Diaz Optioned to Syracuse

With the activation of Scott Rolen by the Blue Jays, Robinzon Diaz was optioned to Syracuse.

Also, there are reports that Adam Lind will be recalled in the near future by the Blue Jays. If this happens, I am assuming the Chiefs may get Joe Inglett back, however, I also expected to have Josh Banks back...

Speaking of Banks, the Padres are planning on using Banks from the bullpen. That is the currently role he has been given in Portland.

Syracuse plays the Scranton/WB Yankees Saturday. Suddenly, a couple thousand people will remember that Alliance Bank Stadium exists...at least for two days.

Rolen To Be Activated Friday

A report from the Toronto Blue Jays indicates that injured 3rd baseman Scott Rolen will be activated from the DL on Friday. Rolen's return will make it necessary for Toronto to make a roster move to make a spot for Rolen. They will most likely send either Joe Inglett or Robinzon Diaz down to Syracuse.

Yet another star that Toronto will only allow to rehab in Dunedin. Seems pretty odd to have someone who went 0-9, with an error in three Single-A rehab starts activated directly to the majors.

Banks Claimed, Gronkiewicz Finishes

Two quick updates, both involving what I see as big mistakes by a tunnel visioned Toronto club:

Syracuse's 8 game streak is over, with a 3-1 loss to Pawtucket. Coming in for the save was ex-Chiefs reliever, Lee Gronkiewicz. Gronkiewicz has been great with the Paw Sox so far this year, and it was a big mistake not to make sure he re-signed with the organization.

As for the other Toronto mistake, Josh Banks has been claimed off waivers by the San Diego Padres. He is currently placed on the Portland Beavers of the PCL. Banks had a few iffy starts so far this year, but he has some of the best control that I have seen. When he gets out of the slump, San Diego/Portland fans will be happy they got him.

Updates

Matt Watson was placed on the 7 day DL on Tuesday, called up to replace him is Eric Nielsen. Nielson was batting .239 in New Hampshire, having played in 13 games. Last season, he hit .325 in Single-A Dunedin.

In another outfield move, David Smith was moved from the DL to Single-A Dunedin.

Kevin Nelson was activated from the DL when Robinzon Diaz was recalled by Toronto. He had his first at bat with the Chiefs on Tuesday, striking out in the bottom of the 8th as a pinch hitter.

With the win Tuesday and Scranton's loss, Syracuse is now tied for the division lead.

Not going to recap the game, as I worked way too long today and honestly can't remember most of it!

Chiefs play Pawtucket Wednesday, starting a three game series in lovely Rhode Island.

4/20/08: Chiefs Clang Iron Pigs, Diaz Says Bye

An eventful day Sunday for the Syracuse Chiefs, as they stretched their winning streak to six against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Kane Davis (W, 2-1) struggled to start the game, but ended up going 8 innings to get the win. The first inning was troublesome, as 3 hits were given up by Davis. Luckily, Brandon Watson (first hit of the game) was thrown out trying to steal second. If he ends up safe, the game gets more complex. Lehigh Valley would only get one run that inning, which would be the only time they touched home plate all day. It didn't go much better for the Syracuse hitters, as they scored only two runs. Those came in the third, where two errors helped Jorge Velandia and Pedro Lopez cross the plate. Iron Pig starter, Brian Mazone (L, 1-3)was only credited with one earned run, but it was enough to earn him the loss.


Three Stars of the Game

3. Robinzon Diaz (SYR) - Diaz went 2 for 2, while also walking in his other plate appearance. His biggest play came in the first, when he gunned out Brandon Watson. That out was instrumental in the Chiefs only giving up one run in the opening frame. His reward? A callup to Toronto (see below).

2. Pedro Lopez (SYR) - Lopez went 1 for 3, but his bunt single in the 3rd was a huge one. He laid it down perfectly, helping lead to Mazone's throwing error. That error scored Velandia. Lopez then came around to score the winning run.

1. Kane Davis (SYR) - Davis came out stumbling from the gate giving up 3 hits in the first inning, including his only earned run. He then pitched 7 more innings, only giving up a total of 2 more hits and walking one batter. It does any team good to know that they can score only two runs and still be able to win the game.



As for the other big news of the day, Robinzon Diaz was recalled by Toronto after Sunday's game. Diaz will be filling the spot that was emptied when Frank Thomas was released by the Blue Jays. This is a huge loss for the Chiefs, which really weakens the catching regime. Diaz gave a viable strong arm behind the plate. Curtis Thigpen should be on fulltime duty catching while Diaz is gone, making Syracuse an easier team to steal on. The move will most likely not be permanent, as Adam Lind seems a likely candidate to get the full time promotion. It has been reported that he is nursing a minor injury, thus Diaz is a better choice at this moment. I have not seen any current moves to place another catcher with Syracuse, although they do have Kevin Nelson on their roster. He is currently on the DL.

Scranton's loss Sunday leaves Syracuse one game out of the division lead, 18 games into the season.

Not gonna bother with the probables again, as these roster changes are killing me.

Chiefs try to make it 7 in a row Monday, starting time 6pm. May not have much of a write up, as I will see only about half the game.

Chiefs Make It Five... and A Big Hmmmm

As I stated yesterday, I was unable to make Saturday's game where Syracuse beat Lehigh Valley. But after looking over the changes within the past 24 hours, I felt I had to write something for my bunch of readers.

Earlier in the week, Blue Jays reliever Brian Wolfe was placed on the disabled list. Due to AJ Burnett's playing in the extra inning game early in the week, he was unable to make his start for which David Purcey was called up. Purcey did his duty and has since been sent down. This is where things get interesting. Shawn Camp was called up to cover for Wolfe. Camp, however, was not on the 40 man roster, which meant that someone on that roster had to be designated for assignment. Josh Banks was the player designated for assignment. What this did was make him unavailable to pitch in Saturday's game. I have no clue what the plans are for him, but they have to decide within ten days to either place Banks on waivers to keep him with Syracuse, trade Banks, or release him.

The thing that stings is that he missed his spot in the rotation. Obviously, with the win Saturday, it was a "no harm, no foul" type situation, but I still wish there was a way to have held off for the day. Most teams wouldn't put themselves shorthanded, however, which is understandable. Such is the life of a minor league baseball fan.

As for the recall of Camp, he has pitched great so it is well deserved. I expected Brandon League to be sent back, but I think Camp is the better choice for Toronto. Speaking of injured pitchers, I am still wondering where Lance Carter is.


Taking a quick look at Saturday's box score, it's great to see the pitchers getting out of jams. The double play in the seventh was clutch at keeping the one run lead in tact. I am also hoping that the home run by Matt Watson will give him that extra boost in an otherwise struggle filled first month of the season.

Syracuse is still two games behind Scranton, who beat Rochester 1-0 on Saturday.

I'm not even going to bother with the probable pitchers, considering they keep killing me on them.

Chiefs try to make it six in a row..2pm Sunday.

Sweep, Promotion, Random tidbits

Busy week and my choice of hockey over baseball means a crappy blog week. So here is what I have missed in a nutshell.

Syracuse swept Buffalo in the four game series that ended on Friday.

Syracuse's Thruway road trip ended with a 6-2 record. Anyone think the Chiefs brass might make a push at publicizing the "Thruway Cup" this year?

David Purcey was recalled by Toronto for a spot start, sending Mike MacDonald to Syracuse for a start of his own.

The Syracuse Chiefs announced that June 25th will be "WWE Night" featuring special guest Lillian Garcia. Information on that event is listed on the Chiefs website.

Syracuse will host Lehigh Valley for a four game series starting Saturday.

Lehigh Valley is 2-14, already 9 games out of first in the division. They are 0-8 on the road. The problem is, Syracuse struggled against Ottawa last year (same franchise as Lehigh Valley, with the same current futility.) I have to feel that anything less than winning 3 out of 4 would be a very disappointing series for Syracuse.

Probable pitchers for Saturday:
(LHV) Ron Chiavacci (1-0, 0.52) vs (SYR) Josh Banks (0-2, 7.02)


Probably won't be a write up on the game (as will also be the case for most away games) due to the fact that I will not be attending the game.

Typical Toronto

The gut feeling I had was right. Toronto decides to skip having BJ Ryan on Syracuse, activating him off of the DL on Sunday. This seems rather dumb on the Blue Jays part. I would rather wait that extra week and make sure he is up to speed, then have him jump from Single-A to the majors in one single jump.

With Ryan activated, the Blue Jays sent reliever Brandon League to Syracuse. League has appeared in 2 games for Toronto this year and is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA.

Inglett/Coats, Loss/Win

Haven't really paid attention to the series in Rochester, but seems like a great win today. Good piece of managing by coach Doug Davis to bring in Robinzon Diaz to bat for Matt Watson with 2 outs and two runners on. Diaz brought Syracuse home an insurance run with a single. Good to see Bill Murphy, Mike Gosling, and Shawn Camp combine for a two hitter. Syracuse lost to Rochester on Friday in a back and forth game. Wasn't able to listen to more than an inning of that game, so I can't say much about it.

As I'm sure most know by now, Joe Inglett was called up to Toronto Friday night. His replacement (going by the current roster) is Buck Coats. I am looking forward to seeing what Coats can bring to the Chiefs.

I'm not sure what the deal is with BJ Ryan. He was supposed to join Syracuse for this series, but pitched Friday for Dunedin. Still no sign of him on the official roster, either. Also, rumors are floating around the Armando Benitez may join Syracuse soon.

I believe David Purcey will be starting for Syracuse on Sunday, no clue who will go for Rochester.

Here's to hoping a winning streak starts.

Jesse Carlson Recalled By Blue Jays

Late last night/earlier today, reliever Jesse Carlson's contract was purchased by the Toronto Blue Jays. To make room for him, Toronto designated reliever Randy Wells for assignment. Wells was acquired by Toronto during the offseason in the Rule Five Draft. This means that he must be offered to his original team (Chicago Cubs). If they refuse him, he would then have to pass through waivers before joining a Toronto minor league club (presumably the Chiefs).

Wells appeared in one game for the Blue Jays, pitching one shutout inning.

4/10/08: Ty Terrible As Chiefs Break Streak

Ty Taubenheim made his return to Syracuse today, at least for an inning and a third. That's all he lasted, as Syracuse was able to plaster him for 6 runs and 9 hits. I'm sure disturbing flashbacks from last season were in Ty's mind after this performance. Only two starters for Syracuse didn't have a hit off of Taubenheim (0-2). Luckily for the Chiefs, their pitching made the lead stand up, as they would be scoreless the rest of the game. Kane Davis (1-1) pitched a great game, keeping Indianapolis hitless for over four innings. He ended up going six innings, giving up 3 hits and one run (unearned). Adam Lind went 4 for 4, including a three run home run that brought Taubenheim's day to a quick ending.

My three stars of the game:

3. Joe Inglett - His two hits were important in the first two innings, they helped set the tone. He also scored two runs.

2. Kane Davis - Davis was masterful, especially during his first four innings. For a Chiefs team that is not going to put loads of runs on the board, performances like today's are a must.

1. Adam Lind - Lind had solid hits each at bat, along with four of the team's six RBI's. His home run knocked the wind out of the Indians. He also made a great fielding play in left field, taking away an extra base hit, keeping momentum on Syracuse's side.


Syracuse starts their first road series on Friday in Rochester.

BJ Ryan to Join Syracuse

According to Toronto's official site, rehabbing reliever B.J. Ryan will be joining the team on Friday. He is scheduled to pitch three or four outings and may join Toronto in the middle of the month. This could loom disappointing to Syracuse fans, who look to be missing out on yet another rehabbing star. Unless he has a minor setback, at his current rate of pitching every other day, Ryan would probably not still be with the team when they return home on April 19th.

4/9/08: Indy 7 Chiefs 3

This is going to be informal as I just don't feel like writing much about this game.

Syracuse is now on a 3 game losing streak and have clinched having a losing record after their season opening homestand. Syracuse comes out again with the first run, but then they blow it soon after, with Jorge Velandia taking a routine grounder at shortstop and throwing it way off base, leaving Chip Cannon without a shot at even touching the ball, let alone catching it.

I truly thought once the game was 3-2 that Syracuse would have a shot, but it took an odd sequence to make the game 4-2 and kill off momentum. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, Luis Ordaz hit a sacrifice fly to left. Wayne Lydon's throw was off, allowing Neil Walker to easily score. Suddenly, the Chiefs bullpen, along with some fans, were yelling for the ball to be thrown to 3rd as a protest. This happens and 3rd base umpire Brian Reilly denies the protest, showing the safe signal. Well the bullpen is furious. Tracy Thorpe was yelling about Reilly blowing the call, when Reilly said something back to him. Well the two keep exchanging, basically Thorpe saying that Reilly blew it. Suddenly, 1st base umpire (standing around second base) yells "That's it you're out of here" and tosses Thorpe. A few unrepeatable pleasantries are said to the umpires and finally the bullpen realizes Thorpe had been tossed. It was one of those sequences that you basically had to see in person, as I could not do it justice. Throughout the rest of the game, comments towards Reilly were yelled from both sides of the stands, from some people I was shocked to hear them from. This tells me that he did most likely blow the call, but having not seen it, I cannot comment on my opinion, except that I feel if anyone was going to toss Thorpe, it should have been Reilly, not Dowdy, as Dowdy was not involved.

The Chiefs tried to fight back, but Josh Wilson (the #9 batter) hit his second home run of the series, and Neil Walker hit a two run homer to drive the dagger into the hearts of the Chiefs.

Jason Davis (1-0) gets the win, while Josh Banks (0-1) gets the loss.

Around the rest of the league, Pawtucket (5-2) is now three games ahead of Syracuse. Syracuse will face the bottom three teams in their division in their next three series, as they play @Rochester, @Buffalo, and then host the only winless IL team the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The change of scenery from Ottawa to Pennsylvania hasn't changed the "winning" ways of Philly's Triple-A team.

Probables for Thursday are Ty Taubenheim (0-1, 8.31) for Indy against Kane Davis (0-1, 1.80) for Syracuse.

4/8/08: Chiefs Lose Game and Adams

For the Syracuse Chiefs, long stretches of offensive struggles have been the norm in this short season. It happened again Tuesday night at Alliance Bank Stadium. Things looked good for the home team early on, as Syracuse scored in each of the first three innings off of Indianapolis starter Bryan Bullington, but that was all they could muster up. Joe Inglett started things off with a lead off home run, while Curtis Thigpen's first hit of the year led to a run in the 2nd inning. Indianapolis quickly tied the game up in the top of the 3rd. Singles by Raul Chavez and Matt Kata were helped along by a wild pitch by Chiefs starter David Purcey and a passed ball by Thigpen. Between those two miscues was an RBI single by Steve Pearce, while the passed ball accounted for the second run. Another Inglett run in the bottom half of the inning gave Syracuse their final lead and run. The lead would not last, as another miscue by Purcey (this time a balk) would put Andrew McCutchen in scoring position. He would be brought home during that same at bat, by Kata. Things stayed tied until the top of the seventh, when Mike Gosling took over for Purcey. Gosling (L, 0-1) allowed a lead off single, followed by a double to put himself into a deep hole. After battling back and putting two outs on the board, Gosling gave up a single that brought home the game winning run. For the Indians, Romulo Sanchez (W, 1-0)relieved Bullington in the 6th inning and only gave up one hit in three innings of work, while Jonah Bayliss got the save in a 1-2-3 9th inning. The Chiefs drop to 2-4, while the Indians are now 4-2.

-Russ Adams left the game before the start of the third inning with a reported arm injury.

-It was good to see Chip Cannon and Curtis Thigpen break out a little from their hitting slumps, with 2 hits each.

-Speaking of Thigpen, I think the memo is out to the managers about his problem throwing out baserunners. Tuesday, Indianapolis went 3 for 3. Teams are 6 for 6 stealing with Thigpen behind the plate (including two steals of third), while they are 5 for 7 with Robinzon Diaz behind the plate (also two steals of third). That means teams are overall 11 of 13 on steal attempts. That's horrible. I can't place all of the blame on the catchers, as there are times that the runner has broken nearly before the pitcher began his windup.

-I found out that Craig Wilson has been signed to apparently play for Indianapolis, not coach. Probably a good thing he isn't coaching, especially with the attitude exhibited at the ball park Tuesday.

-I am not sure who will be pitching in Wednesday's game, as Mike Gosling is still listed as probable starter, which seems quite unlikely.

Pitching Change for Tuesday

It looks as though it will now be:

Bryan Bullington (0-1, 5.40 ERA) vs David Purcey (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

4/7/08: Van Benschoten Shoots Chiefs Down

For the second time within the last three games, the Syracuse Chiefs took over half the game to get their first hit. This time it was the Indianapolis Indians and their starter John Van Benschoten who held them in check during the 5-1 Indianapolis victory. It wasn't until Joe Inglett came up with 2 outs in the sixth inning that the Chiefs finally got off the 0 in the hit column. His triple, then an Adam Lind double in the seventh were all Van Benschoten (W, 1-0) gave up going six and a third innings. Lind came around to score the only Chiefs run, giving Van Benschoten his final stat line of 2 hits, 1 earned run, and 3 walks. The Indians, however, didn't even stay off the scoreboard for more than two pitches, as Andrew McCutchen took Bill Murphy's 1-0 pitch far out of the park. Murphy (L, 0-1) gave up another run in the second, before finally calming down. Bubba Nelson had a much calmer time in his second appearance for the Chiefs, going 2 2/3 and only allowing a walk to Matt Kata. He was charged with an earned run as Kata scored after Tracy Thorpe came in for Nelson. Thorpe then gave up a ninth inning homer to Josh Wilson, as well as another run to round out the scoring.

Not sure what can be said here. The Chiefs lineup is not very offensively friendly. When it takes until the sixth or seventh inning in two of the five games this year to get their first hit, that means something is wrong. Matt Watson has struck out SEVEN times already, in only fourteen plate appearances. Curtis Thigpen is 0 for 15 on the season. Neither of these guys have a history of being anywhere near as bad as their numbers have been so far. These are the guys that need to perform, as I still don't expect much from the infield.

I was just looking at the Dunedin roster and am trying to figure out if we will be seeing a couple of the pitcher's rehabbing down there. Gustavo Chacin is on their active roster, as well as Armando Benitez. I'm a bit confused for Benitez since last I heard he was supposedly going to be in Syracuse. Also, B.J. Ryan is rehabbing down there, so I am hopeful we will get to catch him with the Chiefs and hopefully during a homestand.

Even though he is currently not on the Indianapolis roster, Craig Wilson was spotted at the game in an Indians jersey. I am not sure if he would be coming back as a player or possibly just a coach, as reports showed him interested in doing possibly either.

Indians first baseman Adam Boeve was hit on the hand by a pitch in the eighth inning by Tracy Thrope and was taken out of the game.

Official attendance today over 2800...apparently over 2300 of those came dressed as empty seats. To be honest, I think I estimated around 300 there, but I'll say 500 just to be nice.

Series Preview: Indianapolis Indians

Indianapolis Indians (2-2)

Affiliate of Pittsburgh Pirates

Players to Watch:

Adam Boeve
Andrew McCutchen
Neil Walker

(Time constraints make it so that I will have to write about them after the game)

Probable Starters:

4/7: (IND) John Van Benschoten (0-0, No ERA) vs (SYR) Bill Murphy (0-0, No ERA)
4/8: (IND) Jason Davis (0-0, No ERA) vs (SYR) David Purcey (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
4/9: (IND) Bryan Bullington (0-1, 5.40 ERA) vs (SYR) Mike Gosling (0-0, 10.12 ERA)
4/10: (IND) Ty Taubenheim (0-1, 8.31 ERA) vs (SYR) Josh Banks (0-0, 3.18 ERA)

Welcome back Taubenheim:

Ty comes back to Alliance Bank Stadium for the first time since being a member of the Chiefs. He struggled last year with Syracuse and is looking to change that tune. His first start for Indianapolis was like last year. With an over 8 ERA, he hopes to right his ship against his old teammates in the series finale.

4/6/08: Luna's Lumber Leads Chiefs to Victory

On a great Sunday afternoon for baseball at Alliance Bank Stadium, the Syracuse Chiefs defeated the Louisville Bats in dramatic fashion to split the first series of the 2008 season. Things looked bleak with Syracuse down to their final out, down by one with the bases empty. Shortstop Jorge Velandia was down to his final strike before lining a base hit into left field. Bats reliever Gary Majewski (L, 0-1) then threw a wild pitch allowing Velandia to move to second. Also down to his final strike, left fielder Adam Lind was able to loop a single into right, just off the glove of Jerry Hairston, Jr. The ball trickled away from him, allowing Velandia to easily score. After putting in Joe Inglett as a pinch runner, Hector Luna came up and made sure it didn't matter who was on first, as he rocketed a shot over the left field wall, giving Syracuse the 5-3 win. Davis Romero started for the Chiefs, going three innings and allowing only two hits. John Parrish came in for him, allowing all three Louisville runs over his 3 and a third he pitched. He left after giving up a run in the 7th, leaving the bases loaded with only one out. Shawn Camp (W, 1-0) was summoned from the bullpen and pitched masterfully. He was able to get Jerry Gil to ground into an inning ending double play. He pitched a perfect two and two thirds, striking out four. In the bottom of the seventh, Pedro Lopez brought Syracuse to within 3-2 hitting a solo shot into left. Before Luna's game winner, Syracuse was able to load the bases in the eighth before first baseman Chip Cannon struck out to strand them.

A rather exciting game for the Chiefs and a nice split against a very good team. Jay Bruce sat out today's game for Louisville, as well as Ryan Hannigan who was hitting the Chiefs very well. For the Chiefs, Curtis Thigpen and Russ Adams were given the day off. Syracuse starts their home series with Indianapolis on Monday. They are the Triple-A affiliate for the Pittsburgh Pirates and split their opening series with Pawtucket.

Probable starters for Monday
Indianapolis - John Van Benschoten (0-0)
Syracuse - Bill Murphy (0-0)

I'll try to throw up a little preview about the Indians tomorrow before the game.

Sal's New Pals

Sal Fasano has signed a minor league contract with the Richmond Braves. I have to wonder about this move, since he refused to accept his assignment to the Chiefs. In articles posted by Blue Jays reporter Jordan Bastian, Fasano said he didn't see himself as a Triple A player. What a difference two weeks make, apparently.

I understand that this situation was not good for him. Toronto wants Robinzon Diaz and Curtis Thigpen here to improve in the position, as they are the future for the Blue Jays. But when he signed the minor league contract in December, how could he have been under the impression that he'd be in the majors...hence the MINOR league contract. Either way, I wish him the best. He was very enjoyable and the type of guy easily liked. From a business standpoint, both he and Toronto had to do what they felt was best. Toronto looks good in the catcher department, and maybe with new scenery, Fasano can once again make it back up to the majors.

04/05/08: Double Trouble

After Friday's rainout, the Syracuse Chiefs and Louisville Bats played a doubleheader Saturady at Alliance Bank Stadium. While both games were scheduled for seven innings, the first game ended up going awhile longer. Syracuse started off spotting the Bats a 2-0 lead in the second inning, after Russ Adams lost a Jolbert Cabrera fly ball in the sun during the second inning with Andy Phillips already on, putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. Chiefs starting pitcher, Josh Banks was able to strike the next two batters out, however Ryan Hanigan didn't let the Banks off the hook by hitting a two run single. Syracuse tied it up in the third as Wayne Lydon and Joe Inglett both scored in the four hit inning. The Chiefs took the lead on another Wayne Lydon run in the fourth inning. That run brought the end to Bats' starter Matt Maloney's day. The lead would not last, as Louisville took advantage of an error, infield single, and finally Jerry Gil's RBI single that brought home Jay Bruce to tie the game. Syracuse threatened in the bottom half of the inning, with two singles to lead off the inning. A fly out, followed by an inning ending line drive double play killed that rally. Sergio Santos was caught snoozing as he was easily doubled up on the play. Both teams threw numerous pitchers out and were able to keep the opposing offenses off the board until the top of the 11th. At that point, Bubba Nelson (L, 0-1) was brought into the game. Looking nervous and wild before even throwing his first official pitch, things took a turn for the worse. After issuing a walk and a sac bunt, Jerry Hairston took Nelson to center field. A lundging Wayne Lydon came up well short of the ball, which rolled to the wall for a triple. Hairston then scored on a wild pitch, ending the scoring in game one. Marcus McBeth got the win (W, 1-0) for Louisville by the score of 5-3.

Game two would be even worse for the Chiefs. The first four innings were quiet, as only one hit was given up. In the fifth, the Bats were able to strike against Chiefs starter Kane Davis (L, 0-1). After beating out the back end of what could have been an inning ending double play, Bats' outfielder Chris Dickerson was able to steal second, then score on catcher Alvin Colina's single to take a 1-0 lead. They made it 2-0 in the sixth as Adam Rosales brought home Phillips on a sac fly. Some of the fifty or so fans who were left during game two (at most a hundred were there to start the second game) became upset in the bottom of the sixth inning, as they were unable to watch history. This was because Louisville starter, Tom Shearn (W, 1-0), was pulled after five innings of no hit ball. Tyler Pelland came in to relieve him, keeping the Chiefs hitless after six. After adding two insurance runs in the seventh, Louisville brought in Ricky Stone to finish the game off. There was to be no combined no hitter this night, as Russ Adams took Stone over the right field wall to put the Chiefs on the board, for their only run and only hit. Louisville sweeps the doubleheader, winning game two, 4-1.


Jerry Hairston left the game in the fourth inning of the second game with an apparent leg injury. I spoke with him after the game and he seemed in good spirits. It looked as though it was just a cramp on the field, and he seemed to be walking fine after the game.

This doubleheader felt a lot like one that occurred during the series with Louisville last year. Beau Kemp was the one blowing the game.

Sunday finishes the series, as Davis Romero makes his comeback from the injury that sidelined him all of last year.

Rain

Friday's game between Syracuse and Louisville was rained out.

The game should be made up on Saturday (weather pending) with the following probable matchups.

Game 1: Matt Maloney 0-0 (LOU) vs Josh Banks 0-0 (SYR)

Game 2: Tom Shearn 0-0 (LOU) vs Kane Davis 0-0 (SYR)

Sunday's starting pitcher probables are: Adam Pettyjohn (LOU) vs Davis Romero (SYR)

I'll cover what I can, but tomorrow I will be out of commission for the first half of the day.

Time Warp

I just wanted to say with the additions of Jerry Hairston, Jr. to the Louisville Bats roster, as well as Lance Carter joining the Chiefs (albeit on the DL), I have now seen way too many players from my fantasy baseball teams of the past. Of course, I never said they were exactly great teams, but both were pretty formidable guys up until the last year or two.

4/3/08: Chiefs Shutout Bats on Opening Day

On a gorgeous day at Alliance Bank Stadium, there was an even better view than the new grass. That view was the pitcher's mound, where both the Syracuse Chiefs and the Louisville Bats were involved in an amazing pitcher's duel. Highly touted Bats prospect Homer Bailey only made one glaring mistake today, but it was enough to give the Chiefs the victory on opening day. That mistake came in the fourth inning, as Adam Lind rocketed a shot that hung up long enough for a solo home run to straight away center field. That was the only run Bailey (0-1) gave up, and it was all Syracuse needed, as David Purcey pitched a gem. Purcey (1-0) pitched six innings, giving up only two hits, while striking out seven batters. The trio of Bill Murphy, Mike Gosling, and Shawn Camp completed the shut out for the Chiefs. Syracuse did get an insurance run in the eighth inning, after a Joe Inglett line drive double brought home Jorge Velandia, who had tripled two batters earlier.

Toronto continues to confuse me, as I now have no clue who the starting rotation will be for the Chiefs. Mike Gosling and Bill Murphy seemed like possibilities to be in the rotation, but their use in the game this afternoon makes me doubt that.

Top prospect for the Reds' Jay Bruce struggled in his first game this year, going 1 for 4 and striking out twice.

Kevin Barker (listed as on the 7 day DL) was out for practice in the field, but he did not play today. I have a feeling he will get at least one start in his return series to Syracuse.

I learn something new everyday, apparently. Watching the replay of the game on tv tonight, we were informed that Lee Gronkiewicz had a great spring training this year with Toronto. Well, maybe he performed well, but it would have been in a Red Sox uniform, as I reported here previously. I think simple "I don't knows" are a little more appropriate than spurting out a random guess as a fact, but then again, I guess that's just my preference. Just a pet peeve of mine, especially in the Syracuse media..where I've read in the Post Standard that Karl Goehring let in a goal for Binghamton a few months ago (he was Syracuse's backup at that point and DID NOT play in the game overall). But enough with that rant.

Syracuse takes on Louisville again Friday at 2pm (weather pending)

Probable pitchers: Matt Maloney (LOU) vs Josh Banks (SYR)

Update on Bats

Upon looking at the finally updated roster for the Louisville Bats, I am disappointed. Former Chiefs Kevin Barker and Scott Sauerbeck are both on the 7 day DL, which means there is a good chance we will not see them. However, for your Yankee fans, former Yankee Andy Phillips is down with the Bats, as well as Jim Brower.

Well that's it for preseason, time to go watch some ball!

Louisville Bats: Series Preview

Louisville Bats (0-0):
Parent Club - Cincinnati Reds


Who to watch:

Jay Bruce

Syracuse starts off with a bang facing Baseball America's top overall prospect. Bruce was expected to battle for a spot this year in Cincinnati, but to the surprise of some starts off the year with the Bats. The only reason he is not in the majors is the surplus of outfielders in Cincy. This guy has star written all over him, with his only downfall being a few too many strikeouts. With injury prone Griffey in the outfield in Cincy, I expect Bruce called up sooner rather than later.

Homer Bailey

If not for being injured towards the end of last year, Bailey would most likely be in the Reds' rotation to start the year. He has great stuff, which we will get to see opening day, as he is the projected starter. I'm not impressed with Cincinnati's starting rotation, which means Bailey could get the call as early as mid-May in my opinion.

Kevin Barker

Obviously, he will have some motivation this series, and that is when Barker really performs. He heard the jeers from the crowd (including mine) and I am sure he wants to give us one more proverbial kick in the gut. For all of the times he seemingly didn't give his all, this is the one time I can almost guarantee he will not be lazy and most likely try to have the last laugh. He still has the bat, as proven in the last week of last season. I have a feeling he will use it, much to the chagrin of Syracuse fans.

Projected Starters:

4/3: Homer Bailey (LOU) vs David Purcey (SYR)

4/4: TBA vs TBA

4/5: TBA vs TBA

4/6: TBA vs TBA

As for the rest of the Bats, I am not even sure who else will be on the team, as a request sent to the Louisville Bats front office for a current roster was not return, and as of this entry, the Louisville Bats website is not fully up to date. So I have no clue how the teams match up. If I have time, maybe I will throw something up later.

2008 Preview

On paper, I am not exactly sure what to expect from the Chiefs this year. The team looked more impressive before injuries kept Randy Wells and Buck Coats in Toronto to start the year, but I guess that's not exactly a surprising development in Toronto's case.

Catchers:

This is the best looking part of Syracuse this year. Curtis Thigpen and Robinzon Diaz are extremely good with the bat. Thigpen's .285 batting average was among the best for the Chiefs last year, while Diaz batted over .300 the whole year (most of which was with New Hampshire, however he did hit .338 in his 19 games with Syracuse towards the end of last season). The only downfall of this group is the inconsistency at throwing out base runners. Diaz's arm was stronger, while Thigpen seemed to improve his throwing during his stint in Toronto. With question marks around many other areas, this duo is very steady. A-

Infield:

With 18 games being the most that one player (excluding Russ Adams, as he is being groomed more to DH and spend time in the OF) from this group spent in Syracuse last year, I am not exactly sure what to expect. Chip Cannon brings some power, while Hector Luna brings a decent stroke with him. The late addition of Jorge Velandia doesn't add much to the team, whose infield yields an extremely small amount of power, aside from the Cannon and Sergio Santos. Santos, however had no home runs in his 13 games in Syracuse last season, after taking 20 out of the yard in his stint with New Hampshire. Defensively, Inglett seems solid, while Santos will hopefully break out of his fielding slump that occurred during his late season callup last year. There is potential on Cannon's part, but the rest of the infield has a lot of red flags in my opinion. D+

Outfield:

Looking at the names, most people would be excited to have this outfield. Adam Lind should be able to have some good numbers this year. He still has a problem with striking out a bit too much, but hopefully that is something that was worked on during the offseason. Wayne Lydon brings speed to a team that only had 60 steals last year (2nd least in the IL). I think he'd be a bigger weapon if manager Doug Davis would be willing to take more chances involving Lydon's speed, though. David Smith going on the DL takes away the most powerful hitter in the group, while giving Russ Adams more of a chance to get some playing time in the outfield. Defensively, this group will benefit greatly due to the newly installed grass at Alliance Bank Stadium. Lind and Lydon were both liabilities at times in the field last year. Lydon improved towards the end of the year at seeing the ball (early on he would often misjudge fly balls, which would end up as extra base hits, due to the extremely fast carpet at ABS), while Lind still seems to be having troubles, at times seeming afraid to dive on the hard outfield surface. With Russ Adams learning the ropes in the outfield, I do expect some mistakes. Overall, not a great defensive group, but one that can put some numbers up when at the plate. B-

Pitching:

The starters on this team should be Josh Banks, David Purcey, Mike Gosling, Bill Murphy, and possibly Davis Romero. These are the only five on the team who have had recent history of playing the role of starter. Bubba Nelson was used for a majority of the year as a 1 or 2 inning reliever, but may be considered to start. Banks should provide a bit of consistency, while Gosling and Murphy provided decent ERA's last season. Romero's return from missing last season may be turbulent to start, but I think he will be a nice addition.

The relievers look adequate but not great. Jordan De Jong, Shawn Camp, and Kane Davis should provide good numbers. John Parrish spent much of last year in the majors, but also had an ERA of over 5, while an almost even K/BB ratio. The rest of the group all come from AA.

Overall, this group will be hit or miss. The starters look good, but after the 6th or 7th inning, things may be shaky. If Purcey can turn into the strong pitcher that has been expected of him and a darkhorse or two become strong and reliable relievers, this staff could be great. At this point, who knows. B-

Coaching/Toronto:

Anyone who reads this blog probably knows where this is going. We all know that the main reason for a farm team is to serve the major league club. This is why in some cases certain players are used in positions that most sane people wouldn't agree with, pitch counts are given causing a struggling pitcher to stay out for 3 innings to hit that magical number of 75, even though it causes the team to be down 8-0, etc. Most teams, however, do not seem to pull this as much as Toronto.

Since most of these things are not public knowledge (who is on a pitch count, etc), I have to group both the coaching and Toronto as one group. In situations of game play that are not controlled by Toronto, we have manager Doug Davis, pitching coach Rick Langford, and batting coach Al Le Boeuf to rely on. This is where things fall apart at times. Last year, it seemed as though Davis and Langford were a step behind most of the year. Everyone in the stadium would feel that opposing team home run coming, but a Langford visit to the mound seemed to come right after the home run, kind of the equivalent to a doctor telling a patient to cut out fast food after that third heart attack. Again, I cannot judge what happens behind closed doors or how these managers develop players during practice. What I can judge are situations when the Chiefs consistently play by the book. No matter what situation, if the count was 3-0, Davis put up the stop sign. I can count the times at home games where a player swung at a 3-0 count. ONE. One time, and it was one of the last games. Davis does not allow this team to gamble, which puts Syracuse at a distinct disadvantage. Opposing managers know how to play defensively against the Chiefs, something that I think cost them at least 5-6 wins last year. When I made a statement to a player late last year that I felt Davis should be replaced, his response to me? "You're not the only one." That says it all. F


Where do I see this team finishing? Around the same spot as last year. I think offensively there are some holes. This reminds me of last year, when a good amount of the team took about 2 months to finally start hitting. Defensively, I don't see another 10 error game (I would hope not..) but I think there will be struggles. If Toronto stays healthy, things may be a bit better, but I don't think too much. If Toronto doesn't strip us like last year and some other years, add a couple wins to the total.

My Prediction: 65-75

Feel free to comment, respond, whatever.