Category: Dailies
Logo of the Month: Fort Wayne TinCaps
Affiliation: San Diego Padres
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
League: Midwest League (Class A)
Home Field: Parkview Field
Fun Facts: The TinCaps won the 2009 Midwest League Championship. Formerly the Fort Wayne Wizards, the franchise changed it’s monikor and moved into the impressive Parkview Field for the 2009 season. The name comes from Johnny Appleseed who wore a tin pan on his head. The mascot is Johnny, who represents Appleseed.
Notable Alumni: Josh Barfield, Jake Peavy, Torii Hunter, Luis Rivas
MiLB Champions Crowned
The Minor League Baseball season has come to an end (sigh). Here are the list of champions from their respective leagues. Any I missed I’ll try to get updated when I can. Looked like some exciting playoffs all around. I hope some other fans got to witness any of these games.
TRIPLE A
International League
Durham Bulls(TB) defeated Scranton/WB Yankees(NYY)
Pacific Coast League
Memphis Red Birds(STL) defeated Sacramento River Cats(OAK)
Triple A National Championship
Durham Bulls defeated Memphis Red Birds in 11 innings
DOUBLE A
Southern League
Jacksonville Suns(FLA) defeated Tennessee Smokies(CHC)
Eastern League
Akron Aeros defeated Connecticut Defenders(SF)
Texas League
Midland RockHounds(OAK) defeated NW Arkansas Naturals(KC)
CLASS A
Midwest League
Fort Wayne TinCaps(SD) defeated Burlington Bees(KC)
South Atlantic League
Lakewood Blue Claws(PHI) defeated Greenville Drive(BOS)
Florida State League
Tampa Yankees(NYY) defeated Charlotte Stone Crabs(TB)
CLASS A-SS
New York/Penn League
Sctanton Island Yankees(NYY) defeated Mahoning Valley Scrappers(CLE)
Northwest League
Salem Keizer Volcanoes defeated Tri-City Dust Devils(COL)
ROOKIE
Pioneer League
Orem Owlz(LAA) defeated Missoula Osprey(PHO)
MiLB First Round Playoffs
The Minor League playoffs have started, and it’s an exciting time. Bare with me as I’l
l try to keep updated on all of the leagues and how the series are coming along. I’ll be adding new leagues and updating things as fast as I can.
If I missed your favorite league or team, let me know and I’ll get it posted.
TRIPLE A
International League
Gwinnett Braves(ATL) vs. Scranton/WB Yankees(NYY) Yanks advance
Durham Bulls(TB) vs. Louisville Bats(CIN) Bulls advance
Pacific Coast League
Albuquerque Isotopes(LAD) vs. Memphis Red Birds(STL) Red Birds advance Sacramento River Cats(OAK) vs. Tacoma Rainiers(SEA) Cats advance
DOUBLE A
Southern League
Birmingham Barons(CHW) vs. Jacksonville Suns(FLA) Suns advance
Huntsville Stars(MIL) vs. Tennessee Smokies(CHC) Smokies advance
Eastern League
Akron Aeros vs. Reading Phillies(PHI) Aeros advance
New Britain Rock Cats(MIN) vs. Connecticut Defenders(SF) Defenders advance
Texas League
NW Arkansas Naturals(KC) vs. Springfield Cardinals(STL) Nats advance
Midland Rockhounds(OAK) vs. San Antonio Mission(SD) Rockhounds advance
CLASS A
Midwest League
West Michigan Whitecaps(DET) vs. Great Lakes Loons(LAD) Loons advance
Fort Wayne TinCaps(SD) vs. South Bend Silver Hawks(ARZ) TinCaps advance
Cedar Rapids Kernels(LAA) vs. Peoria Chiefs(CHC) Kernels advance
Kane County Cougars(OAK) vs. Burlington Bees(KC) Bees advance
South Atlantic League
Greenville Drive(BOS) vs. Asheville Tourists(COL) Drive advance
Lakewood Blue Claws(PHI) vs. Kannapolis Intimidators(CHW) Claws advance
Florida State League
Charlotte Stone Crabs(TB) vs. Fort Meyer Miracle(MIN) Crabs advance
Tampa Yankees(NYY) vs. Brevard Co. Manatees(MIL) Yanks advance
CLASS A-SS
New York-Penn League
Lowell Spinners(BOS) vs. Stanten Island Yankees(NYY) Yankees advance Brooklyn Cyclones(NYM) vs. Mahoning Valley Scrappers(CLE) Scraps advance
Northwest League
Salem Keizer Volcanoes vs. Tri-City Dust Devils(COL) Volcanoes win Championship 3-1
Whitecaps Update
Down to Third: After posting a 43-27 record for the first half of the season, the ‘Caps barely stayed above .500, going 38-32 in the second half. They finished 11 games behind the Fort Wayne TinC
aps. Clinching the Wild Card, they play the Great Lakes Loons in the first round of the MWL Playoffs.
Post Season All-Stars: LHP Casey Crosby and DH/OF Billy Nowlin were named to the MWL Post-Season All-Star team. Crosby was 10-4 in his first pro season, with a 2.41 ERA in 24 starts. He also fanned 117 batters and only waked 48. Nowlin (.311) and fellow Whitecap Gustavo Nunez (.315) finished second and third in the league for batting averages. Nowlin hit 29 doubles, 13 homers with 77 RBI’s.
Very Offensive: The Whitecaps 2009 team had one of the best offensive seasons in franchise history. They broke records for team batting average (.274), hits (1,316) and doubles (267).
Who Ya Gonna Call?: OF Wilkin Ramirez got his September call up to the Detroit Tigers. He got a small taste of the big leagues back in May, but expects to learn a lot this time around.
“Now that I’m going to be here longer, I can learn even more,” Ramirez stated. “You can learn a lot if you pay attention.”
So far he’s been contributing a a pinch runner and has seen some at bats. He’s got power adn speed, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of him with the Tigers in seasons to come.
Bummer! Last Game of the Season
Finishing up our last fun weekend of the summer with go-carts and water slides, we ended it watching the Traverse City Beach Bums taking on the Kalamazoo Kings in Frontier League action. This is the second to last game on the Beach Bums 2009 schedule, but for us, it’s most likely the last game we’ll see live untill 2010. Bummer.
It was a beautifull night for baseball, and the home team Bums won 5-2. The kids spent more time on the playground than watching the game, but at least it kept them busy. We opted for the lawn seats at Wuerfel Park, which has nice areas in the outfield to sit and watch from a blanket or lawn chair.
The kids each recieved a free baseball at the gate and they were able to get some players autographs on them. The only bummer was that former Major League pitcher and Bums pitching coach Roger Mason refused to sign for the kids. We were told he was ‘too busy’ and he basically turned his back on us. What a loser. You can see from the pic just how busy he was. Oh, well, we still didn’t let it ruin our last game.
Photos property of MIB
Logo of the Month: Portland Sea Dogs
League: Eastern League (AA)
Home Field: Hadlock Field
Affiliation: Boston Red Sox
Location: Portland, Maine
Fun Facts: Team was establishing in 1994 as an affiliate of the Florida Marlins, which lasted until 2003. They won the Eastern League title in 2005 and 2006. Hadlock Field built the ‘Maine Monter’ in right feild to replicate Fenway. When a Sea Dog player hits a home run, a lighthouse raises in the outfield in celebration. Team mascot is Slugger the Sea Dog.
Notable Alumni: Josh Beckett, Ryan Dempster, Jonathan Papelbon, Dustin Pedroia, Edgar Renteria, and Nate Robertson.
Whitecaps Update
Still In Second: The Whitecaps are still standing in second place in the MWL Eastern Division with a record of 32-24 in the second half. They are just unable to catch the almost unbeatable 
Fort Wayne TinCaps. who they trail by 8.0 games as of this post.
Hot Bat: Short stop Gustavo Nunez has been hot at the plate since returning to West Michigan. Last week Nunez homered from both sides of the plate (including a grand slam), during a nine-run first inning against the Dayton Dragons, a game the ‘Caps would win 14-2. Over the last 10 games he’s batting .357 with three homers and eight RBI’s.
Ups and Downs: Ronnie Borquin has been reassigned to the Whitecaps from the AA Erie Seawolves. He was sent to Erie right after the MWL All-Star game and hit .228 with five homers and 19 RBI’s during his AA stint. Second basebman Brandon Douglas has been placed on the disabled list. Also a MWL All-Star, Douglas is batting .333 with 34 RBI’s in 74 games so far this season in West Michigan.
Alex Avila: Wow, it seems like just last season when I was watching Avila play in a ‘Caps uniform. Oh, wait, it WAS just last season. Spending most of the 2009 season with the AA Seawolves, he was recently promoted to the Detroit Tigers and is making the most of it, going 2-4 in his MLB debut. As of this post, he’s hitting .370 with three home runs, four doubles, and nine RBI’s in just 10 games with Detroit. The Tigers have had a tough time finding a reliable backup at catcher this season that can do anything productive at the plate.
“I guess that’s the reason they called me up”, Avila stated. “They want to see what you can do and how you can play at this level…Any time you’re in the lineup, you just try to do your job. Then, hopefully, you’ll stick up here.”
In his stint with the Whitecaps last season, he hit .305 with 22 RBI’s in 58 games. He was assigned to West Michigan after being drafted out of the Univ. of Alabama. Being his dad is the Tigers assistant GM, baseball must be in his blood.
“Ever since I was young,” Avila said, “all we did was baseball.”
Photo courtesy of The Detroit News
Hello, Wisconsin
Appleton, WI-August 4-5, 2009: It’s already August, and the kids will going back to school soon, and summer will be officially a thing of the past. Wanting to get one more trip in, we headed west through the U.P. to Wisconsin to take in a couple of Timber Rattler games. We watched the T-Rats play the Kane County Cougars on Tuesday night at 7:05, then for a Wednsday matinee at noon before heading home.
Playing in the Midwest League, the T-Rats are enjoying there first season as a Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. This is obviously helping attendance, as the stadium was packed with Brewers fans for both games. Also helping was the fact that Hall of Famer and former Brewer legend Paul Molitor was there signing autographs on Tuesday night. I didn’t even bother to get in line to see him the line was so long. I also enjoy visiting a ballpark for the first time and Fox Cities Stadium didn’t disappoint. Not as big as some of the other Class A ballparks, but really nice and not a bad seat in the house. The lower box seats make you feel like your right on the field. The food was pretty good and the beer was cold, so no complaints there.
The Rattlers lost both games to the Cougars, but both were very competitive. Tuesday night game went to the tenth with Kane County coming out on top 4-2. Wednsday’s game ended 3-1 in favor of the Cougars again. Wisconsin left a lot of base runners in scoring position both games. We saw some good pitching and defense from both teams, too. I have to give props to the Cougars Chris Berroa(pictued) for throwing me a game ball.
Photos property of MIB
Former Whitecaps Traded at Deadline
Today the Seattle Mariners traded left-handed pitcher Jarrod Washburn to the Detroit Tigers for former Whitecap pitchers Luke French and Mauricio Robles.
“We had an opportunity to acquire two starting left-handed pitchers under the age of 23, including one with Major League experience”, Seattle general manager Jack Zdurienecik said in a statement.
French has mostly played with Detroit’s AAA farm club Toledo Mud Hens this season, but has had five starts with the Tigers. He is 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA in those games for Detroit. In a game against Seattle on July 23, he limited the Mariners to just two hits in 5 1/3 innings. Playing for West Michigan in 2006 and part of 2007, he was crucial in helping the ‘Caps winning back to back Midwest League titles. He was named MWL Pitcher of the Week on 07/23/06. French was an eighth round pick of the Tigers in 2004, coming out of high school in Colorado. The 6’4″, 220 pound lefty, basically hurls three pitches. His fastball is ‘Reagan Era’ at 86-88, but can hit 90 at times. He can also toss a 76-78 mph slider and a sinking change up at around 74-76.
Robles pitched for West Michigan in 2008, and pat of this season before being promoted to High-A Lakeland. His 2008 totals are 5-3 with a 2.66 ERA in 23 games. He only gave up two home runs and struck out 79. This season in only 11 games with the ‘Caps, he was 4-4 with a 4.23 ERA, and struck out 71. Robles is a bit more of an unknown, as he didn’t focus on pitching until after he was signed by Detoit as a free agent out of Venezuela. His fast ball averages 91-94 and has peaked at 96. Unfortunately, it goes down to 89-90 from time to time. His arm noticably slows down and flattens during while throwing his curce, so that’s something he’ll have to adjust in the Minors.
Good luck to both Luke and Mauricio in this new chapter of their careers. All the best in Seattle, and we appreciate your time and efforts in the Tigers organization. Seems like ‘win-win’ for both teams on this one. Detroit’s hold on the AL Central is hanging by a string, so hopfully Washburn and keep runs off the board, as the Tigers are having trouble scoring them.
Photo courtesy of Farm1.Flickr
Whitecaps Update
Stealing Second: The West Michigan Whitecaps still sit in second place in the MWL Eastern Divis
ion with a record of 18-12, nine game behind the red hot Fort Wayne TinCaps. They remain 3.5 games ahead of the third place South Bend Silver Hawks. The Whitecaps have already secured a playoff spot, though, but hope to gain some ground on the TinCaps. The first playoff game will be at Fifth Thrid Ballpark on Sept. 10.
Player of the Week: ‘Caps outfielder Ben Guez was named Player of the Week (July 20). He’s been hot at the plate since the All-Star break batting .373 with three home runs and 20 RBI’s. For the season he’s slugging .261 with seven homer and 42 RBI’s in 62 games. Guez is the sixth Whitecap to earn Player of the Week honors this seaon (Casey Crosby, Luke Putkonen, Bryan Pounds, Billy Nowlin, and Ronnie Bourquin). Pitcher of the Week: Casey Crosby was named MWL Pitcher of the Week (July 26). Crosby is a 2009 MWL All-Star and has a record of 8-3. His ERA is 2.92 and has struck out 101 batters so far this season. Last Monday he threw five hitless innings against the Kane County Cougars. Crosby is the first Whitecap since Mike Hernandez in 2006 to win the award twice in one season.
Hot Bat: Right fielder Avisail Garcia has had a hot bat his last seven games. He’s hitting .423 with four runs scored and four RBI’s.
Matt Nokes: Former Detroit Tiger Matt Nokes will be appearing at Fifth Third Ballpark on August 31 as part of ‘Tiger Fridays’. Matt was a rookie with the Tigers in 1987 when he was third in Rookie of the Year voting, was selected to the American League All-Star team, and won the Silver Slugger Award. He batted .289 and hit 32 home runs that season.
Minoring In Baseball 