Monday, May 31, 2010

Monday's Game Cancelled

Monday's game has been cancelled because of rain. You can go to www.silverhawks.com for more information.

Tuesday's game will feature $1 hot dogs and $1 Pepsi products to make up for Monday's rainout.

The Diamondbacks Struggles

Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has an interesting piece on his blog about why the Diamondbacks are struggling as much as they have. The entire blog pieces references a few former Silver Hawks, including Brandon Webb, Justin Upton, Miguel Montero, and others.

If you are a diehard Diamondbacks fan, it's a good read about the team's lack of success.

Happy Memorial Day


Happy Memorial Day! I used this image last year on the blog, and I liked it so much I decided to use it again. It kinds of reminds you how baseball and America just go together.
More posts later!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Today's Lineup - May 30th

Broxton - CF
Nick - 2B
Owings - SS
Borchering - 3B
Diaz - RF
Hollinger - DH
Fie - 1B
Kim - C
Narodowski - LF

Gemberling - SP

The first day off this season for Matt Davidson. No pregame interview today. Pregame show has already started (sorry for being late on lineups). First pitch at 2:00 PM.

Pay Attention to the Count

Official scorer Pete Yarbro sent me this link, and it's an interesting read for diehard baseball fans. It talks about the importance of the count, in particular, how batters struggle with two strikes.

Why this article can bury you in numbers, it explains why I often talk about getting ahead of hitters and not falling behind 2-0 and 3-1 (counts that I refer to as "hitters' counts").

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Featured Silver Hawk - Charles Brewer

This week's featured Silver Hawk is SP Charles Brewer. The article talks about Brewer growing up a huge Diamondbacks fan, winning three state championships in high school, and also excelling at golf. You can read the article here.

Tonight's Lineup - May 29th

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Owings - SS
Bobby Borchering - DH
Matt Davidson - 3B
David Nick - 2B
Alberto Diaz - RF
Matt Helm - LF
Errol Hollinger - C
Andrew Fie - 1B

Scottie Allen - SP

The pregame interview is with trainer Brian Czachowski. Pregame show begins at 5:10 PM. First pitch is at 5:30 PM.

From the Notes - May 29th

I found this note particularly interesting today:

-The Silver Hawks have scored eight runs or more in back-to-back games for the first time this season and first time overall since April 22-23rd of last year (8-1 and 9-5 wins over Lansing @ Oldsmobile Park).

Borchering Article

I forgot to link to this a few weeks ago, but here is a story that the Fort Myers News Press did on Bobby Borchering.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - May 28th

A beautiful night at the stadium tonight. I can't wait to get started with the first Friday Fireworks night of the season.

Here's tonight's starting lineup:

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Owings - SS
Bobby Borchering - DH
Matt Davidson - 3B
David Nick - 2B
Alberto Diaz - RF
Matt Helm - LF
Tyson Van Winkle - C
Andrew Fie - 1B

Eric Smith - SP

Pregame interview is with Charles Brewer. I haven't made it completely through all the players for the first time, but I've done about 20 of the original 25. Brewer is pitching so well that I felt it was definitely worth it to interview him again.

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

Featured Silver Hawk - Keon Broxton

Normally Fridays are when we will post a new "Featured Silver Hawk" article on the blog and website. Since the team has been on the road for the past week, however, there won't be a new article today. There will be one up either Saturday or Sunday, however.

Last week's "Featured Silver Hawk" has been on the website but not on the blog. The article is about center fielder Keon Broxton and his past as a football player and skateboarder. Read the article here.

Good Morning from the Bus

It's 5:55 AM as I start this post, and we're roughly 20 miles from Coveleski Stadium after driving through the night from Bowling Green, Kentucky. This is the second straight overnight bus trip after doing the same thing on Monday night/Tuesday morning from Eastlake, Ohio to Bowling Green.

I can promise you the guys are tired, but winning last night 10-2 has certainly made this trip a bit easier. Thankfully, manager Mark Haley and the rest of the staff realize that sleeping on the bus isn't the same as sleeping in a bed, so the players get a bit of break today as they don't have to be at the stadium as early as normal.

Like the players, I plan on going straight home and going to sleep for a few hours before returning to the park.

Hope everyone else got a good night's sleep. I'll try to have some posts later today with notes and lineups and stuff.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - May 27th

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Owings - SS
Bobby Borchering - DH
Matt Davidson - 3B
Alberto Diaz - RF
Tyson Van Winkle - C
Matt Helm - LF
Andrew Fie - 1B
David Narodowski - 2B

Charles Brewer - SP

My pregame interview is with closer Yonata Ortega. Yonata's first language is Spanish, so his English is choppy at times. Sometimes with the players from Latin America, I do a test run interview and determine whether I can play it back or not (determining whether the accent is too thick or not). While you may not understand every word Yonata says in the interview, I feel that you can get most of it, so I'm going to go ahead with it.

I do like to interview every player, even if I have to get a translator. Yonata's English is strong enough that I felt that I didn't need one. Hopefully, you'll be able to pick up on most of what he is saying. You'll also hear me clarify some of the answers as we go along.

Pregame show begins at 7:45 PM Eastern Time. First pitch is at 8:05 PM Eastern Time.

Getaway Rooms

I've never touched on this subject before, but one of the most important parts of travel is the "Getaway Rooms".

When there is a night game for the last day of a road series, the bus to the stadium will typically leave between 2 and 3 PM. Unfortunately, most hotels won't let everyone stay in their rooms that late, since checkout is usually at 11 AM.

Therefore, you have "getaway rooms". The hotel will allow the team to keep somewhere between 5-7 rooms later than the normal checkout time. Typically, all the coaches will get to keep their room late, and then 3 players rooms turn into getaway rooms as well. All the players will pile into one room, or stack their luggage up and head off to kill time before the bus leaves.

I did have a getaway room in Lansing, so I can't complain that I didn't have one today. But if you ever are curious why I don't post much in the morning or early afternoon on the last day of a road trip, it's usually because I have to get out of my room and spend the day walking aimlessly around town trying to find something to waste 3-4 hours until the bus leaves.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Game and Chair Update

Today's game will start at approximately 8:40 PM Eastern Time. A major thunderstorm had delayed the first pitch, but we should be clear the rest of the night.

Also, if you scroll down to the first post of photos, you noticed where I talked about the weird arrangement of chair and table top. I don't know if the fine folks at Bowling Green read my blog or not, but they have brought a new chair into the booth and it is fabulous!

Major props to the Hot Rods for switching chairs for me. Hopefully they don't bad mouth me behind my back if they felt I was complaining :)

Tonight's Lineup - May 26th

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Owings - SS
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Matt Davidson - DH
David Nick - 2B
Alberto Diaz - RF
Matt Helm - 1B
Errol Hollinger - C
David Narodowski - LF

Mike Belfiore - SP

A heavy thunderstorm is happning right now, but we should hopefully still be able to start on time. Right as I typed that, a bolt of lightning just struck something less than a half mile away. That was nasty!

My interview today is with Bradin Hagens. Pregame show begins at 7:45 PM. First pitch is at 8:05 PM.

Photos from Bowling Green - Part Five

Last post...here we go (only two pictures for this one):

From the right field picnic area, another look at the Silver Hawks bullpen area.


From the back corner of the right field picnic area, the view to the stadium.

Hope you enjoyed all the photos. Lineups will be coming up in a couple of hours.

Photos from Bowling Green - Part Four

Are you ready for part four?


Inside the stadium club. I completely resent this club because it's located on the suite level directly behind home plate...where the press box actually should be.


Another look at the small grassy area in left-center field.


I took this photo fro the seats behind home plate. Notice how the net goes all the way up and anchors to the roof. If you are sitting behind the plate (or really down the lines to the end of the dugouts), you have no chance of getting a foul ball.


A little off-centered, but the view form the seats behind home.

The team store is called "The Body Shop". They are the Hot Rods because Bowling Green is where they make Corvettes. There is actually a Corvette Museum in Bowling Green.

Photos from Bowling Green - Part Three

And away we go with part three...


A view from the right field corner.


This is the kid's play area in the right field corner. Those big white blobs are actually inflatable bounce houses, etc. However, they weren't inflated yet this afternoon, and I just don't think I'll be able to get a good picture of them since I'm stuck in the radio booth when the game begins.


The Silver Hawks bullpen beyond the right field wall.


What the relievers see while they are sitting on the bench in the bullpen.


What the bullpen looks like from the warning track. Notice how it juts out onto the field, creating difficulties for the right fielder as he's going back on a ball.

Photos from Bowling Green - Part Two

Part two of our journey commences...


I was standing on the warning track when I took this picture of the outfield wall. On the far left is the wall height from center field to the left field corner. You can see how it raises up and stays a taller fence the rest of th eway around to the bullpen on the far right.


This shot is from behind a small lawn area in center field.


Just a general view from left-center.


Inside the picnic area in left field.


Behind the seats in the left field corner, after they start to angle in towards the playing field.

Photos from Bowling Green - Part One

This is the first of what will probably be five posts of pictures. Remember, if you click on each photo, it should open up with a larger version for you.


We start with the odd location of the press box. This is my view as I look straight out from where I sit down the third base line. It sure makes calling balls and strikes awfully difficult.


Another messed up thing about the press box is that they put the table top too high, so you have to sit on a bar stool in order to see. But then they messed up the height of the bar stool, so you can't sit close enough to the table because then your legs end up scraping the underside of the table top. Therefore, you end up standing for most of the game, using the bar stool seat as a rest between innings.


Here's a view from further back in the booth, showing you how ridiculously tall the barstool is along with the table top.


A shot from the concourse down into the third base corner.


I'll say this much...they have wide concourses.

From the Notes - May 26th

I'll have pictures of the Bowling Green Ballpark later today. In the meantime, here are a few interesting bits of information from today's media notes:

-The Silver Hawks committed three errors for the 9th time yesterday, leading to two unearned runs.

-South Bend struck out 14 times in yesterday’s game, two shy of the team’s single game high.

-Bobby Borchering was the only starter to not strikeout last night, going 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to four games.

-Yonata Ortega recorded three saves against Lake County and now has 10 on the year (tied for second in the league).

-The Silver Hawks are now 6-8 in one run games this season.

Former Silver Hawks with Reno (AAA)

Every Wednesday we'll take a look at how former Silver Hawks are performing at other levels of the Diamondback organization. A few weeks back we looked at the Diamondbacks, so here are some former Hawks playing for the Reno Aces, AAA affiliate of the Diamondbacks in the Pacific Coast League.

Position Players

SS - Pedro Ciriaco - .212, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 6/6 SB - played for South Bend in 2006

C - Sean Coughlin - .215, 3 HR, 7 RBI - played for South Bend in 2008

INF - Yunesky Sanchez - .250, 1 HR, 9 RBI - played for South Bend in 2007

Pitchers

SP - Bryan Augenstein - 2-5, 5.33 ERA in 9 starts - made 13 starts for South Bend in 2008

RP - Jordan Norberto - 2-0, 5.79 ERA in 11 relief appearances - started for South Bend in 2007 and 2008

RP - Daniel Stange - 4-1, 3.29 ERA in 12 relief appearances - pitched for South Bend in 2008

SP - Matt Torra - 3-2, 2.93 ERA in 8 starts - made 7 starts for South Bend in 2006

RP - Jason Urquidez - 2-1, 3.60 ERA in 16 relief appearances - pitched for South Bend in 2007

RP - Clay Zavada - 0-1, 30.00 ERA in 5 relief appearances before undergoing Tommy John Surgery - pitched for South Bend in 2008

Check back next week for updates on former Hawks at AA Mobile.

New to the Blog

Casey Richards, the Media Relations intern for the Silver Hawks, now has blog posting capabilities. I'll rely on him to help me get lineups up for home games, plus information on former Silver Hawks at the various levels.

The only way to know whether it's me or him posting is by looking at the bottom of the post where it shows the author. Not that it matters which one of us posts the stuff, but I just wanted to let everybody know.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - May 25th

Keon Broxton - CF
Chris Owings - SS
Bobby Borchering - 3B
Matt Davidson - DH
David Nick - 2B
Tyson Van Winkle - C
Andrew Fie - 1B
Alberto Diaz - RF
David Narodowski - LF

Brad Gemberling - SP

Tonight's interview is with manager Mark Haley (are you noticing that I usually interview him twice per week -- good, because I think that is the best way to do it). Pregame show begins at 7:45 PM Eastern Time. First pitch is at 8:05 PM Eastern Time.

Q and A with Jerry Sands

Last week, Baseball America did a Q and A session with Loons star Jerry Sands. If you'd like to read it, here's the link.

Poll Results

Most of you were somewhere between a little concerned and very concerned about the team's trouble in scoring runs.

Of 34 responses...

9 (26%) said that it's still early, and they weren't concerned.
17 (50%) said they were a little concerned but confident it would get better.
6 (17%) said they were starting to really worry.
2 (5%) said they were reaching for the panic button.

A new poll question is up on the right. Vote now.

Good Morning (Or is it Afternoon?) From Bowling Green

It's 11:41 AM here in Bowling Green...12:41 PM back in South Bend. It's only an hour difference, but I'm all messed up on my time already.

The bus left Eastlake, Ohio around 10:30 PM Eastern Time last night, and we drove straight through (no stops) to Bowling Green, Kentucky. We arrived at 5:45 AM Eastern Time (or 4:45 here in the central time zone).

The hotel is very nice, and there are plenty of options to eat around the ballpark.

I slept about 2 hours on the bus, and then about 4 and a half hours at the hotel before my body clock forced me out of bed. I ate lunch already (at 10:35 AM central time), and have already walked around the mall and picked up a few groceries at the local Kroger.

It's getting very close to being nap time however, since we won't be heading to the stadium until 4:15 central time.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Tonight's Lineup - May 24th

Keon Broxton - CF
David Nick - 2B
Bobby Borchering - DH
Matt Davidson - 3B
Tyson Van Winkle - C
Matt Helm - 1B
Andrew Fie - LF
Alberto Diaz - RF
David Narodowski - SS

Scottie Allen - SP

My pregame interview tonight is with Lake County broadcaster Craig Deas about the Captains first season in the Midwest League. Pregame coverage begins at 6:10 PM Eastern Time. First pitch is at 6:30 PM Eastern Time.

'08 Silver Hawks Pitcher has Tommy John

I'm a few days behind on this, but Clay Zavada had Tommy John surgery last week, ending his season. Zavada pitched for the Silver Hawks in 2008.

You can read more information on Nick Piecoro's Blog at the Arizona Republic.

This is my third post of the day, so scroll down to read them all. I'll be back with lineups in less than an hour hopefully.