Minor League Reporting

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This is the thread where you put links to daily coverage of minor league teams.

and though they haven't started their season yet, Lowell Spinners- Red Sox A.

― otto midnight (otto midnight), Thursday, 15 April 2004 13:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Indianapolis Indians is a great minor league team to go see. Victory Field where they play is one of the best ball parks I have ever seen a game. Beyond that, in the great tradition of the Indy 500, if you have a seat in the outfield grass, you can bring in your own cooler full of food and beer for a picnic.

http://www.indyindians.com/

Back in the early/mid 80s when I was a kid and they played at old Bush Stadium, which is now a sprint car track (no kidding), I saw a bunch of future pro greats play for the Indians including Randy Johnson, Marquis Grissom, Andres Galarraga and Indianapolis' favorite Razor Shines.

― earlnash, Thursday, 15 April 2004 14:28 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

http://www.newarkbears.com/main.html

That is, the RICKEY HENDERSON Newark Bears once again!! Woo hoo!!! Season opens Thursday...

http://www.newarkbears.com/cgi-bin/dist/news.cgi?id=1

A little closer to my actual domicile, albeit in the pre-season news mostly due to their never-got-to-manage ex-manager's "flashing" difficulties (they don't start til June, but tix will be scarce by then):

http://www.brooklyncyclones.com/

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 3 May 2004 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

Went to the Newark Bears game with a fellow Rickey Henderson fan on Saturday night (and didn't even know hstencil was in the house -- and it was a small crowd, too) and it was mighty entertaining for a 8-0 home victory. There was a pre-game tribute to former Newark Eagle / Indian / HOFer Larry Doby, and the Bear pitcher Brent Billingsley (whose cup o' coffee was 8 games with the '99 Marlins) had a no-hitter before losing it on the first pitch of the 9th:

http://www.newarkbears.com/cgi-bin/dist/news.cgi?id=2

Also in the Newark lineup: ex-Giant and Met OF Chris Jones, Willie Randolph's son Andre (also a 2B), and Grand Old #24, who scored 2 runs, and on a 3-0 count prompted me to yell "You still got an eye even if you're 57 years old!" Prompting a flyout on the next pitch.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 9 August 2004 14:00 (twenty-one years ago)

that pitcher was mighty fun to watch - I think that's the closest-to-no-no I've ever attended. Shame about that 9th inning lead-off single.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 9 August 2004 15:38 (twenty-one years ago)

...and on a 3-0 count prompted me to yell "You still got an eye even if you're 57 years old!" Prompting a flyout on the next pitch.

oh yeah I was joking to my friends who went to the game that yelling "Good eye, Rickey, good eye!" would be just way too tarded.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 9 August 2004 15:39 (twenty-one years ago)

There was a woman sitting next to us yelling to every Newark batter using their uniform number, eg, "Come on, THREE-EIGHT!" Not thirty-eight, or the guy's name off the scoreboard. And incredibly, she was barking "TWO-FOUR" at Rickey. If the Babe's cadaver had grabbed a bat, it would've been "LET'S GO, THREE!" She left in the 7th, no doubt without knowing there was a no-hitter in progress...

Nice to see Bill Madlock coaching at third (as Class A managers are apt to do).

h, did you know the visiting team is known as the Pennsylvania Road Warriors... because THEY HAVE NO HOME FIELD! See Expos, it can always get worse.

I wish Randall Simon had been nearby for the Hot Dog Race.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 9 August 2004 15:52 (twenty-one years ago)

this is common in the parlance of "chatter".

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 9 August 2004 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, that was why my ladyfriend was cheering for the hapless Road Warriors. I gotta say, plunking a dude twice your age is classless.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 9 August 2004 16:19 (twenty-one years ago)

are you talking about pedro and zimmer?

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 9 August 2004 16:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Naw, Rickey got HBP from some kid pitcher.
It's fine to grab a charging oldster by the head, if he looks like Darth Vader with his helmet off. (In Zimmer's new book he admits he was in the wrong in that confrontation.)

"Chatter" is one thing if you're on the bench. In the stands, you can use the home team's names.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 9 August 2004 16:28 (twenty-one years ago)

seven months pass...

Me and the missus are going to the US in May and have plans to go and watch the New Britain Rock Cats (AA) vs the Portland Sea Dogs, as mentioned in the first post above. As a Britisher, I get to see the occasional MLB game late at night, but I don't know much about the minor league scene.

So, basically, what can I expect? What are the pluses and minuses of minor league baseball? Is this a really dumb idea?

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 14:10 (twenty years ago)

No, this is a tremendously good idea. I greatly prefer going to minor league games; it's cheaper, the fans are more interesting, the play on the field is usually pretty good (even at the A level, the pitcher-batter matchup retains its tension), you're much closer to the field/players/action, and the food and beer are way better and cheaper.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 14:18 (twenty years ago)

I'm sad because I moved from Brooklyn and can no longer take cheap public transportation to any minor league games -- now I'm gonna have to drive 45 minutes from Boston to Lowell. Which isn't too terrible, I guess.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 14:19 (twenty years ago)

Mark,

Go rent the movie called "Bull Durham" starring Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and Kevin Costner which is set in minor league baseball. It's probably a pretty good background and introduction to that level of play.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 17:00 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

Brooklyn Cyclones tix on sale next Sunday at Coney, online Monday. On the promo sched, the '55 Dodgers night (July 23), Park Slope night (July 5) or Stengel's birthday (July 30) particularly appeal:

http://brooklyncyclones.com/tickets/promo/

And fireworksmost Fridays. For Warner Fusselle Bobblehead Night, you're on your own.

hstencil and I were contemplating the horror of Billyburg Night at the Black Dice show Saturday. Trucker hats and indie glasses for all!

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:53 (twenty years ago)

Warner's getting a bobblehead? Hot damn. This season's going to be great.

― scrimshaw (scrimshaw1837), Monday, 25 April 2005 23:33 (twenty years ago)

Pending a call back from my buddy in Memphisto, I may go see the Redbirds Thursday night.

― Curious George (1/6 Scale Model) (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:31 (twenty years ago)

Am I crazy for thinking that the Cyclones fancy-ass park is too much for the minors? It looks too much like the homogenized and overly-sponsored outing that a major league game has begun.

I know they gotta make money, but I'd rather see a team play in something like the old Durham stadium than a mini-retro stadium.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 02:02 (twenty years ago)

You're crazy. Not only is KeySpan easy on the eyes, it has led the Penn League in attendance for the past few years and that may be partially responsible for some of the better things going on in Coney Island (didn't that skeletal parachute drop thing over past right field reopen recently?) Does that qualify for some sort of economic regeneration?

I'd agree with you in any other town, but there's a whole lot of room between Yankee stadium and a sandlot in the nyc area for a pretty swank minor league stad.

Aren't there some of those Durham-like joints in the hinterlands of NJ? I'm sure I'll be anxious for a bit of ol' timey stuff after shuffling around Staten and Coney Islands a few times. Anyone got the dope on those?

Speaking of the minors, this has me wishing I worked for a paper operating in the 21st century:

http://www.nj.com/weblogs/minors/

― scrimshaw (scrimshaw1837), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 03:50 (twenty years ago)

yeah, I shouldn't have said it about that one in particular (which is nice looking, as the new parks go), I'm thinking more of the Rangers' Double-A franchise and a couple of other new ones that have opened up in suburbia USA.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 04:13 (twenty years ago)

"overly-sponsored"? The farflung minor-league parks I've been to (Dayton, San Jose, Colorado Springs) laid the sponsorships on with a trowel.

I did like my one game at the Staten Island Yanks' park more than Coney in some respects cuz there are fewer fans, almost always a good thing. July 19 is Yogi Berra Night:

http://siyanks.com/promotions/?month=06&year=2005

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:35 (twenty years ago)

from bp:

"The Orioles' third-round pick last year (and the jewel of their draft, following the Wade Townsend fiasco) was 22-year-old center fielder Jeff Fiorentino. What catches our eye about Fiorentino is his remarkable PECOTA projection: After 64 rookie-ball at-bats, and 179 at-bats in low-A ball, PECOTA thinks he'd put up an equivalent line of .258/.339/.454 in the major leagues this year."

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 20:48 (twenty years ago)

Mulleted bigot pasted in debut with Long Island Ducks:

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/minorleague/ny-sbducks294238100apr29,0,7996700.story

Man, the Ducks should be a freakshow -- their 1b is Pete Rose Jr!

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 29 April 2005 14:03 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Anyone watch the Brooklyn @ SI Yanks game on YES? The Cyclones have nifty new road vests w/ red undershirts:

http://www.brooklyncyclones.com/news/?id=1511

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 23 June 2005 15:37 (twenty years ago)

i can't stand vests.

www.soxprospects.com is a nice site; wish the yanks had an equivalent. (i think they do actually but it's a pay site)

― John (jdahlem), Thursday, 23 June 2005 15:43 (twenty years ago)

really not fond of vests either.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Thursday, 23 June 2005 15:50 (twenty years ago)

Generally I agree, but I'd like to see Pujols or Pat Burrell in one (without a shirt).

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 23 June 2005 15:54 (twenty years ago)

Are they really called "vests" (ie, not "tunics")?

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 23 June 2005 15:55 (twenty years ago)

i think they actually are tunics, but they are called vests. i mean tunics sounds kind of...european.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Thursday, 23 June 2005 16:03 (twenty years ago)

These 'clones unis are butt. Coupled with the yellow underbill hats, they look like McDonald's All-Americans. Ketchup and mustard.

― scrimshaw (scrimshaw1837), Saturday, 25 June 2005 00:49 (twenty years ago)

Some friends of mine went to the Clones game last night. They said it was "corporate."

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 26 June 2005 07:49 (twenty years ago)

What event gathering more than 400 ppl in NYC isn't 'corporate'?

I'm going July 5 (Park Slope Night).

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 27 June 2005 12:04 (twenty years ago)

Get there early for the Cyclone pacifier giveaway.

― scrimshaw (scrimshaw1837), Monday, 27 June 2005 23:00 (twenty years ago)

They barely acknowledged Da Slope...

The PA volume at KeySpan Park is ear-splitting. And they gave some child a mic for "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." (our new cultural motto is Let a Kid Ruin It)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 6 July 2005 15:07 (twenty years ago)

Phew...I'm heading up tonight, in hopes this SI/CI rivalry has everyone fired up.

― scrimshaw (scrimshaw1837), Thursday, 7 July 2005 16:58 (twenty years ago)

21 y/o sox prospect anibal sanchez made his AA debut against the Yankees' minor league affiliate trenton thunderjet bloodhound superninja dirtdogs, pitching 4 innings & recording 6 k's, 2 bb's, 2 hits, and no ER. fuck hanley ramirez, this kid scares the crap outta me.

― John (jdahlem), Thursday, 7 July 2005 17:08 (twenty years ago)

Dude, worry about the shit in your own stall before you start checking out over people's piles.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 7 July 2005 17:09 (twenty years ago)

ok then.

melky cabrera was called up to the yankees today; i assume he'll be starting CF tonight. he put up a mediocre line in AA (something along the lines of .270/.330/.420), was mysteriously called up to AAA, had a very hot week, and now finds himself in the bigs. a ridiculous & desperate move made all the more pathetic out of its necessity.

― John (jdahlem), Thursday, 7 July 2005 17:17 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Brooklynites: any of you planning on checking the Penn League's finest young cannibals tomorrow at the All-Star Game?

― scrimhaw1837 (son_of_scrimshaw), Monday, 22 August 2005 18:55 (twenty years ago)

Nope; I presumed it's long sold out too.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 22 August 2005 19:07 (twenty years ago)

six months pass...

From the SABR e-list:

Would you like to attend AA and AAA baseball games for free and get paid for scoring them? If so, please go to

http://www.baseballinfosolutions.com/minorad.html

click on the Apply link, and send your responses to

jonv@baseballinfosolutions.com

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 16 March 2006 21:50 (nineteen years ago)

in the past 11 months i'm sure you've learned that the commuter rail will take you from north station to downtown lowell. actually you can get the train up to portland too but getting back may be dicey.

i miss new england.

― otto midnight (otto midnight), Thursday, 16 March 2006 22:02 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

wholesome, Hobbesian fun!

MISHAP IN MINOR LEAGUE PROMOTION Two children were injured in a scramble to grab cash being dropped from a helicopter in Comstock Park, Mich. It was part of a promotion yesterday after a West Michigan Whitecaps minor league baseball game.

About $1,000 in cash was dropped from the helicopter over Fifth Third Ballpark's outfield as children lined the outfield fence. After the cash was dropped, the children scrambled. A 7-year-old boy was trampled and taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released, and a 7-year-old girl received a bloody lip after being pushed to the ground. (AP)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 17 April 2006 19:47 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...

See this? It's a triple hommage to Weaver, Martin and Piniella!

http://sports.espn.go.com/minorlbb/news/story?id=2500470

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 26 June 2006 14:43 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, that clip was *all* over the sports news last night

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Monday, 26 June 2006 23:08 (nineteen years ago)

Not that it wasn't totally hilarious.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Monday, 26 June 2006 23:10 (nineteen years ago)

Las Vegas 6, Portland 3. A number of familiar major leaguers in action, incl jACK cUST and Termel Sledge. First time I've seen a game delayed while the batboy removed a bat -- the kind of bat WITH WINGS! -- from the first-base area.

btw, the hitter of the ITPGS I saw in Tacoma is the Mariners' new replacement CF, Choo.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 6 July 2006 17:06 (nineteen years ago)

That's Terrmel to you, bub! :)

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 6 July 2006 19:21 (nineteen years ago)

How was the turnout Morbs? Portland is supposed to be one of the top 2 MiLB markets (the other being Sacramento).

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 6 July 2006 19:38 (nineteen years ago)

and how was that stadium? i've stood out in front, and i really like the neighborhood, but i've never been to a game there.

― jergins (jergins), Thursday, 6 July 2006 21:54 (nineteen years ago)

Park was OK, attendance crap.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 10 July 2006 10:09 (nineteen years ago)

http://static.flickr.com/55/186889809_198f10ff62_m.jpg

Dave and Carrie bobblehead night at the Brooklyn Cyclones was pretty special. State College 4, Brooklyn 1.

― mattbot (mattbot), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 15:39 (nineteen years ago)

Buck O'Neil, 94, walks twice in Northern League all-star game:

http://sports.espn.go.com/minorlbb/news/story?id=2523029

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 13:48 (nineteen years ago)

Clad in a red-and-white Kansas City Monarchs jersey, O'Neil said he thought the last time he had swung a bat in a game was in 1955.

Asked if he remembered who he was facing in that last at-bat, he replied: "I don't remember yesterday, and you ask me who the pitcher was in 1955?"

Two walks in one inning. Someone get Beane on the phone. Lolomgwtf.

― c('°c) (Leee), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 16:25 (nineteen years ago)

think Clemens woulda drilled him?

(I still don't think Buck is a HOFer, but he's a lovely man)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 16:47 (nineteen years ago)

damn, think of all the Henry Rollins anecdotes I coulda tol' hstencil in 26 innings!

http://sports.espn.go.com/minorlbb/news/story?id=2525606

also, Stephen Colbert with Buck O'Neil drug test jokes Wednesday night.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 21 July 2006 12:44 (nineteen years ago)

anyone seen YouTube of Buck's walks?

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 22 July 2006 15:29 (nineteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

From third row behind home in Norwich, CT:

Connecticut Defenders 7, Erie SeaWolves 3. The home team 'insurance runs' are sponsored by Hartford.

Anthem performed by lead singer of pre-game band Hard Knoxx.

http://www.hardknoxx.com/

(also, in the 9th, I got clocled from behind on the head by Cutter the Eagle -- Ct. mascot -- as part of his shtick. If any of you who live in the area are willing to kneecap him in the near future, I might pay.)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 13 August 2006 04:11 (nineteen years ago)

^clocked from behind^

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 13 August 2006 04:18 (nineteen years ago)

While I'm spending my summer interning for indentured servent wages, my brother has been to three different minor parks this year: Fort Worth Cats (Independent), Frisco Rough Riders (Rangers AA) and Oklahoma City Red Hawks (Rangers AAA).

In Fort Worth, he got picked out of the stands to be Honorary Groundskeeper, which means he got to help drag the infield after the 5th inning.

― boldbury (boldbury), Sunday, 13 August 2006 04:34 (nineteen years ago)

eighteen years pass...

I guess this is the general minor league thread? I figure you folks here would appreciate (but not enjoy) this new piece:

https://defector.com/private-equity-now-owns-more-than-40-minor-league-baseball-teams-and-the-number-keeps-growing?giftLink=546c9b457eaa241323d2d7db2239287b

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 10 July 2025 19:24 (two months ago)

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