The Baseball Enthusiast: Steve Selsky

Showing posts with label Steve Selsky. Show all posts

Sunday, June 14, 2015

6/14/2015 Durham Bulls 3, Louisville Bats 2

Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville, KY

Game 4 of 4

My buddy Abe finally got to come to a Bats game with me. So #kVlt.

My scoresheets, using my pitch-counting method! Read about it HERE, download the scoresheets for free HERE!

DUR OF Mikie Mahtook, 1st round draft pick by the Rays in 2011, faces LOU RHP Josh Smith

My hero, LOU 1B Steve Selsky, faces DUR LHP Scott Diamond

LOU SS Hernan Iribarren vs. Diamond

Mahtook helped get things going for the Bulls, here he's facing Smith in the 6th (with CF Corey Brown on first).

Mahtook doubles to send Brown to 3B; JP Arencibia drives Brown across the plate in the next AB with a G6-3 to tie the game, Richie Shaffer plates Mahtook to give the Bulls the lead.

My pick in the Mystery Rookie Card game: Brian Burgamy, 9th round pick of the Padres in the 2002 Draft.

He had a hot start for Class-A Eugene that year, and maintained serviceable numbers for the Padres through 2005, but never played above AA. He was a Phillie from 2006-2007, yet again never played about AA ball. For the next 6 seasons, aside from an 8 game stint with the St. Lucie Mets in early summer 2008, he would drift from one Indie league club to another, appearing in a few Mexican and Dominican leagues, appearing in affiliated ball again for the first time in 2014 with the Eastern League Binghamton Mets. He was last seen in the states last summer with the Tulsa Drillers and Oklahoma City Dodgers, and started the 2016 season with the Rieleros de Aquascalientes.

Abe got lucky and picked Jeremy Sowers, who famously hailed from Louisville (Ballard High School, a 1st round pick by the Reds in 2001 that did not sign) and was a first round pick by the Indians out of Vanderbilt in 2004. Sowers was always a sad-faced kinda dude, it figures that his career would end up being sad-faced as well.

Other than the fact that I know a few folks who have remodeled Sowers' parents home here a few times over the years, it occurs to me that everybody is really close to forgetting Sowers altogether. He hasn't pitched in a Major League game since 2009 and has been a free agent since 2011, that usually moves the loss of memory along for most folks. So where in the world is Jeremy Sowers? It's hard to tell...after his injury-plagued career, Sowers fell off the map fairly quickly and didn't pitch in any pro ball during 2011 and 2012. He appeared on the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs' roster in the independent Atlantic League for 8 games in 2013, but that's the last blip outta him on the map. Sure, he was Baseball America's #2 prospect in the Indians organization in 2005. That won't buy him any coffee nowadays.

Official Program (featuring Chris Dominguez) and Scorecard

Ticket (featuring Ryan Lamarre)

Bat Chat and Gameday Stats

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Monday, May 4, 2015

5/4/2015 Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs 3, Louisville Bats 5

Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville, KY

Game 1 of 3

I often wish I saw the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs here in LOU as much as I see the Columbus Clippers or the Indianapolis Indians in any given season. The reason may not be obvious, so I'll divulge this much: one of my favorite MiLB teams right now is the Reading Fightin' Phils...since I've been a Fightins fan for the past couple of years, it seems like I always miss some of my favorites pass through here once they've been called up to AAA (or beyond).

Tonight, with my pal Marty, I get to see two former Reading stalwarts; one who certainly will be famous, and the other that has already had his share of infamy.

I also get to see Jon Moscot start tonight, he's 3-0 with a minuscule 2.16 ERA so far this season.

YES! Lefties are hitting .167 against Moscot, righties are hitting .323 - and there are 4 lefties in today's LHV lineup. The fact that Moscot is really good starting out isn't incredible news, despite the fact that he hasn't been spectacular in Minor League ball up to this point. As always, with the Reds and their perpetually ailing pitching staffs, the question is how long will it be before he's called up?

My scoresheets, using my pitch-counting method! Read about it HERE, download the scoresheets for free HERE!

Three of the Iron Pigs' starting nine (including pitcher Joely Rodriguez) each tag Moscot for base hits in the first three innings. The Iron Pigs get on the board first, but Louisville answers immediately and sustains their lead throughout the game...and who'da thunk it? Moscot goes 2-for-3 at the plate with 2RBI; he also pitches 6 innings, allowing 3ER, 7H, 4BB and 2K.

Domonic Brown has a game that I didn't think I'd see; he goes 2-for-3 with 2RBI and a stolen base (this earns him an intentional pass with 2 on and 1 out in the 7th). His days with the Phillies are certainly numbered - he still looks great with a bat and shows a level of talent that has certainly benefited from his checkered MLB experience. He's the Ghost of Phillies Prospects past at the moment, while Maikel Franco has a future that looks as bright as Brown's did a few years ago...and maybe a little bit brighter.

Ivan De Jesus faces Joely Rodriguez in the 2nd, Eugenio Suarez is at 1B. Suarez' HR in the first inning set the tone for the Bats' early scoring to gain and maintain control of the game.

The Legendary Brian Bogusevic faces Moscot in the 2nd, Rodriguez (who did a li'l hittin' himself) on 1B

...Bogusevic grounds into a double play, 4-6-3

My Hero, Steve Selsky, against Rodriguez in the 3rd...

...G5-3 (sighs)

Domonic Brown vs. Moscot in the 4th inning (F9)

Maikel Franco vs. Moscot in the 4th (Franco singles)

De Jesus faces RHP reliever Tyler Knigge in the 7th and strikes out looking; Suarez is caught stealing by C Tommy Joseph

Playing the Mystery Rookie Card game, I couldn't help but burst into LOLzzz when I ended up picking this Baby Huey card. If you've read this blog through the years, you'll know exactly how I feel about Juan Francisco. If you don't read this blog often, it should be obvious .

Marty picked this solid Jeff Baisley card. Good ol' Jeff, who debuted September 9, 2008 and played his final major league game on September 28, 2008.

Jeff was a 12th round pick in 2005 by Oakland, and though his coffee tour in 2008 was brief, he stayed with the A's system through 2010, when he was released and subsequently signed by the Angels. 2012 saw him with the Dodgers, Tigers, and White Sox...the bottom fell out there, when in 2013 he spent the season with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League after a brief stint with the Mexican League Acereros de Moncalova.

Marty surprised me by giving me the Jeff Baisley card, and also the other cards he has won in the Mystery Rookie Card game over the years. The one on the right sings the loudest to me.