Friday, February 26, 2010

Your Support Appreciated

I posted about this last month, but I'm going to keep posting about it occasionally because it is that important to me.

On June 19th, the South Bend Silver Hawks will be hosting a fundraising walk for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. For those of you that don't know, I have Crohn's Disease and it is very important to me to raise money for this cause. Even if you don't have the means to donate, just being aware of this issue is a big step.

For my story or to donate, click here.

To register to walk as well, go here (and send me a note at oserey@silverhawks.com if you decide to walk).

D'Backs Want Miguel Montero Locked Up Long Term

More from Steve Gilbert about the Diamondbacks wanting to sign former Silver Hawks catcher Miguel Montero to a long term deal.

Montero, 26, was a member of the 2004 South Bend Silver Hawks. While in South Bend, he hit .263 with 11 homers and 59 RBIs. He also led the team with 36 walks, helping him to post a .330 on-base percentage.

On Zavada's Intensity

Steve Gilbert of MLB.com has a blog post about Thursday's workouts for the Diamondbacks, and again, I encourage you to just bookmark his blog and visit it frequently: http://taoofsteve.mlblogs.com/

However, when I see something on there that strikes me, I'll bring it over here for you to read as well.

The note that struck me today was about Clay Zavada:

"Clay Zavada threw some good curveballs during his batting practice session. His intensity during the session drew laughs from his teammates. Whether it's batting practice or not, Zavada treats every time on the mound like it's Game 7 of the World Series."

I was working with Dayton at the time Zavada was in South Bend, but I always thought he was very intense and intimidating on the mound. Looks like he still has it, even in February!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Tickets on Sale March 1st

I've been blogging a bunch the last few days, trying to gear up for the season when I post 4-5 times a day. So just get in the habit of scrolling down a bit to make sure you catch everything.

Anyhow, back to the subject of this post. Individual game tickets for the 2010 season will go on sale Monday, March 1st at 12 noon on www.silverhawks.com. This will be the only place you can get your tickets at first. Then, on March 13th, tickets will be on sale at the Coveleski Stadium box office as well.

Email me at oserey@silverhawks.com with any questions.

Joe Kernan in Vietnam

For those of you that don't live around South Bend, you may not know the story of Silver Hawks Team President Joe Kernan. And for those of you that do live here, this will serve as a great refresher on a true local hero.

Joe played college baseball at Notre Dame, and then served the USA in Vietnam. While there, Joe's plane was shot down and he was held as a Prisoner of War for 11 months.

Upon returning, Joe embarked on a lengthy career in politics, serving as South Bend's mayor and working his way up to Governor of Indiana.

When the Silver Hawks were in danger of leaving South Bend a few years ago, Joe stepped in with a group of investors and bought the team, ensuring that baseball would remain in northern Indiana.

Regardless of your political affiliation, one thing we can all agree on is that Joe is a local hero and served this country admirably during Vietnam. For the first time since being a POW, Joe returned to Vietnam last week in what has to be an incredibly emotional journey.

WSBT did a lengthy interview with Joe and his wife Maggie before he left, which you can find here. Beginning March 1st, there will be a series of reports on WSBT (and I assume WSBT.com) about Joe's trip back to Vietnam for the first time in 37 years.

If you get the time, I recommend you check out these stories. Many of you have commented about how you see Joe out and about at the stadium, sitting to watch the games and shaking hands with fans all around the ballpark. These stories and reports will give you an idea of how blessed Michiana is to have Joe and his wife Maggie as a part of this community.

Inside the Front Office

A lot of people have asked me what happens during the offseason inside a baseball front office. Basically, we just play video games, have pizza parties, and take long afternoon naps.

In all seriousness, the offseason to a baseball front office is more important than the season. Over the past 5-6 months, the Silver Hawks staff has been preparing for the 2010 season in every possible way. I know that seems obvious, but a lot more work goes into it than people realize.

Just think...

-Every promotional night you experience at the stadium was planned during the offseason
-Every giveaway item was thought up, designed, made, and purchased during the offseason
-Every employee you interact with (concessions, ushers, ticket takers) was hired during the offseason
-Every ad you see or hear (billboards, programs, radio) was sold to area businesses during the offseason
-Every piece of merchandise you buy was designed, reviewed, and ordered during the offseason
-Every change you see to the stadium was done during the offseason
-And so much more

Basically, we spend 6 months of the offseason planning 6 months of the season. I know I haven't been in South Bend very long, but I feel that what we have planned for the 2010 season will make it the best season of Silver Hawks baseball yet.

The fan support last year was tremendous, despite horrible weather when the team was at home. We look for bigger and better crowds this season at the Cove, but you'll also be able to see the players and Swoop out and about in the community a lot more this season than in years past.

Individual game tickets go on sale online March 1st at www.silverhawks.com and at the box office on March 13th.

42 Days until Opening Day
39 Days until the Silver vs. Gold Exhibition with Notre Dame

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

How About Some Love for Jordan Norberto?

I remember watching Jordan Norberto pitch for the Silver Hawks in 2007 and 2008, while I was broadcasting for the Dayton Dragons. Given that he had an ERA north of 5.00 in both seasons with South Bend, the general consensus was that Norberto had a lot of work to do if he ever wanted to make the majors.

Fast forward two years, and he's in big league camp impressing the heck out of Diamondbacks officials. Still a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, Norberto could certainly find himself in the bigs at some point in 2010, and certainly in 2011.

Steve Gilbert's Blog

I think I've probably linked you here before, but just a reminder that for extensive Diamondbacks coverage, a good place to go is Steve Gilbert's Blog. He's the Diamondbacks beat writer for MLB.com, and he's been blogging a lot more than usual the past few weeks. Good information on this site, so add it to your favorites.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Daily Promotions

In case you don't get the Silver Hawks email newsletter (which you can sign up for here), here's a list of the daily promotions for the upcoming season:

U93 & Pepsi Dollar Mondays - Everyone's favorite Dollar Monday is back with $1 bleacher tickets, hot dogs and Pepsi products every Monday home game (excluding May 3). Cheer on the Silver Hawks with Rob & AJ from U93's Morning Show.

NEW THIS SEASON... Jump start your Dollar Mondays with a pre-game concert with Alligator Blackbird starting May 10!

WAOR Twofer Tuesday - Tune into WAOR 95.3 every Tuesday morning for an update from Silver Hawks Manager Mark Haley or radio broadcaster Owen Serey. Visit WAOR.com for a special two-for-one price on tickets to every Tuesday home game.

WZOW Wacky Wednesday - Wednesdays get a little wacky with fun promotions all season long including Half-Way to Halloween (April 21), Girls' Night Out (June 2), Stache Bash (July 21) and much more!

103.9 The Bear & Pepsi Thirsty Thursdays - Have you heard... $1 BEERS are back! The Silver Hawks, The Bear and Pepsi will quench your thirst with $1 draft beer and Pepsi products.

Friday Fireworks,sponsored by 1st Source Bank, return starting May 28. Following each Friday home game, fans will be treated to a spectacular fireworks display.

Introducing... Souvenir Saturdays! Every Saturday home game will feature a premium giveaway item and a special souvenir discount for the night. Giveaway items include fleece blankets, seat cushions, baseball hats, bats and bobbleheads!

Sunday Funday - Every Sunday game is a fun-filled afternoon at the Cove with Swoop's Sidekicks, Post-Game Run the Bases and special Canines at the Cove events throughout the season.

Promotions are always subject to change, but the Silver Hawks will keep fans up-to-date throughout the season.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Catching Up from the Weekend

Let's catch up on a few things, shall we?

-Nick Piecoro has video of Dan Haren and others pitching in spring training. Granted, it's not the most exciting video in the world, but it still is nice to watch given that some parts of this area are going to see up to 8 inches of snow today.

-If going to Outback Steakhouse, may I recommend the pattern of food that I had last night. Start with the Aussie Cheese Fries, enjoy a house salad next, then enjoy your steak with a baked potato slathered in butter and bacon. I'm still full.

-Johnny Damon is now a Detroit Tiger, ending what should go down as the worst offseason ever for an agent and his client. To be honest, the Tigers still paid too much for him. He turned down two years/14 million from the Yankees, and ended up signing for one year/8 million. Now obviously, if you look at it per year, he did okay for himself. But they wanted a multi-year contract, and more money than they ended up getting.

-A Public Service Announcement for the guys: If you're wife/fiancee/girlfriend/significant other is begging you to take her out, the movie "Valentine's Day" is entertaining enough that you can save some dignity even though I'd still consider it a "chick flick". It has to be a far superior option for the guys than Dear John. You can thank me later.

-My buddy Will "The Thrill" Geoghegan has finished his top 50 prospects on the Cape over the last decade. You can catch up on them all here.

-Finally, I'll be giving a speech today in Mishawaka. If your group/school/business is interested in having a speaker from the Silver Hawks (GM Lynn Kachmarik, Mark Haley, or even your favorite radio broadcaster), you can find the information here.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Something Other than Tiger

The whole world is abuzz about Tiger Woods press conference today (although if he's not taking questions, it's not really a conference, now is it?).

Honestly, I really don't care. He doesn't owe me an apology, nor does he owe you one. But he's a public figure, needs to save face, so whatever.

Let's focus on the more important stuff: BASEBALL. Here are some links for you:

-Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly is a Silver Hawks fan: http://nwitimes.com/sports/college/article_f073a046-0b74-5682-8fa1-3f78acdc97d4.html

-ESPN has spring capsules for every team, here's the National League and here's the American League.

-CBS Sportsline has a ridiculously early Power Rankings column.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There really aren't enough exclamation points in the world to explain how excited I am about pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training and workouts beginning today.

Rather than let us enjoy it, Nick Piecoro over at the AZ Republic is starting a debate that will most likely linger through most of Spring Training: Dan Haren or Brandon Webb on Opening Day.

He lays out the two sides of debate at the link above.

My vote: Dan Haren.

I'm all for honoring the veteran who has been with you for years, but Haren is the better pitcher right now.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Jarrod Parker Begins Throwing

The odds of Parker pitching in 2010 are still very slim, but an encouraging sign is that he began throwing again this week.

The article states that the plan was for him to be ready to pitch in the Fall Instructional League this year, but if everything goes ahead of schedule, he could pitch before then.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

That Time of Year Again

As players are getting ready to start spring training, there just isn't going to be enough room for everyone. As we progress through the next month and a half, I'll keep you updated with any news or notes I can from the desert, including possible players that look to be heading towards South Bend, as well as those that get released.

Tonight, we start with bad news for a former Silver Hawk. Manny Ferrer has been released by the Diamondbacks.

Manny had been on the restricted list since July. In 40 games with Visalia in 2009, Ferrer hit just .127. Ferrer also spent two seasons with South Bend, never batting higher than .246 in his four year minor league career.

I'm Back

Sorry for the delay in posts.

In the last week, I've...

-Had my computer crash, losing all my programs (but saving all my documents -- thank God)

-I had already planned to go to Charlotte this past weekend for my twin nieces 4th birthday. So I drove from South Bend to northern Kentucky (my hometown) on Thursday night. Drove to Charlotte on Friday, dealing with traffic and snow. Then, it snowed in Charlotte! I was hoping to go south to escape the weather, and I ended up building a snowman in Charlotte on Saturday.

-I drove back to northern Kentucky Sunday night, but couldn't get back to South Bend on Monday because the snow in the Cincy area was so bad and heavy, I couldn't get my car out of my street.

-So I got up at the crack of dawn this morning, and drove back to South Bend. On my way back, I witnessed a jack-knifed truck, a car spin out roughly 250 feet in front of me, and all sorts of other cars spun off the road. Somehow, I survived.

-I've now made it back to South Bend, and am in the process of reinstalling all sorts of programs on my computer.

The baseball-related posts will be back tomorrow. Thanks for your patience.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Brandon Webb Throws Off Mound

I still don't have my computer back yet, so I'm posting this using only my incredible super human powers.

Actually, I'm using a shared computer at work, while still praying that Windows will be saved on my laptop, and all my hard work for the last two years won't be completely lost. It is in the hands of the professionals now, so hopefully all will be saved.

Anyhow, the reason for the post is because this story was too important to pass up: Former Silver Hawks pitcher Brandon Webb threw off of a mound for the first time the other day. I know that doesn't sound like a big deal, but when you are talking about a guy who finished either first or second in the Cy Young voting for three straight years (06-08), then anything he does in his recovery from surgery is very important to the Diamondbacks.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Blog Going Quiet for a Few Days

I'm having major computer issues, and will be without my computer for a few days. Say some prayers that it can be fixed and I can recover all my documents, etc.

In the meantime, I'm likely not going to be blogging for a few days, since you typically need a computer to be able to blog.

Sorry!

Monday, February 8, 2010

How's That Prediction Looking Now?

I was all hot to trot to get my Super Bowl prediction published before the game, so that if I was right, I could come in and brag this morning.

Yeah...about that...um...Oops.

Nice game for the Saints. Their defense played better than I thought, and Brees picked apart the Colts defense WAY MORE than I ever imagined he would.

Now that football is over, we can turn our attention to two of my favorite things:
1) The final two months of college basketball
2) Spring training and the start of baseball season

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Super Bowl Prediction

I wanted to get this posted before the game, so that I can brag on Monday when I'm right.

I'll take the Colts tonight, 38-20. Saints score first, build a lot of excitement, then Peyton Manning systematically picks them apart the rest of the game.

I honestly hope I'm wrong with the final score. I want to see a great game that comes down to the final possession. And I can truly say I don't care who wins. I like Manning and the Colts alright, but it would be nice for the people of New Orleans and Drew Brees to get a Super Bowl win.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Reminder: Job Fair Tomorrow

The Silver Hawks will be hosting their annual job fair tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 6th) from 10 AM until 2 PM at Coveleski Stadium.

The Silver Hawks are seeking energetic, enthusiastic, and reliable employees to work in a fun, fast-paced, people-friendly environment. Candidates must be at least 16 years old and able to work evenings and weekends. High school and college students are encouraged to apply.

The Silver Hawks will be hiring part-time and seasonal employees for concessions, catering, and game day staff positions. Candidates must apply in person at the job fair - no phone calls please.

What is with MWL Broadcasters?

Apparently, if you work in the Midwest League as a broadcaster, you have a hard time getting out of the league. But that doesn't mean you always stay with the same team.

The latest news in the broadcaster world is that the West Michigan Whitecaps have hired Ben Chiswick as their new play-by-play broadcaster. First of all, congratulations to Ben.

Secondly, let's try to track some broadcaster/media relations movement around the league.

Ben is now in West Michigan.

Ben used to be the play-by-play guy for the Quad Cities River Bandits.

Quad Cities is no longer doing radio (bad move in my opinion).

Ben's intern in Quad Cities was Nick Devlin.

Nick is the new broadcaster for the Burlington Bees.

Sticking in the Western Division, Jeff Hem remains at the mic for the Kane County Cougars.

Jeff used to broadcast for the Battle Creek franchise, before that fell apart.

Not to be forgotten, Marcus Jacobs is the media relations director in Beloit.

Marcus spent some time working with Dave Lezotte in Clinton before ascending to his current position.

Jumping back over to the East, Tom Nichols enters his third season with the Dayton Dragons.

Tom originally broadcast for the Fort Wayne Wizards in the 90's.

I worked with Tom for the Dragons.

I'm clearly now the broadcaster for the South Bend Silver Hawks.


Got it all? Good. There will be a quiz later today. (Hopefully I'm not forgetting anyone).

Thursday, February 4, 2010

The D'Backs Latest

Nick Piecoro is back from a two week break, and has a new blog post up about everything the Diamondbacks have and have not been doing over the past few weeks.

I would make fun of Nick for not posting that often, but then I realized if I lived in Phoenix, I wouldn't be sitting at my computer most days either. Oh how I long for summer days again...

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

More Minor League Transactions

Baseball America is back with their latest blog post of Minor League Tranactions. All the signings, trades, and releases of the past few weeks can be found here:
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=7493

Enjoy!

The Most Pointless Baseball Column of All Time

Remember on Friday when I posted about our fascination with lists and rankings?

It has gone to a whole new level.

Chris Jaffe at something called "The Hardball Times" has ranked the nicknames of every MLB team from 1 to 30. Seriously. Go read it here.

After you read it, come back here and tell me what a gigantic waste of time that column is.

NOTE: No offense intended to Chris Jaffe, the author of the piece. It's an original idea for sure, I'm just not so sure it's a good idea.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Non-Roster Invitees

The Arizona Diamondbacks sent out a press release last night, announcing the non-roster invitees to spring training. These are 17 players that are not on the 40-man roster, but will be competing in major league spring training (with many of them eventually reassigned to their minor league camps).

This is certainly an honor to be invited, with a chance to compete with the big boys. Who knows, maybe one of these guys impresses in camp, and find a roster spot on Opening Day.

I've bolded the former Silver Hawks.

Pitchers (9): Right-handed pitchers T.J. Beam, Josh Ellis, Barry Enright, Kyler Newby, Rodrigo Lopez, Wes Roemer, Bryan Shaw and Matt Torra, and left-handed pitcher Tommy Layne.

Catchers (3): Carlos Corporan, Sean Coughlin and Konrad Schmidt.

Infielders (2): Jeff Bailey and Mark Hallberg.

Outfielders (3): Collin Cowgill, Evan Frey and Drew Macias.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Mini Packages and Coupon Books

I think that everyone that reads this blog should buy season tickets to the Silver Hawks, because let's face it, what better way to spend 70 summer nights than at Coveleski Stadium.

That being said, we realize that 70 nights is a big commitment, so beginning tomorrow, you can buy a Mini Package or Coupon Book.

The link above has all the details, but basically, the mini packages consist of:

5 Firework Fridays
OR
5 Souvenir Saturdays
OR
5 Sunday Fun Days
OR
5 Games of your choosing

Quite a few different options, or you could go the route of the Coupon Book and save all season long. Whatever you decide, they are on sale tomorrow at 12 noon at Coveleski Stadium or online at www.silverhawks.com. (Season tickets are on sale now, for those of you that are still interested in those).

Fantasy Baseball Stuff

I'll admit that I play fantasy baseball. I also understand why some people think it's dorky. I'm okay with that too.

One thing I know is dorky: Reading about other people's mock drafts.

One thing that will help your fantasy baseball team: Player Rankings.

It's February!

I, for one, am extremely happy that January is over. January is probably my least favorite month of the year mainly because of the weather (although I'm not real big on November either). February isn't great, but it is the month that we hear the four greatest words in the English language: "PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT"

There's a lot of work to be done between now and Opening Day, but the Silver Hawks staff is working hard to make sure the 2010 season is bigger and better than ever. This is not a final list of everything we'll be doing, but a promotional schedule has been posted here: http://southbend.silverhawks.milb.com/promotions/index.jsp?sid=t550

Time permitting, I'll check back in this afternoon with some baseball-related links.