Today is one of my favorite days. They were testing out the popcorn machines!
I'd just like to point out that this bucket was completely full until I got ahold of it.
Opening Day is just around the corner!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
A Sure Sign of Spring
Professional Sports Catering (PSC) runs our concessions at Coveleski Stadium. Like everyone else, they are preparing for the season. Unlike everyone else, their "test runs" produce wonderful food that the front office gets to sample.
Today is one of my favorite days. They were testing out the popcorn machines!
I'd just like to point out that this bucket was completely full until I got ahold of it.
Opening Day is just around the corner!
Today is one of my favorite days. They were testing out the popcorn machines!
I'd just like to point out that this bucket was completely full until I got ahold of it.
Opening Day is just around the corner!
Other Stuff to Read Today
Since I just gave you the story about a switch pitcher (see post below this one), here are a few Silver Hawks related stories to read.
-Nick Piecoro has a profile of Keon Broxton, who is very likely to end up in South Bend to start the season.
-Piecoro also has info on Jordan Norberto, who hasn't pitched since Thursday with a sore elbow. Norberto is having such a good spring, that he could make the big league club to start the year, but only if he is healthy of course.
-Finally, I always get asked about the Silver Hawks roster this time of year. While any of us could make an educated guess about who will be here, the biggest thing to realize is that there are a ton of factors that go into it, and the slightest change impacts every roster in the system. Mark Haley has more in his latest blog post on southbendtribune.com.
-Nick Piecoro has a profile of Keon Broxton, who is very likely to end up in South Bend to start the season.
-Piecoro also has info on Jordan Norberto, who hasn't pitched since Thursday with a sore elbow. Norberto is having such a good spring, that he could make the big league club to start the year, but only if he is healthy of course.
-Finally, I always get asked about the Silver Hawks roster this time of year. While any of us could make an educated guess about who will be here, the biggest thing to realize is that there are a ton of factors that go into it, and the slightest change impacts every roster in the system. Mark Haley has more in his latest blog post on southbendtribune.com.
Switch Pitching
At some point over the last couple of years, you may have heard a story about a "switch-pitcher", a guy who can pitch both right- and left-handed. It's really fascinating stuff, and has caused some issues along his career when a switch hitter comes to the plate (including a new rule being put in place throughout baseball).
Anyhow, for the first time ever, Pat Venditte pitched in a Major League game yesterday (albeit a spring training game).
You can read the story of how it turned out here.
Anyhow, for the first time ever, Pat Venditte pitched in a Major League game yesterday (albeit a spring training game).
You can read the story of how it turned out here.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Poll Results -- Biggest Mistake in Sports (Plus New Question)
I must have struck a nerve with my last poll question, because a ton of people voted on it.
As it turns out, the readers of this blog are basically split:
38% said adding 96 teams to the NCAA tournament would be the biggest mistake
35% think realignment in baseball would be a more costly error
12% think the BCS is a disaster
12% think not allowing NHL players into the Olympics would be horrible
Now, you do have to realize that this blog is a baseball blog (most times, ha!), so the results are skewed a bit. If I were to post this same question on a hockey blog, I'd imagine the NHL question would get more votes. Even still, amongst the baseball fans that read this blog, they still feel that expanding the NCAA tournament would be the most egregious mistake.
I have a new poll question up on the right, asking you to project which former South Bend outfielder will end up having the best MLB career. Obviously we know what Mike Cameron has done, but you have to project what you think for the other three.
As it turns out, the readers of this blog are basically split:
38% said adding 96 teams to the NCAA tournament would be the biggest mistake
35% think realignment in baseball would be a more costly error
12% think the BCS is a disaster
12% think not allowing NHL players into the Olympics would be horrible
Now, you do have to realize that this blog is a baseball blog (most times, ha!), so the results are skewed a bit. If I were to post this same question on a hockey blog, I'd imagine the NHL question would get more votes. Even still, amongst the baseball fans that read this blog, they still feel that expanding the NCAA tournament would be the most egregious mistake.
I have a new poll question up on the right, asking you to project which former South Bend outfielder will end up having the best MLB career. Obviously we know what Mike Cameron has done, but you have to project what you think for the other three.
Monday, March 29, 2010
A Few More Releases
Typically, when players get released, I put a little note along with it. I like to try to explain the decisions, etc. But sometimes, you just have to realize the time is up. It's not easy, and if you go back to Mark Haley's blog post last week, you'll remember that it's a hard decision for Arizona and the Minor League staff as well.
That being said, here's the latest round of releases from the Diamondbacks:
Chase Christianson
Jorge Perez
Joey Side
James Skelton
Ricardo Taveras
The first three are former Silver Hawks. Skelton played for West Michigan before being acquired by the Diamondbacks.
That being said, here's the latest round of releases from the Diamondbacks:
Chase Christianson
Jorge Perez
Joey Side
James Skelton
Ricardo Taveras
The first three are former Silver Hawks. Skelton played for West Michigan before being acquired by the Diamondbacks.
Pete's Final Report from Spring Training
Once again, I want to thank Pete Yarbro for sending in these reports. Since I didn't make it to Spring Training, it was nice to have someone file a bunch of stories about what goes on in the desert.
"They say no one wants to go down to Tucson in the summer.
It seems like no one wants to go in the springtime either. Today I'm leaving Tucson. Next week the Diamondbacks will too. Arizona's home team plays two more games in its second largest city before leaving, not just for spring, but for good. Starting next year the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies will play their spring training games at a brand new state-of-the-art complex at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, adjacent to Scottsdale. Its the first professional sports stadium on Indian land.
The Diamondbacks Class-AAA team left Tucson Electric Park before last season to move to Reno. The Tucson Toros, an independent Golden Baseball League team will still play at Hi Corbett Field. But unless another AAA team decides to move, or a couple of Japanese teams can be convinced to train here, there won't be much professional baseball in the Old Pueblo after next week.
They'll leave behind a history of spring training baseball that goes back to 1947. The advantages for the players, coaches and executives --- especially for the Diamondbacks --- of playing their spring games in the Phoenix area are undeniable. Even the farthest stadiums is only a 45 minute drive. Some are ten minutes apart. For the D'Backs major leaguers, every game will be a like a home game. They'll trade a month of hotel rooms for their own beds every night.
For the fans, with 15 teams in the Valley of the Sun, most days there will be up to seven games to choose between. Half of the major leagues will be less than an hour's drive away. Unless the Cubs are playing the White Sox, or the Dodgers are playing the Giants, good seats should be available just walking up to the gate on the afternoon of the game.
Even still, there will be a lot of things I'll miss about Tucson. The city is easy to get around. Even when traffic is bad, its not that bad. The view of the mountains surrounding the city is beautiful. Even in the middle of the city, you never feel like the desert is very far away. Everyone I've met has been friendly and helpful. It's a city of a million people, but it has a small town feel.
But at the same time, I know --- from experience --- that the food's just as good up the highway. I'm guessing there's a Sonoran hot dog to be found if you look hard enough.
This morning I paid one last visit to the minor league complex. I don't know what they call it, but I watched one of the most entertaining drills I have ever seen. A catcher, in all his gear, gets in his crouch. Two coaches pick up five baseballs each. They take turns firing balls in quick succession from about five yards away to different locations. The catcher does his best to snatch and quickly release each of the ten baseballs while whipping his glove from side-to-side up and down. The catchers seemed to be genuinely having fun. I certainly enjoyed watching, knowing I wasn't going to have ten baseballs thrown at me all at once any time soon.
I did my best to find out which players we could expect to see in South Bend this summer. The most consistent answer I got was "we don't know yet." AJ Pollock injured his arm a couple of days ago when he slipped while fielding a fly ball. Pollock had surgery today. While they won't know his timetable for coming back for a while, Coach Haley told me that the type of surgery he had has a very high success rate. A Diamondbacks executive told me that AJ's injury has thrown a lot of their plans for assigning players into disarray.
Haley did give me a few names of guys he is confident will start in South Bend.
Chris Owings is a shortstop from South Carolina who was drafted out of high school. He was the 41st pick in the first round of last summer's draft. He batted .306 in 24 games last summer in Missoula.
David Nick was drafted in the 4th round last summer, also out of high school. He's a second baseman from California. In 66 games in Missoula last summer he had 78 hits 6 homeruns and 35 RBI, batting .286.
The guy everyone said to watch was Bobby Borchering. Borchering was drafted in the first round, 14th overall, one pick ahead of AJ Pollock. Also a high school selection, out of Florida, he plays third base. D'Backs Executive VP and Special Assistant to the General Manager Bob Gebhardt told me that everyone's been very excited to watch Borchering progress. Gebhardt tells me he's a switch hitter, who hits with power from both sides, and plays a pretty good third base.
Haley said that the pitching staff is still completely up in the air.
If I had to skip Mexican food for one day, the Silver Saddle Steak House was the way to go. They brought me a huge slab of prime rib that was perfectly medium rare. The side of cowboy beans was the perfect compliment. I don't know how they make plain old beans in to cowboy beans, but I'm glad they do it. Across from the salad bar --- yes I finally had a salad --- is an open mesquite pit where they cook the steaks over a roaring wood fire. The location is ever so slightly out of the way, but the prices are thoroughly reasonable and the service is excellent.
Unfortunately, the dream has ended. I just finished a double cheeseburger at the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. Only two more hours until I board the redeye flight to Chicago. Then a nice long nap at O'Hare before my early morning connection back to South Bend.
Just before I left the minor league complex this morning, I checked the South Bend weather on my Blackberry. I quickly asked Hales if he really needed me to join the team at the beginning of the year, or if he didn't think I could benefit from a little extended spring training. His exact words were: "You're ready to go. The only tune up you need is the Silver vs. Gold game between the Silver Hawks and Notre Dame on April 5th at 5:30pm. Tickets are available by calling the box office at (574) 235-9988 or visiting www.silverhawks.com . And a portion of the proceeds going to the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation to fight Niemann-Pick Type C." Ok, maybe those weren't his exact words, but I'm pretty sure that's what he meant."
"They say no one wants to go down to Tucson in the summer.
It seems like no one wants to go in the springtime either. Today I'm leaving Tucson. Next week the Diamondbacks will too. Arizona's home team plays two more games in its second largest city before leaving, not just for spring, but for good. Starting next year the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies will play their spring training games at a brand new state-of-the-art complex at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, adjacent to Scottsdale. Its the first professional sports stadium on Indian land.
The Diamondbacks Class-AAA team left Tucson Electric Park before last season to move to Reno. The Tucson Toros, an independent Golden Baseball League team will still play at Hi Corbett Field. But unless another AAA team decides to move, or a couple of Japanese teams can be convinced to train here, there won't be much professional baseball in the Old Pueblo after next week.
They'll leave behind a history of spring training baseball that goes back to 1947. The advantages for the players, coaches and executives --- especially for the Diamondbacks --- of playing their spring games in the Phoenix area are undeniable. Even the farthest stadiums is only a 45 minute drive. Some are ten minutes apart. For the D'Backs major leaguers, every game will be a like a home game. They'll trade a month of hotel rooms for their own beds every night.
For the fans, with 15 teams in the Valley of the Sun, most days there will be up to seven games to choose between. Half of the major leagues will be less than an hour's drive away. Unless the Cubs are playing the White Sox, or the Dodgers are playing the Giants, good seats should be available just walking up to the gate on the afternoon of the game.
Even still, there will be a lot of things I'll miss about Tucson. The city is easy to get around. Even when traffic is bad, its not that bad. The view of the mountains surrounding the city is beautiful. Even in the middle of the city, you never feel like the desert is very far away. Everyone I've met has been friendly and helpful. It's a city of a million people, but it has a small town feel.
But at the same time, I know --- from experience --- that the food's just as good up the highway. I'm guessing there's a Sonoran hot dog to be found if you look hard enough.
This morning I paid one last visit to the minor league complex. I don't know what they call it, but I watched one of the most entertaining drills I have ever seen. A catcher, in all his gear, gets in his crouch. Two coaches pick up five baseballs each. They take turns firing balls in quick succession from about five yards away to different locations. The catcher does his best to snatch and quickly release each of the ten baseballs while whipping his glove from side-to-side up and down. The catchers seemed to be genuinely having fun. I certainly enjoyed watching, knowing I wasn't going to have ten baseballs thrown at me all at once any time soon.
I did my best to find out which players we could expect to see in South Bend this summer. The most consistent answer I got was "we don't know yet." AJ Pollock injured his arm a couple of days ago when he slipped while fielding a fly ball. Pollock had surgery today. While they won't know his timetable for coming back for a while, Coach Haley told me that the type of surgery he had has a very high success rate. A Diamondbacks executive told me that AJ's injury has thrown a lot of their plans for assigning players into disarray.
Haley did give me a few names of guys he is confident will start in South Bend.
Chris Owings is a shortstop from South Carolina who was drafted out of high school. He was the 41st pick in the first round of last summer's draft. He batted .306 in 24 games last summer in Missoula.
David Nick was drafted in the 4th round last summer, also out of high school. He's a second baseman from California. In 66 games in Missoula last summer he had 78 hits 6 homeruns and 35 RBI, batting .286.
The guy everyone said to watch was Bobby Borchering. Borchering was drafted in the first round, 14th overall, one pick ahead of AJ Pollock. Also a high school selection, out of Florida, he plays third base. D'Backs Executive VP and Special Assistant to the General Manager Bob Gebhardt told me that everyone's been very excited to watch Borchering progress. Gebhardt tells me he's a switch hitter, who hits with power from both sides, and plays a pretty good third base.
Haley said that the pitching staff is still completely up in the air.
If I had to skip Mexican food for one day, the Silver Saddle Steak House was the way to go. They brought me a huge slab of prime rib that was perfectly medium rare. The side of cowboy beans was the perfect compliment. I don't know how they make plain old beans in to cowboy beans, but I'm glad they do it. Across from the salad bar --- yes I finally had a salad --- is an open mesquite pit where they cook the steaks over a roaring wood fire. The location is ever so slightly out of the way, but the prices are thoroughly reasonable and the service is excellent.
Unfortunately, the dream has ended. I just finished a double cheeseburger at the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. Only two more hours until I board the redeye flight to Chicago. Then a nice long nap at O'Hare before my early morning connection back to South Bend.
Just before I left the minor league complex this morning, I checked the South Bend weather on my Blackberry. I quickly asked Hales if he really needed me to join the team at the beginning of the year, or if he didn't think I could benefit from a little extended spring training. His exact words were: "You're ready to go. The only tune up you need is the Silver vs. Gold game between the Silver Hawks and Notre Dame on April 5th at 5:30pm. Tickets are available by calling the box office at (574) 235-9988 or visiting www.silverhawks.com . And a portion of the proceeds going to the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation to fight Niemann-Pick Type C." Ok, maybe those weren't his exact words, but I'm pretty sure that's what he meant."
Catching Up From the Weekend
Well, now that my beloved Kentucky Wildcats are out of the NCAA Tournament, it's time to focus all my attention on the baseball season. (Props to my alma mater Dayton Flyers making the NIT Final Four, but come on, it's the NIT).
Let's catch up on a few important stories from the weekend:
-A.J. Pollock is out 3 months after having elbow surgery. He wasn't going to be coming back to South Bend anyhow, but with him being out, it may bump up someone slated for the Silver Hawks.
-Nick Piecoro also did a piece on Marc Krauss late last week. You can read it here.
-Mark Haley's latest blog entry discusses his family coming to visit and drug testing in Spring Training. How would you like to pee in a cup with somebody watching?
-Finally, Daniel Vasquez has been released by the Diamondbacks. Vasquez pitched for South Bend last year, going 4-1 with a 4.57 ERA. However, he tested positive for a performance enhancing drug in the offseason, and was going to be suspended 50 games to begin this year anyhow.
I'll have more later today with Pete's last report from Spring Training.
Let's catch up on a few important stories from the weekend:
-A.J. Pollock is out 3 months after having elbow surgery. He wasn't going to be coming back to South Bend anyhow, but with him being out, it may bump up someone slated for the Silver Hawks.
-Nick Piecoro also did a piece on Marc Krauss late last week. You can read it here.
-Mark Haley's latest blog entry discusses his family coming to visit and drug testing in Spring Training. How would you like to pee in a cup with somebody watching?
-Finally, Daniel Vasquez has been released by the Diamondbacks. Vasquez pitched for South Bend last year, going 4-1 with a 4.57 ERA. However, he tested positive for a performance enhancing drug in the offseason, and was going to be suspended 50 games to begin this year anyhow.
I'll have more later today with Pete's last report from Spring Training.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Shutting Down Until Monday
I know that I don't really have to do this, but I wanted to let everyone know that there's very little chance of any blog updates until Monday morning. I appreciate those of you that view this blog daily (or multiple times per day in some cases), so I felt I owed it to you to inform you that I'm going to relax this weekend.
This is my final weekend to relax until September (hopefully late September with a playoff run), and I'm going to take advantage of it.
I'll have the usual posts during next week, and then next weekend we should have our official Opening Day roster at some point, so that will require a press release, a website update, a blog update, and putting the final touches on the media guide. Then, it's games every weekend from April until September.
Thanks for understanding.
This is my final weekend to relax until September (hopefully late September with a playoff run), and I'm going to take advantage of it.
I'll have the usual posts during next week, and then next weekend we should have our official Opening Day roster at some point, so that will require a press release, a website update, a blog update, and putting the final touches on the media guide. Then, it's games every weekend from April until September.
Thanks for understanding.
Pete's Report - Day Whatever It Is
Its spring training for everyone. Even the official scorer.
Today was a work day for me. Well make that a work afternoon. While I do enjoying coming to spring training for the (mostly) beautiful weather and the food, like everybody else I'm here to get ready for the season.
The Silver Hawks season ends in early September. The next game isn't until the second week of April. So for just under seven months I don't see a live baseball game. Unless I come down to spring training, my only opportunity to see baseball is either on tv, or sitting in the stands at Notre Dame. And I'll tell you that in March those metal benches are awfully cold!
So I make the sacrifice to take time away from my regular job to come down to the desert and endure the 70-80 degree temperatures to get ready for the season. The Diamondbacks are generous enough to allow me to sit in their press box and get in my practice.
The Midwest League uses the designated hitter. But there's none of that down here. The Diamondbacks are, of course, in the National League. When you add the normal NL lineup juggling to the mass substitutions of spring training, keeping score becomes a real challenge.
If you can keep an accurate scorebook in a National League spring training game, you're ready for anything. Now, I do get some help in these games. The Diamondbacks regular scorer, announcer and staff members in the dugouts all work together to keep track of the changes, and do an excellent job of keeping the press box up to date.
In today's game the Cubs didn't bring their full squad down, so they only used 18 players. Though, in the 9th inning they brought in a couple players who weren't on their regular roster. When you see number 94, with no name on his jersey come in to pinch hit you know its spring training. The Diamondbacks used 23 players. I'm proud to say all 41 players are in the right place on my score sheet.
Over the winter I designed my own computerized score sheet to better keep track of the action, and hopefully save a little paper. The system that the minor leagues use to keep track of the action requires the official scorer to call in after each half-inning and read a play-by-play of the action to a MLB.com staffer who then puts it on the computer. You have to be precise and efficient to get everything in before the next inning starts. A traditional scorebook doesn't work very well for me on this system. So I've been developing my own way of keeping track of things that works best with making the calls. We've been doing it this way for five or six years now. In five or six more I think I'll have it perfected.
The Cubs beat the Diamondbacks 7-2.
If you're wondering about the difference between southern and northern Mexican food, at least according to the menu of the restaurant I went to last night, in southern Mexico most of the meat is cooked on a charcoal grill. That makes for a particularly tasty beef taco. I also had one dish that was just chorizo smothered in melted cheese. In any part of North America spicy sausage covered in cheese is a delicious dinner.
I think I'm going to change things up tonight. There's an Arizona steakhouse not too far from the stadium called the Silver Saddle. A review online says the decor looks like John Wayne used to live there.
A few years ago, in the pressbox I heard Tracey Ringolsby raving about the place. Ringolsby is a columnist for Baseball America and was with the Rocky Mountain News for years before they folded. He's also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame as a writer. And you'll know him by his trademark cowboy hat. Seems like the kind of guy who knows a good steak.
I think I better go back to the hotel and get on the treadmill first.
Writing this report has me wondering how Owen gets ready for the season. Do you think he watches games on television with the sound down and does his own play-by-play while sitting by himself in his living room? Do you think he'll let us watch?
Today was a work day for me. Well make that a work afternoon. While I do enjoying coming to spring training for the (mostly) beautiful weather and the food, like everybody else I'm here to get ready for the season.
The Silver Hawks season ends in early September. The next game isn't until the second week of April. So for just under seven months I don't see a live baseball game. Unless I come down to spring training, my only opportunity to see baseball is either on tv, or sitting in the stands at Notre Dame. And I'll tell you that in March those metal benches are awfully cold!
So I make the sacrifice to take time away from my regular job to come down to the desert and endure the 70-80 degree temperatures to get ready for the season. The Diamondbacks are generous enough to allow me to sit in their press box and get in my practice.
The Midwest League uses the designated hitter. But there's none of that down here. The Diamondbacks are, of course, in the National League. When you add the normal NL lineup juggling to the mass substitutions of spring training, keeping score becomes a real challenge.
If you can keep an accurate scorebook in a National League spring training game, you're ready for anything. Now, I do get some help in these games. The Diamondbacks regular scorer, announcer and staff members in the dugouts all work together to keep track of the changes, and do an excellent job of keeping the press box up to date.
In today's game the Cubs didn't bring their full squad down, so they only used 18 players. Though, in the 9th inning they brought in a couple players who weren't on their regular roster. When you see number 94, with no name on his jersey come in to pinch hit you know its spring training. The Diamondbacks used 23 players. I'm proud to say all 41 players are in the right place on my score sheet.
Over the winter I designed my own computerized score sheet to better keep track of the action, and hopefully save a little paper. The system that the minor leagues use to keep track of the action requires the official scorer to call in after each half-inning and read a play-by-play of the action to a MLB.com staffer who then puts it on the computer. You have to be precise and efficient to get everything in before the next inning starts. A traditional scorebook doesn't work very well for me on this system. So I've been developing my own way of keeping track of things that works best with making the calls. We've been doing it this way for five or six years now. In five or six more I think I'll have it perfected.
The Cubs beat the Diamondbacks 7-2.
If you're wondering about the difference between southern and northern Mexican food, at least according to the menu of the restaurant I went to last night, in southern Mexico most of the meat is cooked on a charcoal grill. That makes for a particularly tasty beef taco. I also had one dish that was just chorizo smothered in melted cheese. In any part of North America spicy sausage covered in cheese is a delicious dinner.
I think I'm going to change things up tonight. There's an Arizona steakhouse not too far from the stadium called the Silver Saddle. A review online says the decor looks like John Wayne used to live there.
A few years ago, in the pressbox I heard Tracey Ringolsby raving about the place. Ringolsby is a columnist for Baseball America and was with the Rocky Mountain News for years before they folded. He's also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame as a writer. And you'll know him by his trademark cowboy hat. Seems like the kind of guy who knows a good steak.
I think I better go back to the hotel and get on the treadmill first.
Writing this report has me wondering how Owen gets ready for the season. Do you think he watches games on television with the sound down and does his own play-by-play while sitting by himself in his living room? Do you think he'll let us watch?
Swoop vs. The Leprechaun
I'll post Pete's report from Spring Training a bit later on today, but first I wanted to put up a few pictures that were taken yesterday to promote the Silver vs. Gold Exhibition game on April 5th. Remember, that game is on a Monday this year, and first pitch is scheduled for 5:30 PM. Tickets are on sale now, and if you can't make it to the game, we'll have it for you live on ESPN Radio 1620 AM.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Another Release and More on Hi Corbett Field
Just got an email from the Diamondbacks announcing the release of Matt Elliott. He played in South Bend in 2005, before my time in the league, so I don't know much about him. However, I can tell you he's the Silver Hawks Single-Season record holder with 32 saves that season. He never pitched above double-A.
Also, if you've been reading Pete's posts the last few days, you remember him talking about legendary Hi Corbett Field. Today, I stumbled across this article by Jim Caple that discusses the field in further detail and tells about how a great baseball movie filmed some scenes there as well. Click the link for the story.
Also, if you've been reading Pete's posts the last few days, you remember him talking about legendary Hi Corbett Field. Today, I stumbled across this article by Jim Caple that discusses the field in further detail and tells about how a great baseball movie filmed some scenes there as well. Click the link for the story.
Pete's Report -- Day Four
I'm starting to think our official scorer Pete Yarbro is crazy, and he really likes food. Read his latest entry below.
Tucson, Arizona is about sixty miles from the Mexican border. When people think about traffic across the border the first things that come to mind are often negative. Illegal immigration. Drugs and the violence that accompanies them. But the vast majority of the north and south flow is cultural. Mexican, American and Native American culture influence each other spawning new ideas that none would have conceived on their own.
I write, of course, about the Sonoran hot dog. The Sonoran Desert straddles southern Arizona and northern Mexico. Sonora is also the name of the Mexican state immediately south of Arizona. Born from these two states and the desert they share, the Sonoran hot dog is Tucson's version of a Chicago style hot dog.
The bun is a soft Mexican bolillo roll. The hot dog is wrapped in bacon and grilled. That's right, a hot dog wrapped in bacon! The dog is topped with pinto beans, chopped onions, diced tomatoes, jalapeno sauce, shredded cheese, ketchup and mustard, with a drizzle of mayonnaise on top. Mine were garnished with a roasted green chili pepper on the side. The result is amazing! If you find yourself in southern Arizona or northern Mexico don't leave until you've had a couple of Sonoran hot dogs. If you find yourself in the hot dog selling business, consider adding this cross-cultural delicacy to your menu.
Before my lunch I worked in a little sight-seeing. The Tucson area boasts plenty to do, even when the Diamondbacks and Rockies are playing their Cactus League games up in Phoenix. At Old Tucson Studios you can tour the sets where several western movies were filmed. Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood all stared in movies filmed here. The Titan Missile Museum is located in the silo of a decommissioned strategic nuclear missile. During the tour a few years ago, I sat in the command seat and flipped the switches to arm the missile. The tour guide counted down, and we turned the keys to launch. Fortunately for the rest of you, when we came to the end of the tour the Titan II missile was still in the silo. Stepping several years back, the Fort Lowell Museum is on the site of the key US Cavalry base during the wars with the Apache. The town of Tombstone, featuring the real life OK Corral, is a short drive away. Going back even further than that, as I mentioned yesterday, the San Xavier del Bac Mission on the Tohono O'odham reservation south of Tucson is an active Catholic Church, but is open to public for tours.
The star attraction of the area is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. A natural history museum, zoo, botanical garden, and art museum rolled into one beautiful facility in the desert west of the city. Walking among hundreds of cacti and desert plants, you can see all kinds of animals, including birds, butterflies, snakes, pumas, coyotes, and my favorite, the javalinas.
Today I checked out one of the few attractions I haven't made it to before, the Pima County Air & Space Museum. As Homer Simpson said when he was told "There's no air in space", "There's an Air 'n Space Museum!" The tour begins with the Wright Brothers' flyer. Now, I'm not saying that its not the real Wright Flyer, but I've seen the same airplane at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC, and at the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton. Once you get past that, its a pretty good aviation museum. With both indoor and outdoor exhibits, the highlights of the collection are an SR-71 Blackbird spy plane and the Air Force One jet used by Presidents Kennedy and Johnson in the 1960s. The most fun for me was seeing three huge B-52 bombers sitting wing-to-wing.
The Pima Air Museum also runs tours of the Air Force's "boneyard." The boneyard is rows and rows of the Air Force's decommissioned aircraft. I was hoping to make it there, but when I got to the museum the next tour wasn't until 1:30, and I had Sonoran hot dogs on my mind.
Tucson also has plenty of great golf courses too. Though my advice to the spring training traveler is when in Florida see a few games and play a lot of golf. In Arizona see a lot of baseball and play a little golf. In Florida the baseball is spread out all over the state, and a result tickets are harder to get and prices are higher. In Florida golf courses occur naturally and are around every corner. In Arizona, especially in Phoenix, the Cactus League stadiums are close together and there are plenty of choices for games every day. Tickets are easy to get (unless you want to see the Cubs), and the prices are generally lower. In Arizona a golf course is an affront to nature. You'll have trouble paying less than $60 for 18 holes, and can easily pay well over $100.
In the afternoon I watched a baseball game between the Diamondbacks and Rockies minor leaguers. Without a scoreboard or announcer its hard to keep track of what's going on in the game. Coach Haley told me his team lost on one bad inning. But, who needs to know what's going on when you can spend an afternoon sitting in the sun watching a ballgame? The parking is free, the game is free, and in the last row of the bleachers, I was four rows back.
Christian Beltre and Yonata Ortega recognized me from South Bend and came over to say hello. I think for the ballplayers, especially the Latin guys, during the tedium of spring training its nice to see a familiar face. Especially one who's not telling you what to do or constantly evaluating your performance. Its nice for the official scorer too, to be recognized and have the ballplayers go out of their way to say hello. If you're at spring training and the major league team is on the road, taking in a minor league game is a great way to spend a sunny afternoon.
The place with the giant bull outside is Casa Molina. And it is amazing. I ordered a combination dinner and they just kept brining me food. It started with a bowl of chicken and rice soup. Then came chili con carne, which is not a bowl of chili. Its big chunks of steak in a spicy brown sauce. Then a beef tamale with a side of beans. By the time the sopapillas and honey came, I told the waiter to put them right in a takeout box. The food was amazing, the service was quick and attentive, and the margaritas were perfect. I might be back there once more time before I go home.
On the way to Casa Molina last night I passed a restaurant that features the cuisine of Mexico City. I'm interested to see how it differs from the northern Mexican food that I've been eating. I wonder how they make hot dogs down there.
Sonoran Hot Dog.
Tucson, Arizona is about sixty miles from the Mexican border. When people think about traffic across the border the first things that come to mind are often negative. Illegal immigration. Drugs and the violence that accompanies them. But the vast majority of the north and south flow is cultural. Mexican, American and Native American culture influence each other spawning new ideas that none would have conceived on their own.
I write, of course, about the Sonoran hot dog. The Sonoran Desert straddles southern Arizona and northern Mexico. Sonora is also the name of the Mexican state immediately south of Arizona. Born from these two states and the desert they share, the Sonoran hot dog is Tucson's version of a Chicago style hot dog.
The bun is a soft Mexican bolillo roll. The hot dog is wrapped in bacon and grilled. That's right, a hot dog wrapped in bacon! The dog is topped with pinto beans, chopped onions, diced tomatoes, jalapeno sauce, shredded cheese, ketchup and mustard, with a drizzle of mayonnaise on top. Mine were garnished with a roasted green chili pepper on the side. The result is amazing! If you find yourself in southern Arizona or northern Mexico don't leave until you've had a couple of Sonoran hot dogs. If you find yourself in the hot dog selling business, consider adding this cross-cultural delicacy to your menu.
Before my lunch I worked in a little sight-seeing. The Tucson area boasts plenty to do, even when the Diamondbacks and Rockies are playing their Cactus League games up in Phoenix. At Old Tucson Studios you can tour the sets where several western movies were filmed. Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood all stared in movies filmed here. The Titan Missile Museum is located in the silo of a decommissioned strategic nuclear missile. During the tour a few years ago, I sat in the command seat and flipped the switches to arm the missile. The tour guide counted down, and we turned the keys to launch. Fortunately for the rest of you, when we came to the end of the tour the Titan II missile was still in the silo. Stepping several years back, the Fort Lowell Museum is on the site of the key US Cavalry base during the wars with the Apache. The town of Tombstone, featuring the real life OK Corral, is a short drive away. Going back even further than that, as I mentioned yesterday, the San Xavier del Bac Mission on the Tohono O'odham reservation south of Tucson is an active Catholic Church, but is open to public for tours.
The star attraction of the area is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. A natural history museum, zoo, botanical garden, and art museum rolled into one beautiful facility in the desert west of the city. Walking among hundreds of cacti and desert plants, you can see all kinds of animals, including birds, butterflies, snakes, pumas, coyotes, and my favorite, the javalinas.
Today I checked out one of the few attractions I haven't made it to before, the Pima County Air & Space Museum. As Homer Simpson said when he was told "There's no air in space", "There's an Air 'n Space Museum!" The tour begins with the Wright Brothers' flyer. Now, I'm not saying that its not the real Wright Flyer, but I've seen the same airplane at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC, and at the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton. Once you get past that, its a pretty good aviation museum. With both indoor and outdoor exhibits, the highlights of the collection are an SR-71 Blackbird spy plane and the Air Force One jet used by Presidents Kennedy and Johnson in the 1960s. The most fun for me was seeing three huge B-52 bombers sitting wing-to-wing.
The Pima Air Museum also runs tours of the Air Force's "boneyard." The boneyard is rows and rows of the Air Force's decommissioned aircraft. I was hoping to make it there, but when I got to the museum the next tour wasn't until 1:30, and I had Sonoran hot dogs on my mind.
Tucson also has plenty of great golf courses too. Though my advice to the spring training traveler is when in Florida see a few games and play a lot of golf. In Arizona see a lot of baseball and play a little golf. In Florida the baseball is spread out all over the state, and a result tickets are harder to get and prices are higher. In Florida golf courses occur naturally and are around every corner. In Arizona, especially in Phoenix, the Cactus League stadiums are close together and there are plenty of choices for games every day. Tickets are easy to get (unless you want to see the Cubs), and the prices are generally lower. In Arizona a golf course is an affront to nature. You'll have trouble paying less than $60 for 18 holes, and can easily pay well over $100.
In the afternoon I watched a baseball game between the Diamondbacks and Rockies minor leaguers. Without a scoreboard or announcer its hard to keep track of what's going on in the game. Coach Haley told me his team lost on one bad inning. But, who needs to know what's going on when you can spend an afternoon sitting in the sun watching a ballgame? The parking is free, the game is free, and in the last row of the bleachers, I was four rows back.
Christian Beltre and Yonata Ortega recognized me from South Bend and came over to say hello. I think for the ballplayers, especially the Latin guys, during the tedium of spring training its nice to see a familiar face. Especially one who's not telling you what to do or constantly evaluating your performance. Its nice for the official scorer too, to be recognized and have the ballplayers go out of their way to say hello. If you're at spring training and the major league team is on the road, taking in a minor league game is a great way to spend a sunny afternoon.
The place with the giant bull outside is Casa Molina. And it is amazing. I ordered a combination dinner and they just kept brining me food. It started with a bowl of chicken and rice soup. Then came chili con carne, which is not a bowl of chili. Its big chunks of steak in a spicy brown sauce. Then a beef tamale with a side of beans. By the time the sopapillas and honey came, I told the waiter to put them right in a takeout box. The food was amazing, the service was quick and attentive, and the margaritas were perfect. I might be back there once more time before I go home.
On the way to Casa Molina last night I passed a restaurant that features the cuisine of Mexico City. I'm interested to see how it differs from the northern Mexican food that I've been eating. I wonder how they make hot dogs down there.
Christian Beltre watching the Minor League game.
Sonoran Hot Dog.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Why Do I Find This So Funny?
A warning: This has absolutely nothing to do with baseball.
In no way, shape, or form, do I want to start a political debate on this blog about the new health care reform bill. However, something happened while President Obama was announcing it that I find hysterical. Watch and enjoy.
Seriously, how did that guy not know that a huge speech was going on? That's classic.
In no way, shape, or form, do I want to start a political debate on this blog about the new health care reform bill. However, something happened while President Obama was announcing it that I find hysterical. Watch and enjoy.
Seriously, how did that guy not know that a huge speech was going on? That's classic.
Pete's Report - Day Three
Official scorer Pete Yarbro is back with yet another entry from Spring Training. Today, he checks out a former Silver Hawk playing for a team other than the Diamondbacks and gives some love to Dollar Mondays at the Cove...
"It might be a dry heat, but its a cold wet.
It was a beautiful day in the Sonoran Desert until it wasn't. To be honest it wasn't that bad and the time when it was bad wasn't that long. Unfortunately, the bad weather coincided with the 7th, 8th and (I assume) the 9th innings of the Padres and Rockies game at Hi Corbet Field.
The Diamondbacks have an off-day today, so I took in the game across town this afternoon. Named after Hiram Steven Corbet, an Arizona State Senator who worked to convince the Cleveland Indians to move their spring training to Tucson, the stadium was built in 1937. While Hi Corbett's the oldest stadium in the Cactus League, the oldest building in town, the San Xavier del Bac Mission, is 140 years older. The mission was founded in 1700 and the current church was finished in 1797. The mission, however, has never hosted a major league spring training game.
Hi Corbett Field doesn't sport a lot of the amenities you find in newer stadiums. (Of course, when you're talking about Hi Corbett just about all the stadiums are newer.) It doesn't have the lawn area around the outfield, there's not a luxury suite in the place, and there isn't the diversity of concessions available most other places. But it is a very nice place if what you've come to see is baseball. At least while the sun is out.
Lack of a big food selection became unimportant when I realized that Tuesday is dollar day at Hi Corbett Field. Hot dogs, popcorn and sodas were all $1 each. So, laden with an armfull of Dollar Dogs I made my way to my seat. To endear myself to the Silver Hawks promotions staff I will take this opportunity to remind you that in addition to a wide array of delicious choices at the concession stands at Coveleski Stadium, every Monday is Dollar Day featuring $1 bleacher tickets, hot dogs and Pepsi products.
From my seat in the 10th row on the first base side, the advantages of the old stadium were clear. The players and fans are close together. Not only can you easily identify the players, you can read the expressions on their faces. When you hear someone talk about the "intimate" environment at places like Ebbets Field this is what they mean. Behind me someone remarked that the playing field here seemed smaller than the field at Coors Field. Of course, it's the same size, they agreed, but it just seems smaller here.
Game time temperature was 69 degrees and the Arizona sun dominated the sky. Around me people were reapplying sunscreen and I was enjoying the enthusiasm of the one Padres fan sitting next to me in a sea of Rockies fans. He did everything he could to single-handedly negate the Rockies' home field advantage, at least as far as noise was concerned.
For a while it seemed like this game was being played at Coors Field. At least the way the balls were flying around. The teams combined for 27 hits, including seven doubles, a triple and four home runs. For me the highlight of the game was Carlos Gonzalez's homerun in the bottom of the third inning.
How about that. I didn't realize until just now, when I looked up the box score while writing this dispatch, that we're talking about the Carlos Gonzalez: former Silver Hawk and 2005 Midwest League Most Valuable Player and Prospect of the Year. I was going to recount this story anyway, now Owen will be happy that I've brought it around to something Silver Hawks related!
Anyway, the story starts with the previous batter, Rockies starting pitcher Jason Hammel. In his first year in the National League, Hammel looked thoroughly uncomfortable with a bat in his hands. He took the first three pitches, two strikes and a ball, without lifting the bat off his shoulder. It looked like he had no intention of swinging at anything. But as it turns out, he was just taking a patient approach. He took the fourth pitch back up the middle for a ground ball single to centerfield. Even the Padres fan sitting next to me applauded that.
Up next came the Rockies leadoff hitter, who --- without the benefit of the media notes, or even a lineup, locked away in the Hi Corbett Field Press Box --- I knew at the time only as "Gonzalez". Gonzalez took it to deep centerfield for a two-run homerun. Its several hours later as I write this, but I'm sure the ball he hit is still up there. Hi Corbett has a high wall all around the outfield. As high as the wall at Coveleski, plus billboards on top of the wall. The batter's eye in centerfield is even higher than that. Gonzalez's homerun easily cleared the batter's eye in straightaway center. The distance to the centerfield wall is listed as 392 feet. I can't find anything online that says how tall the wall is, but I did see it described as a "Green Monster". As best I could measure the wall, if you stacked up four centerfielders on top of each other, that's how high the wall is.
Around the seventh inning the rain came. It started out as a few drops here and there, but gradually got harder. Instead of baseballs, fans were now flying out of the park. Then it got colder. The Padres fan, who now lives here, assured me that in Southern Arizona "we love it when it rains." Then it got windier. The Padres fan left.
I stayed as long as I could, but when the Padres made a mid-inning pitching change in the bottom of the 8th that was enough for me. I was smart enough to bring my jacket, but not smart enough not to leave it in the car. It's my understanding that the final score was San Diego 9, Colorado 6.
I made it back to the hotel room and changed into some dry clothes. After a mile and three-quarters on the treadmill I had sweated through those clothes and needed to change into dry clothes again. I swear, I usually go all the way to two miles, it must be the high altitude here that stopped me. Maybe it was the Dollar Dogs.
I'm writing this in the lobby of my hotel, right under a framed Silver Hawks jersey. The Varsity Suites Hotel is owned by the same company that owns the hotel in Mishawaka. The decor is all sports related, mostly from Pac 10 schools. But there are a few things that make a Mishawakan feel like home, including a Notre Dame football jersey signed by Lou Holtz, a shirt signed by the 2001 National Champion ND Women's baskeball team, and the Silver Hawks jersey. The only signature I can easily make out without climbing up there is Miguel Montero, which would make it the 2004 team.
Someone's reading these reports, because when I got to El Charro last night the place was full. The wait for a table was worth it for the carne seca. The chili rellleno was about average, and the margaritas were good, but had about as much tequila in them as this dispatch. With today's report finished I'm headed down the street to a Mexican restaurant I went to last year. I don't know the name of it, but I know there's a giant bull out front."
Hi Corbet Field in Arizona.
The Silver Hawks jersey hanging in Pete's hotel in Arizona.
"It might be a dry heat, but its a cold wet.
It was a beautiful day in the Sonoran Desert until it wasn't. To be honest it wasn't that bad and the time when it was bad wasn't that long. Unfortunately, the bad weather coincided with the 7th, 8th and (I assume) the 9th innings of the Padres and Rockies game at Hi Corbet Field.
The Diamondbacks have an off-day today, so I took in the game across town this afternoon. Named after Hiram Steven Corbet, an Arizona State Senator who worked to convince the Cleveland Indians to move their spring training to Tucson, the stadium was built in 1937. While Hi Corbett's the oldest stadium in the Cactus League, the oldest building in town, the San Xavier del Bac Mission, is 140 years older. The mission was founded in 1700 and the current church was finished in 1797. The mission, however, has never hosted a major league spring training game.
Hi Corbett Field doesn't sport a lot of the amenities you find in newer stadiums. (Of course, when you're talking about Hi Corbett just about all the stadiums are newer.) It doesn't have the lawn area around the outfield, there's not a luxury suite in the place, and there isn't the diversity of concessions available most other places. But it is a very nice place if what you've come to see is baseball. At least while the sun is out.
Lack of a big food selection became unimportant when I realized that Tuesday is dollar day at Hi Corbett Field. Hot dogs, popcorn and sodas were all $1 each. So, laden with an armfull of Dollar Dogs I made my way to my seat. To endear myself to the Silver Hawks promotions staff I will take this opportunity to remind you that in addition to a wide array of delicious choices at the concession stands at Coveleski Stadium, every Monday is Dollar Day featuring $1 bleacher tickets, hot dogs and Pepsi products.
From my seat in the 10th row on the first base side, the advantages of the old stadium were clear. The players and fans are close together. Not only can you easily identify the players, you can read the expressions on their faces. When you hear someone talk about the "intimate" environment at places like Ebbets Field this is what they mean. Behind me someone remarked that the playing field here seemed smaller than the field at Coors Field. Of course, it's the same size, they agreed, but it just seems smaller here.
Game time temperature was 69 degrees and the Arizona sun dominated the sky. Around me people were reapplying sunscreen and I was enjoying the enthusiasm of the one Padres fan sitting next to me in a sea of Rockies fans. He did everything he could to single-handedly negate the Rockies' home field advantage, at least as far as noise was concerned.
For a while it seemed like this game was being played at Coors Field. At least the way the balls were flying around. The teams combined for 27 hits, including seven doubles, a triple and four home runs. For me the highlight of the game was Carlos Gonzalez's homerun in the bottom of the third inning.
How about that. I didn't realize until just now, when I looked up the box score while writing this dispatch, that we're talking about the Carlos Gonzalez: former Silver Hawk and 2005 Midwest League Most Valuable Player and Prospect of the Year. I was going to recount this story anyway, now Owen will be happy that I've brought it around to something Silver Hawks related!
Anyway, the story starts with the previous batter, Rockies starting pitcher Jason Hammel. In his first year in the National League, Hammel looked thoroughly uncomfortable with a bat in his hands. He took the first three pitches, two strikes and a ball, without lifting the bat off his shoulder. It looked like he had no intention of swinging at anything. But as it turns out, he was just taking a patient approach. He took the fourth pitch back up the middle for a ground ball single to centerfield. Even the Padres fan sitting next to me applauded that.
Up next came the Rockies leadoff hitter, who --- without the benefit of the media notes, or even a lineup, locked away in the Hi Corbett Field Press Box --- I knew at the time only as "Gonzalez". Gonzalez took it to deep centerfield for a two-run homerun. Its several hours later as I write this, but I'm sure the ball he hit is still up there. Hi Corbett has a high wall all around the outfield. As high as the wall at Coveleski, plus billboards on top of the wall. The batter's eye in centerfield is even higher than that. Gonzalez's homerun easily cleared the batter's eye in straightaway center. The distance to the centerfield wall is listed as 392 feet. I can't find anything online that says how tall the wall is, but I did see it described as a "Green Monster". As best I could measure the wall, if you stacked up four centerfielders on top of each other, that's how high the wall is.
Around the seventh inning the rain came. It started out as a few drops here and there, but gradually got harder. Instead of baseballs, fans were now flying out of the park. Then it got colder. The Padres fan, who now lives here, assured me that in Southern Arizona "we love it when it rains." Then it got windier. The Padres fan left.
I stayed as long as I could, but when the Padres made a mid-inning pitching change in the bottom of the 8th that was enough for me. I was smart enough to bring my jacket, but not smart enough not to leave it in the car. It's my understanding that the final score was San Diego 9, Colorado 6.
I made it back to the hotel room and changed into some dry clothes. After a mile and three-quarters on the treadmill I had sweated through those clothes and needed to change into dry clothes again. I swear, I usually go all the way to two miles, it must be the high altitude here that stopped me. Maybe it was the Dollar Dogs.
I'm writing this in the lobby of my hotel, right under a framed Silver Hawks jersey. The Varsity Suites Hotel is owned by the same company that owns the hotel in Mishawaka. The decor is all sports related, mostly from Pac 10 schools. But there are a few things that make a Mishawakan feel like home, including a Notre Dame football jersey signed by Lou Holtz, a shirt signed by the 2001 National Champion ND Women's baskeball team, and the Silver Hawks jersey. The only signature I can easily make out without climbing up there is Miguel Montero, which would make it the 2004 team.
Someone's reading these reports, because when I got to El Charro last night the place was full. The wait for a table was worth it for the carne seca. The chili rellleno was about average, and the margaritas were good, but had about as much tequila in them as this dispatch. With today's report finished I'm headed down the street to a Mexican restaurant I went to last year. I don't know the name of it, but I know there's a giant bull out front."
Hi Corbet Field in Arizona.
The Silver Hawks jersey hanging in Pete's hotel in Arizona.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Pocket Schedules and Discounted Tickets!
Yes, it's that time of year again. You're going to start seeing Silver Hawks pocket schedules blanketing the Michiana area at many of your favorite stores, restaurants, and various other places throughout the region. Did you know that we distribute 300,000 pocket schedules every year? I was shocked when I heard how many we handed out, but it's great that they are in such high demand around the area.
Also, I wanted to let the loyal blog readers in on a place where you can get a discounted ticket. All area CommunityWide Federal Credit Union locations are selling Silver Hawks tickets at a discount. So stop by CommunityWide today and buy one (or more). The ticket vouchers you buy are undated, and can be redeemed at the Silver Hawks box office for any game. It's just an easy way to save a few bucks if you plan on bringing your friends or family to a game, and saves you a trip to the stadium just to buy tickets.
Also, I wanted to let the loyal blog readers in on a place where you can get a discounted ticket. All area CommunityWide Federal Credit Union locations are selling Silver Hawks tickets at a discount. So stop by CommunityWide today and buy one (or more). The ticket vouchers you buy are undated, and can be redeemed at the Silver Hawks box office for any game. It's just an easy way to save a few bucks if you plan on bringing your friends or family to a game, and saves you a trip to the stadium just to buy tickets.
Pete's Report -- Day Two
Another update from Pete Yarbro at the Diamondbacks spring training camp...this time, with pictures (at the end).
This will be my seventh season as official scorer for the Silver Hawks. I've been coming to spring training since my second year. I think I've only missed the trip once. So, even though I usually come down here on my own, I always see a lot of people I know.
There's a couple sportswriters around the press box I see every year. Of, course I always see Mark Haley. And the coaches who have come through South Bend, like 2004 Silver Hawks manager Tony Perezchica. Diamondbacks VP and special assistant to the General Manager, Bob Gebhart --- a regular in South Bend the last few years --- was hard at work at the minor league complex, despite a minor heart attack at the beginning of spring training. Though I noticed he was without his trademark cigar.
When I saw Hawks hitting coach Francisco Morales, the first thing he asked me about was the weather back home. When I told him that it had been in the 60s last week, he seemed encouraged, but I promised him that it would be plenty cold by the time he got to town.
The first thing Haley asked me when I saw him was whether I was reading his blog in the South Bend Tribune. I assured him that I was, but warned him that he had competition now in the local spring training blog market. He tells me he has a good one on the way. I'm sure he'll step up his game now that we're going head to head.
And there's always a few people you don't expect to see. When I wandered into the media dinning room for lunch at Tucson Electric Park I saw someone I knew I recognized from somewhere. I figured he must be a scout or someone like that. I quickly realized I didn't recognize him from the Coveleski press box, but from every documentary about the golden age Yankees I have seen on ESPN Classic and HBO. It was Jerry Coleman. On top of playing second base and shortstop for the Yankees from 1949-1957 --- after flying combat missions in the Pacific as a Marine Corps pilot in World War II --- Coleman is the radio broadcaster for the San Diego Padres, today's opponent. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a broadcaster in 2005. The chicken parmigiana was pretty good too.
Before lunch, I spent some time at the minor league complex watching the players run drills. For the entire month of spring training, the minor league players spend every morning running drills. They'll spend half and hour or so practicing the same play again and again. Every type of play you can imagine, everything you see in a game all summer, these guys have spent several mornings during spring training doing it over and over.
One of the things I watched this morning was catchers handling pop-ups. Using a modified pitching machine, a coach will shoot balls straight up in the air. As you can imagine they go way up there. And in Tucson you're fighting the sun. A few guys were having trouble pulling the balls in, and I don't blame them. Just watching the balls go up into the sun from my seat on the bleachers, I was starting to get sunscreen running in my eyes. And I wasn't moving around or wearing all that catcher's gear.
In the major league game today there were a couple of odd situations. In the bottom of the sixth inning Mark Reynolds (SB '04-05) came up to bat with men on second and third, two outs, and the score tied 0-0. The Padres intentionally walked him. Now maybe its the right strategic move, but in a spring training game? The Padres and Diamondbacks are going to face each other plenty this season. If you're the manager, don't you want to see how your guys respond against a power hitter with runners in scoring position? Well, maybe it was the right call. The next guy grounded out to the first baseman to end the inning.
I thought that was strange. But I hadn't seen nothing yet. In the bottom of the ninth the D'Backs were down 4-2, but tied the game with two home runs. In the bottom of the tenth --- which would have been the last inning no matter what happened --- Arizona managed to get runners on first and third. When Ollie Linton (SB '08) came to bat San Diego moved their right fielder into the infield. They tried to put him on the line, but that would have put the first baseman at the second base position. And you can't play second base with a first baseman's mitt. So they put the right fielder just to the left side of second base, and moved the shortstop over to the right side of second base.
Perhaps distracted by the view of five infielders, Linton struck out. Linton's a left handed batter. The next batter, Jake Wald is right handed. So the right fielder switched places with the shortstop. Right on cue, Wald hit a looping fly ball into right field. The center fielder made a good effort getting to the ball and diving, but it was just off his glove, and the runner scored from third. The Diamondbacks beat the Padres 5-4 in 10 innings.
Most importantly, the game time temperature was 78 degrees with just a few clouds in the sky.
In other news, my quest for Mexican food and margaritas was stymied yesterday. Los Betos, the carryout by the stadium, closes early on Sunday. And the bar in the hotel was out of limes, a key margarita ingredient. Too tired to go anywhere else, I settled for a rum & coke and the hotel's enchilada. It was good, but a lot like the enchilada you could get at a hotel in Mishawaka. There was talk around the pressbox today that one of the best places for Mexican food in Tucson is a place called El Charro. If baseball writers know anything --- other than baseball and writing, of course --- its food. So if you need me tonight, that's where I'll be.
Marc Krauss waiting for his turn in the cage.
Mark Haley doing what he does best -- standing around while looking pretty (HA!).
A.J. Pollock taking his cuts in the cage.
Look at that view!
This will be my seventh season as official scorer for the Silver Hawks. I've been coming to spring training since my second year. I think I've only missed the trip once. So, even though I usually come down here on my own, I always see a lot of people I know.
There's a couple sportswriters around the press box I see every year. Of, course I always see Mark Haley. And the coaches who have come through South Bend, like 2004 Silver Hawks manager Tony Perezchica. Diamondbacks VP and special assistant to the General Manager, Bob Gebhart --- a regular in South Bend the last few years --- was hard at work at the minor league complex, despite a minor heart attack at the beginning of spring training. Though I noticed he was without his trademark cigar.
When I saw Hawks hitting coach Francisco Morales, the first thing he asked me about was the weather back home. When I told him that it had been in the 60s last week, he seemed encouraged, but I promised him that it would be plenty cold by the time he got to town.
The first thing Haley asked me when I saw him was whether I was reading his blog in the South Bend Tribune. I assured him that I was, but warned him that he had competition now in the local spring training blog market. He tells me he has a good one on the way. I'm sure he'll step up his game now that we're going head to head.
And there's always a few people you don't expect to see. When I wandered into the media dinning room for lunch at Tucson Electric Park I saw someone I knew I recognized from somewhere. I figured he must be a scout or someone like that. I quickly realized I didn't recognize him from the Coveleski press box, but from every documentary about the golden age Yankees I have seen on ESPN Classic and HBO. It was Jerry Coleman. On top of playing second base and shortstop for the Yankees from 1949-1957 --- after flying combat missions in the Pacific as a Marine Corps pilot in World War II --- Coleman is the radio broadcaster for the San Diego Padres, today's opponent. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a broadcaster in 2005. The chicken parmigiana was pretty good too.
Before lunch, I spent some time at the minor league complex watching the players run drills. For the entire month of spring training, the minor league players spend every morning running drills. They'll spend half and hour or so practicing the same play again and again. Every type of play you can imagine, everything you see in a game all summer, these guys have spent several mornings during spring training doing it over and over.
One of the things I watched this morning was catchers handling pop-ups. Using a modified pitching machine, a coach will shoot balls straight up in the air. As you can imagine they go way up there. And in Tucson you're fighting the sun. A few guys were having trouble pulling the balls in, and I don't blame them. Just watching the balls go up into the sun from my seat on the bleachers, I was starting to get sunscreen running in my eyes. And I wasn't moving around or wearing all that catcher's gear.
In the major league game today there were a couple of odd situations. In the bottom of the sixth inning Mark Reynolds (SB '04-05) came up to bat with men on second and third, two outs, and the score tied 0-0. The Padres intentionally walked him. Now maybe its the right strategic move, but in a spring training game? The Padres and Diamondbacks are going to face each other plenty this season. If you're the manager, don't you want to see how your guys respond against a power hitter with runners in scoring position? Well, maybe it was the right call. The next guy grounded out to the first baseman to end the inning.
I thought that was strange. But I hadn't seen nothing yet. In the bottom of the ninth the D'Backs were down 4-2, but tied the game with two home runs. In the bottom of the tenth --- which would have been the last inning no matter what happened --- Arizona managed to get runners on first and third. When Ollie Linton (SB '08) came to bat San Diego moved their right fielder into the infield. They tried to put him on the line, but that would have put the first baseman at the second base position. And you can't play second base with a first baseman's mitt. So they put the right fielder just to the left side of second base, and moved the shortstop over to the right side of second base.
Perhaps distracted by the view of five infielders, Linton struck out. Linton's a left handed batter. The next batter, Jake Wald is right handed. So the right fielder switched places with the shortstop. Right on cue, Wald hit a looping fly ball into right field. The center fielder made a good effort getting to the ball and diving, but it was just off his glove, and the runner scored from third. The Diamondbacks beat the Padres 5-4 in 10 innings.
Most importantly, the game time temperature was 78 degrees with just a few clouds in the sky.
In other news, my quest for Mexican food and margaritas was stymied yesterday. Los Betos, the carryout by the stadium, closes early on Sunday. And the bar in the hotel was out of limes, a key margarita ingredient. Too tired to go anywhere else, I settled for a rum & coke and the hotel's enchilada. It was good, but a lot like the enchilada you could get at a hotel in Mishawaka. There was talk around the pressbox today that one of the best places for Mexican food in Tucson is a place called El Charro. If baseball writers know anything --- other than baseball and writing, of course --- its food. So if you need me tonight, that's where I'll be.
Marc Krauss waiting for his turn in the cage.
Mark Haley doing what he does best -- standing around while looking pretty (HA!).
A.J. Pollock taking his cuts in the cage.
Look at that view!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Decision Time
Mark Haley has an excellent blog post up on the Tribune website about how the Diamondbacks and minor league managers have some tough decisions to make in spring training about the future of players, and how sometimes, getting a "real job" isn't the worst thing in a world for some of the guys. It's an interesting read.
Pete's Report -- Day One
Unfortunately, I was not able to go to spring training this year. However, loyal blog reader and Silver Hawks official scorer Pete Yarbro made the trip to the desert, and I've asked him to send reports that I can put on the blog. I told Pete that he could write about the games, the players, or anything he wanted. As you will read, he clearly took me up on the "anything you wanted" part of the deal. Enjoy!
"My alarm went off at 3:30 Sunday morning. Actually, two of my alarms went off. Unfortunately, I set four. The first thing I need to do when I get back to South Bend is buy a new alarm clock. And remember that when I set the alarm on my cell phone I need to switch it from vibrate mode. That's why you set four alarms. With that hurdle behind me, it was off to the airport.
My first leg was from South Bend to Chicago. The flight is only 48 minutes, so accounting for the time change, we landed before we took off. Flights like that always remind me of Bob Costas' story about ABA player Marvin "Bad News" Barnes who refused to board a similar flight from Louisville to St. Louis, protesting, "I ain't getting on no time machine!"
Every one of my flights was on time. So, with a couple of naps along the way, I got into Tuscon about the time today's game started. Off the plane, through baggage claim, past the rental car counter and straight to Tucson Electric Park, spring training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. I'll worry about checking into the hotel later. There's nothing quite like a day when you can wake up in northern Indiana, facing a 36 degree temperature, and by the middle of the afternoon be soaking in the Arizona sun, enjoying 75 degrees and sunny --- watching the Diamondbacks play baseball against the San Francisco Giants.
The game was already in the third inning by the time I got to the park, but the crowd was still filtering in. With a total attendance of 10,601, today's game is close to a sellout. When I came into the park there were still lawn seats available, but that's about all. I just hope I can find my rental car after the game. Somewhere on the other side of ten thousand people there's a silver Toyota Carolla. I may give the crowd a headstart before I go looking for it.
It's a beautiful view from my seat in the pressbox. Right in front of me is a patch of the greenest grass I've seen since last summer --- not to mention the baseball game being played. Past the left field wall is Mt. Lemmon and the Santa Catalina Mountains. If all that gets boring, today there's an airshow at Davis Monthan Air Force Base here in Tucson. So there are A-10 Thunderbolts and F-16 Falcons twisting through the air over the right field wall. On top of all that the smells drifting up from the barbeque stand under the pressbox are making me really hungry.
Late in the game, former Notre Dame pitcher Aaron Heilman and former Silver Hawk Clay Zavada both made appearances. Heilman pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit. Zavada followed that with a one-two-three inning, punctuated by an impressive strike-out. My binoculars are still packed in my luggage, but Zavada appears to be sporting an impressive mustache. The Giants beat the D'Backs 4-3.
In the morning I'll be checking in over at the minor league camp before coming back over to TEP for the game against the Padres. In the meantime, I'm headed over to the Mexican take-out around the corner from the stadium to pick up dinner. I'm leaning toward a chili relleno. Then back to the hotel to check in and have a couple of margaritas before what I expect will be an early bedtime. But not before I buy some sun screen.
I just hope I get to sleep a little later tomorrow."
Thanks for the update Pete!
"My alarm went off at 3:30 Sunday morning. Actually, two of my alarms went off. Unfortunately, I set four. The first thing I need to do when I get back to South Bend is buy a new alarm clock. And remember that when I set the alarm on my cell phone I need to switch it from vibrate mode. That's why you set four alarms. With that hurdle behind me, it was off to the airport.
My first leg was from South Bend to Chicago. The flight is only 48 minutes, so accounting for the time change, we landed before we took off. Flights like that always remind me of Bob Costas' story about ABA player Marvin "Bad News" Barnes who refused to board a similar flight from Louisville to St. Louis, protesting, "I ain't getting on no time machine!"
Every one of my flights was on time. So, with a couple of naps along the way, I got into Tuscon about the time today's game started. Off the plane, through baggage claim, past the rental car counter and straight to Tucson Electric Park, spring training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. I'll worry about checking into the hotel later. There's nothing quite like a day when you can wake up in northern Indiana, facing a 36 degree temperature, and by the middle of the afternoon be soaking in the Arizona sun, enjoying 75 degrees and sunny --- watching the Diamondbacks play baseball against the San Francisco Giants.
The game was already in the third inning by the time I got to the park, but the crowd was still filtering in. With a total attendance of 10,601, today's game is close to a sellout. When I came into the park there were still lawn seats available, but that's about all. I just hope I can find my rental car after the game. Somewhere on the other side of ten thousand people there's a silver Toyota Carolla. I may give the crowd a headstart before I go looking for it.
It's a beautiful view from my seat in the pressbox. Right in front of me is a patch of the greenest grass I've seen since last summer --- not to mention the baseball game being played. Past the left field wall is Mt. Lemmon and the Santa Catalina Mountains. If all that gets boring, today there's an airshow at Davis Monthan Air Force Base here in Tucson. So there are A-10 Thunderbolts and F-16 Falcons twisting through the air over the right field wall. On top of all that the smells drifting up from the barbeque stand under the pressbox are making me really hungry.
Late in the game, former Notre Dame pitcher Aaron Heilman and former Silver Hawk Clay Zavada both made appearances. Heilman pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit. Zavada followed that with a one-two-three inning, punctuated by an impressive strike-out. My binoculars are still packed in my luggage, but Zavada appears to be sporting an impressive mustache. The Giants beat the D'Backs 4-3.
In the morning I'll be checking in over at the minor league camp before coming back over to TEP for the game against the Padres. In the meantime, I'm headed over to the Mexican take-out around the corner from the stadium to pick up dinner. I'm leaning toward a chili relleno. Then back to the hotel to check in and have a couple of margaritas before what I expect will be an early bedtime. But not before I buy some sun screen.
I just hope I get to sleep a little later tomorrow."
Thanks for the update Pete!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Clayton Conner Released
Just received an email from the Diamondbacks announcing that they released four players, including former Silver Hawks infielder Clayton Conner.
Conner had a couple of big games for the Silver Hawks at the end of last season, but ultimately hit just .220 in 24 games with South Bend. It was his third stint with the Silver Hawks, playing the end of '07 with the Hawks and the beginning of '08, before an injury shut him down for the rest of the year.
At 23 and most likely ticketed for a return to low-A ball, I'm guessing the Diamondbacks have decided that the time has passed for Conner. We certainly wish him well wherever he ends up.
Conner had a couple of big games for the Silver Hawks at the end of last season, but ultimately hit just .220 in 24 games with South Bend. It was his third stint with the Silver Hawks, playing the end of '07 with the Hawks and the beginning of '08, before an injury shut him down for the rest of the year.
At 23 and most likely ticketed for a return to low-A ball, I'm guessing the Diamondbacks have decided that the time has passed for Conner. We certainly wish him well wherever he ends up.
Friday, March 19, 2010
701 and Counting
As I went to post this entry, I noticed that I had previously posted 700 blog entries. I started this blog on March 14th, 2009, and have posted 700 times in 370 days. This is entry number 701. So if you've been reading this blog since the start, imagine how much useless information you've read about in the last year.
A few tidbits for you today:
-Mark Reynolds has signed a contract extension with the Diamondbacks. He's a former Silver Hawks infielder, a great power hitter, but really needs to cut down on the strikeouts.
-This post by Nick Piecoro talks about Jordan Norberto battling Clay Zavada for a bullpen spot, and about Eric Smith looking good in a minor league game (Smith pitched for the Silver Hawks at the end of 2009).
-Mark Haley has another blog entry up, and they actually played a game yesterday. Click here for the report, including a potential Silver Hawks player getting injured.
A few tidbits for you today:
-Mark Reynolds has signed a contract extension with the Diamondbacks. He's a former Silver Hawks infielder, a great power hitter, but really needs to cut down on the strikeouts.
-This post by Nick Piecoro talks about Jordan Norberto battling Clay Zavada for a bullpen spot, and about Eric Smith looking good in a minor league game (Smith pitched for the Silver Hawks at the end of 2009).
-Mark Haley has another blog entry up, and they actually played a game yesterday. Click here for the report, including a potential Silver Hawks player getting injured.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
New Blog from Hales
Hales is talking about spring training daily routines on his blog at the South Bend Tribune's website. Read it here.
My Picks
So most of you don't care about my entire NCAA tournament bracket, but I figured I'd at least get my Final Four picks on the record so that I can brag when it happens.
I have Kansas beating Kansas State in one Final Four matchup.
In the other, I have Kentucky beating Villanova.
And in the finals, going with my heart more than my head, I have my beloved Kentucky Wildcats cutting down the nets for the 8th time in school history.
UPDATE: In typing the tags for this post, I just realized that three of the four teams I have in the Final Four have the same mascot: Wildcats.
I have Kansas beating Kansas State in one Final Four matchup.
In the other, I have Kentucky beating Villanova.
And in the finals, going with my heart more than my head, I have my beloved Kentucky Wildcats cutting down the nets for the 8th time in school history.
UPDATE: In typing the tags for this post, I just realized that three of the four teams I have in the Final Four have the same mascot: Wildcats.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Fu Manchu Baby!
I'm working on the media guide, and just requested a picture of new Lansing Lugnuts manager Sal Fasano. You may remember Fasano from his playing days, when it seemed like he was on a new team every year (largely because he was on a new team every year from 2000 on). You may also remember the sweet Fu Manchu that he had as a player.
Now that he's a manager, I was wondering if he was still rocking the facial hair. In the email attachment I just received from Lansing's broadcaster Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, the answer is a definitive YES!
See for yourself...
Now that he's a manager, I was wondering if he was still rocking the facial hair. In the email attachment I just received from Lansing's broadcaster Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, the answer is a definitive YES!
See for yourself...
Happy St. Patrick's Day
To help celebrate, the Silver Hawks are offering their special St. Patrick's Day shamrock hat for only $15 (a $5 savings). You must buy today if you want the special price.
In other news, Al Lesar of the South Bend Tribune did a great feature article on Mark Haley. It's on the front page of today's sports section, or you can read it here. And then read some more Mark Haley stories here.
In other news, Al Lesar of the South Bend Tribune did a great feature article on Mark Haley. It's on the front page of today's sports section, or you can read it here. And then read some more Mark Haley stories here.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
More on Realignment
I referenced baseball talking about realignment in the last post, and in the poll to the right side of this page. However, I never really talked about the plan that Bud Selig floated out there. Tom Verducci summarizes the plan in his article on cnnsi.com, but I wanted to pull out the quote that made my head spin:
"The committee...discussing a radical form of "floating" realignment in which teams would not be fixed to a division, but free to change divisions from year-to-year based on geography, payroll and their plans to contend or not.
One example of floating realignment, according to one insider, would work this way: Cleveland, which is rebuilding with a reduced payroll, could opt to leave the AL Central to play in the AL East. The Indians would benefit from an unbalanced schedule that would give them a total of 18 lucrative home dates against the Yankees and Red Sox instead of their current eight. A small or mid-market contender, such as Tampa Bay or Baltimore, could move to the AL Central to get a better crack at postseason play instead of continually fighting against the mega-payrolls of New York and Boston.
Divisions still would loosely follow geographic lines; no team would join a division more than two time zones outside its own, largely to protect local television rights (i.e., start times of games) and travel costs.
Floating realignment also could mean changing the number of teams in a division, teams changing leagues and interleague games throughout the season, according to several sources familiar with the committee's discussions. It is important to remember that the committee's talks are very preliminary and non-binding."
"The committee...discussing a radical form of "floating" realignment in which teams would not be fixed to a division, but free to change divisions from year-to-year based on geography, payroll and their plans to contend or not.
One example of floating realignment, according to one insider, would work this way: Cleveland, which is rebuilding with a reduced payroll, could opt to leave the AL Central to play in the AL East. The Indians would benefit from an unbalanced schedule that would give them a total of 18 lucrative home dates against the Yankees and Red Sox instead of their current eight. A small or mid-market contender, such as Tampa Bay or Baltimore, could move to the AL Central to get a better crack at postseason play instead of continually fighting against the mega-payrolls of New York and Boston.
Divisions still would loosely follow geographic lines; no team would join a division more than two time zones outside its own, largely to protect local television rights (i.e., start times of games) and travel costs.
Floating realignment also could mean changing the number of teams in a division, teams changing leagues and interleague games throughout the season, according to several sources familiar with the committee's discussions. It is important to remember that the committee's talks are very preliminary and non-binding."
Is that not the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard? As if baseball isn't confusing enough, they are seriously debating a plan where teams could change divisions every year, sometimes in the middle of the year?
Anyhow, that is what prompted part of the poll question to the right. I'll have more links for you early this afternoon.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Spring Training Poll Results
I'm actually a little bit surprised by the latest poll results about Spring Training. The vast majority of you said that it is perfect the way it is. I was honestly expecting most people to say they liked it, but it was too long.
Anyhow, a new question is up to the right concerning proposed changes in various sports. Baseball has lately been talking about realignment, college hoops is talking about adding teams, there is always a debate about the BCS (one way or another), and with the success of Olympic hockey, we still don't have a commitment that NHL players will participate in four years. What is the bigger mistake?
Anyhow, a new question is up to the right concerning proposed changes in various sports. Baseball has lately been talking about realignment, college hoops is talking about adding teams, there is always a debate about the BCS (one way or another), and with the success of Olympic hockey, we still don't have a commitment that NHL players will participate in four years. What is the bigger mistake?
Madness!
And no, I'm not talking about college basketball (although did you see my beloved Kentucky Wildcats pull that game out yesterday. Wow!)
The madness that I'm referring to is the fact that we are only 3 weeks away from the Notre Dame vs. South Bend exhibition game at Coveleski Stadium. To get you in the mood, here are some baseball links for you to browse this morning:
-Nick Piecoro is doing non-roster spotlights on his blog, with the latest ones featuring former Silver Hawks Evan Frey and Collin Cowgill.
-Mark Haley's latest blog entry talks about meetings and the timeline for Spring Training.
The madness that I'm referring to is the fact that we are only 3 weeks away from the Notre Dame vs. South Bend exhibition game at Coveleski Stadium. To get you in the mood, here are some baseball links for you to browse this morning:
-Nick Piecoro is doing non-roster spotlights on his blog, with the latest ones featuring former Silver Hawks Evan Frey and Collin Cowgill.
-Mark Haley's latest blog entry talks about meetings and the timeline for Spring Training.
Friday, March 12, 2010
One More Before I Call It a Week
Joe Kernan is once again going to be playing for the Silver Hawks against Notre Dame in the Silver vs. Gold Exhibition game. Ben Hill of minorleaguebaseball.com picked up on the information from my press release yesterday, and expanded upon it here: http://bensbiz.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/03/a_president_without_precedent.html
Happy Friday
My apologies for the short posts the last two days, as I'm a little under the weather. We're getting so close to the start of the season, and the number of posts on this blog will increase greatly. There are also a couple of other changes to the blog in store, but you'll have to wait to find out what those are going to be.
In the meantime, I encourage everyone to enjoy watching a ton of college basketball this weekend, capped off by the Selection Show on Sunday night.
I'll be back on Monday with more baseball posts...I promise.
In the meantime, I encourage everyone to enjoy watching a ton of college basketball this weekend, capped off by the Selection Show on Sunday night.
I'll be back on Monday with more baseball posts...I promise.
Box Office Open Tomorrow
The Silver Hawks Box Office at Coveleski Stadium will be open tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 10 AM until 2 PM.
Fans can still get their individual game tickets online at www.silverhawks.com, but for those that prefer to buy them in-person, your first opportunity to do so is tomorrow morning.
Fans can still get their individual game tickets online at www.silverhawks.com, but for those that prefer to buy them in-person, your first opportunity to do so is tomorrow morning.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Pollock with the Big Club
A.J. Pollock got an at-bat with the big league club a few days ago in Spring Training.
Given that I'm on the couch under a blanket fighting off a nasty cold or sinus infection and my head is all scrambled from medicine I've been taking, it's probably better to just let Steve Gilbert do the summary.
Given that I'm on the couch under a blanket fighting off a nasty cold or sinus infection and my head is all scrambled from medicine I've been taking, it's probably better to just let Steve Gilbert do the summary.
Thursday Morning Report
A quick update this morning. At 10 AM, we are having a media preview event in the Upper Deck of Coveleski Stadium. Team President Joe Kernan and new GM Lynn Kachmarik will be talking about the upcoming season and the Silver Hawks "theme" for the season.
There will be a press release up on www.silverhawks.com around noon with some more details.
There will be a press release up on www.silverhawks.com around noon with some more details.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Wednesday Morning Wrap-Up
-Last night I spoke to the Goshen Aktion Kiwanis Club, which is a group of developmentally disabled adults. They were very gracious and excited to have me there, served hot dogs and cracker jacks for dinner, and played baseball songs on the piano while they ate. It was a great time, and I thank them for inviting me to their meeting.
-The Diamondbacks beat my beloved Cincinnati Reds in a spring training game yesterday. Former Silver Hawks outfielder Justin Upton had a home run for the Diamondbacks, while former Dayton Dragons outfielder Jay Bruce homered for the Reds.
-It's rainy in South Bend today, which normally stinks, but it's warm enough outside that I'm not complaining.
-Mark Haley has a new blog entry over at the Tribune's website.
-The Diamondbacks beat my beloved Cincinnati Reds in a spring training game yesterday. Former Silver Hawks outfielder Justin Upton had a home run for the Diamondbacks, while former Dayton Dragons outfielder Jay Bruce homered for the Reds.
-It's rainy in South Bend today, which normally stinks, but it's warm enough outside that I'm not complaining.
-Mark Haley has a new blog entry over at the Tribune's website.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Some Odds and Ends, and Another Red Head Story
Thanks to those that commented on my last blog post, although whoever referenced South Park needs to find more productive ways to spend their evenings than watching that horrible show.
I especially like the person who asked why this blog got relegated to "difficult to find" status on the new website. The problem is that where we had three spots on the right panel of the old website for things like this, on the new website we only have two. Granted, you can click the arrow to the right and get my blog link there as well, but that's too much work. Apparently someone has decided that the link to our facebook page is more important than my blog. I beg to differ. It is my stated mission to get my blog link back on the main page, where you don't have to click around on arrows or other links to get here. We'll see how that goes.
One baseball link for you today: I'm not a Minnesota Twins fan necessarily, but you hate to see a headline like this in Spring Training regarding one of your better pitchers: Joe Nathan May Need Tommy John Surgery. Ouch!
Now, as promised, here's my Red Head Story for today (read yesterday's posts for why I'm on a red head kick):
When I was working for the enemy (AKA, the Dayton Dragons), I would often go out and give speeches about the team or organization. In a shameless plug, I'm doing the same for the Silver Hawks, so if you are interested, click here for the information on the Speakers Bureau.
Anyhow, one day I was invited to speak at an after-school daycare facility. I assumed I would be speaking to children in middle school whose parents worked and couldn't be home when their kids got out of school. As it turned out, the "after-school" part of the facility was misleading, because I was basically speaking to 4- and 5-year-olds, who certainly were not yet in first grade. In case you were curious, 4- and 5-year-olds do not care about baseball broadcasters at all.
I finish my speech (most of them didn't pay attention) and open up the forum for questions (what was I thinking?). After getting the usual questions from kids about the mascot and what food he eats, one little girl with red hair who had been quiet the whole day raised her hand. When I called on her, she very shyly asked, "Is it true that red-heads will be extinct in 20 years?"
After regaining my composure, I promised the little girl that red heads were here to stay, and that whoever told her that (turns out it was an older sibling), was just being mean and trying to scare her.
I especially like the person who asked why this blog got relegated to "difficult to find" status on the new website. The problem is that where we had three spots on the right panel of the old website for things like this, on the new website we only have two. Granted, you can click the arrow to the right and get my blog link there as well, but that's too much work. Apparently someone has decided that the link to our facebook page is more important than my blog. I beg to differ. It is my stated mission to get my blog link back on the main page, where you don't have to click around on arrows or other links to get here. We'll see how that goes.
One baseball link for you today: I'm not a Minnesota Twins fan necessarily, but you hate to see a headline like this in Spring Training regarding one of your better pitchers: Joe Nathan May Need Tommy John Surgery. Ouch!
Now, as promised, here's my Red Head Story for today (read yesterday's posts for why I'm on a red head kick):
When I was working for the enemy (AKA, the Dayton Dragons), I would often go out and give speeches about the team or organization. In a shameless plug, I'm doing the same for the Silver Hawks, so if you are interested, click here for the information on the Speakers Bureau.
Anyhow, one day I was invited to speak at an after-school daycare facility. I assumed I would be speaking to children in middle school whose parents worked and couldn't be home when their kids got out of school. As it turned out, the "after-school" part of the facility was misleading, because I was basically speaking to 4- and 5-year-olds, who certainly were not yet in first grade. In case you were curious, 4- and 5-year-olds do not care about baseball broadcasters at all.
I finish my speech (most of them didn't pay attention) and open up the forum for questions (what was I thinking?). After getting the usual questions from kids about the mascot and what food he eats, one little girl with red hair who had been quiet the whole day raised her hand. When I called on her, she very shyly asked, "Is it true that red-heads will be extinct in 20 years?"
After regaining my composure, I promised the little girl that red heads were here to stay, and that whoever told her that (turns out it was an older sibling), was just being mean and trying to scare her.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Website, Field, and Why I'm the First To Go
First things first: If you go to http://www.silverhawks.com/, you'll notice a new look. Minor League Baseball has redesigned their pages, but all the important information is still there. Not a whole lot has changed other than the design, but it may take you a minute or two to find things. A link to this blog can still be found under the multimedia tab at the top of the page.
Secondly, here is today's picture of the field. Two things to notice:
1) No Snow
2) Joel Reinebold cutting the grass. It's nice to seem him actually working after sleeping in the office all winter
Secondly, here is today's picture of the field. Two things to notice:
1) No Snow
2) Joel Reinebold cutting the grass. It's nice to seem him actually working after sleeping in the office all winter
Thirdly, I teased this in an earlier post, but here's the story behind the weird title to this post. Nick Devlin was an intern for the Quad Cities River Bandits. He's now the broadcaster for the Burlington Bees. He's also blogging, (I'll link to his blog on the right side of this page as well).
Anyhow, Nick had a post about other Midwest League bloggers, and included mine. I appreciate the love, but let's take a look to see what he wrote about me:
"Owen Serey's the South Bend radio guy, and an all-around likable young man. When I was interning with Quad Cities last year, I made it a habit to sit in with each opposing broadcaster when they came to town. Usually I'd listen for an inning, ask a few questions during commercial breaks, thank them for their time, and head out. Owen was among those who seemed most concerned that I learn something while I sat in with him, though. Not in an overbearing way, either. It just seemed like he really cared. Now, maybe it's because he's a really nice guy, or maybe it's because he has red hair and will therefore be the first to go in any apocalyptic scenario, but it made for a very positive experience overall, and it makes me like his blog a lot." (emphasis added by me)
While I appreciate the compliments about the blog, and I do like to make sure people actually learn something from me when they sit with me for an inning or two, what's with the line about how red heads are the first to go in the Apocalypse? Did I miss that memo or something? Why does everyone feel the need to take shots at the red-headed guy?
We have a staff meeting later this afternoon, so this is probably my last post for today. I'll have another red-head related post tomorrow for you....and probably a mention or two about baseball as well.
News from the Desert -- Monday, March 8th
Hope everyone had a good weekend. Let's catch up on some stories involving the Diamondbacks from this past weekend.
First, the Brandon Webb saga continues. On Friday, it was news that he might start the season on the DL. Then yesterday, he played catch and felt fine afterwards. This could get interesting.
Next, Mark Reynolds wants a new contract. But predictably, the contract talks are now a distraction.
Again, Mark Haley should be in Arizona now. He'll be blogging for the South Bend Tribune, and you can read it here.
I'll be back after lunch with a picture of the field (no snow!?!?!?!), and why I am a good guy, yet will be the first to go "in any apocalyptic scenario." Come back to find out what that means.
First, the Brandon Webb saga continues. On Friday, it was news that he might start the season on the DL. Then yesterday, he played catch and felt fine afterwards. This could get interesting.
Next, Mark Reynolds wants a new contract. But predictably, the contract talks are now a distraction.
Again, Mark Haley should be in Arizona now. He'll be blogging for the South Bend Tribune, and you can read it here.
I'll be back after lunch with a picture of the field (no snow!?!?!?!), and why I am a good guy, yet will be the first to go "in any apocalyptic scenario." Come back to find out what that means.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Friday Field Picture
We're getting there. My hope is that on Monday, the snow will be gone from all the dirt areas, as well as the grass behind home plate that doesn't see as much sun as the rest of the field.
Notice the area in the dirt around second base without any snow. Groundskeeper Joel Reinebold put charcoal in that area. Apparently this is a new technique that Joel wanted to try out. You ground up the charcoal, and spread it around an area on the field on sunny days. Charcoal, being black, will absord the heat of the sun faster, and thus melt the snow faster. Clearly, it works.
Interesting, huh? Apparently we now conduct science experiments at the ballpark. Next week, we'll create a tornado in a bottle.
Notice the area in the dirt around second base without any snow. Groundskeeper Joel Reinebold put charcoal in that area. Apparently this is a new technique that Joel wanted to try out. You ground up the charcoal, and spread it around an area on the field on sunny days. Charcoal, being black, will absord the heat of the sun faster, and thus melt the snow faster. Clearly, it works.
Interesting, huh? Apparently we now conduct science experiments at the ballpark. Next week, we'll create a tornado in a bottle.
Diamondbacks Lose Spring Opener
Not that it really matters, but Arizona lost their spring training opener yesterday to the Colorado Rockies by a final score of 11-1 (ouch!).
MLB.com's Steve Gilbert has some notes on the game.
MLB.com's Steve Gilbert has some notes on the game.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Stagnant
Dictionary.com defines stagnant as:
stag·nant /ˈstægnÉ™nt/ –adjective
1.not flowing or running, as water, air, etc.
2.stale or foul from standing, as a pool of water.
3.characterized by lack of development, advancement, or progressive movement: a stagnant economy.
4.inactive, sluggish, or dull.
I'm assuming Brandon Webb was referring to definition number 3 when he said today that he felt stagnant after his bullpen session.
Hmmm...probably not a good thing for the Diamondbacks.
stag·nant /ˈstægnÉ™nt/ –adjective
1.not flowing or running, as water, air, etc.
2.stale or foul from standing, as a pool of water.
3.characterized by lack of development, advancement, or progressive movement: a stagnant economy.
4.inactive, sluggish, or dull.
I'm assuming Brandon Webb was referring to definition number 3 when he said today that he felt stagnant after his bullpen session.
Hmmm...probably not a good thing for the Diamondbacks.
Another Sunny Day = Less Snow on the Field
I posted some pictures of the field yesterday, showing how the snow is melting rapidly with the amount of sun we've had this week. Today is another beautiful day in South Bend, so you can now see even more of the grass and dirt around the infield.
We're supposed to have a nice weekend in South Bend, although it might get a bit rainy on Sunday followed by thunderstorms on Monday. Even still, I'll take the warmer temperatures even if I have to deal with a little rain right now.
Anyhow, here's the field as of 2:20 on Thursday afternoon. You can always click on the pictures for larger views.
We're supposed to have a nice weekend in South Bend, although it might get a bit rainy on Sunday followed by thunderstorms on Monday. Even still, I'll take the warmer temperatures even if I have to deal with a little rain right now.
Anyhow, here's the field as of 2:20 on Thursday afternoon. You can always click on the pictures for larger views.
More on Upton
Before I link you to the details of Justin Upton's new contract, I have to tell you about the total brain cramp I had this morning.
I've worked for the Silver Hawks for 367 days now. Every morning (home or road), I grab my computer bag on the way out of my apartment/hotel room, and head to the stadium. So explain to me how today, after doing this same routine task for a year, I drove to the stadium, got out of my car, only to find that my computer bag was not tucked behind the driver's seat as it always is? How in the world do you forget something like that, after doing it EVERY STUPID MORNING?
Anyhow, as you can tell, I returned to my apartment, got my computer, and headed back to work. What a ridiculous waste of time and gas.
Anyhow, here are the details on Justin Upton's new contract, and some quotes from the press conference, courtesy of our friend Nick Piecoro.
And for those that are wondering: Yes, I'm still jealous of how much money Upton makes. I think we all are.
I've worked for the Silver Hawks for 367 days now. Every morning (home or road), I grab my computer bag on the way out of my apartment/hotel room, and head to the stadium. So explain to me how today, after doing this same routine task for a year, I drove to the stadium, got out of my car, only to find that my computer bag was not tucked behind the driver's seat as it always is? How in the world do you forget something like that, after doing it EVERY STUPID MORNING?
Anyhow, as you can tell, I returned to my apartment, got my computer, and headed back to work. What a ridiculous waste of time and gas.
Anyhow, here are the details on Justin Upton's new contract, and some quotes from the press conference, courtesy of our friend Nick Piecoro.
And for those that are wondering: Yes, I'm still jealous of how much money Upton makes. I think we all are.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
What a Difference the Sun Makes
There's been this big, yellow thing in the sky the last few days. I've heard rumors that it's something called "the sun", but it had been so long since I had seen it, that I can't be 100% sure if that's what it is or not.
In all seriousness, the weather has been really nice so far this week, with the sun shining brightly and the temperatures creeping closer to 40 degrees. In addition to putting everyone in a better mood and getting people to think about the summer months and baseball, the sun serves one other very important purpose: it melts the snow!
Below are two pictures from this week. The first is Monday around lunchtime, after groundskeeper Joel Reinebold went out with the snowblower around the basepaths. The second is from today (Wednesday) around 3:30 PM. Wow, what a difference!
Monday.
Today.
We're getting there folks. I'll try to post more pictures as we get closer and closer to Opening Day.
In all seriousness, the weather has been really nice so far this week, with the sun shining brightly and the temperatures creeping closer to 40 degrees. In addition to putting everyone in a better mood and getting people to think about the summer months and baseball, the sun serves one other very important purpose: it melts the snow!
Below are two pictures from this week. The first is Monday around lunchtime, after groundskeeper Joel Reinebold went out with the snowblower around the basepaths. The second is from today (Wednesday) around 3:30 PM. Wow, what a difference!
Monday.
Today.
We're getting there folks. I'll try to post more pictures as we get closer and closer to Opening Day.
As If He Wasn't Rich Enough Already...
...Justin Upton is on the verge of signing a mega deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. You will certainly remember Upton from 2006 when he was with the Silver Hawks, as an 18-year-old who had just signed a contract with a 6 million dollar signing bonus.
Apparently, the time has come to restructure the deal, and he's going to get paid a lot more money.
Before I go any farther, let me make a couple of things clear:
1) Let's not pile on Upton here. He's just living in the world of baseball and the insane contracts they sometimes pay out. If any of us were offered 6 million to sign our names to a contract, or 50+ million as an extension, we'd all sign it.
2) Many fans have said they didn't really like Upton when he was here. From everything I've been told, he needed an attitude adjustment. I've never met the guy, but I'm willing to cut him some slack. Imagine being 18 and dealing with the pressures of everything saying you are the next Ken Griffey, Jr or Willie Mays. I can forgive him if it went to his head a little bit.
3) Baseball salaries are outrageous. There, I said it. I understand that these players bring huge crowds to the ballpark, and that many owners get rich because of them. Even still, it's absurd how much money these guys make (and yes, I'm insanely jealous).
I'll let Nick Piecoro tell you why he thinks this might not be a great move for the Diamondbacks.
Apparently, the time has come to restructure the deal, and he's going to get paid a lot more money.
Before I go any farther, let me make a couple of things clear:
1) Let's not pile on Upton here. He's just living in the world of baseball and the insane contracts they sometimes pay out. If any of us were offered 6 million to sign our names to a contract, or 50+ million as an extension, we'd all sign it.
2) Many fans have said they didn't really like Upton when he was here. From everything I've been told, he needed an attitude adjustment. I've never met the guy, but I'm willing to cut him some slack. Imagine being 18 and dealing with the pressures of everything saying you are the next Ken Griffey, Jr or Willie Mays. I can forgive him if it went to his head a little bit.
3) Baseball salaries are outrageous. There, I said it. I understand that these players bring huge crowds to the ballpark, and that many owners get rich because of them. Even still, it's absurd how much money these guys make (and yes, I'm insanely jealous).
I'll let Nick Piecoro tell you why he thinks this might not be a great move for the Diamondbacks.
Daily Promotions Poll Results
Based on the latest poll, it seems as if most of you are excited about the Souvenir Saturdays this season. To be honest, I can't blame you. Fleece Blankets, Hats, Cups, Team Pictures, and Bobbleheads are just some of the items that will be given away this season at Coveleski Stadium.
We had a tie for second, with Dollar Mondays, Thirsty Thursdays, and Friday Fireworks each generating a lot of interest.
A new poll is up on the right with your thoughts on Spring Training and the month of March.
We had a tie for second, with Dollar Mondays, Thirsty Thursdays, and Friday Fireworks each generating a lot of interest.
A new poll is up on the right with your thoughts on Spring Training and the month of March.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Mark Haley is Blogging!
I never thought I'd see the day when Mark Haley got with the latest technology and started blogging. But here we are, on March 2nd, 2010, and the manager of our Silver Hawks will be blogging about Spring Training from Arizona for the South Bend Tribune.
Here's the link: http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20100302/BLOGS38/100309894
I'll also be referencing his blog a lot on these pages, so you'll be hearing a lot from the manager in the next few weeks.
Here's the link: http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20100302/BLOGS38/100309894
I'll also be referencing his blog a lot on these pages, so you'll be hearing a lot from the manager in the next few weeks.
New Addition to Dollar Mondays
In addition to the dollar hot dogs and dollar Pepsi products that have long been featured on Dollar Monday, this season at Coveleski Stadium you'll hear the band Alligator Blackbird performing on the concourse before games on Monday nights.
If you want a sneak peak at Alligator Blackbird, U93 is hosting a St. Patrick's Day party at Heritage Square in Granger on March 17th. Alligator Blackbird will be performing, so head over there for some good times and good music. It's also for a good cause, as a portion of the proceeds will benefit The Center for the Homeless. More information by clicking here.
If you want a sneak peak at Alligator Blackbird, U93 is hosting a St. Patrick's Day party at Heritage Square in Granger on March 17th. Alligator Blackbird will be performing, so head over there for some good times and good music. It's also for a good cause, as a portion of the proceeds will benefit The Center for the Homeless. More information by clicking here.
Casey Fien Claimed by Red Sox
I've been busy working on some sales stuff this morning, but saw this post and wanted to put it on the blog.
You may remember Casey Fien from the West Michigan Whitecaps in 2007, when he basically owned the Midwest League as a set-up guy. He was 6-1 with the Whitecaps that year, posting a nice 3.10 ERA and striking out 77 batters in 61.0 innings. Fien got the save over the Silver Hawks in game one of the Eastern Division Championship Series, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings.
When the Tigers signed Johnny Damon, they designated Fien for assignment. Yesterday, he was claimed by the Red Sox.
You may remember Casey Fien from the West Michigan Whitecaps in 2007, when he basically owned the Midwest League as a set-up guy. He was 6-1 with the Whitecaps that year, posting a nice 3.10 ERA and striking out 77 batters in 61.0 innings. Fien got the save over the Silver Hawks in game one of the Eastern Division Championship Series, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings.
When the Tigers signed Johnny Damon, they designated Fien for assignment. Yesterday, he was claimed by the Red Sox.
Monday, March 1, 2010
The Only Post Ever About Hockey
I'm not a hockey fan. I grew up in northern Kentucky, and did not have a professional hockey team anywhere near me (the Columbus Blue Jackets did not exist when I was a kid). I never played hockey. I never watched hockey.
With all that being said, I'm a fan of good sporting events, which means I was glued to the TV yesterday afternoon for the USA vs. Canada. I probably watched more hockey on TV in 3 hours yesterday than I did in the first 27 years of my life combined.
It had drama. It had intrigue. It had a great rivalry. It had country pride.
It was an excellent game, but a tough ending for the USA. One person that I know was happy with the result: former Silver Hawks pitcher Jordan Meaker. He's from Canada originally, and expressed his excitement on Facebook yesterday.
Good for Canada. But you know what, good for the USA too. Not only did the U.S. perform well in a sport that most of the country doesn't even care about, but now we get to focus on something even better: Baseball.
With all that being said, I'm a fan of good sporting events, which means I was glued to the TV yesterday afternoon for the USA vs. Canada. I probably watched more hockey on TV in 3 hours yesterday than I did in the first 27 years of my life combined.
It had drama. It had intrigue. It had a great rivalry. It had country pride.
It was an excellent game, but a tough ending for the USA. One person that I know was happy with the result: former Silver Hawks pitcher Jordan Meaker. He's from Canada originally, and expressed his excitement on Facebook yesterday.
Good for Canada. But you know what, good for the USA too. Not only did the U.S. perform well in a sport that most of the country doesn't even care about, but now we get to focus on something even better: Baseball.
Reminder! Tickets on Sale at Noon (ONLINE ONLY)
Individual game tickets will be available online at http://www.silverhawks.com/ at noon today, marking your first chance to buy single game tickets.
Want the best seats for a fireworks night? Want to make sure you have your tickets for the bobblehead giveaway? Need tickets for Opening Day? Get them today, beginning at noon.
A full list of promotional nights can be found here: http://southbend.silverhawks.milb.com/promotions/index.jsp?sid=t550
Want the best seats for a fireworks night? Want to make sure you have your tickets for the bobblehead giveaway? Need tickets for Opening Day? Get them today, beginning at noon.
A full list of promotional nights can be found here: http://southbend.silverhawks.milb.com/promotions/index.jsp?sid=t550
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