Showing posts tagged “World Baseball Classic”
Mike Potter ·
5 Jul 2009, 12:58 AM ·
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At least it’s over.
USA Baseball’s National Team finished a four-game sweep of Guatemala on Saturday night with an 18-1 victory that wasn’t a bit out of context.
Arkansas’ Andy Wilkins (pictured) hit a 435-foot grand slam while Sonny Gray of Vanderbilt was the winning pitcher as the home team rocked the Quetzals for a fourth straight night in front of a full house at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on the city’s traditional July 4 fireworks night. Team USA players all wore No. 4 jerseys saluting Lou Gehrig on a night Major League Baseball used to promote awareness of ALS.
While Wilkins’ slam in the fifth inning was certainly a big hit and an exciting hit, it certainly wasn’t a key hit.
In the National Team’s four wins over Guatemala in Kannapolis, Cary and Durham, the USA scored a total of 61 runs to the visitors’ two. That score would make for a very, very miserable football game. Continue reading »
Baseball, Durham Bulls, USA Baseball Al Yevoli, ALS, Andy Wilkins, Arkansas Razorbacks, Cary, Chinese Taipei, Coastal Carolina, Cody Wheeler, Cuba, Eastern League, embargo, Guatemala, High Point Panthers, Japan, Kannapolis, Lou Gehrig, Major League Baseball, Manchester, Manuel Hernandez, Marlon Claveria, NECBL, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Portland Sea Dogs, Republic of China, Rick Jones, Sonny Gray, South Korea, Taiwan, Tulane, Vanderbilt, World Baseball Classic
Mike Potter ·
29 Jun 2009, 10:55 PM ·
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COLEMAN FIELD/CARY It’s the finale of the big five-game series between the USA National (Collegiate) Team and the high school boys from Canada.
Before the game there’s a huge networking event among a couple of dozen Chamber of Commerce organizations, etc. The Carolina Hurricanes and the Durham Bulls and the Carolina Railhawks all have booths, as do numerous well-known local restaurants. At least what serves as the press meal is healthy tonight - until they bring in the leftover chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon bagels.
Bill Coleman, long-time former Cary town manager, throws the ceremonial pitch on a night the stadium is dedicated in his name. It’s a lot friendlier moniker than the “National Training Complex,” huh?
Early in the game Cary Mayor Pro-Tem Julie Aberg Robison comes into the press box and sits for a bit. I can’t resist picking her brain for a little politics. One thing she points out is the need to raise awareness of what a classy complex the town has put together, and she’s absolutely right.
And since apparently I’m the only local keyboard media type covering this game - which the USA wins 9-3 - the problem is pretty apparent.
Anyway, the game gets going in front of a very polite crowd that seems as if it got lost going to a tennis or golf event. Not like DBAP or even Five County. Those wanting beer had to get it at the networking event.
So it gets going and nobody scores in the first. In the second, the USA run machine fires up. The hosts score two in the second on a hit and an error, then two more in the third with the first RBI hit by Michael Choice (pictured) of Texas-Arlington. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Hurricanes, Carolina RailHawks, Durham Bulls, USA Baseball Asher Wojciechowski, Bill Coleman, British Columbia, Darren Kolk, Drew Pomeranz, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Five County Stadium, Guatemala, Julie Aberg Robison, Kannapolis, Kellin Deglan, Langley, Michael Choice, Rick Jones, Texas-Arlington, The Citadel, Tulane, World Baseball Classic
Mike Potter ·
28 Jun 2009, 10:22 PM ·
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DBAP/DURHAM OK baseball fans, today I’m “Safe at Home in Durham” (although I live in Brier Creek now) for Game 4 of the USA National Team’s five-game set with Canada.
The Red, White and Blue, which has won all three by comfortable scores, will be favored once again. Not just because the U.S. is just better than Canada in baseball at the amateur level, but also because the Canucks have sent an 18U team. Good for the young boys from Canada to get some experience - I mean every golfer would like to play a round with Tiger Woods, right? - but for competitive balance, not so much.
When I get to the press box I learn there will be a total of two keyboard journalists in the house, and that we will be the first to cover any game in the series, which started on Thursday night in Cary. Kudos to the News & Observer for getting to the game, and I’m not going to take shots at the papers in Burlington or Greensboro or any of the smaller surrounding cities for not being here. I’m just not. I would have been around for the first three myself, but I couldn’t be in Zebulon and Durham at the same time.
Today the buffet menu includes both your standard meat-and-tomato sauce lasagna along with a vegetable alternative and Caesar salad.
Canada scored five runs in the first inning on Saturday night before losing 14-5, and today it’s competitive early. After the USA, which is the designated “visiting” team, scratches out two in the first, the Canadians tie it in the bottom of the frame.
But when veteran Christian Colon of Cal State-Fullerton - the only school for which somehow game ops does not have the fight song - blasts a two-out, 0-1 offering over the Blue Monster wall in left in the second, the tricolor boys are off to the races. USA scores two in the third, two in the fifth, five in the sixth, four in the seventh and it’s a challenge to stay engaged in the process.
The homeboys eventually win it 20-3, with 11 different players hitting safely and Coastal Carolina’s Cody Wheeler (pictured) getting the win. In other USA Baseball action on Sunday, Babe Ruth beat Bryce Harper and the American Legion team 8-7 for the championship of the Tournament of Stars.
Continue reading »
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball American Legion, Asher Wojciechowski, Babe Ruth, Boston Red Sox, Bryce Harper, Cal State-Fullerton, Canada, Cary, Christian Colon, Coastal Carolina, Cody Wheeler, Cuba, Florida State Seminoles, Greg Hamilton, Jason Bay, Jerome Werniuk, Justin Morneau, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, News & Observer, Rick Jones, Russell Martin, Steve McKinnon, Texas Rangers, The Citadel, Tiger Woods, Tournament of Stars, Tulane, Tyler Holt, World Baseball Classic
