Thursday, June 30, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - June 30th at Lake County

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - DH
Matt Helm - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Ramon Castillo - 1B

Bradin Hagens - P

Pregame interview tonight is with  manager Mark Haley. Pregame show begins at 6:40 PM. First pitch at 7:00 PM.

Today's Roster Move - June 30th

It's official, David Holmberg has been moved up to Visalia.  Here's the move:

LHP David Holmberg promoted to high-A Visalia.
RHP Victor Capellan joins team from high-A Visalia.

Analysis:  Holmberg was simply dominant, and this is a well-deserved promotion.  While it stinks for the Silver Hawks, it is certainly good for him and we all wish him the best.  I have a strong feeling we'll see him again on TV someday.  He was simply that good.

Capellan has struggled with the Rawhide this year, but had decent numbers with them last season and great stats with South Bend in 2009.  He is a reliever though, so the Silver Hawks will have to figure out who will fill Holmberg's spot in the rotation.

Full story can be read here.

Cooper Celebrates Gamecocks Win

As many of you know, South Bend's Blake Cooper pitched for the University of South Carolina last season, helping the Gamecocks to the College World Series crown.  As they tracked down back-to-back titles this year, the Columbia area media tracked down Blake to see if he was following from afar.

The answer, of course, was a resounding yes.  Click here to read an article about Cooper and the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - June 29th at West Michigan

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - SS
Zach Walters - 3B
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - DH
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Chris Jarrett - LF
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Jhoan Pimentel - C

Jeff Shields - P

Pregame interview tonight is with  hitting coach Bobby Smith.  Pregame show begins at 6:50 PM.  First pitch at 7:10 PM.

Game Time Adjustment

Tonight's game won't technically start until 7:10, so I'm going to push the pregame show back to 6:50 PM.

More later.

Former Hawks (2006-08) in the Diamondbacks Organization

This week we'll focus on former Silver Hawks players (2006-2008) who are still playing in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Look out for a similar post next week about players who played in South Bend from 2009-2011.

Justin Upton (Outfielder) – Arizona Diamondbacks

Played for South Bend in 2006. Upton is hitting .305 with 12 HR, 42 RBIs, and 21 2B this season for the Diamondbacks. He has a career batting average of .278 at the major league level.

Kyler Newby (Pitcher) – AA Mobile BayBears

Played for South Bend in 2006. Newby has posted a 3-1 record and 4.72 ERA in 7 total appearances (5starts). The righty joined the BayBears on June 3rd from AAA Reno. Newby went 2-2 with a 5.00 ERA in 12 games (7 starts) for the Reno Aces.

Matt Torra (Pitcher) – AAA Reno Aces

Played for South Bend in 2006. The righthander has started 15 games on the mound for the Aces, going 4-2 with a 6.07 ERA. Torra has struggled in the month of June, picking up 1 win and 2 losses. In that stretch, he has given up 27 earned runs in 29 innings.

Taylor Harbin (Infielder) – AA Mobile BayBears

Played for South Bend in 2007 and 2008. Harbin has a .283 batting through 70 games at the AA level. He has belted 4 home runs and 12 doubles for the BayBears, while knocking in 32 runs.

Barry Enright (Pitcher) – AAA Reno Aces

Played for South Bend in 2007. Enright leads AAA Reno with 7 wins in his 10 starts on the mound. The righty has a 3.99 ERA and has struck out 45 batters in 58.2 innings this season.

Jordan Noberto (Pitcher) – AAA Reno Aces

Played for South Bend in 2007 and 2008. The reliever has appeared in 30 games for the Aces, going 5-1 with a 4.79 ERA. Noberto has been solid in the month of June, posting a 2-0 record and 1.69 ERA in 12 games.

Jason Urquidez (Pitcher) – AAA Reno Aces

Played for South Bend in 2007. Urquidez is 3-4 with a 5.26 in 30 games out of the bullpen for the Aces. The righty has struck out 34 batters in 37.2 innings.

Collin Cowgill (Outfielder) – AAA Reno Aces

Played for South Bend in 2008. Cowgill is hitting .363 with 12 home runs, 17 doubles, 6 triples, and 52 RBIs for the Aces. The .363 batting average is tied for third best in the Pacific Coast League.

Evan Frey (Outfielder) – AAA Reno Aces

Played for South Bend in 2008. At AAA Reno, Frey has a .308 batting average with a home run and 15 RBIs. The outfielder was called up from AA Mobile on May 4th. Frey hit .173 in 19 games while playing for the BayBears.

Ollie Linton (Outfielder) – Mobile BayBears

Played for South Bend in 2008. Ollie Linton is with AA Mobile for the second straight season. Last season, the outfielder hit .304 for the BayBears. In 2011, Linton is batting .274 with 3 homers, 4 doubles and 4 triples.

Konrad Schmidt (Catcher) – Reno Aces

Played for South Bend in 2008. The catcher has hit safely in his last six games for the Reno Aces. In 53 games, Schmidt is hitting .308 with 5 home runs, 21 doubles, and 26 RBIs.

Christian Beltre (Pitcher) – High-A Visalia Rawhide

Played for South Bend in 2008. Beltre serves as a reliever for the Rawhide, having appeared in 24 games this season. The righty sports a 3-3 record and 3.34 ERA on the season. 2011 marks his 3rd straight season at High-A Visalia.

Bryan Henry (Pitcher) – AA Mobile BayBears

Played for South Bend in 2008. Henry has started 5 of the 17 games that he has pitched in for the Mobile BayBears. The righthander has 4 wins and 2 losses with a 3.63 ERA. June has been kind to Henry as he is 1-0 with a 0.71 ERA in six relief appearances.

Tom Layne (Pitcher) – AAA Reno Aces

Played for South Bend in 2008. Though Layne has a 6.25 ERA in 76.1 innings pitched, the lefty has a 7-3 mark on the season for AAA Reno. He has 9 starts in 21 total games. Layne went six innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 runs in a win over Sacramento on June 27th.

Jarrod Parker (Pitcher) – AA Mobile BayBears

Played for South Bend in 2008. In 14 starts, the right-handed pitcher has struck out 60 on his way to a 5-6 record for AA Mobile. Parker has hurled 66 innings this season.

Bryan Shaw (Pitcher) – AAA Reno Aces

Played for South Bend in 2008. Shaw was sent back to AAA Reno on June 28th after appearing in 5 games out of the bullpen for the Diamondbacks. At the major league level, Shaw gave up 3 runs (2 earned) in 4.1 innings. Shaw had been called up to Arizona from AAA Reno on June 10. With the Aces, the righty is 1-0 with a 5.59 ERA in 8 relief appearances.

Billy Spottiswood (Pitcher) – AA Mobile BayBears

Played for South Bend in 2008. Spottiswood has had a dominant June on the mound for the BayBears. The reliever is 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA in 8 games. On the season, the righty is 3-2 with a 2.75 ERA in 29 appearances at AA Mobile.

Daniel Stange (Pitcher) – AAA Reno Aces

Played for South Bend in 2008. The right-handed relief pitcher has 2 wins and 1 loss in 19 games for the Aces. In 28.1 innings, Stange has given up 29 hits and 17 earned runs (19 runs total), while striking out 23 batters.

Clay Zavada (Pitcher) – AA Mobile BayBears

Played for South Bend in 2008. Clay Zavada has seen action in 25 games for the BayBears. The reliever owns an 0-1 record and 3.34 ERA in 29.2 innings pitched.

Keep Pitching Well, Keep Doing Interviews

David Holmberg is on a roll.  You all know that because I've spent a lot of time talking about his current scoreless innings streak (which is officially 34 innings according to MiLB, but if you count every out he's recorded since giving up a run, it's the equivalent of 35 innings).  Anyhow, since he keeps pitching shutout after shutout, he keeps getting interviewed by MinorLeagueBaseball.com. 

Read the latest article here.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Today's Lineup - June 28th at West Michigan

Good morning from Comstock Park, Michigan.

Here is today's lineup:

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Ramon Castillo - DH
Chris Jarrett - LF
Roberto Ortiz - RF

LHP David Holmberg - SP

No pregame interview due to the early start.  Instead, we'll look at the MWL standings, and give you a scoreboard update.

First pitch at 12 noon.  Pregame coverage at 11:40 AM.

Monday, June 27, 2011

What a Game

Tonight's game would rank in the top 5 of my all-time favorites from a broadcast standpoint (or at least it would have if not for the constant internet interruptions).  It had a little bit of everything from drama to plays at the plate to huge home runs to great pitching to runners left in scoring position and on and on and on.  All the elements that add up to a great baseball game.

As far as the other issues, I again want to issue an apology and my thanks to those of you who stuck with me through the constant internet interruptions.  I realize they are going to happen from time to time, but tonight was by far the worst it has been all season.  I'm hoping that it was just an issue tonight and will be fine for tomorrow, but only time will tell. 

This is our first year doing internet only broadcasts, and while it's been decent, there is still no substitute for being on local radio and having the game streamed online from a constant radio feed.  What you may not realize is that in addition to broadcasting the game in front of me, keeping a scorebook with pitch count, and looking up other game information in media notes and online, I'm also responsible for setting up the broadcast, getting it started, and playing my own commercials.  It's quite a process and unfortunately, it doesn't always work the way we want it to.  Whereas a radio station would provide an engineer and a producer/board op to go along with my broadcasting, I perform all three roles right now.

If the feed does not get any better over the next two days, you may have better luck by going to www.whitecaps-baseball.com.  Sure you would have to listen to the other team's announcers for a couple of days, but it is an option if you are in a pinch. 

Thanks again for your patience and go Hawks!

Tonight's Lineup - June 27th at West Michigan

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - DH
Raywilly Gomez - C
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Chris Jarrett - RF
Gerson Montilla - 3B

Tyler Green - SP

The pregame interview tonight is with Mike Bolsinger.  First pitch at 7:00 PM.  Pregame coverage at 6:40 PM.

From the Notes - June 27th

South Bend Silver Hawks (1-2 Second Half, 35-37 Overall)
@ West Michigan Whitecaps (2-1 Second Half, 34-38 Overall)

Fifth Third Ballpark, Comstock Park, Michigan – 7:00 PM Eastern Time
                                                                                   
Season Series: 6-3 Whitecaps
@ Coveleski Stadium: 4-1 Whitecaps
@ Fifth Third Ballpark: 2-2 Tie

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .251 – 7th                  
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.63 ERA – 5th

Whitecaps Team Hitting: .257 – 3rd                     
Whitecaps Team Pitching: 3.65 ERA – T-6th


LAST GAME:  Brian Flynn (WP, 1-0) and Nathan Newman (SV, 1) combined on a three-hit shutout of the Silver Hawks on Sunday afternoon, picking up a 3-0 victory for West Michigan.  Flynn allowed three hits over 7.0 innings with five K’s, while Newman tossed two perfect innings of relief.  J.R. Bradley was saddled with a tough loss, allowing just two earned runs over 6.2 innings.  Luis Castillo had two hits and two runs scored to lead West Michigan offensively, while three different players had a RBI for the ‘Caps. 

TEAM NOTES:

·         The Hawks have not finished above .500 in a half of baseball since the second half of 2008.  They were 34-35 in the first half.

·         Silver Hawks pitchers have walked just 192 batters this season – the fewest in the MWL.


INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·         Yazy Arbelo ranks 1st in the MWL with 18 home runs, 56 RBIs, .569 Slugging PCT, 39 XBH, and 140 Total Bases. 

·         David Holmberg has not allowed a run in his last 28.0 innings pitched – dating back to May 22nd at Great Lakes.

·         Zach Walters ranks 9th in batting average, T-5th in hits, 5th in OBP, 2nd in Runs, and 4th in total bases.

MILESTONE WATCH:

·         Yazy Arbelo is T-10th on Silver Hawks single season leader board with 18 homers.  He needs one to tie Mark Reynolds for ninth.

·         Chris Jarrett has 10 career triples with South Bend.  He needs one more to tie for ninth on the team’s career leader board.

Back in Grand Rapids

Well, we are now in Grand Rapids, Michigan, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps, to continue the six game series that opens the second half. 

Many of you have questioned why in the world would the Midwest League schedule back-to-back series against the same team.  To be fair, the MWL didn't originally have it scheduled this way.  However, they did have West Michigan going down to Bowling Green a bunch of times, so they ended up trading with someone else to adjust their travel.  The end result saved the Whitecaps a trip down to BG, but it set up this bizarre six-game, two-venue series.

After losing the two of the first three at home, South Bend would love to take two out of three here to split the series.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Today's Lineup - June 26th vs. West Michigan

Ender Inciarte - CF
Gerson Monilla - 2B
Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - DH
Matt Helm - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Jhoan Pimentel - C

J.R. Bradley - SP

No pregame interview today.  Instead, we'll take a look at the scoreboards and standings in MLB.  Pregame show at 1:40 PM.  First pitch at 2:00 PM.

From the Notes - June 26th

South Bend Silver Hawks (1-1 Second Half, 35-36 Overall)
vs. West Michigan Whitecaps (1-1 Second Half, 33-38 Overall)


Coveleski Stadium, South Bend, Indiana – 2:00 PM Eastern Time

                                                                                   
Season Series: 5-3 Whitecaps
@ Coveleski Stadium: 3-1 Whitecaps
@ Fifth Third Ballpark: 2-2 Tie

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .253 – T-5th                
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.65 ERA – 6th

Whitecaps Team Hitting: .257 – 3rd                      
Whitecaps Team Pitching: 3.71 ERA – 9th

LAST GAME:  Yazy Arbelo launched a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, breaking a 2-2 tie and propelling the Silver Hawks to a 3-2 victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps on Saturday evening.  The blast gave the win to Jeremy Erben (WP, 3-1), who had blown a save by giving up a home run in the top of the eighth inning to Hernan Perez.  The loss was pinned on Ramon Lebron (LP, 2-1).  Mike Bolsinger (ND) started and did not allow a run in 4.0 innings.  Raywilly Gomez and Zach Walters also had RBIs for South Bend. 

TEAM NOTES:

·          The Hawks have not finished above .500 in a half of baseball since the second half of 2008.  They were 34-35 in the first half.

·          Silver Hawks pitchers have walked just 190 batters this season – the fewest in the MWL.


INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·          Yazy Arbelo ranks 1st in the MWL with 18 home runs, 56 RBIs, .576 Slugging PCT, 39 XBH, and 140 Total Bases. 

·          David Holmberg has not allowed a run in his last 28.0 innings pitched – dating back to May 22nd at Great Lakes.

·          Zach Walters ranks T-6th in batting average, 5th in hits, 5th in OBP, 2nd in Runs, and 4th in total bases.


MILESTONE WATCH:

·          Yazy Arbelo is T-10th on Silver Hawks single season leader board with 18 homers.  He needs one to tie Mark Reynolds for ninth.

·          Chris Jarrett has 10 career triples with South Bend.  He needs one more to tie for ninth on the team’s career leader board.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Tonight's Starting Lineup - June 25th vs. West Michigan

Ender Inciarte - CF
Raywilly Gomez - C
Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Roberto Rodriguez - DH
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Chris Jarrett - LF
Gerson Montilla - 2B

Mike Bolsinger - SP

Pregame interview is with pitching coach Wellington Cepeda. First pitch at 5:30 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage begins at 5:10 PM Eastern Time.

From the Notes - June 25th

South Bend Silver Hawks (0-1 Second Half, 34-36 Overall)
vs. West Michigan Whitecaps (1-0 Second Half, 33-37 Overall)


Coveleski Stadium, South Bend, Indiana – 5:30 PM Eastern Time

                                                                                   
Season Series: 5-2 Whitecaps
@ Coveleski Stadium: 3-0 Whitecaps
@ Fifth Third Ballpark: 2-2 Tie

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .253 – T-4th                
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.68 ERA – 7th

Whitecaps Team Hitting: .257 – 3rd                      
Whitecaps Team Pitching: 3.71 ERA – 9th

LAST GAME:  The Silver Hawks opened the second half with a tough loss on Friday, losing 2-1 to the West Michigan Whitecaps.  Jeff Shields (LP, 4-7) surrendered just two runs over six innings, but suffered the loss.  Alex Burgos (WP, 2-1) allowed just one run over 6.2 innings to earn the win.  Matt Helm provided South Bend’s lone run with a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh inning.  South Bend was held to just four hits in the game, and none after Helm’s homer.  Neither pitching staff issued a walk over the course of the game, although one batter was hit by a pitch. 


TEAM NOTES:

·          The Hawks have not finished above .500 in a half of baseball since the second half of 2008.  They were 34-35 in the first half.

·          Silver Hawks pitchers have walked just 189 batters this season – the fewest in the MWL.

·          After last night’s loss, the Silver Hawks are just 4-7 in one-run games this season.


INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·          Yazy Arbelo ranks 1st in the MWL with 17 home runs, 55 RBIs, .569 Slugging PCT, 38 XBH, and 136 Total Bases. 

·          David Holmberg has not allowed a run in his last 28.0 innings pitched – dating back to May 22nd at Great Lakes.

·          Zach Walters ranks 7th in batting average, T-2nd in hits, 5th in OBP, 3rd in SLG, 5th in XBH, 2nd in Runs, and 3rd in total bases.

·          Jeremy Erben has not allowed a run in his last 12.2 innings pitched – tied for the longest relief streak this season.

Justin Upton Bobblehead Night

Forgive me for the lack of posts yesterday.  I got busy trying to catch up from the All-Star Break.

Anyhow, some exciting times at the stadium today with the Justin Upton Bobblehead Giveaway.  The first 1,000 fans will receive this bobblehead sponsored by Mutual Bank and B100.  If you have a ticket to tonight's game, make sure you get here early to guarantee a bobblehead.  The gates open at 4:00 PM.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Today's Roster Move - June 24th

So I'll have a few more posts later today, but I figured I should get back to blogging by letting you know about today's roster move.

INF Ramon Castillo returns to South Bend from AAA Reno.
INF Raul Navarro sent to short-season A Yakima.

Analysis:  Not a big surprise here.  Castillo moved up to fill-in with Reno due to an injury.  Navarro has been struggling, and as one of the younger players on the team, he's better suited in a lower level now that they have started up.  Expect Navarro back with South Bend to start next season and hopefully with better numbers in 2012.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Today's Lineup - June 19th vs. Bowling Green

Happy Father's Day!

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - SS
Zach Walters - 3B
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - DH
Raywilly Gomez - C
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Chris Jarrett - LF
Gerson Montilla - 2B

J.R. Bradley - SP

No pregame interview today. First pitch at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage begins at 1:40 PM Eastern Time.

Playoff Race - 1 to Play

Rather than put the standings up today, here are the scenarios for today's final game of the first half:

Eastern Division

Bowling Green wins the division with a win OR a Great Lakes loss.
Great Lakes wins the division with a win AND a Bowling Green loss.  (Bowling Green gets wild card)

If Bowling Green wins division title, here are the wild card scenarios:
Great Lakes wins the Wild Card with a win OR a Lansing loss.
Lansing wins the Wild Card with a win AND a Great Lakes Loss.

Western Division Title
-Burlington has won

Western Division Wild Card
-Quad Cities has clinched.

Got all that?

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - June 18th vs. Bowling Green

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - DH
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Jhoan Pimentel - C
Raul Navarro - SS
Patrick Schuster - SP

No pregame interview tonight. First pitch at 5:30 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage begins at 5:10 PM Eastern Time.

Playoff Race - Two to Go

Congratulations to Burlington and Bowling Green for clinching playoff spots.

**Burlington has wrapped up the Western Division Championship, while Bowling Green has simply clinched one of the two Eastern Division spots.  T

*Teams in this font have clinched a spot, so that leaves four teams fighting for two spots.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Bowling Green*4028--
Great Lakes3829-1.5
Lansing3629-2.5
Mathematically Eliminated: Dayton, South Bend, West Michigan, Fort Wayne, Lake County

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Burlington**4523--
Quad Cities3829-6.5
Wisconsin3731-8.0
Mathematically Eliminated: Beloit, Peoria, Cedar Rapids, Kane County, Clinton.

Is That a Fruit in the Veggie Race?

WNDU brought out their investigative reporting team to examine how a tomato found a spot into the Martin's "Veggie" Race. 

Click here for all the details.  To watch the video, find the story on the right side of the page and click play. 

Friday, June 17, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - June 17th vs. Bowling Green

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Roberto Rodriguez - RF
Chris Jarrett - LF
Gerson Montilla - DH

Tyler Green- SP

Pregame interview tonight is with trainer Brian Czachowski. First pitch at 7:30 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage begins at 7:10 PM Eastern Time.

Late Night Bus Drama

Sorry for the lack of posts today, but I've been busy catching up on some things now that we are back at home.

Late last night, on our way back from Lansing, we had some drama involved with the bus ride home.  Just east of Elkhart, a motorcyclist in front of us hit a deer and wiped out entirely.  Oscar, the best bus driver in the world, hit the brakes hard and expertly handled the bus well to avoid hitting anything. 

As the bus came to a stop along the shoulder, manager Mark Haley, trainer Brian Czachowski, strength coach Mike Schofield and I all piled out to go check on the biker.  I dialed 9-1-1 while Brian found the man in the grass off the side of the road and made sure he was alright (remarkably, he only had road rash on the arm -- no broken bones, no head injuries, nothing). 

Everyone on the bus was fine, and after waiting for the police and ambulance to get there, we were on our way.  I'm happy to report that the biker appears to be okay as well, but it sure makes you think about how precious life is sometimes.  He's lucky to be alive.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - June 16th at Lansing

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - 3B
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - DH
Raywilly Gomez - C
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Chris Jarrett - LF
Raul Navarro - SS
Jeff Shields - SP

Pregame interview tonight is with video coordinator Taylor Powell.  First pitch at 7:05 PM Eastern Time.  Pregame coverage begins at 6:45 PM Eastern Time.

All-Star Game Updates

I've received the following news on the All-Star Game this week.

First of all, Ender Inciarte will start now due to the promotion of Lake County outfielder Anthony Gallas.  Congratulations to him for moving into the starting role.

Secondly, Yazy Arbelo will participate in the home run derby on Monday night.  Below is the text of the press release from Quad Cities announcing the participantsm, but note the fact that it's not a true home run derby.  I don't know why teams mess with the derby...or at the very least, don't call it a home run derb if it's going to truly be a skills competition:

As the host of the 2011 Midwest League All-Star Game, the River Bandits are honored to announce the participants in the 2011 Midwest League Home Run Derby.

Participants from each division were chosen based on their individual statistics in the categories of home runs, batting average, RBI, stolen bases and a wild card spot. Five players were chosen from each division and will compete along with one local media participant that will be rewarded for winning a Quad Cities media-wide home run contest.

The players selected are listed below with the category for which they were selected:

West Division Hitters (Team) – Category (Stat)
Mike Walker (Wisconsin) – Home Runs (10)
Greg Rohan (Peoria) – Average (.346)
Daniel Ortiz (Beloit) – Runs Batted In (41)
Travis Witherspoon (Cedar Rapids) – Stolen Bases (27)
Cody Stanley (Quad Cities) – Wild Card

East Division Hitters (Team) – Category (Stat)
Yazy Arbelo (South Bend) – Home Runs (16)
Marcus Knecht (Lansing) – Average (.341)
Derek Dietrich (Bowling Green) – Runs Batted In (33)
Michael Crouse (Lansing) – Stolen Bases (19)
Jake Blackwood (Fort Wayne) – Wild Card

The 2011 Midwest League Home Run Derby will differ from competitions of the past in that it will be more of a hitting display than simply a home run hitting contest. Sponsored targets will be set up around the outfield that will reward hitters with points and prizes for themselves and fans or charities when specific targets are struck. Players will still be heavily rewarded for home runs but will also receive points for different areas of the field, as well as having points deducted for hitting foul balls or not making contact with a pitch. In the end, total points will determine the winner in the three-round contest.

Playoff Race - Four To Play

Two more teams have been eliminated from postseason contention for the first half, and Burlington has wrapped up the first half title in the Western Division.  Teams in this font have clinched.  (Note:  If you go to the Midwest League standings page at www.midwestleague.com, they show the Silver Hawks are still mathematically alive.  However, that is incorrect because the best record the Hawks could post is 36-33, while Lansing's worst record they could post is 36-31 due to cancellations.  Lansing would then make the playoffs because of the better winning percentage).
Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Bowling Green3828--
Lansing3627-0.5
Great Lakes3629-1.5
Mathematically Eliminated: Dayton, South Bend, West Michigan, Fort Wayne, Lake County

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Burlington4323--
Quad Cities3728-5.5
Wisconsin3630-7.0
Beloit3531-8.0
Mathematically Eliminated: Peoria, Cedar Rapids, Kane County, Clinton.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Weather Update (Updated Again)

The rain continues to fall in Lansing.  We have been told first pitch won't be until about 8:15 PM Eastern Time.  It's now a 9:30 PM Eastern Time first pitch.  Back live from the stadium around 9:20 with starting lineups, etc.

Tonight's Lineup - June 15th at Lansing

This is assuming the rain stops, which it was originally supposed to around 7, but they have since pushed that back.

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - DH
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Jhoan Pimentel - C
Gerson Montilla - 3B

David Holmberg - SP

Pregame interview is with Roberto Rodriguez.  Pregame coverage at 6:45 PM Eastern Time.  First pitch at 7:05 PM (hopefully).

Former Silver Hawks Playing With Other MLB Organizations

This week we’ll focus on former Hawks’ players who play for other Major League organizations besides the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Orlando Mercado (Catcher) – AAA Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)

Played for South Bend in 2006. Mercado began the season with the Arkansas Travelers (AA), but joined Salt Lake on June 5th. He hit .298 with 5 doubles, 1 home run, and 11 RBI’s in 24 games for Arkansas. Mercado is currently batting .308 with one double and one RBI in four games at the AAA level.

Pedro Ciriaco (Shortstop) – Pittsburgh Pirates

Played for South Bend in 2006. Recalled from AAA Indianapolis on May 21st when Pedro Alvarez was placed on the 15-day Disabled List. Ciriaco has played in only four games for the Pirates since being called up, going 0-3 at the plate. He was batting .190 with 2 home runs, 3 doubles, and 12 RBI’s in 36 games for the Indianapolis Indians.

Danny Perales (Outfielder) – AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays)

Played for South Bend in 2007. Recently joined the Fisher Cats on June 13th from AAA Las Vegas. Perales hit .316 with 5 doubles and 17 RBI’s in 27 games at Las Vegas. He played his first game for New Hampshire yesterday against the Akron Aeros, going 2-4 with 2 RBI’s and a walk.

Brett Anderson (Pitcher) – Oakland Athletics

Played for South Bend in 2007. The lefty is 3-6 with a 4.00 ERA in 13 starts on the mound for the A’s, which includes one complete game. Anderson has struck out 61 and walked 25 batters, but was placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 7th due to left elbow soreness. He is expected to undergo six weeks of rehab and avoids season-ending surgery, which was originally believed to be a possibility for the Oakland pitcher.

Chad Beck (Pitcher) – AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays)

Played for South Bend in 2007 and 2008. Beck is 5-2 with a 4.08 ERA, starting 10 of his 12 appearances on the hill for the Fisher Cats. The righty began the season with High-A Dunedin.

Evan Scribner (Pitcher) – San Diego Padres

Played for South Bend in 2007 and 2008. The right-hander has appeared in seven games out of the bullpen for the Padres. Scribner has a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings, striking out 8 and walking 2. He joined the big league club from AAA Tucson on June 9th.

Cesar Valdez (Pitcher) – AAA Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Played for South Bend in 2007. Valdez is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 4 saves in 29 relief appearances for AAA Indianapolis.

Bryan Augenstein (Pitcher) – St. Louis Cardinals

Played for South Bend in 2008. Augenstein was placed on the 15-day DL on April 13th due to a right groin strain and was later transferred to the 60-day disabled list on May 16th. The righty was 0-1 with a 9.53 ERA in five relief appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals this season. He was assigned to High-A Palm Beach on June 7th. In three games (2 starts), Augenstein is 0-2 with a 10.38 ERA.

Daniel Schlereth (Pitcher) – Detroit Tigers

Played for South Bend in 2008. In 24 games out of the bullpen for the Tigers, Schlereth is 0-1 with a 2.79 ERA, 13 strikeouts, and 12 walks. After giving up one run to Boston on May 18th, the lefty had a stretch of 5 scoreless innings in six games that ended on June 12th against the Seattle Mariners.

Reynaldo Navarro (Infielder) – High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks (Kansas City Royals)

Played for South Bend in 2009. Navarro is hitting .280 with 34 RBI’s for Wilmington in 62 games this season. The infielder has blasted 4 home runs and 13 doubles. Navarro leads the Carolina League with 7 triples.

Scottie Allen (Pitcher) – High-A Tampa Yankees (New York Yankees)

Played for South Bend in 2010. Allen has started 8 of his 15 appearances on the mound for the Tampa Yankees. The righty is 2-4 with a 7.01 ERA and has struck out 34 and walked 20.

Playoff Race - Five to Play

The Silver Hawks have officially been eliminated as of last night, but I'll continue to update this until the four playoff teams are determined.  Teams in this font have clinched a playoff spot.  Congratulations to the Burlington Bees on being the first to clinch.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Lansing3626--
Bowling Green3728-0.5
Great Lakes3529-2.0
Dayton3332-5.0
Mathematically Eliminated: South Bend, West Michigan, Fort Wayne, Lake County

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Burlington4123--
Quad Cities3628-5.5
Wisconsin3430-7.5
Beloit3431-8.0
Peoria3331-8.5
Mathematically Eliminated: Cedar Rapids, Kane County, Clinton.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Ugh

Just ugh.

That is all.

Good night.  More in the morning.

Tonight's Lineup - June 14th at Lansing

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - 2B
Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Chris Jarrett - DH
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Roberto Rodriguez - LF

J.R. Bradley - SP

Pregame interview with manager Mark Haley.  First pitch at 7:05 PM Eastern Time.  Pregame coverage at 6:45 PM Eastern Time.

From the Notes - June 14th

South Bend Silver Hawks (31-32 Overall)
@ Lansing Lugnuts (35-26 Overall)

 Cooley Law School Stadium, Lansing, Michigan – 7:05 PM Eastern Time

                                                                                   
Season Series: 4-3 Lugnuts
@ Coveleski Stadium: 4-3 Lugnuts
@ Cooley Stadium: 0-0 Tie

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .255 – 4th                  
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.80 ERA – 8th

Lugnuts Team Hitting: .260 – T-2nd                                 
Lugnuts Team Pitching: 3.81 ERA – 9th

LAST GAME:  The Peoria Chiefs completed a three game sweep of the Silver Hawks on Sunday afternoon, winning 5-1 in the series finale.  Greg Rohan had two hits and two RBIs while Richard Jones had a two run double to lead Peoria.  Austin Kirk (WP, 4-2) threw 6.0 innings without allowing a run, striking out seven in the winning effort.  Patrick Schuster (LP, 5-3) turned in his ninth quality start in 12 tries, but suffered the loss for South Bend.  Mike Freeman had two hits for the Silver Hawks and extended his hitting streak to 15 games – the second longest in the league this season. 


TEAM NOTES:

·         Playoff Chase:  The Hawks are 5.0 games out of first and 4.5 out of the wild card with six to play in the first half.

·         The Silver Hawks allowed 11 runs on 16 hits on Saturday – both season highs.

·         The pitching staff has thrown five shutouts since May 20th, yet had none before that point.


INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·         Yazy Arbelo ranks 1st in the MWL with 16 home runs, 51 RBIs, .595 Slugging PCT, 36 XBH, and 128 Total Bases. 

·         Mike Freeman has a team high 15 game hit streak.  He’s hit in 26 of his last 28 games to raise his average from .209 to .280. 

·         David Holmberg has not allowed a run in his last 21.0 innings pitched – dating back to May 22nd at Great Lakes.

·         Chris Odegaard had not allowed a run in 10.2 innings with the Silver Hawks.

Greetings from Lansing

Good morning from Lansing, Michigan.

The team had a 9 AM bus, but it only took us about 2 hours and 20 minutes to get here, so we're already checked in to our hotel.  The hotel in Lansing is great, but there's not a lot of food options around so the bus will drive the players to the mall at noon to grab a bite to eat.  Bus to the ballpark is at 3 PM.

The playoff hopes for South Bend are very slim.  In fact, the "elimination number" is 2, meaning that any combination of Bowling Green wins or South Bend losses that adds up to 2 would eliminate the Silver Hawks.  Even still, until that number is 0, the team still has a chance.  It's winning time!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Monday's Roster Move

INF/C Ramon Castillo promoted to AAA Reno.
INF Gerson Montilla joins team from extended spring training.

Analysis:  When a player jumps from South Bend to Reno, it's because they need someone to fill in for a few days (or a week, or two weeks).  Castillo was most likely selected because he can play multiple positions (first, third, catcher) and also serve as the bullpen catcher.  At the same time, he has an opportunity to showcase his skills for higher-ups in the organization.

Montilla played in double-A and high-A Visalia last season, but struggled in the advanced levels.  You can read the full press release here.

Playoff Race - Six to Play

A bad road trip has left the Silver Hawks barely hanging on with six to play.  It's going to take a remarkable run and a lot of help for South Bend to make the playoffs in the first half.
Here is your standings update with six to go.  There are still some doubleheaders for a few teams, but this is accurate as of Monday's off day.  Remember, cancelled games are not made up, and that impacts the playoff race as well.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Lansing3526--
Bowling Green3628-0.5
Great Lakes3429-2.0
South Bend3132-5.0
Dayton3132-5.0
West Michigan3033-6.0
Mathematically Eliminated: Fort Wayne, Lake County

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Burlington4123--
Quad Cities3528-5.5
Wisconsin3330-7.5
Peoria3330-7.5
Beloit3330-7.5
Cedar Rapids2934-11.5
Mathematically Eliminated: Kane County, Clinton.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Today's Lineup - June 12th at Peoria

Ender Inciarte - CF
Mike Freeman - SS
Zach Walters - 2B
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Ramon Castillo - DH
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Roberto Ortiz - RF

Patrick Schuster - SP

No pregame interview due to the early start.  Pregame show at 1:40 Eastern Time. First pitch at 2:00 PM Eastern Time.

From the Notes - June 12th

South Bend Silver Hawks (31-31 Overall)
@ Peoria Chiefs (32-30 Overall)


O’Brien Field, Peoria, Illinois – 2:00 PM Eastern Time

                                                                                   
Season Series: 2-0 Chiefs
@ Coveleski Stadium: 0-0 Tie
@ O’Brien Field: 2-0 Chiefs

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .256 – 3rd                  
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.79 ERA – 9th

Chiefs Team Hitting: .276 – 1st                           
Chiefs Team Pitching: 3.43 ERA – 4th


LAST GAME:  The South Bend Silver Hawks blew a 5-0 lead on Saturday night, eventually falling 11-6 to the Peoria Chiefs.  The Hawks got up 5-0 in the top of the second, but Peoria scored four in the bottom of the inning and then seven in the fourth to take the big lead.  Tyler Green (LP, 2-1) suffered the loss, allowing nine runs (eight earned) in 3.0 innings.  Robinson Lopez (WP, 4-3) got the win with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief for Peoria.  Matt Szczur and Richard Jones had two run homers for the Chiefs.  Zach Walters led the Silver Hawks with a two run triple. 


TEAM NOTES:

·         Playoff Chase:  The Hawks are 4.0 games out of first and 3.5 out of the wild card with seven to play in the first half.

·         The Silver Hawks allowed 11 runs on 16 hits yesterday – both season highs.

·         The pitching staff has thrown five shutouts since May 20th and having none before that point.


INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·         Yazy Arbelo ranks 1st in the MWL with 16 home runs, 51 RBIs, .604 Slugging PCT, 36 XBH, and 128 Total Bases. 

·         Mike Freeman has a team high 14 game hit streak.  He’s hit in 25 of his last 27 games to raise his average from .209 to .276. 

·         David Holmberg has not allowed a run in his last 21.0 innings pitched – dating back to May 22nd at Great Lakes.

·         Jeremy Erben threw 2.0 scoreless innings on Saturday and is up to 9.2 consecutive scoreless innings currently.