Showing posts tagged “Ryne Sandberg”
Mike Potter ·
26 Aug 2009, 11:20 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON It’s the finale of the Carolina Mudcats’ five-game homestand against the Tennessee Smokies and there’s no reason for the Mudcats not to relax.
Earlier today a West Tenn Diamond Jaxx victory made the inevitable official. The Mudcats, who came within one game of the first-half North Division title, are not going to be in the Southern League playoffs.
For Tennessee it’s a very big game, as there is still a three-way race among the Volunteer State teams for the division title.
Carolina continues to feed its best players to Triple-A Louisville, with veteran southpaw Tom Cochran the latest to head for a probable Governors’ Cup Playoff team.
There’s a college night promotion going on, and fans and Mudcats employees are wearing logo clothing for either their alma mater or the school they root for.
The players get in on the action, too, as the college alumni are greeted by their school’s fight songs when they come to bat and everybody who didn’t go to college gets assigned one.
Let’s get some chicken tenders and start this pitchers’ duel, which finishes in a 2-1 comeback victory for the visitors.
It’s a good one from the start, with the World Cup-bound Dutchman Alexander Smit (pictured) on the mound for Carolina against Casey Coleman. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats Alexander Smit, Aneury Rodriguez, Blake Lalli, Bryan Augenstein, Casey Coleman, Chicago Cubs, Chris Carpenter, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, Greg Atencio, Logan Parker, Louisville Bats, Luis Montano, Mississippi Braves, Mobile Bay Bears, Montgomery Biscuits, Russ Canzler, Ryne Sandberg, Sean Henry, Southern League, Starlin Castro, Tennessee Smokies, Tom Cochran, Ty Wright
Mike Potter ·
25 Aug 2009, 12:04 AM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON It’s Game 3 of the Carolina Mudcats’ five-game homestand against a hot Tennessee Smokies club, and if for nothing more than to lift the mood in the clubhouse the home team needs a victory.
Tennessee has been holding up its end of the deal recently in its three-way battle with in-state rivals West Tenn and Chattanooga, while the Mudcats - who come into the game with a “tragic number” of four with nearly two weeks left in the season - are going to have to get it going to finish fourth in the Southern League’s North Division.
The Mudcats do have one of their marquee players back in Yonder Alonzo (pictured), who is back from Sarasota after going on the disabled list back on June 18 with a broken hamate bone in his right hand.
Tennessee’s Jeremy Papelbon, who pitched on Sunday, is having a good day as he has been named the SL’s pitcher of the week.
It looks like the weather is going to be good for this one, so after watching Smokies skipper Ryne Sandberg sign a long line of autographs let’s get a cheeseburger and play ball.
This one gets ugly early, and ends up with the Smokies winning 16-9. Trust me, Monday’s contest was a good one to miss. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, USA Baseball Alexander Smit, Andrew Cashner, Camilo Vazquez, Canada, Chattanooga Lookouts, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, Dustin Sasser, Hung-Wen Chen, Jake Kahaulelio, Jeremy Papelbon, Jerry Gil, Jim Adduci, Logan Parker, Phillippe Valiquette, Ryne Sandberg, Southern League, Tennessee Smokies, The Netherlands, Tony Thomas, Ty Wright, Welington Castillo, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, Yonder Alonzo, Zack Cozart
Mike Potter ·
23 Aug 2009, 6:40 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON It’s Game 2 of the Carolina Mudcats’ five-game homestand against the Tennessee Smokies, and it’s about getting to the point where the home team is playing for pride - and for job assignments heading into next season.
The Mudcats, who lost their chance for the Southern League’s first-half North Division title when they lost on the road to the Smokies on the final day of the half, are guaranteed a losing record in the second half and likely just a few days away from elimination from the race.
They do have that spoiler thing going, and probably wouldn’t mind throwing a monkey wrench into the Smokies’ playoff hopes. That doesn’t happen as Tennessee wins 3-2, taking a one-run victory for the second straight day.
Today is warm and cloudy, but with no threat of rain.
Umpires and managers are wearing light blue - some would say Carolina blue - sweatbands to promote awareness of prostate cancer.
And the Carolina Hurricanes’ “Storm Squad” is in the house.
Let’s consume mass quantities of chicken tenders and play ball.
The Smokies get their first run off Tom Cochran with a two-out rally in the third. Starlin Castro hits a double to right, followed by Blake Lalli’s RBI single to left.
Tennessee’s Jeremy Papelbon (pictured) allows just one baserunner until there are two out in the fifth, when Justin Tordi breaks up the no-hitter with a double to left center. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Hurricanes, Carolina Mudcats Andrew Cashner, Blake Lalli, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, David Cales, Doug Deeds, Jeremy Papelbon, Jerry Gil, Jonathan Papelbon, Justin Tordi, Kristopher Negron, Marcus Mateo, Ryne Sandberg, Sean Henry, Shaun Cumberland, Southern League, Starlin Castro, Tennessee Smokies, Tom Cochran, Tony Thomas, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, Zack Cozart
Mike Potter ·
7 Jul 2009, 4:14 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON Back for the finale of the Carolina Mudcats’ short four-game homestand against the Tennessee Smokies, and the home team finally has a bit of momentum following Monday night’s 8-1 whipping of the boys from Sevierville.
They’re still in last place in the Southern League’s North Division, but less than 20 percent of the second half has been played.
It’s getaway day for Tennessee, and although it’s going to be a hot one neither team is going to squeal about a noon start. The Smokies are home Wednesday against Montgomery, while Carolina will have the day off and leave for Thursday’s contest at Jacksonville.
In an aside it’s going to be a long day for me, as I’ll be covering the Durham Bulls’ home game with Gwinnett seven hours and five minutes after the start of this one. The trip is right at 50 miles.
Smokies manager Ryne Sandberg is in Game 2 of a three-game Southern League suspension for altercations with umpires.
And a particularly fun thing going on in the press areas is a “broadcaster camp” being conducted by Mudcats play-by-play guy Patrick Kinas, who also does play-by-play for N.C. State women’s basketball among other duties (I too, now have several jobs.)
The campers are rotating some play-by-play stints on the internet broadcast, and some of them off-air are doing simulations in another box. That, of course, has the potential of ending up like the scene in “The Naked Gun” when Dick Vitale, Dick Enberg, Jim Palmer, Tim McCarver, Dr. Joyce Brothers and the late Messrs. Curt Gowdy and Mel Allen all start commentating at once.
But about the game … well, Carolina wins 6-0.
The Mudcats get to Jay Jackson for a run in the first, as Carson Kainer hits a one-out single to right, advances on Juan Francisco’s infield single to second and later scores on a two-out balk. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats Alex Maestri, Carson Kainer, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Curt Gowdy, David Bell, Dick Enberg, Dick Vitale, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Durham Bulls, Eric Eymann, Gwinnett Braves, Jacksonville Suns, Jay Jackson, Jeremy Hellickson, Jim Palmer, Juan Francisco, Korey Feiney, Logan Parker, Marcos Mateo, Mel Allen, Montgomery Biscuits, Patrick Kinas, Ryne Sandberg, Southern League, Tennessee Smokies, The Naked Gun, Tim McCarver, Travis Wood, Zack Cozart
Mike Potter ·
6 Jul 2009, 11:48 PM ·
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FIVE COUNTY STADIUM/ZEBULON It’s Game 3 of the Carolina Mudcats’ short four-game homestand all against the Tennessee Smokies, and the home boys are desperately in need of getting this thing headed in the right direction.
To review, the Mudcats are in last place in the Southern League’s North Division, have lost three straight games overall and six of the last seven to Ryne Sandberg’s Smokies coming in. Sandberg isn’t in the third-base coaches’ box because he’s serving a three-game league suspension for some trouble with the umpires.
It’s very cloudy but fortunately isn’t going to rain, and the crowd is small for the first home game since June with no post-game fireworks scheduled.
Tonight it’s back to the chicken tenders.
Play ball.
The Mudcats are taking care of business early against Chen Hung-Wen, en route to a very badly needed 8-1 win behind an outstanding outing from Matt Klinker (pictured). Continue reading »
ACC, Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, N.C. State Brian Peterson, Brian Schlitter, Carson Kainer, Chen Hung-Wen, Chicago Cubs, Chris Kelly, Cincinnati Reds, David Bell, Durham Bulls, Florida State League, GCL Reds, Gulf Coast League, International League, Jacksonville Dolphins, Jake Muyco, Jay Jackson, Joe Ayrault, Jose Castro, Juan Francisco, Lee Tabor, Logan Parker, Matt Klinker, Pat Kelly, Ryan Jackson, Ryne Sandberg, Sarasota Reds, Shaun Cumberland, Southern League, Tennessee Smokies, Tyler Colvin, Zack Cozart
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
