Before the 2009 season, Goldeyes starter Ace Walker made a list of all the things he wanted to accomplish this summer.
1. Win a championship with the Winnipeg Goldeyes.
2. Make it to the All-Star Game.
3. Get double-digit wins (“It hasn’t been done in Winnipeg for a long time and I’d like to do it,” he said).
4. Get 20 starts and have at least 15 quality starts. Make sure I always give the team a chance to win.
“The list wasn’t that long,” he added. “Just things I wanted to get out of the 2009 season.”
On Monday night at Canwest Park, Walker took another step toward accomplishing all of his goals. In fact, on Monday afternoon, he got one wish out of his system when he was one of nine Goldeyes named to the Great Plains Team for the 2009 All-Star Game next Tuesday in Joliet.
Later that night, he was named player of the game as the Goldeyes beat Schaumburg 7-5. However, he wasn’t anywhere near Schaumburg’s final four runs. In fact, after another quality start, Walker left the game after seven innings of work, allowing one unearned run on just four hits. He walked two and struck out five.
It was an outstanding effort, one of the best starts of the season by a Goldeyes pitcher and it gave Walker a 5-1 record with a miniscule 1.53 earned run average. In eight appearances so far this season, he’s now had seven quality starts and one complete game. He’s tied for the lead in wins and dominates in ERA. He’s a major reason why Winnipeg leads the Northern League in pitching.
He should not only pitch in the all-star game, he should probably start.
“It was really a thrill to be named to the all-star game,” he said with a wide smile. “It’s the first all-star game for me since my first year in pro ball when I played for the Clinton Lumber Kings in the Midwest League. I’m really looking forward to this one.”
On Monday, Walker did his job while the hitters did theirs.
Winnipeg scored a run in the first, two in the fourth, one in the fifth and three in the seventh as Walker left the game with a 7-1 lead.
Dee Brown, the Northern League’s Player of the Week (Week ending June 28) and leading hitter at .379, went two-for-three with two runs scored and a run batted in as he extended his hitting streak to 20 games. Adam Frost had two hits in three trips and drove in two runs while Juan Diaz and Cody Ehlers each had a pair of hits.
But on this night, the star was Walker who kept the Flyers off the board, save for an unearned run in the second.
“I really felt I had command of all three pitches,” he said. “I was able to move the ball around to both sides of the plate and I really felt I had great control all night. Even in the warm-up I felt good. It was the first time I’d seen Schaumburg this year and early on, I felt I had them just a little off-balance.”
The Goldeyes will play Game 2 of this three-game series tonight at Canwest Park at 7:00. It’s also fireworks night.
WALKER ON DECASTER
On Monday, one day after playing extremely well in a double-header at Canwest Park, Fargo-Moorhead third baseman Yurendell DeCaster was picked up by the New York Yankees. He is scheduled to report today to the International (AAA) League’s Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.
DeCaster, 29, joined the RedHawks following a tremendous performance with the surprising Netherlands team in the World Baseball Classic. When he left Fargo, he was leading the Northern League in hits (54), doubles (14), home runs (13), RBI (43) and slugging percentage (.682). He was fifth in the league in batting at .344 and was second in runs scored with 36.
“He’s a really, really tough out,” said Walker. “You just can’t throw him a fastball near the plate. He’ll jump all over it. Even your curveball has to be perfect. He’s one of the best hitters I’ve ever faced.
“And on top of that, he was hot. When a guy gets as hot as he was this year, it doesn’t matter what you throw him.”
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