From the desk of: BLAME CARLOS MAY
new york YANKEES: Deeds Speak Louder Than Words. It's Why Some People Get It. And Some People Don't.
Stop and think before you speak. The persona you save may be your own. Or, you can hope nobody reads GQ Magazine. "He doesn't hit home runs like me." Maybe not. He just knows how to rise to the occasion. But that was only the very beginning. And days like today are why silence; even cold, immature silence; is golden....(and smart).
I INTERRUPT THIS BLOG TO SAVE MYSELF FROM....ME:
I know. That's the direction I was headed. Most of what followed, I deleted. It wasn't what this should have been about. Read on.
DEREK JETER: Al Capone Would Have Been Proud.
Fairly or not, once upon a time he was a player who once stood in line behind two; three; and even four other shortstops around Baseball for his share of respect. Astonishingly, that came during the dynasty years and the prime of his career.
If you're old enough to have followed Derek Jeter's entire career, you'll know how his was never the first name to roll off the tongues of conversationalists debating the best shortstops of the game. Guys like Miguel Tejada; Nomar Garciapara; and present teammate Alex Rodriguez were almost always mentioned ahead of him. Even Barry Larkin often times skipped the line when they were issuing out props for the position's biggest stars.
He was routinely voted by his piers amongst the game's Most Over-Rated Players and in spite of Gold Gloves, was constantly being undermined by some defensive computation or NASA metric revealing how bad of an infielder he really was; - Or so they say.
"How many times do we need to watch him bounce into a double play?"
"Girardi should bat him ninth!"
"He's nothing but a glorified singles hitter!"
"If the ball isn't hit right to him, he's not fielding it."
Some of those shouts and criticisms are new; some are old. There's a little merit in them, but a lot of nonsense in all of them. Why? - Because you can't qualify everything in Baseball. And unfortunately, we now live in an age where we feel the need to quantify everything.
Even his Captaincy has come under attack at various times over his tenure. He felt compelled to back Jason Giambi during his steroids plight, but took a more ambivalent approach when A-Rod went through his. This isn't pick on A-Rod day, but Derek Jeter was equally criticized for pairing up with; at the time his good buddy; Alex during the most intense moments of the old Yankees/Mariners rivalry.
In practically always having the right thing to say, the Media sometimes felt cheated of something they wanted to hear from the mostly stoic Captain. During all those Yankee/Red Sox battles, the Media always wanted more from him and criticized The Captain when they didn't get it.
Outside of feeling slandered by Alex Rodriguez back in the day, and feeling slighted by Brian Cashman this past off-season, Derek Jeter has been a model of comportment. And what he felt about those respective situations still manifested itself in a high degree of; albeit passive-aggressive; professionalism.
That job description; Captain; was thrust upon him by the late George Steinbrenner. Captains; leaders; aren't necessarily appointed, so much as they are born? Derek Jeter pulled it off because his parents raised a fine young man. Nothing more; nothing less. But the Boss knew Jeter would never let down the brand. And till this day; this special day in Yankee History; he remains correct; - just as Derek Jeter has always stood correct and upright, in Pinstripes.
But when you've amassed a resume like Derek Jeter's, these may seem like paltry critiques and minor issues that come with the territory.
So be it then.
This afternoon, Derek Jeter took a bat to the doors of the Immortal Club and with five precision swings, bashed the doors open with a delight even Al Capone (Robert DiNiro/Untouchables) would have been proud of.
Today, Derek Jeter stands as the Godfather before all his contemporaries with more hits than Tejada; Garciapara; the guy who plays to his right; and any other shortstop who's ever played this game outside of Rogers Hornsby. And with five rings on one hand for them to kiss, and a wad of hits in the other, Derek Jeter hammered home the last word today on any lingering debate about who the era's Don of Shortstops is.
Derek Jeter has outlasted Nomar and Tejada. And let's be honest, Alex Rodriguez outgrew the body-type of a shortstop long ago and is probably in his rightful position anyway. But that's the price Alex paid to become a Yankee. He deferred shortstop to The Yankee Captain just as he should have.
Derek was never as slick a fielder as Omar Vizquel. But then again who was? But he outlasted him too. There was no living in the shadow of the great Cal Ripken Jr. and his breaking of The Iron Horse's consecutive games played record. Today, when you look around the landscape of Baseball, none of his contemporaries have sustained their careers like Derek Jeter has (save A-Rod). The Baseball Writers of America are currently struggling as to whether Barry Larkin is a Hall of Famer or not. When Derek Jeter's name comes up on the ballot for the first time, there will be no debate outside of by what percentage does he get in?
No. For Derek Jeter, starting in 1996, there were Championships and the matters of playing shortstop for a dynasty. And today, it was about accomplishing what no Yankee ever has; not even the great Lou Gehrig; or Babe Ruth. Joe D., the Mick; Yogi; ....no one; no Yankee ever.
There is Yankee lure; too much to capture here. There's also been famous tags. One is Mr. October; Reggie Jackson; esteemed and revered for World Series greatness on three pitches. And then there are players stuck with monthly monikers for more dubious reasons. Alex Rodriguez has a lock on Mr. March and of course, Dave Winfield was labeled Mr. May by the Boss back when....
But Derek Jeter is Mr. November. He is the owner of one singular moment no baseball player will ever get a chance to live out again; so help us God. But for the very solemn reasons that moment became possible, there is no better player in baseball to embody what those times meant and why Baseball always plays a part in our Lives.
Prior to 2:00pm this afternoon, one hit and ninety feet were all that separated Derek Jeter from the Immortal Club. In his second at bat, he introduced himself with a three hundred and sixty-foot trot around the joint. Career hit number 3,000 did not come on a single to right. Instead it came on a home run pulled to left and into the first row of the bleachers.
Jorge Posada was the first to hug him at home plate. Mariano Rivera was the last. The two exchanges were by far, the most noticeably heartfelt on-field embraces. And so in the manner in which Derek Jeter has gone about his career, his most notable achievement happened and ended with an expected correctness. Only in the world of Derek Jeter can it work out so perfectly; with a home run to boot.
The game of Baseball is grand and Derek Jeter reaffirmed it.
Mike.BTB
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Saturday, July 09, 2011
BKN/NJ NETS ~ Talking Turkey As Barclays Center Rises
From the desk of: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH
BROOKLYN/NJ NETS: Deron Williams Off To Turkey?
If you're Nets' GM; Billy King; you can't be happy about your "meal ticket" potentially hauling off to Turkey to play basketball while the NBA lockout runs it's course back here in the USA. And if Billy King does have a problem with it, he should take it up with David Stern; not that it will help any.
Everything the Nets have done so far, as far as marketing and laying the groundwork for their relocation to Brooklyn has been presented high over the streets of the greater Flatbush Avenue area with Deron Williams as it's central theme. So much of their drawing power, it is hoped by the Nets Front Office, will hinge on him. Of course they still need to strike a contact extension with the star Guard. But so far, Williams seems intrigued by a future in Brooklyn.
For the Nets, there will be nothing but anxiety filled nights and daily worries regarding their star point-guard playing European Basketball. Obviously, the top concern is injury. Quite frankly, the Nets can't afford to have anything coming between them; a healthy and signed Deron Williams; on the court or in the pocketbook for that matter.
There's no doubt, the Nets are one of the twenty two organizations David Stern claims have lost money; and therefore why he is instigating this Lock-Out. The construction of a billion dollar arena; a re-branding in Brooklyn; and a Lock-Out ~ do not good bed fellows make. How a Lock-Out may trigger future apathy towards the League while trying to sell yourself to a semi-new fan base is something the Nets will have to negotiate very carefully.
Any and all players who opt to play in Europe put all parties; the League; Owners; and Players themselves; in precarious situations that can be avoided with a settlement.
As a fan, I wouldn't ordinarily be so preoccupied with injuries and players playing elsewhere; especially as it applies to Williams. As a baseball fan, I enjoy the World Classic and MLB players participation in Winter Leagues. So to say Deron Williams shouldn't play in Turkey would be somewhat hypocritical of me; No?
But I now, like the Club, am more concerned with building towards having the best Opening Night in Brooklyn possible. As of right now, that means having a healthy Deron Williams signed to a new contract. Turkey, to all concerned, is just undue stress and works contrary to everything the Nets are trying to achieve; all brought on by this very unnecessary Lock-Out.
Mike.BTB
BROOKLYN/NJ NETS: Deron Williams Off To Turkey?
If you're Nets' GM; Billy King; you can't be happy about your "meal ticket" potentially hauling off to Turkey to play basketball while the NBA lockout runs it's course back here in the USA. And if Billy King does have a problem with it, he should take it up with David Stern; not that it will help any.
Everything the Nets have done so far, as far as marketing and laying the groundwork for their relocation to Brooklyn has been presented high over the streets of the greater Flatbush Avenue area with Deron Williams as it's central theme. So much of their drawing power, it is hoped by the Nets Front Office, will hinge on him. Of course they still need to strike a contact extension with the star Guard. But so far, Williams seems intrigued by a future in Brooklyn.
For the Nets, there will be nothing but anxiety filled nights and daily worries regarding their star point-guard playing European Basketball. Obviously, the top concern is injury. Quite frankly, the Nets can't afford to have anything coming between them; a healthy and signed Deron Williams; on the court or in the pocketbook for that matter.
There's no doubt, the Nets are one of the twenty two organizations David Stern claims have lost money; and therefore why he is instigating this Lock-Out. The construction of a billion dollar arena; a re-branding in Brooklyn; and a Lock-Out ~ do not good bed fellows make. How a Lock-Out may trigger future apathy towards the League while trying to sell yourself to a semi-new fan base is something the Nets will have to negotiate very carefully.
Any and all players who opt to play in Europe put all parties; the League; Owners; and Players themselves; in precarious situations that can be avoided with a settlement.
As a fan, I wouldn't ordinarily be so preoccupied with injuries and players playing elsewhere; especially as it applies to Williams. As a baseball fan, I enjoy the World Classic and MLB players participation in Winter Leagues. So to say Deron Williams shouldn't play in Turkey would be somewhat hypocritical of me; No?
But I now, like the Club, am more concerned with building towards having the best Opening Night in Brooklyn possible. As of right now, that means having a healthy Deron Williams signed to a new contract. Turkey, to all concerned, is just undue stress and works contrary to everything the Nets are trying to achieve; all brought on by this very unnecessary Lock-Out.
BARCLAYS CENTER
June 16th through July 6th
Related Article:
Mike.BTB
Friday, July 08, 2011
Newark Bears ~ Scarce Wins Make Bears Hungry
From the desk of: GROWLINGS FROM BROOKLYN
NEWARK BEARS: Days of Plenty Seem Long Gone.
Eight games remain in the Newark Bears' first half run. Last night's loss to the Colonials in Pittsfield, Mass., dropped the Bears below .500 again; a 19-20 record, and back into fifth place; one half game behind Brockton.
The Quebec Capitales are well on their way towards clinching the CanAm League's first half title. They remain comfortably in first place with a 30-8 record entering tonight's games. They enjoy a 7.5 game lead over the New Jersey Jackals. The Bears' opponent tonight; Pittsfield; is currently in third place.
The game scheduled to start at 7pm this evening was delayed by rain and will reportedly start at 7:30pm.
Alex Smith; perhaps the Bears' most consistent starting pitcher this season, takes the hill for Newark tonight. He has a very respectable 3.76 ERA to go along with a 3-2 record this season. He is coming off two straight losses. His last victory came back on June 15th versus Worcester.
The Bears' starting pitching has indeed been a problem for Newark this season. Alex will pitch against Pittsfield having walked more batters than he has strikeouts. Like every game it seems this season, Coach Raines is looking for six quality innings from a starter; any starter. The bullpen can't consistently pitch four and five innings per game.
The Bears' early days of plenty seem long gone when they fattened their record to 18-11 and gained second place. They have been scratching around unsuccessfully for wins ever since and are now starting grumble with hunger.
Talk to you after the game.
NEWARK BEARS: Days of Plenty Seem Long Gone.
Eight games remain in the Newark Bears' first half run. Last night's loss to the Colonials in Pittsfield, Mass., dropped the Bears below .500 again; a 19-20 record, and back into fifth place; one half game behind Brockton.
The Quebec Capitales are well on their way towards clinching the CanAm League's first half title. They remain comfortably in first place with a 30-8 record entering tonight's games. They enjoy a 7.5 game lead over the New Jersey Jackals. The Bears' opponent tonight; Pittsfield; is currently in third place.
The game scheduled to start at 7pm this evening was delayed by rain and will reportedly start at 7:30pm.
Alex Smith; perhaps the Bears' most consistent starting pitcher this season, takes the hill for Newark tonight. He has a very respectable 3.76 ERA to go along with a 3-2 record this season. He is coming off two straight losses. His last victory came back on June 15th versus Worcester.
The Bears' starting pitching has indeed been a problem for Newark this season. Alex will pitch against Pittsfield having walked more batters than he has strikeouts. Like every game it seems this season, Coach Raines is looking for six quality innings from a starter; any starter. The bullpen can't consistently pitch four and five innings per game.
The Bears' early days of plenty seem long gone when they fattened their record to 18-11 and gained second place. They have been scratching around unsuccessfully for wins ever since and are now starting grumble with hunger.
Talk to you after the game.
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
N.Y. METS ~ The General Manager Is In
From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
NEW YORK METS: Sandy Alderson Opens the Bullpen Doors to the Rest of Baseball. Say's Mets Have Twelve Days to Make a Move.
It wasn't me this time. Sandy Alderson did it. He said it was Show Me time.
tick...TICK...tiCK.
There's roughly 25 days left till the trade deadline. Sandy Alderson said he will judge this team in ten game increments (or something to that effect) from now till then. What he did say was "the next 10-12 days will be huge" ...in determining whether the Mets will be buyers or sellers. In the mean time, he called the Mets, "....Relevant."
TICK...tick....TiCk
But make no mistake, the General Manager is starting to plant the seeds of Change in our collective frontal lobes. I find it laughable when the Media asked questions in April and May, which called for our GM in particular, to publicly reveal his hand. Did they really expect something insightful or tangible; - like blueprints? He would have been a fool to say he planned on gutting the team (just sayin') at anytime this season for numerous internal reasons that we've all come to grips with. It's now, as the deadline looms closer, Sandy Alderson finally offers glimpses into the mind of our new GM.
So he said the Mets are more than open to dealing Francisco Rodriguez. We knew that. The Wilpons want no part of his 2012 contract option. But Alderson did say other members of the bullpen are also available. That was the illuminating part. Teams in playoff contention will be looking to shore up their pens down the stretch and the chances of Alderson getting a good prospect in return I believe are fair. The chances are fair because teams thinking they are a piece or two away always have a prospect to give. I like the thinking here. The GM said the Mets can deal relievers and still remain relevant and contend by supplementing the pen from within. I'll tell you the truth; as long as he doesn't trade Bobby Parnell, I could care less who Alderson moves from the bullpen.
But this was just Sandy Alderson's way of sticking our toe in the water. Soon he'll have us in the surf up to our knees; then waist. Before you know it, fifteen to twenty days will have elapsed and Sandy will be swimming in potential deals. The big question is which way will he swing? Buy or Sell? At two games above .500 entering tonight's game three against the Dodgers in L.A., as per their GM, the Mets better make the best out of the next two weeks.
The fact that things have remained this quiet surprises me to a small degree. But when looking across the landscape of Baseball, all is quiet on the transaction front. I thought there might be a team that would be looking to cash-in on an early bird special. But there have been no market makers out there. On closer inspection, parity owns a firm grip on MLB. The Phillies enjoy the largest lead of any division leader in Baseball; four games. Every other division is a one to two game spread. This may have given a GM or two pause from being a seller himself. But this will just add to the intrigue of the coming deadline. In the mean time, Alderson took a proactive approach and announced the bullpen doors were figuratively open.
Carlos Beltran; depending how well he and his teammates move away from relevancy and towards true contention; may be playing his last bunch of games as a Met. He's the most obvious to go should the Mets not make any headway in the standings. He's almost impossible to keep because there are no compensation picks should he leave the Mets as a free agent. Because the Mets would potentially be the motivated sellers, the return on a Beltran trade could be compromised. To what degree remains to be seen.
After Beltran and the bullpen, the Mets trade picture gets blurry. They have ten to twelve days to gain focus.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK METS: Sandy Alderson Opens the Bullpen Doors to the Rest of Baseball. Say's Mets Have Twelve Days to Make a Move.
It wasn't me this time. Sandy Alderson did it. He said it was Show Me time.
tick...TICK...tiCK.
There's roughly 25 days left till the trade deadline. Sandy Alderson said he will judge this team in ten game increments (or something to that effect) from now till then. What he did say was "the next 10-12 days will be huge" ...in determining whether the Mets will be buyers or sellers. In the mean time, he called the Mets, "....Relevant."
TICK...tick....TiCk
But make no mistake, the General Manager is starting to plant the seeds of Change in our collective frontal lobes. I find it laughable when the Media asked questions in April and May, which called for our GM in particular, to publicly reveal his hand. Did they really expect something insightful or tangible; - like blueprints? He would have been a fool to say he planned on gutting the team (just sayin') at anytime this season for numerous internal reasons that we've all come to grips with. It's now, as the deadline looms closer, Sandy Alderson finally offers glimpses into the mind of our new GM.
So he said the Mets are more than open to dealing Francisco Rodriguez. We knew that. The Wilpons want no part of his 2012 contract option. But Alderson did say other members of the bullpen are also available. That was the illuminating part. Teams in playoff contention will be looking to shore up their pens down the stretch and the chances of Alderson getting a good prospect in return I believe are fair. The chances are fair because teams thinking they are a piece or two away always have a prospect to give. I like the thinking here. The GM said the Mets can deal relievers and still remain relevant and contend by supplementing the pen from within. I'll tell you the truth; as long as he doesn't trade Bobby Parnell, I could care less who Alderson moves from the bullpen.
But this was just Sandy Alderson's way of sticking our toe in the water. Soon he'll have us in the surf up to our knees; then waist. Before you know it, fifteen to twenty days will have elapsed and Sandy will be swimming in potential deals. The big question is which way will he swing? Buy or Sell? At two games above .500 entering tonight's game three against the Dodgers in L.A., as per their GM, the Mets better make the best out of the next two weeks.
The fact that things have remained this quiet surprises me to a small degree. But when looking across the landscape of Baseball, all is quiet on the transaction front. I thought there might be a team that would be looking to cash-in on an early bird special. But there have been no market makers out there. On closer inspection, parity owns a firm grip on MLB. The Phillies enjoy the largest lead of any division leader in Baseball; four games. Every other division is a one to two game spread. This may have given a GM or two pause from being a seller himself. But this will just add to the intrigue of the coming deadline. In the mean time, Alderson took a proactive approach and announced the bullpen doors were figuratively open.
Carlos Beltran; depending how well he and his teammates move away from relevancy and towards true contention; may be playing his last bunch of games as a Met. He's the most obvious to go should the Mets not make any headway in the standings. He's almost impossible to keep because there are no compensation picks should he leave the Mets as a free agent. Because the Mets would potentially be the motivated sellers, the return on a Beltran trade could be compromised. To what degree remains to be seen.
After Beltran and the bullpen, the Mets trade picture gets blurry. They have ten to twelve days to gain focus.
Mike.BTB
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
L.I. Ducks ~ Popping Corks in York
From the desk of: A QUACK FROM BROOKLYN
LONG ISLAND DUCKS: CLINCH 1st HALF TITLE!
The Ducks' victory over the York Revolution Monday, coupled with South Maryland's loss to Bridgeport means Long Island has clinched first place in the first half Liberty Division race. In League leading fashion, they assured themselves a spot in this year's post-season while also putting to rest last year's disappointment of not making the playoffs after an Atlantic League record six consecutive appearances from 2004 through 2009.
A pop-up just beyond second base was the last out the game and an inning Bubbie Buzachero couldn't help but put his stamp on. But when the popped-up ball landed softly in SS-Dan Lyon's glove, any anxiety of closing the game was now energy devoted toward celebration. All the jubilant Ducks assembled on York's infield grass between second and third base where they exchanged congratulatory five fives; low fives; hugs; and hand shakes.
But this win did not come with out a price. Starting pitcher Mike Lorre; having a dominant season; was pitching another strong game before he was pulled in the seventh inning with an undetermined injury. I later heard during the York broadcast he left due to a groin strain and should be fine. Hmmm; you know how that goes.
Mike Loree allowed a lead-off home run in the seventh inning. Two pitches later, he must have felt something and Coach Baez wasn't about to take any chances with his ace. He called upon his bullpen to finish the game for Long Island. In Mike Loree's six innings and two batters of work, he allowed the lone home run and a total of only two hits. Mike walked one batter and struck out six. The Ducks' clincher was Loree's League leading tenth victory of the season. He remains as the only Atlantic League pitcher with an ERA below 2.00, as he sports a 1.71 mark.
The Ducks clinched the division's first half race with a 37-21 record. They beat out the South Maryland Blue Crabs by five games as of Monday. Their 37 wins are tops in the League. The Freedom Division's top two teams; Lancaster Barnstormers and York Revolution; have 33 victories each; good for second overall in the Atlantic League thus far. This week (Friday) marks the end of the first half of the Atlantic League season.
Early season highlights include:
Kraig Binick batted over .400 for a substantial stretch beginning with the start of the season till right before suffering facial injuries that he's since recovered from. His batting average is still at a lofty .366 this season which ranks him second in the League.
As part of overall solid seasons, Matt Esquivel and Javier Colina presently round out the .300 hitters for Long Island. Matt is batting .314 and Colina is sporting a .311 average on the season. Matt Esquivel has seven home runs and twenty-eight RBI to go along with his .300 average.
John Rodriguez has been beset by a some nagging injuries. He missed a couple games at first with a sore thumb. He now seems to be battling a barking shoulder and has missed quite a few games lately. Before being side-tracked with ailments, he was leading the Atlantic League with 42 RBI. There's a new League leader (46) now, but John is still ranked fourth in the League despite missing time. JR House is third in the League with 43 and teammate Javier Colina has 41 to place three Ducks among the top seven RBI leaders.
Javier Colina and JR House are also creeping up on the League leaders in home runs. The Atlantic League leader has twelve. Colina is right behind with eleven and House has ten of his own.
The Ducks 359 runs scored lead the League.
On the mound, as mentioned, Mike Loree is quite the story this season. Mike was named Pitcher of the Month for June. He's the League Leader in wins and ERA and is also one strikeout short of being tied for the League lead in that category. As great a season he's having, somewhere in the back of Duck Fan's minds, the thought that maybe it's only just a matter of time before an MLB team steps in to purchase his contract has to be creeping into one's thinking. No?
While that would be very unfortunate in the Ducks' scheme of things, it's not today's reality. But in that event, the Ducks' pitching is still quite capable. Mike Parisi has been a fine Number Two guy in the rotation. He got roughed up a bit in his last outing. But has been nothing short of solid this season.
He's a League leader in strikeouts, and as I hinted, his ERA was inflated a bit due to his last outing.
After Loree and Parisi, it's fair to say the Ducks are lacking depth in the starting rotation. Shane Youman may still yet emerge and be effective in the second half. Joselo Diaz has had his problems on the hill this season.
But that's where the bullpen has come in so well this season. Guys like Jason Monti and Bob Zimmermann keep the opposition honest. But Coach Baez relies on Jeremy Hill; Ehren Wassermann for the stickiest situations. The Tennessee Thrilla' - Bubbie Buzachero closes things out for Long Island but not without stomach-churning excitement. He must be doing something right though, as he has a League leading 11 saves.
The Ducks continue their series tonight against the York Revolution, who are trying to overtake the Lancaster Barnstormers for first place in the Freedom Division before Friday. York is only 1/2 game behind Lancaster.
Check out the Long Island Ducks celebration picture in the locker room: LIDucks.com
Check out The Ducks Division Champs banner here: AtlanticLeague.com
Mike.BTB
LONG ISLAND DUCKS: CLINCH 1st HALF TITLE!
The Ducks' victory over the York Revolution Monday, coupled with South Maryland's loss to Bridgeport means Long Island has clinched first place in the first half Liberty Division race. In League leading fashion, they assured themselves a spot in this year's post-season while also putting to rest last year's disappointment of not making the playoffs after an Atlantic League record six consecutive appearances from 2004 through 2009.
A pop-up just beyond second base was the last out the game and an inning Bubbie Buzachero couldn't help but put his stamp on. But when the popped-up ball landed softly in SS-Dan Lyon's glove, any anxiety of closing the game was now energy devoted toward celebration. All the jubilant Ducks assembled on York's infield grass between second and third base where they exchanged congratulatory five fives; low fives; hugs; and hand shakes.
But this win did not come with out a price. Starting pitcher Mike Lorre; having a dominant season; was pitching another strong game before he was pulled in the seventh inning with an undetermined injury. I later heard during the York broadcast he left due to a groin strain and should be fine. Hmmm; you know how that goes.
Mike Loree allowed a lead-off home run in the seventh inning. Two pitches later, he must have felt something and Coach Baez wasn't about to take any chances with his ace. He called upon his bullpen to finish the game for Long Island. In Mike Loree's six innings and two batters of work, he allowed the lone home run and a total of only two hits. Mike walked one batter and struck out six. The Ducks' clincher was Loree's League leading tenth victory of the season. He remains as the only Atlantic League pitcher with an ERA below 2.00, as he sports a 1.71 mark.
The Ducks clinched the division's first half race with a 37-21 record. They beat out the South Maryland Blue Crabs by five games as of Monday. Their 37 wins are tops in the League. The Freedom Division's top two teams; Lancaster Barnstormers and York Revolution; have 33 victories each; good for second overall in the Atlantic League thus far. This week (Friday) marks the end of the first half of the Atlantic League season.
Early season highlights include:
Kraig Binick batted over .400 for a substantial stretch beginning with the start of the season till right before suffering facial injuries that he's since recovered from. His batting average is still at a lofty .366 this season which ranks him second in the League.
As part of overall solid seasons, Matt Esquivel and Javier Colina presently round out the .300 hitters for Long Island. Matt is batting .314 and Colina is sporting a .311 average on the season. Matt Esquivel has seven home runs and twenty-eight RBI to go along with his .300 average.
John Rodriguez has been beset by a some nagging injuries. He missed a couple games at first with a sore thumb. He now seems to be battling a barking shoulder and has missed quite a few games lately. Before being side-tracked with ailments, he was leading the Atlantic League with 42 RBI. There's a new League leader (46) now, but John is still ranked fourth in the League despite missing time. JR House is third in the League with 43 and teammate Javier Colina has 41 to place three Ducks among the top seven RBI leaders.
Javier Colina and JR House are also creeping up on the League leaders in home runs. The Atlantic League leader has twelve. Colina is right behind with eleven and House has ten of his own.
The Ducks 359 runs scored lead the League.
On the mound, as mentioned, Mike Loree is quite the story this season. Mike was named Pitcher of the Month for June. He's the League Leader in wins and ERA and is also one strikeout short of being tied for the League lead in that category. As great a season he's having, somewhere in the back of Duck Fan's minds, the thought that maybe it's only just a matter of time before an MLB team steps in to purchase his contract has to be creeping into one's thinking. No?
While that would be very unfortunate in the Ducks' scheme of things, it's not today's reality. But in that event, the Ducks' pitching is still quite capable. Mike Parisi has been a fine Number Two guy in the rotation. He got roughed up a bit in his last outing. But has been nothing short of solid this season.
He's a League leader in strikeouts, and as I hinted, his ERA was inflated a bit due to his last outing.
After Loree and Parisi, it's fair to say the Ducks are lacking depth in the starting rotation. Shane Youman may still yet emerge and be effective in the second half. Joselo Diaz has had his problems on the hill this season.
But that's where the bullpen has come in so well this season. Guys like Jason Monti and Bob Zimmermann keep the opposition honest. But Coach Baez relies on Jeremy Hill; Ehren Wassermann for the stickiest situations. The Tennessee Thrilla' - Bubbie Buzachero closes things out for Long Island but not without stomach-churning excitement. He must be doing something right though, as he has a League leading 11 saves.
The Ducks continue their series tonight against the York Revolution, who are trying to overtake the Lancaster Barnstormers for first place in the Freedom Division before Friday. York is only 1/2 game behind Lancaster.
Check out the Long Island Ducks celebration picture in the locker room: LIDucks.com
Check out The Ducks Division Champs banner here: AtlanticLeague.com
Mike.BTB
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Friday, July 01, 2011
Newark Bears ~ Roaring Back
From the desk of: THE BRICK CITY NINE
NEWARK BEARS: GM is Smarter Than The Average Bear. Changes Translate on the Field. Two Straight Wins Earns Split With Pittsfield.
It looks like a week of roster changes begot their desired effects. Bears' GM Mike Torrez spent the early part of this week shaking up the personnel on his team. The moves paid off towards the end of the week as the Bears won their last two games; including tonight's game at The Den. With these last two victories, they did well to salvage a split of their four game series against the Pittsfield Colonials after losing six games in a row.
Starting pitcher; Eric Eden didn't pitch past the fifth inning, but he did keep Pittsfield off the scoreboard. He allowed five hits; no runs; two walks; and struck out three. But as is becoming custom, Coach Raines looked to his bullpen to pitch the final four innings of the game.
The Bears opened the scoring in the second inning with an unearned run. Tim Raines Jr. drove in the Bears' second run of the game in the third inning with a single, scoring Ryan Walsh who led off the inning with a base hit. Pat Biserta led-off the fourth with a double and scored on an error by Pittsfield's catcher on a sacrifice attempt.
With the game turned over to the bullpen, Newark's Chris Rollins; relieving Eric Eden; promptly allowed Pittsfield two runs in the sixth, but did finish out the inning. Newark picked up their pitcher with three more runs in the bottom of the inning.
Pat Biserta reached on an E-5. Billy Alvino's attempted sacrifice resulted in yet another error (E-1). He reached first and Biserta reached third. Biserta scored on Eric McGee's single. A Brandon Watson sac-fly scored Alvino. And Juan Martinez doubled home McGee for a 6-2 Bears lead.
Newark tacked on two more runs in the eighth inning when Juan Martinez bopped a two run home run; scoring Brandon Watson.
TJ Hose kept Pittsfield quiet over the seventh and eighth innings. He allowed no hits and struck out one. Then Coach Raines called on Anthony Pluta to pitch the ninth inning for Newark. He allowed a lead-off single and got the second batter on a fly to left. Pluta got out number two via the swinging strikeout but walked the next for a first and third situation (lead runner advanced previously - WP). Finally, out number three came on a grounder to second base.
Final score: Bears 8; Colonials 2
Since hitting the frightful .500 mark, two consecutive wins gives the Bears a somewhat more eye-pleasing 18-16 record. They are now tied again with Pittsfield for fourth place overall in the first half CanAm standings.
The Bears will spend the Fourth of July Weekend in N.Y. playing the Rockland Boulders. Three games in their place will be capped off with a fourth game back in Newark.
Mike.BTB
NEWARK BEARS: GM is Smarter Than The Average Bear. Changes Translate on the Field. Two Straight Wins Earns Split With Pittsfield.
It looks like a week of roster changes begot their desired effects. Bears' GM Mike Torrez spent the early part of this week shaking up the personnel on his team. The moves paid off towards the end of the week as the Bears won their last two games; including tonight's game at The Den. With these last two victories, they did well to salvage a split of their four game series against the Pittsfield Colonials after losing six games in a row.
Starting pitcher; Eric Eden didn't pitch past the fifth inning, but he did keep Pittsfield off the scoreboard. He allowed five hits; no runs; two walks; and struck out three. But as is becoming custom, Coach Raines looked to his bullpen to pitch the final four innings of the game.
The Bears opened the scoring in the second inning with an unearned run. Tim Raines Jr. drove in the Bears' second run of the game in the third inning with a single, scoring Ryan Walsh who led off the inning with a base hit. Pat Biserta led-off the fourth with a double and scored on an error by Pittsfield's catcher on a sacrifice attempt.
With the game turned over to the bullpen, Newark's Chris Rollins; relieving Eric Eden; promptly allowed Pittsfield two runs in the sixth, but did finish out the inning. Newark picked up their pitcher with three more runs in the bottom of the inning.
Pat Biserta reached on an E-5. Billy Alvino's attempted sacrifice resulted in yet another error (E-1). He reached first and Biserta reached third. Biserta scored on Eric McGee's single. A Brandon Watson sac-fly scored Alvino. And Juan Martinez doubled home McGee for a 6-2 Bears lead.
Newark tacked on two more runs in the eighth inning when Juan Martinez bopped a two run home run; scoring Brandon Watson.
TJ Hose kept Pittsfield quiet over the seventh and eighth innings. He allowed no hits and struck out one. Then Coach Raines called on Anthony Pluta to pitch the ninth inning for Newark. He allowed a lead-off single and got the second batter on a fly to left. Pluta got out number two via the swinging strikeout but walked the next for a first and third situation (lead runner advanced previously - WP). Finally, out number three came on a grounder to second base.
Final score: Bears 8; Colonials 2
Since hitting the frightful .500 mark, two consecutive wins gives the Bears a somewhat more eye-pleasing 18-16 record. They are now tied again with Pittsfield for fourth place overall in the first half CanAm standings.
The Bears will spend the Fourth of July Weekend in N.Y. playing the Rockland Boulders. Three games in their place will be capped off with a fourth game back in Newark.
Mike.BTB
SUBWAY SERIES II ~ Citi Field Showdown
From the desks of:
HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET and BLAME CARLOS MAY
The Battle For Bragging Rites
Fourth of July Weekend
SUBWAY SERIES
Bronx vs. Queens
New York Mets: Stand Or Fall..
It's time for the Mets to play better at home. The Flushing Fighters are back from a good road trip; an outstanding road trip. And it's time for them to control their House. This series has aligned itself nicely for the Mets to start tonight against the Yankees of all teams.
July is upon us. That means hard, cold decisions will have to be made before the month expires. The Mets have avoided being broken up for at least two weeks now. The clock is still ticking though. In the mean time, they've seemingly done everything they can to convince the minds of those in the Front Office that this team is worth keeping together; if only for another three months.
So, Here's To Living In The Moment:
OK; - So we lost the last game to Detroit... I promise you, this isn't me speaking in hind-sight; but Mike Pelfrey's style versus the Tiger line-up is a really bad match-up for the Mets. I believe his start could have been worse.
But the Mets have done well to get to this point. After a loss, now we have to start the next two to three game burst of wins. That's the way it needs to be done. It's the way they've been getting it done. They may have lost Thursday, but it was the Mets' third series win in a row against good teams. Win two; lose one - that's manageable in the short term. When you project that, it's fun to think of the possibilities.
From a Met point of view, the starting rotation couldn't have been set-up any better for this weekend's Subway Series against the Yankees. Mike Pelfrey won't be facing the Yankees, which, for Met Fans, is a good thing. And C.C. Sabathia will also miss the series as both pitchers threw on Thursday. For Met Fans, not facing C.C. is also a good thing.
The Mets will have their three most consistent pitchers throwing against the Yankees. Jon Niese; Dillon Gee; and R.A. Dickey will all take their turns at the visiting cross town rivals. Those three must carry the Mets if they are to be carried at all.
I do think the Mets will rough up the Yankee pitchers they'll be starting against us this series. Nova; Garcia; and Colon? Bring it! I'll take my chances against them any day. But it all goes back to the pitching. The Mets starters, helped along the way with some timely hitting, must carry the club.
And Subway Series specific, it would be nice to jump out early against the Yankees' starters. It's their bullpen I'm more concerned with. I don't want to have to play catch-up against their reliever corps. And YES! - I do have a realistic expectation for the Mets winning this series.
At the mid-point of the 2011 season, I think there's a distinct possibility the Mets recent surge in hitting is more indicative of the Mets being a well-adjusted bunch that has finally meshed, than just being a freakish and transient phenomenon and a team that will not be able to over-come the loss of Wright; Ike; (and Johan). I stated the other day, there is something to be said for entering mid-season form. Maybe the Mets are hitting their own personal stride, with the line-up they are working with. This line-up has now been a relative constant for much of May and June. That's a huge positive and maybe that's why they are hitting so well together lately. Additionally, Terry Collins should be commended for his juggling act in handling catcher; third base; and first base.
Last season, the return of Carlos Beltran turned out to be more disruptive than the Mets bargained for. Many of the call-ups and some of the remaining regulars found a zone together and rose as high as eleven games over .500 in July. But I still believe as I did when he returned to the line-up last season, Carlos Beltran did more harm to the offensive chemistry than good. In truth, it had nothing to do with Beltran. The matter rested more as to what the line-up became in his absence and how they played once they were left for a time to gel.
With respect to Carlos Beltran this year, he's been busting it since Opening Day. There is no issue with him today. He's a 2011 constant. My point merely was to point out, with the lengthy absence of Ike and Wright this season, the line-up has grown on one-another over that time. They've adapted and have over-come the setbacks and the results are being displayed on the field and with their bats. That's my feel.
The fact is the Mets have proven their ability to string together hits, and manufacture runs in the absence of the long ball. They still had ten hits in their last loss to Detroit; seven against Verlander. Detroit aside, they aren't dinking and dunking their way towards wins. They're hitting the ball solidly and running the bases smartly. They also have shown they can score late in games and mount comebacks.
This is shaping up to be one hell of series. Both teams have an awful lot to play for. For the Mets, they need to stay above .500; - not at, or falling below that level. The Yankees are not without their problems, and no matter what they do, they'll never be able to shake the Red Sox. Therefore, look forward to a tightly contested series.
I'm breaking out for the weekend, and this was my post for the series.
Let's Go Mets!!!
TONIGHT
THE N.Y.C. SUBWAY SERIES RESUMES
"Old School"
THE N.Y.C. SUBWAY SERIES RESUMES
The Bronx Bombers
New York Yankees
vs.
The Flushing Fighters
NEW YORK METS
From the Willets Point Stop on the 7 Train
FLUSHING, NYC
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!
Have a safe and happy holiday everyone!
Mike.BTB
Thursday, June 30, 2011
BKN Cyclones ~ The Surf Ave. Power Co.
From the desk of: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS
BROOKLYN CYCLONES: Baby Bums Turn Out The Lights On Hudson Valley.
FINAL:
BROOKLYN 16
Hudson Valley 5
They say competition always benefits the customers. Now residents of Peekskill, N.Y., have a choice between local power companies. Either stay with their present provider, or they can subscribe to the Surf Avenue Power Co. to squeeze some more juice out of their buck.
Thursday night up in the land of Renegades, Brooklyn starter; Chris Hilliard; got roughed up in the first innings as the Cyclones fell behind 4-0 right out of the gate. Then starting in the fourth inning, the Surf Avenue Sluggers turned on the power and charged their way past Hudson Valley with seventeen
On the strength of four doubles and a pair of singles, the Cyclones scored five times in the fourth inning to take a one run lead. Then in the sixth inning, they jolted up the power some more. Travis Taijeron hit a two run home run. In the seventh inning, Richard Lucas added another two run home run. Javier Rodriguez authored the biggest blast; a grand slam in the eighth inning. And Dylan Brown capped off the power display in the ninth inning with the third two run homer, and fourth home run overall for Brooklyn this game. Brooklyn was an electrifying 9 for 12 with runners in scoring position.
Chris Hilliard settled down after his first inning short circuit. Overall, he pitched five innings and gave up four earned runs (two home runs in the first) and seven hits. He walked two and struck out four in earning his third win (3-0) of the season. He continues to add to his All-Time Cyclones record for wins by a Brooklyn pitcher.
Coney Freaks of the Night:
Javier Rodriguez ~ 3 for 5; Grand Slam; 6 RBI; 3 runs scored; 2 doubles.
Travis Taijeron ~ 3 for 5; home run; 3 RBI; 3 runs scored; double.
Ismael Tijerina ~ 3 for 5; 3 runs scored; double; lead-off hitter.
Dylan Brown ~ 3 for 5; home run; 2 RBI; 2 runs scored.
The Staten Island Yankees are cruising along in first place sporting an 11-2 record. The second place Cyclones dropped to 2.5 games behind after Wednesday's loss to Hudson Valley and remained so after tonight's games went final. The Cyclones have a 9-5 record.
Mike.BTB
Newark Bears ~ GM Mike Torrez Making Changes
From the desk of: THE BRICK CITY NINE
NEWARK BEARS: New Names Contribute To Snap 6-Game Losing Streak.
Desperate times call for measures. Or in the Bears' case, just playing with a sense of desperation will do. They did that tonight. But that's not to say Newark hasn't been playing hard. Under Tim Raines Sr., they have. But GM Mike Torrez decided this week changes were in order. He made a flurry of signings while in the midst of a six game losing streak.
The Bears are looking for some stability at catcher. Billy Alvino was behind the dish the last two games including today. Recently signed Bobby Dombrowski; was Tuesday night's catcher. And of course, Eric McGee has caught for the Bears this season.
Thursday, Tim Raines Jr. was moved into the infield again to play second base. Mike Torrez just signed a 22 year old outfielder named Pat Biserta. He started in center field in Raines' place. Two infielders; Ryan Walsh and Brandon Young were also signed by Mike Torrez and have been inserted into the line-up this week at third and shortstop respectively.
With changes to the roster, the Bears' needed a change in fortune next.
The Bears brushed away a 1-0 Pittsfield lead in the top half of the first inning and scored four times in the bottom half. Pittsfield starter; Eric Katzman; didn't last very long. After a lead-off single by Brandon Watson, Eric Katzman walked three of the next four batters to force home a run. Then newly acquired Pat Biserta cleared the bases with a three run double giving the Bears a 4-1 lead.
Pittsfield scored their second run of the game in the top of the second. Newark brushed that off also and reciprocated with three more runs in the bottom of the frame. Another lead-off single by newly signed Ryan Walsh and two more walks by Pittfield's Eric Katzman loaded up the bases with Bears again. Tim Raines Jr. grounded into a 4-6-3 double play but Ryan Walsh scored on the play. Daryle Ward then doubled home Brandon Watson. Danny Santiesteban followed with a single to score Daryle Ward.
In the fifth, Danny Santiesteban doubled and stole third. He scored the Bears' eighth run on a fielder's choice.
Today's starting pitcher for the Bears; Chris Vasami; whom played for the Bears previously, was also resigned this week and made his first start of the season today against Pittsfield. Over his first five innings, he gave up eight hits; two earned runs; one walk; and struck out one batter.
But how would he fare in the sixth inning which has become Newark's starting pitcher kryptonite this season?
Answer - He gave up a lead-off single and walked the next batter. He got his first out on a fly to center. Another single advanced everyone one base, but an error by Tim Raines Jr. at second base allowed the lead runner to score. And that was the end of Chris Vasami's day. It was off to the bullpen for Coach Raines again.
Another recent acquisition; Matt Fitton; was summoned by Coach Raines to douse Pittsfield in the sixth. And he did. But the seventh was a different story. Fitton got himself into trouble by loading the bases. So in came the Bears' third pitcher of the game; Anthony Pluta. He got the third out of the inning via strikeout to prevent Newark's 9-3 lead from caving in on them.
Mikey Mehlich pitched the ninth inning and wrapped up Newark's first win in their last seven tries. They finally attained their seventeenth victory of the season versus sixteen losses. Most importantly, they avoided dropping under the .500 mark.
Gone from Newark's roster are OF-Kyle LaMotta; 3B- Todd Gossage; and OF- Burt Reynolds; all released this week by GM Mike Torrez.
The Bears will try and salvage a split of this four game series against Pittsfield tomorrow; Friday.
Mike.BTB
NEWARK BEARS: New Names Contribute To Snap 6-Game Losing Streak.
Desperate times call for measures. Or in the Bears' case, just playing with a sense of desperation will do. They did that tonight. But that's not to say Newark hasn't been playing hard. Under Tim Raines Sr., they have. But GM Mike Torrez decided this week changes were in order. He made a flurry of signings while in the midst of a six game losing streak.
The Bears are looking for some stability at catcher. Billy Alvino was behind the dish the last two games including today. Recently signed Bobby Dombrowski; was Tuesday night's catcher. And of course, Eric McGee has caught for the Bears this season.
Thursday, Tim Raines Jr. was moved into the infield again to play second base. Mike Torrez just signed a 22 year old outfielder named Pat Biserta. He started in center field in Raines' place. Two infielders; Ryan Walsh and Brandon Young were also signed by Mike Torrez and have been inserted into the line-up this week at third and shortstop respectively.
With changes to the roster, the Bears' needed a change in fortune next.
The Bears brushed away a 1-0 Pittsfield lead in the top half of the first inning and scored four times in the bottom half. Pittsfield starter; Eric Katzman; didn't last very long. After a lead-off single by Brandon Watson, Eric Katzman walked three of the next four batters to force home a run. Then newly acquired Pat Biserta cleared the bases with a three run double giving the Bears a 4-1 lead.
Pittsfield scored their second run of the game in the top of the second. Newark brushed that off also and reciprocated with three more runs in the bottom of the frame. Another lead-off single by newly signed Ryan Walsh and two more walks by Pittfield's Eric Katzman loaded up the bases with Bears again. Tim Raines Jr. grounded into a 4-6-3 double play but Ryan Walsh scored on the play. Daryle Ward then doubled home Brandon Watson. Danny Santiesteban followed with a single to score Daryle Ward.
In the fifth, Danny Santiesteban doubled and stole third. He scored the Bears' eighth run on a fielder's choice.
Today's starting pitcher for the Bears; Chris Vasami; whom played for the Bears previously, was also resigned this week and made his first start of the season today against Pittsfield. Over his first five innings, he gave up eight hits; two earned runs; one walk; and struck out one batter.
But how would he fare in the sixth inning which has become Newark's starting pitcher kryptonite this season?
Answer - He gave up a lead-off single and walked the next batter. He got his first out on a fly to center. Another single advanced everyone one base, but an error by Tim Raines Jr. at second base allowed the lead runner to score. And that was the end of Chris Vasami's day. It was off to the bullpen for Coach Raines again.
Another recent acquisition; Matt Fitton; was summoned by Coach Raines to douse Pittsfield in the sixth. And he did. But the seventh was a different story. Fitton got himself into trouble by loading the bases. So in came the Bears' third pitcher of the game; Anthony Pluta. He got the third out of the inning via strikeout to prevent Newark's 9-3 lead from caving in on them.
Mikey Mehlich pitched the ninth inning and wrapped up Newark's first win in their last seven tries. They finally attained their seventeenth victory of the season versus sixteen losses. Most importantly, they avoided dropping under the .500 mark.
Gone from Newark's roster are OF-Kyle LaMotta; 3B- Todd Gossage; and OF- Burt Reynolds; all released this week by GM Mike Torrez.
The Bears will try and salvage a split of this four game series against Pittsfield tomorrow; Friday.
Mike.BTB
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
L.I. Ducks ~ Waddling Towards A Playoff Spot
From the desk of: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE
LONG ISLAND DUCKS: Magic Number Down To Five.
Playing their best ball of the season, The York Revolution were the hottest team in the Atlantic League at the time they showed up in Long Island for a three game series. The Revolution have been giving the Lancaster Barnstormers a run for their money in the Liberty Division. They were winners of nine out of their last ten games. But all that changed when they stepped foot in The Pond Tuesday.
As they continue their own romp through the League tonight and winning the first two games of this series, fads like York matter not to the Ducks. Not when they are now the hottest team in the Atlantic League; not to mention the League's best. And speaking of the best; Mike Loree tossed another gem, as the Ducks elevated their League best record to 36-18, as they march towards a first half Liberty Division title.
It's OK to start talking Magic Numbers now. The Ducks hold a five game edge over South Maryland with ten games to go before the first half standings get written in ink.
And the Magic Number is? Five.
Ducks' starting pitcher; Mike Loree; improved all his League leading numbers. He is now 9-1 this season and has won his last seven straight decisions. In his longest outing of the season, he pitched 8 full innings against York and allowed no runs; only five hits; no walks; and struck out four. He threw 101 pitches and 69 of them went for strikes. His 1.73 ERA is magically disappearing before our eyes.
Ehren Wassermann added another fine inning of relief to finish out Mike Loree's night. He pitched the ninth; gave up a hit and struck out one in a non-save situation.
While Mike Loree was cruising along, the Ducks gave him three runs in the third inning to work with. Kennard Jones singled to lead off the inning and Javier Colina doubled him over to third. With Matt Esquivel up, a dropped strike three by the catcher resulted in Kennard scoring and Esquivel reaching first base. Javier Colina scored when Matt Padgett grounded into a fielder's choice. J.R. House doubled home Matt Padgett for a 3-0 lead.
In the eighth inning, Kraig Binick drove home Matt Esquivel with an RBI single. Then Kennard Jones cleared the bases with a three RBI double to left for a 7-0 Long Island lead.
***John Rodriguez missed another game, perhaps due to a lingering thumb issue.
Mike.BTB
LONG ISLAND DUCKS: Magic Number Down To Five.
Playing their best ball of the season, The York Revolution were the hottest team in the Atlantic League at the time they showed up in Long Island for a three game series. The Revolution have been giving the Lancaster Barnstormers a run for their money in the Liberty Division. They were winners of nine out of their last ten games. But all that changed when they stepped foot in The Pond Tuesday.
As they continue their own romp through the League tonight and winning the first two games of this series, fads like York matter not to the Ducks. Not when they are now the hottest team in the Atlantic League; not to mention the League's best. And speaking of the best; Mike Loree tossed another gem, as the Ducks elevated their League best record to 36-18, as they march towards a first half Liberty Division title.
It's OK to start talking Magic Numbers now. The Ducks hold a five game edge over South Maryland with ten games to go before the first half standings get written in ink.
And the Magic Number is? Five.
Ducks' starting pitcher; Mike Loree; improved all his League leading numbers. He is now 9-1 this season and has won his last seven straight decisions. In his longest outing of the season, he pitched 8 full innings against York and allowed no runs; only five hits; no walks; and struck out four. He threw 101 pitches and 69 of them went for strikes. His 1.73 ERA is magically disappearing before our eyes.
Ehren Wassermann added another fine inning of relief to finish out Mike Loree's night. He pitched the ninth; gave up a hit and struck out one in a non-save situation.
While Mike Loree was cruising along, the Ducks gave him three runs in the third inning to work with. Kennard Jones singled to lead off the inning and Javier Colina doubled him over to third. With Matt Esquivel up, a dropped strike three by the catcher resulted in Kennard scoring and Esquivel reaching first base. Javier Colina scored when Matt Padgett grounded into a fielder's choice. J.R. House doubled home Matt Padgett for a 3-0 lead.
In the eighth inning, Kraig Binick drove home Matt Esquivel with an RBI single. Then Kennard Jones cleared the bases with a three RBI double to left for a 7-0 Long Island lead.
***John Rodriguez missed another game, perhaps due to a lingering thumb issue.
Mike.BTB
Newark Bears ~ Losing Streak Hits Six
From the desk of: THE BRICK CITY NINE
NEWARK BEARS: With Bear Claws Losing Their Grip, Newark Is Losing Ground.
An early 1-0 Bears' lead turned into a four run deficit in the fifth inning. Newark's starting pitcher; Casey Gaynor made his second start of the season and kept Pittsfield honest over his first four innings pitched. But in the fifth, the Colonials hit him hard and often; capping off a big inning with the long ball.
Coach Raines stuck it out with Gaynor throughout the fifth inning though. He's trying to squeeze at least that much out of his starting rotation. He hasn't had a choice but to let a starter go too long on occasion. Coach is having to utilize his bullpen for three and four innings per game because his starting pitching can't give him length. As a staff, they are running into Brick walls entering the fifth innings of games.
But the bullpen has held up under the necessary work load. They've done a great job keeping Newark in just about every game they've played. And three innings into their nightly routine, it seemed like all systems were a go again. But Wednesday's ninth inning is probably one they'd want to forget. It's just a game you can't lay blame with the bullpen for blowing. Their heavy usage almost warranted it.
The Bears clawed back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and another pair in the sixth to tie the game at five. Leading the offense, the bottom of the line-up came through with three RBI tonight.
Then, the Bears went into the top of the ninth inning and crumbled like a house of cards. Chris Rollins and Mike Pontius combined to yield four runs to the Pittsfield Colonials. And in failing to score any runs in the bottom of the inning, the Bears lost their sixth game in a row.
At 16-16, they have fallen down to the .500 level. After tasting second place when they were still cruising with a 16-10 record, they found themselves precariously in fifth place even before Wednesday's game started. The Bears are now looking up at Quebec; New Jersey; Pittsfield; and Brockton in that order.
There's two games left in this series.
Mike.BTB
NEWARK BEARS: With Bear Claws Losing Their Grip, Newark Is Losing Ground.
An early 1-0 Bears' lead turned into a four run deficit in the fifth inning. Newark's starting pitcher; Casey Gaynor made his second start of the season and kept Pittsfield honest over his first four innings pitched. But in the fifth, the Colonials hit him hard and often; capping off a big inning with the long ball.
Coach Raines stuck it out with Gaynor throughout the fifth inning though. He's trying to squeeze at least that much out of his starting rotation. He hasn't had a choice but to let a starter go too long on occasion. Coach is having to utilize his bullpen for three and four innings per game because his starting pitching can't give him length. As a staff, they are running into Brick walls entering the fifth innings of games.
But the bullpen has held up under the necessary work load. They've done a great job keeping Newark in just about every game they've played. And three innings into their nightly routine, it seemed like all systems were a go again. But Wednesday's ninth inning is probably one they'd want to forget. It's just a game you can't lay blame with the bullpen for blowing. Their heavy usage almost warranted it.
The Bears clawed back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and another pair in the sixth to tie the game at five. Leading the offense, the bottom of the line-up came through with three RBI tonight.
Then, the Bears went into the top of the ninth inning and crumbled like a house of cards. Chris Rollins and Mike Pontius combined to yield four runs to the Pittsfield Colonials. And in failing to score any runs in the bottom of the inning, the Bears lost their sixth game in a row.
At 16-16, they have fallen down to the .500 level. After tasting second place when they were still cruising with a 16-10 record, they found themselves precariously in fifth place even before Wednesday's game started. The Bears are now looking up at Quebec; New Jersey; Pittsfield; and Brockton in that order.
There's two games left in this series.
Mike.BTB
BKN Cyclones ~ Bullpen Is An Early Season Force
From the desk of: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE
BROOKLYN CYCLONES: Young Bums Making Sweet Music.
This is Class-A Short Season, so let's give today's pitching some perspective. If Tuesday's starting pitcher had pitched all nine innings, his line would look like this:
9 ~ innings; complete game.
5 ~ hits.
0 ~ runs; shut out.
1 ~ walk.
6 ~ strikeouts.
That's the kind of night Cyclone pitchers had against the Aberdeen Iron Birds in the rubber game of a three game trip to Maryland. Brooklyn won the series two games to one. They improved their record to 8-4 and remain in second place behind Staten Island by 1.5 games.
Carlos Vasquez pitched the first five innings against Aberdeen. He allowed them only two hits and struck out two. It was his first victory of the season.
The Brooklyn bullpen has established itself as an early season force. Coach Frankie-V has em all making sweet music together.
Tuesday they took care of the remaining four innings after Vasquez left the game. Orlando Tovar pitched the sixth inning with one hit against him and two strikeouts. Then, Hunter Carnevale was summoned to play Fireman in the old sense of the word. He protected the Cyclones' 1-0 lead in the seventh; eighth; and for two outs into the ninth. He was stellar allowing only a hit; one walk; and striking out one. T.J. Chism chose the bumpy road but got the last out and his 3rd save of the season.
Brooklyn's lone run of the game came in the second inning off a pair of doubles by Richard Lucas and Charles Thurber. The Cyclones were 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position but Thurber delivered the all-important two out hit/RBI. Brandon Brown and Brian Harrison managed the only other two hits for the Cyclones.
The Kids will be in Coney Island tomorrow for the start of a home-and-home series with Hudson Valley.
Mike.BTB
BROOKLYN CYCLONES: Young Bums Making Sweet Music.
This is Class-A Short Season, so let's give today's pitching some perspective. If Tuesday's starting pitcher had pitched all nine innings, his line would look like this:
9 ~ innings; complete game.
5 ~ hits.
0 ~ runs; shut out.
1 ~ walk.
6 ~ strikeouts.
That's the kind of night Cyclone pitchers had against the Aberdeen Iron Birds in the rubber game of a three game trip to Maryland. Brooklyn won the series two games to one. They improved their record to 8-4 and remain in second place behind Staten Island by 1.5 games.
Carlos Vasquez pitched the first five innings against Aberdeen. He allowed them only two hits and struck out two. It was his first victory of the season.
The Brooklyn bullpen has established itself as an early season force. Coach Frankie-V has em all making sweet music together.
Tuesday they took care of the remaining four innings after Vasquez left the game. Orlando Tovar pitched the sixth inning with one hit against him and two strikeouts. Then, Hunter Carnevale was summoned to play Fireman in the old sense of the word. He protected the Cyclones' 1-0 lead in the seventh; eighth; and for two outs into the ninth. He was stellar allowing only a hit; one walk; and striking out one. T.J. Chism chose the bumpy road but got the last out and his 3rd save of the season.
Brooklyn's lone run of the game came in the second inning off a pair of doubles by Richard Lucas and Charles Thurber. The Cyclones were 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position but Thurber delivered the all-important two out hit/RBI. Brandon Brown and Brian Harrison managed the only other two hits for the Cyclones.
The Kids will be in Coney Island tomorrow for the start of a home-and-home series with Hudson Valley.
Mike.BTB
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Newark Bears ~ A Very Quiet Night In The Den
From the desk of: GROWLINGS FROM BROOKLYN
NEWARK BEARS: Lose Fourth in A Row; Losing Fans At The Gate.
Theoretically speaking, there shouldn't be anything terribly pressing about the thirty-first game of the season. That's unless you're the Newark Bears and the CanAm League's first half leaders are roughly two weeks away from being decided; and you're just coming off getting swept by the League's top team. Well then, in that case, this game against Pittsfield was crucial. And if you factor in the diminishing fan presence at the park, this came was critical.
The Bears and Pittsfield Colonials started a three game series Tuesday, and entered tonight's action tied for third place with identical 16-14 records. With the conclusion of tonight's game, the Bears now find themselves in fourth place; a full game behind Pittsfield; and eight games behind Quebec as of this posting; with less and less people showing up to the park.
Tuesday's 5-3 final was Newark's fourth loss in a row. Newark led 2-0 after the first inning with help from two Pittsfield errors, and led 3-0 after the third inning. But that's all they'd get for the rest of the night. Pittsfield game back with 2 runs each in the fifth and sixth innings. The Colonials added an insurance run in the top of the ninth for good measure.
Pittsfield's bullpen closed the lights out on Riverfront Stadium this evening. Colonials' starter; Chad Paronto; struck out stuck out seven Bears in six innings. The bullpen matched him. Three different relievers combined to pitch an inning each and strike out another seven Bears. Starter Chad Paronto gave up six hits and 2 earned runs (three total). The bullpen allowed only one hit.
Newark starter; Jesse Estrada; pitched six pedestrian innings. Five hits; four walks; and four strikeouts would have been OK until the Bears allowed two unearned runs to score in the fifth inning. His records drops to 1-4. This was his third straight defeat. His last win came on June 6th against the New York Federals.
The only Newark Bear with any sharpened claws tonight was Tim Raines Jr.; 2 for 5; run scored. Danny Santiesteban and Billy Alvino had an RBI apiece.
Otherwise, it was a very quiet night in The Den....; quite literally. There were only 208 fans in attendance tonight.
Mike.BTB
NEWARK BEARS: Lose Fourth in A Row; Losing Fans At The Gate.
Theoretically speaking, there shouldn't be anything terribly pressing about the thirty-first game of the season. That's unless you're the Newark Bears and the CanAm League's first half leaders are roughly two weeks away from being decided; and you're just coming off getting swept by the League's top team. Well then, in that case, this game against Pittsfield was crucial. And if you factor in the diminishing fan presence at the park, this came was critical.
The Bears and Pittsfield Colonials started a three game series Tuesday, and entered tonight's action tied for third place with identical 16-14 records. With the conclusion of tonight's game, the Bears now find themselves in fourth place; a full game behind Pittsfield; and eight games behind Quebec as of this posting; with less and less people showing up to the park.
Tuesday's 5-3 final was Newark's fourth loss in a row. Newark led 2-0 after the first inning with help from two Pittsfield errors, and led 3-0 after the third inning. But that's all they'd get for the rest of the night. Pittsfield game back with 2 runs each in the fifth and sixth innings. The Colonials added an insurance run in the top of the ninth for good measure.
Pittsfield's bullpen closed the lights out on Riverfront Stadium this evening. Colonials' starter; Chad Paronto; struck out stuck out seven Bears in six innings. The bullpen matched him. Three different relievers combined to pitch an inning each and strike out another seven Bears. Starter Chad Paronto gave up six hits and 2 earned runs (three total). The bullpen allowed only one hit.
Newark starter; Jesse Estrada; pitched six pedestrian innings. Five hits; four walks; and four strikeouts would have been OK until the Bears allowed two unearned runs to score in the fifth inning. His records drops to 1-4. This was his third straight defeat. His last win came on June 6th against the New York Federals.
The only Newark Bear with any sharpened claws tonight was Tim Raines Jr.; 2 for 5; run scored. Danny Santiesteban and Billy Alvino had an RBI apiece.
Otherwise, it was a very quiet night in The Den....; quite literally. There were only 208 fans in attendance tonight.
Mike.BTB
N.Y. METS ~ Charge!!
From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET
NEW YORK METS: C'Mon Boys! Take That Hill!
Getting back to .500 was more like climbing a mountain. But there's no time to enjoy the view. And good teams never do. So, if Terry's Kids intend on being contenders instead of pretenders, well then, they need to start winning little two and three game packages and putting some separation between them and that symbolic line of demarcation. If they fail to ignite any momentum in the very near future, they will surely fall back to the base of their mountain.
They have to start in Detroit. Everything starts somewhere. Many wonderful things were made in Detroit. Tonight, the Mets need to make sure they start building on something before it gets too late.
R.A. Dickey will try and get us going. He follows two wins by Niese and Gee. Dickey has been consistent; consistently snake bitten that is. I do think he will allow the Mets to hang around tonight against the Tigers. But as been our problem; especially when Dickey pitches; will we score even just a few runs, to amply support his effort....for a change?
Detroit's Rick Porcello has been getting shelled lately. So maybe the Mets can add a little more to his recent woes. If they don't, it will be a game closer to, woe is us.
LET'S GO METS!!
POST-GAME: 10:09pm ~ Mets Final:
NEW YORK METS - 14
Detroit Tigers - 3
N.Y. METS ~ Planting A Flag In Third Place!
The mountain top is no longer out of reach. Take a look around; yell for joy; plant a flag in the ground; and let it be known; TERRY'S KIDS WERE HERE!
The rock they've been pushing up Mt. Competitiveness didn't come rolling back at them this time. They put their heads down; pushed; stopped; let go; and fourteen runs later; the rock stood in place. Hah! They didn't trip; stumble; fall; and have that rock run them over again like so many time before.
Instead, the Mets tore up Tiger Stadium like rock stars in their own version of Detroit Rock City.
There was a game earlier this season when R.A. Dickey held the opposition to one run over eight innings and the Mets' offense came up short. Another time, two runs after eight innings weren't good enough for him to get a win. This time, an R.A. Dickey margin call (another good start) came knocking and the offense paid up big time with fourteen runs worth. Jason Bay; Carlos Beltran; Josh Thole; and all Mets contributed handsomely to the pool and sent a resounding message across the bow of the National League; ~ Paid In Full.
Am I getting carried away with myself after just one game that got us over .500 for the first time since early April? Me? Mister Stick With the Plan? Carried away with myself....? - No; I'm having fun being a Met Fan like you. The Plan? I still believe in it. I'm a pragmatist. Compartmentalization; remember? So..., shall we?
This is after all June 28th; meaning the season is almost three months old; or just about half-way through. Tonight's win lifted the Mets record to 40-39 after seventy-nine games played; three short of halftime.
There is something to be said for playing at mid-season form. And maybe; just maybe; these guys are coming into their own as presently constituted. Think of the line-up as a living system and think - the shock to the system suffered when David Wright and Ike Davis has now worn off. The body is adjusted and adapting. As a result, the Mets are operating as a fully functioning system more so now that at any other point this season. The hope this is the beginning of the Mets heating up as we truly begin the summer.
A game above .500 is like operating in the black, but only if you keep seizing the moment. The Mets need games; and wins; and they started things out on the right foot when they have so little margin for error. The Mets' starting rotation was operating on deficit pitching at times. But Tuesday night, the bats settled all debts. They hit two grand slams Tuesday when they hadn't hit any for years. Jason Bay connected first, and Carlos Beltran slammed a second grand slam for the Flushing Fighters. Josh Thole accounted for a third Met home run in the game.
So, how does third place sound to you right about now? It's legit. The pitching has been there all season. And now that the bats have been together on a consistent basis, they're yielding results. On a night when R.A. Dickey needed four runs for a win, the offense gave him fourteen. That's bad math; but good baseball. And bad math or not, the team with supposedly more problems than a math book is coming on strong.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK METS: C'Mon Boys! Take That Hill!
Getting back to .500 was more like climbing a mountain. But there's no time to enjoy the view. And good teams never do. So, if Terry's Kids intend on being contenders instead of pretenders, well then, they need to start winning little two and three game packages and putting some separation between them and that symbolic line of demarcation. If they fail to ignite any momentum in the very near future, they will surely fall back to the base of their mountain.
They have to start in Detroit. Everything starts somewhere. Many wonderful things were made in Detroit. Tonight, the Mets need to make sure they start building on something before it gets too late.
R.A. Dickey will try and get us going. He follows two wins by Niese and Gee. Dickey has been consistent; consistently snake bitten that is. I do think he will allow the Mets to hang around tonight against the Tigers. But as been our problem; especially when Dickey pitches; will we score even just a few runs, to amply support his effort....for a change?
Detroit's Rick Porcello has been getting shelled lately. So maybe the Mets can add a little more to his recent woes. If they don't, it will be a game closer to, woe is us.
LET'S GO METS!!
TONIGHT
Game One
NEW YORK METS
vs.
vs.
Detroit Tigers
From the Motor City
POST-GAME: 10:09pm ~ Mets Final:
NEW YORK METS - 14
Detroit Tigers - 3
N.Y. METS ~ Planting A Flag In Third Place!
The mountain top is no longer out of reach. Take a look around; yell for joy; plant a flag in the ground; and let it be known; TERRY'S KIDS WERE HERE!
The rock they've been pushing up Mt. Competitiveness didn't come rolling back at them this time. They put their heads down; pushed; stopped; let go; and fourteen runs later; the rock stood in place. Hah! They didn't trip; stumble; fall; and have that rock run them over again like so many time before.
Instead, the Mets tore up Tiger Stadium like rock stars in their own version of Detroit Rock City.
There was a game earlier this season when R.A. Dickey held the opposition to one run over eight innings and the Mets' offense came up short. Another time, two runs after eight innings weren't good enough for him to get a win. This time, an R.A. Dickey margin call (another good start) came knocking and the offense paid up big time with fourteen runs worth. Jason Bay; Carlos Beltran; Josh Thole; and all Mets contributed handsomely to the pool and sent a resounding message across the bow of the National League; ~ Paid In Full.
Am I getting carried away with myself after just one game that got us over .500 for the first time since early April? Me? Mister Stick With the Plan? Carried away with myself....? - No; I'm having fun being a Met Fan like you. The Plan? I still believe in it. I'm a pragmatist. Compartmentalization; remember? So..., shall we?
This is after all June 28th; meaning the season is almost three months old; or just about half-way through. Tonight's win lifted the Mets record to 40-39 after seventy-nine games played; three short of halftime.
There is something to be said for playing at mid-season form. And maybe; just maybe; these guys are coming into their own as presently constituted. Think of the line-up as a living system and think - the shock to the system suffered when David Wright and Ike Davis has now worn off. The body is adjusted and adapting. As a result, the Mets are operating as a fully functioning system more so now that at any other point this season. The hope this is the beginning of the Mets heating up as we truly begin the summer.
A game above .500 is like operating in the black, but only if you keep seizing the moment. The Mets need games; and wins; and they started things out on the right foot when they have so little margin for error. The Mets' starting rotation was operating on deficit pitching at times. But Tuesday night, the bats settled all debts. They hit two grand slams Tuesday when they hadn't hit any for years. Jason Bay connected first, and Carlos Beltran slammed a second grand slam for the Flushing Fighters. Josh Thole accounted for a third Met home run in the game.
So, how does third place sound to you right about now? It's legit. The pitching has been there all season. And now that the bats have been together on a consistent basis, they're yielding results. On a night when R.A. Dickey needed four runs for a win, the offense gave him fourteen. That's bad math; but good baseball. And bad math or not, the team with supposedly more problems than a math book is coming on strong.
Mike.BTB
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