Nashua Pride officials have offered the Boston Red Sox a trade proposal for left fielder Manny Ramirez.
The Pride offer Ramirez a contract worth $3,000 a month and a host family, if desired, for the remainder of the 2008 season. The Pride also promises the 2004 World Series MVP not to pick up his option for 2009 and will allow him to become a free agent at the end of the season.
“Nashua is a place where Manny can keep the fans he loves and help the Pride contend for another championship,” Pride General Manager Chris Hall said. “The Red Sox would be receiving a proven major leaguer and our top hitter, while Manny would receive the playing time and relief he is looking for. Everybody wins if we can make this happen.”
Nashua is offering first baseman Bryan Duplissie, who leads the Canadian-American League in home runs (12) and doubles (23), while also leading the Nashua Pride with a .315 batting average, 76 hits, and 43 RBI in 62 games played. Duplissie is coming off of a 2007 season in which he blasted 17 home runs and knocked in 59 RBI.
Also included in the deal is former Red Sox reliever Rich “El Guapo” Garces. Garces is 1-0 this season for the Pride with a 3.45 ERA out of the bullpen. El Guapo is coming off of a terrific season in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, in which he was named the VPBL Reliever of the year for the second straight season. Garces spent his best major league seasons with the Red Sox in 1999 and 2000 when he accumulated a combined 13-2 record and 2.40 ERA with 3 saves and 102 strike outs.
No word yet from Manny’s agent, Scott Boras.
Random information that Fisher Cats diehards may find interesting:
– Travis Snider blasted his 17th home run and also threw out Josh Reddick with a laser throw to third base. It was a long throw from the right-field corner: “That ball was almost under the (bullpen) bench. I almost threw my hands up (for a ground-rule double). I grabbed it, saw the guy rounding second, and just let it go. It’s nice to throw a guy out in a situation like that when nobody expected the throw to come through.”
– Manager Gary Cathcart on The Franchise: “We talk and talk about his offense, but he has very underrated arm strength as you saw. He picked that ball up and threw it 300 feet on one hop to third base.”
– Snider went 3-for-4 and needed a triple for the cycle. How many career triples does Snider have? EIGHT. (The over-under was 2.5 on that question.)
– Jonathan Diaz said before tonight’s game that he’s no longer a switch-hitter and will bat right-handed.
– I awoke this morning and thought of a perfect opening line for last night’s game story. I should have written, “The Fisher Cats raised $10,000 for the Pan-Mass Challenge — and then they were robbed.” (Remember the ninth inning when Scott Campbell scored the potential winning run only to be called out.)
– A season ticket holder named James or Bob — I can never remember his name — told me Tuesday’s night’s loss was “absolutely stomach-turning” and asked, “Is there any recourse for these umpires?”
– Fisher Cats director of stadium operations Ross Rodriguez turned 24. His best birthday gift: “I didn’t have to pull tarp.”
A look at Scott Richmond’s major-league debut against the Rays. From the dome in Toronto, where Tampa Bay is ahead, 3-2:
First inning
A Iwamura singled to center.
B Upton grounded into fielder’s choice to shortstop, A Iwamura out at second.
C Crawford tripled to deep right center, B Upton scored.
E Longoria struck out swinging.
C Pena flied out to left.
Second inning
E Hinske struck out looking.
D Navarro reached on infield single to third.
G Gross flied out to left.
J Bartlett struck out swinging.
Third inning
A Iwamura popped out to second.
B Upton lined out to second.
C Crawford hit a ground rule double to left.
E Longoria grounded out to shortstop.
Fourth inning
C Pena homered to right center.
E Hinske doubled to deep center.
D Navarro singled to right, E Hinske to third.
G Gross grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, E Hinske scored, D Navarro out at second.
J Bartlett popped out to third.
Fifth inning
A Iwamura grounded out to third.
B Upton grounded out to first.
C Crawford grounded out to first.
Sixth inning
E Longoria struck out swinging.
Jesse Carlson relieved Scott Richmond (5.1 IP, 7H, 3ER, 0BB, 4K, 92pitches/54 strikes) … That’s a darn good debut.
Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Or both.
The NH Fisher Cats appeared to have beaten the Sea Dogs, 8-7, on Tuesday night, but home umpire Joel Hospodka erased the winning run in the ninth inning by calling out Scott Campbell at the plate. Travis Snider singled home Campbell, who touched home plate while Portland catcher Mark Wagner was attempting a sweep tag following a high throw from CF Josh Reddick.
So the game went to the 10th inning, and Portland won, 10-7, on homers by Jorge Jimenez and Josh Reddick.
Campbell: “It’s a hard loss because we won. It’s probably one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen. It wasn’t a close play, and the guy wasn’t even close to tagging me. I don’t know if he was out of position or what the problem was.”
Campbell: “You can put this in. That guy is a (expletive) joke.”
Wagner: “He called (Campbell) out, didn’t he? It looked like he slowed up just enough and we got him.”
NH manager Gary Cathcart: “(The umpire) said he heard (the tag).”
Portland manager Arnie Beyeler: “The game’s still tied at that point, and you’ve got to go out and play. Our bullpen guys did a nice job of getting us to that point … We’ve all been on the other side of those things.”
The NH field staff, including pitching coach Dave LaRoche, asked the home umpire if he could ask for a second opinion. They were not granted a second opinion.
“I was told, ‘What are you doing out here? You’re just a pitching coach,’” LaRoche said. “I said, aren’t we all here to try and get the call right?”
The worst part of the whole thing? Because Snider didn’t have the game-winning hit?
Portland Press Herald writer Kevin Thomas had to erase a reference to Snider in which he was called “The Franchise.” I would’ve gotten a kick out of seeing that nickname in another paper. “The Franchise” is going global. Give it time.
We were having a conversation the other day in the press, wondering which Fisher Cat alum would be next to make his major-league debut. Brett Cecil? Ricky Romero? Mike MacDonald?
Turns out the answer is Scott Richmond, who got the call-up from Triple-A. Here’s a good story in the Toronto Sun.
Cecil has been promoted to Triple-A, and newcomer Brad Mills of Single-A Dunedin will make his Double-A debut tonight against Portland.
The annual Media Game between Boston and New York was postponed this morning because members of the Yankees squad “declined to play.” It was a beautiful day. I was driving to the game and called manager Carl Beane to make sure everything was looking good. He told me New York didn’t want to play and didn’t specify. Can you imagine the conversation with the Beaner?
Beaner: “You guys want to play a real baseball game at Fenway Park?”
NY Media: “Nah.”
Beaner: “But it’s Fenway Park, and we get the field for like three hours.”
NY Media: “We’re good.”
Nobody has made more Fisher Cats starts (50) than Ricky Romero. And if all goes well, he’ll never return to Manchester. Romero has received word he’s being promoted to Triple-A Syracuse. Will Thursday prove to be Romero’s last appearance with New Hampshire?
We’re in a rain delay here at The Merch, but the important people are talking about a 2 p.m. start between the Fisher Cats and Thunder. Centerplate’s clam chowder is tremendous if you haven’t tried it yet.
– C Erik Kratz rejoined the Fisher Cats from Syracuse. C Brian Jeroloman moved up to Triple-A after hitting safely in eight straight games. Kratz will be a minor-league free agent after the season, this move will give him a chance to put up some numbers and sign a nice deal after the season. Jeroloman’s stock is up. Don’t be surprised if he enjoys a cup of coffee with the Blue Jays in September.
– First pitch, 2:11 p.m. It’s Splash Day, which has lived up to it’s name here.
– Fisher Cats win, 4-3, after the game was called in the seventh inning. NH and Trenton split the series.
Yeah, it’s a tough job. Tonight I was discussing the mechanics of hitting a baseball with Fisher Cats hitting guru Kenny Joyce. I feel like I should’ve paid Joyce after the session. This was good stuff. Joyce develops spray charts and “hit-hard” averages for the Fishers. And he could publish his own glossary for hitter’s lingo:
Getting back – “When your front foot touches down, make sure your weight remains on the back foot. Load your weight back or stride to go back,” he said.
And don’t drift forward too much. “If your head and eyes move forward, the ball speeds up on you. Now you’re making a 91-mph fastball look like 95.”
Rhythm – “The transfer of weight from backside out through the baseball. That’s where all your power comes from.”
On time — “Getting your front foot down before the ball is released.”
On plane – Staying in the hitting zone for a longer period of time, “making sure the nob of the bat is moving directly toward the ball to create the proper swing path.”
Emanski is the ubiquitous Fred McGriff-endorsed coach who’s won all those NAIA titles.
Fisher Cats catcher Brian Jeroloman received late-night news he’ll be heading to Triple-A Syracuse Thursday morning. Jeroloman is batting .394 with two homers over his past 10 games. More on this tomorrow.
