Syracuse withstood bases loaded and one out in the ninth with an 8-5 lead against Pawtucket to break their ten game losing streak on Monday, winning the game 8-6.
Yes that's all I care to write about the games anymore. As has been the case many years, these August games just don't matter here in Syracuse. You go to the stadium to watch the game, but it's only for your enjoyment. There is no urgency about every game mattering because what's the difference between 20 games under .500 and 22 games under? Toronto obviously feels this way, too. To fill out their roster, Syracuse has been given two Dunedin players. With Sal Fasano going onto the DL, we now have Robinzon Diaz and TWO other catchers. This is due to the call up of David Corrente. Also called up was Dunedin backup infielder Al Quintana. Here are their lines:
Al Quintana: In 41 games, he was batting .243 with Dunedin, with one homer and 12 RBIs. He has not strung together two straight days of play within the past month. Worthy of a AAA promotion? Not likely. In 2006, he played in both Auburn and Lansing. In 24 games there, he batted .197 in his 61 at bats.
David Corrente: He already saw a one game stint in Syracuse this year. He was 0-1 batting. In Dunedin, he saw 39 games. He batted .220 with 7 homers and 25 RBIs. Again, obviously not worth of a promotion two leagues above. The positive about this guy, however, is that last year he did bat over .300 with Dunedin, so he may have potential (though being the backup catcher in single A doesn't really help give confidence in that).
Listen, I understand that with New Hampshire still on the fringe of the playoffs, that they don't exactly want to screw them over. Problem is, since when has Toronto given any consideration to Syracuse early in the season? In my opinion, someone in the organization would rather see New Hampshire win than Syracuse. How else can you explain continually sending Dunedin's backups to Syracuse, even early in the season? Remember Carlo Cota, anyone? It's just frustrating to sit here and know that even with great aspirations before the season, that Toronto is just going to find ways to make this franchise lose yet again. And I will admit this here, I was definitely in favor of staying with Toronto on the affiliation signing last year. However, within the past year I have made it a point to really look at things, and now I think it's time to look elsewhere.
Look at the majority of the players from this year's Chiefs team and last years. With one or two exceptions, it has been nearly the same team! To quote Albert Einstein “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Sounds a lot like both Toronto and the Syracuse Chiefs board members, doesn't it?
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
And Sunday Makes It Ten
Another day, another loss for the Chiefs as they push their season long losing streak to ten. It's just getting more painful each day to check the box score. I used to care enough to at least listen on the radio, but why bother? This team seemed to have mailed it in during the last homestand with some of the worst playing I have seen.
Some moves have been made. Matt Roney has been sent back up to Syracuse. You may remember him as the first Chief to make it on the ESPN bottom sportsticker in awhile, as they told us about his fifty game suspension for using an illegal substance. Thanks Toronto, give us another reliever when we are already spot starting players massively.
Then in another interesting move, the Chiefs get catcher John Schneider from New Hampshire and send down shortstop Sergio Santos. My only guess, and let me emphasize the word guess here, is that one of the catchers may be dinged up. However, looking at the box score from Saturday night, it says Robinson Diaz came in to play second base later on and Ryan Roberts played catcher for two innings. If anyone can explain that to me, or let me know if it was a misprint, I'd appreciate it. Wouldn't it be ironic if Toronto decided to put Thigpen at catcher and Diaz in the infield, when anyone who has seen them both play, knows it should be the opposite? Again, I don't think that's the case, but with Toronto..you honestly just never know.
Looking at MLB.com, I also saw Gustavo Chacin was sent down with the past couple days for "minor league rehab." Could that mean another stint with Syracuse or another team? Only time will tell I guess.
With ten games left to be played with Ottawa, the Chiefs are only five games behind them for the worst record in the league...oh wait, we are supposed to be chasing the top. So they are actually five games ahead of Ottawa..ahh maybe the team made the same mistake that I just made (/end sarcasm)
That's all I got for now, I may have had more, but we are known for blocking out painful memories...
Take care everyone.
Some moves have been made. Matt Roney has been sent back up to Syracuse. You may remember him as the first Chief to make it on the ESPN bottom sportsticker in awhile, as they told us about his fifty game suspension for using an illegal substance. Thanks Toronto, give us another reliever when we are already spot starting players massively.
Then in another interesting move, the Chiefs get catcher John Schneider from New Hampshire and send down shortstop Sergio Santos. My only guess, and let me emphasize the word guess here, is that one of the catchers may be dinged up. However, looking at the box score from Saturday night, it says Robinson Diaz came in to play second base later on and Ryan Roberts played catcher for two innings. If anyone can explain that to me, or let me know if it was a misprint, I'd appreciate it. Wouldn't it be ironic if Toronto decided to put Thigpen at catcher and Diaz in the infield, when anyone who has seen them both play, knows it should be the opposite? Again, I don't think that's the case, but with Toronto..you honestly just never know.
Looking at MLB.com, I also saw Gustavo Chacin was sent down with the past couple days for "minor league rehab." Could that mean another stint with Syracuse or another team? Only time will tell I guess.
With ten games left to be played with Ottawa, the Chiefs are only five games behind them for the worst record in the league...oh wait, we are supposed to be chasing the top. So they are actually five games ahead of Ottawa..ahh maybe the team made the same mistake that I just made (/end sarcasm)
That's all I got for now, I may have had more, but we are known for blocking out painful memories...
Take care everyone.
Friday, August 17, 2007
8/17/07: Chiefs Make It Seven, Blue Jays Make It 23
Well, one and three-fourths series later, the Chiefs are on a seven game losing streak. There's a lot to be said here so I will just cut to it.
The Pawtucket series was marred by more bad umpiring. Kevin Causey and Brian Kennedy made enough mistakes in the series to cause Doug Davis to even get tossed twice. Causey's rotating strike zone and Kennedy's disappearing eye act at first were just laughable by the end of the series. They held those positions in the first and last game of the series, easily the two most horrific (though Causey looked just as bad at first base in the third game). Now, I am not saying they are the sole reason for the sweep, but I think with better umpiring, the Chiefs would have won at least one game.
That being said, what an amazing time the infield had against Pawtucket. Nine errors in four games, which included one game where Chief had an error. We had Russ Adams with two errors, John Hattig with one, along with Sergio Santos and Kevin Barker both having three. At that point Santos had six errors in ONLY nine games for the Chiefs. It can also be argued that Barker's scooping abilities (lack there of) helped a few more errors occur, but due to the throws being bounced, they were ultimately awarded to the thrower.
Moving on to the Scranton series, the Chiefs have held early leads in two of the three games played so far. A problem, however, is that the Chiefs have been hung out to dry regarding pitching. At the current time, they only have ten active pitchers on the roster (more on that later). A spot start by Justin James went well until the fourth inning where he earned the loss by giving up four there and five overall. My question is, can you expect a guy who has been in the bullpen all year to be able to perform great when asked to start and go more than the innings he has been used to? Granted, he has pitched three innings a number of times, but he was doing well until that fourth one. Aside from that, the Chiefs have given up seven homers in three games, and Josh Banks didn't pitch any game. That's just not acceptable. The plus for the team is Chad Mottola picking up two homers in Thursday's game.
An interesting not about the Scranton series so far is that Kevin Barker has not played in either of the last two games. That marks what I believe to be the first time this year he has missed consecutive games.
As I alluded to in the title, with call ups and releases, the Syracuse Chiefs now only have 23 active players on their roster. Among the transactions is the release of Mark Redman. Along with that, Hector Luna has been sent down to the Chiefs, while Russ Adams was called up by the Blue Jays. Now, looking at New Hampshire, things get confusing for me. They also only have 23 players, but they also have 13 pitchers active. With Chip Cannon on the DL, I would think about possibly sending Kevin Barker down, while possibly bringing Ty Taubenheim back up. Possibly sending down Sergio Santos also would be in my realm of thinking. I would consider this even if Brandon League gets sent down when he is off the DL.
With August comes the normal Chiefs' fan's discouraged feeling. Another season down the tubes, great looking on paper but just not panning out. We will probably see another Auburn Doubleday sent to Syracuse to "fill a spot" once September 1st hits. Let's just hope the Chiefs can take a couple from Ottawa the rest of the year, or else they could have an outside shot at being the worst team in the league.
The Pawtucket series was marred by more bad umpiring. Kevin Causey and Brian Kennedy made enough mistakes in the series to cause Doug Davis to even get tossed twice. Causey's rotating strike zone and Kennedy's disappearing eye act at first were just laughable by the end of the series. They held those positions in the first and last game of the series, easily the two most horrific (though Causey looked just as bad at first base in the third game). Now, I am not saying they are the sole reason for the sweep, but I think with better umpiring, the Chiefs would have won at least one game.
That being said, what an amazing time the infield had against Pawtucket. Nine errors in four games, which included one game where Chief had an error. We had Russ Adams with two errors, John Hattig with one, along with Sergio Santos and Kevin Barker both having three. At that point Santos had six errors in ONLY nine games for the Chiefs. It can also be argued that Barker's scooping abilities (lack there of) helped a few more errors occur, but due to the throws being bounced, they were ultimately awarded to the thrower.
Moving on to the Scranton series, the Chiefs have held early leads in two of the three games played so far. A problem, however, is that the Chiefs have been hung out to dry regarding pitching. At the current time, they only have ten active pitchers on the roster (more on that later). A spot start by Justin James went well until the fourth inning where he earned the loss by giving up four there and five overall. My question is, can you expect a guy who has been in the bullpen all year to be able to perform great when asked to start and go more than the innings he has been used to? Granted, he has pitched three innings a number of times, but he was doing well until that fourth one. Aside from that, the Chiefs have given up seven homers in three games, and Josh Banks didn't pitch any game. That's just not acceptable. The plus for the team is Chad Mottola picking up two homers in Thursday's game.
An interesting not about the Scranton series so far is that Kevin Barker has not played in either of the last two games. That marks what I believe to be the first time this year he has missed consecutive games.
As I alluded to in the title, with call ups and releases, the Syracuse Chiefs now only have 23 active players on their roster. Among the transactions is the release of Mark Redman. Along with that, Hector Luna has been sent down to the Chiefs, while Russ Adams was called up by the Blue Jays. Now, looking at New Hampshire, things get confusing for me. They also only have 23 players, but they also have 13 pitchers active. With Chip Cannon on the DL, I would think about possibly sending Kevin Barker down, while possibly bringing Ty Taubenheim back up. Possibly sending down Sergio Santos also would be in my realm of thinking. I would consider this even if Brandon League gets sent down when he is off the DL.
With August comes the normal Chiefs' fan's discouraged feeling. Another season down the tubes, great looking on paper but just not panning out. We will probably see another Auburn Doubleday sent to Syracuse to "fill a spot" once September 1st hits. Let's just hope the Chiefs can take a couple from Ottawa the rest of the year, or else they could have an outside shot at being the worst team in the league.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
8/9/07
Just a quick fix here. It was brought to my attention that Mike Venafro asked for his release. So there ya have it, his choice, my bad. Guess maybe that was his early birthday present (his birthday was the next day lol). Unfortunately, I can only go by the little information that I can scrape up from various areas, none of which are too extensive at the moment. If I am ever in error, please don't hesitate to leave a comment and let me know. Thanks guys and gals
8/9/07
Hi sports fans..
I wanted to write a quick note to let the readers know that I am still alive. I have had a lot of personal business to attend to, however, I have still been paying attention to our beloved Chiefs.
It seems as though Toronto is in the process of cutting dead weight, releasing guys like Royce Clayton and Jason Phillips, while picking up Hector Luna. They also reclaimed Curtis Thigpen and Ray Olmedo from the Chiefs, giving us Howie Clark back, as well as Sergio Santos from New Hampshire.
I hate seeing Clark sent down. The effort he shows alone trumps pretty much any player I have ever seen, both pregame and during the game. As for Santos, unfortunately he has been a bust since coming to the Toronto organization. He is the only guy I have seen to have a 20+ game hitting streak and in that same season not go over .250 or so. He showed strokes of power in New Hampshire, but as per usual, has cooled off the second half of the season.
As for Thigpen and Olmedo, they deserve the call ups. When healthly, Olmedo was easily the team MVP this year for the Chiefs. While I think Thigpen needs to be learning catcher by playing everyday, he performed well in Toronto and its nice to see it get rewarded again. The call up of Robinzon Diaz was something I was looking forward to. This guy has an amazing arm and can swing the bat great. My prediction is that within the next two or three years, you will see Diaz starting at catcher and Thigpen starting at first in Toronto.
As for pitching, I was shocked to see Mark Redman get signed to a minor league deal. The disappointing transaction was the release of Mike Venafro. He pitched quite well his last 15 appearances or so and deserved to stay on the team.
Looking at the roster, I just have so much trouble understanding how this team cannot perform well together consistently. The main flaw I see is outfielding. There have been a lot of game changing plays that have occurred in the outfield this year. Let's look at the five outfielders who are on the roster now:
Wayne Lydon- He gets the most play time and for good reason. He is the only outfielder who can handle center field on a long term basis. He still has trouble judging balls at times, but has improved fielding wise. He still needs to make quicker decisions and work on his arm, but I am impressed by his improvement.
Chad Mottola- He has been hit or miss all season. He has made some good throws this year, but that being said..he has lost too many balls this year in right field and even though he looks great speed-wise on the base pads, his age is starting to show a bit when he is in right field. I would love to see Chad back next year, but I would rather him be at first base or DH.
John Ford Griffin- I actually think he is the second most consistent outfielder on the Chiefs. While he has shown to only be capable to play left and right fields, he is showing good hustle the majority of the time. He seemed gun shy at first (after the injury that the cement turf helped cause him to end his 2006 season) but looks much more comfortable now.
Mike Vento- He looked great at the beginning of the year, but sometimes I am wondering if he is still having affects from the calf injury he sustained early on. He has been very slow in left and right field and has been having trouble handling the ball when it gets into the corner. Unfortunately, knowing Toronto's way of thinking, we will probably not get to see how a totally healthy Vento can play in the field. This is in addition to reports that Vento is unhappy with his current role (DH half the time) and I am doubting he will want to resign with the Blue Jays system.
Adam Lind- Quite frankly, I think this project has failed. Toronto wanted him to become an outfielder. From the looks of it, he is still far away from being an average one. The bit we have seen him in Syracuse consisted of at least two easy fly balls he lost in the sky, attempts to run at balls that flop right out of his glove, and another head injury. I will give credit, the injury was caused by hustle and a dive for a ball. Unfortunately, the cement turf has claimed another left field victim. The problem i have is that Lind doesn't seem to take the games seriously. He loses a ball in the sky then laughs about it. But I can go on about Lind. If anyone has read the Syracuse Chiefs interview with Chad Mottola, you will see a lot of similarities between how Chad describes himself when he was a prospect and how Lind acts now.
So basically, after the release of Jeff Duncan, the Chiefs were left with one speedy outfielder and four guys with average to below average speed. This has not bode well for the team. Spot starts by guys like Ryan Roberts have not been overly successful either. Roberts has speed to get to balls, however lacks the strong arm needed to be a consistent outfielder.
Anyways, my predictions for the outfield?
-Lydon will be resigned and start in Syracuse next year.
-Griffin will be in Syracuse next year. (pending Riccardi stays in Toronto)
-Vento will not be resigned.
-Lind will stay in Toronto organization, my guess is starting off the year in Syracuse.
-Mottola is a tough one. I think Toronto asks him to DH or play first in Syracuse and I am unsure if he would resign in this situation.
So that's my take. I will cover the infield and pitchers sometime soon.
I wanted to write a quick note to let the readers know that I am still alive. I have had a lot of personal business to attend to, however, I have still been paying attention to our beloved Chiefs.
It seems as though Toronto is in the process of cutting dead weight, releasing guys like Royce Clayton and Jason Phillips, while picking up Hector Luna. They also reclaimed Curtis Thigpen and Ray Olmedo from the Chiefs, giving us Howie Clark back, as well as Sergio Santos from New Hampshire.
I hate seeing Clark sent down. The effort he shows alone trumps pretty much any player I have ever seen, both pregame and during the game. As for Santos, unfortunately he has been a bust since coming to the Toronto organization. He is the only guy I have seen to have a 20+ game hitting streak and in that same season not go over .250 or so. He showed strokes of power in New Hampshire, but as per usual, has cooled off the second half of the season.
As for Thigpen and Olmedo, they deserve the call ups. When healthly, Olmedo was easily the team MVP this year for the Chiefs. While I think Thigpen needs to be learning catcher by playing everyday, he performed well in Toronto and its nice to see it get rewarded again. The call up of Robinzon Diaz was something I was looking forward to. This guy has an amazing arm and can swing the bat great. My prediction is that within the next two or three years, you will see Diaz starting at catcher and Thigpen starting at first in Toronto.
As for pitching, I was shocked to see Mark Redman get signed to a minor league deal. The disappointing transaction was the release of Mike Venafro. He pitched quite well his last 15 appearances or so and deserved to stay on the team.
Looking at the roster, I just have so much trouble understanding how this team cannot perform well together consistently. The main flaw I see is outfielding. There have been a lot of game changing plays that have occurred in the outfield this year. Let's look at the five outfielders who are on the roster now:
Wayne Lydon- He gets the most play time and for good reason. He is the only outfielder who can handle center field on a long term basis. He still has trouble judging balls at times, but has improved fielding wise. He still needs to make quicker decisions and work on his arm, but I am impressed by his improvement.
Chad Mottola- He has been hit or miss all season. He has made some good throws this year, but that being said..he has lost too many balls this year in right field and even though he looks great speed-wise on the base pads, his age is starting to show a bit when he is in right field. I would love to see Chad back next year, but I would rather him be at first base or DH.
John Ford Griffin- I actually think he is the second most consistent outfielder on the Chiefs. While he has shown to only be capable to play left and right fields, he is showing good hustle the majority of the time. He seemed gun shy at first (after the injury that the cement turf helped cause him to end his 2006 season) but looks much more comfortable now.
Mike Vento- He looked great at the beginning of the year, but sometimes I am wondering if he is still having affects from the calf injury he sustained early on. He has been very slow in left and right field and has been having trouble handling the ball when it gets into the corner. Unfortunately, knowing Toronto's way of thinking, we will probably not get to see how a totally healthy Vento can play in the field. This is in addition to reports that Vento is unhappy with his current role (DH half the time) and I am doubting he will want to resign with the Blue Jays system.
Adam Lind- Quite frankly, I think this project has failed. Toronto wanted him to become an outfielder. From the looks of it, he is still far away from being an average one. The bit we have seen him in Syracuse consisted of at least two easy fly balls he lost in the sky, attempts to run at balls that flop right out of his glove, and another head injury. I will give credit, the injury was caused by hustle and a dive for a ball. Unfortunately, the cement turf has claimed another left field victim. The problem i have is that Lind doesn't seem to take the games seriously. He loses a ball in the sky then laughs about it. But I can go on about Lind. If anyone has read the Syracuse Chiefs interview with Chad Mottola, you will see a lot of similarities between how Chad describes himself when he was a prospect and how Lind acts now.
So basically, after the release of Jeff Duncan, the Chiefs were left with one speedy outfielder and four guys with average to below average speed. This has not bode well for the team. Spot starts by guys like Ryan Roberts have not been overly successful either. Roberts has speed to get to balls, however lacks the strong arm needed to be a consistent outfielder.
Anyways, my predictions for the outfield?
-Lydon will be resigned and start in Syracuse next year.
-Griffin will be in Syracuse next year. (pending Riccardi stays in Toronto)
-Vento will not be resigned.
-Lind will stay in Toronto organization, my guess is starting off the year in Syracuse.
-Mottola is a tough one. I think Toronto asks him to DH or play first in Syracuse and I am unsure if he would resign in this situation.
So that's my take. I will cover the infield and pitchers sometime soon.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
7/19/07: Triple A Debut Disaster Downs Red Wings
Minnesota and Rochester had high hopes for Ryan Mullins in his Triple A debut Thursday night at Alliance Bank Stadium. Three innings, twelve hits, and nine runs later, things didn't look so bright. The Chiefs held off a late rally attempt to defeat the Rochester Red Wings 10-7 and take 3 out of 4 against their Thruway rivals.
Syracuse led 10-1 after the fourth inning, however struggles by starter Ty Taubenheim brought Rochester to within five runs a half inning later. Rochester rallied for two more runs in the remainder of the game, but Justin James came in with the tying run at the plate in the 8th and struck out pinch hitter Matthew LeCroy to help solidify the win. He pitched a perfect 9th for the save.
Every Chiefs batter got a hit tonight, with Adam Lind only lacking a home run for the cycle. For the Red Wings, their only starter without a hit was former Syracuse Chief, Glenn Williams, while their second baseman Matt Tolbert was only a double away from the cycle.
Chiefs go on the road for series in Buffalo and Rochester before coming home next Saturday.
Notes:
I am unsure about my previous blog involving Erik Kratz, as he is officially on the New Hampshire roster, however I swore I saw him out in the bullpen tonight.
Syracuse is still 10 games out of first, as Scranton finished their sweep with yet another win against the Indianapolis Indians. The Indians blew three late inning leads in the four games of this series. Buffalo, who is on a six game losing streak, is currently holding the wild card, 7 1/2 ahead of Syracuse, with the streaking Durham Bulls only a 1/2 game back.
Syracuse led 10-1 after the fourth inning, however struggles by starter Ty Taubenheim brought Rochester to within five runs a half inning later. Rochester rallied for two more runs in the remainder of the game, but Justin James came in with the tying run at the plate in the 8th and struck out pinch hitter Matthew LeCroy to help solidify the win. He pitched a perfect 9th for the save.
Every Chiefs batter got a hit tonight, with Adam Lind only lacking a home run for the cycle. For the Red Wings, their only starter without a hit was former Syracuse Chief, Glenn Williams, while their second baseman Matt Tolbert was only a double away from the cycle.
Chiefs go on the road for series in Buffalo and Rochester before coming home next Saturday.
Notes:
I am unsure about my previous blog involving Erik Kratz, as he is officially on the New Hampshire roster, however I swore I saw him out in the bullpen tonight.
Syracuse is still 10 games out of first, as Scranton finished their sweep with yet another win against the Indianapolis Indians. The Indians blew three late inning leads in the four games of this series. Buffalo, who is on a six game losing streak, is currently holding the wild card, 7 1/2 ahead of Syracuse, with the streaking Durham Bulls only a 1/2 game back.
7/19/07: Bye Erik
A minor update here before tonight's homestand finale (weather pending)..
Toronto has demoted catcher Erik Kratz to New Hampshire. I have to question this move. First, Toronto has left Syracuse with only 24 players (1 under the maximum, which most teams are good enough to leave their AAA affiliate with). But this move is even more questionable when you realize that Brad Hassey was given his release this past week. There are five infielders on the roster, and I think Kratz could have been a smart guy to keep, especially with the Fisher Cats currently having four catchers. I would think Curtis Thigpen would be a good candidate to take workload at first base, where Toronto was using him during his callup. Thigpen has been a good spot starter in the infield this year, and I know the team hasn't really trusted Fasano to play back to back games. I don't know, I just think this one could come back to bite the team in the rear.
But then again, when does Toronto really think? I mean, this is the organization that sent Yusaku Iriki down to New Hampshire instead of letting him start in Syracuse, causing the Chiefs to spot start Jim Crowell. In fact, looking at the rosters from Lansing to Syracuse, there are twelve men on the DL from the four teams. However, both Lansing and Dunedin have their maximum roster filled, while the two teams above A have only 24 members. Just find those numbers interesting. The injuries make you wonder if there is something wrong with training methods for the whole organization, especially with all the DL stints the Blue Jays have had also.
Enough of that rant, here's to hoping the weather holds off tonight.
Toronto has demoted catcher Erik Kratz to New Hampshire. I have to question this move. First, Toronto has left Syracuse with only 24 players (1 under the maximum, which most teams are good enough to leave their AAA affiliate with). But this move is even more questionable when you realize that Brad Hassey was given his release this past week. There are five infielders on the roster, and I think Kratz could have been a smart guy to keep, especially with the Fisher Cats currently having four catchers. I would think Curtis Thigpen would be a good candidate to take workload at first base, where Toronto was using him during his callup. Thigpen has been a good spot starter in the infield this year, and I know the team hasn't really trusted Fasano to play back to back games. I don't know, I just think this one could come back to bite the team in the rear.
But then again, when does Toronto really think? I mean, this is the organization that sent Yusaku Iriki down to New Hampshire instead of letting him start in Syracuse, causing the Chiefs to spot start Jim Crowell. In fact, looking at the rosters from Lansing to Syracuse, there are twelve men on the DL from the four teams. However, both Lansing and Dunedin have their maximum roster filled, while the two teams above A have only 24 members. Just find those numbers interesting. The injuries make you wonder if there is something wrong with training methods for the whole organization, especially with all the DL stints the Blue Jays have had also.
Enough of that rant, here's to hoping the weather holds off tonight.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
7/17/07: Three Blinds Umps...
As the old adage says, the only time you know an umpire is doing a good job is when you don't even notice him. Well, tonight all three were noticed, often. Quite possibly the worst umpiring I have seen in my time watching baseball helped distort an amazing pitchers duel at Alliance Bank Stadium on Tuesday night.
Rochester's Alexi Casilla led off the game with a home run off of Syracuse pitcher Josh Banks. That was the game, might as well have sent everyone home there, as neither team was able to muster another run. Banks ended up going 8 innings, giving up only 3 hits (the other 2 were by catcher Jose Morales) and walking no one. Red Wings' pitcher Kevin Slowey went the complete game, allowing three hits and a walk.
Things could have gone much different for Syracuse, however, as anytime they started to build momentum; Andrew Vincent, Pete Pedersen, and Mike Estabrook found a way to end it. These must be Rochester players, right? Nope, they were tonight's three umpires, whose incompetence on the field reminded me of Enron's board room.
Play #1: In the bottom of the fifth, Michael Vento reached first on an error. The next batter, Sal Fasano hit a ball up the middle. Casilla, the shortstop, flips the ball to second, seemingly pulling the second baseman, Matt Tolbert, off the base. Not in the eyes of the umpire (not sure if the call was by 3rd base ump, Estabrook, or Pedersen at first, tho I believe it was Estabrook). Now, we know the call must have been dropped, as manager Doug Davis comes out and argues. It goes without say that if Davis argues, there is no way the call was right.
Play #2: This will look a lot like a ninth inning play coming up, however this one was probably the one that no one could believe was blown. Russ Adams hit a double and was still at second with two outs. Up to bat was John-Ford Griffin. With a 1-2 count, Griffin takes a ball, while moving his bat no where near even a check swing. Home plate umpire Andrew Vincent doesn't even check with the third base umpire, calls it a swing, and punches Griffin out on strikes. Of course, again Davis comes to argue, this time being tossed by Vincent.
Play #3: After Fasano reached on a beautifully botched play by Tolbert and the first baseman, former Chief Glenn Williams, Ray Olmedo bunted Fasano over to second. Up came Wayne Lydon and dragged a beautiful bunt down the first base line. First base umpire Pedersen decided that even though Lydon was safe by a second, he would call him out. Pedersen put himself in a horrible position to see the play, which I am hoping is the reason he blew this one. Instead of two on and one out, Russ Adams ended up coming to bat, flying out to end the Chiefs' closest rally. Props to Al LeBeouf for coming out and arguing that call, as well as Lydon chiming in that Pedersen blew it.
Play #4: We go back to Vincent, as he much have wanted to have most of the attention, and figured he could get it against his apparent foe, John-Ford Griffin. That's right, Vincent again decides that Griffin doesn't deserve a fair fight, as he calls a horrific strike on a 2-1 count, to which Griffin did not take kindly. After striking out on a check swing, Griffin was then tossed by Vincent. Funny thing about Vincent, when you look at him, you can tell he must have some majorly big pads, to try to make his shoulders look broad and big. I think he is compensating for other "shortcomings", but I digress. I actually realized during the game that he blew calls last year against the Chiefs, as I remember commenting on the shoulders then too.
Anyways, Chiefs lose 1-0 and are now 10 games behind the new division leaders from Scranton. Tomorrow they'll play it all over again, but don't expect much different, as we look to have this same crew for the rest of the series.
Rochester's Alexi Casilla led off the game with a home run off of Syracuse pitcher Josh Banks. That was the game, might as well have sent everyone home there, as neither team was able to muster another run. Banks ended up going 8 innings, giving up only 3 hits (the other 2 were by catcher Jose Morales) and walking no one. Red Wings' pitcher Kevin Slowey went the complete game, allowing three hits and a walk.
Things could have gone much different for Syracuse, however, as anytime they started to build momentum; Andrew Vincent, Pete Pedersen, and Mike Estabrook found a way to end it. These must be Rochester players, right? Nope, they were tonight's three umpires, whose incompetence on the field reminded me of Enron's board room.
Play #1: In the bottom of the fifth, Michael Vento reached first on an error. The next batter, Sal Fasano hit a ball up the middle. Casilla, the shortstop, flips the ball to second, seemingly pulling the second baseman, Matt Tolbert, off the base. Not in the eyes of the umpire (not sure if the call was by 3rd base ump, Estabrook, or Pedersen at first, tho I believe it was Estabrook). Now, we know the call must have been dropped, as manager Doug Davis comes out and argues. It goes without say that if Davis argues, there is no way the call was right.
Play #2: This will look a lot like a ninth inning play coming up, however this one was probably the one that no one could believe was blown. Russ Adams hit a double and was still at second with two outs. Up to bat was John-Ford Griffin. With a 1-2 count, Griffin takes a ball, while moving his bat no where near even a check swing. Home plate umpire Andrew Vincent doesn't even check with the third base umpire, calls it a swing, and punches Griffin out on strikes. Of course, again Davis comes to argue, this time being tossed by Vincent.
Play #3: After Fasano reached on a beautifully botched play by Tolbert and the first baseman, former Chief Glenn Williams, Ray Olmedo bunted Fasano over to second. Up came Wayne Lydon and dragged a beautiful bunt down the first base line. First base umpire Pedersen decided that even though Lydon was safe by a second, he would call him out. Pedersen put himself in a horrible position to see the play, which I am hoping is the reason he blew this one. Instead of two on and one out, Russ Adams ended up coming to bat, flying out to end the Chiefs' closest rally. Props to Al LeBeouf for coming out and arguing that call, as well as Lydon chiming in that Pedersen blew it.
Play #4: We go back to Vincent, as he much have wanted to have most of the attention, and figured he could get it against his apparent foe, John-Ford Griffin. That's right, Vincent again decides that Griffin doesn't deserve a fair fight, as he calls a horrific strike on a 2-1 count, to which Griffin did not take kindly. After striking out on a check swing, Griffin was then tossed by Vincent. Funny thing about Vincent, when you look at him, you can tell he must have some majorly big pads, to try to make his shoulders look broad and big. I think he is compensating for other "shortcomings", but I digress. I actually realized during the game that he blew calls last year against the Chiefs, as I remember commenting on the shoulders then too.
Anyways, Chiefs lose 1-0 and are now 10 games behind the new division leaders from Scranton. Tomorrow they'll play it all over again, but don't expect much different, as we look to have this same crew for the rest of the series.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
7/15/07: Pawtucket Series
Well this was a forgettable series that was just completed at Alliance Bank Stadium. The Pawtucket Red Sox took 3 out of 4 against the Syracuse Chiefs, leaving the Boston faithful (who will venture out to ABS only for these games) happy, even though before the series they couldn't have named anyone but Jon Lester and Michael Tucker. The best is coming into ABS, cheering against your hometown Chiefs, and trying to heckle, while saying "hey #24 nice swing". Please, at least learn a name if you are going to be that obnoxious.
Anyways, now that I got that off my chest, another series marred by bad Chiefs' pitching. Fifty hits were given up by Syracuse pitchers resulting in twenty-seven runs. To put this into prospective, there was an average of almost seven runs scored a game on 12 1/2 hits. You can't expect to do much giving up that much.
Thursday's game witnessed Josh Banks give up his 17th homer of the year in the 9-5 loss. That ranks him second in the league for most given up. We also saw the Chiefs debut of former major leaguer Scott Sauerback. The word is that Toronto is hoping to have him in the majors soon.
Friday night was the only bright spot for Syracuse, as they beat Pawtucket 8-4. Boston faithful were disappointed by pitcher Jon Lester, as he gave up six hits and four walks in five innings resulting in 5 runs (four earned). Michael MacDonald only gave up two runs in six innings. Yusaku Iriki returned from the DL for an inning of relief for Syracuse. He gave up a two run homer. Michael Vento hit his sixth homer in the game.
Saturday night was dreary. It also featured David Uyl, the umpire many around the International League seem to feel is the most inconsistent and horrific umpire in the league. He helped defend these thoughts with a strike zone that left both teams wondering if he could even see the plate under the dirt. I mention him mostly because the deciding sixth run by Pawtucket was by far a questionable call at home. There was a play at the plate as catcher Sal Fasano blocked home plate extremely well. There was very little conceiveable way that the runner (Joe McEwing) could have touched home. Uyl calls him safe, as Fasano looked on in disbelief. Ty Taubenheim started the game and had some control problems. With a 1-0 lead and two outs in the third, Taubenheim allowed the next six batters to reach base either via walk or hit. He left the inning down 3-1. After a rally to make it 3-3, Jim Crowell came in and got dismantled. Giving up two earned runs in only a third of an inning. Scott Sauerback gave up the next run on that horrific Uyl call leaving Chiefs fans disgusted and down 6-3. Ray Olmedo's 1st homer of the year made it 6-5, as the two run shot regenerated life at ABS. In the ninth inning, Chiefs fans were left cringing as hope was given then crushed twice. The first batter of the inning, Chad Mottola, hit a long fly ball that was about 10 feet foul, but would have easily been a home run. He then struck out. Next up was Ryan Roberts, who hit a ball that was caught right at the right field fence. I guess those hits kind of sum up the season so far for the Chiefs. More on this game at the bottom.
Sunday's game featured Jeremy Cummings debut at ABS. Three home runs later, and fans were probably understanding why he was available. Now, I have to wonder why Toronto signed us not one, not two, but THREE Rochester players whom were released. Beau Kemp was an absolute disaster, as he cost the team a few games, while winning them none. Then we pick up Mike Venafro. He hasn't been horrible, but he hasn't been great either. He has pitched well lately, but early on he was getting shelled. At the very least, he gives the bullpen good innings, which is something they need after the shelling the starters have taken often. Batters are still batting .299 against him since he has been a Chief. Then we have Jeremy Cummings. So far he is having issues, as his two appearances have resulted in an ERA of 7.50. In six innings, he has given up eight hits, three walks, and three home runs. It's just bad when I make the trip to Rochester and they have even more ammo to harass me with (yes wearing a Syracuse cap to a game at Frontier Field brings you nothing but harassment about how horrible your city and sports teams are). Anyways, as for the rest of the game, Ryan Houston was once again easily hit, as he gave up three hits and three runs (two earned) in his ninth inning apperance of the 8-2 loss.
Now back to Saturday's game for a moment. I have to get on a soapbox here, so I hope I don't rant too far off. What I witnessed was twice in one game, Kevin Barker mouthing off to Syracuse fans. Now, to background a bit. Many fans who have come to many games have witnessed Barker's antics. We have seen him throw things in the dugout, yell things from the dugout at umpires, even being involved in comments that have incited other players to become upset. Fans who witness this, get very tired of it. Now, some will say that many professional athletes are like this. This is true, however there is a point where things go overboard. Overboard happened Saturday. This is at least the fourth time that I personally have witnessed Barker shoot off an F-Bomb or gesture towards fans. I can testify that in none of the cases, were gestures or profanity sent towards him, as I witnessed each situation personally. This was Syracuse's POSTER BOY. What a mistake made in that decision. Guys like Chad Mottola, Wayne Lydon, and many others should be profiled more than a guy like Barker. Those are the guys who try every game and act in a professional manner in every trip to every ballpark. A guy like Barker may have the ability to hit home runs and doubles, but that isn't what the game is all about, especially not minor leagues. What minor league baseball is about is being able to cheer on a team. For adults, it's being able to have fun, hope for a win, maybe a shot at a title and excitement. For kids, though, it's much different. What they see on this field can go as far as helping shape parts of their lives. They go play little league, and we hope that they will have fun out there like a Mottola. We don't want to see these kids telling an umpire to bleepoff or go into school and start a fight with a kid who says something he doesn't agree with. What these kids hear in the stands from fans can easily be shrugged off, but seeing it on the field? These are the guys they want to grow up to be like. For a player, let alone a home player, to make a gesture or should an F-bomb is disgraceful, embarassing, and pathetic. You are the one making money to play the game, unless someone says something personal about a family member or threatens you with harm, let it roll off your back.
Before I go.. Brandon League was called up to Toronto, as they sent Syracuse Jordan DeJong. Also, Brad Hassey as been placed on the 7 day disabled list.
Take care and see you all at the park for the four game series against Rochester. 10.5 games out of first, Syracuse faces Rochester and divison leading Buffalo the next 18 games, so this stretch will decide the season.
Anyways, now that I got that off my chest, another series marred by bad Chiefs' pitching. Fifty hits were given up by Syracuse pitchers resulting in twenty-seven runs. To put this into prospective, there was an average of almost seven runs scored a game on 12 1/2 hits. You can't expect to do much giving up that much.
Thursday's game witnessed Josh Banks give up his 17th homer of the year in the 9-5 loss. That ranks him second in the league for most given up. We also saw the Chiefs debut of former major leaguer Scott Sauerback. The word is that Toronto is hoping to have him in the majors soon.
Friday night was the only bright spot for Syracuse, as they beat Pawtucket 8-4. Boston faithful were disappointed by pitcher Jon Lester, as he gave up six hits and four walks in five innings resulting in 5 runs (four earned). Michael MacDonald only gave up two runs in six innings. Yusaku Iriki returned from the DL for an inning of relief for Syracuse. He gave up a two run homer. Michael Vento hit his sixth homer in the game.
Saturday night was dreary. It also featured David Uyl, the umpire many around the International League seem to feel is the most inconsistent and horrific umpire in the league. He helped defend these thoughts with a strike zone that left both teams wondering if he could even see the plate under the dirt. I mention him mostly because the deciding sixth run by Pawtucket was by far a questionable call at home. There was a play at the plate as catcher Sal Fasano blocked home plate extremely well. There was very little conceiveable way that the runner (Joe McEwing) could have touched home. Uyl calls him safe, as Fasano looked on in disbelief. Ty Taubenheim started the game and had some control problems. With a 1-0 lead and two outs in the third, Taubenheim allowed the next six batters to reach base either via walk or hit. He left the inning down 3-1. After a rally to make it 3-3, Jim Crowell came in and got dismantled. Giving up two earned runs in only a third of an inning. Scott Sauerback gave up the next run on that horrific Uyl call leaving Chiefs fans disgusted and down 6-3. Ray Olmedo's 1st homer of the year made it 6-5, as the two run shot regenerated life at ABS. In the ninth inning, Chiefs fans were left cringing as hope was given then crushed twice. The first batter of the inning, Chad Mottola, hit a long fly ball that was about 10 feet foul, but would have easily been a home run. He then struck out. Next up was Ryan Roberts, who hit a ball that was caught right at the right field fence. I guess those hits kind of sum up the season so far for the Chiefs. More on this game at the bottom.
Sunday's game featured Jeremy Cummings debut at ABS. Three home runs later, and fans were probably understanding why he was available. Now, I have to wonder why Toronto signed us not one, not two, but THREE Rochester players whom were released. Beau Kemp was an absolute disaster, as he cost the team a few games, while winning them none. Then we pick up Mike Venafro. He hasn't been horrible, but he hasn't been great either. He has pitched well lately, but early on he was getting shelled. At the very least, he gives the bullpen good innings, which is something they need after the shelling the starters have taken often. Batters are still batting .299 against him since he has been a Chief. Then we have Jeremy Cummings. So far he is having issues, as his two appearances have resulted in an ERA of 7.50. In six innings, he has given up eight hits, three walks, and three home runs. It's just bad when I make the trip to Rochester and they have even more ammo to harass me with (yes wearing a Syracuse cap to a game at Frontier Field brings you nothing but harassment about how horrible your city and sports teams are). Anyways, as for the rest of the game, Ryan Houston was once again easily hit, as he gave up three hits and three runs (two earned) in his ninth inning apperance of the 8-2 loss.
Now back to Saturday's game for a moment. I have to get on a soapbox here, so I hope I don't rant too far off. What I witnessed was twice in one game, Kevin Barker mouthing off to Syracuse fans. Now, to background a bit. Many fans who have come to many games have witnessed Barker's antics. We have seen him throw things in the dugout, yell things from the dugout at umpires, even being involved in comments that have incited other players to become upset. Fans who witness this, get very tired of it. Now, some will say that many professional athletes are like this. This is true, however there is a point where things go overboard. Overboard happened Saturday. This is at least the fourth time that I personally have witnessed Barker shoot off an F-Bomb or gesture towards fans. I can testify that in none of the cases, were gestures or profanity sent towards him, as I witnessed each situation personally. This was Syracuse's POSTER BOY. What a mistake made in that decision. Guys like Chad Mottola, Wayne Lydon, and many others should be profiled more than a guy like Barker. Those are the guys who try every game and act in a professional manner in every trip to every ballpark. A guy like Barker may have the ability to hit home runs and doubles, but that isn't what the game is all about, especially not minor leagues. What minor league baseball is about is being able to cheer on a team. For adults, it's being able to have fun, hope for a win, maybe a shot at a title and excitement. For kids, though, it's much different. What they see on this field can go as far as helping shape parts of their lives. They go play little league, and we hope that they will have fun out there like a Mottola. We don't want to see these kids telling an umpire to bleep
Before I go.. Brandon League was called up to Toronto, as they sent Syracuse Jordan DeJong. Also, Brad Hassey as been placed on the 7 day disabled list.
Take care and see you all at the park for the four game series against Rochester. 10.5 games out of first, Syracuse faces Rochester and divison leading Buffalo the next 18 games, so this stretch will decide the season.
Monday, July 9, 2007
7/9/07: All Star Break News
Figured I'd do a quick update before I head out to watch the Auburn Doubledays tonight. Two big roster moves so far.
The return of Adam Lind is anticipated Thursday, as he was added to the roster a few days ago, replacing Reed Johnson. We knew this was coming soon, after the release of Jeff Duncan last week.
With the injury to Erik Kratz, Curtis Thigpen has been sent back to Syracuse, replacing the Dunedin fill-in that was sent to cover this past weekend. After how comfortable he looked up in Toronto, I don't expect to see Thiggy here long, but let's enjoy the show while he's back.
I happened to catch a Binghamton Mets game this past weekend. A very nice park. Beware, however, that one of the parking areas is right past the right field wall, so if you venture there, be sure to park far enough away. Lastings Milledge was down on a rehab assignment, doing his best to please the AA fans, exchanging pleasantries and signing autographs.
Chiefs are back home Thursday night taking on the PawSox.
The return of Adam Lind is anticipated Thursday, as he was added to the roster a few days ago, replacing Reed Johnson. We knew this was coming soon, after the release of Jeff Duncan last week.
With the injury to Erik Kratz, Curtis Thigpen has been sent back to Syracuse, replacing the Dunedin fill-in that was sent to cover this past weekend. After how comfortable he looked up in Toronto, I don't expect to see Thiggy here long, but let's enjoy the show while he's back.
I happened to catch a Binghamton Mets game this past weekend. A very nice park. Beware, however, that one of the parking areas is right past the right field wall, so if you venture there, be sure to park far enough away. Lastings Milledge was down on a rehab assignment, doing his best to please the AA fans, exchanging pleasantries and signing autographs.
Chiefs are back home Thursday night taking on the PawSox.
Friday, July 6, 2007
7/6/07: Does Davis Read This...
I will admit, I didn't catch much of last night's game. That is, until after all of the post-4th of July fireworks occurred. Three or four Chiefs were ejected last night. Russ Adams, Blaine Neal, and manager Doug Davis (see my last article) were all tossed. Sal Fasano left the game in the 10th, however I cannot get word on if it was an ejection or not, as I turned the radio on after everything had occurred. I find it humorous that Doug Davis gets tossed the very next game after I write what I did about him. Davis, are you reading this?
As for after the ejections, things got even more interesting. With Fasano out of the game, the Chiefs had to turn to the game's first baseman, Ryan Roberts to catch. Erik Kratz was unavailable due to an injury that occurred the previous night. Listening to Bobby Mac, it almost sounds like the umpire was involved in Kratz's injury, but I have no official word. The Chiefs end up winning the game, as Ryan Houston pitched a 1-2-3 inning with Roberts catching.
Two roster moves within the past day or two have occurred. Erik Kratz was placed on the 7 day DL today, which of course means that Toronto sends us a catcher, David Corrente from single A Dunedin. Serving as their backup, Corrente batted .207 in 28 games for Dunedin. I just have trouble understanding how you can't reward a player by moving him up, instead of just randomly taking a backup and giving him a shot two leagues above the one he is struggling in. But when Toronto has an issue, they take the starter from us (which I don't disagree with). This kind of shows why the "five year plan" is coming close to a decade without anything close to a championship by the majority of the organization.
The other roster move was the acquisition of yet ANOTHER Rochester Red Wing, pitcher Jeremy Cummings. He was 3-5 with Rochester this year, having started 12 of the 17 games he appeared in, with an ERA of 3.93. He pitched last night for the Chiefs, giving up one run on two hits and two walks in two innings pitched.
That's all I have for now. If I get any info on the Kratz injury or the ejections, I'll post em up. If anyone has any info, leave me a comment.
As for after the ejections, things got even more interesting. With Fasano out of the game, the Chiefs had to turn to the game's first baseman, Ryan Roberts to catch. Erik Kratz was unavailable due to an injury that occurred the previous night. Listening to Bobby Mac, it almost sounds like the umpire was involved in Kratz's injury, but I have no official word. The Chiefs end up winning the game, as Ryan Houston pitched a 1-2-3 inning with Roberts catching.
Two roster moves within the past day or two have occurred. Erik Kratz was placed on the 7 day DL today, which of course means that Toronto sends us a catcher, David Corrente from single A Dunedin. Serving as their backup, Corrente batted .207 in 28 games for Dunedin. I just have trouble understanding how you can't reward a player by moving him up, instead of just randomly taking a backup and giving him a shot two leagues above the one he is struggling in. But when Toronto has an issue, they take the starter from us (which I don't disagree with). This kind of shows why the "five year plan" is coming close to a decade without anything close to a championship by the majority of the organization.
The other roster move was the acquisition of yet ANOTHER Rochester Red Wing, pitcher Jeremy Cummings. He was 3-5 with Rochester this year, having started 12 of the 17 games he appeared in, with an ERA of 3.93. He pitched last night for the Chiefs, giving up one run on two hits and two walks in two innings pitched.
That's all I have for now. If I get any info on the Kratz injury or the ejections, I'll post em up. If anyone has any info, leave me a comment.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
7/4/07: Those Aren't Fireworks, That's Just Davis Sitting There.
I was just listening to tonight's game and quite frankly a commentary is needed. When I hear Bobby Mac stating that a call was horrific and that he is shocked that the manager didn't even move to argue the play, it tells me a lot. With all due respect, when guys paid for BY the Chiefs are criticizing the lack of emotion of the coach, it should wake people up. I want a cushy job that involves doing nothing. Apparently that is what Davis has. He has been so apathetic towards this team, it embarrasses me as a fan.
Under the management of Davis, Syracuse has had two players suspended. Both of which were for off field incidents. He has had multiple players involved in verbal confrontations with both umpires and other players, none of which were visibly punished on field, via suspension, nor the player being sat out. I have lost count as to how many calls have been blown or changed that there has been to explanation even requested for. We aren't asking for you to go out there and throw bases and kick dirt, but at least defend your team. When an umpire does not get in position to even see a play at third base and there is no big deal made when the guy was out by a mile (May 21 vs Durham), that isn't managing.
You can tell managers who want to win by the way they handle themselves. They are the guys who have the fire in their eyes, who are willing to fight for their team. When close calls go against them, they at least make the umpire take notice that they want their share of the calls. They don't stand there and play their third base coach role, clapping as their player swings at a ball in the dirt or as the umpire calls him out on strikes on a ball at the shins. The ones who want to win are at least acknowledging that the player needs to shape up or that the umpire blew the call.
Anyways, in other news...
Brandon League has been sent back to Syracuse.
Outfielder Jeff Duncan was released. That's great Toronto. Keep Beau Kemp on the official roster (as per syracusechiefs.com) but release a guy who fought back from injury caused partially by the stadium's lack of warning track. I understand that either Adam Lind or Reed Johnson will be in Syracuse after Johnson rehabs, but that's still a tough pill to swallow.
Under the management of Davis, Syracuse has had two players suspended. Both of which were for off field incidents. He has had multiple players involved in verbal confrontations with both umpires and other players, none of which were visibly punished on field, via suspension, nor the player being sat out. I have lost count as to how many calls have been blown or changed that there has been to explanation even requested for. We aren't asking for you to go out there and throw bases and kick dirt, but at least defend your team. When an umpire does not get in position to even see a play at third base and there is no big deal made when the guy was out by a mile (May 21 vs Durham), that isn't managing.
You can tell managers who want to win by the way they handle themselves. They are the guys who have the fire in their eyes, who are willing to fight for their team. When close calls go against them, they at least make the umpire take notice that they want their share of the calls. They don't stand there and play their third base coach role, clapping as their player swings at a ball in the dirt or as the umpire calls him out on strikes on a ball at the shins. The ones who want to win are at least acknowledging that the player needs to shape up or that the umpire blew the call.
Anyways, in other news...
Brandon League has been sent back to Syracuse.
Outfielder Jeff Duncan was released. That's great Toronto. Keep Beau Kemp on the official roster (as per syracusechiefs.com) but release a guy who fought back from injury caused partially by the stadium's lack of warning track. I understand that either Adam Lind or Reed Johnson will be in Syracuse after Johnson rehabs, but that's still a tough pill to swallow.
Monday, July 2, 2007
7/2/07: Couple Updates
Apologies for the fact I may not write much between now and the all star break, as I had an unfortunate accident, which I am attempting to recoup from. That being said a few updates before I had off.
John Hattig was removed from the DL and started Sunday's game at Norfolk.
Pitcher Jesse Litsch has been called back up to Toronto, after A. J. Burnett was placed back onto the DL this past weekend.
Finally, Reed Johnson has been sent to Syracuse from Single-A Dunedin for his rehab assignment. Another disappoint to Chiefs fans, as most of the rehab assignments this year have occurred when the team was on the road.
Syracuse has two games at Norfolk and four at Richmond before the All-Star break. They need to go into the break strong, as things are slipping away. The team is 9.5 behind Buffalo heading into Monday.
John Hattig was removed from the DL and started Sunday's game at Norfolk.
Pitcher Jesse Litsch has been called back up to Toronto, after A. J. Burnett was placed back onto the DL this past weekend.
Finally, Reed Johnson has been sent to Syracuse from Single-A Dunedin for his rehab assignment. Another disappoint to Chiefs fans, as most of the rehab assignments this year have occurred when the team was on the road.
Syracuse has two games at Norfolk and four at Richmond before the All-Star break. They need to go into the break strong, as things are slipping away. The team is 9.5 behind Buffalo heading into Monday.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Come Get Your License Plate Signed......
Upon reading syracusechiefs.com's blog entry for marketing last night, I was left utterly confused. Apparently on July 30th, former MVP, Cy Young award winner, and long time federal prison inmate, Denny McLain will be signing autographs at Alliance Bank Stadium. While I think we all appreciate things like autograph sessions and good promos, I think Chiefs management dropped the ball on this one. Yes, McLain was great on the field in his prime, however, his post career antics are shameful and repulsive.
McLain plead guilty to federal charges involving racketeering, extortion and narcotics in the 1980's. But that's not all. In the mid-1990's he was convicted of conspiracy, theft, money laundering and mail fraud. The first charge carried a twelve year sentence, but he only served 27 months and received five years probation. The second charge sentenced him behind bars for eight years, which he served more than six years of.
McLain had a few great seasons, including 1968 when he was the last pitcher to win 30+ games in the majors, and won the AL MVP and Cy Young. He had a share of the Cy Young in 1969, however, off field antics got him suspended three times in 1970, helping solidify the downfall of his career. He was suspended twice by the commissioner, once for bookmaking charges and another for waving a gun in a restaurant. Between those two suspensions, he was suspended by the Tigers for dumping water on reporters.
I am just trying to piece together why the Chiefs would bring him back (he did play in Syracuse in the mid 1960's) when there are so many good players they could have had return. McLain is about as far away from a role model as you can get, and apparently either the Syracuse Chiefs didn't do enough research or just didn't care about this fact. The man pitched two great seasons, but how can that or any on field greatness be a substitute for three decades marred with disregard for rules and laws?
Tell me management, is the next guy to sign at the stadium going to be Ugueth Urbina? Nothing would shock me now.
McLain plead guilty to federal charges involving racketeering, extortion and narcotics in the 1980's. But that's not all. In the mid-1990's he was convicted of conspiracy, theft, money laundering and mail fraud. The first charge carried a twelve year sentence, but he only served 27 months and received five years probation. The second charge sentenced him behind bars for eight years, which he served more than six years of.
McLain had a few great seasons, including 1968 when he was the last pitcher to win 30+ games in the majors, and won the AL MVP and Cy Young. He had a share of the Cy Young in 1969, however, off field antics got him suspended three times in 1970, helping solidify the downfall of his career. He was suspended twice by the commissioner, once for bookmaking charges and another for waving a gun in a restaurant. Between those two suspensions, he was suspended by the Tigers for dumping water on reporters.
I am just trying to piece together why the Chiefs would bring him back (he did play in Syracuse in the mid 1960's) when there are so many good players they could have had return. McLain is about as far away from a role model as you can get, and apparently either the Syracuse Chiefs didn't do enough research or just didn't care about this fact. The man pitched two great seasons, but how can that or any on field greatness be a substitute for three decades marred with disregard for rules and laws?
Tell me management, is the next guy to sign at the stadium going to be Ugueth Urbina? Nothing would shock me now.
Friday, June 29, 2007
6/28/07: Chiefs Neal To Knightmare Ninth
Before I get to writing, I just wanted to point out what I just read on the wrap up of the game. According to MLB.com's reporter "Brian Anderson ripped a go-ahead two-run single in the top of the ninth inning as Charlotte rallied past Syracuse, 4-3, on Thursday." Nice to see their writers don't pay attention, as that rip went a whole 15 feet. Good job MLB.com and MILB.com, proving to be as valuable as suntan lotion in a Syracuse winter.
Anyways, as anyone who reads may have noticed, on games like Thursday's game, I just tend to stay away from writing a wrap up, review, commentary, or whatever because I really don't care to think about the game that was blown. Great game for 8 innings, Jesse Litsch pitched another great game. Not sure about pitch counts Toronto has on him, but if there isn't one, there was no way he should have been pulled. He wasn't laboring and looked great still, but as the old adage goes hindsight is 20/20.
Chiefs pulled out the stunts, finally, in the 6th, as they scored three runs, including 2 on a squeeze play (I've been calling for it all year with the way these teams shift against Syracuse). The play set up as Ray Olmedo at bat, with Jeff Duncan on third and Sal Fasano on second. Knights pitcher Lance Broadway threw the ball, pulling first baseman Ernie Young off the bag. Young, however, must have forgotten about Fasano on base, as Fasano keeps running around third and beats the throw home. This came after Fasano opened up the scoring, driving Chad Mottola home. That was, however, the only inning the Chiefs would score.
Charlotte comes back with one run in the 7th, off a Wiki Gonzalez 2 out single. Then, the nightmare ninth came. Coach Doug Davis decides to go to the bullpen to bring lefty Mike Venafro in to face left handed hitter Ryan Sweeney. Sweeney, however, takes the first pitch and bunts to reach base. Out comes Davis again, this time bringing in Blaine Neal. To put it simply, Neal got hammered. He struck out Ernie Young on a very questionable strike three call (one of a whole lot of questionable strike zone calls by Josh Carlisle for both teams). That's when the Chiefs' train derails. Three straight singles load the bases and scores Sweeney. Next batter was Brian Anderson. Neal gets him to a 1-2 count and gets Anderson to hit a very weak ball. The problem was, it was so weak, no fielder could get to it. There was no chance at a play, however third baseman Ryan Roberts still takes the ball and launches it towards first. It ends up going far past first baseman Kevin Barker and the go ahead run scores.
The Chiefs has a chance in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Barker ripped a ball into right-center. However, on a very questionable decision, he tries to go to second on the play and is throw out by a full three steps. I am unsure who sent him, or if it was a self-made decision, but needless to say it was a pretty poor decision either way. John-Ford Griffin walked with two outs, however Chad Mottola struck out to end the game.
Simply put, this one hurts. The Chiefs drop to 8.5 behind Buffalo, and even in June, hopes of the playoffs are starting to fade. Friday ends the homestand, and the Chiefs won't be back until after the all star break. Enjoy the fireworks and hopefully tonight will have a better ending
Anyways, as anyone who reads may have noticed, on games like Thursday's game, I just tend to stay away from writing a wrap up, review, commentary, or whatever because I really don't care to think about the game that was blown. Great game for 8 innings, Jesse Litsch pitched another great game. Not sure about pitch counts Toronto has on him, but if there isn't one, there was no way he should have been pulled. He wasn't laboring and looked great still, but as the old adage goes hindsight is 20/20.
Chiefs pulled out the stunts, finally, in the 6th, as they scored three runs, including 2 on a squeeze play (I've been calling for it all year with the way these teams shift against Syracuse). The play set up as Ray Olmedo at bat, with Jeff Duncan on third and Sal Fasano on second. Knights pitcher Lance Broadway threw the ball, pulling first baseman Ernie Young off the bag. Young, however, must have forgotten about Fasano on base, as Fasano keeps running around third and beats the throw home. This came after Fasano opened up the scoring, driving Chad Mottola home. That was, however, the only inning the Chiefs would score.
Charlotte comes back with one run in the 7th, off a Wiki Gonzalez 2 out single. Then, the nightmare ninth came. Coach Doug Davis decides to go to the bullpen to bring lefty Mike Venafro in to face left handed hitter Ryan Sweeney. Sweeney, however, takes the first pitch and bunts to reach base. Out comes Davis again, this time bringing in Blaine Neal. To put it simply, Neal got hammered. He struck out Ernie Young on a very questionable strike three call (one of a whole lot of questionable strike zone calls by Josh Carlisle for both teams). That's when the Chiefs' train derails. Three straight singles load the bases and scores Sweeney. Next batter was Brian Anderson. Neal gets him to a 1-2 count and gets Anderson to hit a very weak ball. The problem was, it was so weak, no fielder could get to it. There was no chance at a play, however third baseman Ryan Roberts still takes the ball and launches it towards first. It ends up going far past first baseman Kevin Barker and the go ahead run scores.
The Chiefs has a chance in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Barker ripped a ball into right-center. However, on a very questionable decision, he tries to go to second on the play and is throw out by a full three steps. I am unsure who sent him, or if it was a self-made decision, but needless to say it was a pretty poor decision either way. John-Ford Griffin walked with two outs, however Chad Mottola struck out to end the game.
Simply put, this one hurts. The Chiefs drop to 8.5 behind Buffalo, and even in June, hopes of the playoffs are starting to fade. Friday ends the homestand, and the Chiefs won't be back until after the all star break. Enjoy the fireworks and hopefully tonight will have a better ending
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
6/27/07: Chiefs Finally Heat Up
On a muggy night at Alliance Bank Stadium, the Syracuse Chiefs finally started to get as hot as the temperature, dominating all aspects of the game to beat the Charlotte Knights 7-2. Victor Zambrano made the start for Syracuse, and after his 2 run homer he gave up to the third batter of the game, it looked like his bad run, as well as the Chiefs' would continue. Well, things aren't always as they seem. Zambrano went a total of 7 innings, only giving up one more hit, and the bullpen kept the Knights hitless, as the Chiefs pitched a one hitter in the final 8 2/3 innings of the game.
The Chiefs made sure that the intial two runs were not enough, as they broke out of their 3 game batting slump, getting four runs in the first inning. Syracuse loaded the bases before they recorded their first out of the game, but were almost kept off the board. After Chad Mottola struck out for the first out, John Ford Griffin ripped a grounder to second baseman Jason Bourgeois, who boots the ball, which had potential to be a double play, but instead scored Wayne Lydon from third. Next batter was Mike Vento who ripped a two run single, scoring Ryan Roberts and Kevin Barker. The other run scored later, as Ray Olmedo hit a sac fly to score Griffin, giving Syracuse a 4-2 lead. Solo home runs by Barker in the 2nd and Griffin in the 3rd brought the lead to 6-2. In the 6th inning, a throwing error by Jason Bourgeois allowed Ray Olmedo to score, and give us our final score of 7-2.
Andrew Sisco (0-3) started for the Knights and gets the loss, giving up six of the runs in four innings pitched. Only four of those runs were earned. Every starter for the Chiefs picked up a base hit tonight, which is amazing considering there were only ten hits in the game (Barker was the only player with multiple hits). The Chiefs are 7.5 out of first, as the Buffalo Bisons were idle Wednesday night, due to a rainout.
Notes:
Pitcher Yusaku Iriki has been placed on the 7 day disabled list.
Pitcher Ty Taubenheim has been added back to the Chiefs roster, while Brandon League has been sent back to Toronto.
The Chiefs made sure that the intial two runs were not enough, as they broke out of their 3 game batting slump, getting four runs in the first inning. Syracuse loaded the bases before they recorded their first out of the game, but were almost kept off the board. After Chad Mottola struck out for the first out, John Ford Griffin ripped a grounder to second baseman Jason Bourgeois, who boots the ball, which had potential to be a double play, but instead scored Wayne Lydon from third. Next batter was Mike Vento who ripped a two run single, scoring Ryan Roberts and Kevin Barker. The other run scored later, as Ray Olmedo hit a sac fly to score Griffin, giving Syracuse a 4-2 lead. Solo home runs by Barker in the 2nd and Griffin in the 3rd brought the lead to 6-2. In the 6th inning, a throwing error by Jason Bourgeois allowed Ray Olmedo to score, and give us our final score of 7-2.
Andrew Sisco (0-3) started for the Knights and gets the loss, giving up six of the runs in four innings pitched. Only four of those runs were earned. Every starter for the Chiefs picked up a base hit tonight, which is amazing considering there were only ten hits in the game (Barker was the only player with multiple hits). The Chiefs are 7.5 out of first, as the Buffalo Bisons were idle Wednesday night, due to a rainout.
Notes:
Pitcher Yusaku Iriki has been placed on the 7 day disabled list.
Pitcher Ty Taubenheim has been added back to the Chiefs roster, while Brandon League has been sent back to Toronto.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
6/26/07: Offense Still Eludes Chiefs
Syracuse ended their 28 inning scoreless streak in the 8th inning Tuesday night at Alliance Bank Stadium, however they could only muster that one run. Syracuse lost to the Charlotte Knights 4 to 1, as Knights' starter Gavin Floyd (6-3)pitched seven innings, giving up only four hits, one of which was a solo homer by Chiefs catcher Erik Kratz. Carlos Vasquez pitched a perfect 2 innings to get the save, as again the Chiefs could do nothing at the plate. Syracuse starter Yusaku Iriki left the game in the 3rd inning with what looked to be a foot injury. He left the bases loaded with no outs, however Justin James came in and got Ryan Sweeney to hit into a double play, which almost turned into a triple play, as 3rd baseman Brad Hassey took the grounder, tagged Jerry Owens in going to third in stride, as he threw to get the out at second, but the throw was late at first. This accounted for Iriki's (0-1)only earned run, however it was enough to give him the loss. Things stayed 1-0 until the top of the 8th, when Charlotte started their 2 run rally on one of Wayne Lydon's two miscues in right field. Danny Richar took a Ryan Houston pitch to right field for a triple, as Lydon never found the ball until it bounced in front of him, and the turf gave it a mighty lift over his head. After walking the next batter, Earl Snyder, Houston was replaced by Mike Venafro, who hit first baseman Casey Rogowski on a 2 strike count to load the bases. After a sac fly by Brian Anderson scored Richar, Wiki Gonzalez brought home Snyder with a single to give Charlotte the 3-0 lead. Ernie Young capped off the scoring with a solo homer in the 9th, to give us our 4-1 final.
In their last three games, the Chiefs have only scored one run while accumulating a miniscule twelve hits. They find themselves 8 games out of first, and looking at the standings, the upper teir (Buffalo, Rochester, Scranton) are starting to pull away from the bottom half (Syracuse, Pawtucket, Ottawa), a big 6.5 games between 3rd place Rochester and 4th place Syracuse) The North Division now has three of the worst four records in the IL, the only other team in that range was tonight's victors, the Charlotte Knights.
In their last three games, the Chiefs have only scored one run while accumulating a miniscule twelve hits. They find themselves 8 games out of first, and looking at the standings, the upper teir (Buffalo, Rochester, Scranton) are starting to pull away from the bottom half (Syracuse, Pawtucket, Ottawa), a big 6.5 games between 3rd place Rochester and 4th place Syracuse) The North Division now has three of the worst four records in the IL, the only other team in that range was tonight's victors, the Charlotte Knights.
Monday, June 25, 2007
6/25/07
Well it's been a few days, other things take priority at times, but I am back. In those days, the Chiefs are 2-2, though are currently in the bottom of the 8th down 2-0 to the Scranton W/B Yankees. Things started off well in this timeframe, as Syracuse made a nice comeback to defeat the Braves and avoid the sweep on Thursday night.
Things, however, were not as pleasant most of the rest of the four days, as Friday night's loss to the Yankees (7 to 4) was yet another horrific start by Victor Zambrano. I look at the three pitching pickups from the offseason by Toronto, and find it hard to believe that they would release John Thomson, who pitched much better than Zambrano has even come close to in any start. Speaking of Thomson, I wish him luck in his debut tonight with the Kansas City Royals..I think he can make the Blue Jays regret their move. The bright side from that game was Chad Mottola's two home runs, accounting for three of their four runs.
Saturday, Jesse Litsch finally got to show Chiefs' fans how he can pitch, and I was impressed. Two runs in seven innings pitched, and got the win, even though Brandon League gave up two more in his one inning stint. Hopefully he can work out the kinks, so he can get back up to Toronto soon, but they aren't going to rush him, which is a good thing. Batting-wise, the Chiefs were brought on early by back-to-back homers by Mike Vento and John Ford Griffin. It was nice to see Lee Gronkiewicz back in a Chiefs uniform, getting his first save of the year Chiefs won 6-4.
Sunday, was a nightmare for Syracuse, as Chase Wright pummelled them, allowing only 3 hits in seven innings, and combining with reliever Ed Ramirez to pitch a shutout. Wayne Lydon had 2 of the team's four hits (a double and triple) but could not score after either of them. John Banks pitched alright, giving up 4 runs in 6 innings, while Jim Crowell gave up the other four runs, in one inning pitched, give the Yankees the 8-0 victory.
Finally, we come into tonight, and again the Chiefs are stymied, losing to the Yankees 4-0. The Chiefs had an opportunity in the top of the 8th, down 2-0. They were able to load the bases with one out, however Kevin Barker hit into the inning ending double play. Michael MacDonald gave up 2 runs in 5 2/3 innings getting the loss. Blaine Neal also allowed two runs in during his one inning of work, but even one run was enough, as the Chiefs could only muster four hits, being shutout for the second time in as many games.
Syracuse starts a four game homestand against Charlotte Tuesday, and it will be the last home games until mid-July, after the all-star break. In roster news, John Schneider was finally returned to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, while John Hattig was placed on the 7-day DL.
Things, however, were not as pleasant most of the rest of the four days, as Friday night's loss to the Yankees (7 to 4) was yet another horrific start by Victor Zambrano. I look at the three pitching pickups from the offseason by Toronto, and find it hard to believe that they would release John Thomson, who pitched much better than Zambrano has even come close to in any start. Speaking of Thomson, I wish him luck in his debut tonight with the Kansas City Royals..I think he can make the Blue Jays regret their move. The bright side from that game was Chad Mottola's two home runs, accounting for three of their four runs.
Saturday, Jesse Litsch finally got to show Chiefs' fans how he can pitch, and I was impressed. Two runs in seven innings pitched, and got the win, even though Brandon League gave up two more in his one inning stint. Hopefully he can work out the kinks, so he can get back up to Toronto soon, but they aren't going to rush him, which is a good thing. Batting-wise, the Chiefs were brought on early by back-to-back homers by Mike Vento and John Ford Griffin. It was nice to see Lee Gronkiewicz back in a Chiefs uniform, getting his first save of the year Chiefs won 6-4.
Sunday, was a nightmare for Syracuse, as Chase Wright pummelled them, allowing only 3 hits in seven innings, and combining with reliever Ed Ramirez to pitch a shutout. Wayne Lydon had 2 of the team's four hits (a double and triple) but could not score after either of them. John Banks pitched alright, giving up 4 runs in 6 innings, while Jim Crowell gave up the other four runs, in one inning pitched, give the Yankees the 8-0 victory.
Finally, we come into tonight, and again the Chiefs are stymied, losing to the Yankees 4-0. The Chiefs had an opportunity in the top of the 8th, down 2-0. They were able to load the bases with one out, however Kevin Barker hit into the inning ending double play. Michael MacDonald gave up 2 runs in 5 2/3 innings getting the loss. Blaine Neal also allowed two runs in during his one inning of work, but even one run was enough, as the Chiefs could only muster four hits, being shutout for the second time in as many games.
Syracuse starts a four game homestand against Charlotte Tuesday, and it will be the last home games until mid-July, after the all-star break. In roster news, John Schneider was finally returned to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, while John Hattig was placed on the 7-day DL.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
6/20/07: Double Dipped
Pardon the changes in format as I try to develop a style more suitable for me. Anyways, a belated blog from the game last night, as frustration kicked in and I just didn't want to relive those games.
As for those games, I guess we will start with game one. Gregor Blanco helped the Braves win 7-3, ending only a home run away from the cycle. He ripped a double down the first base line (nearly the same spot as Brayan Pena hit a triple earlier in the game), both of which apparently had Kevin Barker in awe, as he didn't even move for them, even though they were within a foot of him. Justin James (1-2), who didn't even play yesterday, received the loss for his two innings pitched the night before. Ismael Ramirez took over on Wednesday, and gave up nine hits leading to four runs (three earned) in four innings. The Chiefs made it 5-2 before Ramirez left, on a two run single by John Ford Griffin. The momentum died soon after, as Brandon League came in, giving up two unearned runs. The reason they were unearned was that League himself, threw the ball into the ground on an attempt to get an inning ending double play. Griffin ended the scoring with another RBI single giving us our final score of 7-3. Winning pitcher was Dan Smith (3-2) who gave up only 3 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs.
Moving on to game two, the Chiefs jumped out quickly for spot starter Jim Crowell. Mike Vento brought home Wayne Lydon and Ryan Roberts on a 2 out single. He then scored from second himself on a John Ford Griffin single, making it 3-0 after the first inning. Crowell pitched great, going four innings, only allowing 3 hits, no walks, and 2 unearned runs. Those were unearned as the inning was extended by a Ray Olmedo throwing error. Now, I understand if he is hurt, as the Chiefs have reported, but then my question is...why have him at shortstop? Either put Brad Hassey into the game, or maybe move Olmedo to second, pushing Adams to short. Injury or not, something needs to change because his throws have been inconsistent and his batting is non-existant. Back to the game, Mike Vento hit a solo homer to give Crowell a 4-2 lead as he left after the 4th. This is where things fall apart.
In the fifth inning, reliever Ryan Houston was brought in for the Chiefs. Richmond gets two singles to start off the inning. After a sac bunt and a strike out, there are runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. The pitching coach comes out to talk with Houston after this. Houston then gives up a walk to Carlos Mendez to load the bases. Next up was Graham Koonce, who rockets a home run deep out of Alliance Bank Stadium. Houston stays in to give up another homerun to Larry Bigbee, before leaving to a chorus of boos. Now, I agree Houston pitched horribly, but as a FAN I picked up on him tapping his chest at least three times after pitches, telling his catcher "my bad". As a manager/pitch coach/whoever, if I see my pitcher saying that, I am getting him out as quick as possible. Some may argue that with the short bullpen that we had, they were "saving" the bullpen, but to that I argue that they still used Venafro (both games) as well as Blaine Neal.
Richmond added another run in the 7th (final inning due to it being a doubleheader), making it 8-4 going into the Chiefs last at bats. Griffin hit a leadoff double, capping a great night for him, and giving fans false hope at a comeback. Next up was Jeff Duncan. Now, here is where things get interesting. He is apparently told to bunt, as he shows it twice before going to swing. I cannot understand this. If he shows once, fine, maybe its an attempt to get on for a single, but the second time makes me wonder if Coach Davis didn't realize the game was only seven innings long or what. Duncan goes on to strike out, but again you have to wonder what if he was allowed to swing at the first two pitches. Next to bat was catcher John Schneider. Schneider, yes the same guy who is batting .045, is allowed to bat. You have Chad Mottola on your bench, even Brad Hassey for crying out loud, and Davis leaves Schneider in! Again, one might argue that he wants to show confidence in the guy, but I will point you to game one of the season. Chiefs were leading going into the 9th and Curtis Thigpen is replaced by Sal Fasano defensively. Thigpen, a young guy who could use the confidence, was pulled strategically. Schneider flies out, Olmedo grounds out and that's the game. The win goes to Braves pitcher Ryan Basner, who came in for rehabbing pitcher Lance Cormier. Basner (3-2) gave up 1 run on 3 hits in 4 innings pitched. Houston (1-2) gets the loss for the Chiefs.
I will give Davis one prop, he actually did chime in at game one home plate umpire Josh Carlisle, as he felt the ump was making bad calls.
Notes:
I dropped the ball last night finding out Lee Gronkiewicz was sent to Syracuse, while Ty Taubenheim was called up, but not getting to make a post on that. My bad.
Yusaku Iriki is starting tonight for the Chiefs, don't know much about this guy, except he didn't do too great in New Hampshire.
As for those games, I guess we will start with game one. Gregor Blanco helped the Braves win 7-3, ending only a home run away from the cycle. He ripped a double down the first base line (nearly the same spot as Brayan Pena hit a triple earlier in the game), both of which apparently had Kevin Barker in awe, as he didn't even move for them, even though they were within a foot of him. Justin James (1-2), who didn't even play yesterday, received the loss for his two innings pitched the night before. Ismael Ramirez took over on Wednesday, and gave up nine hits leading to four runs (three earned) in four innings. The Chiefs made it 5-2 before Ramirez left, on a two run single by John Ford Griffin. The momentum died soon after, as Brandon League came in, giving up two unearned runs. The reason they were unearned was that League himself, threw the ball into the ground on an attempt to get an inning ending double play. Griffin ended the scoring with another RBI single giving us our final score of 7-3. Winning pitcher was Dan Smith (3-2) who gave up only 3 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs.
Moving on to game two, the Chiefs jumped out quickly for spot starter Jim Crowell. Mike Vento brought home Wayne Lydon and Ryan Roberts on a 2 out single. He then scored from second himself on a John Ford Griffin single, making it 3-0 after the first inning. Crowell pitched great, going four innings, only allowing 3 hits, no walks, and 2 unearned runs. Those were unearned as the inning was extended by a Ray Olmedo throwing error. Now, I understand if he is hurt, as the Chiefs have reported, but then my question is...why have him at shortstop? Either put Brad Hassey into the game, or maybe move Olmedo to second, pushing Adams to short. Injury or not, something needs to change because his throws have been inconsistent and his batting is non-existant. Back to the game, Mike Vento hit a solo homer to give Crowell a 4-2 lead as he left after the 4th. This is where things fall apart.
In the fifth inning, reliever Ryan Houston was brought in for the Chiefs. Richmond gets two singles to start off the inning. After a sac bunt and a strike out, there are runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. The pitching coach comes out to talk with Houston after this. Houston then gives up a walk to Carlos Mendez to load the bases. Next up was Graham Koonce, who rockets a home run deep out of Alliance Bank Stadium. Houston stays in to give up another homerun to Larry Bigbee, before leaving to a chorus of boos. Now, I agree Houston pitched horribly, but as a FAN I picked up on him tapping his chest at least three times after pitches, telling his catcher "my bad". As a manager/pitch coach/whoever, if I see my pitcher saying that, I am getting him out as quick as possible. Some may argue that with the short bullpen that we had, they were "saving" the bullpen, but to that I argue that they still used Venafro (both games) as well as Blaine Neal.
Richmond added another run in the 7th (final inning due to it being a doubleheader), making it 8-4 going into the Chiefs last at bats. Griffin hit a leadoff double, capping a great night for him, and giving fans false hope at a comeback. Next up was Jeff Duncan. Now, here is where things get interesting. He is apparently told to bunt, as he shows it twice before going to swing. I cannot understand this. If he shows once, fine, maybe its an attempt to get on for a single, but the second time makes me wonder if Coach Davis didn't realize the game was only seven innings long or what. Duncan goes on to strike out, but again you have to wonder what if he was allowed to swing at the first two pitches. Next to bat was catcher John Schneider. Schneider, yes the same guy who is batting .045, is allowed to bat. You have Chad Mottola on your bench, even Brad Hassey for crying out loud, and Davis leaves Schneider in! Again, one might argue that he wants to show confidence in the guy, but I will point you to game one of the season. Chiefs were leading going into the 9th and Curtis Thigpen is replaced by Sal Fasano defensively. Thigpen, a young guy who could use the confidence, was pulled strategically. Schneider flies out, Olmedo grounds out and that's the game. The win goes to Braves pitcher Ryan Basner, who came in for rehabbing pitcher Lance Cormier. Basner (3-2) gave up 1 run on 3 hits in 4 innings pitched. Houston (1-2) gets the loss for the Chiefs.
I will give Davis one prop, he actually did chime in at game one home plate umpire Josh Carlisle, as he felt the ump was making bad calls.
Notes:
I dropped the ball last night finding out Lee Gronkiewicz was sent to Syracuse, while Ty Taubenheim was called up, but not getting to make a post on that. My bad.
Yusaku Iriki is starting tonight for the Chiefs, don't know much about this guy, except he didn't do too great in New Hampshire.
Monday, June 18, 2007
6/18/07: Braves Pitching Cowards Chiefs
The one positive for Chiefs fans tonight is that at least this game ended quickly. In their shortest nine inning game of the year, the Syracuse Chiefs got beat up by the Richmond Braves, 8-3. Those three runs for Syracuse came on a home run by Erik Kratz with 2 outs in the ninth. Braves starter Ryan Baerlocher (1-1) simply dominated the Chiefs hitters, going 7 shutout innings, only allowing three hits and one walk. After the first inning, it looked as if runs could be tough, as Syracuse starter Michael MacDonald struck out the side. But that all changed in the 2nd, as Richmond manufactured four runs. MacDonald (2-4) settled down, finishing out seven innings and only giving up one more run. Richmond rounded out their scoring with a three run homer in the 8th inning by Doug Clark off of Syracuse reliever Jim Crowell. The positive for Syracuse is that every team in the International League North lost their matchup, except for Scranton-Wilkes Barre, so they did not lose much ground, however these lost opportunities to gain continue to add up.
Notes:
John Thomson was recalled by Toronto, however he looks to be among the casualties of a very underachieving pitching staff, as it is believed he will be released.
Ismael Ramirez is slated to start tomorrow, indicating he may be back in the rotation with the loss of the two rehabbing pitchers (Zambrano, Thomson)
Notes:
John Thomson was recalled by Toronto, however he looks to be among the casualties of a very underachieving pitching staff, as it is believed he will be released.
Ismael Ramirez is slated to start tomorrow, indicating he may be back in the rotation with the loss of the two rehabbing pitchers (Zambrano, Thomson)
Sunday, June 17, 2007
6/17/07: Chiefs Avoid Sweep With Strong First
On a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Alliance Bank Stadium, the Chiefs didn't take long to show that they didn't want to be swept by Toledo, but finally hung onto a lead against another strong rally by the Mud Hens. Syracuse started off strong as they have every game this series, this time scorching the Mud Hens for five runs in the first inning, led by a Ryan Roberts home run. They then hit four consecutive singles, which include Chad Mottola's 1,000th RBI in his minor league career. After a Jeff Duncan RBI made the game 3-0, catcher Erik Kratz hit a 2 run double to round out the scoring. However, as they have shown all series, Toledo was not intimidated by a multi-run lead.
International League homerun leader, Mike Hessman tore his 19th homer of the year, followed by Jack Hannahan's 5th of the season and second of the series. After that, starter Josh Banks calmed down, getting his 6th win of the season, allowing just those 2 runs and 5 hits in 6 innings pitched. The bullpen made things scary again, as rehabbing reliever Brandon League only retired one, allowing two runners on whom both scored. Ryan Houston was not much better, but did get the Chiefs out of the inning, allowing 2 walks and a hit. Closer Blaine Neal came in and sealed the deal, going two innings, giving up only one walk, to get his seventh save of the year.
Toledo starter Dennis Tankersley earned the loss, only going 1 1/3 innings and giving up five runs before leaving with an undisclosed injury. Syracuse starts a four game series with the Richmond Braves on Monday.
Notes:
Catcher Sal Fasano may apparently be coming back to the Chiefs, after being outrighted on Wednesday, as he is now listed on their official roster.
After speaking with him, I found out infielder John Hattig is sidelined with an injury, answering the questions as to why he has not played.
Infielder Ray Olmedo was pulled from the game in the top of the 9th, which may have been a good strategic move, as it is of concern that the guy with the most energy on the team, seems to be very lackadaisical in the field lately.
Victor Zambrano has reportedly been recalled by the Toronto Blue Jays, ending his rehab.
Jamie Vermilyea was placed on the 7 day DL
International League homerun leader, Mike Hessman tore his 19th homer of the year, followed by Jack Hannahan's 5th of the season and second of the series. After that, starter Josh Banks calmed down, getting his 6th win of the season, allowing just those 2 runs and 5 hits in 6 innings pitched. The bullpen made things scary again, as rehabbing reliever Brandon League only retired one, allowing two runners on whom both scored. Ryan Houston was not much better, but did get the Chiefs out of the inning, allowing 2 walks and a hit. Closer Blaine Neal came in and sealed the deal, going two innings, giving up only one walk, to get his seventh save of the year.
Toledo starter Dennis Tankersley earned the loss, only going 1 1/3 innings and giving up five runs before leaving with an undisclosed injury. Syracuse starts a four game series with the Richmond Braves on Monday.
Notes:
Catcher Sal Fasano may apparently be coming back to the Chiefs, after being outrighted on Wednesday, as he is now listed on their official roster.
After speaking with him, I found out infielder John Hattig is sidelined with an injury, answering the questions as to why he has not played.
Infielder Ray Olmedo was pulled from the game in the top of the 9th, which may have been a good strategic move, as it is of concern that the guy with the most energy on the team, seems to be very lackadaisical in the field lately.
Victor Zambrano has reportedly been recalled by the Toronto Blue Jays, ending his rehab.
Jamie Vermilyea was placed on the 7 day DL
Saturday, June 16, 2007
6/16/07: Mud Hens Continue To Roll, Annihilate Chiefs
Saturday night, there was no doubt why the Toledo Mud Hens are back-to-back Governor's Cup champions. Toledo rolled off 8 runs in the sixth inning to turn a 3-2 Chiefs lead into a 10-3 deficit. They finished it off in the seventh scoring two more, making it 12-3, which was our final score at Alliance Bank Stadium. Syracuse started off strong, getting singles from their first four batters, giving them a 2-0 leading before the first out of the game was recorded against them. However, after loading the bases with 1 out, they could not score anymore in the 1st. Toledo followed up with a run in the second, a solo shot by Chris Shelton. The Chiefs responded with a run in the second, but that was all they would muster for the game. Toledo starter Ron Chiavacci (6-4) gets the win, going 6 innings and settling down after the rocky 1st inning. John Thomson (2-4) gets the loss for Syracuse. Thomson pitched 5 strong innings, only giving up 2 runs, however the sixth inning was his undoing. After giving up a lead off double to Timo Perez, Thomson walked the next three batters, before finally being pulled. Jim Crowell was brought in, and did not fair much better. After walking Jack Hannahan to score a run, David Espinosa ripped a hard sac fly near the gap, which Center fielder Wayne Lydon made a nice catch on. Crowell gave up three more consecutive singles before striking out Timo Perez and subsequently being taken out. Ismael Ramirez came into the game, 8-4 with runners on first and second, and got Ryan Raburn to hit a high fly ball into right field, which should have ended the inning. However, outfielders Mike Vento and Wayne Lydon were no where near the ball when it landed, giving Raburn a base clearing triple. Neither outfielder saw the ball nor made a good attempt to get into a position where they could. The play summed up the series so far.
Notes: Right fielder Mike Vento left the game in the seventh inning after being hit by a pitch in the arm. Infielder John Hattig has not played in the last 8 contests due to an unknown reason. Former Chiefs catcher Sal Fasano was outrighted by the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.
Notes: Right fielder Mike Vento left the game in the seventh inning after being hit by a pitch in the arm. Infielder John Hattig has not played in the last 8 contests due to an unknown reason. Former Chiefs catcher Sal Fasano was outrighted by the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Commentary: 6/15/07
Watching tonight's game, I began to see the same things and issues that dropped Syracuse 10 games back earlier this year. As a fan, I cannot help but get frustrated, not by the loss, but by the way the game occurred. So I guess without further ado, my takes on the team's issues, which seem to be returning.
1. Managing
Now before I go off on this rant, I want to say I am sure that manager Doug Davis is a nice guy and that this has to do with his decisions only. The fact that he is probably a nice guy, actually factors into some of the issues themselves.
The main issue I am catching now is that he coaches way too by the books. What I am talking about is that of every 3-0 count, he has not yet EVER given a player the green light to swing away. Obviously there are many situations where the red light is a must, but when you have a hot hitting guy knowing he will get a great pitch down the middle, why not give him a chance. Any pitcher who has a scouting report on this team is bound to be confident that he can make the count 3-1, with very little fear of his blatant fastball down the middle being even having a chance at being swung at. Another "by the books" issue is bunting. Tonight there was a situation with Erik Kratz on second and Wayne Lydon on first with no one out. Anyone who has watched a game knows that Kratz just doesn't have good speed. He is a bulky player and a catcher. Jeff Duncan shows bunt the 1st pitch and everyone in the stadium sees a beautiful shift by Toledo, who obviously knows a bunt is coming and is setting up for the throw to third. After seeing this move, is there a change in plan? Nope. You can't help but thing if Duncan even put the ball in play with a swing that there would be some interesting confusion amongst the infield, who are running around to cover the bunt. Pretty much anything up the middle was going to be a hit. If I can call these plays out myself, you know any opposing manager who pays attention is going to be catching it too.
Another issue is the lack of defending his players. This season, the umpires have been extremely inconsistent for all sides. Players are feeling that they are getting hosed on calls and arguing with umpires. Only once have I see Davis step in. What baffles me is that he is not even attempting to get explanations from umpires in these situations. While it would be nice to see some heart and fire from him (which would carry over onto the field with his players), I think the guys at least deserve to have SOMEONE back them up.
I also think that in regards to pitching, Rick Langford and Davis are way too slow to react. I understand in some situations there are pitch counts for rehabbing players, but when a guy like Josh Banks or Ty Taubenheim are having an off day like both had in games earlier this season, giving up 7-8 runs in the first inning, the bullpen should be called much earlier. If the guys work through their issues before the guy is warmed up, then you can decide to keep him in, but these guys have been way too reactive and not even well at that, instead of being proactive.
2. Heart
When this team wants to play a nine inning game, we get some amazing comebacks and great play. Unfortuately, there are too many nights where there is just not enough hustle or care. For example, tonight in the field, Ray Olmedo took a couple late inning grounders and each throw had no umph on it and Kevin Barker had to make a scoops. There was no rush, no unplanted feet, nothing...just what looked like a lack of caring. On a hit to left-center, Mike Vento watched a ball assuming it was going to be a home run, if he hustled he could have made the catch. Now, I am not grouping every guy into this, as there are many who want to prove they belong and that they can do better. A dive or a jump here and there isn't going to hurt anyone.
3. Toronto
This is a continual problem I have. The Blue Jays reaction time kills me. I have mentioned it before, but there is no reason to keep Curtis Thigpen in Toronto, who now have FOUR catchers, and enough guys besides that who can cover their first base injury. We are left with a struggling Kratz and a guy who was barely allowed to play in New Hampshire. They leave us half the season without even one lefty pitcher, while two great lefty pitchers (David Purcey and Lee Gronkiewicz) were down in New Hampshire, both guys having seen time in Syracuse before.
So take it or leave it, these are a few major points that need to be taken care of if this team has any shot at fighting for a playoff spot. This team has the talent to do it, very little weak spots overall, at least on paper. Here's to hoping it starts gelling again on the field. And let me leave you with one last question... John Hattig, why on Earth are you not in the lineup, especially since you were finally showing some good consistency?
1. Managing
Now before I go off on this rant, I want to say I am sure that manager Doug Davis is a nice guy and that this has to do with his decisions only. The fact that he is probably a nice guy, actually factors into some of the issues themselves.
The main issue I am catching now is that he coaches way too by the books. What I am talking about is that of every 3-0 count, he has not yet EVER given a player the green light to swing away. Obviously there are many situations where the red light is a must, but when you have a hot hitting guy knowing he will get a great pitch down the middle, why not give him a chance. Any pitcher who has a scouting report on this team is bound to be confident that he can make the count 3-1, with very little fear of his blatant fastball down the middle being even having a chance at being swung at. Another "by the books" issue is bunting. Tonight there was a situation with Erik Kratz on second and Wayne Lydon on first with no one out. Anyone who has watched a game knows that Kratz just doesn't have good speed. He is a bulky player and a catcher. Jeff Duncan shows bunt the 1st pitch and everyone in the stadium sees a beautiful shift by Toledo, who obviously knows a bunt is coming and is setting up for the throw to third. After seeing this move, is there a change in plan? Nope. You can't help but thing if Duncan even put the ball in play with a swing that there would be some interesting confusion amongst the infield, who are running around to cover the bunt. Pretty much anything up the middle was going to be a hit. If I can call these plays out myself, you know any opposing manager who pays attention is going to be catching it too.
Another issue is the lack of defending his players. This season, the umpires have been extremely inconsistent for all sides. Players are feeling that they are getting hosed on calls and arguing with umpires. Only once have I see Davis step in. What baffles me is that he is not even attempting to get explanations from umpires in these situations. While it would be nice to see some heart and fire from him (which would carry over onto the field with his players), I think the guys at least deserve to have SOMEONE back them up.
I also think that in regards to pitching, Rick Langford and Davis are way too slow to react. I understand in some situations there are pitch counts for rehabbing players, but when a guy like Josh Banks or Ty Taubenheim are having an off day like both had in games earlier this season, giving up 7-8 runs in the first inning, the bullpen should be called much earlier. If the guys work through their issues before the guy is warmed up, then you can decide to keep him in, but these guys have been way too reactive and not even well at that, instead of being proactive.
2. Heart
When this team wants to play a nine inning game, we get some amazing comebacks and great play. Unfortuately, there are too many nights where there is just not enough hustle or care. For example, tonight in the field, Ray Olmedo took a couple late inning grounders and each throw had no umph on it and Kevin Barker had to make a scoops. There was no rush, no unplanted feet, nothing...just what looked like a lack of caring. On a hit to left-center, Mike Vento watched a ball assuming it was going to be a home run, if he hustled he could have made the catch. Now, I am not grouping every guy into this, as there are many who want to prove they belong and that they can do better. A dive or a jump here and there isn't going to hurt anyone.
3. Toronto
This is a continual problem I have. The Blue Jays reaction time kills me. I have mentioned it before, but there is no reason to keep Curtis Thigpen in Toronto, who now have FOUR catchers, and enough guys besides that who can cover their first base injury. We are left with a struggling Kratz and a guy who was barely allowed to play in New Hampshire. They leave us half the season without even one lefty pitcher, while two great lefty pitchers (David Purcey and Lee Gronkiewicz) were down in New Hampshire, both guys having seen time in Syracuse before.
So take it or leave it, these are a few major points that need to be taken care of if this team has any shot at fighting for a playoff spot. This team has the talent to do it, very little weak spots overall, at least on paper. Here's to hoping it starts gelling again on the field. And let me leave you with one last question... John Hattig, why on Earth are you not in the lineup, especially since you were finally showing some good consistency?
Thursday, June 14, 2007
6/14/07 Chiefs Let Lead Bounce Away
On a beautiful night for baseball at Alliance Bank Stadium, the Chiefs blew a four run lead and get doubled up by the Toledo Mud Hens 12-6. The Mud Hens (37-30) used a three run 5th and a five run 6th inning to come back from a 6-2 deficit to handle the Chiefs (31-34) and end their 8 game home winning streak. Another subpar pitching performance by rehabbing starter Victor Zambrano paved the way for the comeback. Zambrano pitched four and a third innings, giving up five runs, two of which came on wild pitches that occurred in the same at bat. The Chiefs kept him out of the losing column with some sparks of their own. A two out double in the 1st by Chad Mottola brought home 2 to give the Chiefs the early lead. Later on a solo homer by Kevin Barker and 3-run shot by Russ Adams gave the Chiefs their 4 run lead. After that, it was all Toledo, going on a ten to nothing run to end the game.
The big inning occurred in the sixth, which saw shoddy fielding costing the Chiefs the lead and the game. The inning started off with a Ramon Santiago double. The next batter, Henry Mateo, laid down a bunt down the 1st base side, which pitcher Justin James couldn't decide whether to play or try to let go foul. In the end, he decided to pick up the ball, but far too late, putting runners on 1st and 3rd. The next at bat saw the wheels fall off the proverbial train. Timo Perez hit a fly ball near the warning track in right field. Right fielder Chad Mottola apparently loses the ball at the last second and the ball bounces over for a ground rule double, instead of what should have been a sac fly and one out. The next batter makes the Chiefs pay, as Ryan Raburn cleared the bases with a double, and ended up to third on a wild cutoff throw from the pitcher's mound by Kevin Barker. Jack Hannahan brought him home later in the inning with a two run homer. Toledo added runs in the seventh and ninth to finish the game.
Toledo starter Virgil Vasquez escapes the game with no decision, despite giving up all six of the Chiefs runs in his four innings pitched. Eulogio De La Cruz (2-0) gets the win, going 3 innings and keeping the Chiefs off the board. The loss went to Justin James (1-1).
Notes: Tonight's game saw the return of pitcher Brandon League, who is on rehab assignment. He pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up 1 run on 1 hit and 1 walk.
The big inning occurred in the sixth, which saw shoddy fielding costing the Chiefs the lead and the game. The inning started off with a Ramon Santiago double. The next batter, Henry Mateo, laid down a bunt down the 1st base side, which pitcher Justin James couldn't decide whether to play or try to let go foul. In the end, he decided to pick up the ball, but far too late, putting runners on 1st and 3rd. The next at bat saw the wheels fall off the proverbial train. Timo Perez hit a fly ball near the warning track in right field. Right fielder Chad Mottola apparently loses the ball at the last second and the ball bounces over for a ground rule double, instead of what should have been a sac fly and one out. The next batter makes the Chiefs pay, as Ryan Raburn cleared the bases with a double, and ended up to third on a wild cutoff throw from the pitcher's mound by Kevin Barker. Jack Hannahan brought him home later in the inning with a two run homer. Toledo added runs in the seventh and ninth to finish the game.
Toledo starter Virgil Vasquez escapes the game with no decision, despite giving up all six of the Chiefs runs in his four innings pitched. Eulogio De La Cruz (2-0) gets the win, going 3 innings and keeping the Chiefs off the board. The loss went to Justin James (1-1).
Notes: Tonight's game saw the return of pitcher Brandon League, who is on rehab assignment. He pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up 1 run on 1 hit and 1 walk.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
6/12/07: Chiefs Roll To Victory
In a seesaw battle, the Syracuse Chiefs (31-33) edged the Columbus Clippers (29-36) by the score of 6 to 5. The game winner came on Kevin Barker's second double of the day in the top of the 9th, which brought home Wayne Lydon. Blaine Neal (6) finished up the game for the Chiefs, picking up the save.
The Clippers jumped out early with runs in four of the first five inning, which included a 2-run 5th. The Chiefs responded with a single run in six of today's nine innings, including 3 unanswered runs to overcome a 2 run deficit. Home runs by Chad Mottola, John Ford-Griffin, and Russ Adams (all to right field) helped the Chiefs get in position for Barker's game winning hit. Columbus was led by Brandon Watson, who had 3 hits. His streak is now up to 39 games, as he starts closing in on the International League record.
Edward Valdez (1-4) took the loss in an inning and a third, giving up 2 hits including Barker's game winner. The win goes to Jim Crowell (1-2), who took over for starter Michael MacDonald, going 2 and a third, only giving up 2 hits and no runs. MacDonald struggled, giving up 9 hits and 5 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Notes: The Chiefs return home on Thursday. They have enjoyed the mangled turf of Alliance Bank Stadium, sporting the best home record in the International League. Infielder John Hattig has not played since June 8th in Toledo, missing the whole Columbus series, due to unknown reasons.
The Clippers jumped out early with runs in four of the first five inning, which included a 2-run 5th. The Chiefs responded with a single run in six of today's nine innings, including 3 unanswered runs to overcome a 2 run deficit. Home runs by Chad Mottola, John Ford-Griffin, and Russ Adams (all to right field) helped the Chiefs get in position for Barker's game winning hit. Columbus was led by Brandon Watson, who had 3 hits. His streak is now up to 39 games, as he starts closing in on the International League record.
Edward Valdez (1-4) took the loss in an inning and a third, giving up 2 hits including Barker's game winner. The win goes to Jim Crowell (1-2), who took over for starter Michael MacDonald, going 2 and a third, only giving up 2 hits and no runs. MacDonald struggled, giving up 9 hits and 5 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Notes: The Chiefs return home on Thursday. They have enjoyed the mangled turf of Alliance Bank Stadium, sporting the best home record in the International League. Infielder John Hattig has not played since June 8th in Toledo, missing the whole Columbus series, due to unknown reasons.
Monday, June 11, 2007
6/11/07: First Inning Railroads Chiefs Again
D'Angelo Jimenez's homerun in the 1st inning turned out to be the game winner Monday as the Columbus Clippers defeated the Syracuse Chiefs 3-2. Chiefs' starters have been making the 1st inning exciting for opposing teams this year. This time, the 3 runs given up by starter Josh Banks were enough to propel Columbus to their second straight victory over against Syracuse. The Chiefs did make it interesting scoring single runs in the 3rd and 6th, the latter on Kevin Barker's 6th homer of the year. However, the Chiefs could not take advantage of leadoff baserunners in the 7th and 8th innings to drop their record to 30-33. The loss keeps them 4 games out of the division lead, as they lost an opportunity to gain on the leading Buffalo Bisons, who lost to Richmond. In the 7th, catcher Erik Kratz reached on an error, but was subsequently picked off by pitcher Arnie Munoz. In the 8th, Ray Olmedo singled. After an Adams out, Mike Vento walked to give runners on 1st and 2nd with big guns, Kevin Barker and Chad Mottola coming up. Barker popped out and Mottola flew out, to end the rally attempt. Tim Redding pitched 6 innings to get the win, while Banks went six and two thirds for the loss.
Clippers' Brandon Watson kept his hitting streak alive with his lone hit, in the 1st. His streak is at 38 games. One bright note for the Chiefs was the return of outfielder Jeff Duncan, who is back in the lineup after his terrifying looking injury last month.
Clippers' Brandon Watson kept his hitting streak alive with his lone hit, in the 1st. His streak is at 38 games. One bright note for the Chiefs was the return of outfielder Jeff Duncan, who is back in the lineup after his terrifying looking injury last month.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
6/10/07: Clips Shutdown Chiefs
Emiliano Fruto's return from the DL helped Columbus to their first victory in six tries against the Syracuse Chiefs on Sunday. He pitched 6 scoreless innings and the bullpen kept it going as the Columbus Clippers defeated Syracuse 4-0. The Clippers (28-35) were sparked by a 2nd inning 2-run homer by D'Angelo Jimenez, which proved to be more than enough. Syracuse starter, John Thomson, took the loss to drop to 2-3. However, the Chiefs' offense did nothing to help him in his effort, as no runner even made it past 2nd base, despite 7 hits. Brandon Watson kept his 37 game hitting streak alive with a single against Thomson in the 5th.
Syracuse outfielder Jeff Duncan, who has been on the DL since his horrific collision with the scoreboard wall at Alliance Bank Stadium, has been taken off the DL and is day-to-day.
These teams continue their series on Monday in Columbus.
Syracuse outfielder Jeff Duncan, who has been on the DL since his horrific collision with the scoreboard wall at Alliance Bank Stadium, has been taken off the DL and is day-to-day.
These teams continue their series on Monday in Columbus.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Commentary
It's June 9th and we can actually say that the Syracuse Chiefs are only 3.5 out of the division lead. What a difference a little over 2 weeks makes. Now, suddenly, the Chiefs currently have the BEST home record in the whole IL. Amazing for the fact that there have been nights I have witnessed with under 300 in the stands, and at least 2 of them had 100 or less. Some will say it is the quality of opponents. Out of the past 15 games, the Chiefs are 12-3, BUT 11 of those wins were against Norfolk, Columbus, and Pawtucket. The thing that these people don't realize is that these are games Syracuse is typically know for losing. We can also point to the fact that Pawtucket handled the "upper echelon" Richmond Braves this past week. They also forget the fact that there were many series splits already this year with some of the better teams in the league. As a fan, I say enjoy it and have fun at the ballpark, which as much as I complain, is a pretty good deal in comparison to most entertainment in this area, as well as the prices I have seen at other ballparks.
What has caused this team to suddenly start playing up to potential? I offer a few thoughts:
1. Internal Distractions Gone:
The team has been tormented with suspensions this year. Matt Roney's suspension brought the team to spotlight, as all of these 50 game suspensions get good media attention nationally. Then we have the suspension to Beau Kemp (which Chiefs management have done everything possible to hide..which in itself would be a distraction to the team). If the rumors are true (and without 100% proof that they are, I will not be posting them) this would have been a HUGE distraction to the team. Couple that with the fact that he gave up deadly runs in important situations anyways, and you get frustrated players.
2. Playing Up To Their Skill Level
Let's face it, when a team has NO batter hitting over .300, that is a huge cause for alarm. But that is how it was, and still is, for the Chiefs. The only player who had been fluttering around the line was Curtis Thigpen. But lately we have been seeing guys stepping up bigtime. Wayne Lydon and John Hattig are 2 that fly into mind quickly. Two of the nicer guys you will ever meet, it's great to see them performing again. Before this streak, both were struggling mightily. Lydon was having a nightmare, striking out multiple times per game, as well as a lack of confidence in his outfield play. Now, he is playing with confidence...something he lacks at times, as he gets down on himself a lot and thinks too much (especially in important at bats). Hopefully the big hit in the 9th last week vs Columbus is a sign that he is ready to jump to the next level of his game. As for Hattig, he has cut his strikeouts down a lot recently and is seeing the ball amazingly well. His fielding has improved a bit too. With Toronto's constant injury woes, I wouldn't be shocked to see him jump up if another infielder goes down. Chad Mottola and Russ Adams definitely caught their strokes too, especially Chad who has gotten his power back, but also seems, at times, to be able to punch the ball for a single at will.
3. Relief
The bullpen has been pretty amazing lately (with the exception of game 1 versus Toledo). Justin James has been nearly unhittable. I still believe Doug Davis misuses the bullpen horribly, but that hasn't mattered as most of the guys have taken advantage of their play time. The starters have been inconsistent, which has put a lot of burden on these guys, but it is great to see that most are up to the challenge.
So 61 games into the season, the Chiefs are only 1 game under .500, an astounding feat after being 10 games under 2 weeks ago. While this is great, and as a fan I love it, we can't get too overboard in hopes and dreams. There should be a few rehab assignments coming up. What will that mean to a team that is finally gelling? I hope the Zaun experience isn't a sign, but the Zambrano rehab hasn't been much better. Unfortunately, Toronto does not care about a championship in Syracuse. They will continue to break chemistry up, some of which isn't avoidable. We all know that rehabbing the big leaguers is a duty and important. What I am stating is the fact that they will continue their interesting callups (Thigpen, which now gives you FOUR catchers on the current roster?!) , wait a few days, and give us a backup from New Hampshire, or single A Dunedin. But that is for another blog coming up soon, which will ask the question: "Why does Toronto want New Hampshire to win more than Syracuse?"
Anyways, enough of that. Congrats to the team for some great ballplaying, and let's hope that this TEAM can stay together and keep up the good work.
What has caused this team to suddenly start playing up to potential? I offer a few thoughts:
1. Internal Distractions Gone:
The team has been tormented with suspensions this year. Matt Roney's suspension brought the team to spotlight, as all of these 50 game suspensions get good media attention nationally. Then we have the suspension to Beau Kemp (which Chiefs management have done everything possible to hide..which in itself would be a distraction to the team). If the rumors are true (and without 100% proof that they are, I will not be posting them) this would have been a HUGE distraction to the team. Couple that with the fact that he gave up deadly runs in important situations anyways, and you get frustrated players.
2. Playing Up To Their Skill Level
Let's face it, when a team has NO batter hitting over .300, that is a huge cause for alarm. But that is how it was, and still is, for the Chiefs. The only player who had been fluttering around the line was Curtis Thigpen. But lately we have been seeing guys stepping up bigtime. Wayne Lydon and John Hattig are 2 that fly into mind quickly. Two of the nicer guys you will ever meet, it's great to see them performing again. Before this streak, both were struggling mightily. Lydon was having a nightmare, striking out multiple times per game, as well as a lack of confidence in his outfield play. Now, he is playing with confidence...something he lacks at times, as he gets down on himself a lot and thinks too much (especially in important at bats). Hopefully the big hit in the 9th last week vs Columbus is a sign that he is ready to jump to the next level of his game. As for Hattig, he has cut his strikeouts down a lot recently and is seeing the ball amazingly well. His fielding has improved a bit too. With Toronto's constant injury woes, I wouldn't be shocked to see him jump up if another infielder goes down. Chad Mottola and Russ Adams definitely caught their strokes too, especially Chad who has gotten his power back, but also seems, at times, to be able to punch the ball for a single at will.
3. Relief
The bullpen has been pretty amazing lately (with the exception of game 1 versus Toledo). Justin James has been nearly unhittable. I still believe Doug Davis misuses the bullpen horribly, but that hasn't mattered as most of the guys have taken advantage of their play time. The starters have been inconsistent, which has put a lot of burden on these guys, but it is great to see that most are up to the challenge.
So 61 games into the season, the Chiefs are only 1 game under .500, an astounding feat after being 10 games under 2 weeks ago. While this is great, and as a fan I love it, we can't get too overboard in hopes and dreams. There should be a few rehab assignments coming up. What will that mean to a team that is finally gelling? I hope the Zaun experience isn't a sign, but the Zambrano rehab hasn't been much better. Unfortunately, Toronto does not care about a championship in Syracuse. They will continue to break chemistry up, some of which isn't avoidable. We all know that rehabbing the big leaguers is a duty and important. What I am stating is the fact that they will continue their interesting callups (Thigpen, which now gives you FOUR catchers on the current roster?!) , wait a few days, and give us a backup from New Hampshire, or single A Dunedin. But that is for another blog coming up soon, which will ask the question: "Why does Toronto want New Hampshire to win more than Syracuse?"
Anyways, enough of that. Congrats to the team for some great ballplaying, and let's hope that this TEAM can stay together and keep up the good work.
6/9/07 Chiefs Double up the Clips,
Led by strong pitching, the Syracuse Chiefs (30-31) swept the Columbus Clippers (27-35) in Saturday's doubleheader. In game one, Chiefs pitcher Ty Taubenheim pitcher a complete 7 inning game shutout, while only giving up 2 hits and striking out a season high 8 batters. Taubenheim, whose struggles have relegated him to the bullpen, took advantage of his spot start in dominating fashion. John-Ford Griffin had a homer in his 3rd straight game to lead Syracuse to the 4-0 victory.
Game two featured an equally struggling pitcher in Ismael Ramirez. The Chiefs gave him good run support in a 5 run second inning, as well as a three run 6th. Second baseman Russ Adams led the way going 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs. The pitcher, Ramirez, proved strong giving up 5 hits in 5 innings of play, his only run given up was a solo shot by Abraham Nunez. In the 6th Ramirez pitched himself into a bases loaded jam with no one out, however reliever Justin James came in causing a short flyout, a pop out, and a strikeout to save the Chiefs from the jam.
Jermaine Van Buren took the loss in game 2, while Edward Valdez was the losing pitcher in game one, as the Chiefs clinch the season series against the Clippers. Brandon Watson gave Columbus their only brightside today, as he had hits in both games to bring his franchise record hitting streak up to 36.
Game two featured an equally struggling pitcher in Ismael Ramirez. The Chiefs gave him good run support in a 5 run second inning, as well as a three run 6th. Second baseman Russ Adams led the way going 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs. The pitcher, Ramirez, proved strong giving up 5 hits in 5 innings of play, his only run given up was a solo shot by Abraham Nunez. In the 6th Ramirez pitched himself into a bases loaded jam with no one out, however reliever Justin James came in causing a short flyout, a pop out, and a strikeout to save the Chiefs from the jam.
Jermaine Van Buren took the loss in game 2, while Edward Valdez was the losing pitcher in game one, as the Chiefs clinch the season series against the Clippers. Brandon Watson gave Columbus their only brightside today, as he had hits in both games to bring his franchise record hitting streak up to 36.
Friday, June 8, 2007
6/8/07 Chiefs Avoid Sweep in Toledo
It seems like once a series the Chiefs drop down and make a stunning comeback. Well, this series was no exception. Syracuse overcame a 5-1 defecit to beat Toledo 6-5 and avoid being swept by the Mud Hens. They did so with a lot of help by the long ball. Three homers by the Chiefs (28-31) accounted for 4 of the 6 runs, including 2 shots in the 6th inning to put them back within 1 of the hometown Hens (34-28). They then used a 2 run double by John Hattig in the 7th to take the lead and hold on. The Mud Hens opened up the scoring in the 3rd inning scoring 3 on Henry Mateo's 1 out triple. Mateo scored on the play as Adams missed the cutoff throw. The Chiefs cut the lead to 2 when John-Ford Griffin popped his 10th of the year and 3rd in his last 6 games. Toledo made it 5-1 with Mike Hessman's 18th homer of the year after a walk put Timo Perez on. However, Syracuse's bullpen made sure that no more runs would be given up, as they go four innings giving up no runs. Homers by Chad Mottola and Mike Vento cut the lead to 5-4 before Hattig's game winning hit. Victor Zambrano had another shaky outing for the Chiefs, as he continues to rehab in the minors, looking no where near ready to jump back into Toronto's rotation. His five runs given up keep his ERA above 7 in AAA, while he also walked 5 men, only striking out 4. Toledo pitcher Ramon Colon picked up the loss (0-1), while Jamie Vermilyea notched the win (1-1).
Notes: Earlier in the day, Toronto recalled catcher Gregg Zaun from his rehab assignment, while sending back pitcher Brian Wolfe to Syracuse. The Chiefs head to Columbus for a 5 game series tomorrow. They will make up Monday's rainout Saturday with a doubleheader.
Notes: Earlier in the day, Toronto recalled catcher Gregg Zaun from his rehab assignment, while sending back pitcher Brian Wolfe to Syracuse. The Chiefs head to Columbus for a 5 game series tomorrow. They will make up Monday's rainout Saturday with a doubleheader.
The Chiefs
Well here marks the beginning of my new blogging adventures. What I intend to do (time pending) is to keep a game by game blog on the Syracuse Chiefs, as well as include random articles/commentary of the team. Wish me luck, we could be in for a long ride.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)