Kris Medlen no hitter

Napa's Kris Medlen pitched a no-hitter against Bowling Green tonight. Dexter Fowler made the game saving play in the 8th inning on a long drive to center by Kila Kaaihue. Fowler scaled the wall and made a tremendous catch saving not only the no-hitter, but also the shutout and quite possibly the game.

G-Men finish block 1 on a Record Setting Pace

The Nassau G-Men looked at 2011 as a rebuilding year ... but even they didn't think it would be this bad. As they finished Block 1, getting swept in a 3 game series by Old Bridge, their record stood at a terrible 7-21 (which included an awful 1-8 at home)... the bright side is the G-Men are on pace to tie the MLB single season loss record of 120 set by the 1962 NY Mets ... as thought the starting pitching has been the lone bright spot for the team , the pitching staff overall has a 3.95 ERA, but the team Batting Avg of .211 has proven to be too much to overcome ... Hiroki Kuroda has epitomized the team with an 0-6 record despite a 3.62 ERA as well as Zack Greinke who is 0-2 with a sterling 1.99 ERA .. the hitting has only 2 semi regulars with Batting Avgs over .250 and only 3 batters with over 10 RBIs ... the G-Men are looking to next year and are ready to field offers before the trading deadline

‘Birds end first month even

Pitching Keeps 'Birds hopes alive

 

While most teams may not be happy ending up a month of play a .500 team, the Ironbird's are content with their first block of play. Many new players had little time to assimilate with one another and after a rough start the fans of Aberdeen are happy and very excited for the second block of play to begin. The Birds will make a number of changes in block two but first we look at what did work, and what did not, for the games already completed.

PITCHING

The pitching, at least thus far, is clearly the strength of the team. A team ERA of 3.31     will surely put them in the top 5 in that department once all the games are finished.

Though it should come as no shock to Jeremy Byrd managed teams, the bullpen ends the block with a winning record at 5-4, with the starters ending 9-10. Ian Kennedy was drafted to this team to lead the top of the rotation and he has lived up to that huge responsibility thus far. Ian ends 5-0 with a 1.91 ERA through 5 starts and 47 innings pitched.

The relief core compiled a massive 90 innings pitched with a respectable 2.38 ERA. Pitching is the key in this league, and in 17 of the 28 games the Birds allowed 4 runs or less. 6 relievers have an ERA of 2.60 runs or less.

Top prospect Jeremy Hellickson has done well in his relief role and through 14 innings has 4 earned runs which came on one swing of the bat. Jeremy ends the block with an ERA of 2.51.

Chris Narveson was dominant in his relief role vs LHB but when asked to work in long relief was not good and a move to the rotation may be in his near future.

The biggest disappointment in the rotation has been Jason Vargas. Vargas finished off the block and his 6 starts at 0-4 with an ERA over 7. Jason has likely moved himself out of the rotation and could spend the next block in AAA Norfolk.

 

HITTING

The 'Birds ended up the month with a team batting average of .251 and realize that just won't get it done. 32 balls did leave the park for Birds batters though and that is a plus for a pitching-focused team. The team clearly struggles vs Lefties though as 28 of the 32 homers have come against right-handed pitching.

The MVP of the offense thus far has been RF Hunter Pence. Hunter has 8 homerun's on the season to go with a .320 average and .375 OBP. Hunter has hit 2 HR's in games this early season- one vs Oahu and other against Reno.

Other offensive standouts are 3^rd overall pick Mike Stanton whom has hit 6 homeruns against RHP this early season and had played superb defensively. Stanton will be part of the Birds for many seasons to come and has been deemed untouchable to inquiring teams. Mike has been a RBI machine with 17 runs batted in. Justin Morneau has also been hitting and has an impressive OBP of .436, while hitting .354. David Freese has been the other nice show this first block and a player that the Birds to be a steal in the draft where he was selected. David, getting more playing time for the struggling Chipper Jones, is hitting .275 and hitting a dominant .350 vs LHP.

 

So now what? What changes will the 'Birds make to climb up the division in hopes of reaching the playoffs. "We have many plans, some of which we will share and others will only be seen on the diamond." It has been no secret that both Barry Enright and Brad Bergeson will see some starts this block with Vargas demotion back to AAA. Jason Berken, also a late draft pick, will be used in more of a late innings set up role and the closer-by-committee will likely continue. Esmerling Vasquez and Grant Balfour are likely to see more time with Madson only being utilized sparingly. It is also likely that backup Catcher Craig Tatum will make the roster and sharing time with Torrealba. Todd Helton, hitting .375 in 32 at-bats will see more action giving Morneau a break except likely to pinch hit of give the aching back of Helton a game off.

"A .500 block one is acceptable, but a .500 block two will not be acceptable" says 'Birds General Manager Jeremy Byrd. "We have too much talent to not make the playoffs this season and though we will need to keep a close on usage, making the playoffs is certainly a feasible option and our goal. Anything else will be a failure. While our team is more built for next year, we have enough talent to do special things."

 

 

Farewell Tour for Manny

Manny Ramirez announced yesterday that he will be retiring at the end of the season. The Bums' first overall pick in the first year draft, Manny will definitely be missed in the clubhouse. When asked what he planned to do with his time in retirement, Manny said, "It's time for some grillin' and chillin'!".

Halifax Mooseheads Pre-season Preview

The Halifax Mooseheads hit rock bottom last season, failing to reach 60 wins and earning the dubious distinction of being the 2nd cellar dweller in TBA history. However, the off-season allowed the Mooseheads to completely rebuild their roster, and while they may be poised to make a push for the playoffs this season, they have built a core of players that will help this team contend well into the future.

The off-season began by shipping off aging starter Tim Hudson to Washington in exchange for Brandon Morrow. While Hudson provided stellar numbers last season, he is not part of the long-term plans for the Mooseheads, and Halifax is excited to add a young power arm in Morrow. While Roy Halladay and Jose Bautista's names were bounced around the hot-stove, both players remain in Halifax.

The number 1 overall pick in the draft was not on the trading block, but just before the deadline, Halifax was presented with an offer it couldn't refuse. Adam Jones, Jacoby Ellsbury, the 4th overall pick in the draft (eventually traded up to 3rd to acquire Stephen Strasburg) and the 11th overall pick in the draft (which became SS Starlin Castro) were enough to pry away the rights to Jason Heyward.

In the 1st round of the draft, the Mooseheads were able to acquire a potential superstar starting pitcher in Strasburg, a budding all-star in Starlin Castro and a very solid 1B prospect in Ike Davis. Add in Jones, Ellsbury, Morrow and 2nd round pick Chris Sale, and the Mooseheads quickly became a lot younger with a lot of potential great players.

While the puzzle is by no means complete, the Mooseheads added several key pieces and are significantly closer to their goal of building a sustainable contender. The Mooseheads are expecting to play respectable baseball this season, and may even surprise a few. Hopefully Roy Halladay pitches in the TBA up to his potential and the new additions fit in with the team concept well. And now, position by position:

CATCHER: The Mooseheads go into the season with only two catchers: Geovany Soto and Jonathan Lucroy. Soto had a great season, rebounding from a disastrous 2009 with a high OBP and will be a factor in the lineup. Lucroy is still a young catcher who plays capable defense and has the potential to be a capable hitter and not be a liability in the lineup.

1st BASE: The Mooseheads used the #12 overall pick to grab Ike Davis at first base. Mark Kotsay and Mark Teahen will provide some veteran bench depth for the rookie. Davis had a solid rookie season and while he's never expected to be a truly elite player, he does project to provide good defense and be a good, if occasionally great, bat in the lineup.

2nd BASE: Aaron Hill took a big step backwards last year, though a lot of that was bad luck. His BABIP was the lowest in the major leagues by 30 points for those with enough qualified ABs. He still hit 26 home runs and will provide some pop, but the Mooseheads are looking for Hill to rebound more for next season and going forward.

3rd BASE: Aramis Ramirez and Chase Headley will platoon at 3rd base this year, with A-Ram getting the bulk of the playing time. Both had off years offensively, and neither are defensive stalwarts. This is a position that will be needing an upgrade going forward, but Ramirez's bat, while not stellar, still provides some thump.

SHORTSTOP: The Mooseheads were overjoyed that Starlin Castro fell to them at 11th overall in the draft. Castro is still very young and projects to be a very good short stop. The Mooseheads still have Alex Gonzalez though rumour out of Halifax is that he will be shopped aggressively at the deadline. While Gonzalez is still here though, he does provide great defense and some pop in his bat.

OUTFIELD: The outfield is a definite strength for this team, but also one that is still very young. Adam Jones will patrol centre field and offers good defense with a very good bat. Jose Bautista is coming off a 54 home run season, and while he is expected to regress a bit, is a formidable presence in the middle of the order. Julio Borbon will play left field and while he still has room to improve, provides a solid average and great speed. Adam Lind will not see time in the outfield and will DH. Though coming off a year like Aaron Hill where he struggled to hit for average, the power is still there and he is expected to rebound.

STARTING PITCHING: The Mooseheads are lead again by Roy Halladay. Doc has been a horse in terms of ability to pitch lots of innings, but has been a disaster so far in Halifax. The Mooseheads are confident that this is the year he finally breaks through. Behind him are a mix of young and veteran arms. Brett Anderson had an injury shortened sophomore campaign and continues to develop into a formidable arm. Brett Cecil had 15-wins and is emerging as a very solid back of the rotation starter. Brandon Morrow, acquired from Washington, is a power arm with lots of potential who will help now, and likely even more in the future. Jonathon Niese had a successful season and continues to grow into a quality pitcher. The gem of the draft for the Mooseheads is Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg has the stuff to be one of the best pitchers ever. While coming off of Tommy John surgery is no sure thing, the potential he offers is staggering and the hope is that he will one day supplant Halladay as the ace of the rotation. Livan Hernandez is still on the staff, coming off a very successful season with over 200 innings pitched. He is very likely to be moved at the deadline as though he will help this year, he does not fit into the team's long term plans. Carlos Carrasco, Alex Sanabia and Jesse Litsch are sleepers that could blossom into potential rotation keepers.

BULLPEN: The Mooseheads bullpen is deep and strong, but lacking a premiere level closer. Chris Sale will assume the closer duties, but will start the season on the DL to protect his limited innings potential for this season. Mike Adams will serve as the primary set-up man and fill in at closer when needed. His 1.76 ERA over 70 innings makes him a dominant late-inning option. Shawn Camp and Scott Downs offer lots of innings and are capable of being dominant late in the game. With David Purcey, Jose Contreras, Casey Janssen, and David Hernandez rounding out the pen, there are no glaring weak arms. If this team can get a lead going into the final three innings, they have the pen to slam the door most of the time.

OVERALL: This team will be good, but is still a season away from great. Some players need to rebound while some of the younger ones need to continue to develop. This should be a team that is competitive and exciting, and is hopefully the beginning of a long-run at and/or near the top of the league.

hi its eddie from edgewater ..i am always hesitant to write but here i go ...last yr was a great yr for me ...it was fun ..and beating an excllent oahu team in the playioffs was truly a highlight..plus being one win away from defeating a true powerhouse (washington)was also quite exciting ...now this year i am fielding a team with questions .....The team is not as good as last years team for sure but here is a breakdown: 1st base r howard...not as good as last yr by far ..im hoping he comes back next yr 2nd base- o vizquel and b roberts ..obviously hoping roberts can stay healthy this yr ..this is a huge loss for me ...though vizquel provides nice d...the obp goes down .. ss jj hardy .& m izturis ..also hoping he bounces back....he is ok d but his ob and power numbers are down 3b- s rolen -traded for him to give me a solid 3 baseman ..hoping he has 2 yrs left lf- luke scott ...ok off numbers and ob cf m bourn ..great d but his off numbers are also down rf b abreu and k fukudome cody ross and a jones ...ok offensive ob ... catcher aj prezinski with young catcher kottaras and g zahn ...ok my pitching is ok with oswalt, cahill, w rodriguez and moyer and wells and an ok bullpen ....not championship but im hoping they can do the job to keep me in contention in my div ...my hope is to stay in the race and /or finish over 500 ...:)

Play Ball!

I present you with my new favorite baseball quote to start the season:

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." - Rogers Hornsby

And once again reprinted without permission:

"People will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it, for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers, sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces.

People will come Ray.

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: It's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come."

- James Earl Jones as Terrence Mann in Field of Dreams

Let's Play Ball!