Some notes and leftovers from the Granite State Baseball Dinner in Manchester:
– There more than 1,100 people at the National Guard Armory on Canal St., but that place NEVER feels crowded. It’s massive.
– Manny Delcarmen was supposed to be a headliner but couldn’t make it. That’s OK. The highlight was Mary Pratt, who played for the Rockford Peaches in the 1940s, taking the microphone and singing her old fight song.
– Toronto starters Jesse Litsch and David Purcey enjoyed a return trip to Manchester, where they both pitched in the minors.
– The word on Aaron Hill is he’s getting much better. He missed most of last season with a post-concussion problems. He’s already working out in Dunedin, Fla., and the Jays are hopeful he’ll return at 100 percent.
– Fisher Jays Robert Ray and Ricky Romero have been placed on Toronto’s 40-man roster.
– Chris Carpenter said he was playing solitaire on his home computer when learning he won the 2005 Cy Young Award … The Bedford resident paid $2,000 for a signed Sammy Hagar guitar.
– Cedric Maxwell pretended to be Joshua Papelbon during introductions and stood up and waved to the crowd.
– It was nice to see Johnny Pesky receive a standing ovation during introductions.
– If anyone has sent a comment to this blog and hasn’t seen it posted, here’s the reason. The spammers have sent more than 600 spams the past few days, and I wasn’t going to sift through all of them. So just resend, and I’ll post. Unless, of course, it’s Bruce Almighty. (LOL.)
Braves southpaw Jeff Locke, who turned 21 yesterday, will be among the guests at tonight’s Granite State Baseball Dinner. The kid played in Class I for Kennett of Conway and shares the same dream as high schoolers across the state — reaching the majors. He’ll get there. Locke was a second-round pick of the Braves in 2006. He has fashioned a 16-16 record and 3.72 ERA in the minors. Locke has been ranked as Atlanta’s No. 8 prospect by Baseball America.
Kyle Jackson of Litchfield asked for his release from the Worcester Tornadoes and hopes to return to affiliated baseball in 2009. I am confident that will happen. The Alvirne of Hudson graduate is only 25 years old, still throws in the low 90s, and has pitched in every capacity the past few seasons with the Portland Sea Dogs.
He was released by the Red Sox in August and finished up the year with a brief stint in Worcester of the Can-Am League. The Red Sox placed Jackson on their 40-man roster following the 2006 season but things haven’t worked out since then. The right-hander posted a 5-3 record and 6.47 ERA while pitching from the starting rotation and the bullpen last season.
“It was a great six years. I wouldn’t change anything from signing with them out of high school and coming up through the Gulf Coast League, being on the 40-man and going to big-league camp,” Jackson said. “I’ve come a long way from being an 18-year-old kid throwing at Alvirne High School. I’ve made a lot of friends. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve seen success. It’s an experience I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life. Maybe one day I’ll be at Fenway Park pitching against (the Red Sox) or maybe pitching for them. You never know in this game. Things can come back around.”
Help a soldier. Receive free Fisher Cats tickets.
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats today announced a program that will allow fans to receive a gift certificate redeemable for a pair of tickets to one of nine specially selected 2009 Fisher Cats games in exchange for donating a bag of recommended non-perishable items to the 340th Military Police (MP) Company. The 340th MP Company, consisting of many northern New England soldiers, is stationed in Iraq. All donated items can be dropped off at the Fisher Cats administrative offices during regular business hours until Friday, December 19.
“As we enter the Holiday Season, we feel it’s very important to remember all the brave men and women of the military who can’t be with their families because they are busy protecting our freedom overseas,” Fisher Cats President Rick Brenner said. “Donating any small personal care items will go a long way toward helping the members of the 340th MP CO feel a little bit closer to home during this difficult time to be away from loved ones.”
Any fans donating a bag of suggested items will receive a gift certificate for two complimentary tickets to one of the following nine possible 2009 Fisher Cats regular season games: April 24, 25, 26; May 11, 12, 13; August 18, 19, 20 … A wide-ranging list of recommended items can be found at www.nhfishercats.com. Examples include Gatorade drink mix, dried fruits, eye drops and foot powder.
The Granite State Baseball Dinner, held Nov. 22, is a good place to find “Cornbread.” I’m talking about Cedric Maxwell, MVP of the 1981 NBA Finals. Maxwell, whose uniform number 31 is retired by the Celtics, has committed to the dinner. He now serves as a radio broadcaster for the defending champs. Other Boston players and ex-players at the dinner: Manny Delcarmen, Bernie Carbo, Rich Gedman, Lou Merloni and Johnny Pesky.
The American Defenders of New Hampshire, the former Nashua Pride team, will stay in the Can-Am League and wear camouflage uniforms next season. Leftovers from today’s coverage in the print edition:
Defenders General Manager Chris Hall on entertaining fans: ““This might take a couple years, but we are going to do everything we can to enhance the experience. It’s the only way we can compete with Manchester and Lowell. I think baseball can work here if it’s done right. These (new owners) have what it takes to make it happen.”
Owner Dan Duquette on the talent level: “If you go as a fan to see the New York-Penn League or the Canadian-American League, unless you are a seasoned baseball person, you’re not going to be able to tell the difference in the product.”
Votes on The Next Blog have been tallied, and it’s pretty much a draw with interest in all five topics. A quick hit on each:
1), Granite State Baseball Dinner — You know that rumor about Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley attending this event Nov. 22? Well, the Eck can’t make it. A source working with Eckersley told me it was nearly a done deal, but it turns out the Eck won’t be at the head table.
2), American Defenders of NH — Interesting concept. Nashua’s pro baseball team in 2009 will wear camouflage uniforms and remain in the Can-Am League. The team will play at Nokona Park at Holman Stadium. I’ll be attending a team function Thursday and reporting more on this in Friday’s paper. For now, check out the team’s Wiki page.
3), Arizona Fall League — Zach Dials has appeared in six games (6.10 ERA) and given up three homers … J.P. Arencibia is batting .297 and Scott Campbell .296. Ryan Patterson got off to a hot start but dipped to .209 … Lefty Daryl Harang has been knocked around (10.38 ERA) in six appearances.
4), Manchester City Marathon — Watched the end of the race, and it was great to see Christin Doneski of Hopkinton win the women’s title. She earned $1,500 in addition to another $150 as the first female finisher from NH. From the “It’s a Small World Dept.,” I went to high school with her husband, James. Also, my wife worked at Concord High for a year with James.
5), HS Football Power Poll — I voted again for Plymouth with my No. 1 vote this week. There’s no powerhouse in Div. I or II, and the talent at Plymouth matches up with any team. The Bobcats have won 42 straight games.
Readers can vote on the next blog post. Should the topic be:
1), previewing the Granite State Baseball Dinner
2), the American Defenders of New Hampshire
3), Arizona Fall League
4), Manchester City Marathon
5), High School Football Power Poll
Leave a message, and if you make the cut (that’s a poke at Stuart Scott), I’ll holler back at you.
