Link Report for Saturday 6/6 - Welcome Home, Biloxi!

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO: Biloxi Shuckers infielder Nick Shaw discusses his game-wining hit that lifted his team to a 5-4 14-inning walk-off win.

 

[Mass Haas]

PHOTO GALLERY via the Biloxi Sun-Herald: GINORMOUS! Obviously one of the better galleries we've ever linked to...

 

http://imgick.gulflive.com/home/gulf-media/width960/img/mississippi-press/photo/2015/06/07/-136fb311ebc8d779.jpg

 

June 6, 2015: Biloxi Shuckers manager Carlos Subero (3) directs Biloxi Shuckers pitcher Brent Suter (24) to home plate for the winning run in a 14 inning inaugural home game in MGM Park during the Biloxi Shuckers versus Mobile Baybears baseball game Saturday night at MGM Park, Biloxi, MS. Photos by: Bobby McDuffie / gulflive.com

[Mass Haas]

Pregame power doesn't materialize in MGM Park debut

Shuckers expect new ballpark to be hitter's paradise

By PATRICK OCHS, Biloxi Sun-Herald

 

More photos at the link...

 

BILOXI -- The first crack of the bat Saturday at the brand new MGM Park was accompanied by plenty of excitement - at least from the hitters crowded around the batting cage.

 

Outfielder Michael Reed pulled the first pitch of batting practice down the left field line and well over the netting beyond the yellow 325-foot marker on the wall.

 

"That's history," Biloxi Shuckers manager Carlos Subero crowed from the other side of the batting cage.

 

"I told them, 'hey, why not?' The first swing in the park, why not hit it out?" said Reed, the reigning Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Player of the Month. "I told (hitting coach Sandy Guerrero) to pitch it high and inside.

 

"Like they were saying, the first game is history and will go down in the record books."

 

The wind crossed the outfield from right to left during pregame, turning a few well-struck balls into no-doubters.

 

Once the game started, only two balls even neared the warning track in left-center and none even dared to cut through the humid South Mississippi air with the wind instead blowing from left to right.

 

Whichever way the wind blows, with 350-foot power alleys, players and officials alike expect balls to fly out of the brand new ballpark, but only time will tell.

 

"I don't know if I believe those 350 out there yet. It looks a little further," Milwaukee Brewers GM Doug Melvin said, squinting at the yellow markers in the alleys. "It depends on how the ball carries. Miller Park is a hitter's park, Colorado Springs is a hitter's park.

 

"We'll see what this is."

 

Before leaving the playing surface, Reed had a few last-minute words of advice for those toeing the rubber at MGM Park:

 

"Pitcher, keep it down," he deadpanned.

[Mass Haas]

Shuckers pull off dramatic victory over BayBears

By PATRICK MAGEE, Biloxi Sun-Herald

 

More photos at the link...

 

BILOXI - The Biloxi Shuckers won 33 of 54 on their two-month road trip entering Saturday's contest. On Saturday, they took full advantage of their first genuine home game at MGM Park.

 

Nick Shaw capped a two-run rally with a one-out RBI single in the bottom of the 14th to give the Shuckers a 5-4 victory in the first game ever at MGM Park.

 

Shaw and his teammates credited the crowd of 5,065 Saturday for helping keep the team in the long contest.

 

"(The dugout) was positive the whole night just because of the support we got this afternoon," Shaw said. "Our guys are fighters. We pick each other up. There was never a doubt. Even down a run that inning, we were all pulling for each other."

 

Left-hander Trevor Seidenberger threw two innings to pick up the win for the first-place Shuckers (34-21).

 

Orlando Arcia singled and Nick Ramirez reached on a single error to start the bottom of the 14th to put men on first and third.

 

With one out, pinch hitter Parker Berberet laid down a perfect bunt to first base. Mobile first baseman Rudy Flores fielded the ball cleanly, but his throw home was high and Arcia scored.

 

Shaw set off a celebration among the remaining fans at MGM Park with his game-winning single to right.

 

"It was awesome with the crowd pulling for us," Shaw said. "Normally, the crowd is telling us we're not any good playing on the road. It was fun to have something behind us."

 

Mobile's Mitch Haniger, who played with the Huntsville Stars last year, had an RBI single in the ninth to tie the game and another in the 14th to keep the game going.

 

Ramirez failed to track down a fly ball by Gabriel Guerrero in shallow right with two out in the top of the 14th, giving Mobile runners at first and third.

 

Haniger followed with a single to give the BayBears the 4-3 lead, but it did not stand.

 

Biloxi received another outstanding pitching performance from Tyler Wagner, who has developed into the ace of the staff.

 

Six days after making his Major League debut in a bumpy outing with the Milwaukee Brewers, Wagner gave up one run on six hits in seven innings to improve to 6-1.

 

"It was an awesome way (to open the park)," Wagner said. "We looked for a game like this and it happened."

 

The former Utah star also had a leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth.

 

"The energy was there being able to feed off the fans," Wagner said. "That's something we haven't experienced all year. It was good to have the energy there for 14 innings. The whole team, we had good energy."

 

LSU product Austin Ross came up short in a save opportunity for the Shuckers in the ninth, walking the first man he faced, Gerson Montilla. A two-out single by Haniger brought home Montilla to tie the game at 3-3.

 

Manny Barreda replaced Ross and threw three scoreless innings to maintain the 3-3 tie entering the 13th.

 

BayBears starting pitcher R.J. Hively, an Ole Miss product, proved tough to handle for the Shuckers early in the contest as Kyle Wren's infield single in the bottom of the first was the only Biloxi hit through four innings.

 

With one out in the fifth, Nathan Orf finally figured out the right-hander with a deep drive to right center out of the reach of Mobile centerfielder Socrates Brito. Orf beat the throw into third for his second triple of the season.

 

The next batter up, Taylor Green, grounded out to first and brought Orf home to tie the contest at 1-1.

 

Hively lasted five innings, giving up one run on two hits.

 

Wagner helped himself by doubling to right center off Mobile reliever Derek Eitel to start the bottom of the sixth. The next batter up, Wren, reached when Mobile second baseman Brandon Drury mishandled a grounder and Wren stole second soon after.

 

Tyrone Taylor grounded out to second to plate Wagner and Arcia brought Wren home on a sacrifice fly to left field.

 

After six innings, the Shuckers led 3-1.

 

The Shuckers and BayBears resume the five-game series at 5:10 Sunday at MGM Park. Left-hander Hobbs Johnson (3-2, 3.26) will start for Biloxi and the BayBears will counter with right-handed ace Aaron Blair (5-2, 2.56).

[Mass Haas]

PHOTO GALLERY: Via Biloxi's WLOX

[Mass Haas]

Biloxi Shuckers' homecoming a success for all involved

PATRICK MAGEE, Biloxi Sun-Herald

 

Biloxi Shuckers first baseman Nick Ramirez wandered around the infield at MGM Park Saturday afternoon well before the first fans wandered into the new stadium.

 

First, he took photos with his smart phone. Second, he bounced a ball off the infield dirt to test the surface. Third, he cleared the right field fence with ease during batting practice.

 

What was the slugger's verdict on the Shuckers' new home following a 54-game road trip?

 

"It's awesome," Ramirez said with a wide grin. "It's like the first day of school."

 

Each of the Shuckers echoed Ramirez in heaping praise upon the stadium located directly across the Beau Rivage on U.S. 90.

 

"I think it's kind of in a league of its own," outfielder Michael Reed said. "It's beautiful."

 

All the public debate and concern about progress on stadium construction gave way Saturday to what can easily be described as a rousing success for Biloxi with a sold out crowd.

 

It wasn't always a smooth experience for the players and their fans. Fans escorted players to MGM Park Saturday afternoon only to find the front gate closed to the players. Before the Shuckers' lineup could be announced prior to the game, the sound system went down for about 5 minutes.

 

There were also light moments. Jason Jakimczuk dodged a line drive in the bleachers before picking the ball up and balancing it on top of his beer bottle.

 

While politicians and team owners patted each other on the back, the biggest beneficiaries of the opening of MGM Park Saturday were the players themselves.

 

Even before the Shuckers played a game in front the home fans, they've proven themselves as winners with a first-place standing in the Southern League South.

 

The Shuckers' landing at MGM Park comes at a good time for the team. With a chance to lock up a first-half title in the South, they will end the first half with 10 home games in the next 15 before the all-star break.

 

Most of all for the players, it's simply a relief to have a place to put down their luggage for a while.

 

For the last two months, the Shuckers have simply had to pick up and go after every series.

 

"You kind of a have sense of home, a home without a home" Shuckers catcher Adam Weisenburger said. "As ball players, that's always the case. Even though you might be renting, it's nice to call it your bed for the time being."

 

Shuckers manager Carlos Subero was just as thrilled as his players about the new stadium.

 

He especially appreciated the new offices for coaches and the locker room.

 

"It makes all this time away from home worth it," Subero said. "I think everybody in general is excited. Even people in the front office. They're excited to have a brand new ballpark for kids to develop in a great environment. It's very important to the city and they've been very supportive. Hopefully this will have an impact on the players' development."

 

While the success of MGM Park will be determined in the years to come and there's still a good deal of work to be done on the stadium, it's off to a good start.

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO: Construction crews and Shuckers staff worked through the night to get ready for game day

[Mass Haas]

[igor67]

I slightly share TheCrew's disappointment that Gatewood is stringing some decent hitting together right before Helena opens, but if all that means is that he has learned somethings through the struggles and he is going to go down to Helena and have a good season that is not a bad outcome for a high risk teenage prospect.

 

I wonder if Scooter is doing enough to be close to coming back up?

 

Also I wonder if Ratterree might be that missing offensive piece that can help Brevard get over the hump in the second half?

[WV Brew]

Scooter is at .806 OPS while Sardinas was .710 at Colorado Springs. Sardinas is OPSing .476 with the Brewers. Of course, Sardinas is quicker and has a stronger arm. His defense is better. If you look at their respective hitting stats, Gennett wins every time. True, he had a horrible start to the year but Sardinas isn't doing any better.

 

Odd makeup of the Manatees now. They have 5 outfielders and 3 catchers but only one extra infielder. I would think that has to be fixed at some point.

[molitor fan]

Preferred name of the Biloxi mayor = FoFo

 

Length of the first home game in Biloxi = 4:44

 

I smell a conspiracy