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.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
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.
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