Showing posts tagged “Birmingham Barons”
Mike Potter ·
4 Dec 2009, 5:12 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON The Carolina Mudcats are doing a little outsourcing.
Don’t worry. They’re not taking any jobs out of the country.
But the club has sold its broadcast rights to Play-by-Play Sports Properties, LLC, of which veteran play-by-play man Patrick Kinas is president, and will also be picking up another radio station on its network.
Kinas (pictured), joined by company chairman Joe Bourdow and Mudcats general manager Joe Kremer, made the announcement at a press conference in the home clubhouse at the park.
The main aspect that will affect listeners is the addition of WDWG-FM 98.5 out of Rocky Mount as a co-flagship with Raleigh’s WDOX 570.
“As far as I know, this is the only minor-league team in the country that has agreed to license its broadcast,” Kinas said. “The bottom line is we’re all about the success of the Mudcats. What we bring to the table is that we’ll bring the Mudcats back to where they were a few years ago coverage-wise, and the bottom line is getting more people to this great stadium and watching the Reds’ players here.
“We’ve essentially quadrupled our coverage range. You can drive basically an hour and a half on I-95 and not lose our signal. That’s about 2/3 of a game, if you’re going the speed limit. Last year, you couldn’t even hear our games in our ballpark (without tuning in to Kinas’ 0.1-watt in-house FM broadcast.)” Continue reading »
ACC, Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, N.C. State Birmingham Barons, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, East Carolina, Florida Marlins, Joe Bourdow, Joe Kremer, Montgomery Biscuits, Patrick Kinas, Pittsburgh Pirates, Southern League, WDOX, WDWG
Mike Potter ·
13 Nov 2009, 7:06 PM ·
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Manager David Bell (left) and hitting coach Ryan Jackson (bottom right) will be back with the Carolina Mudcats next season, the Cincinnati Reds organization has announced.
Tom Brown, who was with Class A Sarasota each of the past three seasons, will be the new pitching coach replacing Rigo Beltran. Jimmy Mattocks will return as athletic trainer.
Bell, 37, took the Mudcats to a 65-74 record and within one win of a first-half title in the Southern League’s North Division in his first year as a skipper.
Jackson, a 37-year-old Duke alumnus who is a former Durham Bull, will be back for his second season with the club.
Brown, 60, has eight seasons’ experience as a Triple-A pitching coach.
Mattocks, 27, is in his fifth year with the Reds’ organization and third at the Double-A level.
The Mudcats will open on the road April 8 at Birmingham, later hosting the Montgomery Biscuits in the Five County Stadium opener on April 14.
ACC, Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, Duke Birmingham Barons, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, Jimmy Mattocks, Montgomery Biscuits, Ryan Jackson, Sarasota Reds, Southern League, Tom Brown
Mike Potter ·
7 Sep 2009, 5:52 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON One last trip across Wake County for the Carolina Mudcats’ rainy season finale.
And the team just got hot too late.
David Bell’s club comes into its 139th game on a seven-game winning streak, despite the depletion of the team for much of the second half. Early on in the half there were players who absolutely had to go to Triple-A after making mincemeat of the Southern League, while over the past couple of weeks the Cincinnati Reds have been bolstering their Louisville roster in preparation for the Governors’ Cup Playoffs.
Louisville is at Durham in the first round on Wednesday and Thursday, so if you’re going to be suffering from Mudcats withdrawal it’s a last chance to see a whole lot of Carolina’s best 2009 players this season. SL All-Stars Travis Wood, Todd Frazier and Juan Francisco are playing for the Bats as is Chris Heisey, who was simply the best player in the league this year.
In case you’re interested, I’m scheduled to cover those games for the Louisville Courier-Journal.
The game starts 36 minutes late because of rain. And they’ve shut down the Italian sausage, so I’ll be having chicken on the last getaway day. The Braves win 5-0 to make that long bus ride home seem a little shorter. Everybody is on fast forward today as game time is 2:01.
Mississippi doesn’t take long to get started, as Jon Owings launches Jeremy Horst’s first pitch of the game out of the yard about 20 feet inside the left-field foul pole.
The score stays right there until the seventh, when the visitors strike for two.
Brandon Hicks leads off with a double to right, scoring on Greg Creek’s one-out double to left. Creek then comes home on Travis Jones’ two-out single to right.
Mississippi scores another in the eighth, as Chris Anderson slaps a leadoff double to left, followed by pinch-hitter Stephen Marek’s single to left and a ground ball from Owings to score the run.
The Braves get their last one in the ninth off Josh Beal, as Hicks leads off with a homer to left.
After the game Mudcats slugger Yonder Alonzo (pictured) gets the call to Louisville for his Triple-A debut. That makes for 17 current Bats who played at least part of the season for Carolina. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, Durham Bulls Arizona Fall League, Birmingham Barons, Brandon Hicks, Chris Anderson, Chris Heisey, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, Greg Creek, International League, Jeremy Horst, Jon Owings, Josh Beal, Juan Francisco, Korey Feiner, Logan Ondrusek, Louisville Bats, Mississippi Braves, Peoria Saguaros, Phillippe Valiquette, Sean Watson, Southern League, Stephen Marek, Todd Frazier, Travis Jones, Travis Wood, Zack Cozart
Mike Potter ·
31 Aug 2009, 8:47 PM ·
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Former Carolina Mudcats southpaw Travis Wood has been named the Southern League’s pitcher of the year in a vote by the league’s field managers, radio broadcasters and print media.
Wood is joined on the SL’s post-season All-Star team by former Mudcats teammates Juan Francisco at third base and Todd Frazier as the top utility man. All three of the former Mudcats are now playing for the Louisville Bats, who are poised to win the International League’s West Division.
Montgomery Biscuits center fielder Desmond Jennings, who now plays for the Durham Bulls, was named the circuit’s most valuable player while Ever Magallanes, who has skippered the Birmingham Barons to the dominant best record in the league, was named manager of the year.
Matt Young of the Mississippi Braves was named the league’s best hustler. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, Durham Bulls Birmingham Barons, Blake Lalli, C.J. Retherford, David Cook, Desmond Jennings, Ever Magallanes, Ezequiel Carrera, Greg Halman, John Ely, Juan Francisco, Louisvile Bats, Matt Peterson, Matt Young, Mississippi Braves, Pedro Ciriaco, Stefan Gartrell, Todd Frazier, Travis Wood, Tyler Flowers
Mike Potter ·
16 Aug 2009, 6:29 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON It’s the finale of the Carolina Mudcats’ homestand and the last time they’ll play the Birmingham Barons this season unless a 100-year miracle gets the home team a playoff berth.
It’s a hot, cloudy afternoon, but at least the Mudcats have room for some optimism since they were finally able to beat the league’s best team last night.
And they need wins badly, as they enter today’s action with a “tragic number” of 13 for elimination from the Southern League’s North Division race.
There’s not going to be much of a crowd, though there’s an interesting addition to the press box. On hand for the past two games to write a story for hometown paper back in The Netherlands is Frank Vonken, who introduces himself to everyone as “Frank from Holland.” Frank, who says he speaks five languages (”We’re not worthy!”) is on hand to cover Alex Smit (pictured), the big lefty from Eindhoven who is back in the lineup after recovering from a sore back.
The trip turns out to be a productive one for our friend Frank, as Smit - whose accent is now barely discernable - allows two runs on two hits in seven innings to pick up the decision in a 4-3 victory. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats Alexander Smit, Birmingham Barons, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, David Cook, Frank Vonken, Henry Mabee, Jacksonville Suns, Jake Kahaulelio, Jason Bour, Javier Colina, Jim Gallagher, Johnny Lowe, Lee Cruz, Luis Montano, Matt Long, Montgomery Biscuits, Philippe Valliquette, Rayner Oliveros, Rob Hudson, Sean Henry, Shaun Cumberland, Southern League, Stephen Chapman, The Netherlands, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, Zack Cozart
Mike Potter ·
15 Aug 2009, 10:59 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON The Carolina Mudcats host Game 4 of their five-game series with the Birmingham Barons, and with a four-game losing streak they’re pretty much playing for pride in the series.
If they don’t start a winning tear pretty soon, they could be playing for pride in the Southern League’s North Division standings as well. Carolina’s “tragic number” is 14 for elimination from the playoff race.
Birmingham, of course, is running away with the best record in the league.
There are ominously dark clouds in the sky before game time, but it becomes obvious that there isn’t going to be a threat of rain.
Grab an Italian sausage and let’s play ball.
This time the Mudcats hit Birmingham starter Kyle McCulloch early and hard, striking for four runs in the second inning. And the run of timely hitting is a beautiful thing for a decent home crowd to watch, eventually leading to - yes indeed, boys and girls - an 8-1 Mudcats romp.
With one out, Sean Henry reaches on an infield hit, followed by Stephen Chapman’s single to right. Carson Kainer follows with an RBI single to left. With two out, Korey Feiner hits a two-run single to right. And after Jake Kahaulelio (pictured) reaches on an infield single to third, Shaun Cumberland brings home Feiner with a hit to left to make it 4-0. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats Birmingham Barons, Camilo Vazquez, Carson Kainer, Chattanooga Lookouts, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, Donny Lucy, Greg Atencio, Jake Kahaulelio, Jake Long, John Lujan, John Shelby, Juan Francisco, Korey Feiner, Kyle McCulloch, Miguel Gonzalez, Sean Henry, Shaun Cumberland, Southern League, Stephen Chapman
Mike Potter ·
14 Aug 2009, 11:59 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON Time for Game 3 of the Carolina Mudcats’ five-game home series against the Birmingham Barons, and the hole seems to be getting deeper all the time for the home team.
The Barons are the Southern League’s best team with over twice as many wins as losses, while Carolina is in last place in the North Division, nine games behind the first-place Chattanooga Lookouts with a “tragic number” of 15 for elimination from the playoff race.
This is a crazy stat. Two teams out of the 10-team Southern League have records over .500, and the season may well finish that way. Birmingham comes into the contest 40 games over the break-even mark. And things don’t get any better for the red, black and white tonight as Birmingham wins 11-6.
It’s a bit of a saga for me to get over here from Brier Creek tonight. I-540 is a parking lot in Western Wake county, and there’s a pretty heavy thunderstorm in the middle of my trip.
But all of that means I get to the park 40 minutes before first pitch instead of about 75, and the game is going to start on time.
Grab a cheeseburger and let’s go.
Birmingham wastes no time getting on the board against Zack Ward, as C.J. Retherford draws a one-out walk and scores on David Cook’s two-out single to left center.
The Mudcats really get it going in the bottom of the second off John Ely. Todd Frazier draws a one-out walk and scores on Carson Kainer’s two-out double that goes off the glove of diving center fielder Jordan Danks. Logan Parker (pictured) adds an RBI double, and after Jason Bour walks Sean Henry hits an RBI single to left center and the homeboys are up 3-1. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, Durham Bulls Adam Ricks, Andy Tomberlin, Birmingham Barons, C.J. Retherford, Camilo Vazquez, Carson Kainer, Chattanooga Lookouts, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, David Cook, Ever Magallanes, J.R. Pedew, Jason Bour, Jerry Gil, Jim Gallagher, John Ely, Jordan Danks, Justin Tordi, Kyle McCulloch, Lee Cruz, Logan Parker, Matthew Zaleski, Sean Henry, Shaun Cumberland, Southern League, Todd Frazier, Zack Ward
Mike Potter ·
12 Aug 2009, 11:42 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON The Carolina Mudcats are back for a short five-game homestand, and they have a very tough row to hoe.
Not only are they eight games behind the first-place Chattanooga Lookouts with a “tragic number” of 18 for elimination, but they’re taking on the best team in the league in the Birmingham Barons.
Rain has been falling for much of the afternoon, but an hour before game time it’s pretty obvious the field is ready to go. And for me that’s great news, since I got back home to Brier Creek at, yes, 3:20 a.m. the last time I was out here after the game started over an hour late and the Mudcats lost in 12 innings.
But there’ll be none of that tonight - at least not in the rain-delay department. The one bad thing that happens is that the Mudcats are about to take a 9-1 shellacking.
To my knowledge, tonight I am the only media guy in the park besides the Mudcats’ radio crew and Birmingham’s Curt Bloom, whom I am seeing for the first time since he was the Prince William Cannons’ announcer in the Carolina League in 1989.
And I know one more guy in the Barons’ clubhouse in hitting coach Andy Tomberlin, who played for the Durham Bulls in the late ’80s at the old park.
Time to grab at Italian sausage and see how it’s going to go.
Both starting pitchers, Carolina’s Luis Montano and Birmingham’s Matt Long (pictured), get off to a good start. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, Durham Bulls Adam Ricks, Andy Tomberlin, Birmingham Barons, Charlie Shirek, Charlotte Knights, Chattanooga Lookouts, Chicago White Sox, Chris Kelly, Christian Marrero, Cincinnati Reds, Curt Bloom, David Bell, David Cook, Dayan Viciedo, Jared Price, Javier Colina, Jim Gallagher, Logan Parker, Louisville Bats, Luis Montano, Matt Long, Matt Zaleski, Miguel Socolovich, Prince William Cannons, Ramon Geronimo, Ricky Brooks, Sean Watson, Southern League, Stephen Chapman, Winston-Salem Dash, Zach Ward
Mike Potter ·
10 Aug 2009, 11:06 PM ·
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Nick Hill was just too much for the Carolina Mudcats.
The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx southpaw fired a three-hit complete game, giving his team a 7-1 win over visiting Carolina and a 3 games to 2 victory in the series. Hill is 4-4.
Hill (pictured), an alumnus of USA Baseball’s National Team, had sat down 23 straight Mudcats batters after Shaun Cumberland’s one-out single in the first to begin the ninth inning with a 7-0 lead. Carolina then broke the shutout with back-to-back doubles from Justin Tordi and Sean Henry.
UNC alumnus Marshall Hubbard hit a solo homer off Jeremy Horst (0-3) to get things going for West Tenn in the first. Travis Garcia also homered for West Tenn.
The loss dropped the Mudcats eight games behind first-place Chattanooga in the Southern League’s North Division race.
Carolina, which went 3-7 on its road trip, has Tuesday off before beginning a five-game home set with the Birmingham Barons starting Wednesday.
ACC, Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, UNC-Chapel Hill, USA Baseball Birmingham Barons, Cincinnati Reds, Jeremy Horst, Justin Tordi, Marshall Hubbard, Nick Hill, Sean Henry, Seattle Mariners, Shaun Cumberland, Southern League, Travis Garcia, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx
Mike Potter ·
29 Jul 2009, 11:15 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON Back for Game 3 of the Carolina Mudcats’ series with the first-place Chattanooga Lookouts, and as the action begins the series is all tied up.
The rains hit Zebulon in late afternoon, but the tarp comes off the field about 45 minutes before the game and everybody’s going to be ready to go on time.
Tonight we’ll go with barbecue sauce on the cheeseburger, remembering a commercial starring Michael Jordan who played here in a handful of games with the Birmingham Barons.
Chattanooga lefty James Adkins does get the first pitch off at precisely 7:15, and after last night’s 13-inning saga that makes everyone who pays attention to such things very happy. And the home fans aren’t disappointed tonight as the Mudcats eke out a 2-1 win.
Everything is sailing along fine until there’s a spontaneous blackout in the middle of the fourth, which only blips the press box but puts the stadium lights out for quite some time.
After a delay of 14 minutes that seems a lot longer, everything seems to be proceeding normally. Continue reading »
ACC, Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, N.C. State Alvis Whitted, Andrew Lambo, Birmingham Barons, Camilo Vazquez, Chattanooga Lookouts, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, Emilio Del Rosario, Jake Kahaulelio, James Adkins, James Tomlin, Jason Bour, Justin Tordi, Kendy Batista, Los Angeles Dodgers, Michael Jordan, Ruben Medina, Sean Henry, Southern League, Tim Corcoran, Todd Frazier, Tom Cochran, Tom O'Brien, Zack Cozart
