Showing posts tagged “Chris Heisey”
Adam Sobsey ·
8 Sep 2009, 12:39 PM ·
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Triple-A baseball teams are subject to a variation on the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, the one you may have run across in the movie The Man Who Wasn’t There or in the play Copenhagen. Basically, it says that you can’t determine both the velocity and position of a particle at the same time. It’s possible that we’re really talking about the Observer Effect here, or possibly Schrödinger’s cat, or even quantum superpositions. All I can say is, don’t do what I did; don’t go look them all up, because the next thing you know you’re lost in something very like the Uncertainty Principle yourself: you think you know what you’re looking for, and then as soon as you think you’ve found it, it turns into something else. Eventually you wind up desperately lost in a terrible, mountainous region, overrun by wild beasts and full of tar pits, known as Verschränkung. Just don’t go there, kids.
Instead, do what Bulls manager Charlie Montoyo does before each series—or rather, don’t do what he doesn’t do: pay any attention to the opposing team’s record, or to what happened the last time the Bulls played them. Montoyo has said several times this year that all he looks at is how they’ve been playing the last couple of weeks.
That’s because, as you probably know if you’re a Bulls fan, minor-league teams change constantly. The last time the Durham Bulls played the Louisville Bats was July 19 at Louisville. Thirty-two players saw action in that game, and only half of them remain on the teams’ rosters. Both starters, each team’s leading home-run hitter, four of Durham’s five pitchers that night, the league’s Most Valuable Pitcher (Justin Lehr) and the Bats’ leadoff man: all gone.
So take the following preview as a thought experiment, a la Schrödinger’s cat—until Wednesday at 7:05 p.m., when the cat (the Durham Bulls) actually goes into the box (the DBAP) with the flask of poison (the Louisville Bats) and the radioactive substance (Jeremy Hellickson’s first pitch, let’s say). Then we’ll see if the beast lives or dies.
If my colleague Mike Potter, who for most of the season has covered the Reds’ Double-A affiliate, the Carolina Mudcats, feels inspired to chime in, the cat will get at least partway out of the bag/box: more than half of the current Bats’ roster has seen time in Zebulon this year.
Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, Durham Bulls Ben Jukich, Charlie Montoyo, Chris Heisey, Chris Nowak, Chris Richard, Jason Cromer, Jay Bruce, Jeremy Hellickson, John Jaso, Logan Ondrusek, Louisville Bats, Mitch Talbot, Paul Phillips, playoffs, Sam LeCure, Schrodinger's Cat, Sean Rodriguez, Travis Wood, Uncertainy Principle, Yonder Alonzo
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 ·
22 Aug 2009, 11:37 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON The Carolina Mudcats return home for the opener of a five-game series against the Tennessee Smokies that will comprise the entire homestand.
It’s bordering on time for the end-of-season “death watch” for the Mudcats, as their tragic number for elimination from playoff contention is down to seven with 15 games left in the season. Carolina would just about have to run the table and get help from at least three teams.
The Cincinnati Reds’ organization is acutely aware of the situation, so any Mudcat who deserves promotion to Triple-A is headed for Louisville to help the Bats try to win a Governors’ Cup. Todd Frazier (pictured) is the latest to make the jump, making the number 11 of current Bats players I have covered as a home beat writer at some point.
The Bats really may have about 1/3 of this season’s Southern League post-season all-star team on their roster, since they already had SL home-run leader Juan Francisco, the SL’s best pitcher in Travis Wood and perhaps the SL’s best player in Chris Heisey in the clubhouse. If you think I don’t want Louisville to visit Durham in the playoffs this season, try again.
Anyway, it’s dark and rainy all the way over here from Brier Creek, but the game starts a reasonable 23 minutes late.
Grab an Italian sausage and let’s go.
Tennessee, which eventually wins this one 5-4, takes the early lead with a two-run second inning off Luis Montano. Tyler Colvin leads off with a double to left, moving to third on Ty Wright’s sacrifice bunt to third. Tony Thomas scores Colvin on a two-out double off the wall in left, followed by pitcher Chris Carpenter’s RBI double to right.
Carolina goes ahead with a three-run rally in the fourth.
Jose Castro leads off with a single to left, and after a Shaun Cumberland single to left and a walk to Zack Cozart the bases are literally full of “Cs.” With one out, Logan Parker hits a two-run single to right, and then Carson Kainer puts the home team ahead with another single to right.
Tennessee takes the lead again with a two-out rally in the sixth. Wright doubles to left, followed by Welington Castillo’s RBI single to left. Thomas then smacks an RBI single to left.
The Mudcats tie it in the bottom, as Cozart walks, steals second, advances on Alex Maestri’s wild pitch and scores on Kainer’s one-out sac fly to center.
But Tennessee takes the lead again in the seventh, as Jim Adduci reaches on a fielder’s choice following Jonathan Mota’s single, followed by Starlin Castro’s RBI double to right for the game-winning run.
Here’s what they said …
Mudcats manager David Bell: “Montano was good. In several of his outings he’s struggled for the first couple of innings and then settled down and gotten the job done. It was a good game, but we just didn’t win. There should always be enough motivation to go out and try to win every game, no matter what the standings say.”
Parker: “When you’re in this position (in the standings), you just have to forget about how the team’s doing and motivate yourself every day. We had a great team in the first half and didn’t make the playoffs because we lost the last series to Tennessee. That’s something we need to be thinking about when we play them.”
Cozart: “It’s always important to finish the season strong, even if the team hasn’t been winning. And if you go out and play a good game yourself, that’s going to give the team a better chance to win.”
What does it all mean?
That the tragic number is now five, while Tennessee is a game behind West Tenn for the division lead.
Stars of the game
1. Thomas, with three hits including a double for two RBI.
2. Parker, for two hits and two RBI.
3. Carpenter, for a respectable start and a clutch hit.
Play of the game
Starlin Castro’s game-winning double.
Season series
Tennessee leads 15-11.
Streaks
Carolina: Lost 2.
Tennessee: Won 1.
Transactions
Carolina: Outfielder Todd Frazier promoted to Louisville. Infielder Kristopher Negron promoted to Carolina from Sarasota.
Tennessee: none.
On deck
Tennessee at Carolina, Sunday, 2 p.m.
Jeremy Papelbon (L, 4-5, 3.26) vs. Tom Cochran (L, 4-5, 3.29)
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats Alex Maestri, Carson Kainer, Chicago Cubs, Chris Carpenter, Chris Heisey, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, International League, Jeremy Papelbon, Jim Adduci, Jonathan Mota, Jose Castro, Juan Francisco, Kristopher Negron, Logan Parker, Louisville Bats, Luis Montano, Sarasota Reds, Shaun Cumberland, Southern League, Starlin Castro, Tennessee Smokies, Todd Frazier, Tom Cochran, Tony Thomas, Travis Wood, Ty Wright, Tyler Colvin, Welington Castillo, Zack Cozart
Mike Potter ·
14 Jul 2009, 1:22 AM ·
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Starter Travis Wood (pictured) and Logan Ondrusek of the Carolina Mudcats each pitched a perfect inning for the North Division in a 7-0 rout over the homestanding South in the Southern League All-Star Game on Monday night at Birmingham.
Ten pitchers appeared for the North in a four-hit shutout, in which no South Division player safely touched third base.
Josh Bell of the Chattanooga Lookouts was the offensive hero, going 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI to earn the game’s Star of Stars honor.
In other Carolina news, former Mudcat Chris Heisey - now playing for the Louisville Bats - was named International League player of the week for games ending Sunday.
The Mudcats return home on Wednesday night at 7:15 to take on Chattanooga in the opener of a five-game series.
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats Birmingham Barons, Chattanooga Lookouts, Chris Heisey, Cincinnati Reds, International League, Josh Bell, Logan Ondrusek, Los Angeles Dodgers, Louisville Bats, Southern League, Travis Wood
Mike Potter ·
5 Jul 2009, 10:20 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON It’s Game 2 of the Carolina Mudcats’ short four-game homestand against the Tennessee Smokies, and the home team is badly in need of a win.
Carolina, which finished just one game behind the Huntsville Stars for the first-half championship of the Southern League’s North Division, is in last place in the league through 13 games in the second half and things haven’t been looking up.
On Saturday night, in front of that SRO crowd drawn in by the July 4 fireworks, the Smokies scored all their runs in the last three innings to win 7-4. Tonight they’ll play an hour earlier at 6:15, with a crowd about half as large under cloudy skies but another fireworks show on the horizon.
Traffic getting out of the park on Saturday was a nightmare, but this time the East-to-West drive across Wake county should be smooth - unless somebody decides that Sunday night when so many are headed to the state’s most populated areas from the beaches is a good time to work on U.S. 64.
Grab a pregame cheeseburger and we’re ready to go.
And right off the bat - literally - things don’t go well for the homeboys in a game they eventually lose 6-0.
Tennessee, which had lost all five games here in the first half, puts up a three-spot in the first. Nathan Samson draws a leadoff walk before Tyler Colvin deposits lefty Tom Cochran’s next pitch over the right-field wall to make it 2-0. Marquez Smith then reaches on a two-base error off the glove of left fielder Todd Frazier, and scores on a one-out double to left from James Adduci.
Casey Coleman (pictured) is sailing along for the visitors, giving up just one hit and a walk over the first four innings. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats Carolina Mudcats, Casey Coleman, Chicago Cubs, Chris Heisey, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, Hung-Wen Chen, Huntsville Stars, James Adduci, Juan Francisco, Marco Carrillo, Marquez Smith, Matthew Klinker, Nathan Samson, Ryne Sandberg, Southern League, Tennessee Smokies, Todd Frazier, Tom Cochran, Tyler Colvin, Zack Cozart
Mike Potter ·
4 Jul 2009, 11:52 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON Back at the Carolina Mudcats’ game again, seeing if they can right the ship after a 3-8 start in the second half.
Game 1 of their four-game set with the Tennessee Smokies is a sellout and the signs outside the parking lot clearly say “STANDING ROOM ONLY,” but it’s a happy crowd here anticipating the July 4 fireworks show.
At least it’s not ridiculously hot. Grab a pregame Italian sausage and it’s time to go.
The teams are wearing patches saluting Lou Gehrig’s New York Yankees No. 4 number in a promotion about ALS awareness.
The RTP General Assembly Chorus presents the National Anthem, and as always those guys - there are about 30 “barber shop” singers with an average age I’d think over 60 - knock it out of the park. I’m sure in less than a minute, too. If you didn’t hear the word “Grammy” in the intro, any time it goes longer than that can be a big waste of everyone’s time.
Congressman Brad Miller fires the “ceremonial first pitch” and it’s time to play ball.
The Smokies have one local connection, as right-handed reliever Jake Muyco is an alumnus of N.C. State.
And speaking of pitchers, it’s a fine pitchers’ duel from the start. But it all ends up in tears for the home fans, as a ninth-inning rally comes up short in a 7-4 loss in front of a season-best SRO crowd of 8,596. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, N.C. State Add new tag, Albert Pujols, Andrew Cashner, Brad Miller, Brian Peterson, Camilo Vazquez, Carson Kainer, Casey Coleman, Chicago Cubs, Chris Heisey, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, Eric Eymann, Jake Muyco, Jerry Gil, Jose Castro, Lou Gehrig, Marquez Smith, New York Yankees, Phillippe Valiquette, Ramon Geronimo, RTP General Assembly Chorus, Russ Canzler, Southern League, Tennessee Smokies, Todd Frazier, Tom Cochran, Ty Wright, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, Zack Cozart
Mike Potter ·
29 Jun 2009, 3:42 PM ·
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Carolina Mudcats starting pitcher Travis Wood (pictured) and former center fielder Chris Heisey are the only unanimous selections to the North Division team for the Southern League All-Star game July 13 at Birmingham.
Heisey won’t be able to play since he had been promoted to Louisville, but he will be in the Major League Futures Game the day before in St. Louis.
Five Mudcats are scheduled to suit up for the North. Outfielder Todd Frazier was named, as well as utility infielder Zack Cozart and pitchers James Avery and Jordan Smith.
Players were selected by a vote of Southern League field managers, radio broadcasters, general managers and media.
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats Birmingham Barons, Chris Heisey, Cincinnati Reds, James Avery, Jordan Smith, Louisville Bats, Major League Futures Game, Southern League, Todd Frazier, Travis Wood, Zack Cozart
Mike Potter ·
27 Jun 2009, 10:50 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON It’s the finale of a long six-game series between the Carolina Mudcats and the Jacksonville Suns, and the homeboys are badly in need of a win.
The Mudcats lost the first-half championship of the Southern League’s North Division by one game to the Huntsville Stars, but with one game left in the series with the Suns Carolina is in last place in the division and on a three-game losing streak.
It’s Day One without center fielder and Major League Futures Game-bound Chris Heisey, and “Myron Noodleman” (pictured) is in the house to entertain.
Michael Griffin is down from Louisville to replace Heisey, and Juan Francisco is off the disabled list after nursing his pulled hamstring.
I’ll just go ahead and let you know it’s a looooong night for the Mudcats, as they take on a team half-full of guys who were Mudcats last season before Carolina switched affiliations from the Florida Marlins to the Cincinnati Reds and lose 9-0.
Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats Add new tag, Brandon Hyde, Brian Petersen, Chattanooga Lookouts, Chris Denove, Chris Heisey, Chris Mason, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, Florida Marlins, Huntsville Stars, J.D. Durbin, Jacksonville Suns, Jordan Smith, Juan Francisco, Lorenzo Scott, Louisville Bats, Major League Futures Game, Michael Griffin, Montgomery Biscuits, Myron Noodleman, Nic Ungs, Ryan Klosterman, Scott Cousins, Southern League, Travis Wood, Willie Glen
Mike Potter ·
26 Jun 2009, 11:08 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON I get to the park extra early for fifth game of the Carolina Mudcats’ series against the Jacksonville Suns, with the hosts needing two wins to salvage a tie.
The mission is to connect with Mudcats southpaw Travis Wood, for a feature story about him as one of the minor leagues’ top prospects for another website.
But Wood doesn’t seem to be around, and it takes a while to find out why.
“Didn’t you hear?” one teammate says. “He got promoted to Triple-A.”
Since it’s not my first day doing this, I ask manager David Bell if his team has had any transactions since last night’s contest.
Bell answers in the negative and confirms the more plausible clubhouse rumor that Wood - who does arrive in time to pick up a certificate for two earlier Southern League pitcher of the week awards in a pregame presentation - had to make an unplanned trip to the dentist.
That’s about 45 minutes I’ll never get back, but “hurry up and wait” has long been a reality of sports journalism.
At least I have plenty of time to fill out my scorebook - which is dangerously close to being full already - and get some computer things accomplished after making my pregame cheeseburger disappear.
Play ball!
(Spoiler alert, the Mudcats fall 6-2 for their third straight loss, and after the game center fielder Chris Heisey, pictured, - who will play in the Major League Futures Game on July 12 - is promoted to Triple-A Louisville.) Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats Bryan Petersen, Carson Kainer, Chris Hatcher, Chris Heisey, Christhian Martinez, Cincinnati Reds, Dallas Buck, David Bell, Florida Marlins, International League, Jacksonville Suns, Jerry Gil, Jordan Smith, Jose Castro, Kevin Randel, Kinston High School, Logan Morrison, Logan Parker, Louisville Bats, Major League Futures Game, Mike Stanton, Myron Noodleman, Nic Ungs, Scott Cousins, Sean Henry, Shawn Cumberland, Southern League, Tim Torres, Travis Wood, UNC Wilmington
Mike Potter ·
25 Jun 2009, 11:38 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON It’s Game 4 of the Carolina Mudcats’ first series of the second half, a six-game set against the chosen opponents from the Southern League’s South Division that they’ll play a whopping 25 times before it’s all over.
Tonight the Mudcats will try to even the current series at two games apiece. There are 10 former Mudcats - along with skipper Brandon Hyde, hitting coach Theron Todd and pitching coach Reid Cornelius - on the Jacksonville Suns’ squad since Carolina was affiliated with the Florida Marlins before switching to the Cincinnati Reds for this season.
One Mudcat gets some very good news early in the day. Chris Heisey (pictured) will be playing in the Major League Futures Game in St. Louis on July 12, the day before he’ll probably be playing in the Southern League All-Star Game in Birmingham.
They’re playing some Michael Jackson songs before and during the game. Odd that he and fellow ’70s-and-later icon Farrah Fawcett die on the same day.
(Spoiler alert: The Mudcats lose 4-2 in 10.)
Anyway, I promised another Theron Todd story yesterday, and here it is. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, Durham Bulls Andy Tomberlin, Birmingham Barons, Brandon Hyde, Chris Denove, Chris Heisey, Christhian Martinez, Cincinnati Reds, Dallas Buck, David Bell, Ever Magallanes, Florida Marlins, Florida State League, Jacksonville Suns, Jose Castro, Kasey Olenberger, Lee Mitchell, Lorenzo Scott, Michael Jackson, Mike Stanton, Phil Plantier, Reid Cornelius, Russell Mitchell, Salem Buccaneers, Scott Henion, Sean Henry, Sean Watson, Southern League, Theron Todd, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx
