Link Report for Tue. 9/8 -- Manatees Sink in Tampa, Now Do-or-Die

[Mass Haas]

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[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Manatees ready for postseason

BY MARK DeCOTIS

FLORIDA TODAY

 

The Brevard County Manatees begin their quest for their first outright Florida State League championship tonight with as good a team as they've had in years, at least statistically.

 

But statistics don't win games. Players do. And Manatees Manager Mike Guerrero has got his share.

 

He's got four midseason and postseason all-stars in pitcher Amaury Rivas (second in league in victories with 13), center fielder and league batting leader Logan Schafer (.313 average), right fielder Caleb Gindl and second baseman and league steals leader Eric Farris (70). But more importantly he's got a team of players who watch out for each other.

 

"They leave their egos outside and play like a team and that's what good teams do," Guerrero said.

 

"This team is not just a team on the field, they're a team in the clubhouse, off the field and everything they do they're just a great bunch of guys. They care for each other and they try to push each other."

 

The Manatees earned the playoff spot by winning the league's North Division first half title with ease and will face a Tampa team that clinched the second half in a walk, winning 47 of 66 games.

 

Guerrero will try to slow the Yankees with a pitching rotation of right-hander Mark Rogers, Rivas and Evan Anundsen, but doesn't plan on doing anything different.

 

"Is it (playoffs) more important, it is," he said. "But we are going to approach the games the same way we've done and knowing we're trying to win every ballgame we can the right way."

 

And given that Guerrero's task has been, is and always will be, in Class A, to develop ballplayers, a situation might arise where that takes a back seat to winning in the postseason.

 

"Playoffs are part of developing too," Guerrero said. "You want your players to be in that situation so when they get to the big leagues they already have experienced those kinds of situations."

 

The Manatees have managed many of the situations they have faced this season, standing 79-48 overall, the league's second-best record to South Division champion Fort Myers.

 

They've hit well, pitched well and in most cases fielded well. But then again, so has Tampa. The Manatees did win the season series, 10-5.

 

To that end, Guerrero believes it will come down to execution.

 

"If we are able to pitch and play defense and be fundamentally sound and run the bases the way we do we're going to win," he said. "Who ever does that is going to win."

 

Additional Facts

Brevard County vs. Tampa

Florida State League postseasonBest-of-three divisional playoff (all times listed Central)

6 p.m. today at Tampa

6:05 p.m. Wed. vs. Tampa at Space Coast Stadium

6:05 p.m. Thursday vs. Tampa at Space Coast Stadium, if necessary

Tickets: $5. Parking free.

 

Note: Best-of-five FSL Championship Series begins Sept. 11. Games one and two in North Division team's (Manatees or Tampa) home park.

[Mass Haas]

Brevard County Manatees players (standing, left to right) Caleb Gindl, Amaury Rivas, Logan Schafer and Eric Farris (on ground). (Photo by Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY)
http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20090908&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=909080320&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

[Mass Haas]

Tuesday's Menu:

Times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: Season complete

 

Huntsville: Playoffs begin Thursday

Brevard County: RHP Mark Rogers at Tampa (Yankees), 5:45 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime; game one in a best-of-three series

Live Audio Link -- Thank You Stephen Smith of SpaceCoastBaseball.com

 

Wisconsin: Season complete

 

Helena: First, it's the completion of August 31st's game, which was halted by lightning, scoreless after one inning; then, it's the regularly scheduled nightcap, each contest now slated for seven innings, at Great Falls (White Sox), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime -- expect RHP Jake Odorizzi in the opener and RHP Andre Lamontagne in game two

Live Audio Link

 

Arizona Summer League: Season complete

 

Dominican Summer League Brewers / Orioles: Season complete

[Mass Haas]

Follow Tuesday's action as it happens:

Brevard County:

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&gid=2009_09_08_breafa_tbyafa_1&cid=503&t=g_box

Helena Completion of Suspended Game:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2009_08_31_helrok_grfrok_1&did=t433&sid=t433

Helena Regularly Scheduled Game:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2009_09_08_helrok_grfrok_1&did=t433&sid=t433

[Mass Haas]

Link Report Bonus:

 

The bad with the good

 

Jennifer Heether met her husband, Adam, in high school. He was a star on the Ripon (Calif.) baseball and football team, and she wasn't into it.

 

"It turned me off more than anything, so I just didn't give him much of my attention," she said.

 

But one thing that can be said about many athletes is they are tenacious, and two weeks before Adam moved to Alaska to play ball, he and Jennifer started dating. They were engaged right after he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers organization, and for the last five years she traveled with her husband, who now plays for the Nashville Sounds.

 

"There is so much excitement in seeing your spouse follow his dream," she said. "It's become my dream even though it never would have been."

 

***

 

Adam mentioned Jennifer in my 2006 interview with him. So even if the Brewers won't heed our call and reward you with a 40-man spot, Adam, please know we're rooting for you.

[trwi7]

Just confirmed on the broadcast that Gindl is out for the postseason.

[trwi7]

Rogers struggling early. Fell behind the first hitter 3-1 but got him to ground out. Then he gave up a bloop, wild pitch, stolen base and now two walks. Bases loaded only one out and Rogers at 18 pitches.

 

Edit: three walks, two hits, two runs and a 30 pitch inning for Rogers.

[Mass Haas]

Mark just surrendered a home run to lead off the 2nd inning, now 3-0 -- he picked the wrong night for his first uneven outing in ages.

[Mass Haas]

Interesting to hear Stephen discuss Manatee catcher Martin Maldonado -- with his longtime ties to the Angels' organization, Stephen is aware of Maldonado's very early pro years there before his release and subsequent signing with the Brewers.

[battlekow]

Well, at least we know Rogers' arm is okay:

speaking of radar, hadn't seen mark rogers this year and in tonight's playoff start, my gun said he hit 95, brevard gun said 98.

[twobrewers]

Brevard County with 11 hits. All singles.

 

Logan Schafer was 2 for 5 with two outfield assists at home plate.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Tampa (Yankees) 11, Brevard County 5 -- Tampa leads best-of-three series, 1-0; game two, and if necessary, game three in Brevard

 

The Yankees' Brandon Laird had a perfect 4-for-4 night at the plate with five RBIs and two runs scored.

 

Brevard County Box Score

Brewer pitchers walked eight (Mark Rogers four), hit two batters, and allowed 14 hits (four for extra bases); Manatees closed it to 6-4 after six innings (Brent Brewer struck out with the bases loaded to end the 6th); RHP Mark Willinsky and LHP Brandon Ritchie struggled in a four-run Yankee 7th to ice the win for Tampa; Milwaukee missed out on RF Daniel Brewer out of Bradley University, posting an .828 OPS in combined A-ball stops in '09; every Manatee reached base at least once, but as noted above, no power bats in this one...

 

Brevard County Game Log

Two walks really came back to bite LHP Daniel Merklinger in the 5th; three Yankees were tagged out at the plate by Martin Maldonado -- Steffan Wilson threw one out in the 1st from right field, and Logan Schafer, as noted, threw out two, one via a Brent Brewer relay throw...

 

NOTE: RHP Brandon Rapoza was wearing #30. Somehow his jersey was left behind in Brevard, so he wore #30 instead of his standard #16. The Tampa PA announcer, obviously just reading off of the Manatee roster, announced him into the game as Jeremy Jeffress. The mistake was quickly taken care of and changed in the box score.

 

By the way, I was able to listen in for two hours, through six innings. Stephen did a nice job for us -- he's not a broadcaster, but certainly did not stumble over his words, and showed a lifelong passion for minor league baseball. Articulate and knowlegeable, if not with the emotion that a playoff broadcast might have normally when delivered by a year-long play-by-play voice. But the effort was certainly appreciated, and with a Milwaukee matinee Wednesday, it is hoped more get a chance to listen to him Wednesday evening back at Space Coast.

[Mass Haas]

Final, completion of suspended game: Great Falls (White Sox) 4, Helena 2

Independent Record:

The Voyagers used a three-run sixth inning to take the first game of the night from the Brewers 4-2, continuing an Aug. 31 contest in Great Falls that was suspended in the bottom of the first due to nearby lightning.

Voyager Rob Cummings knocked a two-run home run during the sixth.

Pioneer League All-Star Brandon Kloess and Nelson Curry combined for seven innings of two-run ball in relief of Great Falls starter J.R. Ballinger. The pair combined to allow five hits and strike out 10. Curry picked up the win, improving to 5-3.

Tyler Roberts homered and tripled in the losing effort for Helena. He was the only player with multiple hits.

Andre Lamontagne fell to 2-4 with the loss.

Helena Game One Box ScoreVoyagers stole seven bases in eight attempts, meanwhile...

 

Helena Game One Game Log

How not to steal bases --

 

Helena Top 2nd

• Pitcher Change: Brandon Kloess replaces Jimmy Ballinger.
• Defensive Substitution: Jordan Cheatham replaces right fielder Ryan Hamme, batting 2nd, playing right field.
• Sean Halton called out on strikes.
• Cameron Garfield singles on a line drive to left fielder Nicholas Ciolli.
• With Joseph Paciorek batting, Cameron Garfield caught stealing 2nd base, catcher Chase Blackwood to shortstop Matthew Harughty.
• Joseph Paciorek walks.
• With Michael Roberts batting, Joseph Paciorek caught stealing 2nd base, catcher Chase Blackwood to shortstop Matthew Harughty.

[Mass Haas]

Final, regularly scheduled game: Helena 4, Great Falls 3

The first game actually was played through nine innings, this one went seven...

 

Helena Independent Record:

GREAT FALLS - The newly playoff-ineligible Helena Brewers salvaged a split with the hosting Voyagers in a Pioneer League doubleheader at Centene Stadium on Tuesday night.

 

The Brewers scored three runs in the top of the fifth and held off a late rally for the 4-3 win in the night's seven-inning latter contest.

 

Chad Stang, Michael Marseco and Chris Ellington each singled in a Helena run during the decisive fifth inning.

 

The Brewers pounded Voyagers Pioneer League All-Star starter Matt Wickswat for eight hits and four runs in just over four innings.

 

Wickswat, who fell to 2-2, was hurt by three Great Falls errors.

 

Robert Currie picked up the win in relief for Helena, improving to 4-2.

 

Sean Halton singled twice for the Brewers.

 

Helena Game Two Box Score

RHP Jake Odorizzi gets the taste of his last starts debacle out with a good effort here, aided by LHP Kristian Bueno stranding two runners in the 5th for him; big, 22-year-old 13th round first baseman Sean Halton (stats) could walk more, but has raked otherwise...

 

Helena Game Two Game Log

Edgar Trejo pinch-run for after moving to 2nd base on a sacrifice bunt -- odd timing; "Curry" won Game One, "Currie" Game Two...

[SpaceCoastBaseball]

Mass Haas wrote:

 

By the way, I was able to listen in for two hours, through six innings. Stephen did a nice job for us -- he's not a broadcaster, but certainly did not stumble over his words, and showed a lifelong passion for minor league baseball. Articulate and knowlegeable, if not with the emotion that a playoff broadcast might have normally when delivered by a year-long play-by-play voice. But the effort was certainly appreciated, and with a Milwaukee matinee Wednesday, it is hoped more get a chance to listen to him Wednesday evening back at Space Coast.

 

Thanks for listening. I did a Google search last night and found several boards where people mentioned listening. It was all a very much last-minute effort. When I found out the Manatees had no radio and were going to the playoffs, I proposed webcasting the games through MiLB.com. They said yes. So I went out and bought a $40 gaming headset that I could plug into a USB port on my laptop.

 

As for lack of emotion ... Well, if truth be told, I was very sick with a bad cold during the last homestand and the playoffs. The night in question, my wife drove us over to Tampa and any time not at the ballpark was spent in bed at the hotel trying to rest. That night was probably the worst night of the illness. Even when healthy, though, I'm not a big fan of the modern style of broadcasting where announcers go over the top for the most trivial of events. I grew up listening to Vin Scully and Dick Enberg, who most definitely influence my style. Scully rarely got emotional, and he was a minimalist -- for example, Kirk Gibson's home run in the 1988 World Series: "High fly ball to deep right field, she is gone!" What else do you need to know. Scully was adamantly against too much emotion on the air; his job was to tell you what he saw. Finally, I'd promised the Tampa Yankees I'd call it fairly balanced in exchange for access to their broadcast booth, and also as a courtesy to their fans who might be listening as they had no radio contract either.

 

It was fun to do, as a service to the players' parents and the fans for both teams.