Tagged: Lansing LugNuts
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
Travis earns All-Star MVP
The West Michigan Whitecaps‘ second baseman Devon Travis (pictured above) earned a spot on the Midwest League All-Star team with his play this season, especially with his bat. He currently leads the league in hits and average at .350. Believe it or not, Travis wasn’t even a starter for the MWL East at the game in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday night. That actually worked out well, however, as he was put into the game as a defensive replacement in the second inning. During his at bat in the fifth inning with the bases loaded, Travis lined a shot down the right field line for a triple that scored three runs. He was 2-2 in the game, getting a base hit in his first at-bat.
“I don’t know if I can put into words (how I feel).” Travis stated to MLive.com. “There are so many great players on this field tonight. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to play against the best in the league. I’m just so thankful.”
The MVP almost got away from him, though, as the East took a 5-2 lead into the ninth, but the relievers couldn’t hold on to it. The West came back to tie the game at five all, but Travis was saved by Dalton Pompey of the Lansing LugNuts, who hit a walk-off single to score the winning run. Whitecaps’ reliever Jose Valdez pitched 0.2 innings with a strike-out. Starting first baseman Jeff Holm went 0-1 with a base on balls in the game, but still had fun giving his teammate a face full of shaving cream.
“The highlight of my trip was giving Devon a shaving-creaming right on camera”, Holm stated jovially. “I’ve always wanted to do that.” About his All-Star experience: “It’s fantastic. You play against these guys all year and then you get a chance to play with them. It’s pretty cool. I just tried to do what got me here.”
Holm is batting .281 on the season with six home runs, and is leading West Michigan with 42 RBI’s. Valdez is second in the MWL with 15 saves, and has a 2.84 ERA. Our next game planned is just over a week away, and is Star Wars night in West Michigan. It will be fun to see these All-Stars in action once again.
Photo property of Minoring In Baseball
No rain, is our gain!
Great Lakes Loons vs. Lake County Captains (Midwest League)
Dow Diamond-Midland, Michigan: Despite having plans to attempt another Lugnuts game in Lansing, the weather report prompted the kids and I to head south over the weekend a little early to avoid the storms. Our journey took us to Midland, Michigan to attend a pair of Great Lakes Loons games, and I’m pretty sure we made the right choice! The weather was a little cool, but with not rain and sunny skies, it was fine for us. After the rain-outs earlier this month, is was just nice to watch baseball and get these first games in. The kids were happy that their Papa was able to make it over to the game, too. Brian headed right for Lou E. Lookout (playground) and the mascots Rall E. Camel and Lou E. Loon entertained the kids throughout the game. It was a fun game to watch, and good to get the first one in for the kids and I.
Brian with Rall E. Camel
The game itself was a solid pitchers duel, with the score 0-0 going into the seventh inning, with Jharel Cotton getting the start for the Loons against the Lake County Captains. The seventh inning started off good for Great Lakes, as top prospect Corey Seager shot a single to right field. He then advanced to second on a nice bunt by Pat Stover. Outfielder Jeremy Rathjen then scorched a single to score Seager and give the Loons the walk-off victory! A great way to start the season for us, and a nice win for the home team.
Dodgers #3 prospect Corey Seager
Lou E. Loon!!!
Final Score: Loons 1, Lake County Captains 0
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Crosstown Showdown Letdown
Cooley Law School Stadium-Lansing, MI: Last Thursday we gambled…and lost. As mother nature continued to punish us in Michigan with freezing rain, sleet, and snow, the 7th Annual Crosstown Showdown, pitting the Lansing Lugnuts against the Michigan State Spartans, has been postponed. The Lugnuts announced that the game will be made up on May 1st, as a seven inning game. We won’t be able to make it to that one, but the Lansing ticket office staff was more than helpful in helping us exchange our tickets for a game that we will be able to make it back down for…weather permitting. The kids and I still had a fun day together, though. We took a tour of the State Capitol building that was very enjoyable and informative. Lily and Trevor have been studying government in school, and it’s good for them to actually see where and how it’s applied. Our love of cars also took us to see the R.E. Olds transportation museum. We love to see the old cars and memorabilia. So much pride and workmanship went into the classic vehicles. The most fun the kids had was at the Impression 5 Science Center. This is a hands on play area for kids to build, do experiments, and encounter science and nature first hand. They could have spent all day there, and we’ll probably visit this again after the Lugnuts game here in a couple of weeks. It does get you down a bit, waiting for the weather to clear up to see some baseball games, but we still had fun, and the kids were able to spend some quality time with their Papa for his birthday. We also had dinner at one of my favorite sports bars, the Nuthouse Sports Grill!
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Let’s see who we’ll see in Lansing
Although the Minor League Baseball season officially started tonight, the Lansing Lugnuts won’t play their first home game until next Thursday’s Crosstown Showdown against the Michigan State Spartans. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, as the weather reports don’t look good for next week, and I’m sure the kids will be disappointed if we don’t see the game. Since the Lugnuts released their 2013 roster, though, let’s take a look at some of the players we’ll be seeing. The team will have large shoes to fill, after last year’s squad enjoyed the most successful regular season in the franchise’s history, going 82-55. The entire coaching staff is back to lead its charges, including Midwest League Manager of the Year John Tamargo, Jr., pitching coach Vince Horsman, and hitting coach Kenny Graham.
This seasons’ version of the Lugnuts looks like it will be led by its pitching prospects. The 18-year-old Roberto Osuna is rated as the Toronto Blue Jays second highest prospect by Baseball America. The product of Los Mochis, Mexico, was signed by the Jays as a free agent. Also ranked as the sixth prospect in Toronto’s system is Daniel Norris. Norris is a 19-year-old who was the Jays second round pick in the 2011 draft. Joining them in the rotation will be lefty Alonzo Gonzalez, and right-handers Javier Avendano and Taylor Cole. The Lugnuts’ bullpen should consist of Wil Browning, Tucker Donahue, Chuck Ghysels, Arik Sikula, Ben White, and the only left-hander Griffin Murphey. Also in the bull will be former infielder Matt Johnson, who the organization turned into a pitching prospect.
The infield for Lansing will include returning players Balbino Fuenmayor, Shane Opitz, Gustavo Pierre, and Kellen Sweeney. They will be joined by Jorge Flores, Emilio Gurerro, and Christian Lopez, who is ranked at the 21st Jays prospect. The outfield features two returning players in Chris Hawkins (28) Dalton Pompey. The newcomers joining them are Ronnie Melendez and Carlos Ramirez. With nine returning players in all, the Lugnuts have a very good chance of challenging for the Midwest League Championship. I look forward to seeing these guys play next week at Cooley Law School Stadium in Lansing, and maybe with the Blue Jays in a few years.
Photo courtesy of Fox 47 News
The Gambler
We all know how the song starts….’On a cold winter’s morning..’. And that’s exactly how it felt this morning when my alarm blared in my ear, telling me it was time to get up and get the kids ready for school. Despite being the first day of spring, ‘old man winter’ pounded us with another few inches of snow. Throw the high winds and cold with it, and it’s just another winter storm, complete with low visibility and icy roads. Spring has not sprung, and winter looks as if it wants to stay with us for a little longer. Today was also the day that single game tickets went on sale for the Lansing LugNuts. Here’s where the gambling part comes in.. Despite there being several feet of snow on the ground, and temperatures in the 20’s, I took a gamble and ordered tickets for the Crosstown Showdown on April 11th. I’m sure the grounds crew at Cooley Law School Stadium is working diligently to get the field ready for game action, but there’s still no guarantee what the weather will be like and how cold it will be in just a few short weeks. If it was just me, I wouldn’t care too much, but I’m hoping it’s warm enough for the kids to sit through. I rolled the dice, however, so we’ll see what happens. The Crosstown Showdown is the LugNuts opening day exhibition game against the Michigan State University Spartans, based in East Lansing. According to the LugNuts, this is one of the most attended games every season, so I guess we were lucky to get tickets. Trevor is the one who really wanted to see this game, as he’s a Sparty backer, for some reason. It should be a fun day all around, too, as we plan on visiting the State Capitol building while down there, as well as a couple of museums. If I’m going to pull the kids out of school, I have to justify it somehow, right? It should be a good game to watch, also, as MSU is the defending Big Ten champions, and Lansing had a great season last year. So, in a few weeks we’ll pack up and head downstate…and hope that Mother Nature deals us a favorable hand.
Promotion courtesy of the Lansing LugNuts
2012 in review
The kids and I had a great time in 2012, and really look forward to 2013. This years’ baseball trip will take us to North Carolina, where we have 12 games planned in just one week! We hope to see the Bulls, Dash, Drive, Knights, Grasshoppers, and Intimidators in action. Before that, though, we plan on attending the ‘Crosstown Showdown’ in Lansing, MI, with the LugNuts defending their home field against the Michigan State Spartans. Trevor’s a Sparty, so this is a game he really wanted. We have plans for the other teams in Michigan, too, including the Beach Bums, Loons, Whitecaps, and BC Bombers. Thanks you again to all who have stopped by M.I.B., and all the best to you in 2013!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 20,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 5 Film Festivals
Whitecaps Update: It’s all in the cards
Fifth-Third Ballparks’ outfield during the ‘Aces in the Outfield’ promotion
The Standings: The West Michigan Whitecaps are still treading water in the Midwest League Eastern Division, but are sinking a bit. They are currently 21-22 in the second half, and are six games out of first place. They hit a little speed bump with a five-game losing streak, but have bounced back and won two games in a row from the talented Lansing LugNuts, 7-1 and 6-3, who ran away with the first half title. Manager Ernie Young, though, will have to have some Aces up his sleeve, if the ‘Caps are going to capture a playoff spot this season…
Ferrell Honored: Whitecaps pitcher Jeff Ferrell has been named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week for July 30-August 5. Ferrell had an extremely impressive showing against the Lake County Captains last week in the ‘Caps 6-0 shut-out win. He retired all of the 21 batters he faced before being taken out of the game after seven perfect innings of work. His outing included 11 ground-outs and six strikeouts in 79 pitches, and gave up only three hits. Ferrell, just 21 years old, underwent Tommy John surgery just 14 months ago. He started the 2011 campaign with the Whitecaps, before injury his elbow that led to the surgery. He missed the rest of last season and the start of this season, before joining West Michigan in May. So far, he has a 4-4 record with a 4.42 ERA, with 60 strikeouts, and holding the opposition to a .209 batting average. Ferrell is a native of Wilmington, North Carolina and a 26th round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers.
Fifth-Third one of fifth best: The Whitecaps home, Fifth-Third Ballpark, was mentioned as one of five Minor League ballparks on the Fox News website recently. The story titled ‘Five Minor League Baseball Parks You Have To Visit’, stated that the stadium in Comstock Park, Michigan has the best food for baseball fans. The Fifth-Third Burger certainly still packs a mighty punch. The story can be found here: http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/08/01/five-minor-league-baseball-parks-have-to-visit/?intcmp=features
MudHen Marathon: The Tigers Triple-A affiliate in the International League, the Toledo MudHens suffered a tough 10-9 loss Monday night to the Rochester Red Wings. One-run losses are always hard to swallow, especially when they are in extra innings….19 innings to be exact. The contest took over 6 1/2 hours to compete, and featured plenty of former Whitecaps. For the Red Wings, Clete Thomas went 2-8 with a walk and two runs scored. Wilkin Ramirez was 4-9 with a double, run scored, and an RBI. Pitcher Luke French threw for 3.1 innings, giving up two hits and five strikeouts. For the MudHens, Andy Oliver pitched 2.0 innings giving up one hit and striking out 3. Luis Marte gave up one hit, but was burned for two runs in just 0.1 innings. Luke Putkonen pitched five innings, giving up four hits, no runs, and striking out three. Jose Ortega threw for 2.0 innings giving up six hits and three runs.
Former West Michigan Whitecap and Detroit Tiger Clete Thomas.
Rond-on the move: Former Whitecaps pitcher Bruce Rondon has been promoted from the Double-A Erie Seawolves to Toledo. He fills a spot after on of the MudHens’ pitchers was injured in the 19-inning loss. Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski stated that he believes that he’s ready for the Triple-A level, though. Rondon started the season at Lakeland, going 1-0, with a 1.93 ERA, with 15 saves, and 34 strikeouts. With Erie, he was 0-1 with a 0.83 ERA, with 12 saves on 23 strikeouts. He struggled with his control last season with West Michigan, issuing 7.6 walks per nine innings, but his walk-to-strikeout ratio this season is 3.8.
Fifth-Third Ballpark photo courtesy of the West Michigan Whitecaps
Ferrell photo courtesy of MLive.com
Thomas photo property of Minoring In Baseball
Whitecaps wrap up first half on winning note
Dean Green and Colin Kaline
Wow, where has the season gone? The West Michigan Whitecaps ended the first half of the 2012 season playing some very good baseball, though. They went 15-5 in the last twenty games, to end up with a winning record of 36-34. They came up just short of landing the wildcard spot for the Midwest League‘s West Division, as they were beat out by the Bowling Green Hot Rods. The ‘Caps did beat BG in Kentucky two out of three games, and did the same thing to South Bend, including a 14 inning win on the last day. No team was going to catch Lansing, who went 47-22 in the first half. West Michigan’s recent play, though, has fans optimistic that they can capture a play-off spot in the second half. The team also tied a record of hitting a home run in eight consecutive games, first set by the 2004 team. They were led offensively by Eugenio Suarez, who hit a team high .311 in the first half. Dean Green and Steven Moya tied for the team lead in homers with nine, and Moya led the ‘Caps with 43 RBI’s. The team leaders on the mound were Wilsen Palacious with seven wins, Marcelo Carreno with 58 strike-outs, and Daniel Bennett with nine saves. The Whitecaps return to action on June 22 to start the second half of the season after the All-Star break.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Missed Opportunities
The Fox Sports Detroit Girls at Fifth-Third Ballpark!
Twice within the last few weeks, Fifth-Thrid Ballpark in Comstock Park, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps, has been graced with the presence of the Fox Sports Detroit Girls-Lauren and Allison. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to make the trek south to attend either of these games. The first visit was on May 25, just days after we were there ourselves. Just getting back from vacation, there was just no way to get the time off work again, or come up with the funds for another trip. With this first opportunity missed, I was confident that the girls might make another stop in Grand Rapids. Return they did, on June 7. This time, with just one day notice of their appearance, and the fact that I’m coaching two Little League teams, we were again unable to make to the Whitecaps game! Two opportunities missed, but I’m confident that maybe we can catch up with them sometime this summer, or even this winter at a hockey game. Lauren and Allison are scheduled to appear in Midland on my birthday weekend next month, when the Great Lakes Loons host the Lansing LugNuts, so if anyone is looking for a present for me, I have a great suggestion!
Lauren and Allison are great ambassadors for sports here in Michigan. They are active on Twitter and Facebook, and often reply and interact with the fans whenever they can. From all that I’ve read from other fans who’ve met them, it was a very positive experience. Trevor follows the girls on Facebook also (big surprise), and Lily looks up to them as role models. It’s nice that they’ve stepped into my little world of Minor League Baseball, and I’m hoping I won’t miss the next opportunity.
Looking good in the Whitecaps gear!
Chillin’ outside the dugout!
Photos courtesy of Fox Sports Net/Fox Sports Detoit/Fox Sports Detoit Girls
Minoring In Baseball 