Tagged: MiLB
MiLB Teams Featured on ‘Man vs. Food’
Even though the Minor League Baseball season is over, you can still get a taste of it (hee hee) thanks to the Travel Channel series ‘Man vs. Food’. Their baseball special premieres on Wed. September 10 at 10 p.m. Host Adam Richman visits three baseball stadiums known to have some of the most unusual ballpark snacks in the country. He goes to GCS Stadium(Gateway Grizzlies), Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park(Charleston River Dogs), and Fifth-Third Ballpark(West Michigan Whitecaps). Should be an entertaining show, and I’m anxious to see it.
I visited the ‘Joe’ in Charleston, South Carolina earlier this year, but I unfortunately (or fortunately maybe) never tried the ‘Homewrecker Hotdog’. It looks good, but I’ll just stick to the normal ones for now. Fifth-Third Ballpark is my home field here in Michigan, but I still can’t see myself ordering a Fifth-Third Burger unless I had my family helping me eat it. It has five beef patties, chili, nachos, lettuce, and a whole bunch of other stuff. If you eat a whole one yourself, you win a free t-shirt, along with a free heart attack down the road I presume.
Here is Adam Richman eyeing up the Fifth Third Burger in Comstock Park, MI
Photo courtesy of the Travel Channel
Whitecaps’ Crosby is Tigers top MiLB Hurler
The Detroit Tigers named Casey Crosby their Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Crosy went 10-4 with a 2.41 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 104 2/3 innings pitched for the West Michigan Whitecaps this season. In the second half of the season, he went 5-2 with a 0.78 ERA and 49 strikeouts in only 46 innings of work. The 21 year old hurler, had his fastball clocked at 98 mph in this, his first full pro season. Crosby only pitched three games in 2008 before having reconstructive surgery on his left elbow.
“He’s a great kid with a great work ethic, working hard at everything he does,” Whitecaps manager Joe DePastino told the Grand Rapids Press. “He was willing to learn and get better, and he’s very deserving of this award.”
Crosby’s keeping up the Whitecaps tradition of this honor by the Tigers organization. The last four season’s has seen the award handed to a West Michigan pitcher. Jon Kibler won it last season, with Duane Below taking home the honor in 2007 and Burke Badenhop in 2006.
Taking home the award for the Tigers Minor League Player of the Year, is former Whitecap Scott Sizemore (2007). Splitting time between the Erie Seawolves (AA) and Toledo Mud Hens (AAA) he hit .308 with 17 home runs and 66 RBI’s.
Photo courtesy of the Grand Rapids Press
Whitecaps Pound Peoria
July 17, 2009-Comstock Park, MI: The West Michigan Whitecaps beat up on the visiting Peoria Chiefs 9-0. The onslaught starting in the first inning, when center fielder Ben Guez hit a two run homer to put the ‘Caps up 2-0. Guez ended up going 3-5 on the night, with three RBI’s. Also helping out was second baseman Mike Gosse who was a perfect 4-4 with a double, two runs scored, and 2 RBI’s. Third baseman Brent Wyatt went 2-5 with a double, triple, RBI, and run scored. All around good offensive game by the Whitecaps. The fact that Peoria had three errors helped out, too.
On the mound Brayan Villarreal pitched a solid five innings. He struck out six and didn’t give up a run. He gave up six hit’s, but he was able to pitch himself out of trouble with the help of his defense. His ERA is now a measly 1.06.
Rain threatened the game, but it turned out to be a beautifull night. After some first inning mist, the rain held off and it actually warmed up a bit. It was also Tiger Friday, so former Tiger John Wockenfuss was there to sign autograpsh. That’s another entry, though.
Photos property of MIB
Minor League All-Star Linkage
AAA ALL-STAR GAME RE-CAP/I don’t like to plagorize, nor do would I waste my time trying to recap a game or write an article that’s already been done. Here are the MiLB.com links to the AAA and 
AA Eastern League All-Star Game re-caps.
Both seemed like really good games, with the International League besting the Pacific Coast League 6-5, while in the Eastern League, the South topped the North by the score of 5-3.
Bowie second baseman Miguel Abreu was the Eastern League’s All-Star Game Top Star Award Winner, with two hits, two runs, and two stolen bases. He also made some good plays in the field. Apparently you can only list one link on this site per blog, but you can still get to the AA re-cap when you get to MiLB.com.
Eric Kratz of the Indianapolis Indians was named the Top Star of he AAA All-Star game. He doubled and scored the first run for the International League, then hit a out-of-the-park two run homer.
Whitecaps Update
Pounding The Ball: ‘Caps third basebman Bryan Pounds has been on a roll the last nine games. He’s batting .361 with 15 RBI’s and seven runs scored. Pounds is getting offensive
help from the outfield as well. Left fielder Billy Nowlin is batting .389 with nine RBI’s and seven runs scored. While not patroling center field at Fifth Third Ballpark, Ben Guez is slugging .333, respectively, and has added 11 RBI’s and nine runs scored including a home run in his last ten games.
Snakebitten: The Whitecaps have had a rough time with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers this season, dropping 5 of 6 games. Last week the ‘Caps commited four errors that led to three Rattler runs in a 5-2 loss at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton. In the lone ‘Caps win, however, they won 11-2 on the back of 17 hits.
Ups and Downs: Being promoted to West Michigan from the GCL Tigers is short stop Hernan Perez. Perez was batting .255 with five RBI’s in 13 games so far in the Gulf Coast League. He replaces Gustavo Nunez who has been recently suspended. Nunez has been batting .328 with one home run, 24 RBI’s and 37 stolen bases so far this season with the ‘Caps.
Johnny B In West Michigan: This Friday is another Tiger Friday at Fifth Third Ballpark. Former Detroit Tiger fan favorite Johnny B. Wockenfuss will be on hand to sign autographs and meet fans. Wockenfuss played in Detroit from 1974-1983, being traded to Philadelphia before the Tigs won the World Series in 1984. He was a solid utiliy player who played catcher, first base, and outfield. His career BA was .262, slugging 86 home runs and 310 RBI’s. Wockenfuss also managed the Toledo Mud Hens starting in 1987. In 1989 the Mud Hens (Detroit’s AAA farm team) actually beat the Tigers with Wockenfuss himself being the winning pitcher. Had had never pitched in his Major League career. I’ll be on hand this Friday, too, to get my free bobblehead and enjoy the game.
Whitecaps Update
All Star Hero
:West Michigan Whitecap Ronnie Bourquin (recently promoted to the AA Erie Sea Wolves) blasted three run homer in the fourth inning of the Midwest League All-Star Game to put the East up 5-0. With runners at the corners, he lifted a 3-1 count pitch over the fence. The East went on to beat the West 6-3.
“I’m not a guy that usually hits a lot of home runs, I’m usually a gap to gap guy and I’ve come close on a lot of balls that I’ve hit”, he stated.
Bourquin was accompanied to the All-Star game by five other ‘Caps players. Pitchers Casey Crosby, Jared Gayhart, Maruicio Robles, and Tyler Sthor, along with second baseman Brandon Douglas made the trip to Clinton, Iowa.
Back To The Playoffs: This is the fourth straight season the Whitecaps have clinched a playoff berth in the first half, and the sixth straight in the playoffs. The Whitecaps have seen post-season action in 12 of the last 15 seasons.
MLB Debuts: Two former Whitecap pitchers have made their MLB debut with the Tigers. Alfredo Figaro (2008) made two starts with Detoit, while Luke French (2005-06) has made one start and is scheduled for at least one more.
Players of the Week: Whitecaps third baseban Ryan Pounds and right-handed pitch Luke Putkonen have been named the Midwest League’s Players of the Week respectively. This is the first time in the 15 yr. history of the ‘Caps that they swept the awards.
Pounds is batting .285 with two home-runs and a team leading 48 RBI’s. In a game last week versus Dayton, he went 3-5 and drove in six RBI.
Putkonen is 5-4 with a 3.98 ERA. He’s struck out 71 batters in 86.1 innings this season so far. Last week versus South Bend he through a complete game shut-out.
Photo property of MIB
Making The Best Of It
While being sent away for training down south, all you can really do is make the bes
t of it. I did this by taking in some great Minor League Baseball action in some historic cities with great baseball atmospheres.
Charleston RiverDogs: I was able to make it to two games of the RiverDogs here in Charleston, South Carolina. They are Single A in the South Atlantic League. It’s always nice to be at a ballpark for the first time and ‘The Joe’ as they call it is a nice place to watch a game. It’s pretty big ballpark, but you still got a great view from anywhere. I was shut out at getting a game ball and the Dogs beat and lost to the Lexington Legends.
Savannah Sand Gnats: Luckily the Sand Gnats were also in town while I was down here, this time playing the Charleston RiverDogs (maybe they’re thinking I followed them). I love Grayson Stadium, though, as I was here back in 2005 when I was training in Brunswick then. Always a good time in Savannah, and the Gnats played well losing a close game Tuesday night and winning in extra innings the next. I’d love to bring the family down here at some point.
Sorry the picture quality is so bad, but had to pick up a desposable camera while down there. They’re better than nothing, I guess.
Photos property of MIB
2009 Baseball Trip
Tues. May 5-South Bend, Indiana: Our first trip to Coveleski Stadium in South Bend pitted the home Silver Hawks against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. We fought off the rain all week, and it started here with some drizzle, but the rain actually held off and we got the whole game in. Trevor made the trip with us this year, and he was uccessful in getting two game balls. The stadium is a little plain, but cut into the ground which I like and had good seating. We had good seats in the front row.
Thurs. May 7-Indianapolis, Indiana: We experienced out first rain out Wednesday, but if one of our games was to be missed, that would be it because we planned on returning to Victory Field on this day for a morning game anyway. The Indians played the Scranton/WB Yankees in a double header starting at ten in the morning. Again, rain threatened us, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. The home town Indians got beat both games, but this is a great ball park and we would love to back here again. Pictured is me and Trevor in the upper deck. Trevor got a fowl ball here, too.
Minoring In Baseball 