff. However, all three coaches are back from last season, so there's not a lot of drama with this one.
Manager: Johnny Rodriguez
Pitching Coach: Tim Leveque
Hitting Coach: Joe Kruzel
Manager: Johnny Rodriguez
Pitching Coach: Tim Leveque
Hitting Coach: Joe Kruzel
Upton, Allen, and Miranda
A good blog post by Nick Piecoro examined yesterday's trade of Scottie Allen for Juan Miranda and also looked into Kevin Towers saying that he would listen to offers on former Silver Hawks outfielder Justin Upton.
Knowing that the Diamondbacks traded away Carlos Gonzalez, who is developing into a tremendous player, would you even consider doing the same thing with Justin Upton? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Honestly, I have no problem with him listening to offers. If I were a GM (and that would be a cold day you know where if I was ever given a GM job), I would never say that a player was untouchable. I know it sounds crazy, but doesn't every player have a price that would make him appealing to be dealt?
Knowing that the Diamondbacks traded away Carlos Gonzalez, who is developing into a tremendous player, would you even consider doing the same thing with Justin Upton? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Honestly, I have no problem with him listening to offers. If I were a GM (and that would be a cold day you know where if I was ever given a GM job), I would never say that a player was untouchable. I know it sounds crazy, but doesn't every player have a price that would make him appealing to be dealt?
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Today's News and Notes
Off the Field News: The Silver Hawks announced today an exciting Saturday lineup featuring appearances from the ZOOperstars!, BirdZerk!, Myron Noodleman, and Jake the Diamond Dog. These national entertainment acts will enhance your experience at the Cove, and you can find more information at www.silverhawks.com. We also have ticket packages designed around these days, so act now.
On the Field News: The Diamondbacks today traded 2010 Silver Hawks pitcher Scottie Allen to the New York Yankees for infielder Juan Miranda. Miranda will play first base for the Diamondbacks to replace Adam LaRoche. I really liked Scottie, and thought he would be a good pitcher for years to come. That being said, the big league team takes precendent, and they desperately needed someone at first base.
On the Field News: The Diamondbacks today traded 2010 Silver Hawks pitcher Scottie Allen to the New York Yankees for infielder Juan Miranda. Miranda will play first base for the Diamondbacks to replace Adam LaRoche. I really liked Scottie, and thought he would be a good pitcher for years to come. That being said, the big league team takes precendent, and they desperately needed someone at first base.
Blog Maintenance
Some parts of the blog are going to be down for a few days to undergo some maintenance work. I'll still have posts, but I may not have any photos for you for a couple of days.
Arizona Fall League Update
I can't believe I haven't updated the AFL since October 28th. The Scottsdale Scorpions cruised through the league with a 20-11 record and will be playing for the title on Saturday.
Former Silver Hawks pitcher Josh Collmenter tied for the most strikeouts in the league with 30.
Here are your final regular season stats for the former Silver Hawks:
Hitters
Marc Krauss: .305, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 20 R
Konrad Schmidt: .250, 0 HR, 1 RBI (only one game played due to injury)
A.J. Pollock: DNP .295, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R,
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: 4-0, 3.04 ERA, 26.2 IP, 9 ER
Bryan Shaw: 0-1, 3.48 ERA, 10.1 IP, 4 ER
Daniel Stange: 2-0, 8.44 ERA, 10.2 IP, 10 ER
Bryan Woodall: 1-0, 5.40 ERA, 6.2 IP, 4 ER
Former Silver Hawks pitcher Josh Collmenter tied for the most strikeouts in the league with 30.
Here are your final regular season stats for the former Silver Hawks:
Hitters
Marc Krauss: .305, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 20 R
Konrad Schmidt: .250, 0 HR, 1 RBI (only one game played due to injury)
A.J. Pollock: DNP .295, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R,
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: 4-0, 3.04 ERA, 26.2 IP, 9 ER
Bryan Shaw: 0-1, 3.48 ERA, 10.1 IP, 4 ER
Daniel Stange: 2-0, 8.44 ERA, 10.2 IP, 10 ER
Bryan Woodall: 1-0, 5.40 ERA, 6.2 IP, 4 ER
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Trivia Tidbit
I researched the history for the Managers of the Year that were announced today.
I couldn't find any Midwest League connection for Bud Black, but did you know that Ron Gardenhire managed the 1988 Kenosha Twins? He was the skipper and led them to an impressive 81-59 record. They lost in the MWL Finals that year to the Cedar Rapids Reds.
1988 was also the year the South Bend franchise started. Of course, they were known as the South Bend White Sox at the time. However, it's always interesting to find out that Ron Gardenhire once managed from the visiting dugout at Coveleski Stadium.
I couldn't find any Midwest League connection for Bud Black, but did you know that Ron Gardenhire managed the 1988 Kenosha Twins? He was the skipper and led them to an impressive 81-59 record. They lost in the MWL Finals that year to the Cedar Rapids Reds.
1988 was also the year the South Bend franchise started. Of course, they were known as the South Bend White Sox at the time. However, it's always interesting to find out that Ron Gardenhire once managed from the visiting dugout at Coveleski Stadium.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Well, That Didn't Last Long
Apparently, Rico Brogna is out as Director of Player Development for the Diamondbacks. Mike Bell, who had been the field coordinator, will take over in that role.
No word on why Brogna lasted only a month in this role.
No word on why Brogna lasted only a month in this role.
Another Award for Gonzalez
I don't really know how I missed this last week, but former Silver Hawks outfield Carlos Gonzalez won a Silver Slugger Award. This is in addition to the Gold Glove that he also brought home last week.
He'll likely receive votes later this week for NL MVP, and honestly has a legitimate shot at winning it.
Here's a good breakdown of the three main candidates (Pujols, Votto, and Gonzalez -- all of whom played in the Midwest League).
You tell me, who do you vote for? I'm a Reds fan and a complete homer, so my vote goes to Votto. I also think getting your team to the playoffs should count for something. But I'm willing to listen to other arguments.
He'll likely receive votes later this week for NL MVP, and honestly has a legitimate shot at winning it.
Here's a good breakdown of the three main candidates (Pujols, Votto, and Gonzalez -- all of whom played in the Midwest League).
You tell me, who do you vote for? I'm a Reds fan and a complete homer, so my vote goes to Votto. I also think getting your team to the playoffs should count for something. But I'm willing to listen to other arguments.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Spelius Wins Award
MWL President George Spelius won the Warren Giles Award on Friday, as announced by Minor League Baseball. The Giles Award honors outstanding service as a league president. It is the second time he has won the award in his career.
Congratulations to Mr. Spelius, who I've had the honor of interviewing on the radio a few times over my five years in the league.
Congratulations to Mr. Spelius, who I've had the honor of interviewing on the radio a few times over my five years in the league.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Vote Now
Alright, we've told you about the proposed renovations, now we want to know what you are most excited about.
Vote on the right side of the page as to which proposed renovation to the Cove is of most interest to you.
Vote on the right side of the page as to which proposed renovation to the Cove is of most interest to you.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Former Hawk Wins Gold Glove
Carlos Gonzalez once patrolled the outfield at Coveleski Stadium. He now is playing gold glove caliber defense with the Colorado Rockies.
Carlos Gonzalez was one of two Rockies to win a Rawlings Gold Glove, as announced today by Rawlings and Major League Baseball.
Congratulations to the former Silver Hawks star.
Carlos Gonzalez was one of two Rockies to win a Rawlings Gold Glove, as announced today by Rawlings and Major League Baseball.
Congratulations to the former Silver Hawks star.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Fort Wayne Announced Field Staff
The Fort Wayne TinCaps have announced their field staff for 2011. As best I can tell, this is the first Midwest League team that has announced their staff for next year.
Manager - Shawn Wooten
Pitching Coach - Willie Blair
Hitting Coach - Korey DeHaan
All three have played in the majors. Willie Blair once pitched for the Diamondbacks.
Manager - Shawn Wooten
Pitching Coach - Willie Blair
Hitting Coach - Korey DeHaan
All three have played in the majors. Willie Blair once pitched for the Diamondbacks.
Other Stuff I Missed While I Was on Vacation
Just catching up on a few things while I was gone last week...
-The Giants won the World Series in 5 games. I predicted Giants in 6. Close enough for me to brag about how much better I am than you!
-Sparky Anderson passed away. Sparky won his titles with the Reds before I was born, and his time with the Tigers came to an end while I was still in junior high. However, he clearly was a great manager and the first of just two managers (with Tony LaRussa) to win a World Series in both leagues. Remember when we were talking two weeks ago about no-name coaches vs. "famous" coaches. Sparky is the argument for the no-name guys, because when he was hired by the Reds, the newspaper in town ran the headline "Sparky Who?"
-Swoop went trick-or-treating with the Raabe family of South Bend. A good time was had by all.
-Finally, former Silver Hawks infielder Yunesky Sanchez was released by the Diamondbacks. He was 26 years old, but had been hitting the ball decently over the past four seasons. including a .284 mark with Reno in 2010. I'm sure Arizona has their reasons, but this one is a bit of a head-scratcher in that he seems like a guy that would be good to fill out a roster (if not in the majors, then certainly at AAA). Your guess is as good as mine.
-The Giants won the World Series in 5 games. I predicted Giants in 6. Close enough for me to brag about how much better I am than you!
-Sparky Anderson passed away. Sparky won his titles with the Reds before I was born, and his time with the Tigers came to an end while I was still in junior high. However, he clearly was a great manager and the first of just two managers (with Tony LaRussa) to win a World Series in both leagues. Remember when we were talking two weeks ago about no-name coaches vs. "famous" coaches. Sparky is the argument for the no-name guys, because when he was hired by the Reds, the newspaper in town ran the headline "Sparky Who?"
-Swoop went trick-or-treating with the Raabe family of South Bend. A good time was had by all.
-Finally, former Silver Hawks infielder Yunesky Sanchez was released by the Diamondbacks. He was 26 years old, but had been hitting the ball decently over the past four seasons. including a .284 mark with Reno in 2010. I'm sure Arizona has their reasons, but this one is a bit of a head-scratcher in that he seems like a guy that would be good to fill out a roster (if not in the majors, then certainly at AAA). Your guess is as good as mine.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Did I Miss Anything While I Was Gone?
I'm back from my vacation (more on that a bit later this week), and apparently I picked a bad week to leave town.
While I was away, the City of South Bend announced that they would be spending some money to help renovate Coveleski Stadium. Among the planned improvements are:
-Field Turf
-State-of-the-Art Video Scoreboard
-Walk-in Team Store
-Renovated Suites and Upper Deck
-New Center Field entrance that opens the Cove up to downtown
-And much, much more.
You can click on the link above to see some artist renderings of the "new" Cove. I'll also spend some time on the blog tomorrow going over a few more details about the project.
I have to catch up on some things now, but I'll probably have one more post later today.
While I was away, the City of South Bend announced that they would be spending some money to help renovate Coveleski Stadium. Among the planned improvements are:
-Field Turf
-State-of-the-Art Video Scoreboard
-Walk-in Team Store
-Renovated Suites and Upper Deck
-New Center Field entrance that opens the Cove up to downtown
-And much, much more.
You can click on the link above to see some artist renderings of the "new" Cove. I'll also spend some time on the blog tomorrow going over a few more details about the project.
I have to catch up on some things now, but I'll probably have one more post later today.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Try Not to Cry Too Much (With Footnotes)
I know this is going to be hard for the millions* of loyal** blog readers I have, but I will not be posting for the next 9 days as I take a much-needed vacation***. I will return to posting on Monday, November 8th (oddly the same day that Conan O'Brien returns to TV -- maybe it's a redhead thing?).
The last true vacation I took was in 2004, right after I graduated college****. All my other trips away were based around family functions, work, or weddings of friends*****.
I hope that you'll survive without me******.
Sincerely,
The Best Broadcaster on the Planet*******
*By millions, I mean 3.
**By loyal, I mean those that get so bored at work they come here because they figure, "why not, at least this site won't get me fired."
***I broadcast sports for a living. Can any vacation really be "much-needed"?
****I have witnesses.
*****Believe it or not, I also have friends.
******Not only will you survive, but you'll flourish without me.
*******I'm not the best broadcaster on the planet, but I just might be the best broadcaster who uses ridiculous footnotes in his blog entries.
The last true vacation I took was in 2004, right after I graduated college****. All my other trips away were based around family functions, work, or weddings of friends*****.
I hope that you'll survive without me******.
Sincerely,
The Best Broadcaster on the Planet*******
*By millions, I mean 3.
**By loyal, I mean those that get so bored at work they come here because they figure, "why not, at least this site won't get me fired."
***I broadcast sports for a living. Can any vacation really be "much-needed"?
****I have witnesses.
*****Believe it or not, I also have friends.
******Not only will you survive, but you'll flourish without me.
*******I'm not the best broadcaster on the planet, but I just might be the best broadcaster who uses ridiculous footnotes in his blog entries.
The Worst Part of the Job
It's that time of year again, when players start to get released by their parent clubs. Unfortunately, the first wave of releases from the Diamondbacks have consumed four former Silver Hawks.
Alberto Diaz, Randy Rodriguez, Andrew Fie, and Justin Mace have all been let go by the Diamondbacks organization.
As I have long said, figuring out why a player was released typically isn't that hard. Most often it's a ratio of age versus level. If you're 23 or 24 and still in A-ball, your future isn't that bright. If you're 19 in double-A, you're going to stick around for a while.
That's not a shot at any of these players. They all have talent, but for one reason or another, just have not been able to develop or move up as quickly as they should. I've had the chance to get to know all of them, and I still feel bad for them that this has happened. However, from a baseball standpoint, I understand the decisions.
Alberto Diaz, Randy Rodriguez, Andrew Fie, and Justin Mace have all been let go by the Diamondbacks organization.
As I have long said, figuring out why a player was released typically isn't that hard. Most often it's a ratio of age versus level. If you're 23 or 24 and still in A-ball, your future isn't that bright. If you're 19 in double-A, you're going to stick around for a while.
That's not a shot at any of these players. They all have talent, but for one reason or another, just have not been able to develop or move up as quickly as they should. I've had the chance to get to know all of them, and I still feel bad for them that this has happened. However, from a baseball standpoint, I understand the decisions.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
AFL Update - October 28th
Been a bit busy today giving speeches and with some things in the office, but I wanted to make sure I had something up on the blog today.
Here is your updated Arizona Fall League information:
Scottsdale Scorpions: 8-6 record, having lost three in a row. They've slipped to just the third best record of the six teams.
Hitters
Marc Krauss: .235, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 10 R
Konrad Schmidt: .250, 0 HR, 1 RBI (only one game played)
A.J. Pollock: DNP .387, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 8 R, 4 2B, (only 4 K's with 5 walks -- not bad)
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: 2-0, 1.80 ERA, 10.0 IP, 2 ER
Bryan Shaw: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 0 ER
Daniel Stange: 1-0, 3.52 ERA, 7.2 IP, 3 ER
Bryan Woodall: 1-0, 5.06 ERA, 5.1 IP, 3 ER
Here is your updated Arizona Fall League information:
Scottsdale Scorpions: 8-6 record, having lost three in a row. They've slipped to just the third best record of the six teams.
Hitters
Marc Krauss: .235, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 10 R
Konrad Schmidt: .250, 0 HR, 1 RBI (only one game played)
A.J. Pollock: DNP .387, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 8 R, 4 2B, (only 4 K's with 5 walks -- not bad)
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: 2-0, 1.80 ERA, 10.0 IP, 2 ER
Bryan Shaw: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 0 ER
Daniel Stange: 1-0, 3.52 ERA, 7.2 IP, 3 ER
Bryan Woodall: 1-0, 5.06 ERA, 5.1 IP, 3 ER
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
My World Series Pick
I'm going on record with this, so I can either brag when it happens or be ridiculed when it doesn't.
As of 4 PM on Wednesday afternoon, I'm the one person in the poll to the right that has voted for the San Francisco Giants to win in six games.
I realize the Rangers are the popular pick (22 of 28 from ESPN.com took Texas), and can understand why. However, let me present just a few brief arguments as to why I like the Giants.
1) The Giants have home field advantage.
2) No one is giving the Giants a chance against Cliff Lee, but the last I checked, Tim Lincecum is the two-time defending Cy Young Award winner in the NL. Who's to say that the Rangers are going to beat up on him?
3) Speaking of pitching, while the Rangers pitching has been fantastic this postseason, if you go by full season numbers, you have to give the edge to the Giants. Plus, San Fran's bullpen has been better and their stadium is more of a pitcher's park.
4) The Giants seem to have home run power in every spot of their lineup. One mistake pitch, and they'll make you pay. The Rangers have a few guys you can pitch around if you have to, particularly when you have to bat the pitcher in the NL park.
5) It's just what my gut tells me.
So there you have it, I'll take the Giants in 6. Take it to Vegas baby!
As of 4 PM on Wednesday afternoon, I'm the one person in the poll to the right that has voted for the San Francisco Giants to win in six games.
I realize the Rangers are the popular pick (22 of 28 from ESPN.com took Texas), and can understand why. However, let me present just a few brief arguments as to why I like the Giants.
1) The Giants have home field advantage.
2) No one is giving the Giants a chance against Cliff Lee, but the last I checked, Tim Lincecum is the two-time defending Cy Young Award winner in the NL. Who's to say that the Rangers are going to beat up on him?
3) Speaking of pitching, while the Rangers pitching has been fantastic this postseason, if you go by full season numbers, you have to give the edge to the Giants. Plus, San Fran's bullpen has been better and their stadium is more of a pitcher's park.
4) The Giants seem to have home run power in every spot of their lineup. One mistake pitch, and they'll make you pay. The Rangers have a few guys you can pitch around if you have to, particularly when you have to bat the pitcher in the NL park.
5) It's just what my gut tells me.
So there you have it, I'll take the Giants in 6. Take it to Vegas baby!
Reactions from the Desert
First, the official announcement of all the new coaches from the Diamondbacks.
After you read that, here are some of the reactions:
-Nick Piecoro has some quotes from the press conference on his blog.
-Here is Nick's article that he wrote for the Arizona Republic.
-Steve Gilbert weighs in from mlb.com.
-However, if you want the best summary of all the moves, check out this page at futurebacks.com.
After you read that, here are some of the reactions:
-Nick Piecoro has some quotes from the press conference on his blog.
-Here is Nick's article that he wrote for the Arizona Republic.
-Steve Gilbert weighs in from mlb.com.
-However, if you want the best summary of all the moves, check out this page at futurebacks.com.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Diamondbacks Coaching Staff
A lot of times, fans will complain when their favorite teams hire a coach that they have never heard of before. It's not to say the "no-name" coaches aren't good at what they do, and in fact, many times they can be better than the "name" guys (and if you need an example, think Leo Mazzone).
However, if you're a Diamondbacks fan, you don't have to worry about the "no-name" coaches according to today's reports.
Arizona is rumored to be bringing on Don Baylor as hitting coach, Charles Nagy as pitching coach, and Alan Trammell as bench coach. That is a wealth of experience on the staff, but let's just hope it translate to success on the field.
However, if you're a Diamondbacks fan, you don't have to worry about the "no-name" coaches according to today's reports.
Arizona is rumored to be bringing on Don Baylor as hitting coach, Charles Nagy as pitching coach, and Alan Trammell as bench coach. That is a wealth of experience on the staff, but let's just hope it translate to success on the field.
More Videos!
Check out this video about Silver Hawks owner Joe Kernan.
If I've said it once, I've said it one hundred times, we are blessed to have Joe Kernan as an owner because he truly cares so much about the city of South Bend.
And while you are on YouTube, if you still haven't seen our Tenth Man video, now's a good time to check it out here.
If I've said it once, I've said it one hundred times, we are blessed to have Joe Kernan as an owner because he truly cares so much about the city of South Bend.
And while you are on YouTube, if you still haven't seen our Tenth Man video, now's a good time to check it out here.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Swoop Does the Weather
So Swoop was back on the FOX 28 Morning Show today to announce the winner of the Halloween with Swoop contest. You can find the winner now on www.silverhawks.com, but while he was there, he had a chance to help with the weather forecast.
You can watch that clip here.
I'm not sure if Swoop had ever been in front of a "green screen" before, but I think he did a pretty nice job.
You can watch that clip here.
I'm not sure if Swoop had ever been in front of a "green screen" before, but I think he did a pretty nice job.
Big Day for Marc Krauss
On Friday in Arizona, former Silver Hawks outfielder Marc Krauss had a huge day in the Arizona Fall League. Krauss hit his first pro grand slam and in total drove in 7 runs to lead the Scorpions to the victory.
To make the day even better, it was another Silver Hawk in Bryan Woodall who got the win (disregard in the story where they call Woodall a Cardinals minor leaguer...I can assure you he's still with Arizona).
Here is your updated Arizona Fall League information:
Scottsdale Scorpions: 8-3 record, best in the league.
Hitters
Marc Krauss: .258, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 9 R
Konrad Schmidt: .250, 0 HR, 1 RBI
A.J. Pollock: DNP .375, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 7 R, 4 2B,
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: 2-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 1 ER
Bryan Shaw: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.0 IP, 0 ER
Daniel Stange: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, ER
Bryan Woodall: 1-0, 6.23 ERA, 4.1 IP, 3 ER
To make the day even better, it was another Silver Hawk in Bryan Woodall who got the win (disregard in the story where they call Woodall a Cardinals minor leaguer...I can assure you he's still with Arizona).
Here is your updated Arizona Fall League information:
Scottsdale Scorpions: 8-3 record, best in the league.
Hitters
Marc Krauss: .258, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 9 R
Konrad Schmidt: .250, 0 HR, 1 RBI
A.J. Pollock: DNP .375, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 7 R, 4 2B,
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: 2-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 1 ER
Bryan Shaw: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.0 IP, 0 ER
Daniel Stange: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, ER
Bryan Woodall: 1-0, 6.23 ERA, 4.1 IP, 3 ER
Friday, October 22, 2010
More Diamondbacks Changes
Here's the first paragraph of a press release I just received from the Arizona Diamondbacks:
(PHOENIX) — The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today Mike Berger has transitioned into the role of Director, Professional Scouting while Quinton McCracken joined the organization as Assistant Director, Player Development and Mark Weidemaier as Major League Advance Scout, according to D-backs’ Senior Vice President, Scouting & Player Development Jerry Dipoto. The club also announced Susan Webner rejoined the organization as Manager, Minor League Administration.
Just a couple of thoughts:
1) I'm glad to see that Mike Berger stayed with the club. He's a great guy and will be a benefit to the organization.
2) I get excited anytime a player from my childhood moves into a coaching/scouting/front office role somewhere. I actually once had a fantasy baseball team that was named "What's McCracken Quinton" (which in my sophomoric mind, is completely hilarious).
3) Susan Webner coming back is a huge plus to every affiliate of the Diamondbacks. She makes my life, plus the lives of many others in the Silver Hawks office, so much easier with her prompt emails and attention to detail.
(PHOENIX) — The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today Mike Berger has transitioned into the role of Director, Professional Scouting while Quinton McCracken joined the organization as Assistant Director, Player Development and Mark Weidemaier as Major League Advance Scout, according to D-backs’ Senior Vice President, Scouting & Player Development Jerry Dipoto. The club also announced Susan Webner rejoined the organization as Manager, Minor League Administration.
Just a couple of thoughts:
1) I'm glad to see that Mike Berger stayed with the club. He's a great guy and will be a benefit to the organization.
2) I get excited anytime a player from my childhood moves into a coaching/scouting/front office role somewhere. I actually once had a fantasy baseball team that was named "What's McCracken Quinton" (which in my sophomoric mind, is completely hilarious).
3) Susan Webner coming back is a huge plus to every affiliate of the Diamondbacks. She makes my life, plus the lives of many others in the Silver Hawks office, so much easier with her prompt emails and attention to detail.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
MLB.com's Take on the Diamondbacks System
This is about a week old, but here's a look at the Diamondbacks farm system through the eyes of Jonathan Mayo from MLB.com.
They also pick a hitter and pitcher of the system. Click the link to find out who they felt were the best for the parent club.
They also pick a hitter and pitcher of the system. Click the link to find out who they felt were the best for the parent club.
Congratulations Brian Budrow
I'm a few days late in posting this, but I wanted to pass along a congratulations to Brian Budrow, who got married recently.
Brian was excellent in relief for the Silver Hawks in 2010, going 6-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 40 games. He earned a very late season call-up to Visalia, where he appeared in two games. I'd imagine he'll start 2011 in Visalia, with hopes of moving to Mobile by the All-Star Game.
Anyhow, congratulations Brian!
Also, if you news (baseball-related or not) on a former player that I may have missed, please feel free to share the information. I can be reached at oserey@silverhawks.com. Thanks!
Brian was excellent in relief for the Silver Hawks in 2010, going 6-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 40 games. He earned a very late season call-up to Visalia, where he appeared in two games. I'd imagine he'll start 2011 in Visalia, with hopes of moving to Mobile by the All-Star Game.
Anyhow, congratulations Brian!
Also, if you news (baseball-related or not) on a former player that I may have missed, please feel free to share the information. I can be reached at oserey@silverhawks.com. Thanks!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
AFL Update - Through October 19th
Another update on the former Silver Hawks currently playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League.
The Scottsdale Scorpions won 5-4 on Tuesday over Surprise. They are now 5-2 (tied for the best record in the league). Former Silver Hawk pitcher Josh Collmenter got the win.
Individual results from Tuesday's game are below, with updated AFL season stats in parentheses.
Hitters
Marc Krauss: 0-4, RBI, K (.211, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R)
Konrad Schmidt: DNP (.250, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
A.J. Pollock: DNP (.313, 0 HR, 3 RBI)
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: W, 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (2-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 1 ER)
Bryan Shaw: DNP (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 0 ER)
Daniel Stange: DNP (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, ER)
Bryan Woodall: DNP (0-0, 9.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 3 ER)
The Scottsdale Scorpions won 5-4 on Tuesday over Surprise. They are now 5-2 (tied for the best record in the league). Former Silver Hawk pitcher Josh Collmenter got the win.
Individual results from Tuesday's game are below, with updated AFL season stats in parentheses.
Hitters
Marc Krauss: 0-4, RBI, K (.211, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R)
Konrad Schmidt: DNP (.250, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
A.J. Pollock: DNP (.313, 0 HR, 3 RBI)
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: W, 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (2-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 1 ER)
Bryan Shaw: DNP (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 0 ER)
Daniel Stange: DNP (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, ER)
Bryan Woodall: DNP (0-0, 9.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 3 ER)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Updating the Arizona Fall League
It's been a few days, but here's an update on the former Silver Hawks currently playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League.
The Scottsdale Scorpions lost 6-4 on Monday. They are now 4-2. Former Silver Hawk pitcher Bryan Woodall is mentioned in the story, but not in a good way. He gave up the big homer in the game.
Individual results from Monday's game are below, with updated stats over the first week of the AFL season in parentheses.
Hitters
Marc Krauss: DNP (.267, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R)
Konrad Schmidt: DNP (.250, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
A.J. Pollock: 1-3, BB, R, (.313, 0 HR, 3 RBI)
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: DNP (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 0 ER)
Bryan Shaw: DNP (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 0 ER)
Daniel Stange: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, ER)
Bryan Woodall: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (0-0, 9.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 3 ER)
The Scottsdale Scorpions lost 6-4 on Monday. They are now 4-2. Former Silver Hawk pitcher Bryan Woodall is mentioned in the story, but not in a good way. He gave up the big homer in the game.
Individual results from Monday's game are below, with updated stats over the first week of the AFL season in parentheses.
Hitters
Marc Krauss: DNP (.267, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R)
Konrad Schmidt: DNP (.250, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
A.J. Pollock: 1-3, BB, R, (.313, 0 HR, 3 RBI)
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: DNP (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 0 ER)
Bryan Shaw: DNP (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 0 ER)
Daniel Stange: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, ER)
Bryan Woodall: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (0-0, 9.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 3 ER)
Catching Up
Using this post to catch up on some stories that I missed over the past few days:
-Former Silver Hawk Bryan Augenstein was claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals. Augenstein pitched with South Bend in 2008, made his MLB Debut in 2009, but spent 2010 struggling in double- and triple-A.
-The West Michigan Whitecaps will be looking for a new skipper next year. Joe DePastino will become a roving catching coordinator for the Tigers organization.
-Likewise, the Dayton Dragons will need a new skipper. Todd Benzinger has been told by the Reds that he is not returning. He used his firing to express how much he really didn't want to be a Minor League manager anyhow. Well then Todd, I guess that worked out for you.
-Finally, Nick Piecoro did a nice piece on the Diamondbacks prospects, citing a bunch of former Silver Hawks as examples.
-Former Silver Hawk Bryan Augenstein was claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals. Augenstein pitched with South Bend in 2008, made his MLB Debut in 2009, but spent 2010 struggling in double- and triple-A.
-The West Michigan Whitecaps will be looking for a new skipper next year. Joe DePastino will become a roving catching coordinator for the Tigers organization.
-Likewise, the Dayton Dragons will need a new skipper. Todd Benzinger has been told by the Reds that he is not returning. He used his firing to express how much he really didn't want to be a Minor League manager anyhow. Well then Todd, I guess that worked out for you.
-Finally, Nick Piecoro did a nice piece on the Diamondbacks prospects, citing a bunch of former Silver Hawks as examples.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Poll Results
It's amazing how I am busier at work during the offseason than I am during the season. You'd be stunned by the amount of work that it takes to get ready for a 140-game season.
Anyhow, enough excuses. Here is your first and only post of the day.
Last week, I asked who you thought would make it to the World Series. Again, this is using your head, not your heart. Not surprisingly, a matchup of the two favorites was the leading result. However, I was surprised that the seond leading result was a matchup of the two underdogs.
Phillies and Yankees 8 votes (44%)
Phillies and Rangers 3 votes (16%)
Giants and Yankees 3 votes (16%)
Giants and Rangers 4 votes (22%)
Anyhow, enough excuses. Here is your first and only post of the day.
Last week, I asked who you thought would make it to the World Series. Again, this is using your head, not your heart. Not surprisingly, a matchup of the two favorites was the leading result. However, I was surprised that the seond leading result was a matchup of the two underdogs.
Phillies and Yankees 8 votes (44%)
Phillies and Rangers 3 votes (16%)
Giants and Yankees 3 votes (16%)
Giants and Rangers 4 votes (22%)
Friday, October 15, 2010
Should We Have Expected This?
The Arizona Diamondbacks just announced that Rico Brogna will take over as Director of Player Development and that Mike Berger has been reassigned to a scouting role within the organization.
I guess when you have a change in General Managers (Kevin Towers) like Arizona did, this shouldn't come as a shock. Even still, I thought Mike Berger had been doing a decent job and would stay in the same role for at least another year. He had only been in this current position since June of 2009, which is not a long time to evaulate someone's ability.
Things certainly are interesting in the desert....
(Note: Most of you know that I have to approve comments before they are posted. As long as they aren't terribly offensive, completely demeaning to one individual, or just ridiculously stupid, I approve them. Just know that if you want to comment on this over the weekend, they probably won't be posted until Monday morning because I have another commitment this weekend).
I guess when you have a change in General Managers (Kevin Towers) like Arizona did, this shouldn't come as a shock. Even still, I thought Mike Berger had been doing a decent job and would stay in the same role for at least another year. He had only been in this current position since June of 2009, which is not a long time to evaulate someone's ability.
Things certainly are interesting in the desert....
(Note: Most of you know that I have to approve comments before they are posted. As long as they aren't terribly offensive, completely demeaning to one individual, or just ridiculously stupid, I approve them. Just know that if you want to comment on this over the weekend, they probably won't be posted until Monday morning because I have another commitment this weekend).
Arizona Fall League - October 14th Results
The Scottsdale Scorpions lost 5-1 on Thursday. They are now 2-1.
Hitters
Marc Krauss: DNP (.167, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
Konrad Schmidt: DNP (.250, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
A.J. Pollock: DNP (.500, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: DNP (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Bryan Shaw: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Daniel Stange: DNP (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Bryan Woodall: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (0-0, 4.50 ERA)
And don't forget about the Halloween with Swoop contest. It's seriously going to be a great time as you can have the Silver Hawks mascot go trick-or-treating with you and your kids. It's a simple process...just register at www.silverhawks.com (it's the lead story, you can't miss it).
Hitters
Marc Krauss: DNP (.167, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
Konrad Schmidt: DNP (.250, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
A.J. Pollock: DNP (.500, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: DNP (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Bryan Shaw: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Daniel Stange: DNP (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Bryan Woodall: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (0-0, 4.50 ERA)
And don't forget about the Halloween with Swoop contest. It's seriously going to be a great time as you can have the Silver Hawks mascot go trick-or-treating with you and your kids. It's a simple process...just register at www.silverhawks.com (it's the lead story, you can't miss it).
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Arizona Fall League - October 13th Results
Scottsdale won 9-1. They are now 2-0.
Hitters
Marc Krauss: 0-4, 2R, BB, K (.167, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
Konrad Schmidt: 1-4, R, RBI (.250, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
A.J. Pollock: 2-4, 2 2B, R, RBI, BB (.500, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: W, 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Bryan Shaw: DNP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Daniel Stange: DNP (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Bryan Woodall: DNP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Hitters
Marc Krauss: 0-4, 2R, BB, K (.167, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
Konrad Schmidt: 1-4, R, RBI (.250, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
A.J. Pollock: 2-4, 2 2B, R, RBI, BB (.500, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
Pitchers
Josh Collmenter: W, 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Bryan Shaw: DNP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Daniel Stange: DNP (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Bryan Woodall: DNP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
FOX 28 Halloween with Swoop
For those of you that follow the Silver Hawks on Facebook or Twitter you already know about the Halloween with Swoop promotion.
For those of you that don't, make sure you go to www.silverhawks.com and check out how to have Swoop spend Halloween with your family. It's the lead story on the web page, and you can't miss it.
For video of Swoop's appearance on the Fox 28 Morning Show announcing the contest, go here.
For those of you that don't, make sure you go to www.silverhawks.com and check out how to have Swoop spend Halloween with your family. It's the lead story on the web page, and you can't miss it.
For video of Swoop's appearance on the Fox 28 Morning Show announcing the contest, go here.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Arizona Fall League - Day One Complete
Yesterday was the first day of the Arizona Fall League.
For day one summaries, click here.
Here's the box score from the Scottsdale Scorpions game (that's the team with the Diamondbacks prospects).
If you don't want to click the link....
Marc Kruass was 1-for-2 with a run and two walks.
Daniel Stange (1-0) got the win with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief.
Collmenter, Pollock, Schmidt, Shaw, and Woodall did not play.
For day one summaries, click here.
Here's the box score from the Scottsdale Scorpions game (that's the team with the Diamondbacks prospects).
If you don't want to click the link....
Marc Kruass was 1-for-2 with a run and two walks.
Daniel Stange (1-0) got the win with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief.
Collmenter, Pollock, Schmidt, Shaw, and Woodall did not play.
New Poll Question
So last week, we asked who you WANTED to win in the postseason. This week, the question focuses on who you THINK will win the championship series.
Vote on the right side of the page as to which combination you think will make the World Series.
Vote on the right side of the page as to which combination you think will make the World Series.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Broadcaster Fraternity Takes a Hit
Some disappointing news out of Cedar Rapids late yesterday afternoon, where legendary Kernels broadcaster John Rodgers has stepped down after 15 years behind the mic.
John was the "dean" of Midwest League broadcasters in that he had the most service time out of all of us. Chris Mehring of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers now holds the title of longest tenured voice throughout the league.
I know these sentiments come pouring out when someone retires, but John was truly one of the nicest guys I've ever met. Many of us lovingly referred to him as Johnny Ballgame, and never has a nickname been more appropriate. He loved the game of baseball, and that was clearly reflected in his broadcasts and interactions with other broadcasters.
The best part of going to Iowa was always the chance to sit and talk to John in the afternoons before broadcasting that night. I certainly wish him the best.
John was the "dean" of Midwest League broadcasters in that he had the most service time out of all of us. Chris Mehring of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers now holds the title of longest tenured voice throughout the league.
I know these sentiments come pouring out when someone retires, but John was truly one of the nicest guys I've ever met. Many of us lovingly referred to him as Johnny Ballgame, and never has a nickname been more appropriate. He loved the game of baseball, and that was clearly reflected in his broadcasts and interactions with other broadcasters.
The best part of going to Iowa was always the chance to sit and talk to John in the afternoons before broadcasting that night. I certainly wish him the best.
Monday, October 11, 2010
One More Today
MiLB.com is apparently doing a feature about the best players at each position throughout the minor league system for every organization. Since Arizona is first alphabetically, they got the call today.
You can see who their top picks are here.
You can see who their top picks are here.
Lunchtime Links
Some stuff for you to read today:
-Nick Piecoro has another Minor League notebook on his blog, this one features Bobby Borchering , Chris Owings, and Wade Miley among others.
-Also from Nick, a look at what could have been Brandon Webb's final time pitching for the Diamondbacks.
-The Arizona Fall League starts tomorrow. I'll try to keep you updated on what the former Silver Hawks are doing.
-Finally, some changes at the top with the Arizona Diamondbacks as Peter Woodfork and Tom Allison have been relieved of their duties. Despite not getting the GM job, Jerry Dipoto has decided to stay with Arizona, which most people say is a huge benefit to the Diamondbacks. Look for Dipoto to have a shot at a GM job in the near future.
Poll Results
Well, the Reds and the Twins sure didn't last long in the postseason. As most of you know, I'm a Reds fan so I'm a bit disappointed this morning. That being said, I really didn't expect them to make the playoffs in the first place, so I will take the NL Central championship and hope it is a sign of things to come.
Here's how the rooting interest broke down according to the poll question on this blog:
29 total votes
9 - Tampa Bay Rays
8 - Cincinnati Reds
6 - Minnesota Twins
2 - Texas Rangers
2 - Philadelphia Phillies
1 - New York Yankees
1 - Atlanta Braves
0 - San Francisco Giants
We'll go without a poll for a couple of days until the NLCS and ALCS begin.
I'll probably have another post later today.
Here's how the rooting interest broke down according to the poll question on this blog:
29 total votes
9 - Tampa Bay Rays
8 - Cincinnati Reds
6 - Minnesota Twins
2 - Texas Rangers
2 - Philadelphia Phillies
1 - New York Yankees
1 - Atlanta Braves
0 - San Francisco Giants
We'll go without a poll for a couple of days until the NLCS and ALCS begin.
I'll probably have another post later today.
Friday, October 8, 2010
More on the Instructs
Nick Piecoro is flat out killing it on his blog lately. You want information on just about every Silver Hawks player that is in the desert right now? His blog is the place to go: http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/NickPiecoro/Page0
He has thoughts on Keon Broxton, David Nick, Chris Owings, Bobby Borchering, and Tyler Skaggs from the 2010 club, not to mention former Silver Hawks Jarrod Parker and Brandon Webb.
He has thoughts on Keon Broxton, David Nick, Chris Owings, Bobby Borchering, and Tyler Skaggs from the 2010 club, not to mention former Silver Hawks Jarrod Parker and Brandon Webb.
Article on Matt Davidson
Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic wrote an article on Matt Davidson a couple of days back. It's not a huge feature or anything, but a decent article that will hopefully give the Diamondbacks fans in Phoenix something to look forward to in a few years. You can read it here.
Ticket Plans
For those of you that haven't been to www.silverhawks.com lately, you may have missed that ticket plans are now on sale for the 2011 season.
It's important to know that this isn't just full-season tickets. We understand that most people can't make it to 70 home games a year, and that's okay.
You can choose from:
It's important to know that this isn't just full-season tickets. We understand that most people can't make it to 70 home games a year, and that's okay.
You can choose from:
- Full Season Tickets
- Half Season Tickets
- 20-Game Summertime Package
- 12-Game Flex Plan
- 10-Game Plan
- 5-Game Plan
All the information can be found at www.silverhawks.com, including the perks for each plan. It's the lead story and you can't miss it. Please take some time to think about this and come support the Hawks at the Cove in 2011.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Baseball America on Tyler Skaggs
In today's Ask BA segment, Baseball America took a crack at analyzing Tyler Skaggs compared to some other pitching prospects in the league. While I sometimes copy and paste stuff from various websites, it's probably better for me to just give you the link so that they can still calculate the number of people going to their website. You can find it here, and the question is the second one down the list.
SPOILER ALERT: LIFE'S NOT FAIR
The posts about Bobby Borchering below have generated a lot of comments, and there seems to be one theme that keeps creeping up that we also saw a lot of very early in the season when the Silver Hawks were struggling. (This post isn't so much about Borchering as it is about top picks versus the rest of the pack -- but he's the one that triggered all this conversation).
The basic argument is that the top draft picks get catered to and get more opportunity than guys that weren't drafted in the first round (or first few rounds). And that top draft picks are always picked as top rated prospects over the lower rated guys.
My response: DUH! OF COURSE THEY ARE!
First of all, these players (Borchering, Owings, Davidson, Belfiore, Pollock, Upton, etc.) were first round picks for a reason. They have talent that was identified by scouts as being better than everyone else's. That's not to say that at this very moment they are better than everyone else, but they have the necessary skill set to be big time players in the major leagues.
Because they were identified as the premier talent, they were drafted in the first round.
Because they were drafted in the first round, they got a higher signing bonus.
Because the Diamondbacks (or any other MLB club) has more money invested in these players than some of the others, it's more important for the "high dollar" players to succeed.
Is this fair to the guy who was a 28th round pick that might make it to the majors too? Probably not, but it's life. I don't know where people got the notion that everything in Minor League Baseball has to be fair to everyone. No where in sports is the playing field level.
Let me ask you this: If you run a radio station, and you have Company A paying you $100,000 a year to advertise on your station and Company B pays you $500 a year to advertise on your station, which one is getting more commercials?
Answer: Company A
That doesn't mean company A is more important than Company B in the grand scheme of things, but to that radio station making the money and playing the commercials, Company A is a big time sponsor.
Oddly, most of the time people compain about this system, they don't give specific examples. However, one commenter did talk about how AJ Pollock got selected to the Arizona Fall League team over Paul Goldschmidt. The argument was that Goldschmidt had a better year, and Pollock didn't play, so it should have been Goldschmidt. However, since Paul was an 8th round pick and AJ was a 1st round pick, the Diamondbacks went with Pollock.
First of all, Goldschmidt had an amazing year -- nobody is disputing that. But do you realize teams are limited to just 7 or 8 players each, and they have to pick the players that they feel need the experience and also fit into the overall team (which they have to combine on with three other MLB teams)? Pollock missed an entire year due to injury and this is a great chance for him to get some work. Goldschmidt destroyed the competition and doesn't really need extra at-bats to prove anything this fall. It's not like they are cutting Goldschmidt, they're just getting Pollock some much needed work.
And your argument about not catering to lesser draft picks holds no water. Here are the Diamondbacks representatives on the Arizona Fall League and their draft rounds:
Josh Collmenter - 15th Round
Marc Krauss - 2nd Round
AJ Pollock - 1st Round
Konrad Schmidt - NOT DRAFTED AT ALL
Bryan Shaw - 2nd Round
Daniel Stange - 7th Round
Bryan Woodall - 21st Round
So there are as many players from the 15th round or later (3) as there are from the top two rounds (3).
Again, I'm not trying to defend certain players or put down others. But this whole mindset that it is unfair for the Diamondbacks to cater to their top draft picks is laughable. Baseball has worked this way since its inception, it's not going to change now (nor should it).
The basic argument is that the top draft picks get catered to and get more opportunity than guys that weren't drafted in the first round (or first few rounds). And that top draft picks are always picked as top rated prospects over the lower rated guys.
My response: DUH! OF COURSE THEY ARE!
First of all, these players (Borchering, Owings, Davidson, Belfiore, Pollock, Upton, etc.) were first round picks for a reason. They have talent that was identified by scouts as being better than everyone else's. That's not to say that at this very moment they are better than everyone else, but they have the necessary skill set to be big time players in the major leagues.
Because they were identified as the premier talent, they were drafted in the first round.
Because they were drafted in the first round, they got a higher signing bonus.
Because the Diamondbacks (or any other MLB club) has more money invested in these players than some of the others, it's more important for the "high dollar" players to succeed.
Is this fair to the guy who was a 28th round pick that might make it to the majors too? Probably not, but it's life. I don't know where people got the notion that everything in Minor League Baseball has to be fair to everyone. No where in sports is the playing field level.
Let me ask you this: If you run a radio station, and you have Company A paying you $100,000 a year to advertise on your station and Company B pays you $500 a year to advertise on your station, which one is getting more commercials?
Answer: Company A
That doesn't mean company A is more important than Company B in the grand scheme of things, but to that radio station making the money and playing the commercials, Company A is a big time sponsor.
Oddly, most of the time people compain about this system, they don't give specific examples. However, one commenter did talk about how AJ Pollock got selected to the Arizona Fall League team over Paul Goldschmidt. The argument was that Goldschmidt had a better year, and Pollock didn't play, so it should have been Goldschmidt. However, since Paul was an 8th round pick and AJ was a 1st round pick, the Diamondbacks went with Pollock.
First of all, Goldschmidt had an amazing year -- nobody is disputing that. But do you realize teams are limited to just 7 or 8 players each, and they have to pick the players that they feel need the experience and also fit into the overall team (which they have to combine on with three other MLB teams)? Pollock missed an entire year due to injury and this is a great chance for him to get some work. Goldschmidt destroyed the competition and doesn't really need extra at-bats to prove anything this fall. It's not like they are cutting Goldschmidt, they're just getting Pollock some much needed work.
And your argument about not catering to lesser draft picks holds no water. Here are the Diamondbacks representatives on the Arizona Fall League and their draft rounds:
Josh Collmenter - 15th Round
Marc Krauss - 2nd Round
AJ Pollock - 1st Round
Konrad Schmidt - NOT DRAFTED AT ALL
Bryan Shaw - 2nd Round
Daniel Stange - 7th Round
Bryan Woodall - 21st Round
So there are as many players from the 15th round or later (3) as there are from the top two rounds (3).
Again, I'm not trying to defend certain players or put down others. But this whole mindset that it is unfair for the Diamondbacks to cater to their top draft picks is laughable. Baseball has worked this way since its inception, it's not going to change now (nor should it).
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Speakers Bureau
Sorry for no posts earlier today...I was out giving a speech to Berrien Springs High School in Michigan. They are preparing for homecoming this weekend so I think it was a good break for the students from the usual grind of daily classes to have me talk about Minor League Baseball. My thanks to the Shamrocks for having me out to talk.
Don't forget that if you want me, Joe Kernan, Mark Haley, or another Silver Hawks staff member to talk to your group, we're more than willing to do so free of charge. You can find all the information online here.
You have one day left to vote for who you are rooting for in the MLB playoffs. The results will be posted soon with a new question going up tomorrow or Thursday.
Don't forget that if you want me, Joe Kernan, Mark Haley, or another Silver Hawks staff member to talk to your group, we're more than willing to do so free of charge. You can find all the information online here.
You have one day left to vote for who you are rooting for in the MLB playoffs. The results will be posted soon with a new question going up tomorrow or Thursday.
Monday, October 4, 2010
More on Borchering
In the post below this one, I commented that I was somewhat surprised Bobby Borchering wasn't in the top 20 prospects for the Midwest League. One comment underneath questioned my opinion, and even though I replied there, I figured it was worth spending a few minutes discussing why I think Bobby Borchering is a strong prospect.
Let's break it down quickly by some categories:
Power - He's got plenty of it from both sides of the plate...no real need to debate this any more.
Average - Started slow, but hit .286 in the second half to finish at .270 overall for the season. Is that outstanding? No. It is pretty good for a 19-year-old who was drafted out of high school and is playing his first full season of baseball? Yes. We get so caught up in guys hitting .300 that we forget what a huge adjustment it is to go from a high school season to professional baseball. Let's also not forget that Justin Upton hit .263 when he was in South Bend and then hit .319 in Visalia/Mobile the next year.
Speed - Okay, so Bobby is not going to win any speed contests, nor is he going to steal bases. Who cares? There are plenty of guys who don't run that well but can still hit the ball a ton. Would you rather have a guy hit 30 homers or steal 30 bases? I'll take the homers.
Defense - I hate arguing about defense because it's difficult to do. I think Bobby can stick at third base, and I think the only way he gets better is by playing there every day instead of splitting time with Matt Davidson at the hot corner. How this works in the future if they are on the same team is left up to someone a lot smarter than me. He's not the best defensive third baseman I've ever seen, but he can play the position. I want to scream every time a scout or talent evaluator writes that a guy can't stick at one position. Are we seriously deciding at the age of 19 that he can't play third base? If you trusted all the "experts", then there would never be anyone who makes it to the majors as an infielder because no one is "good enough" to stay there forever. And if they decide they have a better third base option, then teach him how to play first. It's not that big of a deal.
X Factor - I don't know what an X factor is. The commenter in the post below said that Bobby lacked the X factor. Here's what I know...Bobby grew more both on and off the field than any other player on the Silver Hawks this year. He went from putting all the pressure in the world on himself to finally relaxing and enjoying the game -- and when that happened, his stats got better. Again, he's 19. Let's give him a few years to develop before we start saying he lacks the "X Factor", whatever that might be.
Summary: I know this may sound like I'm heaping praise on Bobby Borchering, and there's some truth to that. He is a good player, but still has a lot of work to do in order to reach his full potential. But in the five years that I've been in the Midwest League, he's among the most naturally talented players I've seen. I think he just scratched the surface of his abilities this year and I expect him to continue to get better as the years go by.
Remember, Baseball America wasn't ranking the best players in the league this year. If they were, then no, Borchering is not in the top 20. What they are ranking is the top 20 prospects -- meaning who they think will have the best futures. I've been wrong before, but I think Borchering will ultimately turn out to be one of the 20 best "alumni" from the 2010 Midwest League season.
Let's break it down quickly by some categories:
Power - He's got plenty of it from both sides of the plate...no real need to debate this any more.
Average - Started slow, but hit .286 in the second half to finish at .270 overall for the season. Is that outstanding? No. It is pretty good for a 19-year-old who was drafted out of high school and is playing his first full season of baseball? Yes. We get so caught up in guys hitting .300 that we forget what a huge adjustment it is to go from a high school season to professional baseball. Let's also not forget that Justin Upton hit .263 when he was in South Bend and then hit .319 in Visalia/Mobile the next year.
Speed - Okay, so Bobby is not going to win any speed contests, nor is he going to steal bases. Who cares? There are plenty of guys who don't run that well but can still hit the ball a ton. Would you rather have a guy hit 30 homers or steal 30 bases? I'll take the homers.
Defense - I hate arguing about defense because it's difficult to do. I think Bobby can stick at third base, and I think the only way he gets better is by playing there every day instead of splitting time with Matt Davidson at the hot corner. How this works in the future if they are on the same team is left up to someone a lot smarter than me. He's not the best defensive third baseman I've ever seen, but he can play the position. I want to scream every time a scout or talent evaluator writes that a guy can't stick at one position. Are we seriously deciding at the age of 19 that he can't play third base? If you trusted all the "experts", then there would never be anyone who makes it to the majors as an infielder because no one is "good enough" to stay there forever. And if they decide they have a better third base option, then teach him how to play first. It's not that big of a deal.
X Factor - I don't know what an X factor is. The commenter in the post below said that Bobby lacked the X factor. Here's what I know...Bobby grew more both on and off the field than any other player on the Silver Hawks this year. He went from putting all the pressure in the world on himself to finally relaxing and enjoying the game -- and when that happened, his stats got better. Again, he's 19. Let's give him a few years to develop before we start saying he lacks the "X Factor", whatever that might be.
Summary: I know this may sound like I'm heaping praise on Bobby Borchering, and there's some truth to that. He is a good player, but still has a lot of work to do in order to reach his full potential. But in the five years that I've been in the Midwest League, he's among the most naturally talented players I've seen. I think he just scratched the surface of his abilities this year and I expect him to continue to get better as the years go by.
Remember, Baseball America wasn't ranking the best players in the league this year. If they were, then no, Borchering is not in the top 20. What they are ranking is the top 20 prospects -- meaning who they think will have the best futures. I've been wrong before, but I think Borchering will ultimately turn out to be one of the 20 best "alumni" from the 2010 Midwest League season.
Friday, October 1, 2010
MWL Top 20 Prospects
Baseball America has released the list of top 20 prospects in the Midwest League. It's not a surprise that Mike Trout of Cedar Rapids headlines the list.
Who else made it? Check it out here.
Not surprisingly, there are three Silver Hawks on the list. Somewhat surprisingly, Bobby Borchering isn't one of them.
Matt Davidson checks in at #9
Tyler Skaggs is #10
Chris Owings is #17
I'd have to think that Borchering was just outside of the top 20.
Who else made it? Check it out here.
Not surprisingly, there are three Silver Hawks on the list. Somewhat surprisingly, Bobby Borchering isn't one of them.
Matt Davidson checks in at #9
Tyler Skaggs is #10
Chris Owings is #17
I'd have to think that Borchering was just outside of the top 20.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Rumors, Rumors, Rumors
One of my favorite offseason websites is MLBTradeRumors.com, because it gives a lot of information in a concise manner (with links to take you to the full stories). Over the last 24 hours, they've had a lot of Diamondbacks talk. The easiest way is to just sort by team, so if you go to this link, you can read all about Mark Reynolds trade rumors, Adam LaRoche strikeout problems, and Brandon Webb throwing only 81 mph in instructs.
New Poll Question
There's a new poll question up on the right, asking who you will root for in the postseason. Since we don't know which two out of the Giants, Padres, and Braves will make it, I've included all three for voting purposes.
You all know I'm a Reds fan, so that's where my vote goes.
You all know I'm a Reds fan, so that's where my vote goes.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
15 Years is a Long Time to Wait
I realize this is a Silver Hawks blog, and the Silver Hawks are affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but I have to take a minute to show some pride in my beloved Cincinnati Reds. The Reds clinched a playoff spot last night for the first time since 1995 when I was 13 years old. This is only the third time in my lifetime that the Reds have made the postseason (1990 and 1995 are the others).
Some pictures from last night (courtesy of whatever websites I stole them from)...
There are a whole bunch of former Midwest League stars in this picture (see list below).
Jay Bruce hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth to win the game and clinch the playoff spot for Cincinnati.
And if you really are going to force me to make this relate to the overall theme of this blog somehow, how about the list of former Midwest Leaguers that are currently on the Reds 40-man roster:
Homer Bailey - Dayton (2005)
Jay Bruce - Dayton (2006)
Jared Burton - Kane County (2003)
Francisco Cordero - West Michigan (1997)
Johnny Cueto - Dayton (2006)
Jim Edmonds - Quad Cities (1989)
Carlos Fisher - Dayton (2006)
Juan Francisco - Dayton (2007)
Ryan Hanigan - Dayton (2002-2003)
Chris Heisey - Dayton (2007)
Ramon Hernandez - West Michigan (1996)
Paul Janish - Dayton (2005-2006)
Nick Masset - Clinton (2003)
Corky Miller - Rockford (1999)
Logan Ondrusek - Dayton (2006)
Jordan Smith - Dayton (2007)
Drew Stubbs - Dayton (2007)
Chris Valaika - Dayton (2007)
Edinson Volquez - Clinton (2004)
Joey Votto - Dayton (2003-2004)
Travis Wood - Dayton (2006)
Some pictures from last night (courtesy of whatever websites I stole them from)...
There are a whole bunch of former Midwest League stars in this picture (see list below).
Jay Bruce hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth to win the game and clinch the playoff spot for Cincinnati.
And if you really are going to force me to make this relate to the overall theme of this blog somehow, how about the list of former Midwest Leaguers that are currently on the Reds 40-man roster:
Homer Bailey - Dayton (2005)
Jay Bruce - Dayton (2006)
Jared Burton - Kane County (2003)
Francisco Cordero - West Michigan (1997)
Johnny Cueto - Dayton (2006)
Jim Edmonds - Quad Cities (1989)
Carlos Fisher - Dayton (2006)
Juan Francisco - Dayton (2007)
Ryan Hanigan - Dayton (2002-2003)
Chris Heisey - Dayton (2007)
Ramon Hernandez - West Michigan (1996)
Paul Janish - Dayton (2005-2006)
Nick Masset - Clinton (2003)
Corky Miller - Rockford (1999)
Logan Ondrusek - Dayton (2006)
Jordan Smith - Dayton (2007)
Drew Stubbs - Dayton (2007)
Chris Valaika - Dayton (2007)
Edinson Volquez - Clinton (2004)
Joey Votto - Dayton (2003-2004)
Travis Wood - Dayton (2006)
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Top Prospects by League
Baseball America started their annual ranking of the top 20 prospects in each league last week. The best place to follow along is at this link.
The Midwest League will be published on Friday, so I will make sure I update you on that when it's available.
While you're waiting though, it's worth it to go and browse through some of the other leagues to familiarize yourself with some names you might see in the MWL in 2011.
The Midwest League will be published on Friday, so I will make sure I update you on that when it's available.
While you're waiting though, it's worth it to go and browse through some of the other leagues to familiarize yourself with some names you might see in the MWL in 2011.
Silver Hawks Record Book
One of my big projects thus far during the offseason has been creating a South Bend Silver Hawks (and White Sox) Record Book. This little project has required combing through 23 years of stats and finding the single season and career leaders in most offensive, pitching, and defensive categories.
If you've ever wondered who is the all-time leader in home runs or who struck out the most batters in one season for the South Bend franchise, it's now available.
You can check it out now at www.silverhawks.com under the Stats tab at the top of the page. Look for Silver Hawks Record Book in the drop down menu.
If you've ever wondered who is the all-time leader in home runs or who struck out the most batters in one season for the South Bend franchise, it's now available.
You can check it out now at www.silverhawks.com under the Stats tab at the top of the page. Look for Silver Hawks Record Book in the drop down menu.
Monday, September 27, 2010
More on the Bees
While researching the Burlington/Oakland situation, I came across an article from a few weeks ago announcing that Bees manager Jim Gabella had been fired by the Royals.
Jim is easily one of the nicest managers in the league, and we certainly hopes that he finds work with another club.
Jim is easily one of the nicest managers in the league, and we certainly hopes that he finds work with another club.
Burlington Signs on with Oakland
With the Kane County Cougars (previously an Oakland A's affiliate) announcing that they signed with the Kansas City Royals last week, it should come as no surprise that the Burlington Bees (previously with the Royals) have now become an Oakland affiliate.
That announcement was made on Thursday by Burlington. As best as I can tell, everyone else in the league will stay the same for the 2011 season.
That announcement was made on Thursday by Burlington. As best as I can tell, everyone else in the league will stay the same for the 2011 season.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Kevin Towers Chosen as D'Backs GM
Not a real big surprise here, given that all the speculation had him as the leading candidate from day one.
Here's the story from the Diamondbacks home page.
Nick Piecoro also has some thoughts on his blog for the Arizona Republic.
Nick suggests that interim GM Jerry DiPoto is not likely to stick around, given that he was a finalist for the position.
What does all this mean from a Silver Hawks standpoint? Not much, unless Kevin Towers starts implementing "his guys" in positions throughout the system (farm directors, instructors, managers, coaches, etc.)
Here's the story from the Diamondbacks home page.
Nick Piecoro also has some thoughts on his blog for the Arizona Republic.
Nick suggests that interim GM Jerry DiPoto is not likely to stick around, given that he was a finalist for the position.
What does all this mean from a Silver Hawks standpoint? Not much, unless Kevin Towers starts implementing "his guys" in positions throughout the system (farm directors, instructors, managers, coaches, etc.)
Didn't See This One Coming
The Kane County Cougars have ended their affilliation with the Oakland A's and have linked up with the Kansas City Royals for 2011 and beyond.
You can read the article here.
You might be wondering why I say I didn't see this one coming in the headline. Well, usually when an affiliation ends, one party is not happy with the other.
But the Oakland A's have always given the Cougars good players, enough so that they make the playoffs basically every year and have won quite a few championships. And on the flip side, the Cougars draw a good crowd, have a nice ballpark, and provide the players with what they need, so why would Oakland not be happy? Seems odd to me.
Anyhow, this now means that the Burlington Bees are without an affiliate because they were previously with the Royals. I've not seen an announcement yet as to whether they will go with the A's, or if someone else might be available.
One obvious advantage of Kane County going with Kansas City...they both are "KC" teams so it could be a merchandise bonus.
You can read the article here.
You might be wondering why I say I didn't see this one coming in the headline. Well, usually when an affiliation ends, one party is not happy with the other.
But the Oakland A's have always given the Cougars good players, enough so that they make the playoffs basically every year and have won quite a few championships. And on the flip side, the Cougars draw a good crowd, have a nice ballpark, and provide the players with what they need, so why would Oakland not be happy? Seems odd to me.
Anyhow, this now means that the Burlington Bees are without an affiliate because they were previously with the Royals. I've not seen an announcement yet as to whether they will go with the A's, or if someone else might be available.
One obvious advantage of Kane County going with Kansas City...they both are "KC" teams so it could be a merchandise bonus.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Lake County -- 2010 Midwest League Champions
I tell you what, the Midwest League playoffs had a little bit of everything. Every series went the maximum number of games, and every game had drama and intrigue. The only thing missing was the Silver Hawks.
Here's the recap links for game five on Monday night:
Lake County 3, Clinton 1 -- Lake County wins series 3-2
Game story can be found here.
Box score is at this link.
Here's the recap links for game five on Monday night:
Lake County 3, Clinton 1 -- Lake County wins series 3-2
Game story can be found here.
Box score is at this link.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
MWL Finals - Game Four Summary
Here's tonight summary:
Clinton 3, Lake County 2 - Series tied 2-2
The LumberKings scored twice in the top of the eighth on RBI singles from Mickey Wiswall and Blake Ochoa. The win means that a deciding game five will take place tomorrow at Lake County.
Oddly, every series of the MWL playoffs has gone to the maximum number of games.
No blog updates on Monday because of all day meetings. I'll be back on Tuesday with a recap of game five and any other information that is relevant.
Clinton 3, Lake County 2 - Series tied 2-2
The LumberKings scored twice in the top of the eighth on RBI singles from Mickey Wiswall and Blake Ochoa. The win means that a deciding game five will take place tomorrow at Lake County.
Oddly, every series of the MWL playoffs has gone to the maximum number of games.
No blog updates on Monday because of all day meetings. I'll be back on Tuesday with a recap of game five and any other information that is relevant.
MWL Finals - Game Three Summary
Game three was Saturday night. Sorry for the late update.
Lake County 7, Clinton 3 -- Captains lead series 2-1
Summary: The Captains basically dominated from the beginning, taking an early 4-0 lead and never looking back. Brett Brach struck out 9 in 6.2 innings for the win. Tyler Holt had two hits, a homer, three runs scored, and two RBIs.
Game four is tonight (Sunday) at 6:30 PM Eastern. I have an all day meeting tomorrow, so I'll try to update the blog tonight before I call it a day.
Lake County 7, Clinton 3 -- Captains lead series 2-1
Summary: The Captains basically dominated from the beginning, taking an early 4-0 lead and never looking back. Brett Brach struck out 9 in 6.2 innings for the win. Tyler Holt had two hits, a homer, three runs scored, and two RBIs.
Game four is tonight (Sunday) at 6:30 PM Eastern. I have an all day meeting tomorrow, so I'll try to update the blog tonight before I call it a day.
Friday, September 17, 2010
AFL and Instructs Rosters
I'm a few days late in actually posting this, but I wanted to provide the players that will appear in the Arizona Fall League and the Instructional League. The AFL is a bit more prestigious with the more advanced players, while the instructs league is for younger prospects.
AFL Players (each MLB team provides 7-8 guys to this league)
Josh Collmenter - P
Marc Krauss - OF
A.J. Pollock - OF
Konrad Schmidt - C
Bryan Shaw - P
Daniel Stange - P
Bryan Woodall - P
Instructional League (only former Silver Hawks included. The rest of the roster is made up of Missoula and Yakima players)
Bradin Hagens - P
Kevin Munson - P
Jarrod Parker - P
Tyler Skaggs - P
Jae-Yun Kim - C (played a handful of games with South Bend)
Bobby Borchering - INF
Matt Davidson - INF
Matt Helm - INF
David Nick - INF
Chris Owings - INF
Keon Broxton - OF
AFL Players (each MLB team provides 7-8 guys to this league)
Josh Collmenter - P
Marc Krauss - OF
A.J. Pollock - OF
Konrad Schmidt - C
Bryan Shaw - P
Daniel Stange - P
Bryan Woodall - P
Instructional League (only former Silver Hawks included. The rest of the roster is made up of Missoula and Yakima players)
Bradin Hagens - P
Kevin Munson - P
Jarrod Parker - P
Tyler Skaggs - P
Jae-Yun Kim - C (played a handful of games with South Bend)
Bobby Borchering - INF
Matt Davidson - INF
Matt Helm - INF
David Nick - INF
Chris Owings - INF
Keon Broxton - OF
MWL Finals Game Two
Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you count them up, that's 18 exclamation points. One for every inning played in game two of the Midwest League finals last night. Let's get to the recap....
Clinton 8, Lake County 7 (18 innings) - Best-of-5 series is tied at one each
Clinton led 4-0 heading to the seventh. Lake County scored two in the top of the 7th to make it 4-2. Clinton scored two in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2. Lake County then scored two runs in both the eighth and ninth to force extras. Delvi Cid hit a two run homer in the top of the ninth to force the tie.
Neither team scored in the 10th or 11th. Roberto Perez homered in the top of the 12th to make it a 7-6 Captains lead (their first lead of the game). Clinton answered in the bottom of the 12th on a RBI single by Carlos Ramirez. One run scored, but Greg Folgia threw out a runner at the plate to end the inning and keep the game going.
The 12th through the 17th innings were all scoreless. Finally, in the bottom of the 18th with two outs, the LumberKings worked back-to-back walks from Giovanni Soto. Mario Martinez then reached on a fielder error by third baseman Adam Abraham, allowing the winning run to score from second.
The game took 5 hours and 37 minutes to complete. Yikes.
The two teams will have a much needed off day today, and the series resumes tomorrow in Lake County.
If you count them up, that's 18 exclamation points. One for every inning played in game two of the Midwest League finals last night. Let's get to the recap....
Clinton 8, Lake County 7 (18 innings) - Best-of-5 series is tied at one each
Clinton led 4-0 heading to the seventh. Lake County scored two in the top of the 7th to make it 4-2. Clinton scored two in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2. Lake County then scored two runs in both the eighth and ninth to force extras. Delvi Cid hit a two run homer in the top of the ninth to force the tie.
Neither team scored in the 10th or 11th. Roberto Perez homered in the top of the 12th to make it a 7-6 Captains lead (their first lead of the game). Clinton answered in the bottom of the 12th on a RBI single by Carlos Ramirez. One run scored, but Greg Folgia threw out a runner at the plate to end the inning and keep the game going.
The 12th through the 17th innings were all scoreless. Finally, in the bottom of the 18th with two outs, the LumberKings worked back-to-back walks from Giovanni Soto. Mario Martinez then reached on a fielder error by third baseman Adam Abraham, allowing the winning run to score from second.
The game took 5 hours and 37 minutes to complete. Yikes.
The two teams will have a much needed off day today, and the series resumes tomorrow in Lake County.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
MWL Finals - Game One
I'm sorry for not posting sooner, but we had some meetings this morning to discuss the season and where we are headed for next year. Here is the summary from game one last night:
Lake County 9, Clinton 6 -- Captains have 1-0 lead in best-of-five series
A big win for Lake County on the road last night, overcoming a 6-3 deficit with 2 runs in the seventh and four in the eighth to rally for the victory. Casey Frawley, Jason Smit, and Greg Folgia all had two RBIs to lead the offense. Clinton's second baseman Kevin Mailloux committed two errors which led to four unearned runs. James Jones had a homer and three RBIs for Clinton. Preston Guilmet pitched two scoreless innings at the end of the game to earn his fourth save of the postseason.
Game two is tonight @ Clinton. It's basically a must win for the LumberKings unless they plan on sweeping three straight games at Lake County.
Lake County 9, Clinton 6 -- Captains have 1-0 lead in best-of-five series
A big win for Lake County on the road last night, overcoming a 6-3 deficit with 2 runs in the seventh and four in the eighth to rally for the victory. Casey Frawley, Jason Smit, and Greg Folgia all had two RBIs to lead the offense. Clinton's second baseman Kevin Mailloux committed two errors which led to four unearned runs. James Jones had a homer and three RBIs for Clinton. Preston Guilmet pitched two scoreless innings at the end of the game to earn his fourth save of the postseason.
Game two is tonight @ Clinton. It's basically a must win for the LumberKings unless they plan on sweeping three straight games at Lake County.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
2011 Schedule Released
For those of you that can't wait until next year's season, you can now get an early look at the Silver Hawks schedule for 2011.
It is currently posted as the lead story on www.silverhawks.com with a link to a PDF of the schedule.
Game times and promotions are still to be determined, but at least you can start planning your trips to see the Silver Hawks at the Cove and on the road!
It is currently posted as the lead story on www.silverhawks.com with a link to a PDF of the schedule.
Game times and promotions are still to be determined, but at least you can start planning your trips to see the Silver Hawks at the Cove and on the road!
The MWL Finals are Set
Last night's recap:
Lake County 6, Great Lakes 1 -- Captains win series 2-1
Summary: The Lake County Captains completed an improbable comeback, winning two games on the road at Dow Diamond to eliminate the Great Lakes Loons. Casey Frawley homered and Argenis Martinez had two RBIs to lead the Captains offense. The Loons stranded 11 runners on base, being eliminated in the Eastern Division Finals for the second year in a row.
The Finals begin tonight with the Clinton LumberKings hosting the Lake County Captains in game one of the best-of-five series. Games 1 & 2 are at Clinton, with the final 3 at Lake County. Vote for what you think the result will be on the right side of the page!
Lake County 6, Great Lakes 1 -- Captains win series 2-1
Summary: The Lake County Captains completed an improbable comeback, winning two games on the road at Dow Diamond to eliminate the Great Lakes Loons. Casey Frawley homered and Argenis Martinez had two RBIs to lead the Captains offense. The Loons stranded 11 runners on base, being eliminated in the Eastern Division Finals for the second year in a row.
The Finals begin tonight with the Clinton LumberKings hosting the Lake County Captains in game one of the best-of-five series. Games 1 & 2 are at Clinton, with the final 3 at Lake County. Vote for what you think the result will be on the right side of the page!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Monday's Playoff Results
This has been a fascinating postseason in the Midwest League thus far. Let's get to last night's results:
Lake County 7, Great Lakes 6 - Series tied 1-1
The Captains chased Allen Webster after just 2.2 inning, jumping out to a 6-0 lead. They then held off the Loons rally, and Lake County forced a deciding game three with a 7-6 victory. Two lefties will go in game three tonight with Greg Wilborn facing off against Vidal Nuno at Dow Diamond in Michigan.
Clinton 4, Kane County 1 - LumberKings win series 2-1
The LumberKings advance to the Midwest League Finals for the first time in 17 years with a 4-1 defeat of Kane County. Mickey Wiswall had a two run homer to lead the Clinton offense and Tom Wilhelmsen pitched 7.0 scoreless innings for the L-Kings.
Lake County 7, Great Lakes 6 - Series tied 1-1
The Captains chased Allen Webster after just 2.2 inning, jumping out to a 6-0 lead. They then held off the Loons rally, and Lake County forced a deciding game three with a 7-6 victory. Two lefties will go in game three tonight with Greg Wilborn facing off against Vidal Nuno at Dow Diamond in Michigan.
Clinton 4, Kane County 1 - LumberKings win series 2-1
The LumberKings advance to the Midwest League Finals for the first time in 17 years with a 4-1 defeat of Kane County. Mickey Wiswall had a two run homer to lead the Clinton offense and Tom Wilhelmsen pitched 7.0 scoreless innings for the L-Kings.
From the Bend to the Bigs
Another former Silver Hawks player made his MLB debut last night. This time, it was catcher Konrad Schmidt making an appearance for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Schmidt was a 2008 Silver Hawks catcher, batting .259 with two homers and 18 RBIs for South Bend. He had worked his way through double-A and triple-A this year, earning a late call-up.
He had a pinch hitting appearance last night against the Reds and drew a walk.
Schmidt was a 2008 Silver Hawks catcher, batting .259 with two homers and 18 RBIs for South Bend. He had worked his way through double-A and triple-A this year, earning a late call-up.
He had a pinch hitting appearance last night against the Reds and drew a walk.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday's Playoff Results
Hope everyone enjoyed their first weekend without Silver Hawks baseball. I know it's a weekend too early, but it's just what we have to deal with this year. Here are last night's results around the Midwest League Playoffs:
Great Lakes 10, Lake County 8 -- Loons lead series 1-0
Summary: The final score made the game appear closer than it really was, as Great Lakes at one point led 8-2 and took a 10-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth before holding on for the win. Brian Cavazos-Galvez had four hits (including a home run and triple) and five RBIs to lead the Loons offense. Jonathan Burnette had two homers for the Captains to bring them back into the game, but it wasn't enough. The series shifts to Dow Diamond in Midland, Michigan on Monday night.
Clinton 6, Kane County 2 -- Series is tied 1-1
Summary: The LumberKings protected their home field and avoided elimination with a strong showing on Sunday evening. Mario Martinez went 4-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Clinton at the plate and force a deciding game three on Monday night. The LumberKings will host tonight with the winner moving on to the Midwest League Finals.
Great Lakes 10, Lake County 8 -- Loons lead series 1-0
Summary: The final score made the game appear closer than it really was, as Great Lakes at one point led 8-2 and took a 10-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth before holding on for the win. Brian Cavazos-Galvez had four hits (including a home run and triple) and five RBIs to lead the Loons offense. Jonathan Burnette had two homers for the Captains to bring them back into the game, but it wasn't enough. The series shifts to Dow Diamond in Midland, Michigan on Monday night.
Clinton 6, Kane County 2 -- Series is tied 1-1
Summary: The LumberKings protected their home field and avoided elimination with a strong showing on Sunday evening. Mario Martinez went 4-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Clinton at the plate and force a deciding game three on Monday night. The LumberKings will host tonight with the winner moving on to the Midwest League Finals.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Saturday's Playoff Results
The first night of the division finals was Saturday evening, let's see how it turned out:
Great Lakes @ Lake County, PPD Rain
Summary: The rain that poured on South Bend all morning and early afternoon made it's way to Lake County last night, keeping the two teams from getting started. They will have game one today.
Kane County 4, Clinton 0
Summary: Daniel Straily struck out 11 in 7.0 shutout innings, leading the Cougars to a series opening win at home. Michael Choice (three run shot) and Rashun Dixon (solo homer) went back-to-back in the first inning, giving Kane County the only runs they needed. They'll continue the series in Clinton on Sunday.
Great Lakes @ Lake County, PPD Rain
Summary: The rain that poured on South Bend all morning and early afternoon made it's way to Lake County last night, keeping the two teams from getting started. They will have game one today.
Kane County 4, Clinton 0
Summary: Daniel Straily struck out 11 in 7.0 shutout innings, leading the Cougars to a series opening win at home. Michael Choice (three run shot) and Rashun Dixon (solo homer) went back-to-back in the first inning, giving Kane County the only runs they needed. They'll continue the series in Clinton on Sunday.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Playoff Recap - Round One, Game Three
The first round wrapped up last night, here's what happened (with a quick summary today because it's my first weekend off of work since early April):
Great Lakes 6, Fort Wayne 4
Quick Summary: The TinCaps couldn't hold on to the 3-2 lead on the road, and the Loons rallied to eliminate the defending champions. Rafael Ynoa had a homer and two RBIs to lead the Loons.
Lake County 3, West Michigan 2
Chris Kersten had two RBIs and Jason Smit had a solo homer as the Captains escaped the Whitecaps in Lake County. Preston Guilmet worked 2.2 innings for the save -- his second of the series.
Up Next: Great Lakes will be at Lake County in game one of the series tonight. Josh Wall battled Giovanni Soto in the pitching matchup.
Clinton 6, Cedar Rapids 2
The LumberKings lost game one at home, but then won two on the road to knock off the Kernels. Tyler Kehrer was an emergency starter for Cedar Rapids, but didn't get out of the first inning giving up three runs on two hits and three walks. No official word yet on what happened to their scheduled starter Stephen Locke.
Kane County 15, Quad Cities 7
The Cougars did the same as Clinton -- lose game one at home then win two on the road. They routed the River Bandits last night, with eight different players picking up a RBI.
Up Next: The Cougars host the LumberKings in game one of the Western Division finals tonight. Dan Straily on the mound for Kane County against Clinton's Taylor Stanton.
Great Lakes 6, Fort Wayne 4
Quick Summary: The TinCaps couldn't hold on to the 3-2 lead on the road, and the Loons rallied to eliminate the defending champions. Rafael Ynoa had a homer and two RBIs to lead the Loons.
Lake County 3, West Michigan 2
Chris Kersten had two RBIs and Jason Smit had a solo homer as the Captains escaped the Whitecaps in Lake County. Preston Guilmet worked 2.2 innings for the save -- his second of the series.
Up Next: Great Lakes will be at Lake County in game one of the series tonight. Josh Wall battled Giovanni Soto in the pitching matchup.
Clinton 6, Cedar Rapids 2
The LumberKings lost game one at home, but then won two on the road to knock off the Kernels. Tyler Kehrer was an emergency starter for Cedar Rapids, but didn't get out of the first inning giving up three runs on two hits and three walks. No official word yet on what happened to their scheduled starter Stephen Locke.
Kane County 15, Quad Cities 7
The Cougars did the same as Clinton -- lose game one at home then win two on the road. They routed the River Bandits last night, with eight different players picking up a RBI.
Up Next: The Cougars host the LumberKings in game one of the Western Division finals tonight. Dan Straily on the mound for Kane County against Clinton's Taylor Stanton.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Playoff Recap - Round One, Game Two
Well, well, well, isn't this interesting? All the losers from game one came back and won game two. All four matchups are going to a deciding third game tonight. Below are last night's results...
Great Lakes 10, Fort Wayne 5
Main Storyline: The Loons scored eight runs in the eighth inning to rally from what was once a 3-0 deficit to post a 10-5 victory and keep their season alive.
Secondary Storyline: Both teams have won at home. The Loons host tonight.
Up Next: Game three is at Great Lakes tonight at 7:05 PM. RHP Jerry Sullivan goes for Fort Wayne against RHP Matt Magill for the Loons.
West Michigan 8, Lake County 0
Main Storyline: The Whitecaps avoided elimination by pounding out eight runs on 19 hits in a shutout of the Captains.
Secondary Storyline: Trevor Feeney (WP, 1-0) went 8.1 innings without allowing a run in the winning effort for the Whitecaps.
Up Next: Game three is at Lake County tonight at 6:30 PM. Neither team has won at home in this series. Jared Wesson goes for the Whitecaps against Jason Knapp for the Captains.
Kane County 5, Quad Cities 4
Main Storyline: Kane County had homers from Conner Crumbliss and Rashun Dixon as part of a five-run second inning, and then held on late to stave off elimination.
Secondary Storyline: The Cougars tried to blow the big lead, but stranded the tying run on base in the ninth. Kane County used three different pitchers in the ninth inning to stay alive.
Up Next: Game three is at Quad Cities tonight at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. Chris Mederos goes for the Cougars against Daniel Bibona for the River Bandits.
Clinton 8, Cedar Rapids 2
Main Storyline: Clinton methodically dismantled the Kernels by scoring runs in five of their nine at-bats to force a decisive game three.
Secondary Storyline: Like two other teams in the league, the Kernels failed to wrap up a series on their home field, and now must go against a tough pitcher in game three.
Up Next: Game three is at Cedar Rapids tonight at 7:35 PM Eastern Time. The pitching matchup will feature Erasmo Ramirez for Clinton and Stephen Locke for Cedar Rapids.
Great Lakes 10, Fort Wayne 5
Main Storyline: The Loons scored eight runs in the eighth inning to rally from what was once a 3-0 deficit to post a 10-5 victory and keep their season alive.
Secondary Storyline: Both teams have won at home. The Loons host tonight.
Up Next: Game three is at Great Lakes tonight at 7:05 PM. RHP Jerry Sullivan goes for Fort Wayne against RHP Matt Magill for the Loons.
West Michigan 8, Lake County 0
Main Storyline: The Whitecaps avoided elimination by pounding out eight runs on 19 hits in a shutout of the Captains.
Secondary Storyline: Trevor Feeney (WP, 1-0) went 8.1 innings without allowing a run in the winning effort for the Whitecaps.
Up Next: Game three is at Lake County tonight at 6:30 PM. Neither team has won at home in this series. Jared Wesson goes for the Whitecaps against Jason Knapp for the Captains.
Kane County 5, Quad Cities 4
Main Storyline: Kane County had homers from Conner Crumbliss and Rashun Dixon as part of a five-run second inning, and then held on late to stave off elimination.
Secondary Storyline: The Cougars tried to blow the big lead, but stranded the tying run on base in the ninth. Kane County used three different pitchers in the ninth inning to stay alive.
Up Next: Game three is at Quad Cities tonight at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. Chris Mederos goes for the Cougars against Daniel Bibona for the River Bandits.
Clinton 8, Cedar Rapids 2
Main Storyline: Clinton methodically dismantled the Kernels by scoring runs in five of their nine at-bats to force a decisive game three.
Secondary Storyline: Like two other teams in the league, the Kernels failed to wrap up a series on their home field, and now must go against a tough pitcher in game three.
Up Next: Game three is at Cedar Rapids tonight at 7:35 PM Eastern Time. The pitching matchup will feature Erasmo Ramirez for Clinton and Stephen Locke for Cedar Rapids.
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