I don’t know how this all started but George Russell, radio host of the “Morning Liftoff” on WSMN 1590 AM, called me out on the radio today and challenged me to 18 holes of golf. He says his golf index is 17 and wants strokes. I told him, “Giving away strokes is the weakest and lamest thing I’ve ever heard of in athletic competition.” Did Angel Cabrera need a cushion of strokes to beat Tiger Woods and everyone else at The Masters? No. You play the game. You golf. Lowest card wins.
Russell threw out the ceremonial first pitch as part of “Nashua Day” at the Fisher Cats game tonight. “He looks like a cross between Eddie Money and Kid Rock,” NH pitching coach Tom Signore said … Anyway, we decided to have a match on the golf course this summer. Probably match play … I play golf once per year — at the Plymouth State University athletics fundraiser. But this is getting serious. I may have to hit the range.
Once.
Toronto starter Scott Richmond beat the Royals tonight, and the Fisher Jay is now 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA. We’ve mentioned The Franchise as a possible American League Rookie of the Year, and we’ve mentioned Ricky Romero, but how about Richmond? Talk about rags to riches. Remember he was opening day starter for the Fisher Cats last season after having NEVER thrown a pitch in affiliated baseball.
– Random stuff: Kyle Phillips went 3-for-4 for Triple-A Las Vegas and is off to a .400 clip for the 51s … Jays roving minor league infield instructor Mike Bordick, a 14-year major leaguer, is in town with the Fisher Cats … The Fisher Cats’ baseball camp is underway. Tuesday morning kids were able to learn from guys like Brian Jeroloman and three other players at the Merch … Marc Rzepczynski leads the Eastern League with 27 strikeouts. He pitches Wednesday night against the New Britain Rock Kitties. (That is the first time I’ve been able to spell Marc’s last name without looking it up.)
– The Blue Jays (15-7) still have the best record in baseball and own a +40 run differential. Yeah, it’s early, but some experts were picking the Jays to finish behind the pathetic Orioles this season … David Purcey (0-2, 7.01 ERA) is struggling and could be replaced in the starting rotation by Casey Janssen, who threw four scoreless innings in a rehab start at Florida yesterday.
In case you haven’t noticed, the NH Fisher Cats are loaded with talent this year. This is the best starting pitching I’ve seen since in April with the Fishers. Toronto farm director Dick Scott is the guy sending the talent this way. A preview of my Sunday conversation with Scott:
MANCHESTER – Not only are the Toronto Blue Jays leading the mighty American League East, they owned the best record in baseball (13-5) entering last night. If the Jays have any chance of staying with the Red Sox and Yankees this season, they’ll have to rely on young players developed under farm director Dick Scott.
Toronto’s director of player development, on a trip to Manchester to watch his Fisher Cats this weekend, talks about life in the minors – and the AL East — in a Sunday conversation with the New Hampshire Sunday News:
Sunday News: What are the challenges of finding players and developing them to become major leaguers?
DS: Well, our scouts have done a good job finding the players. Our job is to get them ready for the big leagues. Sometimes it’s a process. Other times, guys like Travis Snider go through quickly. All things considered, I think we’re doing it right.
SN: Does it feel like you’re at a disadvantage competing in the A.L. East against all that money?
DS: Our payroll is at about $80 million and the Yankees is $205. We could probably spruce up our team with an extra $120 million. They have the resources and good for them. If we don’t develop players, $80 million isn’t going to cut it in our division.
SN: What separates a player like Aaron Hill, NH’s first shortstop in 2004, from other players in their development?
DS: He understands a lot about the game and makes adjustments quickly. He doesn’t get too alarmed over stuff when things go wrong. You have to be strong mentally … He’s swinging the bat great right now and playing like a Gold Glove at second base.
SN: The Jays for a while drafted mostly college players, but then you found success with Snider coming out of high school. Did the organization change its philosophy?
(Read the entire interview and more Fisher Cats coverage — first place! — in tomorrow’s print editions.)
Two more wins today for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, who begin a seven-game homestand in first place tomorrow night. Former manager Bill Masse returns as hitting coach for the Binghamton Mets. (Don’t forget to bring your old black Masse T-shirt that was a promo give-away in 2007.)
Random thoughts: NH lefty Fabio Castro hasn’t allowed a run in 16-2/3 innings … 2B Brad Emaus is the real deal, batting .353. DH Brian Dopirak has found his power stroke and had two homers today … Ricky Romero (2-0, 1.76 ERA) for American League ROY? … Travis Snider snapped over his knee a Louisville Slugger last night … The Jays are 10-5 and atop the AL East. The Las Vegas over/under for their win total was 81 in preseason. Would you have taken the over or the under?
Marathon day begins at 1:30 a.m. Couldn’t sleep, no surprise. Sitting here watching Ricky Romero (on DVR) dominating the Oakland A’s. Guess this is not your typical day, eh?
I’ll be arriving in Boston around 6 a.m. and catching one of the early shuttle buses to Hopkinton, Mass., for the start of the race. Have not been this excited to compete in a sporting event since my HS football championship in 1988. OK, maybe my first Boston-New York Media baseball game at Fenway Park was just as exciting.
This feels a lot more serious … Shout out to The Fresh Air Fund, which provides summer vacations to NYC kids from low-income communities. These children arrive on a bus and stay with host families in New Hampshire. If you’ve ever considered hosting a child, do it! It’s life-changing for everyone involved. Check out freshair.org.
3 a.m. — Breakfast: oatmeal, banana, orange juice, blueberry muffin.
5:40 a.m. — Arrived in Boston and parked on Newbury Street, not far from the finish line and a 10-minute walk to the Boston Common where the shuttle bus awaits. Hope to jump on an early bus and get to Hopkinton ASAP. Need to relax, lay down. Read “Duel in the Sun” by John Brant, story of the 1982 marathon.
Won’t be updating until tonight, probably late. Check out all the stories, photos and results in tomorrow’s print editions. Thanks, friends, for all the support.
8:25 p.m. — Made it safely back home and banged out a story and video for tomorrow’s editions:
BOSTON – No way I could have finished the 113th Boston Marathon, jogging, without the support of about 1 million fans. They’re powerful.
They inspire. They excite. They yell. And they scream, as if all 25,000 runners are part of their family. And it goes on for 26.2 miles.
Favorite memories from my first marathon experience are all about the fans: the swarm of spectators at the start line in Hopkinton and the students at Wellesley College and Boston College.
Stomach cramps and nausea made difficult the final 10 miles, but there would be no stopping – except for photos and video – en route to a finish at 4 hours, 44 minutes, 8 seconds.
It’s over. The goal last fall was to push myself through the winter, testing my own dedication and drive, and enjoy the prestigious Boston. It was the whole marathon experience: from the exhilaration of fans chanting “K.G.” – initials were on my shirt — to the challenges of working through stomach pains.
Is it possible to “rally” for two runs without putting the ball in play? Sure. The Fisher Cats drew five walks in the eighth inning to beat the Connecticut Defenders, 2-0, tonight. Luis Sanchez, Todd Donovan, Brian Jeroloman, Brad Emaus and David Cooper all stayed patient and earned free passes.
“We’ve got to get it going, offensively. Everybody knows it,” NH manager Gary Cathcart said. “But thank goodness for the pitching right now.”
Just watched Fisher Cats righty Rei Gonzalez pitch an incredible game (8-2/3 innings, no runs, 71 pitches). Seventy-one pitches! Yet the NH bullpen imploded and the Connecticut Defenders won, 2-0.
Why did manager Gary Cathcart take Gonzalez out of the game? He wanted a lefty-on-lefty matchup when Adam Witter stepped to the plate in the ninth. Oops. That didn’t work, and the Fishers ended up blowing a virtuoso performance from Gonzalez.
“We kind of played the percentages a little bit,” Cathcart said. “(Gonzalez) hadn’t been out there for nine innings. It’s his second start of the year. Cold night. We had to get one left-hander out with two outs and couldn’t do it. It’s a darn shame. That’s as good as you’ll see. We couldn’t get him any runs. It happens.”
Gonzalez scattered five hits and struck out four. No walks. He retired 22 batters on four or fewer pitches. Amazing, really.
“In 15 years of coaching, that’s one of the best performances I’ve seen,” NH pitching coach Tom Signore said. “I have never as a coach gotten a guy into the ninth on that many pitches … That’s his game right there, cutting and dicing with sinkers and cutters. He had them swinging at his pitches.”
Travis Snider’s two-run homer in the eighth inning lifted Toronto past Minnesota, 8-6, tonight. The Franchise had a pair of homers in the game, including the game-winner that soared into the upper deck and through a tunnel.
– Adam Lind’s 12 RBI through seven games tied a Jays’ record.
– RHP Jesse Litsch exited in the fourth inning with forearm tightness.
Toronto prospect 2B Brad Emaus, showing an advanced approach at the plate, tied a club-record with three doubles in the opener. Handsy hitter had eight RBI in the first three games. Missed a big chance today, bouncing into double play with bases loaded and team trailing. Fishers lose, 5-1.
“He’s got a real idea how to hit. Unless you’re a 40-home run guy, you have to be able to use the whole field to be a professional hitter. You see Brad do that in batting practice, and it carries over into games,” NH manager Gary Cathcart said.
CF Sean Shoffit spent his career at shortstop and second base before converting to the outfield last year. The Jays felt he never looked comfortable at second base and felt it was a natural fit to play outfield. Shoffit, at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, has above-average speed and a great arm.
“I love it out there. It’s a good change,” Shoffit said. “It’s a big outfield at this park. We should be able to run some stuff down and make it tough for hitters.”
There appears to be little room for Shoffit in Toronto, stocked with young outfielders, but you have to love the minor-league attitude:
“I definitely have the drive. I’m going to keep preparing every day and keep getting better so they have to put me there (in the majors),” Shoffit said.
OF Todd Donovan is the fastest player on the team and has the green light to steal any base he wants. Only a dozen active minor leaguers have more than 300 career stolen bases, including Donovan.
3B Kyle Phillips has made three errors in four games. It’s a new position for him — and it shows.
“You realize he’s only played four games over there in his life?” manager Gary Cathcart said. “There have been guys who’ve played at third their whole life and still have problems. We’re trying to keep his bat in the lineup. He’ll play anywhere you want him to play. He’s working very hard at it. The big-league club likes his bat.”
The Fisher Cats have dominated their feline foe, the New Britain Rock Cats, for three straight games. New Hampshire goes for its best start in team history (4-0) in today’s home game at 1:05. LHP Luis Perez starts for New Hampshire. Perez has a live arm and some big-league stuff. The Jays put him on their 40-man roster. So the Fishers should be in good shape entering the series finale against New Britain.
How about Adam Lind? The former Eastern League MVP leads the majors with 11 RBI. He had another big game against the Indians last night. The Jays slugger had four RBI and belted an opposite-field homer for his third HR of the season.
– Just noticed Chip Cannon, the Citadel Slugger, signed with Double-A Montgomery (Rays) at age 27.
