A Loss For The Ages

I grew up listening to Hank Greenwald, the radio broadcaster for the San Francisco Giants. He used to have a saying that went something like this: “Every day that you go to the ballpark, you’ll see something new.”

Yesterday in Oklahoma City, I saw something I have never seen before. Unfortunately, it went against the Tacoma Rainiers.

Tacoma led 6-0 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, there was nobody on base, and the Rainiers lost the game.

It was the biggest ninth-inning comeback I’ve ever seen. Toss in the two outs, nobody-on-base factor and… it boggles the mind.

Four straight Oklahoma City hitters had two strikes, and three of them were behind in the count, 0-2, before reaching base. Jonathan Villar – the skinny shortstop who bats leadoff for them – hit a game-tying grand slam to dead center field.

Once the RedHawks scored six with two outs in the ninth, you just knew they were going to win the game. And win it they did, in the tenth inning on a Tacoma throwing error. Of course, that error came with two outs on a ball that should have ended the inning.

It was a weird, weird, weird day at the ballpark. Actually, it was perfectly normal for the first 53 outs. Then it got weird.

For all of the details and quotes from both managers, check the first link down below.

I’m very curious to see how the team bounces back. I think that they are going to be fine – it wasn’t as bad in the locker room as I thought it might be; I think the guys are going to shake this one off as a fluke and move along.

Tonight’s game is at 5:05 (Pacific), and the broadcast will be on South Sound Sports 850 AM and streaming online right here. Tacoma starts RHP Blake Beavan (0-1, 9.00) against Oklahoma City RHP Asher “Half An Alphabet” Wojciechowski (0-0, 2.25).

Links:

• All of the dirty details from yesterday’s game are in the Rainiers game story in The News Tribune.
• The Daily Oklahoman has a story about Mike Zunino and the fast track.
• The Mariners earned a split in Pittsburgh as Felix Hernandez continued his streak of dominance.
• Michael Saunders is playing well for the Mariners.
• In the PCL, former Rainiers lefty Ryan Feierabend earned the win as Round Rock won in Las Vegas, 9-5.
• Things got weird in the Springs yesterday. It was Math Day, they had a big crowd, but a four-hour rain delay before the first pitch was a real bummer. Then scheduled starting pitcher Aaron Cook disappeared. The Sky Sox lost to Iowa, 8-6.
• Chris Owings had a nice game as Reno defeated Omaha, 7-5.
• New Orleans Zephyrs infielder Matt Downs has changed his name to Popcorn Downs. Not legally (yet). The Zephyrs beat Salt Lake, 3-2.
• Oscar Taveras had two hits and two RBI to help Memphis to a 6-2 win over Sacramento.
• Nashville topped Fresno, 5-2. The Sounds are now 9-22 on the year.
• Tucson reliever Jorge Reyes is opening eyes after a move to the bullpen.

Let’s see if the Rainiers can turn this thing around tonight!

Morning Baseball Today

The Rainiers dropped the opener in Oklahoma City on Tuesday night, 6-1. The team looked a little flat after the most grueling travel day of the season (so far).

Now it’s time for some morning baseball!

Oklahoma City decided to schedule an early game today, one day after both teams had a lengthy travel day. First pitch is set for 9:05 AM (Pacific).

Tacoma starts LHP James Paxton (2-2, 5.19) against Oklahoma City RHP Brad Peacock (first AAA appearance of the year).

The broadcast airs on South Sound Sports 850 AM and streams online right here.

For details on last night’s Rainiers game, please read the game story from The News Tribune.

Sorry, that’s all I can do today, due to the travel, the early start, and the sleep deprivation. As I wrote yesterday, this should be an “illegal” day game, out of courtesy to the players. Ah, the PCL life!

A proper blog post is coming Thursday, I promise.

Rainiers Take Hot Streak On The Road

Tacoma topped Reno on Monday afternoon, 7-4, to complete a highly successful homestand. The Rainiers went 7-1 against Tucson and Reno, moved into first place in the Pac-North, and established themselves as the first team in the PCL to go ten games over the .500 mark.

Andrew Carraway earned the win, going seven innings and allowing three runs. It was Carraway’s fourth straight victory.

The score was tied, 3-3, in the bottom of the seventh when Corey Patterson blasted a two-run homer in his Tacoma Rainiers debut. Corey Patterson? Yeah, you see…

Roster Move

Prior to yesterday’s game, Tacoma added outfielder Corey Patterson to the roster. He was signed to a minor league deal about a week ago, and had been working out in Peoria, AZ. Patterson is a long-time major leaguer; last year he spent the entire season with Nashville. It was the first time the 33-year-old didn’t appear in the majors since 2001.

To make room on the roster, reliever Tyler Burgoon was transferred back to Double-A Jackson.

The Trip

This is an eight-game road trip to two American Conference cities. The first four games are in Oklahoma City, and the next four are in New Orleans. Tacoma has not visited either city since the 2011 season.

The Rainiers next home game is on Thursday, May 16.

Oklahoma City RedHawks Preview

The RedHawks have one of the best records in the American Conference, entering play today at 18-12. The recently had a seven-game win streak, but it ended during a weekend series in Iowa that saw them drop two of the three games.

Oklhoma City is the Houston Astros top farm club. As you know, the Astros are terrible (when they are not playing the Mariners). They have made multiple roster moves to try to make their big league club better, including some today (they called up Jimmy Paredes and Trevor Crowe, and sent Brandon Laird back to Oklahoma City).

The fact that the Astros are so bad has a grand effect on the Triple-A team: the players in Oklahoma City are super-hungry. Opportunity to get promoted to the majors exists every day with the Astros struggling like this. Players are quite literally a hot streak away from a big league call-up.

The RedHawks have a team batting average of .296, but much of that offense has been promoted to Houston. Still, they have a few quality hitters – notably Laird, who is a very tough out in Triple-A. Infielder Jake Elmore was outstanding for Reno last year, and shortstop prospect Jonathan Villar is hitting over .300. Outfielder Marc Krauss is batting .297 with 6 home runs and 25 RBI, he’s been the top run-producer.

The top prospects are starting pitchers: Jarred Cosart – who starts tonight – has a power arm and good results so far. Thursday starter Asher Wojciechowski is coming off a real strong Triple-A debut, and the Rainiers will face former Sacramento River Cat Brad Peacock on Wednesday morning.

There are no former Rainiers on the Oklahoma City roster.

There is a familiar face managing the club: longtime Sacramento skipper Tony DeFrancesco is back at the helm of the RedHawks.

Tonight’s Game

Tonight’s game is at 5:05 at Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. Tacoma starts RHP Jeremy Bonderman (2-2, 3.57) against Oklahoma City RHP Jarred Cosart (3-0, 2.63). It’s an interesting match-up: Bonderman just won the PCL Pitcher of the Week award, while Coasrt is considered to be one of Houston’s top prospects. The broadcast airs on South Sound Sports 850 AM and streams online right here.

Links:

• John McGrath enjoys day games at Cheney Stadium – he wrote the Rainiers game story for The News Tribune.
• The Mariners top two starting pitchers are dealing, Ryan Divish writes.
• Larry Stone has a little bit on red-hot Class-A outfielder Jabari Henry.
• Rainiers starter Jeremy Bonderman got some speculative “ink” in Buster Olney’s ESPN Insider column today ($).
• Brett Pill and Fresno knocked the Sky Sox 2.5 games behind Tacoma with a 7-5 win yesterday.
• A rain out? In Sacramento? No way. Actually, way.
• Tucson whacked Salt Lake, 6-1.
• New Orleans blew a big lead but won in extra innings at Albuquerque.
• Nashville ended a nine-game losing streak and beat Round Rock, 9-5.
• Matt Garza had a strong rehab outing for the Iowa Cubs yesterday.
• Omaha had to race to the airport after losing to Memphis in the 12th inning.

The street in front of our hotel is closed to traffic due to the Oklahoma City Thunder playoff game tonight. Think anyone here will go to the baseball game? I’m projecting a tiny crowd.

Rainiers Back On Track

Immediately after seeing their ten-game win streak come to a halt, the Rainiers bounced back for a 6-5 win over the Reno Aces on Sunday afternoon.

Tacoma jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning against Diamondbacks top prospect Tyler Skaggs. After back-to-back walks with one out, Alex Liddi doubled in a run, and Mike Zunino followed with a two-run double.

The game went back-and-forth for a few innings, with Reno taking a 5-4 lead in the top of the fourth.

Carlos Peguero tripled in the bottom of the fourth, scoring the tying run on Scott Savastano‘s ground ball. In the fifth, Carlos Triunfel tripled and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Stefen Romero.

Starter Jimmy Gillheeney left after six innings with a 6-5 lead, and Tacoma’s bullpen was instrumental in the victory. Jhonny Nunez, Bobby LaFromboise, and Danny Farquhar worked through the last three innings without any drama, nailing down the victory.

Tacoma has won 11 of the last 12 games, and the Rainiers are 6-1 on this homestand with one game left.

The big challenge today: win the series against Reno. A victory today will do it. Tacoma has only won one four-game series against the Aces, who have been in the league since 2009. In 16 all-time series between the two teams, Reno has won nine (with five sweeps), there have been six splits, and Tacoma has won one. Time to double that last total!

Today’s game is at 11:35 AM, and Tacoma starts RHP Andrew Carraway (3-1, 3.38) against Reno RHP Randall Delgado (0-3, 9.62). The broadcast wil be live on 850 AM and streaming online right here. Pacific Northwest broadcasting legend Bob Robertson will join me in the booth and call the middle innings.

Links:

• We start with the Rainiers game story from The News Tribune. In the story, Dave Boling notes that Jimmy Gillheeney was college baseball teammates with Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
• The TNT has a story on Stefen Romero. This is a well-done feature.
• The Mariners were unable to pull off a sweep in Toronto, but a series win on the road is always a good thing.
• In the PCL, there were a bunch of unusual plays in Tucson’s 6-1 victory at Salt Lake City.
• Colorado Springs beat Fresno 9-6 to stay 1.5 games behind Tacoma. Fresno had some shoddy infield play.
• Zack Wheeler delivered six shutout innings and Las Vegas defeated Sacramento, 6-2.
• The weather finally cooperated in Des Moines, and the Iowa Cubs split a doubleheader with Oklahoma City.
• Irving Falu hit two triples and scored both runs in Omaha’s 2-1 ten-inning victory over Memphis.
• “Los Isotopes” were winners over New Orleans, 6-2. In the story, Topes manager Lorenzo Bundy had the quote of the day.

That’s all I have time for this morning – 11:35 AM game! On that note, the blog could get a little out-of-sorts the next few days. Here’s what is on the schedule:

• MON: 11:35 AM game in Tacoma.
• TUE: 3:00 AM wake-up and travel all day to Oklahoma City, go straight to the ballpark for a night game (5:05 Pacific).
• WED: 9:05 AM (Pacific) game in Oklahoma City.

This is our first real stretch of sleep deprivation this PCL season. No question the Rainiers will be playing zombie baseball on Wednesday morning (my opinion: home teams should not be allowed to schedule midweek day games the day after the visiting team travels across two time zones).

I’ll try to write an Oklahoma City RedHawks series preview on Monday night while I’m getting ready for the road trip, but posts on Tuesday and Wednesday will be quite brief. Unless I am stricken with insomnia, the next post with all of the links probably won’t happen until Thursday.

Ten Is The Limit

Apparently the maximum number of consecutive wins allowed by the Washington Department of Fish, Wildlife & Baseball is ten. Tacoma lost it’s bid for 11 straight on Saturday evening, getting silenced by Reno 7-0.

Tacoma has won ten in a row four times since affiliating with the Mariners and becoming the Rainiers in 1995: once each in 2005, 2006, 2008, and now 2013. The Rainiers have not reached 11 in a row (the 1961 Tacoma Giants won a franchise-record 16 in a row).

I thought it might be interesting to see what happened in the streak-ending game each of the four times Tacoma lost it’s bid to win 11 in a row. Let’s take a look.

June 18, 2005: Tacoma had already won the first game of a series in Las Vegas for No. 10. Pitchers like Cha-Seung Baek, Andrew Lorraine, Jeff Harris, and some kid named Felix were dealing during the streak. The run ended with a 6-3 loss to Heath Totten and the Las Vegas 51s. Tacoma was down 4-0 after five, scored three runs in the 6th to make it 4-3, but Vegas scored two big insurance runs off Mike Bumstead and it slipped away, 6-3.

June 29, 2006: Hmmm. This one also ended in Vegas. The Rainiers had won two at Sacramento, swept a five-game home series from a bad Portland team, and then won the first three in Vegas for ten straight. There were a pair of extra-inning games during the streak, longer ones of 11 and 12 innings. The streak ended when friend-of-the-blog and all-around-good-dude Rich Dorman started and got wrecked in Vegas, allowing seven runs in two innings. Delwyn Young homered twice in the Las Vegas 8-5 win. The Las Vegas starter was Joel Hanrahan, who is currently the Red Sox closer and has 100 career saves.

Of note: the 2006 team won four more right after the loss, for a total of 14 wins in 15 games. Something to shoot for?

August 9, 2008: A mediocre Rainiers team suddenly got hot, picking up a getaway-day win in Memphis before sweeping an eight-game home stand against Round Rock and Albuquerque. The team won the first game in Tucson for ten straight, but then fell to the Sidewinders, 7-4. Evan MacLane – a pitcher the Rainiers put a number of beatings on over the years – had Tacoma’s number that day, allowing three earned runs in six innings. Interestingly, Rich Dorman took the loss in this one, too. He gave up a triple to Trent Oeltjen and a two-run homer to Jeff Salazar. Dorman is now a pitching coach in the Mariners system – was he in the Tacoma dugout with the other 15 coaches* last night?

May 4, 2013: The Rainiers simply got shut down by a pitcher who had great command. Charles Brewer of Reno limited the Rainiers to three singles and two walks over eight shutout innings, and Reno picked up an easy 7-0 win. Tacoma had very few hard-hit balls and went down pretty quietly.

Now the team tries to get back in the win column today. Why not start another streak?

Sunday’s game is at 1:35, and Part Two of Throwback Weekend is a tribute to the Tacoma Giants (1960-1965). Tacoma starts LHP Jimmy Gillheeney (1-0, 0.00) against Reno LHP Tyler Skaggs (2-3, 6.15). The broadcast airs on South Sound Sports 850 AM and streaming right here.

It’s an interesting pitching match-up: Gillheeney exceeded all expectations in his Triple-A debut against Tucson, delivering 6.2 shutout innings with nine strikeouts. Skaggs is considered an elite prospect and reportedly has great stuff. Should be fun!

Links:

• We start with the Rainiers game story from The News Tribune, complete with the money quote from manager John Stearns.
• Dustin Ackley hit a grand slam and the Mariners beat the Blue Jays, 8-1. Don’t look now but the M’s are only two games under .500.
• I wrote a Sunday minor league notebook for The News Tribune, on some strange things that have happened in Tacoma recently – and the messed-up schedule the Mariners Double-A team faces down in Jackson, Tennessee.
• Over at The Seattle Times, Larry Stone has an excellent Sunday column on Rainiers infielder Nick Franklin. Stone also has an entertaining MLB notebook, power rankings, and thumbs up-and-down.
• Former Rainiers catcher Guillermo Quiroz is backing up Buster Posey in San Francisco this year. Quiroz inserted himself into Giants-Dodgers rivalry history by hitting a walk-off home run in the 11th inning last night.
• In the PCL, Colorado Springs pulled within 1.5 games of first-place Tacoma with an 8-3 win at Fresno.
• Salt Lake got walloped by Tucson, 9-3 – but at least they raised a bunch of money for the fight against breast cancer. We tip our hats to you, Bees!
• Sacramento out-slugged Las Vegas, 11-7. That game was at pitcher-friendly Raley Field, not Vegas – sometimes you get a slugfest when you least expect it.
• The Reno paper has a feature on slugger Kila Ka’aihue, who now considers himself an older guy and is trying to provide veteran leadership.
• Brian Cavazos-Galvez is on Isotopes billboards around town, and he is called “Mr. Albuquerque” by his teammates – in Double-A Chattanooga. The Topes lost to New Orleans last night, 6-5.
• I enjoyed this “Five Questions” with veteran Salt Lake outfielder Brad Hawpe, who seems like he is embracing life in the PCL.
• Infielder Wilson Valdez loves Albuquerque.
• Brad Mills is now the ace of the Round Rock Express, improving to 4-0 with a win over Nashville last night.
• The games in the Midwest were rained out last night (Oklahoma City at Iowa, and Memphis at Omaha).

It’s another beautiful day for baseball – come on out to the park!

* with this mid-season managerial change, the Mariners have flown seemingly every single member of their player development staff to Tacoma. There are more coaches and executives in the locker room than players right now!

Ten!

The Rainiers won their tenth game in a row on Friday night, 7-6 over Reno in the opening game of a four-game series. The series continues with Throwback Weekend today at 5:00.

Tacoma jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings, as six of the first ten batters of the game had hits (including a leadoff home run from Nate Tenbrink in the first inning).

James Paxton was very impressive through four innings – heck, he was better than that. He retired the first 13 batters he faced, striking out eight of them. He ended up leaving after five innings, with a 5-1 lead.

The Rainiers made it 7-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Scott Savastano and Jesus Sucre each had a pair of RBI singles in the game.

Then things got tough. A couple of runs scored, and then with two on and two outs in the top of the seventh, the Rainiers misplayed a pop fly (due to an apparent communication problem). This led to three runs scoring, and suddenly it was 7-6 and it was nail-biting time.

Reno had the tying runner in scoring position in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. Logan Bawcom, Brian Moran, and Danny Farquhar navigated the trouble and closed it out for the Rainiers.

The misplayed pop fly was exactly the type of thing that the Rainiers have been avoiding during most of this winning streak. The fact that they made that mistake and still won… the fact that three starters (Carlos Peguero, Mike Zunino and Stefen Romero) were on the bench and they still won… the fact that they have a new manager who is feeling his way around and they still won… this is a really good team right now.

This is the second fourth time Tacoma has won ten straight games since the turn of the century (they also did it in 2008). We know that the franchise record is 16 straight, set in 1961. We’re not sure of other streaks between ten and 15 – maybe one of the great teams from the past, like the 1978 Tacoma Yankees or the 1969 Tacoma Cubs, ripped off 12 straight wins or something. We just don’t have the historical records, which is too bad.

Today’s game is at 5:05 PM, and it is the Tacoma Tigers portion of our Throwback Weekend. The first 1,500 fans get a free Tacoma Tigers hat, but they are going to run out quickly so get there early if you want one. The Rainiers will be wearing Tigers throwback jerseys. Tacoma starts RHP Blake Beavan (2013 PCL debut) against Reno RHP Charles Brewer (1-2, 5.06). The broadcast will be on 850 AM and streaming right here.

Links:

• We start with the Rainiers game story from The News Tribune. The story includes quotes from James Paxton and John Stearns.
• Felix Hernandez has historically struggled with Toronto – but not this time. He delivered eight shutout innings in a 4-0 Mariners win last night.
• Daren Brown talked about his new gig as Mariners third base coach, and gives some details about the position.
• Mariners manager Eric Wedge discussed the Daren Brown – John Stearns moves.
• In the PCL, Colorado Springs stunned Fresno in dramatic fashion. Sky Sox starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz has taken a giant step forward.
• Efren Navarro led Salt Lake to an 8-4 win over the reeling Tucson Padres.
• Sacramento’s Bruce Billings and two relievers shut out Las Vegas, 3-0.
• The Albuquerque newspaper said that the 11,000+ fans “had to endure” an ugly game before getting their fireworks show. Hey, at least the Topes won!
• Round Rock beat Nashville in the 12th inning, 5-4. That was long after Express starter Ryan Feierabend – the former Rainiers lefty – had departed the game in his Round Rock debut
• Memphis topped the Storm Chasers, 3-1, on a frigid night in Omaha.
• The Iowa Cubs got snowed out in Des Moines again. The picture on this story is awsome.
• Does the mascot life intrigue you? No? Good. But, if it does, well… here’s a Las Vegas Review-Journal story on the men who portray Las Vegas 51s mascot Cosmo.

It’s another beautiful day for baseball in Tacoma!

New Manager? No Problem!

New Rainiers manager John Stearns had about as easy of a debut as possible yesterday. Tacoma beat Tucson, 8-0, in a no-drama affair that included four home runs and a sterling two-hit shutout performance over eight innings by Jeremy Bonderman.

The victory was Tacoma’s ninth in a row, and it completed the team’s second consecutive four-game series sweep.

Tacoma has not won ten straight games since the 2008 season, when the Rainiers terrorized American Conference foes Round Rock and Albuquerque, sweeping an eight-game homestand (the team book-ended that homestand with a pair of road wins). That streak started on July 29, and it kicked off a 26-8 sprint to the finish line – the Rainiers were 54-56 when it started, and finished the year at 80-64.

One thing seems clear right away about new manager John Stearns: he’s going to bring a lot of energy to the table.

This didn’t reveal itself during the game; it came out during batting practice. Stearns threw to all three groups before the game – 45 minutes of BP pitching; normally three coaches each throw one 15-minute round. All the while he was shouting encouragement to the hitters, on nearly every pitch. It got to a point where if he didn’t yell something on a particular swing, you noticed the silence.

Tacoma players all know Stearns from spring training camp, and they have all hit against him in BP – this was nothing out of the ordinary for them.

There was one funny moment where he was pitching to one of his starters and calling him by his last name, and when the batter finished his round and started around the bases, Stearns looked to a Mariners Assistant GM behind the cage and said, quietly, “what’s his first name?” The Assistant said, “His name is —, and we’ll get you a roster!”

When it’s 8-0, with four homers and a two-hit shutout, no roster is needed.

Reno Series Preview

The Aces come stumbling into Tacoma ten games under .500 with a 9-19 record – a rare sight, indeed, for a Brett Butler-managed team. Reno is the defending PCL and Triple-A Baseball champion, so this is a bit of a surprise.

The Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate managed to avoid being swept at home by Las Vegas, salvaging the final game of the series last night 5-1 behind the pitching of Triple-A rookie Zeke Spruill. Still, the Aces took six losses during an eight-game homestand against Vegas and Fresno.

Reno has struggled at Aces Ballpark. They are 4-12 at home, and 5-7 on the road. Offensively, they haven’t been lighting up the scoreboard like they need to in order to win at Reno (Aces Ballpark is the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the league).

Still, the Aces are a threat. In typical Brett Butler fashion, this team will steal bases until you have no bases left for them to steal – if you let them. They have 35 steals and have only been caught seven times this year, for a remarkable 83.3% success rate as a team.

Outfielder Tony Campana is the primary thief. The former Cub has already stolen home plate – on a straight steal – and he has stolen second, third, and home on the same trip around the bases. He is a threat to go at any time – I can only imagine that Campana enjoys playing for Butler, who will encourage him to use his speed all of the time.

Triple-A slugger Kila Ka’aihue has patience and power – he can change the game with one swing, and if pitchers try to nibble around the corners he’ll take a walk down to first base. Veteran outfielder Brad Snyder (.293-4-24), infielder Chris Owings (.349-2-17), and catcher Ed Easley (.373-2-10) have been the Aces other top offensive performers.

Pitching-wise, Reno’s team ERA of 6.25 is last in the PCL with an (upside-down) bullet. Their staff just hasn’t been very good so far this year, and of course the home ballpark isn’t helping matters at all.

Reno is pulling an ace out of its sleeve for this series: major league center fielder Adam Eaton is starting a rehabilitation assignment tonight in Tacoma. Eaton was slated to be the Diamondbacks center fielder and leadoff hitter this season, but he sprained his left elbow during spring training and has been out all season. Eaton won the PCL Most Valuable Player award last year – hopefully he’ll be a little rusty as he begins his rehab.

Prospect watchers: keep an eye on Eaton and third baseman Matt Davidson. Top pitching prospect Tyler Skaggs is scheduled to start Sunday’s game.

The Reno Aces have no former Rainiers on the team. Pitching coach Mike Parrott is a former Mariner.

Tonight’s game is at 7:05, and it’s Friday Night Fireworks. Tacoma starts LHP James Paxton (1-2, 6.00) against Reno RHP Chase Anderson (1-3, 6.26). The broadcast is on 850 AM and streaming online through this link. Also, you can get it on your mobile device through TuneIn.

Links:

• The Rainiers game story from The News Tribune leads things off. A correction: the Tacoma record winning streak is 16, set in 1961. We’re not even close yet.
• On his Minor League Report, Ryan Divish includes a video shot of Carlos Triunfel‘s three-run homer.
• John McGrath has a column on baseball lifers Daren Brown and new manager John Stearns. Stearns has an interesting background.
• Larry Stone also wrote about the manager change, with lots of quotes from Stearns.
• Tacoma hitting coach Howard Johnson will miss the Reno series, to attend his daughter’s college graduation. It’s probably for the best, since we are going to play his unfortunate “Get Metsmorized” rap on the big screen for Thowback Weekend.
• No Mariners made Baseball America’s weekly Prospect Hot Sheet – but hey, at least they avoided the Not-So-Hot Sheet.
• In the PCL, here is the story on Reno’s victory over Las Vegas last night. The Aces are adding a new front office executive.
• Salt Lake defeated Colorado Springs, 2-1, on a game-ending sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth.
• Fresno waxed Sacramento and earned a series split.
• Oklahoma City is nearly as hot as Tacoma – the RedHawks won their seventh in a row yesterday, crushing Nashville, 9-1. The Rainiers visit OKC on Tuesday – wouldn’t it be cool if both team’s streaks were still going?
• Everybody in Albuquerque has a book coming out this season (Traub’s seems interesting to me – I’ll pick that one up when we go down there in August). Meanwhile, Oscar Taveras went off and Memphis beat the ‘Topes last night.
• Omaha shut out New Orleans, 1-0.
• Even in Iowa they are surprised to have a game snowed out on May 2nd.

 

Last chance to get that ticket deal for Throwback Weekend – check it right here!