Results tagged ‘ Boston Red Sox ’
2013 Baseball Trip-Game 1: Shifting gears into Greenville
Greenville Drive vs. Augusta GreenJackets
Flour Field-Greenville, SC: After flying into Charlotte, we headed south for the first game of our trip. We were about five miles from the Greenville exit, though, when traffic came to a stop. Complete stop. It took us about forty minutes to go that five miles, but we finally made it to Flour Field downtown well before game time. As with most downtown stadiums parking is scarce, so if you visit here be sure to leave yourself some time. The gift shop is outside the stadium, so it’s was easy to get our shopping done and leave it in the car. The Greenville Drive is affiliated with the Red Sox, and they really embrace the Nation. The outfield at Flour Field is replicated after Fenway Park, they have their own ‘green monster’, and they even sing ‘Sweet Caroline’ in the eighth inning. It was a good crowd with a fine baseball atmosphere, also. Lots of kids and families watching the game which is good to see. My only complaint about the stadium is that the netting extends beyond the dugouts, so it was difficult to see the game at times.
Me with Reedy Rip’it
The game itself was one of the best we’ve seen. Both the Drive and GreenJackets made some great defensive plays. In a high scoring game, Greenville hit three home runs while Augusta added one. I really recommend a Drive game for anyone in the area. We had a lot of fun, with great weather, and it was a perfect way to kick off our trip. The Drive have the best on field DJ I’ve seen, too. He really kept the crowd into the game without it being too much. Final Score: Greenville 10, Augusta 6.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Learning from the Pros
Carpenter Field-Charleviox, MI: This weekend the boys and I headed south to Charlevoix so Trevor could participate in a baseball clinic hosted by the MLBPAA Alumni and Little League Baseball. A good number of former Major Leaguers were on hand to teach kids ages 6-16. Some of the players on hand were Doug Mirabelli (Red Sox), Roger Mason (Tigers, Mets, Giants), Dennis Rasmussen (Yankees), Bruce Look (Twins), and Rob Ellis (Brewers). The alumni did a great job of giving the kids instruction in a positive manner, and they were all very patient with the younger kids. Trevor had a great time, and really learned from it. They were also talked to about respect and hard work, whether you’re playing baseball or doing anything else in life. My only regret, actually, is not fudging Brian’s age and letting him join the fun. He would have done very well, also. After the clinic the kids were given hot dogs, hamburgers, and chips for lunch, and the MLB Alumni signed autographs for them. The weather was beautiful, and it was a great day for us all around! I highly recommend it for anyone who wants their child to succeed.
MLB Alumni Rob Ellis helps Trevor with his throwing mechanics
Pitcher Roger Mason talking to the kids
Doug Mirabelli signs some baseballs for the kids
Promotion courtesy of the MLBPAA
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Whitecaps Alumni Update
Tigers release Boesch: After years in the Detroit Tigers system, the organization decided to release Boesch from his contract yesterday morning. Apparantly Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski tried to offer him in a trade, but there were no takers. Not there aren’t any teams interested in him, but not at the $2.3 million offered to him by Detroit to avoid an arbitration hearing this winter. Yesterday was the last day they could have cut Boesch, and only be responsible for 1/6 of his salary, less than $400,000 (only..haha). Spring training has been a tough one for Boesch, who’s injury early in spring training put him behind in the running for the final outfield, or even bench position. He’s a career .259 hitter, but only batted .240 last season with 12 home runs and 54 RBI’s. He hit only .230 against right-handers, and Detroit left him off of the post-season roster. Ironic, because after he was injured in the 2011 play-offs, it was seen as a major loss, and a reason the Tigers bowed out to the Rangers. He did have a banner year in 2011, though, hitting .286 with a .799 OPS. Other teams have interest in him, though, including the Yankees, Mets, Astros, and now the Red Sox. Of the teams listed, I like to see him go to the Red Sox. He might do very well hitting at Fenway, and even if he was designated to Pawtucket, I’d be able to see him play in May in Charlotte! As a member of the West Michigan Whitecaps in 2007, Boesch hit.267 with 19 doubles, 10 home runs, and 86 RBI’s.
Brennan Boesch with the Whitecaps back in 2007
Welcome back, Moya: Steven Moya played his first spring training game yesterday, after returning from an elbow injury, which took Tommy John surgery to fix. He went 3-3 against Florida Southern College, with a triple, a double,two RBI’s, and three runs scored. He had a bases-loaded double that scored two runs, and helped the Tigers to an 11-0 victory. During a press conference dicussing the Boesch release, Dombrowski named off some outfield prospects, and his comment about Moya was: “Moya might be better than all of them”. He was having a great season for the Whitecaps last year before being injured. He was hitting .288, with 14 doubles, 13 home runs, and 39 RBI’s at only 20 years old. In 2011, he hit .204, with 10 doubles, 13 homers, and 39 RBI’s as a 19-year-old. Good improvement for him, and he really cut down on his strike-outs, too. Tigers manager Jim Leyland seems to like him, too.
“He’s a prospect, and a good one,” stated Leyland to MLive.com. “That’s where he stands right now. He’s an impressive young man.”
I’m not sure where Moya will start this season, but a good bet he’ll at least be in Double-a Erie by mid-season. I can see him at Single-A Advanced Lakeland due to him getting a late start this spring, and I’ll be tracking his progress this season for sure.
Steven Moya with the Whitecaps last season
Photos courtesy of the West Michigan Whitecaps, Flickr, MLive.com
Logo of the Month: Greenville Drive
Primary Logo:
Alternate Logo:
Affiliation: Boston Red Sox
League: South Atlantic League
Home Field: Flour Field
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Summary: The first team we are scheduled to visit on this years’ baseball trip is the Drive, as they host the Augusta Green Jackets. This will be my first time seeing this team, though I am familiar with the South Atlantic League. I’ve seen the Savannah Sand Gnats in Georgia, and the Charleston River Dogs in South Carolina back in 2009. I’m very excited to visit Flour Field, as it looks like a beautiful ballpark. It’s located right downtown, and the ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson museum is right next door, which we plan on visiting also. The Drive franchise started out in Shelby, NC, as the Shelby Reds. The team has also been the Columbia Reds, Columbia Mets, and the Columbia/Greenville Bombers. The Drive name comes from the fact that the U.S. BMW Manufacturing plant and Michelin plant are in the area. Apparently the locals really wanted the team name to have something to do with Joe Jackson, but they went with the Drive instead. The mascot is a big frog named Reedy Rip’it, who looks a little like Wally the Green Monster in Boston. I can see myself getting a majority of Brian’s souvenirs here, though. The Drive’s secondary logo even looks a tad Boston Red Soxish. Flour Field also has a version of the Green Monster wall, also. Again, I’m really excited to catch a game here, as I am our other destinations. More to come!
Oh, Henry
The Detroit Tigers have traded former West Michigan Whitecaps second baseman turned outfielder, Justin Henry to the Boston Red Sox in a deal also involving the New York Mets. They, in turn, received second baseman Jeff Kobernus and LHP reliever Kyle Lobstein. While with the Whitecaps in 2008, Henry hit .295 with 24 doubles, and 27 stolen bases. He was also a Detroit organizational All-Star in 2011. I never really understood why the Tigers would move him to the outfield where they have an abundance of prospects, from the infield, in which they have few. They seem to have gotten a pretty decent infield prospect in Kobernus, though, who spent last season with Double-A Harrisburg (Nationals), stealing 42 bases and hitting .282. He was picked by Boston in the Rule 5 draft, then immediately traded for Henry. The Tigers think he might contend for a utility role in spring training, along with former ‘Caps Danny Worth and Ramon Santiago. Lefty pitcher Lobstein is expected to be in the Tigers’ bullpen next season. Last season he went 8-7 with a .407 ERA and 129 strikeouts for the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay). Both Rule 5 picks, Kobernus and Lobstein must remain on Detroit’s 25-man roster all season in 2013 or be offered back at half of their claiming price.
I will miss Justin Henry, though, as he was my favorite player off the 2008 team. As some of my readers know (who am I kidding?), I tend to favor the second baseman, being one myself. I always thought Henry would make it to Comerica Park. I did have something tingling in the back of my mind, though, something about Justin Henry and the old Tiger Stadium…then it hit me! The ball player should not be confused with the actor Justin Henry, though, who made it to Tiger Stadium in the Disney TV movie Tiger Town, staring him and Roy Scheider (JAWS). I really don’t remember this movie from when I was a kid, but picked it up a couple of years ago, and loved it. It is a sad story, though, about a young boy whose father died, but told him that anything is possible as long as he believed. Taking this advise to heart, he wished that his favorite player, an aging Scheider, would play like his old self. It worked!!! Due to the belief in his idol, the Tigers make a historic play-off run. The film also included great Ernie Harwell and Sparky Anderson playing themselves. I highly recommend this movie to any baseball fan, not just us Tiger fans. Oh, Justin Henry was also in some movie called Kramer vs. Kramer, where he almost won an award, or something. Just can’t compete with Tiger Town, though…
Justin Henry’s charactor misses his dad, but beleives the Tigers can win it all.
Top photo property of Minoring In Baseball
Movie photos courtesy of Walt Disney/Disney Channel
2012 Baseball Trip: The Road to Cooperstown
The National Baseball Hall of Fame
Cooperstown, NY: The road to Cooperstown, New York may not be what you’d expect. In fact, it is almost a like travelling back in time, to a place without super highways and sky scrapers. The road is carved into the landscape of up-state New York, passing farms and classic homes. It’s a journey to a simpler time when baseball was king of all sports…as it should be. The town itself is quaint, with the feel of the turn of the century, but I didn’t see too much of it on the way there, as I was so excited to reach my destination…the National Baseball Hall of Fame…
Inside your welcomed by Gehrig, Robinson, and Clemente. Pretty good trio of legends…
The actual Hall itself, which is pretty simple and elegant:
One of my favorite classic Tigers and fellow second baseman…Charlie Gehringer
I was surprised to see a display of movies that featured baseball:
The rest of the museum was sort of all over the place. It had no real flow to it, and you never really knew what you were going to see next. I’ve been to the Hockey HOF in Toronto, and I guess I was comparing that to the baseball one here in Cooperstown. I was disappointed to find that no other baseball was represented here other than MLB. Nothing on the Minor League, college baseball, international baseball (Olympics or WBC), Little League, Negro Leagues, or anything else. Even the display for the girls baseball was much smaller than I thought it would be. I did enjoy seeing some of the old memorabilia from the 1800′s and to see how the game evolved. There was plenty of room for more displays, though, and maybe recognizing some very good players and teams that will not make the Hall, but still meant a lot to the game of baseball. We had a fun time, and this was something that we just had to do to cross off our baseball bucket list, but I guess I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more to it. And then seeing the prices in the gift shop simply just ticked me off a bit…
At least my home town got a little recognition in the girls display
No individual players from the Detroit Tigers 1984 World Champions are in the Hall, but the team was too good not ro be represented in the museum.
Home plate from Emmet’s Field
Doubleday Field
Cooperstown, NY: While in the Coop, checking out Doubleday Field is a must. It’s and old-time throwback stadium, but I really like it’s simplicity. They have a summer college team play there now, so it’s good to see it in use. It’s too bad I couldn’t have seen a game played here, though. We used the parking lot here, too, and just walked to the HOF.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Classic Ballparks turn 100
Yesterday two classic ballparks turned the century mark: Fenway Park and Tiger Stadium. The obvious different between the two, is that the Red Sox organization had the foresight to maintain and upgrade their classic stadium and make it a monument of the most historic sport in the country. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers opted to abandon their abode on the corner of Michigan and Trumble for a new, state of the art, corporate named stadium, in Comerica Park in 2000. I was only at Tiger Stadium a few times, but those memories will stay with me forever. I can even remember being 5 years old an at my first game ever. I get recall all of the sights, sounds, and smells. It was a glorious place. I’m sure when I take my kids to Comerica, they’ll love the carousel and merry-go-round, but they’ll miss out on ambiance that Tiger Stadium held. I’m not saying that Tiger Stadium was a palace, and that it didn’t have its problems in the later years, but renovation was possible, as it was with Fenway. Ahhh…Fenway.You don’t have to be a BoSox fan to appreciate what Fenway is. The experience of watching a baseball game there simply can take your breath away. This was something that was on my bucket list that I was lucky enough to cross off thanks to last years baseball trip. The ghosts don’t haunt you there, but they welcome you, and show you around. The best way to describe it, is that you never really leave Fenway Park. It’s like you leave a part of your soul there, and it’s constantly beckoning you back….
The ponchos were cheesy, but they kept us dry
Photos property of M.I.B.
2011 BBT Day 5: Fenway and the Freedom Trail
Fenway Ballpark and Freedom Trail Tours: Boston, MA
Boston is to beautiful and historic not to poke around a bit before we headed southwest for our next ballgame. We started our day by taking the earliest tour of Fenway which was nine in the morning. Nine o’clock is pretty early when your on vacation, but I didn’t have much trouble getting motivated to see this ballpark again. We were given a history of the park and taken on top of the Green Monster. The Monsta’ seats would be a great place to watch a game, but very expensive. We were taken through the Red Sox Hall of Fame and shown some of the baseball artifacts they have inside the park. The tour concluded on the Budweiser balcony with a history of Ted Williams’ longest home run at the park. I would have liked to have gotten on the field, in the dugout and locker room, or even in the press box. They explained that they gave so many tours a day it would disrupt too much to have that traffic all day. It’s still worth it, though, just to be inside the park for a little while longer. When you leave Fenway, you feel incomplete…like part of your soul was left inside, and it’s constantly beckoning you back….
On toppa da Monsta
Red Sox Hall of Fame
Retired numbers and the Ted Williams seat
Statue of Ted Williams
After the Fenway tour was over, we jetted down to the Boston Common to catch the next Freedom Trail tour. We were given a history of the Common, the State House, and were able to see some of the oldest cemetaries in the country. It was fun to hear the real stories behind legendary heroes Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock. I guess I should have paid more attention in history class in school, because some of this stuff sounded new to me. For lunch we ate at Cheers, which still stands as one of my favorite shows of all time. The building didn’t look much like the show, but the bar itself and a lot of paraphernalia were from the set. Our time in Boston ended by seeing the U.S.S. Constitution, or Ol’ Ironsides, which was simply amazing. I really wish we had more time there, as there is so much to see and do.
A cold Sam Adams....sorry....
I'm taking over for Norm
Jersey of Sam 'Mayday' Malone
Statue of Samuel Adams
The U.S.S. Constitution
Photos property of M.I.B.
2011 BBT Day 4: Invading A Nation
Boston Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers: Fenway Park-Boston, MA
All I can say about Fenway Park and the experience of watching a game there is that you can believe the hype. In fact, I would say it’s not hyped enough. I like that fact that every game is treated like a special event. We were lucky to get to Boston a little early, and explore around the park for a little while and get some shopping in. Our hotel was right across the street, so we didn’t have to worry about parking and things like that. The gates opened about a ninety minutes before game time, so it gave us a chance to explore the inside of the park and get our free gift for being first timers. At the fan service counter we receive a little package with stickers, a Red Sox Nation bracelet, and a container with some dirt from the infield. We also ran into one of the fans we were chatting with at the PawSox game a few days before, so he showed us around a little bit, too. We were also able to get over the visitors dugout to watch some of the Detroit Tigers warm up, but not many were signing autographs for anything. As it was getting closer to game time, we grabbed a Fenway Frank and an $8.50 beer and found our seats in the outfield. To be honest, I never moved from my seat after the game started. I didn’t want to miss anything at all from this game waiting in line for food, beer, or restroom. The atmosphere was amazing, and the Fenway rendition of Sweet Caroline has to been witnessed in person. The Tigers lost a game they should have won, but I really didn’t care about the score. Despite rooting for the Tigers, we didn’t have any trouble from the Red Sox fans either. I definitely want to bring the kids here when they’re a little older and can appreciate the magic that is Fenway Park. Final Score: Red Sox 4, Tigers 3.
Austin Jackson
Max Scherzer
The ponchos were cheesy, but they kept us dry
Brad Penny-sorry..no pic of his girlfriend
Justin Verlander
Fenway Park
Photos property of M.I.B.
2011 BBT Day 4: Pouring in Portland…NOT
Portland Sea Dogs vs. Reading Phillies: Hadlock Field-Portland, ME
Here I am again…facing disappointment right in the face. The noon game here has been postponed due to ‘wet grounds’, and I miss an opportunity to see a game in my now favorite Double A ball park. Just like out rain-out in Pawtucket, this was the last game in the series and the teams got an early start to their next road game. The fact that it wasn’t even raining at game time makes it even more frustrating. The weather was better today, so I was able to get some better pics of Hadlock. I also had a friend meet me for the game who trained with me down south. We went to just about every Jacksonville Suns game available, so it would have been nice to share a beer and a ballgame again. We were able to chat with some of the staff here, who let us explore the ball park a little bit more and just talk baseball. It’s nice to know it’s not just the ball players who have to work their way up from the Minors, but the broadcasters and other staff as well. We also learned that the Red Sox are the only MLB team that has a closed circut camera in all of there affiliates to keep track of their prospects. I love the Sea Dogs logo, so they let us spend some time (and money) in the gift shop, too. The only consolation is that we were able to get a jump-start on our voyage south to Boston. We would need that extra time, as Boston treats every Sox game as an event, and the celebration start pretty early in the day.
Current Red Sox who played here in Portland
Photos property of M.I.B.
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