October 28, 2013

Lakers’ free & fun basic skills clinic

Lake Superior State University-Sault Ste. Marie, MI: Over the weekend Brian participated in the fun free baseball/softball clinic held at LSSU. The clinic was hosted and ran by the girls’ softball team, and they did a great job with the kids. Brian was a little shy with the girls at first, but warmed up when they offered to play catch with him. He did great from there with the drills and games that were played. He hit the ball well off the tee, and in soft-toss. I really saw an improvement with him catching the ball and he’s always had a cannon for an arm. The lady Lakers will be holding another clinic next weekend, this time with more games and pizza for the kids. With the weather cold, rainy, and snowy, I’m grateful the kids have this to look forward too, and a chance to stay active. It’s tough living up here at times with our nasty winters, as they’re obviously not very baseball friendly. The camps are held in the Student Activities Center at the college, which continues to be my Achilles’ heel when it comes to taken decent photos.

Photos property of Minoring In Baseball

October 18, 2013

Local players up for MiLBY Awards

It’s that time of year, where Minor League Baseball lets the best fans in the world vote their best Minor League moments, plays, bloopers, players, and so one. It’s simply time for the MiLBY Awards. Up for two of these awards is former West Michigan Whitecaps second baseman Devon Travis, who was promoted to the Lakeland Flying Tigers in late June. The awards that he’s in the running for, are the Offensive Player of the Year and Breakout Prospect of the Year awards. Travis batted .352 during his time in West Michigan, and .350 in Lakeland. His combined .351 average was the best in Minor League baseball for anyone with at least 350 at-bats. Between the two leagues, he also contibuted 28 doubles, 16 home runs, 76 RBI’s, and 22 stolen bases. Travis was only one of five players in MiLB to hit .330 and steal over 20 bases.

Corey Seager is nominated for the Breakout Prospect of the Year Award with teammate Julio Urias, and rival Devon Travis

Also up for the Breakout Prospect of the Year Award, are short stop Corey Seager and pitcher Julio Urias of the Great Lakes Loons. Seager lead the Loons with a .309 average, and was tied for home runs with 12, despite playing 27 games with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League. He also hit 18 doubles and drove in 57 RBI’s with Great Lakes. Urias was one of the best rookie pitchers in the Midwest League, holding batters to a .206 average the second half of the season. The 16 year-old prospect struck out 11.9 batters per nine innings, a total of 67 on the year. Urias had a 2-0 record in 18 appearances for the Loons.

UPDATE: Travis won the Offensive Player of the Year and Breakout Prospect of the Year MiLBY awards, as voted by the fans.

Photos property of Minoring In Baseball

October 11, 2013

Northwoods League expands to Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo, Michigan will finally be getting a new baseball team for the first time since 2011. The team will be competing in the Northwoods League, which is a summer college wooden bat league. This is the same league that the neighboring Battle Creek Bombers play in. Home games will be played at Homer Stryker Field, same as the prior tenant the Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League (same as the Traverse City Beach Bums). The Kings suspended operations after the 2011 season, and never were able to get the team running again. Fans in the Kalamazoo area have submitted their ideas for a team name, and the finalists are: Cabbies, Clutch, Growlers, Kangaroos (K-Roos), and Krakens. My pick would be the Kalamazoo Kangaroos, but the franchise will announce the winner at an Opening Night Event on November 15th. This free event will feature the un-veiling of the new team name and logo, along with the manager and coaches. Fans will also be able to receive free ballpark food and nonalcoholic beverages, participate in a free raffle, and their will be free kids games as well. Fans will also be able to interact with the team owners and front office staff. I’ll definitely be following this team, and hope to be able to attend a game next season. I’m pretty familiar the the city also, as I grew up on minor league hockey watching the Kalamazoo Wings of the old International Hockey League when I lived in that area.

Photo courtesy of Kalamazoo Baseball/Northwoods League

October 4, 2013

Bums trade Burch

In a surprise move, the Traverse City Beach Bums have traded their mainstay first baseman, Chase Burch. The Bums sent Burch to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks of the American Association for a player to be named later and considerations. Although he’s been a member of the Bums for the last four seasons, Burch’s career began in the AA in 2009. As a member of the Pensacola Pelicans, he hit .341 with nine home runs, and 66 RBI’s. He joined the TC team in 2010, hitting 19 home runs and 88 RBI’s. This season, Burch led the team in home runs with 15, and banged in 66 RBI’s. In the Frontier League playoffs, he hit an astounding .438 with four home runs, and six RBI’s. He is Traverse City’s all-time leader in games played with 370, at-bats with 1, 319, runs scored at 243, home runs with 66, and RBI’s with 285. Best of luck to him with his new team. Burch definitely gave the fans in Traverse City much to cheer about in his time there.

Photo property of Minoring In Baseball

October 3, 2013

Gold Gloves for former Whitecaps

Yesterday Minor League Baseball and Rawling Sporting Goods released the names of the nine players chosen to receive Gold Gloves for defensive excellence at their position. Three out of the nine happen to be Detroit Tigers prospects and former West Michigan Whitecaps. The 2013 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners were chosen from all the qualifying players from the ten domestic-based, full season Minor Leagues. Each player will receive his own Rawlings Gold Glove Award, modeled after the iconic award given to MLB’s top defensive players. Taking home the award at first base is Jordan Lennerton, who played with the Toledo Mud Hens in 2013. He posted an impressive .996 fielding percentage, with 1, 167 put outs, and five errors. Lennerton played two seasons in West Michigan, hitting .282 with 71 RBI’s, and a .996 fielding percentage in 2009. In 2010, he hit .290 with a .993 fielding percentage. Covering the hot-corner is Wade Gaynor. He had a .967 fielding percentage, with 95 put-outs, 227 assists, and 11 errors playing third base for the Erie Sea Wolves. We were lucky enough to meet Wade (pictured above) back in 2010 when he was with the Whitecaps. He hit .286 with 39 doubles, 80 RBI’s, and a .927 fielding percentage that year. Earning the honor in left field is Jason Krizan, who just played for the Whitecaps the last two seasons, where he hit .242 with 59 RBI’s, and a .980 fielding percentage combined. This season with the Lakeland Flying Tigers, he had a .995 fielding percentage, 175 put-outs, and only one error in the outfield. Congratulations to all three players. It was fun watching them in West Michigan, and I’ve been enjoying tracking their progress through the Tigers’ system.

“I know what an honor it is for a player to receive a Rawlings Gold Glove Award, having been involved in presenting them to the winners the last two years,” stated President and CEO of Minor League Baseball, Pat O’Conner. “The players really appreciate and understand how prestigious the accolade is and I want to thank Rawlings Sporting Goods for their continued support of Minor League Baseball.”

Photo property of Minoring In Baseball

September 30, 2013

Fall Ball at Lake State

Lake Superior State Lakers vs. Cornerstone Golden Eagles

I don’t say this too often, but the weather was perfect this weekend for some softball in Sault Ste. Marie. It had been just over a month since we’d been to a live ballgame, so when I learned that the Lakers were hosting Cornerstone University for some exhibition games, they became the priority of the weekend. It was a long day for the girls, as they played three games on Saturday. Brian joined me, and we saw bits and pieces of the first and third games, but saw the second game in its entirety. Because the games were exhibitions, I couldn’t find results or box scores for any of them. I know the Lakers won the second game, though, as they hit the ball well and produced some runs. They also played solid defense behind starting pitcher sophomore Jade Stein, who pitched a complete game. Brian and I had fun watching the games, and look forward to seeing the girls back in action at home this spring if the weather cooperates.

Brian was my buddy over the weekend, watching the games with me

Photos property of Minoring In Baseball

September 19, 2013

Parrish takes over Mud Hens

For the second season in a row, the West Michigan Whitecaps are left without a manager. Unlike last season, however, this change comes with a promotion. Larry Parrish (pictured), who led the ‘Caps to a 69-70 finish in the Midwest League, has been promoted to helm the Toledo Mud Hens in 2014. This isn’t his first experience with Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate, as he managed Toledo in 1994 and from 2003-2010. Under Parrish, the Mud Hens won back to back Governor’s Cup (International League) championships in 2005 and 2006. Parrish has won more games for Toledo than any other manager at 569. It looks like three times a charm for him, as he has some great support from the parent club Tigers, as well as the Hens.

“As a manager, he’s a great teacher, and I know we’ll see improvement in player development,” said Toledo’s general manager and team president Joe Napoli in a press release. “For our fans, he’s always been a favorite, they will be glad to welcome him back.”

“He’s going to be missed,” stated Whitecaps vice president Jim Jarecki to MLive.com. “Having LP on board, he was a great guy on and off the field. He was great to work with and the guys really liked and respected him. Even though the record didn’t reflect it, the players gravitated to him and he was a great leader.”

This is a good move by the Tigers’ organization, and a deserved promotion for Parrish, as he’s already in the International League Hall of Fame. We already have a couple of dates circled on the calendar for season to watch the Mud Hens, so we’ll be seeing him again soon. Now…what about the Whitecaps? The Single-A affiliate is once again in need of a skipper, and it will be interesting to see who the Tigers will assign. I’ve written in the past how I think that Brandon Inge would be a good fit in West Michigan. The Tigers’ have basically stated that they’d like him back in the organization once his playing days are done, and Inge always said positive things about the ‘Caps. We’ll see if he retires at the end of the season, though, and if he shows interest in coaching. Jarecki aslo stated the Tigers should name the ‘Caps new manager sometime in early October, so the safer bet may be seeing the promotion of Connecticut Tigers manager Andrew Graham. He has been at the helm of the C-Tigers for the last three seasons, and before that coached the Gulf Coast League Tigers from 2009-2010. He also served as the Tigers minor league catching coordinator during the 2010 season. This season, Graham led Connecticut to a 33-42 finish, good for third place in the New York-Penn League‘s Stedler Division. He is also a Tigers product, getting drafted by Detroit in 2003, and was a catcher in the organization from 2003-2008. A native of Sydney, Australia, Graham also played in the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009. I’ll be keeping a close eye on who gets the West Michigan job. The Whitecaps have missed the playoffs the last three season, so whoever is chosen I hope they can break that streak in 2014.

Photo property of Minoring In Baseball

September 15, 2013

Travis named Tigers’ top farmhand

Devon Travis: The Detroit Tigers Minor League Player of the Year

Devon Travis, who has split time between the West Michigan Whitecaps and the Lakeland Flying Tigers, has been named the Detroit Tigers Minor League Player of the Year. He hit .351, with 16 home runs, 76 RBI’s, 28 doubles, four triples, and stole 22 bases between the Midwest and Florida State League. The 22-year-old second baseman was a 13th-round pick of Detroit in 2012, then playing collegiate ball for the Florida State Seminoles. Travis was also the MVP of the Midwest League All-Star Game in June, and was named a MWL post-season All-Star. He will suit up with six other Tigers’ prospects to play in the Arizona Fall League in October. It will be fun to track his progress, and see what level he starts out in next season.

Photo property of Minoring In Baseball

September 13, 2013

Season ends for Whitecaps and Lugnuts

West Michigan Whitecaps vs. Lansing Lugnuts (Midwest League)Cooley Law School Stadium–Lansing, MI: Both the West Michigan Whitecaps and the Lansing Lugnuts missed the playoffs this season, but ended 2013 with their in-state rivalry. Despite the ‘Caps having a better record this season, the Lugnuts have had their number, and that includes taking 2/3 in the final series. In the first game, the Whitecaps made a gallant come-back attempt, only to lose in a walk-off in the ninth. Jake Stewart and Bennett Pickar hit back-to-back singles, when the Lugnuts brought in Arik Sikula to close the game. Sikula threw a wild pitch and had a passed ball, though, that scored Stewart. Then David Gonzalez hit a triple, scoring the pinch-runner Harold Castro to tie the game. The ‘Caps celebration was short-lived, however, as a walk and two singles gave Lansing the win, and Corey Knebel his only loss of the season. Kevin Patterson hit the winning RBI in the 5-4 win for the Lugnuts. The second game of the series was a complete rout for the Whitecaps, winning the game 13-1. The ‘Caps scored five runs in both the third and fourth innings, one in the sixth, and two in the eighth with 19 total hits. Jared Reaves led the way going 4-6 with an RBI and two runs scored. Raph Rhymes went 3-4 with a double and two runs scored. Connor Harrell and Jake Stewart each contributed with three RBI’s each. On the mound, West Michigan was just as dominant. Calvin Drummond earned the win, going five innings, giving up only three hits, and striking out four. Kramer Chaplin took the loss for Lansing. The final game of the series, and of the season, went to the hometown Lugnuts by the score of 9-4. The Whitecaps had a 4-0 lead at one point, but surrendered nine streight to the ‘Nuts. Jeff Holm, Pickar, Castro, and Jason King each had two hits in the loss. Daniel Klein led the way for Lansing, going 3-4 with two doubles, two RBI’s, and a run scored. Relief pitcher Yorfrank Lopez took the loss, giving up six hits and five runs in just over an inning of work, while Ian Kadish earned the win for Lansing.

Lucky for me, I had a buddy from work attend one of the games and get this photo for me. It will be a long nine or so months before seeing baseball again for sure. We’ll try to get to Lansing next season of the weather cooperates, and we’ll hit a few Whitecaps games for sure, including the Midwest League All-Star game hopefully.

Photo courtesy of B. Faulkner

September 6, 2013

Back to the Beach

Traverse City Beach Bums vs. Normal Cornbelters (Frontier League)

Wuerfel Park–Traverse City, MI: Here in TC, back on Family Fun Night. It was all about family, too, as my mom (the kids’ Nana) was able to make a rare appearance at the ballpark. The kids always enjoy the game better with their Papa and Nana…probably because they get spoiled. We opted for the lawn seats again, and Brian was happy to have plenty of playground time. After the game though, he was like: “I haven’t even watched much baseball yet! We can’t leave!” Anyway, this will be a short entry, as this was probably our last game of the season, unless we make it down for a playoff game. Not much excited happened, other than relaxing and watching baseball. Lily and Trevor patrolled the foul area a bit, but nothing hit our way. It’s didn’t take as many pictures either, but just wanted to soak it all in until next year.

The game itself was another good one for us. On the mound for the Beach Bums, Jake Sabol held the Cornbelters scoreless in seven innings of work. He struck out five, walking none, and only giving up six hits. The TC offense wasted no time, either, as Ryan Still scored on a sac fly by Jose Vargas in the first inning. The Bums’ bats came alive again in the third, as Vargas doubled, and then scored on a Chase Burch triple. Zach Kometani scored Burch, to put his team up 3-0 at that point. In the fifth inning, Traverse City added to its lead, with Burch and Kometani adding another RBI each, and Burch scoring a run. Another good win by the Beach Bums, and we’ll be following them through their play off run. Final Score: Beach Bums 6, Cornbelters 1.