The Rainiers were blasted Saturday night in Sacramento. It could have been worse; the parent club Mariners lost 16-1 at home to Cincinnati.
Not a night to remember for Pacific Northwest Baseball.
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Augusta, Georgia is famous for the Masters and Jim Nantz at his most annoying. But Augusta is so much more than that. What else does this elegant old southern town sport?
GreenJackets baseball, what else? The South Atlantic League affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. The GreenJackets – named after the green sport coat awarded the Masters Champion – sport one of my favorite names in baseball. What to do with GreenJackets presents a problem, which the team takes care of pretty nicely with their yellowjacket with sportcoat look. The further deck out mascot Auggie with some lovely plaid golf pants. Giant scary eyes aside, I think is is one of the more tolerable mascots in baseball.
Photo Courtesy of Greenjacketsbaseball.com
Of course, the franchise couldn't leave well enough alone, introducing a second mascot, apparently the runner-up who will fill in if Auggie can't fulfill his mascotly duties. Olmo, who lives at the bottom of nearby Lake Olmstead, likes to retrieve foul balls and throw them at unsuspecting fans.
Photo Courtesy of Greenjacketsbaseball.com
Wait a minute. Does this guy look familiar?
Take a look at this:
See it? We think the family resemblance is clear. Olmo is obviously Elmo's drunken, borderline-retarded, absentee father, and the GreenJackets owe us an explanation and assurances that proper child support is being paid.
We've (gently) mocked the team's official site, but we feel the need to congratulate it. Over the past week or so TacomaRainiers.com has been a virtual link fest, and most of them are worth checking out. Baseball America on Our Favorite Rainier, MLB.com on Wlad Balentien, a local kid makes good tale featuring Eastlake High's own Brent Ust, a TNT feature on ballpark art... It's a nice change from the days where the site featured just about nothing.
Also, the Rainiers are having a Job Fest on Monday. No request for team blogger, but we're always listening.
Being shutout just sucks. Wednesday was the sixth shutout loss for the Rainiers this season, about par for the course for a team with the worst record in the PCL. It's not like this team didn't get baserunners; no, they left 11 on base and put up an 0-12 with runners in scoring position. Mario Ramos – former prospect with Oakland and Texas – picks up the win in his 2007 Triple A debut, and Rich Harden throws a scoreless inning in a rehab stint.
Same two teams tomorrow night at 7:05 in lovely Sacramento. Justin Lehr (6-1, 3.19)can hopefully put the brakes on this skid.
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Editor's Note: This is based on the actual PCL ballot. Some may already have been promoted to the majors.
Starting Pitcher Pick Two
-Yovani Gallardo, Nashville Sounds
Second in wins, 110/28 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and a 2.90 ERA. The best pitching prospect in the PCL.
-Chris Oxspring, Nashville Sounds
Not a prospect, but a great #2 to Gallardo. Six wins, second in the PCL in Ks.
Relief Pitcher Pick Two
-Chad Harville, Tucson Sidewinders
Leads the PCL in saves, solid 2.35 ERA and four vulture wins. Not great peripherals (13/25 K/BB ratio)
-Andrew Brown, Portland Beavers (Write In)
Hard to argue with a 40/14 K/BB ratio and 12 holds. No saves, which is okay. Saves are basically meaningless.
Catcher
-Kurt Suzuki, Sacramento Rivercats
Good defensively, adequate offense. Best of a weak position in the PCL
First Base
-Mitch Jones, Las Vegas 51s
Probably should be on the ballot as an outfielder, but where ever he plays, a 1.099 OPS (best in the PCL) is hard to argue with
Second Base
-Eric Patterson, Iowa Cubs
An offensive second baseman with some power (24 XBH) and some speed (10 SB). Not much of a defender.
Shortstop
-Wilson Valdez, Los Vegas 51s (Write In)
PCL All-Star in 2006, plays good defense and currently sports a .383 OBP
Third Base
-Ian Stewart, Colorado Springs Sky Sox
Improved defensively, solid .296/.365/.834 line.
Outfield Pick Three
-Adam Jones, Tacoma Rainiers
Our Favorite Rainier earned his way here.
-Rick Ankiel, Memphis Redbirds
If it weren't for Josh Hamilton in Cincinnati, Ankiel would be the best story in all of baseball
-Nathan Hayes, Salt Lake Bees
Unlike Ankiel and OFR, he's past the point of being a prospect. His 1.040 OPS might change that.
Designated Hitter
-Craig Brazell, Omaha Royals
DH shouldn't even be on the ballot, but the PCL Player of the Month for May is an easy choice here
Online voting for the Triple-A All-Star game (July 11th in Albuquerque)has been going for a couple weeks and we have a major issue with the current results. Our Favorite Rainier – at worst, one of the 5 best players in the PCL – is currently seventh - seventh - in the voting for the PCL outfield spots. We shall be unveiling our ballot sometime this week, but for cryin' out loud, just vote at random if you have to. Adam Jones needs some love.
Oh, and please don't just vote for all the Rainiers. Jones and Balentien are the only guys who should be considered for the All-Star Game. It's a cold reality, but this team just ain't that freakin' good.
Remember: Vote Early and Often!
The Week That Was: Pacific Coast League baseball fans got their money's worth this week, as the Rainiers managed four extra-inning games in a row. The highlight has to be Wladimir Balentien's walk-off homer on Friday. The lowlight? Thursday and Saturday's extra-inning losses. Overall a down week for the Rainiers, who finish 3-4 over the seven days.
On Deck: An off-day Monday, which is always a good thing. Tuesday starts a week-long road trip with four against Sacramento, then on to the desert for a weekend series against the Sidewinders in Tucson. Neither are an easy mark; the two teams are in a virtual tie in the Pacific South Division. The Rainiers are still last in the Pacific North, and still sport the worst record in the PCL.
There are few things more fun than independent league baseball. Independent leagues –minor league teams not affiliated with major league organizations – are wilder and weirder than the minors. The ultimate indy success story is that of the St. Paul Saints. Partially owned by Bill Murray, run by the man who gave the world Disco Demolition Night, featuring a pig that delivered baseballs and a nun giving massages, the Saints early-nineties success spawned two pretty good books (Slouching Toward Fargo and Rebel Baseball) and dozens of imitators. Independent leagues appear (and disappear) almost every year.
As you might expect, the indy leagues are a haven for bad mascots. Take the Kansas City T-Bones for example. You might think that coming up with a mascot for team basically named after dinner would be difficult, but you'd be wrong. The T-Bones are represented by Sizzle the Bull. Naming the mascot after the noise his flesh makes while on the grill? A masterstroke. Never miss the opportunity to remind the children how horrible a mascot can be, and just knowing that dad wants to slap that big red belly on the grill does the trick.
Photo Courtesy of NLFan.com
We questioned the wisdom of this second photo, this veritable police lineup of the damned. The giant inflatable race car driver is Victor E. Lane, mascot of the Kansas Sppedway. Sizzle we now know and love. The others? I don't know, and I don't want to.
Photo Courtesy of Kansas Speedway
A beautiful late-spring night, a 1-1 tie, extra innings... it would be hard to top the opener of this homestand. But a Rainier win might help. Tucson took the lead in the second on Jamie D'Antona's sixth homer. Tacoma tied in the eighth on Bryan LaHair's single scoring Jeremy Reed. The score stayed 1-1 until the twelfth when Sidewinder Danny Richar doubled home Donnie Sadler and Jeff Salazar.
If the rest of the series is this much fun, Tacoma fans are in for a treat. Fireworks night Friday at 7:05.
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The Rainiers managed a two-spot in the ninth and a single run in the tenth to avoid the sweep by the hated Portland Beavers. Our Favorite Rainier's RBI single in the ninth scored Oswaldo Navarro and Ronnie Prettyman doubled home Jeff Clement to put the Rainiers ahead in the tenth. After some shaky bullpen work the past few games – weeks really – Julio Mateo pitched a perfect tenth to earn the win.
The road trip is over, the Rainiers finish 2-5 on the weeklong jaunt and now come home for a quick four game set against Tuscon. First pitch at 7:05.
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No, this is not last nights post. The Rainiers June Gloom continued, as they dropped their second in a row to Portland by an identical score of 6-5. The Rainiers are 2-9 for the month and currently sport the only winning percentage under .400 in the PCL.
Yeesh...
The bullpen was blameless this time around. Starter Juan Done gave up all six runs in four innings. The only bright spot for Tacoma was the continued brilliance of Our Favorite Rainier. He really should be Our Second-Favorite Mariner by now, but enjoy him while you can.
Second favorite? Yes, we are Ichiro People.
The series – and this long, ugly road trip – end tomorrow night at 7:05.
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We'd like to apologize: Apparently blogspot ate last night's wrap-up. We were under the impression that didn't happen anymore. We fully expect an apology from Google and several hundred stock options.
We are fully aware we're dreaming.
On to tonight, the first game between the Rainiers and the hated Portland Beavers. Well, not really hated, but we think it would be very, very cool if we could get a Pacific Northwest Rivalry going. Not much chance, but we enjoy tilting at our particular windmills.
Unfortunately, the Rainiers stumbled in Portland, losing by a single run. Of course, after getting obliterated three of the previous four night, losing a close one might not be so bad. Justin Lehr survived six rickety innings and turned the game over to the bullpen with a four run lead.
Silly pitcher, your a Tacoma Rainier; no lead is safe. Lefty Jamie Cerda took over and managed to record zero outs while giving up five earned runs. Portland reliever Royce Ring – who really should be a porn star with that name – vultured his third win of the year after pitching 1 and 1/3.
The rivalry continues tomorrow night at 7:05.
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This is no longer entertaining. The Rainiers came closer than the previous tries, but lost again in Colorado Springs. Ryan Feierabend couldn't save Tacoma. He managed six innings, but it wasn't enough.
The Rainiers have given up 46 runs on 54 hits in three games. Tacoma has, at 25-38, the worst record in the PCL.
Please, just make it stop. The series wraps Sunday – Thank God – with Jorge Campillo (4-4, 3.74) against Jorge DePaula (5-1, 4.07).
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After getting blasted on Thursday night, it was important that Tacoma get off to a good start on Friday. Picking up a run in the top of the first off of Colorado Springs starter Marc Kaiser was a great start.
Give up six runs in the bottom of the first? Not so much. Even worse? All six runs came with two outs. Colorado Springs would eventually lead 10-2 when the Rainiers mercifully pulled starter Brad Thomas in the fourth.
Game three of what looks like a nightmare series for Tacoma tomorrow at 6:05. Ryan Feierabend (2-2, 3.86) returns from Seattle to save the day against Bobby Keppel (1-5, 6.55)
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On of our very favorite minor league teams in the Boston Red Sox California League affiliate, the Lancaster JetHawks. What is a JetHawk you might ask. It's a jet fighter with the head of a hawk.
Well, duh...
The JetHawks' mascot is KaBoom – and you damn well better spell it like that – a giant purple hawk wearing a Lancaster uniform and gigantic goggles. Here he leads his legions of the undead adorable little children.
Photo Courtesy of JetHawks.com
Bonus Bit #1: The JetHawks actually call their fans "JetHawks Nation".
Bonus Bit #2: KaBoom has a MySpace page. Don't you want to be his friend?
Okay, a little background: We were picking up dinner this evening, listening to Mike Curto call the game. It was 11-8 Tacoma in the sixth. We felt confident enough - despite the previous five innings of shaky Jake Woods – to abandon the game and watch the second half of the NBA Finals. That was a mistake, as the Cleveland – San Antonio match-up turned so deadly dull we started watching the MLS game between Colorado and Houston.
Imagine our surprise then, when we checked on the beloved Rainiers and found out that Colorado Springs managed to score 15 runs in the next three innings and win 23-11. As one might imagine, the bullpen was the culprit. Juan Sandoval gave up six runs in a third of an inning, Jamie Cerda gave up four in 1 and 1/3 innings, and Byron Embry gave up three in in 1 and 1/3.
The only good news? Our Favorite Rainier goes 4-4 with two homers and a double.
So yeah, just your average 34 run, three-hour baseball game in Colorado Springs.
Same two teams tomorrow – and it couldn't get much worse - at 6:05.
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The modern-day Pacific Coast League is a massive enterprise consisting of 16 teams stretching from Tacoma and Portland in the Pacific Northwest to New Orleans of the Deep South. These are the teams our hometown nine will face throughout the long season. You must know the enemy!
The Team: Portland Beavers
The Location: Portland, Oregon
The Affiliation: San Diego Padres
The Website: PortlandBeavers.com
The Ballpark: PGE Park. Originally a football stadium opened in 1926 as Multnomah Stadium, this multi-use park was completely renovated in 2001. The Portland Beavers added baseball in 1956, after their home, Vaughn Street Park, was condemned. Even after the renovation, this is still very much a multi-use stadium, home to the Portland State Vikings football team, the Portland Timbers soccer club as well as the PCL Beavers.
The History: Portland has hosted a Pacific Coast League franchise longer than any other city. Like Tacoma, Portland was an original member of the Pacific Northwest League, and went through the war between the Pacific National League and the PCL. Where Tacoma stuck with the PNL, the Beavers’ predecessor Portland Webfeets made the move to the Pacific Coast League. Eventually rechristened the Beavers (or Lucky Beavers), the team remained in the PCL – with the exception of WWI – through the 1973 season. That team headed to Spokane, but the Beavers returned in ’78. This version stuck around until 1993, become the Salt Lake franchise. When the Beavers left again, the movement for a new ballpark caught fire, culminating in the opening of PGE Park and the return of the Beavers in 2001.
The Name: Yes, Lucky Beavers would be the perfect name for a strip club.
Miscellaneous Note #1: There would seem to be the chance for a nice Pacific Northwest rivalry with Tacoma, but that isn’t helped by the fact that the two teams don’t meet until mid-June.
Miscellaneous Note #2 We love the Beavers’ home uni.
The Prospects: Not much. The Padres’ system is very thin. The name to know might be Ryan Ketchner. He’s a minor prospect, but former Mariner property. The Beavs were supposed to feature Cesar Carrillo, San Diego’s best pitching prospect, but he went out with an injury.
Ouch....
The Rainiers were on the verge of a series win against the team with the best record in the PCL. And then they weren't. Julio Mateo gave up a 4-3 lead in the eighth and gave up a game-winning solo home run from Cubs leadoff hitter Eric Patterson. Tacoma ends up losing the series and ending with a losing record for the recently ended homestand.
Tacoma hits the road tomorrow – with a much needed off-day – then it's on to Colorado Springs and Portland.
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After a sparkling 6-0 start, Justin Lehr came down to earth for a few innings Monday night. Lehr – who has been nearly unstoppable since joining the rotation the second week of the season – could only go 3 1/3, giving up homers to I-Cubs Micah Hoffpauir, Scott Moore and Anthony Richie. Lehr gave up five in the first, only to see Tacoma tie with five in the bottom of the first, but he gave up the lead in the third. Still, if this is the worst Lehr start the Rainiers will count themselves lucky.
Rubber game of the series tomorrow at 11:35. Also the finale game of this homestand; Tacoma sends Juan Done (0-1, 2.84) against J.R. Mathes (5-3, 5.40)
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Hey, wrap-ups are back!
Bryan LaHair returned from the bench (Wait, he's been playing all this time? I thought since he's contributed nothing in the past six weeks...) and popped his first two homers since mid-April to power the Rainiers past Iowa. Jorge Campillo evened his record at 4-4 and Tacoma snapped a three-game losing streak. Our Favorite Rainier tied a rather esoteric record, number of putouts by an outfielder with 11. Jones is the eighth PCLer to tie this record, but the first in 39 years.
Same two teams tomorrow at 7:05. Rainier ace Justin Lehr (6-0, 2.34) against Ryan O'Malley (3-4, 6.23)
