L.I. DUCKS ~ Still Just A Game Out Of First

From the desk of:  WADDLING THROUGH BROOKLYN



LONG ISLAND DUCKS:  Running a Very Close Second in a Race Against Blue Crabs.

So far, both teams have flip-flopped and owned a piece of first place in the Liberty Division this season.  The South Maryland Blue Crabs currently own the spot with the Ducks only a game behind.  South Maryland was home against the York Revolution tonight, while the Ducks played host to the ever-travelling Road Warriors.


Pre-Game Standings ~ LIBERTY DIVISION:
1) - South Maryland Blue Crabs...... 17-11   .607
2) - Long Island Ducks.......................16-12   .571   ~   1 game back  


Over their last ten games, each team was 5-5 respectively.  Long Island were winners of their last game while South Maryland dropped theirs.  By 9:00pm Thursday evening, both teams had completed six innings in their respective games.  The Ducks led the Road Warriors 7-2 and the Crabs were leading 5-1 over the Revs.


Over in Long Island, the Ducks were enjoying a big six run 4th inning highlighted by a Lew Ford 2 run home run and triples by Dan Lyons and Kennard Jones.  In South Maryland, the Blue Crabs rode the wave of a big five run sixth inning on their way to a 9-2 victory.  The Crabs' Jeremy Owens hit a three run home run to seal that game for S. Maryland and keep their one game lead over the Ducks in the Liberty Division standings in tact.


The Ducks kept pace with the Crabs by beating the Road Warriors 7-2 to continue their early season race running almost neck and neck with (the) Crabs.  The teams are almost mirroring each other, but right now South Maryland is leading by a nose.  Or is it a claw?



DUCKS ~ Mike Loree Strikes-Out Ten:
6.1 ~ innings pitched.
9 ~ hits.
2 ~ runs/earned.
1 ~ walk
10 ~ Strikeouts.

Mike lowered his era to 2.40 while improving his record to 4-1 this season.  His ten strikeout performance tonight gives him 37 K's in 30 innings pitched while walking only 9 batters.

Duaner Sanchez pitched the ninth inning surrendering only a walk while striking out two.

Right fielder Kraig Binick went 1 for 4 and dropped his batting average below the .400 mark.

Ray Navarrete ~ DNP.




Mike.BTB

ATLANTIC LEAGUE ~ Bridgeport Drops Opener To Long Island

ATLANTIC LEAGUE of BASEBALL

OPENING DAY

THE BALLPARK AT HARBOR YARD

Bridgeport, Connecticut

HOME of the BRIDGEPORT BLUEFISH

GAME ONE FINAL

LONG ISLAND DUCKS       2

BRIDGEPORT BLUEFISH  1

11 innings

Bridgeport Lead-Off Batter; Adam Greenberg
Bottom First Inning

I visited the Ballpark at Harbor Yards in Bridgeport,Connecticut last night, where the Long Island Ducks and Bridgeport Bluefish needed extra innings to settle their first game of the 2011 Atlantic League season.  Both teams traded a run in the fourth, but the outcome wasn't decided until the eleventh inning.

In the top half of the fourth inning, Long Island's Javier Colina led-off with a double.  He moved over to third base when Ray Navarrete bounced-out to short.  John Rodriguez then singled to drive in Colina.

In Bridgeport's bottom half of the inning, Adam Greenberg drew a lead-off walk.  Danny Putnam then singled, but when Steve Moss popped to right, Putnam got doubled off first base.  Joe Borchard followed with a single scoring Greenberg to tie the score at one apiece.

Both starting pitchers pitched six quality innings and would draw no-decisions:

(DUCKS) Joselo Diaz - 6 IP; 3 Hits; 1 Earned Run; 3 BB; 6 K 

(BLUEFISH) Pat Ryan - 6 IP; 5 Hits; 1 Earned Run; 0 BB; 5 K

The Ducks scored in the top of the 11th inning.  Kennard Jones led off with a single.  He stole second and  advanced to third on an errant throw (E-2).  The Bluefish committed their second error in the inning when  Bridgeport's pitcher; Will Cunnane, fielded a topper hit by Javier Colina.  After checking the runner at third, he threw wide of first , allowing Colina to reach safely.  Ray Navarrete then doubled, scoring Kennard Jones from third.  Javier Colina was thrown out also trying to score on the play.

Into the game came former Met; Duaner Sanchez...! - to try and close-out the game for Long Island.  He walked one batter and struck out another while achieving his first save of the season for his new club.

Long Island's Bubbie Buzachero earned the victory in relief.  Javier Colina went 3 for 5.  Ray Navarrete had the game-winning RBI; double.

Bridgeport's Will Cunnane took the loss. 

 

"EXTRA-INNINGS"

Mike.BTB

LONG ISLAND DUCKS ~ GAME ONE; 2011 SEASON

ATLANTIC LEAGUE BASEBALL

est. 1998

OPENING DAY

LONG ISLAND DUCKS
SP - Joselo Diaz

vs

BRIDGEPORT BLUEFISH
SP - Pat Ryan

From The Ballpark at Harbor Yard
Bridgeport, Connecticut

LONG ISLAND DUCKS:  Looking To Rebound From An Average 2010 Season.

One of the most successful Independent League franchises ever; The Long Island Ducks, are kicking-off their 14th season of Atlantic League Baseball. 

They are managed by an ex-Met farm-hand; Kevin Baez, who played parts of three seasons between 1990-1993 in Flushing.  And, beloved Met Legend; Atlantic League patriarch; and part team owner, Buddy Harrelson returns to his familiar role as Bench Coach.

Many Met fans will recall this name; Duaner Sanchez.  The former Major League pitcher joins Long Island this season.  Other Long Island pitchers sporting Major League experience are:
Valerio De Los Santos
Joselo Diaz
Lenny DiNardo
Ruddy Lugo
Mike Parisi
Heath Phillips 
Ehren Wasserman
and Jeremy Hill.

New Jersey native, Port Washington resident and crowd favorite, Ray Navarrete is returning for his sixth season in a Ducks uniform.  In 2009, he was voted Atlantic League MVP.  And, another minor league veteran Javier Colina - whom I watched have his best season in 2007 while playing for the Bears in Newark, returns for his second season on Long Island.  In 2007, during the Bears last A.L. Championship season, he batted .309, with 26 home runs and 101 RBI in 121 games played.  In Game Three of that Championship Series, Javier Colina tossed me this ball:

Among Long Island's position players with MLB experience are:
Outfielder - Lew Ford
Outfielder and Native New Yorker - John Rodriguez  
Catcher - J.R. House

The Ducks open the season with a three game series versus Bridgeport, then head down to Camden, New Jersey and take on the River Sharks.  Long Island's Opening Day will be Friday, May 6th in a return series against the Bridgeport Bluefish.  Last season, the Bluefish lost the Championship series to the York Revolution.

Far from being bad, the 2010 season didn't go so well for the Quack Attack.  They finished the first half of the season in last place of the Freedom Division 5 games back of first, with a 36-34 (.514) record.  They finished the second half in third place with a .500 record; 34-34, and 12 games back.  Overall, they had a respectable 70-68 record (.507), but did not qualify for the playoffs.

But that hasn't dampened the spirits of their records-setting fan base a bit.  This season, based on early ticket sales, it looks like Long Islanders plan on making sure every home game is a sell out again, and therefore continuing their tradition of exceptionally strong support of the team.

This season, my goal is to make four or five trips out there.  They play 74 miles from my door.  I just hope they have room for one more.

Tonight, I'm headed to Bridgeport.

Let's Go Ducks!

LINKS:
Long Island Ducks
Bridgeport Bluefish
Atlantic League

OTHER OPENING DAY GAMES:
The Road Warriors @ Lancaster Barnstormers
Camden River Sharks @ York Revolution
Somerset Patriots @ Southern Maryland Blue Crabs



Mike.BTB

N.Y. METS ~ The Citi is now Ollie Free

From the desk of:  Head-Butting Mr. Met



New York Mets:  The "OLLIE" Is Gone!  You Can Come Out Now.


I. - Oliver Perez; BLAME DUANER SANCHEZ!
Once upon a time, Oliver Perez was a ~ WHO?  He was a throw-in when we were forced to trade Xavier Nady (whom I liked a lot! ~ and right field has never been "right" since) because Duaner Sanchez got hungry for Spanish food one night at 2:30am in Miami, and hailed a cab that gave him a ride straight into Met hell.  I don't recall if Duaner ever got to eat, but......you know.....

II. - Oliver Perez; BLAME AARON HEILMAN!
Oliver Perez went from being a WHO, and became a ~ WOW!  What if Aaron Heilman hadn't given Yadier Molina that tennis racquet to hit Aaron's beach ball out of the park with?  Oliver Perez would be a hero today after the way he pitched, not just down the stretch for us, but how he pitched in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS.  Two trade throw-ins; Ollie and John Maine put us on their backs after El Duque, Pedro, Mickey Lolich and Nino Espinosa all fell apart like a Jennifer Aniston relationship.  But Laverne and Shirley John Maine, and especially Oliver Perez almost saved the day for us.

III. - Oliver Perez; BLAME RICK PETERSON!
Oliver Perez graduated into a ~ WELL?? and a WHAT?!!  Pitching coach Rick Peterson managed to peel back enough Ollie-layers and exposed a good pitcher.  He was a mental case even back then, but at least he was on our good side and Peterson was able to keep Ollie's head on with bolts and crazy glue.  You can put all blame on Rick Peterson for planting the idea in Omar Minaya's head that Ollie was a good pitcher because he never told Omar Ollie was useless without him.

IV. - Oliver Perez; BLAME OMAR MINAYA!
WHOA!  ~ Omar fired Rick Peterson and re-signed his Monster to a ludicrous contract.  Omar brought back Ollie Frankenstein minus the only man who could control him; Rick "the Mad-Scientist" Peterson.

V. - Oliver Perez; BLAME JEFF WILPON!
WHY? ~ We signed Ollie because he was all that was left.... Because the Wilpons finances were in turmoil unbeknown to us and Omar was handcuffed, if maybe to make an attempt at John Lackey.

VI. - Oliver Perez; BLAME OLIVER PEREZ!
What a WASTE! ~ He has always been his own worst enemy.  Then he became ours.  If he had accepted a demotion to the minors last season, he could have saved himself some face.


Now we get to move forward.





Mike.BTB