Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Update For The Week

Busy times and the road trip leave me with very little time and things to write about, but I will do a quick catch up.

We'll start with the most recent moves that consist of Curtis Thigpen being recalled by Toronto to replace Gregg Zaun who was placed on the DL.

Speaking of DL, Syracuse infielder Pedro Lopez, as well as Matt Watson were both placed on the 7-day DL.

Things get more interesting as Hector Luna is returned to Syracuse, while my prediction came true about three weeks too late and Al Quintana makes his yearly jump from playing sporadically in Single-A Dunedin to joining the Syracuse roster. The more surprising move, however, is Danny Sandoval joining the Chiefs. At this point, having not listened to any game recently, I have no clue what transpired to bring Sandoval here. Joining Sandoval's former team, the Buffalo Bisons, is former Syracuse infielder Jorge Velandia. Interesting.

The Chiefs also get a rehab assignment, with relief pitcher Brian Wolfe trying to come back from his injury with the Blue Jays.

In an unfortunate tragedy, Geremi Gonzalez passed away in his homeland of Venezuela after being struck by lightning. This marks the second player from the 2007 Chiefs squad to have tragedy strike. Gonzalez pitched for Syracuse the opening month or so, before going to play in Japan. Gonzalez was 33.

Syracuse finishes its road trip Thursday at Richmond.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Roster Moves

According to the Chiefs roster, Toronto has added two players to the Syracuse Chiefs. These players are infielders Chris Gutierrez and Jeff Bannon

Gutierrez comes up to Syracuse from Double-A New Hampshire, where he hit .239 with 1 home run and 8 RBIs. Gutierrez had been used sparingly by the Fisher Cats, only playing in 21 games this year.

Bannon was most recently on the Durham Bulls, who released him within the past week. He hit .241 with 4 home runs and 8 RBIs in 17 games. Don't get too excited over those home run numbers, as he only hit 4 in 2007 with Louisville in 93 games. He had shown in previous years to have power, but that disappeared in the two seasons prior to this.

These moves most likely come due to Toronto noticing that the only infielder playing their "natural" position during their last game were Marcos Cabral and Russ Adams, with Adams ironically being turned into an outfielder by Toronto. Matt Watson (an outfielder) was playing first, Chip Cannon (a first baseman) was playing shortstop, while third base was split between Curtis Thigpen (a catcher) and Cabral (a second baseman without much of an arm, at least that I've seen).

Syracuse is at Durham tonight, starting an eight game road trip.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Syracuse Squeezes Out Extra Inning Victory

Finally, I have become a baseball manager! Well, not quite, but I was the one screaming for the squeeze play during Russ Adams' at bat, before he showed bunt. I'm not sure if it was a coincidence (bare in mind Doug Davis is not a very big risk taker and Adams didn't show bunt on the first pitch), but it was a beautifully executed play. In fact, I was amazed that after the first two shows of bunt, that Rochester's manager didn't move his 3rd baseman to at least a normal position (he was very far from the 3rd base line). But no changes occurred and Russ Adams laid a beauty down the 3rd base line, squeezing home the winning run..with 2 outs no less.

It was a pitcher's duel for the majority of the game, with starters David Purcey and Francisco Liriano pitching masterful games. Purcey left the game after pitching 6 good shutout innings, while Liriano went 7 innings, giving up 2 runs (both of which in the 7th). Syracuse turned the relief duties to Brandon League who pitched well, until the 9th inning where he gave up two runs and was only able to get one out before being replaced. Things settled down after that until the game winning sequence for Syracuse.

It all started with Wayne Lydon getting a single on an infield chopper. Buck Coats was up next and executed a poor bunt. The pitcher came off the mound to field it and threw to second base. The throw would have beat Lydon but was a bit wild, pulling the fielder off second base, allowing both runners to be safe. After an Adam Lind pop out, Matt Watson hit a grounder to the first baseman, whom was only able to get the force at 1st. Russ Adams was then up, which was his first at bat in a few days, as he seems to have been nursing a minor injury. Adams had been brought in as a fielding substitute to start the 9th.

After the game, I saw Rochester outfielder Denard Span return from getting X-rays. He took a pitch off his finger on a bunt attempt late in the game. I don't want to speculate, but he did not seem very happy about the outcome.

It was a bit fun having people in my section look at me with awe as the Chiefs won the game, then slap me five for my great call. Yes, I will pat myself on the back once in awhile!

After an off day on Wednesday, Syracuse hits the road to face Norfolk on Thursday.

Tracy Thorpe To Tacoma, Velandia Gone.

A quick update on Tracy Thorpe. It appears he was picked up by the Seattle Mariners and is now with their Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma. It's a shame to see yet another player gone in a pretty long string of players being exposed and taken by waivers and Toronto not doing much to replace them.

As for Jorge Velandia, he has opted to become a free agent rather than take his assignment to Syracuse. I have to wonder what changed within the past month to make Velandia so interested in not coming back to Syracuse. All I know, is Syracuse needs something done about its lack of depth, proven by certain situations during games this series, which I will probably touch upon in my next blog.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Chiefs Split With Rochester

Having only seen the backside of the doubleheader, I don't have too much of a review to write, but I figured I would throw something up here. Game one sounded like a pretty dominant effort for the Chiefs and their 5-0 win. Game two, there was definitely some struggles, but Syracuse did a great job in coming back from the 6-2 deficit to send the game into extra innings.

The one play that stood out to me was in the fifth inning with Rochester leading 5-2, having runners on the corners and no one out. The Chiefs were at double play depth, essentially giving Rochester the easy run. Personally, I don't think you "give" a run in a situation with only three innings left and already losing by 3. Well, the ball was grounded to reliever Jo Matumoto who would probably have been able to have gotten Randy Ruiz (the runner on 3rd) into a rundown, saving the Chiefs the run, leaving runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. What happened, however, was he looked at Ruiz, then after a second or 2, threw the ball to second base. The runner ended up safe at first, so the Chiefs allowed the free run and didn't even get the second out on the play. You have to wonder what would have happened if the Chiefs didn't let Ruiz score.

In the tenth, Rochester had the bases loaded with 1 out, when Jordan De Jong was able to get a short fly ball to center. Buck Coats (who was brought in as a pinch hitter the inning before) threw a high throw to the plate, making catcher Erik Kratz catch it way out of position. This is where things got interesting, as the runner (Tommy Watkins) ended up running out of the base line to try to slide around the lunging Kratz. I haven't seen the replay, but I am not even sure he should have been safe to start with, but I definitely think he left the baseline and should have been deemed out. Unfortunately, umpire Bobby Price didn't see it that way. Price and his crew mate Brian Kennedy have been very inconsistent and relatively awful in the games I've seen them in. That being said, with better pitching or a better throw, there wouldn't have even been a close play to begin with.

Onto other things, Tracy Thorpe is now off the roster and I see a report that he has been waived. Still nothing new on Jorge Velandia's situation, and with Russ Adams sounding as if he has a minor injury, Syracuse is very undermanned (proven tonight with Eric Neilsen playing first and Thigpen at second after Syracuse had to use their one available bench player as a pinch hitter). Come on Toronto, using players out of the positions that you wanted them to play in the first place won't exactly help you in the long run. So no matter how you feel about Syracuse, it'd probably be best to actually give them a full roster!

Syracuse and Rochester finish up their series Tuesday at 11am.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Coopers"drown" and Thrope

Unfortunately, the weather reports were correct for Sunday. Even before the 2pm scheduled start of the Rochester/Syracuse game in Cooperstown, the rain was pouring. In a normal situation, I don't think the players would have taken the field, but I think officials were willing to try to at least get something played for the fans who had travelled so far. It didn't last long as the game didn't even finish two whole innings before being suspended until Monday. That game will continue in Syracuse at 5pm, followed by a 7 inning game to complete the doubleheader. I don't envy the players, as they will also have to wake up early the next day, to play the 11am game.

As for the experience, I think the ball park was fun due to its nostalgia. There are no concession stands within the stadium but there are people walking around selling hot dogs, soda, etc. The dimensions are hitter friendly, with the nearest part of the left field wall (which is made of wood) only being 296 feet away. The dimensions and the lack of stadium lights makes it tough to consistently play legit games (such as Sunday's), but it's main use has been the annual Hall of Fame game. The Hall of Fame game is an exhibition played in June between two major league teams (usually the majority of the game is played by Single-A players, however) Unfortunately, it was announced that this season's game will be the last played. Anyone interested in reading about the fight to keep the game alive can visit http://www.savethefamegame.com/

In other quick news, I'm not sure of the status involving Russ Adams, as he was not played again on Sunday. I didn't happen to see him, but to be honest I didn't really pay that much attention to the bench.

Also, Tracy Thrope cleared waivers and has been added to the Chiefs roster.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Chiefs Walk Off Against Rochester

After the rain finally subsided Saturday at Alliance Bank Stadium, fans were treated to a great game between the Rochester Red Wings and the Syracuse Chiefs. It also marked the return of Sergio Santos to face his former team. He didn't wait long to make an impact. In the second inning, he doubled on his first at bat against his former teammates and later scored. That run turned out to be the only Rochester run scored during the scheduled 9 innings. Syracuse starter Kane Davis went six innings, with Brandon League pitching the next three. Rochester's pitching matched the great effort by Davis and League, as starter Danny Graves only allowed one run to score in his four innings. That run occurred on a Chip Cannon single, which brought home Buck Coats from third. Mariano Gomez and Julio DePaula relieved Graves, throwing a combined 3 2/3 innings of perfect ball.

With a 1-1 score, the game went into extra innings, where the Red Wings would strike. Newly recalled reliever, Mike Gallo made his home debut for the Chiefs to start the 10th. He would want to forget this home debut, as he hit his first batter, then allowed a single to put runners on 1st and 3rd. That's when Red Wings catcher Jose Morales gapped a double. The ball was fielded by center fielder Coats who relayed to second baseman Marcos Cabral who threw a perfect strike to catcher Erik Kratz, gunning out the runner (Garrett Jones) at home. With Morales advancing to third on the throw, Jordan DeJong (W, 2-1) came in to relieve Gallo and was able to pitch Syracuse out of the jam, leaving the Chiefs only down a run.

In the bottom of the tenth, Tim Lahey (L, 1-3) continued to pitch for the Red Wings. After retiring Chip Cannon, Lahey allowed Kratz to single. After Eric Nielsen was brought in to run for Kratz, Cabral hit a shot that squirted by Garrett Jones at first, putting runners at the corners with one out. Rochester brought in Carmen Cali to face Wayne Lydon. Lydon won the battle, hitting a beautiful line drive into the gap, which was fielded on a slide by left fielder, Tommy Watkins. Watkins tried to get the ball in quickly, but it was not quick enough as Cabral slid head first into home, beating the relay throw by about 2 seconds, giving Syracuse a 3-2 victory.



That was one of those fun games that definitely makes you happy that you sat through the cold and the rain.

I often wonder what the official scorer at ABS is thinking at times. Garrett Jones was given two errors Saturday night, and I don't think he deserved either of them. The first was on a hit by Wayne Lydon. The pitcher was running to cover first, as Jones fielded the ball, and the ball was throw a bit behind the pitcher. However, Lydon looked to have easily beaten the pitcher to the bag, so regardless, it should have been a hit. The second was the grounder by Cabral in the tenth. Jones dove for the ball and it nicked his glove. I don't think it was an "easy" play to make and it was hit hard enough that I think the single should have been given.

It was weird seeing Santos in a Red Wings uniform, and he almost made Syracuse pay. Early in the game, I said that I figured Santos would finally hit a homer since he was playing the Chiefs. He had the great power in New Hampshire last year, which disappeared when he came to Syracuse, so you just had to think it would happen just to spite us. So, needless to say, it was a very uncomfortable view to watch Santos' long fly ball just turn foul, as he crushed it. I mean, this thing slam was probably only a foot foul. But luckily for Syracuse, it did go foul.

As much as I am happy with the win, I am baffled by Syracuse keeping Cabral in to hit in the 10th. Russ Adams was presumably available, and I would think he is a better option than someone who has hit below .200 overall in the minors this year. But I guess that is why we play the game, and I am happy that it worked out.

It must be that roster spot, since he is replacing Bubba Nelson for the time being, but Mike Gallo looked awful. It felt like Nelson's debut (10th inning against Louisville, he got shelled). The positive is that he was taken out before things got disastrous, which could also help Gallo since he won't have a big loss to think about.

Three Stars:

#3 Jose Morales (ROC) - Morales went 3-5, while coming up huge with the gap shot to give Rochester the lead in the 10th. He also was heads up in taking third base on the throw home. It took perfect relay throws to hold Morales to 1 RBI and clutch pitching to keep him from scoring in the 10th.

#2 Jordan De Jong (SYR) - De Jong came in with an inherited runner on 3rd and only one out in the 10th. With his team already down by one, De Jong was able to get Santos to pop out and Watkins to ground out to end the inning without any more damage. If Rochester gets up by two or more runs, the comeback in the bottom of the inning is much tougher and probably doesn't happen.

#1 Wayne Lydon (SYR) - Lydon has not been the best pressure hitter for Syracuse in his time here. In fact, he has had a fair amount of times where he could help tie a game or win a game in the late innings and has struck out. That being said, there is something about the 2008 version of Lydon that makes you forget about those games. He seems to have a bit of confidence and is getting the ball in play a lot more often. His amazing hit into the gap is enough to give him the star of the game, and if Wayne can keep up the way he has been playing, I am sure there will be many more.


Pending weather, Syracuse and Rochester battle at 2pm in Cooperstown. If the game is rained out, refunds are available. Props given to a good rain check policy for this game.

Marcos Cabral To Syracuse From Dunedin

A week after my prediction, it comes true. Toronto finally decides to send Syracuse infield help, and it happens to be a Dunedin player who is not an everyday player. Marcos Cabral is listed as a 3rd baseman, and comes to Syracuse after playing 10 games in New Hampshire and 12 games in Dunedin. Cabral started the season with New Hampshire, but was demoted to Single-A after batting .143 for the Fisher Cats. With Dunedin, he has hit .220

Yep, this sure sounds like a guy deserving to be in Triple-A. I guess that's always been the issue with Toronto. Most promotions to Syracuse seem to be undeserving. How can you justify to a guy on New Hampshire that Cabral gets to spend time in Triple-A when he was already demoted from Double-A? It's not like it's a logistical move, since New Hampshire is much closer to Syracuse than Florida. I figured we'd get Al Quintana for his yearly jump from Dunedin to Syracuse, but I guess they didn't want to spoil him.

Syracuse plays tonight against Rochester, weather pending

Roster Moves: Syracuse with 2 Infielders?

In a day of roster shuffling, confusion sets in for anyone who has watched the Syracuse lineup. It started with David Purcey being sent to Toronto for a spot start. What this did was make it necessary to open up a spot on the active roster. This was done by optioning Jorge Velandia to Syracuse. This is where it becomes interesting, as Velandia has a 3 day period to decide whether to join Syracuse or become a free agent. I, obviously, do not know if a decision has been made, but he is not on the Syracuse roster at the moment. David Purcey is already on the Syracuse roster. Since he was just a spot start, there was no reason for Toronto to keep him, so they decided to take Hector Luna. Another problem is that Luna is not on the 40 man roster, which means they will need to make room for him. I'll be the first to admit that the roster rules are a bit complex at times, so I could be wrong in some of my assumptions. What I do know is that as of right now, I only see 21 active players on the Syracuse roster. Would Velandia be allowed to join before Saturday's game? I don't know. What I do know is New Hampshire has 24 active players and Dunedin has 25 active players, as per their rosters. How can your Triple-A team, be held from 21-23 active for over a week? Of course, I would have also recalled Bill Murphy for a spot start, than using Purcey twice, when he spent the whole year in Double-A last year, but I guess since Jesse Litsch did so well, they assume everyone will adapt as quickly as him..... (this is not a slam at Purcey, but I just think you should let him develop more in Triple-A)

Unfortunately, this is nothing new. At some point, though, I would have hoped that Toronto put aside whatever issues they have with Syracuse and actually did what was best to help the club, which shockingly would help Toronto in the long run, too. I'll give the Chiefs a lot of credit, though. Even without a full staff, they keep finding ways to win. They have the best road record in the league (14-7), which has to make you wonder why they are only a game over .500 at home (11-10). But I guess that's something we could speculate about in another column.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Cooperstown Classic

So I was sitting here, and I decided to look at the forecast for Sunday in Cooperstown. It looks like a rainy day, which got me thinking. I wonder if there is a rainout policy for everyone who purchased their tickets and packages. I have to think that the bus ride and such would not be refunded (for those who went that route with their package selections). I will say this...I would hope a money refund would be allotted for the tickets, instead of a raincheck to be used in Syracuse or Rochester. But as I said, I have no clue..but in the event I find out, I will let my loyal readers know.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

OT: Binghamton Mets

Tuesday, I had the privledge to take a trip down to Binghamton to take in the Double-A Eastern League game between the Binghamton Mets and New Britain (Minnesota's affiliate). I have to say, the couple times I have been there, it has been a great experience.

The biggest thing of note is that it was nice being able to watch a scoreboard that was used well and very clear. Pretty much all action, in-game and between innings, it was used. This is a big difference from Syracuse, as we all know that the scoreboard is the biggest downfall at Alliance Bank Stadium.

The promotions were a lot more fan friendly, too. It felt like a lot more was being done to increase the fan experience. It was also buy one get one day on all beverages, including beer. Unlike Auburn's Dollar Thursdays, this didn't have too much of a bar atmosphere for the decent discount on alcohol there was.

The fan friendly experience also goes out into the parking lot, which thankfully I didn't have to use. This is the fact that if there is a rainout, not only do you get the normal ticket raincheck, you also get a PARKING RAINCHECK. I mean, when I read that on the back of my parking stub, I was amazed. We all know how often we lose that $3 at ABS thanks to a rainout and the lack of a policy like that in Syracuse.

Overall, I suggest to anyone who loves having a good time at a game, to head out to NYSEG Stadium in Binghamton for a B-Mets game. It's a great stadium, very well ran in what seems like all facets, and a great value for your money.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Sergio Santos Claimed by Minnesota Twins

According to the International League transaction log, Sergio Santos was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins. This leads to an interesting situation, as Toronto hasn't been too helpful at giving Syracuse infielders, but now they should pretty much be stuck sending someone up. I'm pretty surprised, but the one thing that keeps Santos getting offers is the potential power he shows for an infielder.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Thorpe Designated for Assignment

Somehow I missed the fact that Tracy Thorpe was not on the Chiefs roster. At least the next pitcher to get injured will cause Machi to most likely be designated (not a Chiefs player), since that's about all that's left on the 40 man.

I wonder where our "help" is from New Hampshire... Going by the amazing decisions of Dick Scott and JP Riccardi, Syracuse may get to 23 players within a week....please note my sarcasm. Expect a little utilized Dunedin infielder (Al Quintana a likely candidate) to join Syracuse within the next day or 2. Sadly, that's a serious prediction by me.

Wow...Simply Wow.

After pitching an inning at Durham last night, Toronto has called up pitcher Armando Benitez. But that's the least of Syracuse's worries. Joe Inglett was AGAIN recalled by Toronto. This leaves Syracuse with THREE infielders. Expect Curtis Thigpen to play an infield position for today's game, as he did last night. At its current state, Syracuse is now three players below the 25 man roster maximum.

Inglett was recalled due to outfielder Vernon Wells' injury. He is expected to miss 6-8 weeks with a broken wrist. The injury occurred when diving for a fly ball.

As for Benitez, his contract was purchased to replace Jeremy Accardo, who joins a crowded DL with a strained forearm. Benitez's recall could cut Syracuse's roster even more, as someone has to be designated for assignment to allow for him to be on the 40 man roster. My guess would be that either Jean Machi from Double-A or Syracuse's Tracy Thorpe will be designated.

Friday, May 9, 2008

More Roster Moves!

Two minutes after I submitted my last blog, I see more changes to the Syracuse roster, as per the Chiefs website.

Former All Star reliever, Armando Benitez is now listed on the active roster for Syracuse. After starting the year in Single-A Dunedin, he did not pitch for about a month until May 5th. He made seven appearances in Dunedin, having an ERA of 3.86, only giving up runs in one appearance. Also rejoining the club is outfielder Eric Nielsen.

About my previous blog, with the acquiring of two outfielders, we may see Adam Lind in Syracuse longer than expected. This could be a good thing for all parties involved, as Toronto can develop Lind longer in Triple-A (their original plan for this year) and Syracuse can gain from his hot bat.

Inglett Optioned to Syracuse

Joe Inglett has been optioned back to Syracuse by the Toronto Blue Jays. This happens after the Blue Jays signed free agent outfielder Brad Wilkerson along with acquiring Kevin Mench from Texas for cash considerations. Due to this, Sergio Santos has been designated for assignment, as well as Gustavo Chacin. These moves were needed to make room for Mench and Wilkerson on the 40 man roster.

I don't see much of a problem with Santos clearing waivers and returning to Syracuse, while I wonder if someone will take a shot on Chacin.

Syracuse takes on Durham tonight, starting an eight game North Carolina road trip before returning home next Saturday to face Rochester.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

McDonald/Eckstein both on DL, Inglett Recalled..Maybe More

In a worst case scenario for both Toronto and Syracuse, infielders John McDonald and David Eckstein have both been placed on the 15-day DL. Eckstein reportedly has a strained hip flexor, while McDonald has a reported ankle injury. Filling one of the empty roster spots is infielder Joe Inglett. According to the Blue Jays website, GM J.P. Riccardi is looking for a righthanded batter to fill the other spot. He did not tip his hat as to whether the move will be done from the farm or by picking up a free agent/player on waivers, only saying that a trade would not be made.

I would think that the only viable option from Syracuse would be Hector Luna. He is a righty who has been hitting decently this year, but not overly amazing. The only problem with this or picking up a player is that I believe someone would have to be dropped from the 40 man roster, which logically would point to Sergio Santos or Tracy Thorpe. Santos would also be an option to recall since he is already on the 40 man roster, but his play has been anything but Major League worthy.

I'll keep this updated when I hear about the news on Friday. .

As for Thursday night's game...ouch. Romero's first bad outing of an otherwise good season so far. Not much to really say besides that.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Velandia to Toronto, Lind to Syracuse

A quick return to the blog world, to mention that Jorge Velandia was sent to Toronto due to injuries in the infield. For the time being, Adam Lind was sent back to Syracuse to provide the roster spot for Velandia. This probably won't last long, as John McDonald (the more seriously injured infielder) will either go on the DL or return, if healthy enough.