6/14/2014 Gwinnett Braves 0, Louisville Bats 1

Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville, KY

Game 4 of 4

"Homer Bobblehead wouldn't do that."

It's Homer Bailey Bobblehead day at LSF, and yes, I got mine!! Now I can assure you that whatever Homer Bailey does (or doesn't do) in real life, I have tangible evidence in the Dungeon that proves his plastic and resin counterpart would have stood by idly, eternally locked in his peculiar windup.

Chien-Ming Wang, the infamous Taiwanese MLB organizational nomad who signed as a free agent with the Reds in late 2013, has made 13 starts for Louisville this season with mixed success. His 8-5 record and 3.89 ERA is a bit deceiving; out of his 9 previous outings, 8 of those were Quality Starts, and the Bats are 8-5 when he's on the mound...and 6-1 in his last 7 starts. That being said, his record isn't as good as it was with AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in  9 starts last season, but really looks more like his work with AAA Buffalo later on that same year.

Toss Braves starter Cody Martin into the mix, who is also good, but not great, and you could never expect a pitcher's duel of any kind. But we got one today, as Wang hurls a gem - 7.1IP, 9 H, 2K, 0 runs...and the Bats bullpen contributes to hold the Braves scoreless, despite allowing a combined 10 hits. Martin stays in for 6 innings, striking out 7, walking 3 and only allowing 5 hits and one earned run...the run that costs the Braves the game. That earned run happened in the very first inning, when leadoff batter Jason Bourgeois (who reached on a BB) actually stole home during a double-steal attempt.

This is also my first live Donald Lutz experience! He was on the roster for my previous visit to LSF a couple of weeks ago, but had been called up to Cincinnati 'real quick' and did not play. 

"Der Brauner Hulk" looked ferocious at the plate, yet saw no action whatsoever in LF...he went 0-for-4 tonight with 3Ks (2 swinging) and a lineout to right field. 

Here he is facing Martin in the 4th inning, when he was called out on strikes.

The sun was ferocious today, and proved problematic to most of my attempts at getting decent photos. But this is a good thing, as the last time I was at a game with my oldest daughter Kei, we went home early with decidedly frozen extremities.

It's Saturday, we got bobbleheads, and I'm wearing my Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs "Bacon Saturday" cap. A fun and unusual game, a great reason to beat the heat with some cool base ball and a Souvenir Soda. No complaints.

For the Mystery Rookie Card game, Kei picks this 2008 Upper Deck Denard Span #718. The price tag is $1.50, so she's kind of a winner. THIS IS DSPAN.

My pick has no price tag, but it sure does have a story. Featured on this 2004 Bowman #263 is one Jeff Allison, who was a first-round pick for the Marlins in 2003 and was a Baseball America top-50 prospect at one time (BA also honored him as the 2003 High School Player of the Year). 

Unfortunately for Allison, his story isn't really your typical "Prospect to Promise to Bust" tale, and you won't see what went wrong for him in any box score or on the back of any of his cards.  Allison will always be remembered for his substance abuse issues (addicted to Heroin and OxyContin) and would always be linked to the similar downward spiral of Josh Hamilton. Allison's struggles were documented in a 2009 feature by Thomas Farragher for the Boston Globe ($), and included episodes of suspensions for non-disclosed reasons (2005), overdoses (2006) and even prison farm assignments (2007). Unlike Hamilton, there was no rubber mattress for Allison to bounce back into pro baseball on, and in 2012 he told Peter Gammons that he was likely to retire, mostly due to a lingering potential elbow injury that would require surgery and rehabilitation...yeah, and all of that other stuff too, I guess.

BONUS CARD: 2013 Allen & Ginter Jose Altuve #AGR-JA, game used jersey. No words. Wait, I have one..."sharp."

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

Official Program (featuring Tucker Barnhart) and Scorecard

Ticket (Daniel Corcino, who did pitch for Louisville last year, but has spent this entire season in AA Pensacola)

Bat Chat and Gameday Stats

If you enjoy my work, I encourage you to spread the word via Twitter

(I am @yoshiki89), and also please leave a comment!

6/2/2014 Columbus Clippers 1, Louisville Bats 4

Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville, KY

Game 2 of 2

How's about a little HONKBAL for your Monday Night Base Ball? I hear on the way to the game that Jair Jurrjens, who signed a minor league deal with the Reds a few weeks ago, will be making his first start of the season with the Bats!!

To say that Jurrjens has had a very peculiar career, so far, would be quite the understatement. From a formidable Rookie of the Year candidate in 2008 and an All-Star in 2011 to the "boy that nobody owns" in 2012. Something happened, who knows what, to the former Brave who went 47-32 with an ERA of 3.34 (FIP 3.81) in 108 starts with Atlanta from 2008-2011. His luck (or something akin to that) seemed to run out in 2012, when he spent time in both Atlanta and AAA Gwinnett, definitely performing not-as-great as he once had been. He found a new home with the Baltimore Orioles in 2013 in a minor league deal, but only appeared in 2 MLB games and went 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA in 14 starts at AAA Norfolk. When he was picked up by the Tigers in July and made 7 starts with AAA Toledo, he was 1-4 with a 5.49 ERA.  Still unsigned to begin the 2014 season, we was the template for a star that shined brightly on the Major League stage, yet now couldn't even provide sparks at the AAA level.

All that aside, I've always admired Jurrjens, and I don't see any reason to change the way I feel. I'm certainly not disappointed, as Jurrjens enjoys a comfortable outing, 5IP (85 pitches, 53 for strikes), 5H, 1ER, 1BB, and 8K against the Clippers.

However, the Bats aren't really making an uproarious offensive statement in support of Jurrjens, and are behind the Clippers 1-0 until the 4th inning, where they finally get to starter RHP Travis Banwart (who was perfect through 3 innings) with 3 runs on 3 hits.

Many Reds fans are curious as to why Jurrjens is even around...well, judging from what I've seen tonight, they may have a reason to change their way of thinking a little bit. Perhaps some #GOML is due; I still think Jurrjens is really good at pitching baseballs - no reason to think otherwise. For now.

Jurrjens vs. Clippers C Roberto Perez

Bats SS Hernan Iribarren faces Banwart; I first saw Iribarren with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in June of 2012, then picked him in the Mystery Rookie Card game a month or so later.

In the bottom of the 5th, mayhem ensued when Bats 3B Chris Nelson reached on a single to 3rd that was a truly close play. Here, Clippers SS Justin Sellers, 2B Ryan Rohlinger and 1B Audy Ciriaco are discussing the call with rover ump Brad Myers, while Clippers Manager Chris Tremie is arguing with 1B ump Nick Lentz, who made the call.

...a few minutes later, Tremie is ejected by Lentz

Iribarren faces RHP Austin Adams in the 6th inning...Adams has pretty good stuff!!

For my pick in tonight's Mystery Rookie Card game, I'm a little stumped, as I don't have a clue who Chris Duffy is. Sure, this 2006 Allen & Ginter #258 looks awesome, but I wonder if Chris Duffy is...or was...just as awesome.

Well, yeah, he was awesome...for 39 games in 2005 with the Pirates, he had an OPS of .814 and an OPS+ of 115. That's pretty awesome. But that's only 39 games, in a season that was shortened by injuries...the staff of Baseball Prospectus surmised in 2005 that he would be "passed" by Nate McLouth (which, I suppose, he was) and in 2006 acknowledged that his "low walk rate and lack of power" were problems for him. When he won the Opening Day starter job (along with McLouth) in 2006, he slumped hard and was demoted to AAA, where he refused to report. Well, he did report after a month or so, and the Pirates actually brought him back to MLB later in the season...where he ended up slumping again, but not so bad. Starting in 2008, Duffy was still a guy with poor plate discipline who was letting his best years get behind him. We was granted free agency in late 2008, spent a year with the Brewers and a year with the Phillies, and hasn't played professional baseball since he was released in July of 2010.

So, my pick isn't looking awesome at all. When you see what my buddy Marty picked, there can be no question about who "won" today.

Yes, that's a 1986 Fleer Update #U-14. Darnit, I've been skunked again!!!!!!

NO WORDS. AT ALL.
And no chance of me being able to sucker Marty into a trade, either...

BONUS: Ever since the start of the 2013 season, every time I stop by the Slugger Monkey baseball card stand to pick up the Mystery Rookie packs, I'm always asked: "Anything else?" and I always respond: "Got any Jose Altuve?"

Well, we are in Kentucky, and Matt (the vendor) doesn't really know who Jose Altuve is. 10 games or so last year, every time, I come up blank when asking for Altuve. This season, it's been the same. Today, however, Matt asks me "Hey, aren't you the Jose Altuve guy?"

"Well, YES sir, I am!!"

Here's what Matt had for me...this 2012 Topps #187.

Granted, I already have this card. In fact, this card is hanging majestically in my cube at work. Jose Altuve is my spirit animal. However, I'm trying to prime the pump a little...I'm not the kind of collector who funnels hundreds of dollars a year buying packs and looking for "hits"...I'm an odd fellow with simple needs; I like the cards I like, and that's that. Sure, I'll buy a few packs here and there, but not many. So, in the interest of giving Matt some incentive to take more of my money from me down the road, I buy this for a dollar - and he lets me know he may have some more coming.

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

Official Program (featuring Tucker Barnhart) and Scorecard

Ticket (Neftali Soto)

Bat Chat and Gameday Stats

If you enjoy my work, I encourage you to spread the word via Twitter

(I am @yoshiki89), and also please leave a comment!

10/22/1991 Minnesota Twins 4, Atlanta Braves 5

Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta, GA
World Series Game 3

Watching Steve Avery and Scott Erickson pitch the same game was like watching two Superheroes fight each other with bloody abandon.

I drew this conclusion not based upon the announcers' repeated references to Erickson's features favoring those of Christopher Reeve, but based upon the sheer amount of #rack and #rig between the two of them.

The 1991 World Series will probably always be my favorite; I watch the whole series every year, during the offseason, and I am always flush with excitement no matter how many times I do so. This legendary extra-innings affair certainly contained its share of cliffhangers, with Mark Lemke's heroics in the 12th inning closing the game in extraordinary fashion.

What is also extraordinary: Rick Aguilera pinch hitting in the 5 hole during the top of the 12th inning. Why? Because it was the first time in a World Series since the Designated Hitter era began that a Pitcher batted as a pinch hitter since Don Drysdale did the same in 1965. Aguilera stayed in the game as the Pitcher for the bottom of the 12th and gave up the 1-out single to David Justice, who would eventually steal a base and then score on Lemke's single and win the game.

SCOREKEEPER'S NOTE: There will have to be a post (or a series of posts) on how to score extra-innings games, because there are so many things you can do to stay on top of the events as they unfold, and to wrap it all up when the game is finally over and you're all out of ice cream. It can get messy if you don't keep up on it; there are several tips on preventing the mess...one of those tips, I'd like to share right now.

Here's a typical scoresheet entry (from another game) that indicates Crowe entered the game as a defensive replacement during the bottom of the 7th in RF for Paredes - I mark the entry with a "B7" to note this. Related: if a player enters the game as a pinch hitter, I don't note this by his name, as I did above...his first entry is for his first Plate Appearance, and is therefore easier to understand.

For extra-innings games, the focus of record-keeping is to be able to distinguish what happens during the innings on your first page (for my 2013 scoresheets, that would be the first 9 innings) and what happens on your second pate (10th inning and beyond). On the MIN sheet, page 1 of 2, there were a total of four batters in the 9th spot:

1. #19 Erickson (P - 1 AB in the 3rd)
2. #9 Larkin (PH - 1 AB in the 6th)
3. #44 Davis (PH - 1 AB in the 8th)
4. #1 Brown (defensive replacement, RF in the bottom of the 8th, no AB)
5. #25 Bush (PH - 1 AB in the 9th, stayed in the game as RF + 1 more AB in the 12th = 2 AB)

Brown was only a defensive replacement, was lifted for another PH (Bush), so that's why there's an 'X' in his AB box. This is straightforward because the only defensive replacement was in the 8th inning, on page 1 of 1 (the first 9 innings).  What if the first appearance as a PH occurred after the first 9 innings?

Well, it happens here, during this game. Looking at the 5th and 6th spots in the order, instead of making the note inside the 'player's name' box, I make it to the left of the box, so that when I wrap all of this up, I know that "yeah, this happened on page 2" and I can reference that information. All of the totals happen on page 1, the way that I do it, so this is important to me. More detail on this in the future, I promise!!!

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

If you enjoy my work, I encourage you to spread the word via Twitter

(I am @yoshiki89), and also please leave a comment!

4/23/2013 Gwinnett Braves 2, Louisville Bats 3

Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville, KY
Game 1 of 4

Getting back to the base, for the second time this month, I'm still buzzing about Tony Cingrani's debut at the Bats' Opening Day April 4th (and also Mike Hessman's, wow).  My friends Bill and Marty are with me this evening, and Pedro VillaERAeal is starting for Louisville.  Also, Corky Miller has been called up to Cincinnati recently, so Konrad Schmidt (who started the opener as well) is behind the dish.

Konrad Schmidt Bobblehead night in Reno on September 1, 2012, shouldn't be considered the apex of his career, but for now it's all he's got.  We jokingly call him "Kid K" but not for good reasons.  Schmidt's glory was spent as a spoke in the Arizona Diamondbacks' Minor League wheel for 4 seasons, with only 4 MLB games in his entire career.  Schmidt signed with Arizona in 2007 as an amateur free agent, so it's safe to say expectations on him were low to begin with.  However, his formidable OPS tore up the Cal League, Southern League, and Pacific Coast League respectively from 2009-2012, seeing slight regression.  The Diamondbacks placed him on waivers nearly 2 months following his Bobblehead Night, the Texas Rangers picked him up, and then summarily released him during Spring Training 2013.  His Fu Manchu and spunky attitude make him a formidable complement to Corky in the Bats lineup, so the Reds signed him and Schmidt has struck out 14 times in 35 AB, with 8 HR and 3 BB.

Could he have a night tonight?  Sure, he could...as only Konrad Schmidt himself could muster it up.

For all the grief I afford Villareal (including the nickname I use for him, that I created, yet that he EARNED...get it?) he has had a smooth start so far this season, and so has his counterpart for the Braves, Tim Corcoran.  Pedro handles himself very well, cruising through 6 innings of work with 1ER and 4K.  Corcoran mirrors his efforts with a clean 7IP, 1ER, 3K and 2BB.  Corcoran's only run was courtesy of Henry Rodriguez, who drove in Mike Hessman in the 2nd inning.  Villareal let Joe Terdoslavich get to him in the 4th with a 2-out solo HR on the first pitch he saw in the AB.

Obligatory Billy Hamilton photo!  Billy did not much of anything tonight, he reached base once on a lead-off walk to start the 1st inning, made it to 3B on a Felix Perez Single, then grounded to 1B twise and struck out swinging.  Here is his first groundout versus Corcoran in the 3rd inning.

Bats reliever Nick Christiani, in relief of Villareal, gives up a 1-out solo shot by Matt Pagnozzi in the 7th, and the Braves have a 2-1 lead over the Bats heading into the bottom of the 9th, Louisville's last chance to close this game out in their favor.

The Braves call on Australian side-armer Andrew Russell to stifle the Bats; he retires the first two batters handily on a groundout and strikeout...with one out left, Henry Rodriguez singles for the third time tonight, followed by pinch-hitter Emmanuel Burriss' first hit of the game, another single, on Russell's first pitch and the tension is electric!  2 out, 2 on, and here comes...oh gawd, here comes Konrad Schmidt.

Schmidt is 0-for-3, with a ground out, flyout, and a FIDP following a bizarre play (more on that later).  Against the side-armer, Schmidt finally finds his patience, working a full count plus one fouled back.

On the 7th pitch, he arcs a deep single to right field, scoring Rodriguez...the game tying RBI.  Right fielder Joe Terdoslavich bobbles the ball for an Error, allowing Burriss to score all the way from first base...and that, friends, is a walk-off unearned run!!  The Bats (somewhat miraculously) win this game!!

SCOREKEEPER'S NOTE:
Let's review Schmidt's FIDP a little more in depth, or rather, the events that transpired before it.  Henry Rodriguez reaches on a single (his second of the day).  Denis Phipps strikes out (foul-tip-to-mitt: FTM), one out and one on.  Schmidt enters the batter's box, and on the first pitch (a called strike), Rodriguez is heading for second, Braves catcher Matt Pagnozzi fires to second baseman Corey Wimberly and...drops the ball right as he's tagging Rodriguez!!  Rodriguez is safe, Wimberly is charged with an Error, and (here's the strange part)...Rodriguez is saddled with a "Caught Stealing, No Put Out."  Yes, it's a strange one but it happens, and it's legal.

Referring to THE RULES, specifically 10.07 (f), which states:

Ergo, Pagnozzi gets an assist, Rodriguez gets a CS, and Wimberly gets an E; this is all up to the Official Scorer.  In this case, the Error was ruled later in the game...I had ruled it so immediately following the play, perhaps the O.S. at Slugger Field had to consult his "home rules" first.

At any rate, Schmidt's high fly to shallow right field one pitch later would have only been the second out of the inning, but Rodriguez still had his wheels assembled, tagged up and headed to 3B, and was thrown out by Terdoslavich to complete the double play and end the inning.

The "fun guys," doing work in 211:

All 3 of us played the mystery rookie card game.  I was humbled by my pull; Marty accepted his gracefully, and Bill tried to give me his...which is not how the game is played, ha ha!

I sagged to my seat in erstwhile joy at the sight of this lovely 2002 Donruss Hank Blalock RC.  Maybe it's because he has actually played pro ball quite recently (2010, for the Tampa Bay Rays) but how soon do we forget his bestial baseball prowess!!

Four of his 9 MLB seasons (8 of those seasons as a solid Texas Ranger) found him with an OPS+ over 100, most notably his formidable 2004 campaign, with his second consecutive All-Star selection and 18th place finish in the AL MVP voting.  Blalock didn't fade as terribly as he did quietly, sidelined with multiple injuries for most of 2007 and 2008.

Marty pulled this 2006 Upper Deck John Gall RC.  Here's another player who folks might have been asking "where is he now?" if he weren't an 11th round pick to begin with.

Judging from Upper Deck's wherewithal to grant him a Rookie Card in 2006, based upon his 22 games played for the Cardinals in 2005 (including one AB in the NLDS), perhaps expectations were higher for the outfielder, who was actually pretty good in the Minors.  However, Gall only played 8 MLB games in 2006, and was released by the Cardinals in July of that year, finishing the season in the KBO and signing with the Florida Marlins later that year.  Gall continued his admirable Minor League performance, signed with the Houston Astros in late 2008 (where in AAA Round Rock, he was not as admirable).  After his 2009 season, the entirety of it spent in Round Rock, he was never heard from in professional baseball again.

Bill's pull was stranger yet...maybe I should have accepted it, after all!  This 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter featuring Brandon Allen, as a rookie card, was even more premature as Gall's, and perhaps more posthumous in nature.

Allen was a 5th round pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2004, but as of 2009 had barely broken his AAA cherry with the Charlotte Knights before he was traded in July to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Tony Pena. Indeed, after a month in AAA Reno, Allen made it to the Diamondbacks' MLB roster after never having a chance to do so with the White Sox for all those years.  His 116 games that year weren't really enough to pitch a tent over,  he did better in fewer games with the DBacks in 2010 but only after spending most of the season in Reno.  His service time in Arizona was cut down even more in 2011, when in July he was traded along with Jordan Norberto to the Oakland A's for Brad Ziegler (nice move, Arizona).  Waiver deals and free agency bounced him to the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers respectively (like Blalock, in reverse), in Fukuoka with the SoftBank Hawks for a few weeks, and then back to the A's, then back to the Rays through the end of 2012.  He signed with the Padres in April of 2013, where at Tucson he's hitting .270/.351/.474 and playing all over the damn field as a 27-year old.

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

Official Program (featuring new Bats manager Jim Riggleman) and Scorecard

Louisville is finally adding some #sparkle to their season tickets, with several players (and a mascot) featured on different dates...I believe I have one of each this season, so here's tonight's ticket with Buddy Bat (the mascot I was speaking of)

Bat Chat and Gameday Stats

If you enjoy my work, I encourage you to spread the word via Twitter

(I am @yoshiki89), and also please leave a comment!