Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 31st

Hard to believe only 7 games left in the season.

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Jarrett - LF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Ender Inciarte - RF
Victor Estevez - SS
David Narodowski - DH
Andrew Fie - 1B
Tyson Van Winkle - C

Scottie Allen - SP

Pregame interview tonight is with manager Mark Haley.

Pregame coverage at 6:40 PM. First pitch at 7:00 PM.

Playoff Race - 7 Remain

Silver Hawks eliminated, but we'll keep up with the rest of the league still.

Here's your basics:

Eastern Division
Fort Wayne has clinched a playoff spot and leads West Michigan by 4 games for the second half championship.
West Michigan leads Lansing by games for the wild card.

Lake County is the first half champ and will play the second half wild card.
Great Lakes is the first half wild card and will play the second half champ.

Western Division
Clinton leads by a game and a half over Kane County for the second half championship.
Kane County leads by 1.0 over Beloit, 3.5 over Peoria, and 4.5 over Wisconsin.

Cedar Rapids is the first half champ and will play the second half wild card.
Quad Cities is the first half wild card and will play the second half champ.

And Now for Something Completely Different

For those of you that have been to the Cove, or even those that listen online and can hear him through the crowd microphone, you are going to be familiar with the subject of this article. Yes, the famed beer man who has the crowd joining in with his sales pitch of "Peanuts....and Cracker Jack" was written about in the South Bend Tribune.

You can find the story of Anthony Allen at this link.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 30th

Trying to stave off elimination tonight.

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Jarrett - LF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Errol Hollinger - DH
Ender Inciarte - RF
Victor Estevez - SS
Tyson Van Winkle - C

Adam Worthington - SP

Pregame interview tonight is with reliever Derek Eitel.

Pregame coverage at 6:40 PM. First pitch at 7:00 PM.

From the Notes - August 30th

South Bend Silver Hawks (26-35 Second Half, 56-73 Overall)
@ Lake County Captains (30-32 Second Half, 74-57 Overall)

Classic Park, Eastlake, Ohio – 7:00 PM Eastern Time

Season Series: 10-6 Captains
@ Coveleski Stadium: 7-3 Captains
@ Classic Park: 3-3 Tie

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .245 – 15th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 4.35 ERA – 14th
Captains Team Hitting: .250 – 14th
Captains Team Pitching: 3.65 ERA – 3rd

LAST GAME: Chris Kersten’s solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning was the lone run in Lake County’s 1-0 defeat of the Silver Hawks on Sunday afternoon. Brett Brach (WP, 5-8) went 6.2 scoreless innings for the win, with Jeremy Johnson (ND) and Jose Flores (SV, 6) closing it out. Tyler Skaggs (LP, 8-5) was the tough luck loser, striking out seven in 5.0 innings. Derek Eitel (ND) pitched 3.0 perfect innings of relief for South Bend. Ramon Castillo had two hits as the Hawks offensive highlight.

PLAYOFF RACE:
• With eight games remaining, the Hawks are currently 6.5 games behind West Michigan for the final playoff spot.

TEAM NOTES:
• The Silver Hawks are just 3-for-33 with runners in scoring position over the last three games (all losses).
• The elimination number is 2, meaning any combo of West Michigan wins or South Bend losses equaling two eliminates the Hawks.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Keon Broxton continues to lead all of baseball with 19 triples. He has tied the MWL record for most triples in a season (established in 1954 by John Wyre of the Clinton Pirates).
• Ramon Castillo is on an 11 game hitting streak (.415, 17 hits in 41 at-bats).

Playoff Race - 8 Remain

For some reason, the old format of posting the tables is causing the blog to not load properly.

Here's your basics:

Eastern Division
Fort Wayne has clinched a playoff spot and leads West Michigan by 5 games for the second half championship.
West Michigan leads Lansing by 4 and the Silver Hawks by 6.5 for the wild card.

Lake County is the first half champ and will play the second half wild card.
Great Lakes is the first half wild card and will play the second half champ.

Western Division
Clinton leads by a game and a half over Kane County for the second half championship.
Kane County leads by 1.0 over Beloit, 2.5 over Peoria, and 3.5 over Wisconsin.

Cedar Rapids is the first half champ and will play the second half wild card.
Quad Cities is the first half wild card and will play the second half champ.

Oops

Somehow when I edited a post yesterday, it caused the blog to not appear on many computers. I don't know what triggered that, but I've deleted the posts in question and you should be able to read the blog again.

My apologies and plenty of more posts coming up later today.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 28th

The deficit is back at 4.5 with 10 to play. Anything less than 3 out of 4 in this series would be crushing to the Hawks' playoff hopes.

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Jarrett - LF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Ender Inciarte - RF
Andrew Fie - DH
Victor Estevez - SS
Tyson Van Winkle - C

Andrew Wolcott - SP

Pregame interview tonight is with third baseman Bobby Borchering.

Pregame coverage at 6:40 PM. First pitch at 7:00 PM.

Playoff Race - 10 to Go

Time to start winning some games.

NOTE: The following teams are not included because they've already clinched playoff spots and don't factor into the second half races.
Lake County - 1st Half Champion in East
Great Lakes - 1st Half Wild Card in East
Cedar Rapids - 1st Half Champion in West
Quad Cities - 1st Half Wild Card in West

Eastern Division Championship Race





TeamWLGB
Fort Wayne3723--
West Michigan3129-6.0
Lansing2832-9.0
Mathematically Eliminated: Bowling Green, Dayton, South Bend

Eastern Division Wild Card Race (Fort Wayne omitted since they are leading the division race)






TeamWLGB
West Michigan3129--
Lansing2832-3.0
South Bend2633-4.5
Bowling Green2436-7.0
Mathematically Eliminated: Dayton


Western Division Championship Race







TeamWLGB
Clinton3425--
Kane County3227-2.0
Beloit2928-4.0
Peoria2829-5.0
Wisconsin2931-5.5
Mathematically Eliminated from: Burlington

Western Division Wild Card Race (Clinton omitted since they are leading division race)






TeamWLGB
Kane County3227--
Beloit2928-2.0
Peoria2829-3.0
Wisconsin2931-3.5
Mathematically Eliminated: Burlington

From the Notes - August 28th

South Bend Silver Hawks (26-33 Second Half, 56-71 Overall)
@ Lake County Captains (28-32 Second Half, 72-57 Overall)

Classic Park, Eastlake, Ohio – 7:00 PM Eastern Time

Season Series: 8-6 Captains
@ Coveleski Stadium: 7-3 Captains
@ Classic Park: 3-1 Silver Hawks

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .246 – 15th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 4.38 ERA – 14th
Captains Team Hitting: .251 – T-12th
Captains Team Pitching: 3.70 ERA – 3rd

LAST GAME: The South Bend Silver Hawks left 12 runners on base and went 2-for-19 with runners in scoring position on Friday night, falling to the Dayton Dragons 5-3. Mike Belfiore (LP, 2-10) allowed four runs over 8.0 innings to suffer the loss, falling to a lack of run support again. Jacob Johnson (WP, 8-6) earned the win with five innings of two run ball. Josh Smith (SV, 1) got the save. Tommy Nurre had a three run homer to pace the Dragons offensively. Bobby Borchering and David Nick both had three hits for South Bend.

PLAYOFF RACE:
• With 10 games remaining, the Hawks are currently 4.5 games behind West Michigan for the final playoff spot.

TEAM NOTES:
• The Silver Hawks had the bases loaded in the 8th and 9th innings last night but managed just one run.
• In addition to 12 left on base last night, the Silver Hawks had a runner thrown out at home and hit into two double plays.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Keon Broxton continues to lead all of baseball with 19 triples. He has tied the MWL record for most triples in a season (established in 1954 by John Wyre of the Clinton Pirates).
• Ramon Castillo is on a nine game hitting streak (.412, 14 hits in 34 at-bats).

Upcoming Probable Pitchers (All game times are Eastern)

Saturday (7:00 PM) RHP Andrew Wolcott (2-3, 5.46 ERA)
@ Lake County LHP Vidal Nuno (5-7, 5.07 ERA)

Sunday (1:00 PM) LHP Tyler Skaggs (8-4, 3.57 ERA)
@ Lake County RHP Brett Brach (4-8, 3.55 ERA)

Monday (7:00 PM) RHP Adam Worthington (5-5, 4.66 ERA)
@ Lake County RHP Jason Knapp (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Tuesday (7:00 PM) RHP Scottie Allen (4-4, 4.83 ERA)
@ Lake County LHP Giovanni Soto (9-7, 2.79 ERA)

Friday, August 27, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 27th

The deficit is back at 3.5 and while there is a little time left, this game tonight is shaping up as a must win for South Bend.

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Jarrett - LF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Ender Inciarte - RF
David Narodowski - DH
Victor Estevez - SS
Tyson Van Winkle - C

Mike Belfiore - SP

Pregame interview tonight is with manager Mark Haley.

Pregame coverage at 6:10 PM. First pitch at 6:30 PM.

Playoff Race -- 11 Remain

Things jumbled a bit last night with West Michigan winning, so I figured this was worth another update.

NOTE: The following teams are not included because they've already clinched playoff spots and don't factor into the second half races.
Lake County - 1st Half Champion in East
Great Lakes - 1st Half Wild Card in East
Cedar Rapids - 1st Half Champion in West
Quad Cities - 1st Half Wild Card in West

Eastern Division Championship Race






TeamWLGB
Fort Wayne3722--
West Michigan3029-7.0
Lansing2831-9.0
South Bend2632-10.5
Mathematically Eliminated: Bowling Green, Dayton

Eastern Division Wild Card Race (Fort Wayne omitted since they are leading the division race)






TeamWLGB
West Michigan3029--
Lansing2831-2.0
South Bend2632-3.5
Bowling Green2336-7.0
Mathematically Eliminated: Dayton


Western Division Championship Race







TeamWLGB
Clinton3325--
Kane County3127-2.0
Beloit2927-3.0
Peoria2729-5.0
Wisconsin2831-5.5
Mathematically Eliminated: Burlington

Western Division Wild Card Race (Clinton omitted since they are leading division race)







TeamWLGB
Kane County3127--
Beloit2927-1.0
Peoria2729-3.0
Wisconsin2831-3.5
Burlington2036-10.0
Mathematically Eliminated: None

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 26th

2.5 games out of a playoff spot. 12 to play. Lansing and West Michigan play each other again, but a Lansing win would bunch 3 teams within 1.5 games. I think that is what you should root for (in addition to a Silver Hawks win).

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Jarrett - LF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Ender Inciarte - RF
Victor Estevez - SS
Errol Hollinger - C
David Narodowski - DH

Scottie Allen - SP

Pregame interview tonight is with pitcher Adam Worthington about what has changed over his last two starts that have been stellar.

Pregame coverage at 6:10 PM. First pitch at 6:30 PM.

MWL Notebook

Our beloved beat writer Curt Rallo of the South Bend Tribune is also writing the MWL Notebook column this year on www.midwestleague.com. This week's edition focuses on Nick Franklin of the Clinton LumberKings, but also gives some love to Keon Broxton for his triples record.

Read it here.

From the Notes - August 26th

South Bend Silver Hawks (26-31 Second Half, 56-69 Overall)
vs. Dayton Dragons (16-41 Second Half, 46-80 Overall)

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

Season Series: 6-1 Silver Hawks
@ Coveleski Stadium: 4-0 Silver Hawks
@ Fifth Third Field: 2-1 Silver Hawks

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .246 – 15th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 4.40 ERA – 14th
Dragons Team Hitting: .250 – 14th
Dragons Team Pitching: 4.31 ERA – 13th

LAST GAME: Victor Estevez had three RBIs while Ramon Castillo added two RBI doubles on Wednesday as the South Bend Silver Hawks defeated the Dayton Dragons 7-4 in the series opener. Adam Worthington (WP, 5-5) won for the second start in a row, allowing just two runs over 6.2 innings. David Nick added a solo home run for South Bend and Keon Broxton drove in the other run for the Hawks. Dayton’s Daniel Corcino (LP, 1-1) allowed five runs over 4.2 innings to suffer the loss.

PLAYOFF RACE:
• With 12 games remaining, the Hawks are currently 2.5 games behind West Michigan for the final playoff spot.

TEAM NOTES:
• The Silver Hawks have won 3 of their last 4 series after losing or splitting the previous eight series.
• South Bend has won three straight games for the second time this week (six wins in last seven games overall).

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Keon Broxton continues to lead all of baseball with 19 triples. He has tied the MWL record for most triples in a season (established in 1954 by John Wyre of the Clinton Pirates).
• Scottie Allen returns from injury tonight to make his first start since going 7.0 scoreless on August 8th vs. Lake County.

Upcoming Probable Pitchers (All game times are Eastern)
Thursday (6:30 PM) RHP Scottie Allen (4-4, 5.05 ERA)
vs. Dayton RHP Ricky Bowen (3-8, 6.26 ERA)

Friday (6:30 PM) LHP Mike Belfiore (2-9, 3.81 ERA)
vs. Dayton RHP Jacob Johnson 7-6, 4.40 ERA)

Saturday (7:00 PM) RHP Andrew Wolcott (2-3, 5.46 ERA)
@ Lake County LHP Vidal Nuno (5-7, 5.07 ERA)

Sunday (1:00 PM) LHP Tyler Skaggs (8-4, 3.57 ERA)
@ Lake County RHP Brett Brach (4-8, 3.55 ERA)

Playoff Race - 12 To Go

With 12 games to play in the second half, here are how the playoff races shape up (only teams still mathematically alive will be included in each category). We'll do this every two days til the weekend, and then start updating it every day as we get to the stretch run.

NOTE: The following teams are not included because they've already clinched playoff spots and don't factor into the second half races.
Lake County - 1st Half Champion in East
Great Lakes - 1st Half Wild Card in East
Cedar Rapids - 1st Half Champion in West
Quad Cities - 1st Half Wild Card in West

Eastern Division Championship Race






TeamWLGB
Fort Wayne3622--
West Michigan2929-7.0
Lansing2830-8.0
South Bend2631-9.5
Mathematically Eliminated: Bowling Green, Dayton

Eastern Division Wild Card Race (Fort Wayne omitted since they are leading the division race)






TeamWLGB
West Michigan2929--
Lansing2830-1.0
South Bend2631-2.5
Bowling Green2335-6.0
Mathematically Eliminated: Dayton


Western Division Championship Race







TeamWLGB
Clinton3224--
Kane County3126-1.5
Beloit2827-3.5
Wisconsin2830-5.0
Peoria2629-5.5
Mathematically Eliminated: Burlington

Western Division Wild Card Race (Clinton omitted since they are leading division race)







TeamWLGB
Kane County3126--
Beloit2827-2.0
Wisconsin2830-3.5
Peoria2629-4.0
Burlington1936-11.0
Mathematically Eliminated: None

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 25th

3.5 games out of a playoff spot. 13 to play. Lansing and West Michigan play each other, so the Silver Hawks have to pick and choose who to root for based on the game situation. I'd say tonight, rooting for Lansing would be best to draw everyone closer. Then again, if South Bend doesn't win, it doesn't matter....so just take care of business at the Cove and see what happens.

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Jarrett - LF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Errol Hollinger - DH
Ender Inciarte - RF
Victor Estevez - SS
Tyson Van Winkle - C

Adam Worthington - SP

Pregame interview tonight is with pitcher Tyler Skaggs as he discussed the trade that brought him here and his outings thus far.

Pregame coverage at 6:10 PM. First pitch at 6:30 PM.

Poll Results - Haley's Accomplishments

The question was: Considering the nature of Minor League Baseball, what's the more impressive milestone for Mark Haley?

Your Answers:
400 wins with one team - 15 votes (51%)
500 career wins - 4 votes (13%)
Reaching the playoffs five straight seasons - 10 votes (34%)

A new poll question is up on the right regarding Sammy Sosa's uniform number, which we discussed a couple of nights back.

The Year of the Pitcher (MWL Edition)

You know how everyone is talking about it being the year of the pitcher in the Majors?

Well, it is in the Midwest League as well.

Jake Odorizzi and Adrian Rosario combined on a no-hitter for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers last night. It was the fourth no-hitter in the MWL this season.

From the Notes - August 25th

South Bend Silver Hawks (25-31 Second Half, 55-69 Overall)
vs. Dayton Dragons (16-40 Second Half, 46-79 Overall)

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

Season Series: 5-1 Silver Hawks
@ Coveleski Stadium: 3-0 Silver Hawks
@ Fifth Third Field: 2-1 Silver Hawks

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .245 – 15th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 4.41 ERA – 14th
Dragons Team Hitting: .250 – 14th
Dragons Team Pitching: 4.29 ERA – 12th

LAST GAME: Three early runs held up for the Silver Hawks in a 3-2 victory over the Bowling Green Hot Rods on Tuesday night. David Nick hit a sacrifice fly and Bobby Borchering had a solo home run in the first inning, with the third run scoring on an error in the second for the extend of the Hawks offense. Tyler Skaggs allowed just one run in 4.0 innings while Derek Eitel (WP, 2-0) allowed one run in the final 5.0 innings for the win. Albert Suarez (LP, 0-5) took the loss while Ty Morrison had two RBIs for the Hot Rods.

PLAYOFF RACE:
• With 13 games remaining, the Hawks are currently 3.5 games behind West Michigan for the final playoff spot.

TEAM NOTES:
• The Silver Hawks have won 3 of their last 4 series after losing or splitting the previous eight series.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Keon Broxton continues to lead all of baseball with 19 triples. He has tied the MWL record for most triples in a season (established in 1954 by John Wyre of the Clinton Pirates).
• Reliever Brian Budrow has not allowed a run in his last 15.2 innings pitched – a season high for him.
• Bobby Borchering has homered in two straight games, once from each side of the plate.

Upcoming Probable Pitchers (All game times are Eastern)
Wednesday (6:30 PM) RHP Adam Worthington (4-5, 4.93 ERA) vs. Dayton RHP Daniel Corcino (1-0, 1.08 ERA)

Thursday (6:30 PM) RHP Scottie Allen (4-4, 5.05 ERA) vs. Dayton RHP Ricky Bowen (3-8, 6.26 ERA)

Friday (6:30 PM) LHP Mike Belfiore (2-9, 3.81 ERA) vs. Dayton RHP Jacob Johnson 7-6, 4.40 ERA)

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Late Night Update? Late Night Update!

West Michigan has lost to Great Lakes. Lansing won.

The Silver Hawks are 3.5 games out of a playoff spot with 13 to play. The team could really use your support over the next three days at the Cove.

Gametimes are all at 6:30 PM. Make your plans to join us.

Tonight's Lineup - August 24th

4.5 games out of a playoff spot. 14 to play. Every game is big from here on out.

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Jarrett - LF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Ender Inciarte - RF
Errol Hollinger - DH
David Narodowski - SS
Tyson Van Winkle - C

Tyler Skaggs - SP

Pregame interview tonight is with hitting coach Francisco Morales.

Pregame coverage at 6:10 PM. First pitch at 6:30 PM.

Post Season All-Stars

The 2010 Post Season All-Stars have been announced by the Midwest League.

Personally, I think this is a little early, but I guess that's not really my call is it?

Anyhow, two Silver Hawks made the team. Any guesses?

The answer can be found at www.silverhawks.com.

From the Notes - August 24th

Season Series: 8-5 Silver Hawks
@ Coveleski Stadium: 5-1 Silver Hawks
@ Bowling Green Ballpark: 4-3 Hot Rods

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .245 – 15th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 4.43 ERA – 14th
Hot Rods Team Hitting: .258 – T-7th
Hot Rods Team Pitching: 4.32 ERA – 13th

LAST GAME: Andrew Wolcott (WP, 2-3) pitched seven innings allowing just one run and Ender Inciarte drove in three to lead the South Bend Silver Hawks to a 6-4 victory over Bowling Green on Monday night. Bobby Borchering tacked on a solo homer – his 12th of the season – to guarantee the Hawks at least a split of the series. Brian Budrow (SV, 4) got the final two outs to earn the save. Tomas Francisco had two RBIs to lead the Hot Rods while the loss was pinned on Bowling Green starter Kyle Lobstein (LP, 8-7).

PLAYOFF RACE:
• With 14 games remaining, the Hawks are currently 4.5 games behind West Michigan for the final playoff spot.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Keon Broxton continues to lead all of baseball with 19 triples. He has tied the MWL record for most triples in a season (established in 1954 by John Wyre of the Clinton Pirates).
• Ender Inciarte has hit in 10 straight games, tying his career long.
• Reliever Brian Budrow has not allowed a run in his last 15.2 innings pitched – a season high for him.

OTHER: Tyler Skaggs is expected to pitch 2-4 innings tonight, and be followed in relief by Derek Eitel.

Playoff Race - 14 Remaining

With 14 games to play in the second half, here are how the playoff races shape up (only teams still mathematically alive will be included in each category). We'll do this every two days til the weekend, and then start updating it every day as we get to the stretch run.

NOTE: The following teams are not included because they've already clinched playoff spots and don't factor into the second half races.
Lake County - 1st Half Champion in East
Great Lakes - 1st Half Wild Card in East
Cedar Rapids - 1st Half Champion in West
Quad Cities - 1st Half Wild Card in West

Eastern Division Championship Race







TeamWLGB
Fort Wayne3620--
West Michigan2927-7.0
Lansing2630-10.0
South Bend2431-11.5
Bowling Green2333-13.0
Mathematically Eliminated: Dayton

Eastern Division Wild Card Race (Fort Wayne omitted since they are leading the division race)







TeamWLGB
West Michigan2927--
Lansing2630-3.0
South Bend2431-4.5
Bowling Green2333-6.0
Dayton1540-13.5
Mathematically Eliminated: None


Western Division Championship Race








TeamWLGB
Clinton3024--
Beloit2825-1.5
Kane County2926-1.5
Peoria2527-4.0
Wisconsin2630-5.0
Burlington1835-11.5
Mathematically Eliminated: None

Western Division Wild Card Race (Clinton omitted since they are leading division race)







TeamWLGB
Beloit2825--
Kane County2926--
Peoria2527-2.5
Wisconsin2630-3.5
Burlington1835-10.0
Mathematically Eliminated: None

Monday, August 23, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 23rd

4.5 games out of a playoff spot. 15 to play. Tonight is another big one for South Bend

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Jarrett - LF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Ender Inciarte - RF
Tyson Van Winkle - C
Andrew Fie - DH
Victor Estevez - SS

Andrew Wolcott - SP

Pregame interview tonight is with manager Mark Haley.

Pregame coverage at 6:10 PM. First pitch at 6:30 PM.

From the Notes - August 23rd

Season Series: 7-5 Silver Hawks
@ Coveleski Stadium: 4-1 Silver Hawks
@ Bowling Green Ballpark: 4-3 Hot Rods

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .245 – 15th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 4.44 ERA – 14th
Hot Rods Team Hitting: .257 – 9th
Hot Rods Team Pitching: 4.30 ERA – 12th

LAST GAME: The South Bend Silver Hawks rallied from four runs down in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, but couldn’t do it a second time in losing 11-7 to Bowling Green in 11 innings. Julio Cedeno had four RBIs for the Hot Rods, who evened the series at a game apiece. Alex Koronis (WP, 7-4) blew the game in the ninth but stayed in and got the win. Randy Rodriguez (LP, 0-4) was hit with the loss. David Nick and Bobby Borchering both had three hits and two RBIs for South Bend.

PLAYOFF RACE:
• With 15 games remaining, the Hawks are currently 4.5 games behind West Michigan for the final playoff spot.

TEAM NOTES:
• The Silver Hawks have won 2 of their last 3 series after losing or splitting the previous eight series.
• South Bend committed four errors in the game yesterday – their first four error game since committing five on July 2nd.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Keon Broxton continues to lead all of baseball with 19 triples. He has tied the MWL record for most triples in a season (established in 1954 by John Wyre of the Clinton Pirates).
• Ender Inciarte has hit in nine straight games. His career long is 10 games last season with Missoula.

Upcoming Probable Pitchers (All game times are Eastern)

Monday (6:30 PM) RHP Andrew Wolcott (1-3, 6.06 ERA) vs. Bowling Green LHP Kyle Lobstein (8-6, 4.20 ERA)

Tuesday (6:30 PM) LHP Tyler Skaggs (8-4, 3.63 ERA) vs. Bowling Green RHP Albert Suarez (0-4, 5.06 ERA)

Wednesday (6:30 PM) RHP Adam Worthington (4-5, 4.93 ERA) vs. Dayton RHP Daniel Corcino (1-0, 1.08)

Thursday (6:30 PM) RHP Diogenes Rosario (4-7, 4.38 ERA) vs. Dayton RHP Ricky Bowen (3-8, 6.26)

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Today's Lineup - August 22nd

Sorry for being late, Bowling Green had a late lineup change and I'm scrambling.

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Jarrett - LF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Errol Hollinger - C
Victor Estevez - SS
Ender Inciarte - RF
Andrew Fie - DH

Mike Belfiore - SP

Playoff Race - 16 Remaining

With 16 games to play in the second half, here are how the playoff races shape up (only teams still mathematically alive will be included in each category). We'll do this every two days til next weekend, and then start updating it every day as we get to the stretch run.

NOTE: The following teams are not included because they've already clinched playoff spots and don't factor into the second half races.
Lake County - 1st Half Champion in East
Great Lakes - 1st Half Wild Card in East
Cedar Rapids - 1st Half Champion in West
Quad Cities - 1st Half Wild Card in West

Eastern Division Championship Race







TeamWLGB
Fort Wayne3420--
West Michigan2826-6.0
Lansing2628-8.0
South Bend2330-10.5
Bowling Green2232-12.0
Mathematically Eliminated: Dayton

Eastern Division Wild Card Race (Fort Wayne omitted since they are leading the division race)







TeamWLGB
West Michigan2826--
Lansing2628-2.0
South Bend2330-4.5
Bowling Green2232-6.0
Dayton1340-14.5
Mathematically Eliminated: None


Western Division Championship Race








TeamWLGB
Kane County2924--
Clinton2824-0.5
Beloit2724-1.0
Peoria2525-2.5
Wisconsin2529-4.5
Burlington1734-11.0
Mathematically Eliminated: None

Western Division Wild Card Race (Kane County omitted since they are leading division race)







TeamWLGB
Clinton2824--
Beloit2724-0.5
Peoria2525-2.0
Wisconsin2529-4.0
Burlington1734-10.5
Mathematically Eliminated: None

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 21st

Another important series for the Silver Hawks kicks off tonight against Bowling Green.

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Jarrett - LF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Errol Hollinger - DH
Victor Estevez - SS
Ender Inciarte - RF
Tyson Van Winkle - C

Diogenes Rosario - SP

Our pregame interview will be with pitching coach Wellington Cepeda.

Pregame show is at 5:10 PM. First pitch at 5:30 PM.

Remaining Schedules

Here's a look at who the four wild card teams will play over the final 17 games of the season.

South Bend
4 vs. Bowling Green
3 vs. Dayton
4 @ Lake County
3 vs. Fort Wayne
3 @ Dayton

West Michigan
4 @ Great Lakes
3 vs. Lansing
4 vs. Great Lakes
3 @ Lansing
3 @ Fort Wayne

Lansing
4 @ Fort Wayne
3 @ West Michigan
4 vs. Dayton
3 vs. West Michigan
3 @ Lake County

Bowling Green
4 @ South Bend
3 vs. Lake County
4 vs. Fort Wayne
3 @ Dayton
3 @ Great Lakes

If I had to rank strength of remaining schedule, I'd say West Michigan has the toughest, with South Bend having the easiest remaining games. Let's see how it plays out.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 20th

Important game to try to take the series from the Lugnuts.

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Jarrett - LF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Errol Hollinger - DH
David Narodowski - SS
Ender Inciarte - RF
Tyson Van Winkle - C

Adam Worthington - SP

Our pregame interview will be with new outfielder Chris Jarrett.

Pregame show is at 6:55 PM. First pitch at 7:05 PM.

From the Notes - August 20th

PLAYOFF RACE:
• With 18 games remaining, the Hawks are currently 5.5 games behind West Michigan for the final playoff spot.

TEAM NOTES:
• South Bend pitchers allowed only eight hits last night, ending a stretch of six straight allowing 10 or more hits.
• Silver Hawks starting pitchers have combined to go just 23-52 this season. The bullpen is 28-16.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Keon Broxton continues to lead all of baseball with 18 triples, including one each of the last nights. He is one shy of MWL record.
• Victor Estevez (seven games) and Ender Inciarte (six games) are on individual high hitting streaks currently.
• Chris Jarrett had another RBI last night, giving him three in his first two games with the Silver Hawks.

Playoff Race - 18 Remaining

With 18 games to play in the second half, here are how the playoff races shape up (only teams still mathematically alive will be included in each category). We'll do this once or twice more for the next week and a half, and then start updating it every day as we get to the stretch run.

NOTE: The following teams are not included because they've already clinched playoff spots and don't factor into the second half races.
Lake County - 1st Half Champion in East
Great Lakes - 1st Half Wild Card in East
Cedar Rapids - 1st Half Champion in West
Quad Cities - 1st Half Wild Card in West

Eastern Division Championship Race







TeamWLGB
Fort Wayne3220--
West Michigan2725-5.0
Lansing2626-6.0
Bowling Green2230-10.0
South Bend2130-10.5
Mathematically Eliminated: Dayton

Eastern Division Wild Card Race (Fort Wayne omitted since they are leading the division race)







TeamWLGB
West Michigan2725--
Lansing2626-1.0
Bowling Green2230-5.0
South Bend2130-5.5
Dayton1239-14.5
Mathematically Eliminated: None

Western Division Championship Race








TeamWLGB
Kane County2823--
Clinton2823--
Beloit2623-1.0
Peoria2425-3.0
Wisconsin2428-4.5
Burlington1733-10.5
Mathematically Eliminated: None

Western Division Wild Card Race (As it stands right now, whoever doesn't win the division between Kane County and Clinton would still be the wild card team, so both are included in this section)








TeamWLGB
Kane County2823--
Clinton2823--
Beloit2623-1.0
Peoria2425-3.0
Wisconsin2428-4.5
Burlington1733-10.5
Mathematically Eliminated: None

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 19th

Second of three against Lansing.

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Jarrett - LF
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
David Nick - 2B
Errol Hollinger - DH
Victor Estevez - SS
Tyson Van Winkle - C
Ender Inciarte - RF

Tyler Skaggs - SP

Last night, Lansing's broadcaster Jesse Goldberg-Strassler did his annual game recreation broadcast, where he doesn't watch the game but he still uses sound effects to broadcast the game in full, similar to how they did in the old days. I thought this was interesting and figured it would be a little different to talk about in the pregame show than the usual player or manager interview.

Pregame show is at 6:35 PM. First pitch at 7:05 PM.

A.J. Pollock Update

Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic does as good a job as any MLB beat writer staying up-to-date on the Minor Leaguers in the system. His most recent blog post examines the injury to A.J. Pollock and how his rehab is coming along. There's also a note at the bottom of the post about Matt Davidson's first game in Visalia.

Read it here.

From the Notes - August 19th

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .243 – 15th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 4.47 ERA – 14th

Lugnuts Team Hitting: .265 – 3rd
Lugnuts Team Pitching: 4.16 ERA – 11th

PLAYOFF RACE:
• With 19 games remaining, the Hawks are currently 5.5 games behind West Michigan and Lansing for the final playoff spot.

TEAM NOTES:
• South Bend pitching has allowed 10+ hits in five of the last six games (2-4 record in that span).
• Silver Hawks starting pitchers have combined to go just 23-52 this season. The bullpen is 27-16.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Chris Jarrett impressed in his South Bend debut last night – going 3-for-5 with two singles, a triple, two RBIs, a run, and a SB.
• Keon Broxton continues to lead all of baseball with 17 triples, including hitting one last night. He is two shy of MWL record.
• Victor Estevez (six games) and Ender Inciarte (five games) are on individual high hitting streaks currently.

Upcoming Probable Pitchers (All game times are Eastern)
Thursday (7:05 PM) LHP Tyler Skaggs (8-4, 3.61 ERA) @ Lansing RHP Dave Sever (5-8, 4.45 ERA)
Friday (7:05 PM) RHP Adam Worthington (3-5, 5.53 ERA) @ Lansing RHP Ryan Shopshire (7-11, 5.28 ERA)
Saturday (5:30 PM) RHP Diogenes Rosario (4-7, 4.38 ERA) vs. Bowling Green RHP Jason McEachern (4-11, 5.40 ERA)
Sunday (2:00 PM) LHP Mike Belfiore (2-9, 3.95 ERA) vs. Bowling Green RHP Alexander Colome (6-6, 3.69 ERA)

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 18th

First of three against Lansing.

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Jarrett - LF
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
David Nick - 2B
Errol Hollinger - C
David Narodowski- DH
Victor Estevez - SS
Ender Inciarte - RF

Andrew Wolcott - SP

Pregame show is on the air now. First pitch at 7:05 PM.

Playoff Race - 20 to Play

With 20 games to play in the second half, here are how the playoff races shape up (only teams still mathematically alive will be included in each category). We'll do this once or twice a week for the next week and a half or so, and then start updating it every day as we get to the stretch run.

NOTE: The following teams are not included because they've already clinched playoff spots and don't factor into the second half races.
Lake County - 1st Half Champion in East
Great Lakes - 1st Half Wild Card in East
Cedar Rapids - 1st Half Champion in West
Quad Cities - 1st Half Wild Card in West

Eastern Division Championship Race








TeamWLGB
Fort Wayne3119--
West Michigan2624-5.0
Lansing2525-6.0
Bowling Green2129-10.0
South Bend2029-10.5
Dayton1138-19.5
Mathematically Eliminated: None

Eastern Division Wild Card Race (Fort Wayne omitted since they are leading the division race)







TeamWLGB
West Michigan2624--
Lansing2525-1.0
Bowling Green2129-5.0
South Bend2029-5.5
Dayton1138-14.5
Mathematically Eliminated: None

Western Division Championship Race








TeamWLGB
Kane County2722--
Clinton2722--
Beloit2423-2.0
Peoria2324-3.0
Wisconsin2426-3.5
Burlington1632-10.5
Mathematically Eliminated: None

Western Division Wild Card Race (As it stands right now, whoever doesn't win the division between Kane County and Clinton would still be the wild card team, so both are included in this section)








TeamWLGB
Kane County2722--
Clinton2722--
Beloit2423-2.0
Peoria2324-3.0
Wisconsin2426-3.5
Burlington1632-10.5
Mathematically Eliminated: None

August 18th Roster Move

Good afternoon. We start the day of posts with a roster move.

3B Matt Davidson - Promoted to Visalia.
RHP Derek Eitel - Joins Silver Hawks from Missoula.
OF Chris Jarrett - Joins Silver Hawks from Missoula.

The full article can be read in the headlines section of www.silverhawks.com.

My Take: Ouch! Nothing against the two players coming in, but losing your cleanup hitter and team leader in virtually every offensive category hurts no matter how you slice it. However, that's the way Minor League Baseball works and this team will have to find a way to rally without Davidson's big bat in the lineup.

Eitel and Jarrett both went to college in the state of Indiana, and put up impressive collegiate numbers. The numbers in Missoula weren't overwhelming, but hopefully they'll bring renewed energy to the club.

Eitel is expected to pitch in relief tomorrow after Tyler Skaggs makes his Silver Hawks debut. Jarrett could be in the lineup either today or tomorrow I would imagine.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Press Release on Barret Loux

I spent a half-inning last night talking about the situation of Arizona's first round pick Barret Loux. After not signing him, the Diamondbacks issued a joint press with Loux today. The text is below.

“We have reached an agreement regarding Barret Loux’s status that is mutually beneficial to the parties. Today Commissioner Selig has announced that Loux will become a free agent on September 1. As such, he will be free to sign with any Major League Club at that time. In addition, the Arizona Diamondbacks will receive a Supplemental Selection in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft. The agreement also provides an opportunity for the Commissioner’s Office and the Players Association globally to the address the issues that can arise from questions concerning a drafted player’s health. Given the private nature of the underlying disagreement here, neither party will be making any further public comments about this situation.”

So there you go.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 16th

Computer has been a bit slow today. Sorry for the lack of posts.

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - DH
Matt Davidson - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Tyson Van Winkle - C
David Narodowski- SS
Andrew Fie - LF
Ender Inciarte - RF

Mike Belfiore - SP

For today's pregame interview, I'll chat with South Bend manager Mark Haley about the pitching issues that I've talked about on the air the last few days.

Pregame show starts at 6:40 PM. First pitch is at 7:00 PM.

From the Notes - August 16th

PLAYOFF RACE:
• With 21 games remaining, the Hawks are currently 4.5 games behind West Michigan and Lansing for the final playoff spot.
• All 21 games left will be against Eastern Division opponents, with 17 of the 21 against other playoff hopefuls.

TEAM NOTES:
• The Silver Hawks were shut out for the 11th time this season in yesterday’s game. South Bend pitching has throws six shutouts.
• Silver Hawks starting pitchers have combined to go just 23-51 this season. The bullpen is 27-15.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Matt Davidson ranks second in the MWL with 79 RBIs. He’s also fourth in doubles (35) and second in XBH (54).
• Keon Broxton continues to lead all of baseball with 16 triples, despite not having one since July 25th vs. Wisconsin.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Today's Lineup - August 15th

Last night was bad. Here's hoping today is better. Remember that game time is a bit earlier today at 1 PM Eastern (instead of the usual 2 PM Eastern start).

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Matt Davidson - DH
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Errol Hollinger - C
David Narodowski- LF
Victor Estevez - SS
Ender Inciarte - RF

Diogenes Rosario - SP

No pregame interview today. Instead, we'll update the standings and the playoff chase.

Pregame show starts at 12:40 PM. First pitch is at 1:00 PM.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 14th

The opener of an important three game series with West Michigan.

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Matt Davidson - DH
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Andrew Fie - LF
Tyson Van Winkle - C
Victor Estevez - SS
Ender Inciarte - RF

Adam Worthington - SP

Pregame interview will be with South Bend manager Mark Haley.

Pregame show starts at 6:50 PM. First pitch is at 7:10 PM.

Game Time Update

Tonight's first pitch has been pushed back to 7:10 PM to accommodate a large crowd at Fifth Third Ballpark.

We'll push our pregame show back 10 minutes as well to 6:50 PM Eastern Time.

Lineups will be posted soon.

From the Notes - August 14th

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .244 – 15th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 4.40 ERA – 14th
Whitecaps Team Hitting: .254 – T-8th
Whitecaps Team Pitching: 3.96 ERA – 7th

LAST GAME: The South Bend Silver Hawks used two big innings to complete a three game series sweep of Great Lakes, taking the finale on Friday night 10-5. The Silver Hawks scored four runs in the first inning on two hits and four walks, and then scored five more runs in the sixth inning on four hits in the big win. Matt Davidson had three doubles and three RBIs while Ramon Castillo had three hits and two RBIs to lead the offensive attack. Three pitchers combined to strand eight Loons runners, with the win going to Brad Gemberling (WP, 3-8). Greg Wilborn (LP, 2-1) lasted just 3.0 innings for Great Lakes, suffering the loss.

TEAM NOTES:
• South Bend enters the series with West Michigan just 2.5 games behind the Whitecaps in the standings.
• With 23 games remaining in the second half, the Silver Hawks are currently 3.5 games out of a playoff spot.
• All 23 games left will be against Eastern Division opponents, with 19 of the 23 against other playoff hopefuls.
• The sweep of the Loons was the team’s first sweep since taking three vs. Dayton May 7th- 9th.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Matt Davidson ranks first in the MWL with 79 RBIs. He’s also fourth in doubles (35) and second in XBH (54).
• Errol Hollinger has six RBIs over his last two games (five on Thursday, one on Friday).
• Keon Broxton continues to lead all of baseball with 16 triples, despite not having one since July 25th vs. Wisconsin.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 13th

A chance to sweep the Looooooooooooooooooooonnnsssssssssssssssssss.

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - DH
Matt Davidson - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Errol Hollinger - C
David Narodowski - LF
Victor Estevez - SS
Ender Inciarte - RF

Randy Rodriguez - SP

Pregame interview will be with South Bend catcher Errol Hollinger.

Pregame show starts at 6:40 PM. First pitch is at 7:00 PM.

Bobby Borchering on Sportsbeat

Bobby Borchering will be on WSBT Radio Sportsbeat with Darin Pritchett tonight. The taped interview is scheduled to air sometime between 5:45 and 6:30 PM Eastern Time.

For those in South Bend, you can listen on 960 AM.

For those not in this area, you can listen online at www.wsbtradio.com. There is a listen live link at the top of the page.

From the Notes - August 13th

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .243 – 15th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 4.39 ERA – 14th
Loons Team Hitting: .274 – 2nd
Loons Team Pitching: 3.20 ERA – 1st

LAST GAME: Errol Hollinger drove in five runs – including the game winner in a three run bottom of the ninth rally – to lead the Silver Hawks to a 7-6 walk off win over the Great Lakes Loons on Thursday night. Hollinger hit a three run homer in the fourth, a RBI single in the fifth, and finally the walk off RBI single in the 9th to lead the Silver Hawks all the way back. Bobby Borchering and Ramon Castillo also had RBI hits in the ninth, as the Hawks rallied against Steve Ames (LP, 0-2). Brian Budrow (WP, 5-2) was perfect in relief, not allowing a base runner in 3.1 innings on the mound.

TEAM NOTES:
• With 24 games remaining in the second half, the Silver Hawks are currently 3.5 games out of a playoff spot.
• All 24 games left will be against Eastern Division opponents, with 19 of the 24 against other playoff hopefuls.
• The Silver Hawks have clinched a series win vs. the Loons for the first series win since July 10-12th @ Fort Wayne.
• South Bend now has eight walk off wins this season.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Errol Hollinger had his first three hit game and first five RBI game of the season last night.
• Matt Davidson ranks second in the MWL with 76 RBIs – Matt Adams of Quad Cities has 78.
• Keon Broxton continues to lead all of baseball with 16 triples, despite not having one since July 25th vs. Wisconsin.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 12th

A chance to take two straight from the Looooooooooooooooooooonnnsssssssssssssssssss.

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - DH
Matt Davidson - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Errol Hollinger - C
David Narodowski - LF
Victor Estevez - SS
Ender Inciarte - RF

Andrew Wolcott - SP

Pregame interview will be with South Bend pitcher Mike Belfiore about his great start last night.

Pregame show starts at 6:40 PM. First pitch is at 7:00 PM.

More Logan Night Video

Below is some more footage from the Logan Night at the Cove and the game with the Silver Hawks players and Logan Center All-Stars.

Logan Night video

As many of you know, the Logan Center was out at the Cove participating in a game with the Silver Hawks players yesterday afternoon.

WNDU came out to cover the event, and they have the footage on their website. You can read the story and play the video at this link.

Former Silver Hawks Elsewhere in the Minors

Something that we haven't done yet this year when checking in with former Silver Hawks is take a look at some that are playing in different minor league systems.

Position Players

SS - Pedro Ciriaco* - .219, 0 HR, RBI in AAA Indianapolis (Pittsburgh)
2006 Silver Hawk

C - Orlando Mercado** - .333, HR, 3 RBI in AAA Gwinnett (Atlanta)
2006 Silver Hawk

SS - Reynaldo Navarro - .239, 4 HR, 26 RBI in A+ Wilmington (KC)
2009 Silver Hawk

3B - Justin Parker - .242, 0 HR, 12 RBI in Arizona League (Milwaukee)
2009 Silver Hawk

OF - Danny Perales - .290, 2 HR, 12 RBI in AAA Las Vegas (Toronto)
2007 Silver Hawk

1B - Ryne White - .200, 0 HR, 2 RBI in A- Williamsport (Philly)
2008 Silver Hawk

* - Recently traded from Arizona's system to Pittsburgh
** - Recently promoted to Triple-A from Double-A Mississippi

Pitchers

RP - Chad Beck - 2-5, 3.99 ERA in A+ Dunedin (Toronto)
2007 + 2008 Silver Hawk

SP - Dallas Buck - 3-4, 6.41 ERA in AA Carolina (Cincinnati)
2008 Silver Hawk

RP - Daniel Schlereth - 1-3, 2.45 ERA in AAA Toledo (Detroit)
2008 Silver Hawk

RP - Evan Scribner - 4-5, 2.63 ERA in AA San Antonio (San Diego)
2007 + 2008 Silver Hawk

RP - Houston Summers - 1-1, 4.88 ERA in A- Batavia (St. Louis)
2009 Silver Hawk

If there's anybody we missed or you have any insight to add, feel free to comment and let us know as always.

Playoff Race - 25 to Play

With 25 games to play in the second half, here are how the playoff races shape up (only teams still mathematically alive will be included in each category). We'll do this once or twice a week for the next 2-3 weeks, and then start updating it every day as we get to the stretch run.

NOTE: The following teams are not included because they've already clinched playoff spots and don't factor into the second half races.
Lake County - 1st Half Champion in East
Great Lakes - 1st Half Wild Card in East
Cedar Rapids - 1st Half Champion in West
Quad Cities - 1st Half Wild Card in West

Eastern Division Championship Race







TeamWLGB
Fort Wayne2817--
Lansing2223-6.0
West Michigan2124-7.0
Bowling Green2025-8.0
South Bend1826-9.5
Dayton1034-17.5


Eastern Division Wild Card Race (Fort Wayne omitted since they are leading the division race)






TeamWLGB
Lansing2223--
West Michigan2124-1.0
Bowling Green2025-2.0
South Bend1826-3.5
Dayton1034-11.5


Western Division Championship Race







TeamWLGB
Kane County2717--
Clinton2420-3.0
Beloit2221-4.5
Peoria2023-6.5
Wisconsin2025-7.5
Burlington1527-11.0


Western Division Wild Card Race (Kane County omitted since they are leading the division race)






TeamWLGB
Clinton2420--
Beloit2221-1.5
Peoria2023-3.5
Wisconsin2025-4.5
Burlington1527-8.0

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

From the Notes - August 11th

TEAM NOTES:
• With 26 games remaining in the second half, the Silver Hawks are currently 3.5 games out of a playoff spot.
• All 26 games left will be against Eastern Division opponents, with 19 of the 26 against other playoff hopefuls.
• The Hawks have not won a series since taking two of three @ Fort Wayne July 10th-12th. They have lost seven straight games that could have clinched a series victory.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• David Nick had another hit yesterday, pushing his streak to nine straight games – tying his season high.
• Kevin Munson has thrown 10.1 scoreless innings as a professional over eight appearances, allowing only two hits.
• Matt Davidson continues to lead the Midwest League with 74 RBIs this season.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 10th

Need a win tonight to win this series.

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Matt Davidson - DH
Ramon Castillo - 1B
David Narodowski - LF
Tyson Van Winkle - C
Victor Estevez - SS
Ender Inciarte - RF

Diogenes Rosario - SP

Pregame interview will be with Lake County broadcaster Brian Lariche.

Pregame show starts at 6:40 PM. First pitch is at 7:00 PM.

Vote for Haley!

Have you ever wanted to see South Bend manager Mark Haley in a kilt? Me either.

However, it's for a good cause, as Mark donned the man-skirt for a Ronald McDonald Family Room promotion.

If you go to this link, you can vote for our manager. Every vote requires a financial donation, but even if you can't donate, it's still fun to check out the men in their kilts on the website.


South Bend Tribune Matt Davidson Feature

Curt Rallo of the South Bend Tribune wrote a feature article on Matt Davidson that appeared in today's paper. The article focuses on Matt's approach at the plate and how it has resulted in him leading the Midwest League in RBIs.

Additionally, here is the link to Rallo's recap of last night's 11-2 defeat.

Baseball America Prospects Chat Weighs In

I noticed this in the latest edition of Baseball America's Prospect Chat:

Kevin (Phoenix): Thoughts on which one of Bochering or Davidson sticks at the hot corner? Body wise, it appears that Davidson is more athletic. Which bat do you prefer?

Ben Badler: They're both going to have to put in a lot of work to stick at the position, and sitting on the bench while their team is in the field half the time really isn't an ideal situation. It sounds like Davidson might have a small edge there, though. Not a flashy defender, but he has the arm for the position, he can make the routine plays and he shows some aptitude for charging the slow roller.


You can read the whole article here.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 9th

Better late than never....

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - DH
Matt Davidson - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Errol Hollinger - C
David Narodowski - LF
Andrew Fie - RF
Victor Estevez - SS

Adam Worthington - SP

Pregame interview with Mark Haley.

Pregame show is on the air. First pitch is at 7:00 PM.

Fallen Heroes Night Footage

Saturday, August 7 was Fallen Heroes Night at Coveleski Stadium. About 40 police, fire, and EMS vehicles paraded around the field before the game. Additionally, catcher Errol Hollinger was awarded the Corporal Paul Deguch Community Award for the volunteering he's done in the South Bend community.

Below is some footage of the event and a brief interview with Hollinger.

Playoff Race - 28 to play

With 28 games to play in the second half, here are how the playoff races shape up (only teams still mathematically alive will be included in each category). We'll do this once or twice a week for the next 2-3 weeks, and then start updating it every day as we get to the stretch run.

NOTE: The following teams are not included because they've already clinched playoff spots and don't factor into the second half races.
Lake County - 1st Half Champion in East
Great Lakes - 1st Half Wild Card in East
Cedar Rapids - 1st Half Champion in West
Quad Cities - 1st Half Wild Card in West

Eastern Division Championship Race








TeamWLGB
Fort Wayne2616--
Lansing2022-6.0
Bowling Green1923-7.0
West Michigan1824-8.0
South Bend1724-8.5
Dayton1031-15.5


Eastern Division Wild Card Race (Fort Wayne omitted since they are leading the division race)







TeamWLGB
Lansing2022--
Bowling Green1923-1.0
West Michigan1824-2.0
South Bend1724-2.5
Dayton1031-9.5



Western Division Championship Race








TeamWLGB
Kane County2517--
Clinton2318-1.5
Beloit2119-3.0
Peoria2020-4.0
Wisconsin1824-7.0
Burlington1525-9.0


Western Division Wild Card Race (Kane County omitted since they are leading the division race)







TeamWLGB
Clinton2318--
Beloit2119-1.5
Peoria2020-2.5
Wisconsin1824-5.5
Burlington1525-7.5

Hawks Get All-Star Pitcher

The Silver Hawks today added LHP Tyler Skaggs to their active roster. He was the player to be named later in the Dan Haren trade with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Skaggs was an all-star with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, going 8-4 thus far this season.

However, the trade happened two weeks ago, and Skaggs had to wait to officially be traded because you can't trade a player within a year of him first signing after the draft. Therefore, he hasn't appeared in a game for over two weeks, and has just been running and doing long toss to stay active. He's probably quite a few days, if not a week or two, away from actually appearing in a game with the Silver Hawks.

Full story can be found on http://www.silverhawks.com/.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Today's Lineup - August 8th

I've been slacking on the blog this weekend. My apologies.

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - DH
Matt Davidson - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
David Narodowski - SS
Andrew Fie - LF
Tyson Van Winkle - C
Ender Inciarte - RF

Scottie Allen - SP

In today's pregame show, we'll update you on some 2010 Silver Hawks that are playing elsewhere in the Diamondbacks farm system.

Pregame show begins at 1:40 PM. First pitch is at 2:00 PM.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Tarp Pull Video from July 23

We often talk on the air about how in Minor League Baseball, everybody does everything. Tarp pulling is one example, as there are no twenty person grounds crews like the Major League teams have. It's up to the staff and interns to get it on the field.

Normally, that's not a problem. However, on July 23, a storm hit in the middle of South Bend's game against Beloit that cancelled the game and made it nearly impossible to get the tarp on the field. Some fans in a suite caught the carnage on film and put it on YouTube. Don't worry - Owen or I weren't in harm's way - we were watching comfortably from the press box waiting to go back on the air. Additionally, the severity of any injuries to anybody involved were just a few scratches and bruises.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 6th

South Bend wraps up an important series with Bowling Green tonight. The Silver Hawks won the first two games but Bowling Green took game three last night. South Bend can clinch a series victory with a W tonight.

Keon Broxton - CF
Victor Estevez - SS
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Matt Davidson - DH
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Andrew Fie - LF
David Narodowski - 2B
Tyson Van Winkle - C
Ender Inciarte - RF

Mike Belfiore - SP

Tonight's pregame interview will be with Silver Hawks first baseman Ramon Castillo about his strong season and being from Panama.

Pre-game coverage starts at 7:45 PM Eastern Time with first pitch at 8:05 PM.

Western Kentucky University

Since we had an early bus to the ballpark today, I decided to walk the mile or so (uphill) to the campus of Western Kentucky University and snap some photos. A few of the more interesting ones are included below.


I believe this is the main administration building. When they nicknamed the school "Hilltoppers", they weren't kidding. It was actually a 15-20 minute uphill walk from the Hot Rods stadium to the point where I took this picture. And there were multiple other hills as you walked around campus. To say I was sweating would be an understatement.


I thought this was cool. The old Greek pillars open up towards the fine arts building, but on the right side of these pillars is hillside seating/bleachers like an old Greek amphitheater where they could do outdoor plays and concerts.


Yep...I walked right in the football stadium and took a picture. If you look around midfield, that is the kickers from the football team practing field goals and punts. Honestly, there was no one around and it seemed as if I could have just walked down to the middle of the 50 yard line if I was so inclined. I decided against it because I wasn't sure if it was allowed or not (probably not).


This is a view of the Hilltoppers baseball stadium from down the left left field line.


Finally, this is a tower centrally located on campus. The tower has a bell that rings at the top of every hour and also plays some melodies. There are photos and a statue of a soldier around the base of the tower.
Anyhow, I took a few more photos of some of the other buildings on campus, but this is a baseball blog, not a college visit blog.

Updating the Playoff Race - August 6th Edition

With 31 games to play in the second half, here are how the playoff races shape up (only teams still mathematically alive will be included in each category). We'll do this once or twice a week for the next 2-3 weeks, and then start updating it every day as we get to the stretch run.

NOTE: The following teams are not included because they've already clinched playoff spots and don't factor into the second half races.
Lake County - 1st Half Champion in East
Great Lakes - 1st Half Wild Card in East
Cedar Rapids - 1st Half Champion in West
Quad Cities - 1st Half Wild Card in West

Eastern Division Championship Race








TeamWLGB
Fort Wayne2316--
Lansing2019-3.0
Bowling Green1821-5.0
South Bend1523-7.5
West Michigan1524-8.0
Dayton929-13.5


Eastern Division Wild Card Race (Fort Wayne omitted since they are leading the division race)







TeamWLGB
Lansing2019--
Bowling Green1821-2.0
South Bend1523-4.5
West Michigan1524-5.0
Dayton929-10.5



Western Division Championship Race








TeamWLGB
Kane County2316--
Clinton2018-2.5
Beloit1918-3.0
Peoria1819-4.0
Wisconsin1821-5.0
Burlington1522-8.0


Western Division Wild Card Race (Kane County omitted since they are leading the division race)







TeamWLGB
Clinton2018--
Beloit1918-0.5
Peoria1819-1.5
Wisconsin1821-2.5
Burlington1522-5.5

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 5th

South Bend continues an important series with Bowling Green tonight. The Silver Hawks have won the first two games, and can clinch a series victory with a W tonight.

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - DH
Matt Davidson - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Errol Hollinger - C
Andrew Fie - LF
Victor Estevez - SS
Ender Inciarte - RF

Diogenes Rosario - SP

Tonight's pregame interview will be with Silver Hawks reliever Kevin Munson about his hot start, the mindset at the end of games, and his college career.

Pre-game coverage starts at 7:15 PM Eastern Time with first pitch at 7:35 PM.

Amazing Catch

One of the phrases that I feel is overused by announcers is "robbed of a home run". Just because somebody makes a catch leaping in to the wall doesn't mean it would have been a home run. However, robbed of a home run is an understatement in the following video.



The catch was made by Masato Akamatsu of the Hiroshima Carp.

Fallen Heroes Night

Coming up this Saturday, August 7th, the South Bend Silver Hawks will be having Fallen Heroes Night at Coveleski Stadium. This is a tremendous event with lots of fire, police, and EMS personnel in attendance.

You can read more about the event and buy tickets for the game on Saturday here. Please come out and support the community on this great night.

Former Silver Hawks with Other MLB Teams

In our weekly look at former Silver Hawks, we'll check in on Major League Baseball players that play for teams other than the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Position Players

Emilio Bonifacio (Florida) - .273, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 4/4 SB - '04 + '05 Silver Hawk

Mike Cameron (Boston) - .259, 4 HR, 15 RBI - '92 + '93 South Bend White Sox

Jack Cust (Oakland) - .292, 8 HR, 29 RBI - '98 Silver Hawk

Alberto Gonzalez (Washington) - .299, 0 HR, 3 RBI - '04 + '05 Silver Hawk

Carlos Gonzalez* (Colorado) - .319, 23 HR, 72 RBI - '04 + '05 Silver Hawk

Scott Hairston (San Diego) - .232, 10 HR, 33 RBI - '02 Silver Hawk

Lyle Overbay (Toronto) - .249, 12 HR, 41 RBI - '00 Silver Hawk

Dan Uggla (Florida) - .281, 24 HR, 66 RBI - '02 Silver Hawk

* - Hit for the cycle on 7/31 against the Chicago Cubs

Starting Pitchers


Brett Anderson (Oakland) - 3-2, 3.14 ERA in 8 starts - '07 Silver Hawk

Ross Ohlendorf (Pittsburgh) - 1-9, 4.41 ERA in 17 starts - '05 Silver Hawk

Brad Penny** (St. Louis) - 3-4, 3.23 ERA in 9 starts - '97 Silver Hawk

Relief Pitchers

Jason Bulger (Anaheim)** - 0-0, 3.74 ERA in 22 games - '02 Silver Hawk

Chris Capuano (Milwaukee) - 1-1, 4.64 ERA in 13 games (2 starts) - '00 Silver Hawk

Lance Cormier (Tampa Bay) - 3-3, 4.28 ERA in 38 games - '02 Silver Hawk

Dustin Nippert (Texas)** - 3-4, 5.36 ERA in 28 games (2 starts) - '03 Silver Hawk

Tony Pena (Chicago AL) - 3-1, 4.88 ERA in 37 games - '03 Silver Hawk

Jose Valverde (Detroit) - 1-2, 2.54 ERA, 21 SV in 46 games - '99 + '00 Silver Hawk

** - Currently on DL

Managers

Terry Francona (Boston) - 61-47, -6.5 NYY + TB - '92 SB Manager

Players who were in MLB at some point this season

Brian Bruney (AAA, Milwaukee)

Garrett Mock (A, Washington)

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 4th

South Bend continues an important four game series against Bowling Green tonight.

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - DH
Matt Davidson - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
David Narodowski - SS
Andrew Fie - LF
Tyson Van Winkle - C
Ender Inciarte - RF

Adam Worthington - SP

Tonight's pregame interview will be with Silver Hawks manager Mark Haley about the renewed energy this team is showing.

Pre-game coverage starts at 7:15 PM Eastern Time with first pitch at 7:35 PM.

From the Notes - August 4th

-With 33 games remaining in the second half, the Silver Hawks are currently 5.5 games out of a playoff spot.

-All 33 games left will be against Eastern Division opponents, with 22 of the 33 against other playoff hopefuls.

-The Silver Hawks have won two games in a row for the first time since July 10th and 11th @ Fort Wayne.

-Matt Davidson hit two homers in a game last night for the second time this season. His league leading RBI total is up to 71.

-Keon Broxton has led off five straight games with a hit, scoring a run each time.

-Ramon Castillo has hits in 31 of his first 38 games for the Silver Hawks, including two more RBIs last night (27 on season).

-Bobby Borchering has a four game hitting streak and has hits in seven of his last 10 at-bats.

-Andrew Fie (three hits) and Errol Hollinger (two hits) also had multi-hit games for South Bend last night.

-Bradin Hagens pitched arguably his best outing last night: 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 3

South Bend starts a very important four game series against Bowling Green tonight.

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Matt Davidson - DH
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Errol Hollinger - C
Andrew Fie - LF
Ender Inciarte - RF
Victor Estevez - SS

Scottie Allen - SP

Tonight's pregame interview will be with Silver Hawks second baseman David Nick about his recent surge at the plate and the importance of last night's win and this series with Bowling Green.

Pre-game coverage starts at 7:15 PM Eastern Time with first pitch at 7:35 PM.

Poll Results

As you can see on the right side of the page, the majority of people that voted don't think the Cubs will win a World Series in their lifetime. That's both sad and amazing all at the same time.

I'm trying to think of a new poll question, but my brain isn't working today since we had to be up early and had a long bus ride to Bowling Green. I'll likely have one tomorrow. If you have any suggestions, let me know.

Arizona May Not Offer First Rounder Loux Contract

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected pitcher Barret Loux with the 6th overall pick in June's MLB Draft, but it doesn't appear he'll ever suit up in the organization. Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports wrote an article chronicling the situation, as the Diamondbacks may not offer Loux a contract due to injury concerns.

The motivation for the Diamondbacks is that they would receive a compensation pick in next year's first round, the 7th overall pick, in addition to the first round pick they'll get based on how they finish this season. The article is a great read that examines both sides of the issue; the Diamondbacks' unwillingness to give big money to a pitcher with arm injuries, and a young kid who feels like he can throw just fine. The deadline for draft picks to sign is August 16.

Blogging from the Bus

Yep, on the bus this morning to Bowling Green, Kentucky. We just passed by downtown Louisville and Slugger Field, the home of the triple-A Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds affiliate). Now we are passing Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, where the University of Louisville football team plays their home games. As a fan of the Kentucky Wildcats, I really can't stand the Louisville Cardinals.

What a great win last night for the Silver Hawks, rallying from a five run deficit to ultimately win 8-7 in ten innings. While this team has lacked in wins this season, there is no question that they hustle, work hard, and provide some dramatic games (seven walk off wins this year!). My voice still hasn't recovered fully from the excitement of last night. Thankfully we still have eight hours until tonight's game so I can rest up.

As always, it's just one win over a 140 game season, but you just hope that finally the team will gain some momentum from the victory and carry it over to win a few games against Bowling Green. However, maybe more so than any sport, there's really not a whole lot to be said about momentum in baseball. You could be the hottest team on the planet, but if the next pitcher you face is on his game, he can wipe away that momentum in a hurry.

Game time tonight is 7:35 Eastern Time. I'll have more from the stadium later this afternoon.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - August 2nd

Silver Hawks are trying to snap a four game losing skid today and hoping to avoid the sweep.

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Matt Davidson - DH
Ramon Castillo - 1B
David Narodowski - LF
Ender Inciarte - RF
Tyson Van Winkle - C
Victor Estevez - SS

Andrew Wolcott - SP

Tonight's pregame interview will be with the Silver Hawks on-field emcee Brian "The Crippler" Costello promoting the upcoming "Clash at the Cove 12".

Pre-game coverage starts at 6:40 PM Eastern Time with first pitch at 7:00 PM.

Umpire Feature

Dean Holzwarth of the Grand Rapids Press wrote an interesting feature article on Midwest League umpire Jeff Klinghoffer. Klinghoffer was originally an options trader before deciding to become an umpire. The article talks about his decision to switch professions and the life of an umpire in this league.

Al Lesar of the South Bend Tribune wrote a similar article that went behind the scenes with umpires Matt Jones and Alberto Ruiz at Coveleski Stadium early in July. Unfortunately, I don't believe we linked it on the blog and it's not accessible on the paper's website anymore.

All in all, it's important to remember that the umpires have just as crazy a travel schedule, if not more, than the teams.

Featured Silver Hawk - Matt Davidson

This week's Featured Silver Hawk is third baseman Matt Davidson. In the article, Davidson talks about his success pitching when he was younger as well as how much he enjoys participating in home run derbies. The article can be read by clicking this link.

Additionally, if you missed any of the other Featured Silver Hawk articles from this season, you can view all of them by clicking this link.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Today's Lineup - August 1st

Silver Hawks are trying to snap a three game losing skid today.

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - DH
Matt Davidson - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
David Narodowski - LF
Ender Inciarte - RF
Tyson Van Winkle - C
Victor Estevez - SS

Mike Belfiore - SP

No pregame interview today. Instead, we'll update the standings and scoreboard.

Pre-game coverage starts at 1:40 PM Eastern Time with first pitch at 2:00 PM.