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.”
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
June 29: Goldeyes Rally in Thrilling Fashion to Earn Twinbill Split
Wes Long called it a huge win.
After dropping Game 1 of a Sunday double-header to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, the Winnipeg Goldeyes pulled off another heroic final at-bat for a 7-6 win in Game 2.
The hosts jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks in no small way to a two-run homer off the bat of white-hot Dee Brown. Fargo bounced back with four in the top of the fifth to take a 4-3 lead, but Winnipeg scored two more in the bottom half – the highlight was a 400-foot-plus home run by Long – and the Goldeyes took their one-run lead into the top of the seventh.
However, after Zach Penprase hit a two-run homer off Matt Davis to give the RedHawks a 6-5 advantage, the Goldeyes rallied for two in the bottom of the inning to win an extremely important early-season game.
“We really needed that win, it was huge,” said Long, the player of the game in Game 2 both on the radio and TV broadcasts. “After getting whipped in the first game, we had to bounce back as a team and we got it done in our final at-bat. That was a really important victory for us. And it said a lot about the people on this ball club.”
The seventh inning was about as thrilling as baseball gets.
Speedy Adam Frost, pinch-hitting for catcher Jeff DeSmidt, coaxed a leadoff walk out of reliever Elvys Quezada. Long, who went three-for-four with a run batted in and two runs scored, then singled to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Josh Asanovich dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Frost and Long up 90 feet and then Quezada walked Kevin West intentionally to load the bases.
Fargo manager Doug Simunic then yanked Quezada and called on young Billy Weitzman to put out the fire, but as he faced slugger Juan Diaz, he unleashed a wild pitch that scored Frost from third on a close play at home plate.
That tied the game and put Diaz in a position to be the hero. And Big Juan did not disappoint, drilling a single to left, past the drawn-in infield as Winnipeg recorded an important 7-6 win.
With the victory, the Goldeyes improved to 25-12 on the season. On Sunday, they started the day six games ahead of the streaking RedHawks and with that important final at-bat, remained six games ahead at day’s end. The Fish are now 8-2 against arch-rival Fargo this season.
“It’s always tough having two days of rainouts and then playing a double-header,” Long said. “I mean on Friday and Saturday we had cabin fever. We were bouncing around the clubhouse like a bunch of idiots. Finally we got to play some baseball and it was great to get a split.
“It never comes easy against those guys (Fargo). They have a great team. It was a huge win for us.”
After dropping Game 1 of a Sunday double-header to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, the Winnipeg Goldeyes pulled off another heroic final at-bat for a 7-6 win in Game 2.
The hosts jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks in no small way to a two-run homer off the bat of white-hot Dee Brown. Fargo bounced back with four in the top of the fifth to take a 4-3 lead, but Winnipeg scored two more in the bottom half – the highlight was a 400-foot-plus home run by Long – and the Goldeyes took their one-run lead into the top of the seventh.
However, after Zach Penprase hit a two-run homer off Matt Davis to give the RedHawks a 6-5 advantage, the Goldeyes rallied for two in the bottom of the inning to win an extremely important early-season game.
“We really needed that win, it was huge,” said Long, the player of the game in Game 2 both on the radio and TV broadcasts. “After getting whipped in the first game, we had to bounce back as a team and we got it done in our final at-bat. That was a really important victory for us. And it said a lot about the people on this ball club.”
The seventh inning was about as thrilling as baseball gets.
Speedy Adam Frost, pinch-hitting for catcher Jeff DeSmidt, coaxed a leadoff walk out of reliever Elvys Quezada. Long, who went three-for-four with a run batted in and two runs scored, then singled to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Josh Asanovich dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Frost and Long up 90 feet and then Quezada walked Kevin West intentionally to load the bases.
Fargo manager Doug Simunic then yanked Quezada and called on young Billy Weitzman to put out the fire, but as he faced slugger Juan Diaz, he unleashed a wild pitch that scored Frost from third on a close play at home plate.
That tied the game and put Diaz in a position to be the hero. And Big Juan did not disappoint, drilling a single to left, past the drawn-in infield as Winnipeg recorded an important 7-6 win.
With the victory, the Goldeyes improved to 25-12 on the season. On Sunday, they started the day six games ahead of the streaking RedHawks and with that important final at-bat, remained six games ahead at day’s end. The Fish are now 8-2 against arch-rival Fargo this season.
“It’s always tough having two days of rainouts and then playing a double-header,” Long said. “I mean on Friday and Saturday we had cabin fever. We were bouncing around the clubhouse like a bunch of idiots. Finally we got to play some baseball and it was great to get a split.
“It never comes easy against those guys (Fargo). They have a great team. It was a huge win for us.”
Thursday, June 25, 2009
June 25: Dee Brown’s Ripping Up the Northern League. And He’s Not Bitter About it At All.
Dee Brown knows he should probably be at Double A someplace, making that final push toward a spot on a Major League roster.
After all, when he comes to the plate these days, there isn’t a more fearsome bat in the Northern League.
As he headed out on a four-game road trip to Kansas City this week, Brown was hitting .361 with 44 hits in 122 at-bats. He had nine doubles, five homers, 17 runs scored and 23 driven in and was not only the team’s batting average leader, his slugging percentage was a monstrous .557.
He was on a 15-game hitting streak and had gone 25-for-54 during the streak. That’s a .463 stretch.
If fans were just seeing him for the first time during the streak, many would wonder he isn’t in a big league organization. You would think somebody could use that bat, including the last-place Washington Nationals, whose system he spent four seasons in before landing in Winnipeg.
“The reason I asked for my release from the Nationals was because I was 26 and I was still stuck in A ball,” Brown said. “I don’t think I had a bad reputation or anything like that. I’ve always done what the organization wanted and what my managers wanted me to do. I just couldn’t understand why I was still in A ball.
“That’s why I asked for my release. I wanted that release because I wanted to come here and play and hopefully be seen by another organization and maybe get a new opportunity. Because it was obvious I wasn’t going to get that opportunity with the Nationals.”
After hitting .296 at Potomac in the Carolina (A+) League last year, it seemed rather senseless for Brown to continue a career that was like running in a hamster’s wheel. He’d never had a bad season at Class A and had hit .256 in just 175 at-bats during 58 games at Double A. Still, he was going to start this season at age 26 and was still playing at a level with 20-year-olds.
It’s a mystery. Here’s a guy who plays his position well, can run the bases with the best of them, is 6-foot, 230-pounds of power and is currently among the finest hitters in independent baseball and yet he’s not getting much respect from the big leagues.
Still, he’s not bitter. As the son of former NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Jerome Brown, there is no quit in him and there are no regrets.
“I stopped thinking about what might have gone wrong with my career, why I was stuck in A ball, a long time ago,” Brown said. “I’m still young and I still have a chance to do a lot of things. I decided to come here to have another opportunity, but if it doesn’t work out, then it just wasn’t meant to be.”
That’s why Brown has remained in school and in August will graduate with a criminal justice degree from Rollins College, located close to his off-season home in Winter Park, Florida. It’s the oldest recognized university in the state.
“When this season ends and I have my (criminal justice) degree, then I’ll have something else to think about,” said Brown, who knows that criminal justice in the state of Florida is a growth industry.
“The important thing is, I’ll have a degree. That just gives me other options.”
Right now, however, Dee Brown still believes his best option could be the result of his next hit.
After all, when he comes to the plate these days, there isn’t a more fearsome bat in the Northern League.
As he headed out on a four-game road trip to Kansas City this week, Brown was hitting .361 with 44 hits in 122 at-bats. He had nine doubles, five homers, 17 runs scored and 23 driven in and was not only the team’s batting average leader, his slugging percentage was a monstrous .557.
He was on a 15-game hitting streak and had gone 25-for-54 during the streak. That’s a .463 stretch.
If fans were just seeing him for the first time during the streak, many would wonder he isn’t in a big league organization. You would think somebody could use that bat, including the last-place Washington Nationals, whose system he spent four seasons in before landing in Winnipeg.
“The reason I asked for my release from the Nationals was because I was 26 and I was still stuck in A ball,” Brown said. “I don’t think I had a bad reputation or anything like that. I’ve always done what the organization wanted and what my managers wanted me to do. I just couldn’t understand why I was still in A ball.
“That’s why I asked for my release. I wanted that release because I wanted to come here and play and hopefully be seen by another organization and maybe get a new opportunity. Because it was obvious I wasn’t going to get that opportunity with the Nationals.”
After hitting .296 at Potomac in the Carolina (A+) League last year, it seemed rather senseless for Brown to continue a career that was like running in a hamster’s wheel. He’d never had a bad season at Class A and had hit .256 in just 175 at-bats during 58 games at Double A. Still, he was going to start this season at age 26 and was still playing at a level with 20-year-olds.
It’s a mystery. Here’s a guy who plays his position well, can run the bases with the best of them, is 6-foot, 230-pounds of power and is currently among the finest hitters in independent baseball and yet he’s not getting much respect from the big leagues.
Still, he’s not bitter. As the son of former NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Jerome Brown, there is no quit in him and there are no regrets.
“I stopped thinking about what might have gone wrong with my career, why I was stuck in A ball, a long time ago,” Brown said. “I’m still young and I still have a chance to do a lot of things. I decided to come here to have another opportunity, but if it doesn’t work out, then it just wasn’t meant to be.”
That’s why Brown has remained in school and in August will graduate with a criminal justice degree from Rollins College, located close to his off-season home in Winter Park, Florida. It’s the oldest recognized university in the state.
“When this season ends and I have my (criminal justice) degree, then I’ll have something else to think about,” said Brown, who knows that criminal justice in the state of Florida is a growth industry.
“The important thing is, I’ll have a degree. That just gives me other options.”
Right now, however, Dee Brown still believes his best option could be the result of his next hit.
Monday, June 22, 2009
June 22: Goldeyes Lose 11 Inning Thriller 6-5 To Joliet
Matt Davis wasn’t very happy, but over a long season of baseball, the Goldeyes closer will bounce back.
Monday afternoon in front of 7,342 at Canwest Park, Davis gave up a solo homer in the top of the ninth and then two more runs in the eleventh as the Goldeyes blew a 4-3 lead and lost 6-5 in 11 innings to the Joliet JackHammers.
“I did not want to go out in the ninth and give up a solo home run,” Davis said. “I wanted to go out and get it done. To give up a two-out home run, that’s just not getting it done.
“But be fair to the Joliet guys. They’re professionals They come to the plate with a bat in their hands, they can all hit. I just didn’t execute the pitch with two outs. I don’t want to make a mistake like that again.”
It was a strange game. The Fish jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with three runs on four hits in the first, but after Dee Brown drove in one run and Cody Ehlers drove in two more, the Winnipeg bats went silent.
In the meantime, Joliet proceeded to hit three solo homers, two by third baseman Andrew Pinckney and one by Tydus Meadows to tie the game at three entering the bottom of eight.
Dee Brown, who went 10-for-16 in the four-game series, stepped up and drilled a line drive over the centre field fence to give Winnipeg a 4-3 lead.
Unfortunately for the Fish, after Davis got the first two hitters in the ninth, Kevin Rios stepped up and hammered the first pitch he saw from Davis over the left field fence to tie it.
In the eleventh, Joliet scored twice, but after Kurt Crowell hit a solo bomb to lead off the bottom of the inning, the Goldeyes couldn’t finish the job and lost by a run.
With the loss, Winnipeg fell to 23-10 on the season and split the four-game series with Joliet. Immediately after the game, the Goldeyes got on the bus and headed for Kansas City where they will play a game Tuesday, two more on Wednesday and a morning game on Thursday before returning home to play Fargo on Friday night at Canwest Park.
Monday afternoon in front of 7,342 at Canwest Park, Davis gave up a solo homer in the top of the ninth and then two more runs in the eleventh as the Goldeyes blew a 4-3 lead and lost 6-5 in 11 innings to the Joliet JackHammers.
“I did not want to go out in the ninth and give up a solo home run,” Davis said. “I wanted to go out and get it done. To give up a two-out home run, that’s just not getting it done.
“But be fair to the Joliet guys. They’re professionals They come to the plate with a bat in their hands, they can all hit. I just didn’t execute the pitch with two outs. I don’t want to make a mistake like that again.”
It was a strange game. The Fish jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with three runs on four hits in the first, but after Dee Brown drove in one run and Cody Ehlers drove in two more, the Winnipeg bats went silent.
In the meantime, Joliet proceeded to hit three solo homers, two by third baseman Andrew Pinckney and one by Tydus Meadows to tie the game at three entering the bottom of eight.
Dee Brown, who went 10-for-16 in the four-game series, stepped up and drilled a line drive over the centre field fence to give Winnipeg a 4-3 lead.
Unfortunately for the Fish, after Davis got the first two hitters in the ninth, Kevin Rios stepped up and hammered the first pitch he saw from Davis over the left field fence to tie it.
In the eleventh, Joliet scored twice, but after Kurt Crowell hit a solo bomb to lead off the bottom of the inning, the Goldeyes couldn’t finish the job and lost by a run.
With the loss, Winnipeg fell to 23-10 on the season and split the four-game series with Joliet. Immediately after the game, the Goldeyes got on the bus and headed for Kansas City where they will play a game Tuesday, two more on Wednesday and a morning game on Thursday before returning home to play Fargo on Friday night at Canwest Park.
June 22: That’s More Like It. Goldeyes Bang Out 13 Hits To Beat Joliet 9-4
After cooling off for a week, the Goldeyes offence started to heat up again this weekend.
On Saturday, the Goldeyes started late, but finished strong with a 6-4 victory. Then, behind Dee Brown’s three-hit effort and Kevin West’s two-run homer in the seventh, the Goldeyes pounded out 13 hits and came back from a 4-2 deficit to whip the visiting Joliet JackHammers 9-4 in front of 6,555 enthusiastic fans at Canwest Park on Sunday afternoon.
It was a perfect Father’s Day celebration for West, who had been in the midst of a horrible slump. Playing at third base with the injured Brent Metheny in the dugout, West went two-for-four with a run scored and two driven in, while wife Melissa and his three kids looked on.
“It was a great Father’s Day,” said a smiling West, with his young son in tow.
It was a pretty good day for Brown as well. As the Goldeyes improved to 23-9 and pulled five games ahead of second-place Schaumburg (3-2 losers to Gary), Brown went three-for-four with three runs scored and not only raised his batting average to a team-high .350, but his slugging percentage as well to a team-best .513. He was named the player of the game by the Sun’s Kirk Penton for his efforts.
“I feel pretty comfortable up there,” said Brown. “I’m just trying to keep it simple. You know the old saying, ‘See the ball, hit the ball.’ Well, it’s true. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
On Sunday, he did just that. As did a number of other Fish.
Take Dustin Richardson for instance. Like West, he’d been slumping in recent days, but pounded out two doubles, scored a run and drove in two. Meanwhile Josh Asanovich and Kurt Crowell also had multi-hit games as the Goldeyes put up a five spot in the bottom of the seventh to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 7-4 lead.
“For me, I always think fastball at the plate, but what I’m trying to do is just get a good pitch to hit,” Brown said. “I’ve been a little more patient at the plate recently, but that’s not always the best approach. If you’re facing a pitcher who’s struggling, you can be patient, because you’ll probably get a few good pitches to hit. But if you’re up against a guy who has been hot, who has really been getting guys out, if you see a first-pitch fastball for a strike, you should probably go after it because that’s likely the best pitch you’ll see,
“It always depends on the pitcher and the situation. But as long as you go up looking for a fastball, or just a good pitch to drive, you’ll be successful a lot of the time.”
Brown and the Goldeyes will wrap up this four-game series with Joliet on Monday with a noon start at Canwest Park. If you can’t get down to the ballpark, the game will be televised on Shaw Channel 9.
ANATOMY OF AN AT-BAT
In the eighth inning, Richardson ripped a double to the gap to drive in Brown with the ninth and final run of Sunday’s game.
Richardson just killed the pitch from Joliet’s David Byard and after the game, he walked goldeyes.com through the at-bat.
“The pitch I hit was a fastball in,” he said. “The pitchers in this series have been pounding me inside all weekend, so I’ve been looking for that pitch and trying to get my hands in so I can swing around it.
“The first two pitches of the at-bat, he went slider, slider and I thought, ‘OK, he has to come back with a fastball on the inside part of the plate with this pitch’ and sure enough, it was right where I expected it.
“It’s a funny game. The first double I hit (off starter Ryan Gehring in the seventh) came off a change-up. Second off an inside fastball. It doesn’t matter the pitch, just as long as you keep your hands back and make good contact. On the first double, I was a little in front, but I got the barrel of the bat on the ball and hit it down the line.”
On Saturday, the Goldeyes started late, but finished strong with a 6-4 victory. Then, behind Dee Brown’s three-hit effort and Kevin West’s two-run homer in the seventh, the Goldeyes pounded out 13 hits and came back from a 4-2 deficit to whip the visiting Joliet JackHammers 9-4 in front of 6,555 enthusiastic fans at Canwest Park on Sunday afternoon.
It was a perfect Father’s Day celebration for West, who had been in the midst of a horrible slump. Playing at third base with the injured Brent Metheny in the dugout, West went two-for-four with a run scored and two driven in, while wife Melissa and his three kids looked on.
“It was a great Father’s Day,” said a smiling West, with his young son in tow.
It was a pretty good day for Brown as well. As the Goldeyes improved to 23-9 and pulled five games ahead of second-place Schaumburg (3-2 losers to Gary), Brown went three-for-four with three runs scored and not only raised his batting average to a team-high .350, but his slugging percentage as well to a team-best .513. He was named the player of the game by the Sun’s Kirk Penton for his efforts.
“I feel pretty comfortable up there,” said Brown. “I’m just trying to keep it simple. You know the old saying, ‘See the ball, hit the ball.’ Well, it’s true. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
On Sunday, he did just that. As did a number of other Fish.
Take Dustin Richardson for instance. Like West, he’d been slumping in recent days, but pounded out two doubles, scored a run and drove in two. Meanwhile Josh Asanovich and Kurt Crowell also had multi-hit games as the Goldeyes put up a five spot in the bottom of the seventh to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 7-4 lead.
“For me, I always think fastball at the plate, but what I’m trying to do is just get a good pitch to hit,” Brown said. “I’ve been a little more patient at the plate recently, but that’s not always the best approach. If you’re facing a pitcher who’s struggling, you can be patient, because you’ll probably get a few good pitches to hit. But if you’re up against a guy who has been hot, who has really been getting guys out, if you see a first-pitch fastball for a strike, you should probably go after it because that’s likely the best pitch you’ll see,
“It always depends on the pitcher and the situation. But as long as you go up looking for a fastball, or just a good pitch to drive, you’ll be successful a lot of the time.”
Brown and the Goldeyes will wrap up this four-game series with Joliet on Monday with a noon start at Canwest Park. If you can’t get down to the ballpark, the game will be televised on Shaw Channel 9.
ANATOMY OF AN AT-BAT
In the eighth inning, Richardson ripped a double to the gap to drive in Brown with the ninth and final run of Sunday’s game.
Richardson just killed the pitch from Joliet’s David Byard and after the game, he walked goldeyes.com through the at-bat.
“The pitch I hit was a fastball in,” he said. “The pitchers in this series have been pounding me inside all weekend, so I’ve been looking for that pitch and trying to get my hands in so I can swing around it.
“The first two pitches of the at-bat, he went slider, slider and I thought, ‘OK, he has to come back with a fastball on the inside part of the plate with this pitch’ and sure enough, it was right where I expected it.
“It’s a funny game. The first double I hit (off starter Ryan Gehring in the seventh) came off a change-up. Second off an inside fastball. It doesn’t matter the pitch, just as long as you keep your hands back and make good contact. On the first double, I was a little in front, but I got the barrel of the bat on the ball and hit it down the line.”
Sunday, June 21, 2009
June 21: Patton The Hero As Goldeyes Bats Awaken In 6-4 Win
Rick Forney knows it’s been a struggle for Cory Patton this season, but the Goldeyes manager also knows his centre fielder will eventually start to hit – and hit well.
Saturday night in a thriller at Canwest Park, Patton just might have taken his first baby step out of a monster slump.
With the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the eighth and the Goldeyes trailing Joliet 3-2, Patton drilled a 3-2 offering from Joliet’s Drew Shetrone into centre to give the Goldeyes a 4-3 lead.
Dee Brown followed with a double to score Kevin West and Patton to make it 6-3 and that’s all closer Matt Davis needed. Although Davis allowed a run in the ninth, it was far from enough for the JackHammers as Winnipeg won it 6-4 and Patton, who came to the plate hitting an even .200 (he was 0-for-3 on the evening before drilling the game-saving single), breathed a sigh of relief.
“It always feels good to do something in a big situation to help your team win,” Patton said. “It’s been a struggle. I know I’m a better hitter than I’ve been this season. Hopefully this will be the start of something. I don’t like to use the ‘S’ (slump) word. We’ll just say I’ve been in a funk. Maybe this is the first step toward getting out of the funk.”
Patton, a 5-foot-9, 215-pound outfielder from Lake Jackson, Texas, has always been a good hitter. As a professional, he came to Winnipeg with a lifetime average of .271 and, last year, hit .305 in 407 at-bats with 13 homers and 70 RBI at Dunedin (Blue Jays organization) in the Florida State League.
But this year, it’s been a struggle. Although he’s fielded his position well and looked solid on the base paths, he just hasn’t looked comfortable at the plate.
“I do get over-anxious when I’m in a funk and I’ll try to do too much with a pitch you can’t do too much with,” Patton said. “Tom (hitting coach Vaeth) and I have been working on my approach. We’ve cut it down to one at-bat at a time. If I can get through that, then we’ll look at a series of 10 at-bats and see how that goes.
“I’ve always been an aggressive hitter so I’ve been a first-pitch hitter a lot during my career. This year, that’s hurt me a bit. I know I have to be a little more patient at the plate and in my at-bat in the eighth inning, I was a lot more patient than I have been. I got the count to 3-1 and then, when he called the second strike to make it 3-2, I knew I wasn’t going to let anything near the plate get by me. The pitch he threw me on 3-2 was a change-up high, probably out of the (strike) zone, but after the 3-1 strike, I wasn’t going take it. This time it paid off.”
Thanks to Patton’s heroics – and the speed he demonstrated by scoring from first base on Dee Brown’s double – the Goldeyes stopped a two-game losing streak. The Fish haven’t lost three-in-a-row this season.
Winnipeg is now 22-9, four games up on second-place Schaumburg. Game 3 in this four-game series goes at 1:30 today at Canwest Park.
Saturday night in a thriller at Canwest Park, Patton just might have taken his first baby step out of a monster slump.
With the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the eighth and the Goldeyes trailing Joliet 3-2, Patton drilled a 3-2 offering from Joliet’s Drew Shetrone into centre to give the Goldeyes a 4-3 lead.
Dee Brown followed with a double to score Kevin West and Patton to make it 6-3 and that’s all closer Matt Davis needed. Although Davis allowed a run in the ninth, it was far from enough for the JackHammers as Winnipeg won it 6-4 and Patton, who came to the plate hitting an even .200 (he was 0-for-3 on the evening before drilling the game-saving single), breathed a sigh of relief.
“It always feels good to do something in a big situation to help your team win,” Patton said. “It’s been a struggle. I know I’m a better hitter than I’ve been this season. Hopefully this will be the start of something. I don’t like to use the ‘S’ (slump) word. We’ll just say I’ve been in a funk. Maybe this is the first step toward getting out of the funk.”
Patton, a 5-foot-9, 215-pound outfielder from Lake Jackson, Texas, has always been a good hitter. As a professional, he came to Winnipeg with a lifetime average of .271 and, last year, hit .305 in 407 at-bats with 13 homers and 70 RBI at Dunedin (Blue Jays organization) in the Florida State League.
But this year, it’s been a struggle. Although he’s fielded his position well and looked solid on the base paths, he just hasn’t looked comfortable at the plate.
“I do get over-anxious when I’m in a funk and I’ll try to do too much with a pitch you can’t do too much with,” Patton said. “Tom (hitting coach Vaeth) and I have been working on my approach. We’ve cut it down to one at-bat at a time. If I can get through that, then we’ll look at a series of 10 at-bats and see how that goes.
“I’ve always been an aggressive hitter so I’ve been a first-pitch hitter a lot during my career. This year, that’s hurt me a bit. I know I have to be a little more patient at the plate and in my at-bat in the eighth inning, I was a lot more patient than I have been. I got the count to 3-1 and then, when he called the second strike to make it 3-2, I knew I wasn’t going to let anything near the plate get by me. The pitch he threw me on 3-2 was a change-up high, probably out of the (strike) zone, but after the 3-1 strike, I wasn’t going take it. This time it paid off.”
Thanks to Patton’s heroics – and the speed he demonstrated by scoring from first base on Dee Brown’s double – the Goldeyes stopped a two-game losing streak. The Fish haven’t lost three-in-a-row this season.
Winnipeg is now 22-9, four games up on second-place Schaumburg. Game 3 in this four-game series goes at 1:30 today at Canwest Park.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
June 20: Goldeyes Play Sluggishly & Get Shut Out By JackHammers
Before Friday night’s game at Canwest Park, most Goldeyes players were just happy to be home.
“I can tell you I was never happier than when we got back to Winnipeg after this last road trip,” said catcher Dustin Richardson. “It’s good to be home.”
Outfielder Dee Brown concurred.
“It’s good to be back and now we have to go out and make the best of this four-game homestand,” Brown said on Shaw TV’s pre-game show.
Unfortunately for the Fish, the homestand didn’t start out quite the way they wanted.
Although starter Ace Walker pitched a solid eight innings, allowing only three runs (just one earned run) on eight hits, the Goldeyes offence had nothing in the tank as Winnipeg was whipped 5-0 by Joliet.
With the loss, the Fish fell to 21-9 on the season, still first in the Northern League, but now only four games ahead of second-place Schaumburg.
It was an odd outcome, considering Joliet played Thursday night, hopped on the bus, drove 15 hours to Winnipeg, got to the city at about 4 p.m., showered, showed up at the park and played an almost flawless game.
“Baseball is funny that way,” said Joliet third baseman Andrew Pinckney, who had a doubles, a home run, a run scored and two runs batted in and was Dufresne Furniture Player of the Game.
“You get a team like ours that has to take the long bus ride, about 15 or 16 hours, gets to Winnipeg late in the day, has enough time to get into the hotel, shower and then get to the park. We were all just bagged. In that case, you either come out and get whipped or you play great. Who knows? Tonight we were great. It’s just one of those things.”
While Pinckney had a terrific game, Tydus Meadows wasn’t bad either. Meadows went two-for-four with two doubles as last-place Joliet improved to 12-20 this season.
For Winnipeg, there was some offence... but not much. Brown had a pair of hits as did Josh Asanovich and Cody Ehlers, but that was it. The closest the Fish came to scoring was in the second inning when they loaded the bases with none out, but Joliet starter Brad Mumma wriggled off the hook.
Despite the loss, it was still a great night at the ballpark as the Goldeyes welcomed special guest Carmine Cappuccio, the third honored player in this year’s Flashback Fridays celebration.
Cappuccio and his two youngsters tossed out the first pitch(es) and then Carmine was feted later in the game at field level. As a guest on the Shaw TV broadcast, he recounted the time he was dumped by Double A Birmingham in favor of a weak-hitting basketball player named Michael Jordan.
“In 1994, I had been named the starting right fielder for the Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox),” Cappuccio recalled. “A few days later, we were told that Michael Jordan was going to play baseball and that he was being assigned to Birmingham. Next day, the papers said he would be the starting right fielder.
“The White Sox sent me to Single A where I had a good year (.292 with 30 doubles, 12 homers and 60 RBI in 401 at bats), but I really thought that with that Double A team in Birmingham – it wasn’t a particularly good team – I could make a name for myself within the organization. It just didn’t happen.”
Jordan hit .202 in 127 games with Birmingham and returned to basketball. Cappuccio’s career with the White Sox, meanwhile, never quite reached the heights he had hoped.
Still, the former Goldeyes all-star outfielder that hit .359 with 39 doubles, nine homers and 80 RBI in 2001 has no regrets.
“I believe everything happens for a reason,” said Cappuccio, who is now the executive vice-president of sales and marketing for Spectrum Laboratory in Greensboro, North Carolina. “Things might have been different had I played that year in Birmingham, or maybe not. Nobody knows.
“What I do know, is that I got to play my last year in Winnipeg and I loved every minute of it and then I went into the working world and have enjoyed some success and I have a great family. It’s pretty hard for me to complain.”
“I can tell you I was never happier than when we got back to Winnipeg after this last road trip,” said catcher Dustin Richardson. “It’s good to be home.”
Outfielder Dee Brown concurred.
“It’s good to be back and now we have to go out and make the best of this four-game homestand,” Brown said on Shaw TV’s pre-game show.
Unfortunately for the Fish, the homestand didn’t start out quite the way they wanted.
Although starter Ace Walker pitched a solid eight innings, allowing only three runs (just one earned run) on eight hits, the Goldeyes offence had nothing in the tank as Winnipeg was whipped 5-0 by Joliet.
With the loss, the Fish fell to 21-9 on the season, still first in the Northern League, but now only four games ahead of second-place Schaumburg.
It was an odd outcome, considering Joliet played Thursday night, hopped on the bus, drove 15 hours to Winnipeg, got to the city at about 4 p.m., showered, showed up at the park and played an almost flawless game.
“Baseball is funny that way,” said Joliet third baseman Andrew Pinckney, who had a doubles, a home run, a run scored and two runs batted in and was Dufresne Furniture Player of the Game.
“You get a team like ours that has to take the long bus ride, about 15 or 16 hours, gets to Winnipeg late in the day, has enough time to get into the hotel, shower and then get to the park. We were all just bagged. In that case, you either come out and get whipped or you play great. Who knows? Tonight we were great. It’s just one of those things.”
While Pinckney had a terrific game, Tydus Meadows wasn’t bad either. Meadows went two-for-four with two doubles as last-place Joliet improved to 12-20 this season.
For Winnipeg, there was some offence... but not much. Brown had a pair of hits as did Josh Asanovich and Cody Ehlers, but that was it. The closest the Fish came to scoring was in the second inning when they loaded the bases with none out, but Joliet starter Brad Mumma wriggled off the hook.
Despite the loss, it was still a great night at the ballpark as the Goldeyes welcomed special guest Carmine Cappuccio, the third honored player in this year’s Flashback Fridays celebration.
Cappuccio and his two youngsters tossed out the first pitch(es) and then Carmine was feted later in the game at field level. As a guest on the Shaw TV broadcast, he recounted the time he was dumped by Double A Birmingham in favor of a weak-hitting basketball player named Michael Jordan.
“In 1994, I had been named the starting right fielder for the Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox),” Cappuccio recalled. “A few days later, we were told that Michael Jordan was going to play baseball and that he was being assigned to Birmingham. Next day, the papers said he would be the starting right fielder.
“The White Sox sent me to Single A where I had a good year (.292 with 30 doubles, 12 homers and 60 RBI in 401 at bats), but I really thought that with that Double A team in Birmingham – it wasn’t a particularly good team – I could make a name for myself within the organization. It just didn’t happen.”
Jordan hit .202 in 127 games with Birmingham and returned to basketball. Cappuccio’s career with the White Sox, meanwhile, never quite reached the heights he had hoped.
Still, the former Goldeyes all-star outfielder that hit .359 with 39 doubles, nine homers and 80 RBI in 2001 has no regrets.
“I believe everything happens for a reason,” said Cappuccio, who is now the executive vice-president of sales and marketing for Spectrum Laboratory in Greensboro, North Carolina. “Things might have been different had I played that year in Birmingham, or maybe not. Nobody knows.
“What I do know, is that I got to play my last year in Winnipeg and I loved every minute of it and then I went into the working world and have enjoyed some success and I have a great family. It’s pretty hard for me to complain.”
Monday, June 15, 2009
June 15: Goldeyes Move To 20-6 Following Double-Header Split In Joliet
Gary SouthShore RailCats manager Greg Tagert has this thing about Northern League double-headers. He figures there are days when his counterpart, Goldeyes manager Rick Forney, doesn’t like them either.
“I just don’t like seven-inning games,” Tagert said last week, referring to the fact that in the Northern League, all double-header games are seven innings. “I don’t think the Goldeyes would like them much either. We’re both teams that score in the eighth and ninth innings to win games. I know, in our case, our mindset is to play the game hard, right through to the ninth inning. A seven-inning game shouldn’t change the way you play, but mentally, I think it does.
“In a seven-inning game, if you fall behind, it’s just that much harder to come back and win.”
True. It’s a full two innings harder. And on Sunday in Joliet, the Goldeyes found out that in Game 1, getting ahead worked to their advantage and in Game 2, falling behind worked to Joliet’s advantage.
The Northern League’s first-place Goldeyes spilt a pair of games at Silver Cross Field. In Game 1, the Fish jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead and then rode Ace Walker’s arm to a 3-0 victory. In Game 2, the Goldeyes fell behind 2-0 and couldn’t solve JackHammers starter Rory Shortell, losing 2-0 to fall to 20-6 on the season.
While Forney told reporters the team lost Game 2 because of a pair of errors in the second inning, it sure didn’t help that the Fish did nothing offensively. With only seven innings to work with, if you can’t get deep into the opponent’s bullpen, chances of beating one of the league’s top starters becomes extremely difficult.
On the upside, Walker pitched brilliantly in Game 1 as he went the distance, scattered seven hits to improve to 4-0 on the season.
The loss in Game 2 put a halt to Winnipeg’s eight-game winning streak. It also left the Fish 10-3 on the road this season and 10-3 at home. The Goldeyes lead second-place Schaumburg by five-and-a-half games.
Winnipeg completes its three-game series in Joliet tonight and then faces the RedHawks in Fargo tomorrow.
“I just don’t like seven-inning games,” Tagert said last week, referring to the fact that in the Northern League, all double-header games are seven innings. “I don’t think the Goldeyes would like them much either. We’re both teams that score in the eighth and ninth innings to win games. I know, in our case, our mindset is to play the game hard, right through to the ninth inning. A seven-inning game shouldn’t change the way you play, but mentally, I think it does.
“In a seven-inning game, if you fall behind, it’s just that much harder to come back and win.”
True. It’s a full two innings harder. And on Sunday in Joliet, the Goldeyes found out that in Game 1, getting ahead worked to their advantage and in Game 2, falling behind worked to Joliet’s advantage.
The Northern League’s first-place Goldeyes spilt a pair of games at Silver Cross Field. In Game 1, the Fish jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead and then rode Ace Walker’s arm to a 3-0 victory. In Game 2, the Goldeyes fell behind 2-0 and couldn’t solve JackHammers starter Rory Shortell, losing 2-0 to fall to 20-6 on the season.
While Forney told reporters the team lost Game 2 because of a pair of errors in the second inning, it sure didn’t help that the Fish did nothing offensively. With only seven innings to work with, if you can’t get deep into the opponent’s bullpen, chances of beating one of the league’s top starters becomes extremely difficult.
On the upside, Walker pitched brilliantly in Game 1 as he went the distance, scattered seven hits to improve to 4-0 on the season.
The loss in Game 2 put a halt to Winnipeg’s eight-game winning streak. It also left the Fish 10-3 on the road this season and 10-3 at home. The Goldeyes lead second-place Schaumburg by five-and-a-half games.
Winnipeg completes its three-game series in Joliet tonight and then faces the RedHawks in Fargo tomorrow.
Friday, June 12, 2009
June 12: Richardson The Hero. Now He Gets To Go Fishing... and Maybe Play Golf, Too.
While being interviewed by Shaw TV, after being named Dufresne Furniture’s Player of the Game on Thursday, Dustin Richardson said he was looking forward to a rare two days off.
“So are you going to play golf or go fishing?” Jim Toth asked Richardson.
“Ahh, both?’” answered Richardson, with a wide smile.
No doubt he’s earned it.
On Thursday, Richardson went two-for-three and drove in two important runs as he and that super Goldeyes pitching staff led the Fish to a 6-2 victory over the visiting Gary SouthShore RailCats.
With the win, the Goldeyes swept the RailCats, won their seventh-straight game, ninth-in-a-row at home and improved to 19-5 on the season. The Fish remain in first place in the Northern League, four games ahead of second place Schaumburg.
“I love winning,” Richardson said with a mischievous grin. “Winning is fun and this team is going to win a lot this year.”
In the second inning, Richardson doubled, sending Josh Asanovich to third base. Asanovich then scored on a ground out by Brent Metheny to give Winnipeg a 4-2 lead.
However, in the sixth, with Winnipeg ahead 4-2 and the RailCats nibbling away Winnipeg’s lead, Richardson put the game away. With two out, the bases loaded and two strikes, the Goldeyes catcher went with an outside fastball and drove it into right field for a two-run single that guaranteed the Fish their second-straight home sweep (the Goldeyes took three from Fargo last weekend).
It also guaranteed that Richardson would enjoy every minute of both a little fishing and a little golf.
“This is a very good team, but nothing is guaranteed,” Richardson said. “We still have to go out there and earn our wins and I thought we did that (Thursday).”
It didn’t hurt that the pitching staff Richardson handles almost every day did another outstanding job. The Goldeyes pitching was so good against Gary this week that the staff never once allowed more than two runs. In fact, the scores for the four games were 4-2, 6-2, 3-2 and 4-2.
Starter Andrew Cruse (2-1), who allowed both Gary runs, was the winner, while Derek Feldkamp pitched in the sixth and seventh innings and young Aaron Odom wrapped it up in the eighth and ninth.
“It was a great team effort once again,” said Richardson. “But it was nice to get a big hit when the team needed it.”
The Goldeyes hit the road today for a three-game set in Joliet followed by three in Fargo.
“So are you going to play golf or go fishing?” Jim Toth asked Richardson.
“Ahh, both?’” answered Richardson, with a wide smile.
No doubt he’s earned it.
On Thursday, Richardson went two-for-three and drove in two important runs as he and that super Goldeyes pitching staff led the Fish to a 6-2 victory over the visiting Gary SouthShore RailCats.
With the win, the Goldeyes swept the RailCats, won their seventh-straight game, ninth-in-a-row at home and improved to 19-5 on the season. The Fish remain in first place in the Northern League, four games ahead of second place Schaumburg.
“I love winning,” Richardson said with a mischievous grin. “Winning is fun and this team is going to win a lot this year.”
In the second inning, Richardson doubled, sending Josh Asanovich to third base. Asanovich then scored on a ground out by Brent Metheny to give Winnipeg a 4-2 lead.
However, in the sixth, with Winnipeg ahead 4-2 and the RailCats nibbling away Winnipeg’s lead, Richardson put the game away. With two out, the bases loaded and two strikes, the Goldeyes catcher went with an outside fastball and drove it into right field for a two-run single that guaranteed the Fish their second-straight home sweep (the Goldeyes took three from Fargo last weekend).
It also guaranteed that Richardson would enjoy every minute of both a little fishing and a little golf.
“This is a very good team, but nothing is guaranteed,” Richardson said. “We still have to go out there and earn our wins and I thought we did that (Thursday).”
It didn’t hurt that the pitching staff Richardson handles almost every day did another outstanding job. The Goldeyes pitching was so good against Gary this week that the staff never once allowed more than two runs. In fact, the scores for the four games were 4-2, 6-2, 3-2 and 4-2.
Starter Andrew Cruse (2-1), who allowed both Gary runs, was the winner, while Derek Feldkamp pitched in the sixth and seventh innings and young Aaron Odom wrapped it up in the eighth and ninth.
“It was a great team effort once again,” said Richardson. “But it was nice to get a big hit when the team needed it.”
The Goldeyes hit the road today for a three-game set in Joliet followed by three in Fargo.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
June 11: Bay Has Another Strong Start, Goldeyes Win Eighth-Straight at Home
Even on a rare night when the bats aren’t booming, the Goldeyes get a great pitching performance and win again.
Bear Bay (4-0) went six-plus innings and allowed two runs on eight hits, newcomer Tim Layden cleaned things up in the seventh, Jordan Stewart threw a scoreless eighth and Matt Davis put the game away in the ninth to record his league-leading seventh save, as the Goldeyes beat Gary 3-2 at Canwest Park on Wednesday.
With the win, the Goldeyes won their sixth-straight, eighth in a row at home and improved to 18-5 on the season. They remain in first place in the Northern League, three games ahead of second-place Schaumburg.
“That was the best I’ve felt all year in terms of my strength,” Bay said. “All year I’ve had good command and good location but I just didn’t feel strong. Tonight my location wasn’t as good as I’d like and I didn’t have the location I want on my curveball, but I really felt strong.
“And I didn’t expect it to be that good. I had a 30-pitch first inning and thought, this is going to be a long night. But I just got stronger. It was a good night.”
Offensively, it was an odd night for the Fish. The team scored three runs in the first and then had only one hit the rest of the way. Dee Brown hit a two-run homer to make the score 3-0 and that’s all Bay and the bullpen needed. Interestingly, because of the pitching, the Goldeyes won their first game this season in which they scored three-or-fewer runs.
“Honestly, with this team, I never worry about what I have to do,” Bay said. “I just go out and pitch the best I can. Sometimes you score, sometimes you don’t, but I don’t worry about it. With this team, you kind of expect a lot of hits and a lot of runs. Getting three runs in the first inning made my job a little easier.”
While it’s never really easy, this year’s Goldeyes team has made it look easy since the pre-season ended. In fact, there is a feeling in the clubhouse that this team could do great things this season.
“We believe we’re a good team,” Bay said. “During the baseball lessons I give in the off-season, I tell kids that if they believe in themselves, if they believe they can win, they can go out and win no matter how good people think the opponent might be.
“This team believes in itself. It believes it can win every night. If it continues to believe in itself, there is no telling what it can accomplish.”
Bear Bay (4-0) went six-plus innings and allowed two runs on eight hits, newcomer Tim Layden cleaned things up in the seventh, Jordan Stewart threw a scoreless eighth and Matt Davis put the game away in the ninth to record his league-leading seventh save, as the Goldeyes beat Gary 3-2 at Canwest Park on Wednesday.
With the win, the Goldeyes won their sixth-straight, eighth in a row at home and improved to 18-5 on the season. They remain in first place in the Northern League, three games ahead of second-place Schaumburg.
“That was the best I’ve felt all year in terms of my strength,” Bay said. “All year I’ve had good command and good location but I just didn’t feel strong. Tonight my location wasn’t as good as I’d like and I didn’t have the location I want on my curveball, but I really felt strong.
“And I didn’t expect it to be that good. I had a 30-pitch first inning and thought, this is going to be a long night. But I just got stronger. It was a good night.”
Offensively, it was an odd night for the Fish. The team scored three runs in the first and then had only one hit the rest of the way. Dee Brown hit a two-run homer to make the score 3-0 and that’s all Bay and the bullpen needed. Interestingly, because of the pitching, the Goldeyes won their first game this season in which they scored three-or-fewer runs.
“Honestly, with this team, I never worry about what I have to do,” Bay said. “I just go out and pitch the best I can. Sometimes you score, sometimes you don’t, but I don’t worry about it. With this team, you kind of expect a lot of hits and a lot of runs. Getting three runs in the first inning made my job a little easier.”
While it’s never really easy, this year’s Goldeyes team has made it look easy since the pre-season ended. In fact, there is a feeling in the clubhouse that this team could do great things this season.
“We believe we’re a good team,” Bay said. “During the baseball lessons I give in the off-season, I tell kids that if they believe in themselves, if they believe they can win, they can go out and win no matter how good people think the opponent might be.
“This team believes in itself. It believes it can win every night. If it continues to believe in itself, there is no telling what it can accomplish.”
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
June 10: Goldeyes Improve To 17-5 With Sweep Of Gary
Rick Forney’s Goldeyes have already done just about everything their manager could ask of them. And they’re not even a quarter of the way through the season.
With a double-header sweep of Gary on Tuesday, the Fish won their fifth-straight, their seventh-straight at home and improved to 17-5 on the season, the best start after 22 games in franchise history (the 1997 Goldeyes were 16-6 after 22 games).
As well, the Goldeyes remained three games ahead of the 14-8 Schaumburg Flyers in the race for first in the Northern League and with a .773 winning percentage, the Fish are the No. 1 team among the 63 teams in all the eight independent leagues. In fact, Winnipeg is now one of only four teams in those eight leagues with a winning percentage higher than .700.
For Forney, there really isn’t much to say.
“All I do is write out the line-up card and let them do what they do,” he said. “Sure, I’ll change a pitcher or two or send out a pinch-runner, but I don’t have to do too much. I just put them out there and let them play the game.”
And they play the game pretty well. On Tuesday, the Fish beat Gary 4-2 and 6-2 in a pair of seven-inning games.
In game one, Wes Long (.380 batting average and a .576 slugging percentage) had a pair of hits, Josh Asanovich hit a two-run homer, Juan Diaz and Cody Ehlers drove home runs, Ace Walker (3-0) got the win and Matt Davis picked up his league-leading sixth save.
In game two, Long went one-for-two with two walks, a homer and two RBI, Diaz had three hits in three trips, a homer, scored a run and drove one in, Kurt Crowell went two-for-three with a run scored, Dee Brown hit a solo bomb (right after Diaz), Daniel Haigwood (2-0) got the win and Aaron Odom picked up the save.
“Our pitching was really solid in both games,” Forney said. “Daniel (Haigwood) pitched five super innings in game two, Ace (Walker) was steady, with great command of all his pitches in game one and I really thought (Derek) Feldkamp threw the baseball very well. Everybody did a great job.
“Of course, it never hurts to play good defence behind your pitchers and that’s another thing I like about this team. All teams make mistakes, but so far, when we make mistakes, we overcome them. We make a big play and make up for a mental mistake or an error. What can I say? They have been a joy to watch.”
And you can watch them again tonight at Canwest Park at 7:00.
With a double-header sweep of Gary on Tuesday, the Fish won their fifth-straight, their seventh-straight at home and improved to 17-5 on the season, the best start after 22 games in franchise history (the 1997 Goldeyes were 16-6 after 22 games).
As well, the Goldeyes remained three games ahead of the 14-8 Schaumburg Flyers in the race for first in the Northern League and with a .773 winning percentage, the Fish are the No. 1 team among the 63 teams in all the eight independent leagues. In fact, Winnipeg is now one of only four teams in those eight leagues with a winning percentage higher than .700.
For Forney, there really isn’t much to say.
“All I do is write out the line-up card and let them do what they do,” he said. “Sure, I’ll change a pitcher or two or send out a pinch-runner, but I don’t have to do too much. I just put them out there and let them play the game.”
And they play the game pretty well. On Tuesday, the Fish beat Gary 4-2 and 6-2 in a pair of seven-inning games.
In game one, Wes Long (.380 batting average and a .576 slugging percentage) had a pair of hits, Josh Asanovich hit a two-run homer, Juan Diaz and Cody Ehlers drove home runs, Ace Walker (3-0) got the win and Matt Davis picked up his league-leading sixth save.
In game two, Long went one-for-two with two walks, a homer and two RBI, Diaz had three hits in three trips, a homer, scored a run and drove one in, Kurt Crowell went two-for-three with a run scored, Dee Brown hit a solo bomb (right after Diaz), Daniel Haigwood (2-0) got the win and Aaron Odom picked up the save.
“Our pitching was really solid in both games,” Forney said. “Daniel (Haigwood) pitched five super innings in game two, Ace (Walker) was steady, with great command of all his pitches in game one and I really thought (Derek) Feldkamp threw the baseball very well. Everybody did a great job.
“Of course, it never hurts to play good defence behind your pitchers and that’s another thing I like about this team. All teams make mistakes, but so far, when we make mistakes, we overcome them. We make a big play and make up for a mental mistake or an error. What can I say? They have been a joy to watch.”
And you can watch them again tonight at Canwest Park at 7:00.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
June 9: Rainouts Used To Bother Forney, But Not Anymore
The Goldeyes were rained out Monday night. The 15-5, first-place Fish were scheduled to face the Gary SouthShore RailCats but... well, we all know what the weather was like, no sense beating that to death.
There was a time when Goldeyes manager Rick Forney used to worry about rainouts. For one thing, it could mess up his pitching rotation. For another, if his team was on a roll, he didn’t want it to stop.
This year, however, Forney sees the rain and just shrugs.
“To have a number of rainouts when you’re trying to get into a routine can be hard,” Forney said, shortly after the umpires agreed to call Monday’s game. “But this doesn’t change anything for us. We have two games off this weekend, and that’s very rare, so I don’t have to change anything. Under normal circumstances, this might be a bad thing, but not this year.”
The Fish have won three-straight games, eight of their last 10 and 15 of their first 20. One might think Forney would be unhappy with a rainout putting a halt to his team’s roll, but as long as he’s winning, he doesn’t seem to think a day off will hurt anybody.
“Some people believe that rainouts help teams that are losing, but I don’t believe that,” Forney said. “When you’re struggling, the last thing you want to do is just sit around thinking about losing. If you’re in a slump and you’re not playing, you’re thinking about all the bad things.
“Fortunately, we’re winning and whether or not we’re rained out or we’re still playing, we have the guys on this team who are capable of handling any situation. This is a good team, it’s a good clubhouse. I’m not concerned about a rainout or a double-header. Whatever. We’ll be fine.”
Well, he got the rainout, now he gets the double-header. The Fish and RailCats will play a twinbill – two seven-inning games – Tuesday night at Canwest Park beginning at 6:00.
There was a time when Goldeyes manager Rick Forney used to worry about rainouts. For one thing, it could mess up his pitching rotation. For another, if his team was on a roll, he didn’t want it to stop.
This year, however, Forney sees the rain and just shrugs.
“To have a number of rainouts when you’re trying to get into a routine can be hard,” Forney said, shortly after the umpires agreed to call Monday’s game. “But this doesn’t change anything for us. We have two games off this weekend, and that’s very rare, so I don’t have to change anything. Under normal circumstances, this might be a bad thing, but not this year.”
The Fish have won three-straight games, eight of their last 10 and 15 of their first 20. One might think Forney would be unhappy with a rainout putting a halt to his team’s roll, but as long as he’s winning, he doesn’t seem to think a day off will hurt anybody.
“Some people believe that rainouts help teams that are losing, but I don’t believe that,” Forney said. “When you’re struggling, the last thing you want to do is just sit around thinking about losing. If you’re in a slump and you’re not playing, you’re thinking about all the bad things.
“Fortunately, we’re winning and whether or not we’re rained out or we’re still playing, we have the guys on this team who are capable of handling any situation. This is a good team, it’s a good clubhouse. I’m not concerned about a rainout or a double-header. Whatever. We’ll be fine.”
Well, he got the rainout, now he gets the double-header. The Fish and RailCats will play a twinbill – two seven-inning games – Tuesday night at Canwest Park beginning at 6:00.
Monday, June 8, 2009
June 8: Long the Hero Again as Fish Sweep Fargo
Wes Long says he likes to try to “let the ball get deep” when he faces a two-strike count of any kind.
“If it isn’t a two-strike count, I’ll get out front a little bit and try to hit the ball hard into leftf ield of left-centre,” said the Goldeyes shortstop. “When I have two strikes on me, I like to let it get deeper and get a better look at it. Maybe hit it to centre or right field. I don’t shorten my swing, I just wait a little longer.”
That strategy worked perfectly on Sunday afternoon. With the game tied 5-5, two-out in the bottom of the ninth, Adam Frost on second and Long facing a 3-and-2 count, Winnipeg’s leading hitter waited for a fastball to get into the middle of the plate and then he jumped on it, driving a line-shot, base hit to centre field.
Frost, one of the fastest players on the team, scored easily from second base as the Goldeyes not only won 6-5, but swept the RedHawks out of Canwest Park (the second time the Goldeyes have swept Fargo this year), improved to 15-5 on the season and remained two full games ahead of Schaumburg in the race for first in the Northern League.
For Long, who replaced fan-favourite Max Poulin at shortstop this season, this was a remarkable effort. He went three-for-four, scored a run, drove in three, including both the tying and winning runs. He also doubled to lead off the game and scored the game’s first run.
Through 20 games, Long is hitting .385 with nine doubles, a homer, five walks, a slugging percentage of .538 and an on-base percentage of .422.
“I’ve been doing alright,” said Long, trying to (a) stay modest and (b) not jinx his great start. “I’m just trying to keep being consistent and bring consistency to the rest of the season.
“All I’ve tried to do is stay on top of the ball and hit it hard. Hitting is a strange thing. Some days you can go three-for-four and drive in runs. Other days you can go one-for-six, like I did on Saturday night. I just want to stay consistent, that’s all. If I do that, everything else will be fine.”
“If it isn’t a two-strike count, I’ll get out front a little bit and try to hit the ball hard into leftf ield of left-centre,” said the Goldeyes shortstop. “When I have two strikes on me, I like to let it get deeper and get a better look at it. Maybe hit it to centre or right field. I don’t shorten my swing, I just wait a little longer.”
That strategy worked perfectly on Sunday afternoon. With the game tied 5-5, two-out in the bottom of the ninth, Adam Frost on second and Long facing a 3-and-2 count, Winnipeg’s leading hitter waited for a fastball to get into the middle of the plate and then he jumped on it, driving a line-shot, base hit to centre field.
Frost, one of the fastest players on the team, scored easily from second base as the Goldeyes not only won 6-5, but swept the RedHawks out of Canwest Park (the second time the Goldeyes have swept Fargo this year), improved to 15-5 on the season and remained two full games ahead of Schaumburg in the race for first in the Northern League.
For Long, who replaced fan-favourite Max Poulin at shortstop this season, this was a remarkable effort. He went three-for-four, scored a run, drove in three, including both the tying and winning runs. He also doubled to lead off the game and scored the game’s first run.
Through 20 games, Long is hitting .385 with nine doubles, a homer, five walks, a slugging percentage of .538 and an on-base percentage of .422.
“I’ve been doing alright,” said Long, trying to (a) stay modest and (b) not jinx his great start. “I’m just trying to keep being consistent and bring consistency to the rest of the season.
“All I’ve tried to do is stay on top of the ball and hit it hard. Hitting is a strange thing. Some days you can go three-for-four and drive in runs. Other days you can go one-for-six, like I did on Saturday night. I just want to stay consistent, that’s all. If I do that, everything else will be fine.”
Sunday, June 7, 2009
June 7: While The Goldeyes Win, Manitoba’s Baseball Hall of Fame Gathers in Morden
MORDEN, MB – At Canwest Park on Saturday, the Goldeyes won a 12-inning thriller. Brent Metheny, Kevin West, Cory Patton and Dee Brown all had multi-hit games while Zach Baldwin earned the win in relief as the Fish shaded Fargo-Moorhead 6-5.
It was another 13-hit night for the Fish, who built a 5-0 lead before the RedHawks battled back to tie it against starter Bear Bay. But the bullpen (Derek Feldkamp, Matt Davis and Baldwin) held it together long enough for the Fish to win it in the twelfth.
It was Winnipeg’s second-straight win as the Goldeyes improved to 14-5 on the season and moved two full games ahead of second-place Schaumburg in the Northern League.
While today’s Goldeyes were winning in Winnipeg, a couple of former Goldeyes were centre-stage in Morden as the 2009 class of inductees into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame was honoured.
Scott Neiles, the former Goldeyes first-base coach and the man who still provides the team’s uniforms through his business, Home Run Sports, was one of eight individual inductees. As well, former Goldeyes general manager John Hindle, already in the Hall as an individual player, joined one of his former teams, the 1988-93 Giroux A’s, as one of three teams inducted.
“Baseball has provided me with a wonderful life,” Neiles said as he acknowledged his family members in attendance. “But I would like to say this to my brother Kevin and sister Deb. Kevin won a Grey Cup and I was lucky enough to win a Northern League championship with the Goldeyes. Deb, if you’d just won the Stanley Cup, we would have had the trifecta.”
Neiles was inducted along with other players Rod Fallis of Vita, Bill Kinley of Stonewall, Kerry Lowe of Bradwardine, Brian Reid of Carman and Wayne Seidler of Winnipeg. Neiles was also inducted as a builder along with Reid, Bob Smith of Winnipeg and Gordon Fines of Stonewall.
Three teams were inducted: The 1962-67 St. Lazare Athletics, the 1979-84 Carberry Royals and the 1988-93 Giroux A’s. And there was a special induction awarded to the Robertson Family – Al, Lorna, Jeff and Randy – from Hamiota.
Amazingly, there was only one standing ovation on the evening. That was reserved for Wayne Seidler who has been battling Parkinson’s Disease for more than two years with a combination of baseball, golf and humour.
Seidler, who played in the national over-45 championship in Red Deer two years ago, despite his Parkinson’s, gave the attendees a five-minute stand-up comedy routine that brought down the house. In it, he told a story about himself and Hindle.
“I was glad to see that John nominated me for the Hall because I didn’t think he liked me,” Seidler said. “Back in 1979, I was pitching and I hit him in the foot. He wasn’t very happy. A couple of years later I talked to him and apologized. But I also had to tell him. When I’m pitching, you have to pay attention... when you’re in the on-deck circle.”
It was another 13-hit night for the Fish, who built a 5-0 lead before the RedHawks battled back to tie it against starter Bear Bay. But the bullpen (Derek Feldkamp, Matt Davis and Baldwin) held it together long enough for the Fish to win it in the twelfth.
It was Winnipeg’s second-straight win as the Goldeyes improved to 14-5 on the season and moved two full games ahead of second-place Schaumburg in the Northern League.
While today’s Goldeyes were winning in Winnipeg, a couple of former Goldeyes were centre-stage in Morden as the 2009 class of inductees into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame was honoured.
Scott Neiles, the former Goldeyes first-base coach and the man who still provides the team’s uniforms through his business, Home Run Sports, was one of eight individual inductees. As well, former Goldeyes general manager John Hindle, already in the Hall as an individual player, joined one of his former teams, the 1988-93 Giroux A’s, as one of three teams inducted.
“Baseball has provided me with a wonderful life,” Neiles said as he acknowledged his family members in attendance. “But I would like to say this to my brother Kevin and sister Deb. Kevin won a Grey Cup and I was lucky enough to win a Northern League championship with the Goldeyes. Deb, if you’d just won the Stanley Cup, we would have had the trifecta.”
Neiles was inducted along with other players Rod Fallis of Vita, Bill Kinley of Stonewall, Kerry Lowe of Bradwardine, Brian Reid of Carman and Wayne Seidler of Winnipeg. Neiles was also inducted as a builder along with Reid, Bob Smith of Winnipeg and Gordon Fines of Stonewall.
Three teams were inducted: The 1962-67 St. Lazare Athletics, the 1979-84 Carberry Royals and the 1988-93 Giroux A’s. And there was a special induction awarded to the Robertson Family – Al, Lorna, Jeff and Randy – from Hamiota.
Amazingly, there was only one standing ovation on the evening. That was reserved for Wayne Seidler who has been battling Parkinson’s Disease for more than two years with a combination of baseball, golf and humour.
Seidler, who played in the national over-45 championship in Red Deer two years ago, despite his Parkinson’s, gave the attendees a five-minute stand-up comedy routine that brought down the house. In it, he told a story about himself and Hindle.
“I was glad to see that John nominated me for the Hall because I didn’t think he liked me,” Seidler said. “Back in 1979, I was pitching and I hit him in the foot. He wasn’t very happy. A couple of years later I talked to him and apologized. But I also had to tell him. When I’m pitching, you have to pay attention... when you’re in the on-deck circle.”
Saturday, June 6, 2009
June 6: Metheny Comes Up Big As Goldeyes Drill RedHawks 13-6
Anyone that has followed the Northern League for the past couple of seasons knew that it wouldn’t take long for Brent Metheny to finally have his spring thaw.
Hitting just .246, going into Friday night’s game with Fargo-Moorhead, Metheny exploded for three hits in five trips. All three were extra base hits – two doubles and a home run – as he drove in five runs and scored twice to lead the Goldeyes to a 13-6 win at Canwest Park.
Last year, Metheny hit .357, one of the best averages in the Northern League. This year, through the first 17 games, he had struggled at the plate.
With the impressive win, first-place Winnipeg improved to 13-5 and remained a game ahead of the second-place Schaumburg Flyers, a red-hot outfit that has won eight-straight.
Metheny, meanwhile, raised his batting average to .270 and his slugging percentage to .527.
“Mostly it’s just patience,” Metheny told Shaw TV following the game. “I just had to start being more patient at the plate and start looking for better pitches to hit (he hit his home run on a 3-2 count). I had to quit swinging at the low, outside, off-speed stuff. I was more patient tonight and made better contact.”
It could be said the entire Goldeyes team made better contact on Friday as the Fish ripped 14 hits – 11 for extra bases, including seven doubles, a triple and three homers – as Winnipeg hung an eight-spot on the RedHawks in the second inning to put an end to this one early.
Along with Metheny’s big night, Dee Brown (.292) went two-for-four with two runs scored; Dustin Richardson (.355 with a .516 slugging percentage) had another big game, going two-for-three with a walk, three runs scored and one driven in; Wes Long (.368 with a .513 slugging percentage) went one-for-two with two walks, a run scored and two driven in; Cody Ehlers (.290) went three-for-five with two runs scored and one driven in. Every starter except centre fielder Cody Patton had at least one hit. Kevin West (league-leading six home runs) and Juan Diaz (.299) hit back-to-back homers in the second.
“It was good for everybody to swing the bats well, this was a great team effort,” said Metheny. “We’re a team that’s played well on the road this season and we have to start putting up some wins at home. This was a great way to start a seven-game homestand.”
The Goldeyes are now 9-2 on the road and 4-3 at Canwest Park.
Meanwhile, Metheny got a pie-ing from first-year teammate Josh Asanovich. While doing the post-game player-of-the-game interview with Jim Toth on Shaw, Asanovich came out of the dugout with the makeshift shaving cream pie and caught Metheny on the side of the face. The Goldeyes veteran took it in stride and actually got some TV shots in at Asanovich.
“What a rookie,” Metheny mocked. “First of all, if you’re going to do that, you come at a guy from the side, not head on. He got a piece of me, but only a piece because I’m way too quick for that.”
One thing is for certain. On Friday, Brent Metheny was way too quick for RedHawks pitching.
Hitting just .246, going into Friday night’s game with Fargo-Moorhead, Metheny exploded for three hits in five trips. All three were extra base hits – two doubles and a home run – as he drove in five runs and scored twice to lead the Goldeyes to a 13-6 win at Canwest Park.
Last year, Metheny hit .357, one of the best averages in the Northern League. This year, through the first 17 games, he had struggled at the plate.
With the impressive win, first-place Winnipeg improved to 13-5 and remained a game ahead of the second-place Schaumburg Flyers, a red-hot outfit that has won eight-straight.
Metheny, meanwhile, raised his batting average to .270 and his slugging percentage to .527.
“Mostly it’s just patience,” Metheny told Shaw TV following the game. “I just had to start being more patient at the plate and start looking for better pitches to hit (he hit his home run on a 3-2 count). I had to quit swinging at the low, outside, off-speed stuff. I was more patient tonight and made better contact.”
It could be said the entire Goldeyes team made better contact on Friday as the Fish ripped 14 hits – 11 for extra bases, including seven doubles, a triple and three homers – as Winnipeg hung an eight-spot on the RedHawks in the second inning to put an end to this one early.
Along with Metheny’s big night, Dee Brown (.292) went two-for-four with two runs scored; Dustin Richardson (.355 with a .516 slugging percentage) had another big game, going two-for-three with a walk, three runs scored and one driven in; Wes Long (.368 with a .513 slugging percentage) went one-for-two with two walks, a run scored and two driven in; Cody Ehlers (.290) went three-for-five with two runs scored and one driven in. Every starter except centre fielder Cody Patton had at least one hit. Kevin West (league-leading six home runs) and Juan Diaz (.299) hit back-to-back homers in the second.
“It was good for everybody to swing the bats well, this was a great team effort,” said Metheny. “We’re a team that’s played well on the road this season and we have to start putting up some wins at home. This was a great way to start a seven-game homestand.”
The Goldeyes are now 9-2 on the road and 4-3 at Canwest Park.
Meanwhile, Metheny got a pie-ing from first-year teammate Josh Asanovich. While doing the post-game player-of-the-game interview with Jim Toth on Shaw, Asanovich came out of the dugout with the makeshift shaving cream pie and caught Metheny on the side of the face. The Goldeyes veteran took it in stride and actually got some TV shots in at Asanovich.
“What a rookie,” Metheny mocked. “First of all, if you’re going to do that, you come at a guy from the side, not head on. He got a piece of me, but only a piece because I’m way too quick for that.”
One thing is for certain. On Friday, Brent Metheny was way too quick for RedHawks pitching.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
June 4: Goldeyes Return From Solid Road Trip to Open Seven-Game Homestand
Before he boarded the bus last Wednesday, Goldeyes coach Rudy Arias didn’t ask for a lot.
“If you understand the game, I think you say to yourself before a six-game road trip that if we come back 4-2 we’ve done a good job,” Arias said. “The other teams in this league are pretty good and if you can go through a season playing above .500 on the road, it’s a guarantee you’ve had a good year.
“I wouldn’t ask for 5-0 again (that’s how the Goldeyes fared to start the season on the season), but I think this team is good enough to go on the road and be 4-2.”
Ask and ye shall receive.
As the Goldeyes returned to Winnipeg to open a seven-game homestand starting Friday against arch-rival Fargo, the team just went 4-2 on the road after sweeping Joliet and winning one-of-three in Kansas City. The Fish are now 9-2 on the road this season, 12-5 overall and in first place in the Northern League, a game-and-a-half ahead of second-place Schaumburg.
There is now a real chance to make some hay with a solid homestand, after splitting a double-header in Kansas City on Wednesday.
The Fish won Game 1 of the twinbill with a thrilling 4-2 victory in 12 innings. As Northern League fans know, a double-header in this loop consists of two seven-inning games and when Game 1 goes 12 – and takes almost four hours to complete – you know it’s going to be a long day.
The T-Bones opened the scoring with a run in the third off Ace Walker, but the Fish evened the score in the top of the fourth off Luis Villarreal on a single by Cory Patton and a Dee Brown double.
In the top of the eleventh, the Goldeyes took a 2-1 lead when young Adam Frost tripled and scored on an RBI ground out by Patton. But T-Bones second baseman Damian Rolls tied it in the bottom of the frame with a solo homer off Goldeyes closer Matt Davis.
However, the Fish put it away in the top of twelve as Cody Ehlers singled and later scored when Dustin Richardson reached base on a throwing error by second baseman Neb Brown. Richardson later scored the insurance run on a Brent Metheny double.
Davis then pitched a perfect twelfth to win it and improve to 2-1 on the season.
In Game 2, the Goldeyes couldn’t solve Justin James, while Craig Hurba hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth as Kansas City earned a split with a 2-0 win.
So now the Goldeyes return to the friendly confines of Canwest Park for a three-game weekend series with Fargo, followed by four with the Gary SouthShore RailCats.
OK, so a 6-1 homestand wouldn’t be too much to ask, would it?
“If you understand the game, I think you say to yourself before a six-game road trip that if we come back 4-2 we’ve done a good job,” Arias said. “The other teams in this league are pretty good and if you can go through a season playing above .500 on the road, it’s a guarantee you’ve had a good year.
“I wouldn’t ask for 5-0 again (that’s how the Goldeyes fared to start the season on the season), but I think this team is good enough to go on the road and be 4-2.”
Ask and ye shall receive.
As the Goldeyes returned to Winnipeg to open a seven-game homestand starting Friday against arch-rival Fargo, the team just went 4-2 on the road after sweeping Joliet and winning one-of-three in Kansas City. The Fish are now 9-2 on the road this season, 12-5 overall and in first place in the Northern League, a game-and-a-half ahead of second-place Schaumburg.
There is now a real chance to make some hay with a solid homestand, after splitting a double-header in Kansas City on Wednesday.
The Fish won Game 1 of the twinbill with a thrilling 4-2 victory in 12 innings. As Northern League fans know, a double-header in this loop consists of two seven-inning games and when Game 1 goes 12 – and takes almost four hours to complete – you know it’s going to be a long day.
The T-Bones opened the scoring with a run in the third off Ace Walker, but the Fish evened the score in the top of the fourth off Luis Villarreal on a single by Cory Patton and a Dee Brown double.
In the top of the eleventh, the Goldeyes took a 2-1 lead when young Adam Frost tripled and scored on an RBI ground out by Patton. But T-Bones second baseman Damian Rolls tied it in the bottom of the frame with a solo homer off Goldeyes closer Matt Davis.
However, the Fish put it away in the top of twelve as Cody Ehlers singled and later scored when Dustin Richardson reached base on a throwing error by second baseman Neb Brown. Richardson later scored the insurance run on a Brent Metheny double.
Davis then pitched a perfect twelfth to win it and improve to 2-1 on the season.
In Game 2, the Goldeyes couldn’t solve Justin James, while Craig Hurba hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth as Kansas City earned a split with a 2-0 win.
So now the Goldeyes return to the friendly confines of Canwest Park for a three-game weekend series with Fargo, followed by four with the Gary SouthShore RailCats.
OK, so a 6-1 homestand wouldn’t be too much to ask, would it?
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
June 2: Richardson Loves Seeing Diaz in Goldeyes Clubhouse
No doubt about it, Goldeyes catcher Dustin Richardson is probably one of the happiest people in Winnipeg today. And not just because he’s hitting .364 with six doubles, a homer and three steals.
When he took his spot behind the plate in Joliet last weekend, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. This year, big Juan Diaz is no longer in the Joliet dugout. He wasn’t even in Joliet’s on-deck circle.
This year, big Juan Diaz plays for the Goldeyes and that makes Richardson very happy.
For those who might have forgotten, Richardson suffered an extremely serious head injury in Joliet on May 24 of last season. He was catching in the bottom of the second inning when Diaz, the JackHammers designated hitter, swung at a pitch from Goldeyes starter Ace Walker. Diaz’s bat shattered and a large shard struck Richardson on the side of the head.
The 24-year-old catcher was rushed to hospital and later transferred to a second hospital, where he underwent numerous x-rays, MRIs and CT scans. Despite wearing a catcher’s helmet, he suffered a fracture of the left temporal bone.
“Doctors told me I was very close to being hit in a place where I would not have survived,” Richardson said. “It was a scary time, but we made it through and even got back into the line-up last year. It’s great to be back, and this year, I’m wearing the full hockey-style catcher’s mask.”
Richardson, who hails from Siler City, North Carolina where he and his dad used to build race cars in the family’s garage, sure likes seeing Diaz in his own clubhouse.
“What a great guy,” Richardson said. “It’s nice that he’s on our team now. But that doesn’t mean that I’m still not looking out for myself. Bats are still breaking all the time in this league. Catching isn’t easy.”
When he took his spot behind the plate in Joliet last weekend, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. This year, big Juan Diaz is no longer in the Joliet dugout. He wasn’t even in Joliet’s on-deck circle.
This year, big Juan Diaz plays for the Goldeyes and that makes Richardson very happy.
For those who might have forgotten, Richardson suffered an extremely serious head injury in Joliet on May 24 of last season. He was catching in the bottom of the second inning when Diaz, the JackHammers designated hitter, swung at a pitch from Goldeyes starter Ace Walker. Diaz’s bat shattered and a large shard struck Richardson on the side of the head.
The 24-year-old catcher was rushed to hospital and later transferred to a second hospital, where he underwent numerous x-rays, MRIs and CT scans. Despite wearing a catcher’s helmet, he suffered a fracture of the left temporal bone.
“Doctors told me I was very close to being hit in a place where I would not have survived,” Richardson said. “It was a scary time, but we made it through and even got back into the line-up last year. It’s great to be back, and this year, I’m wearing the full hockey-style catcher’s mask.”
Richardson, who hails from Siler City, North Carolina where he and his dad used to build race cars in the family’s garage, sure likes seeing Diaz in his own clubhouse.
“What a great guy,” Richardson said. “It’s nice that he’s on our team now. But that doesn’t mean that I’m still not looking out for myself. Bats are still breaking all the time in this league. Catching isn’t easy.”
June 2: Lake County Fielders Open Store, Prepare For 2010 Season
Monday was a big day in Zion, Illinois. The Lake County Fielders have yet to play a Northern League game, but their store is now open.
That’s right, June 1 was the scheduled opening of the new Lake County Fielders retail outlet in Gurnee Mills Mall, a brand new store selling official team merchandise and tickets for the 2010 season.
The newest Northern League franchise isn’t fooling around. Last week, the team unveiled its new nickname and logo and is now in the retail business. The team owned by actor Kevin Costner and Schaumburg Flyers owner Rich Ehrenreich is moving forward at breakneck speed.
“The Fielders name and design logo really jumped out with Kevin (Costner) and I as the type of nostalgic, Midwestern image that we're trying to capture,” Ehrenreich said in a written statement. “We think fans will love the name and concept.”
After the six-week Allstate Name the Team contest ended last week, five names survived into the final before “Fielders” was chosen by the ball club. Costner loved the concept of relating his new ball club to W.P. Kinsella’s book, Field of Dreams, which was also made into a successful, popular movie in which he starred.
Meanwhile, not only will Costner and Ehrenreich own the team, they will also be behind the construction of its ballpark near the Six Flags amusement park in nearby Lake County.
Groundbreaking for the state-of-the-art, 8,000 capacity facility is expected in July with completion slated for May of 2010.
That’s right, June 1 was the scheduled opening of the new Lake County Fielders retail outlet in Gurnee Mills Mall, a brand new store selling official team merchandise and tickets for the 2010 season.
The newest Northern League franchise isn’t fooling around. Last week, the team unveiled its new nickname and logo and is now in the retail business. The team owned by actor Kevin Costner and Schaumburg Flyers owner Rich Ehrenreich is moving forward at breakneck speed.
“The Fielders name and design logo really jumped out with Kevin (Costner) and I as the type of nostalgic, Midwestern image that we're trying to capture,” Ehrenreich said in a written statement. “We think fans will love the name and concept.”
After the six-week Allstate Name the Team contest ended last week, five names survived into the final before “Fielders” was chosen by the ball club. Costner loved the concept of relating his new ball club to W.P. Kinsella’s book, Field of Dreams, which was also made into a successful, popular movie in which he starred.
Meanwhile, not only will Costner and Ehrenreich own the team, they will also be behind the construction of its ballpark near the Six Flags amusement park in nearby Lake County.
Groundbreaking for the state-of-the-art, 8,000 capacity facility is expected in July with completion slated for May of 2010.
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