Link Report for Games of Thursday, April 8th

[MassBrew]

Looks like folks across the country are going to miss SportsTicker, no longer providing box score and other updates.

 

Just about every team's site is making use of the new "sportsnetwork.com", but first night results are shoddy.

 

Midnight a "witching" hour here, so catch you in the AM.

 

A Maverick win would make it a perfect day for the organization, but it's 6-3 Lancaster after 5.5 innings. Newcomer RHP Glenn Woolard (Franklin/Estrella trade) came on for Khalid Ballouli, who only lasted two innings. Woolard's gone three thus far, allowing two runs (one on a HR).

 

Maverick players battled the sunset early on, and a typical Lancaster wind (remember, they play in 'the Hangar') and have really struggled on fly balls.

 

High Desert batters have walked seven times through six innings (a good thing), but are also striking out and stranding runners.

[huntsvillefan]

For those night owls who can't wait, the offensive highlights were a 3 run homer by Ryan Knox and a solo homer and a double from Kade. Barney ran from first to home on a single to give the insurance run.

There weren't many defensive highlights, but the pitching was good, especially Ford and Novisco. The rest of the defense was distinctly wobbly.

Surprisingly, from what I'd read, Prince looked absolutely solid at first and did well on several erratically thrown balls from Weeks. Only the second time I've seen Gwynn and he didn't have much chance to show his defense, but from what little I've seen so far his arm seems inferior to Krynzels.

But a great start and they kept it exciting until the end, I'm hoping for a lot more nights like tonight.

[huntsvillefan]

for all those more awake than I am - we haven't got a new pitcher - I just can't spell Novinsky

[THE HD BP]

This may be a good omen as the Mavs have won the last couple of openers and obviously haven't done very well afterwards. Switch up the Karma and they very well might have a good summer.

Mavs gave up 4 homers, but the one pitcher that definately impressed was the newcomer Glenn Woolard whose knuckle curve looked nasty. I can see him working his way into the starting rotation as soon as Queenie and JC have watched him pitch for a couple of weeks. Offensively the Mavs are going to be exciting on the basepaths this year and hopefully as the guys settle in to the Cal League the bats will come alive. A couple more Ks than you would like to see and the wind is definately going to take a little time for the guys to get used to, but all in all not a bad opener for the guys.

I believe Eric Henderson will be getting the nod for the Mavs tomorrow nightt, and hopefully all the broadcast bugs will be worked out so you guys will have the pleasure of listening to Roxy broadcast tomorrow night.

[DHonks]

Indy Boxscore :

 

Although he's one of my favorite prospects, welcome to AAA Mr. Krynzel (0-5, 4k's)

 

That's the only one up as of now, and I'm off to bed - DHonks

 

From MassBrew:

 

It's going to be easier to read if I link to these morning box scores and not cut and paste -- game logs this year, too!

 

Indy Box Score:

Adrian Hernandez, it's a short leash -- check out Victor Santos and Matt Wise; Chris Coste gets the 3B start over Scott Sheldon and hits cleanup; J.J. Hardy down low in the lineup...

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=14040

 

Indy Game Log:

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=14040

[MassBrew]

NORFOLK, Va. -- Bolstered by Chris Magruder's solo home run in the eighth inning, the Indianapolis Indians rallied Thursday night for their seventh consecutive victory on an opening day, edging the Norfolk Tides 2-1.

 

Tribe pitchers Victor Santos, Matt Wise, Chris Michalak and Jason Childers combined to strike out 10 hitters. The group allowed just five hits, including a solo home run by right fielder Victor Diaz off starter Santos in the fourth inning.

 

The Tribe's victory spoiled the performance of Logansport, Ind., native Aaron Heilman, the starting pitcher for the Tides. Heilman gave up a run and three hits and struck out nine in 52/3 innings.

 

Indianapolis tied the score in the sixth inning. With two outs, Chris Coste walked, reached second on Jeff Liefer's single to center, then scored on Corey Hart's flare to right field.

 

The Tribe scored the winning run in the eighth when Magruder homered to left field.

 

"In a tight ballgame, I'm looking to get on base," Magruder said. "On the first pitch, I was looking to drag a bunt and missed. I realized I made a mistake and came back and hit the next one out."

 

Indianapolis manager Cecil Cooper in the ninth inning inserted closer Childers, who shut down the Tides in order for the save.

 

Wise, who relieved Santos in the fifth inning, picked up the win. Wise worked 3 2/3 innings and did not surrender a hit while striking out four.

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

April 8, 2004 ? On a historic night in the Rocket City, the Stars ushered in their 20th anniversary season with a win over a brand new team, the Montgomery Biscuits. The combo of Matt Ford?s pitching and long balls from Ryan Knox and Kade Johnson sparked Huntsville to a 5-4 win over Montgomery on Thursday night at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

With his family listening on the internet in Florida, Ford celebrated his 23rd birthday with no-hit ball. Ford fanned four and walked two while allowing only an unearned run. Ford retired nine straight batters before a leadoff walk in the fourth and threw 50 strikes among 73 pitches over five frames.

 

Knox snapped a scoreless tie in the third, launching a 3-1 offering from Jamie Shields into the teeth of a stiff wind blowing off the leftfield wall. Knox's three-run homer was just the third hit of the night off Shields.

 

After the Biscuits scored the first run in team history - an unearned tally in the fourth, the result of Enrique Cruz's drop at second base on Joey Guthright's attempted steal - Huntsville recouped the run on Johnson's monster, fourth-inning solo shot. Johnson sent Shield's 2-2 pitch deep to left-center for a 4-1 Stars lead.

 

In the sixth, the Biscuits cashed in a single and a walk with a pair of run-scoring singles, one each by Jose Velasquez and Juan Salas. The Biscuits took advantage of another Stars miscue - Johnson's errant throw to second on a Guthright stolen base - and Paul Stewart's untimely wild pitch.

 

With its lead trimmed to 4-3, Huntsville scored a crucial insurance run in the home sixth, when T.P. Waligora plunked Chris Barnwell with two outs. Barnwell took off on a 1-2 pitch to Jason Belcher, who squeezed a ground-single through the open hole at second base. When the throw came into second, Barnwell never hesitated around third, beating the relay home for a 5-3 Stars advantage.

 

Despite a two-out error by Barnwell that led to an unearned run, Roberto Giron picked up his first Huntsville save since 2002, recording the final three outs to secure a 5-4 win. Giron worked only the ninth and allowed one hit. Shields took the loss, surrendering four runs on four hits and three walks while fanning three in 4 2/3 innings.

 

Huntsville sends lefty Jeff Housman (0-0, 0.00) against Montgomery right-hander Scott Autrey (0-0, 0.00). Game time is 7:05 p.m. for a Pepsi Fireworks Friday at Joe Davis Stadium.

[MassBrew]

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Update:

 

Had this been a playoff game, I would really have had a bad feeling about what happened in the 9th inning.

Roberto Giron had gotten two quick outs for the Stars in the top of the 9th. One out away from a 5-3 victory in the Stars season opener, Juan Salas hit a 1-1 grounder to Chris Barnwell, who moved over to the hole on his left, fielded the ball easily, and had plenty of time to throw to Prince Fielder for the final out. But Barnwell aimed his submarine throw wide of Fielder's outstretched glove and Salas took the turn and made second. Mistakes like these oftimes fuels opponents to rally to victory after defeat looks so certain. It's happened so many times before. I've seen it and so have you.

 

The next Montgomery batter, Amado German (impressive in left field tonight), rapped a single into right field to score Salas, and now the Biscuits were down only by a run. The tying run was on first and Brian Martin was the batter. Martin earned his promotion to Double-A by hitting personal highs in average, doubles, HRs, RBIs, slugging, and stolen bases last year at Class A - Bakersfield (Cal.).

 

Had this been a playoff game, the gods would probably have seen to it that the Biscuits would rally to a win in the first Southern League game in their history. But that didn't happen. Martin chopped a chest high grounder to Barnwell, who cautiously it seemed, fielded the ball and moved in on the infield grass toward first before making his throw to Fielder. In plenty of time. The Huntsville Stars won their first Opening Day game in three years, 5-4, spoiling the night for quite a few Biscuit fans who made the trip up from Montgomery for their historic night. Aw shucks.

 

Barny's near-fatal error enabled him to become one of the heroes of this game.

 

He provided what turned out to be the all-important insurance run in the 6th, when after being hit in the back by T.P. Waligora's pitch, Barnwell took off on a 1-2 pitch to Jason Belcher, who squeezed a ground-single through the open hole at second base........ When the throw came into second, Barnwell never hesitated around third, beating the relay home for a 5-3 Stars advantage........ Frankieball is back!! Chris never hesitated on what was exceptionally daring baserunning. Shades of Enos Slaughter!

 

Though the quick nighttime cool-off made me wish I had a light jacket, and some had enough foresight, the weather was beautiful for the Stars' 20th opener. It was 77° when the gates opened to the fans, a few clouds dotting the sky. The crowd looked larger than the 2,517 that was announced. Maybe they're counting real people this year. And as expected, they trickled in. Much of the concentration was on the third base side of the lower concourse, where the loyalists and regulars camp out. More noise was made though from the dozens of Montgomery fans on the first base side, proud of their new caps, facsimile uniforms, and T-shirts displaying the name "Biscuits". They brought yellow banners, yellow hankies, yellow anything to match the Parkay yellow lettering of the Montgomery uniforms, set against their navy blue uniforms. TV crews were all over the place, of course, even a crew from WSFA in Montgomery. After introductions of both teams, the game started nearly 10 minutes late.

 

With his family listening in on the internet on his 23rd birthday, Matt Ford quietly held the Doughboys hitless in his five innings of work. After setting the first nine in order, getting three strikeouts in the first two innings, he walked Joey Gathright to lead off the 4th. Before making the first pitch to Tampa's top prospect, B.J. Upton, Gathright took off. Ford threw to first and it looked like Gathright was a dead duck. Fielder threw to Enrique Cruz covering second base, but Cruz dropped his throw. Upton, after fouling off a pitch, sacrificed him to third, and Gathright scored the Biscuits' first run on a grounder by Jose Velazquez........ I wasn't impressed at all by Cruz tonight, but it's early........ Ford threw 73 pitches tonight, 50 for strikes.

 

History repeated itself with Paul Stewart on the mound for the Stars in the 6th inning --- his first appearance since the last game of the 2002 season. An low throw by Kade Johnson allowed Gathright, who reached on a fielder's choice, to steal second. Gathright was driven in again by Velazquez on a broken bat single to left. Stew threw 24 pitches in an unsteady, almost fateful inning of work. Velazquez reached 2nd on a wild pitch by Stewart, then tried to score on a single to left by Juan Salas, but Ryan Knox's strong throw to Kade Johnson was on the money as Kade made the tag on the sliding runner........ John Novinsky, making his debut for the Huntsville Stars, retired six straight to set up Roberto Giron's first save since September 1, 2002.

 

Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and Tony Gwynn Jr. will have their night to shine, but tonight, it was the old guard from last year that gets the laurels....... Ryan Knox opened the scoring in the 3rd by getting every piece of a 3-and-1 pitch from Jamie Shields and driving it high over the left field wall for a 3-run homer........ In the 5th, Kade Johnson, whose 12th inning home run beat Carolina in Game 2 of the Southern League Championship, picked up where he left off with a home run to left-center that fell under the scoreboard, to give the Stars a 4-1 lead........ And of course, Chris Barnwell, as I said, gave the Stars their final and as it turned out, most important run on Jason Belcher's single to right

 

Tony Gwynn, Jr. nearly had a double to the track in left to lead off the Stars' 1st inning, but Amado German, who chased after his hard-hit liner too soon, wound up leaning over his head to make the blind catch......... German stole another extra-base hit in the 4th when he raced to the track to steal a double on Barnwell's drive into "the black hole" in left-center......... Rickie Weeks had the season's first hit for the Stars --- a generous scoring decision --- when he hit a worm-killer to 3rd baseman Salas. The ball hit either off his glove or something in the dirt, probably the former, and bounded high over his head and off to his left. Salas was facing the wrong direction when the ball landed behind him on the dirt between second and third....... Both Weeks and Fielder saw diets of breaking balls and off-speed pitches. The off-speed stuff was very effective in getting Fielder, who struck out three times in his four at-bats tonight........ Weeks had his first, what I call legitimate hit, in the 8th on a leadoff double that literally hugged the chalkline near the first base bag, and turned into foul territory. He went to third on Brandon Gemoll's grounder to first, but was stranded there........ Both Gwynn and Weeks read the pitcher well as they turned on the burners on stolen base attempts tonight, although only Gwynn, wearing Dave Krynzel's old #11, was successful.

 

Huntsville sends lefty Jeff Housman (0-0, 0.00) against Montgomery right-hander Scott Autrey (0-0, 0.00). Game time is 7:05 p.m. for a Pepsi Fireworks Friday at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

Brad Nelson, out with a sore knee that he injured sliding during the last days of spring, is available to pinch-hit, but won't be called upon to start until Monday........ Johnny Raburn became the 500th Huntsville Star to appear in a game when he took Jason Belcher's place in right field in the 8th inning....... Tonight's crowd reversed a three-year decline in attendance on Opening Day, but only by nine people from last year...... The Stars are now 12-8 in season openers and 5-3 when they opened the season at home. It's only the 3rd one-run game in an opener in their history and the first one-run victory since 1996......... Corey Hart drove in a run in his debut for the Indianapolis Indians, who won on Chris Magruder's 7th inning solo HR. Dave Krynzel wore the golden sombrero, striking out four times. J.J. Hardy went 0-for-4 in his Triple-A debut and Matt Childers picked up the save.

 

The erection date for Joe Davis's new scoreboard has been pushed back to May 1, the start of a home series with the Diamond Jaxx.

[MassBrew]

David's boxscore is one of the only online right now for this game:

 

www.starsboxscore.com/

[MassBrew]

High Desert' s Box:

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=19005

 

High Desert Game Log:

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=18025

[MassBrew]

Beloit's Box:

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12461

 

Beloit Game Log:

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12461

[squarepusher]

Here are some photos of the Beloit home opener, courtesy madbad2000:

 

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/other/DSC00415.JPG

 

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/other/DSC00422.JPG

 

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/other/DSC00424.JPG

 

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/other/DSC00425.JPG

 

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/other/DSC00426.JPG

[futurefan]

Just for the sake of fairness. Dave was replaced for his last at bat and by Nunnelly who should be awarded the last K. Dave was 0 -4 whith 3 k's. Hart with 2 singles. Hardy 0 - 4 but 8 defensive plays for the Indians.

[madbad2000]

Photo explanation: Eveland pitching, weird colored Swing jerseys, that is Lou Palmisano #30 and Steve Moss to the left of him.

[MassBrew]

Thanks for the box score clarification, futurefan. We should remember that they're not guaranteed 100%.

 

That being said, still a tough night for Mr. Krynzel. That's not projecting anything beynd that, just saying it was a tough night.

 

Here's the Daily Press High Desert Game Story:

 

www.vvdailypress.com/cgi-...991,82222,

 

High Desert and Beloit newspaper articles retain good linkage for over a year, so no need to cut and paste the text here...

[igor67]

Nice to see Kade getting off to a good start. We mgiht justifiably still be skeptical of him, but between injuries, original potential, and being a catcher him developing into atleast a decent back-up catcher wouldn't be a total shock. Loved Ford's line. I think today earns an offical Brewerfan warm fuzzy.

[brewmann04]

It nice to see Corey hart hitting the ball but was wondering how is he adjusting to the outfield.

Got to like the way wise has started, as well ad Matt ford

[MassBrew]

Fine account here with quotes and news from the Beloit Daily News:

 

www.beloitdailynews.com/404/snap9.htm

[MassBrew]

Rodney Nye of the Tides slides into Indianapolis second baseman Matt Erickson in a failed attempt to break up a double play in the fourth inning Thursday night at Harbor Park.

 

http://media.hamptonroads.com/images/sports/tides04opener.jpg

[MassBrew]

Montgomery second baseman Fernando Cortez waits for the throw as Huntsville's Rickie Weeks dives into second base during the season opener on Thursday.

 

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/images/news_daily/040904/SPORTS_biscuits409_1.jpg

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Times Game Story:

 

Homers lift Stars in debut

By PAUL GATTIS

Times Sports Staff pgattis@htimes.com

 

Sometimes, it helps to be a little anonymous.

 

That's sort of the way Ryan Knox felt just before swatting a three-run home run Thursday night that sent the Huntsville Stars rolling to a 5-4 season-opening win over Montgomery.

 

With two outs, two runners on base and Knox having worked his way to a 3-1 count, he knew what was coming next from Biscuits pitcher Jamie Shields.

 

Fastball over the plate. And then Knox put it over the left field fence for a 3-0 lead in the third inning.

 

"I was sitting on a fastball," Knox said. "I knew with the best hitter in the minor leagues behind me, that he was coming at me."

 

Yes, sometimes it helps to be a little anonymous with Prince Fielder - the Milwaukee Brewers' No. 1 prospect, according to Baseball America - standing in the on-deck circle.

 

And even if the Stars opened their 20th season in Huntsville loaded with baseball's household names of the future, the opening night crowd of 2,517 at Joe Davis Stadium saw that you don't have to have a big name to swing a big bat in handing the Biscuits a loss in their inaugural game.

 

Knox spent much of last season at Triple-A Indianapolis, but found his way back to the Double-A Stars this year because of overcrowding in the outfield at the next level.

 

But even with the disappointment, he still produced.

 

"That's a credit to him," Stars manager Frank Kremblas said. "He's been around long enough that he knows how to deal with it. He's a professional."

 

Indeed, even as Fielder's much-anticipated arrival in Huntsville resulted in three strikeouts, his less-heralded teammates provided their own spark.

 

Catcher Kade Johnson was 2-for-3 with a home, double and two runs scored. And Matt Ford pitched five no-hit innings before reaching his pitch count and leaving the game.

 

"And it's my birthday today, which makes it even better," said Ford, who turned 23 on Thursday.

 

For Johnson, he started this season at Joe Davis Stadium much like he ended last season. His 12th-inning, walk-off home run gave the Stars a win in Game 2 of the Southern League championship series.

 

Then Johnson doubled in his first at-bat this season and homered in his second.

 

"I'm a different hitter this year," Johnson said. "I've worked hard to quiet down my swings a little."

 

That doesn't mean a softer approach to hitting, just a more calm and confident approach.

 

Meanwhile, Ford appeared intent on quickly returning to the major leagues - which is where he spent last year as a Rule 5 draft selection by Milwaukee. That required his presence with the Brewers all season even though he needed a little more seasoning in the minors.

 

His right elbow, which ended his season last July because of a sprain, also appeared fit and was declared "100 percent" by Ford.

 

"It was like pretty much everything was on," said Ford, who struck out four, walked two and allowed an unearned run. "I was keeping everything down in the strike zone.

 

"It's always better to get off to a good start and build your confidence up."

 

And that goes for everyone: The supposed anonymous and the supposed not-so-anonymous.

[lend d money]

Hey Roco, I saw that ball you were talking about that was hit to RF last night. However, that was Trefholtz(not Anderson) out there. Given his speed, I was amazed he wasn't even close to the ball. I can only assume he got a bad read or lost in the lights. As you said, he was frozen stiff.

 

My initial impressions are this will be a down year for the Snappers. When more than half of your outs are recorded by strikeout and only two of six hits leave the infield, that speaks volumes for the "hitting". The Swing players were hitting ropes into the outfield and several on the track. Plus, the first three pitchers the Swing(gosh, I hate that name) threw out there were no good. If the guy who finished for the Swing, starts, we don't win. I would say savor the Culvers coupon from last night because there won't be too many more seven run games for the Snappers. Their offense appears to be very dependent on bunts and walks. IIRC, Guilder Rodriguez attempted a bunt for a hit in all but one plate appearance. I get the impression he couldn't beat Kenard Bibbs in a "long-distance" hitting contest. Ramirez doesn't seem to extend his arms when he swings.(BTW, the program had him listed at 165 pounds, he's gotta be close to 2 bills). Having seen Moss play last year, I'm not going to sound off any alarms on him, but as madbad stated at least swing the bat when you K, three times looking is no good.

 

From the pitching side, Eveland didn't appear to be the type who would knock the bat out of your hand, but threw fairly consistent strikes with movement. Morreira, who followed him, was pretty much the exact opposite(hard and straight).

 

All in all, I think the Snappers will be very dependent upon their pitching this year if they are to have any success at all. However, we have to remember our first two picks from last year are already in AA(one not deserving, but I will digress for now). When you take that into consideration, perhaps we should not have great expectations for this team.

[MassBrew]

Mark McCarter's Column from the Huntsville Times:

 

Knox's knock biggest hit on night of firsts

 

One baseball may still there right now, sitting in the high grass or swimming in the concrete ditch behind the outfield fence, unless some silly scavenger managed to pick it out from among the batting practice balls socked out there.

 

Meanwhile, several baseballs are flying off to history, bearing a shiny space-age sticker.

 

Somewhere, some day, some collector of obscure baseball memorabilia will have those on a mantel or in a case or between the beer taps and margarita machine in a sports bar.

 

One baseball in a ditch.

 

One baseball on a mantel.

 

Guess which one's worth most?

 

Nobody's collecting Ryan Knox souvenirs.

 

But the one he deposited beyond the left field fence proved the most valuable of the night. It was a three-run homer that propelled the Stars to an opening night win over the Montgomery Biscuits.

 

Get it out of the way quickly:

 

The Stars baked the Biscuits. The Biscuits pitcher was in a jam when he gave up the homer to Knox. For Stars pitcher Matt Ford, he was smooth as butter against the Biscuits.

 

OK. Enough already.

 

Considering the historic nature of the event, this inaugural Biscuits game - they were right out of the oven - Major League Baseball had a representative on hand to snatch some souvenirs.

 

Rebecca Horn works in the Birmingham office of the accounting firm Deloitte Touche. Her company has been enlisted by MLB to attend games across the country and be the authenticator of various pieces of memorabilia. She sat in the front row, near the Stars dugout, a sheaf of papers in her lap, a roll of hologram stickers in hand.

 

For instance, the first pitch ever in a Biscuits game, the ball was immediately removed from play and labeled with a sticker. Horn also had a list of players for whom various "firsts" were to be collected. She didn't feel right revealing the list.

 

Ryan Knox, the 26-year-old who was the odd man out when Triple-A Indianapolis ended up with a surplus of outfielders, was pretty sure he wasn't on it. "I'm a happy role player right now,'' he said.

 

But his was the biggest hit of the night.

 

"I felt we were a little nervous and I think that jump-started us,'' Knox said. "It let some guys take some more aggressive hacks. It was like, 'OK, we can start hitting now.' ''

 

You can't help steal from the credit card commercial now:

 

First pitch thrown to a Biscuit: $750

 

Ball from Rickie Weeks' first Double-A hit: $500

 

Tony Gwynn Jr. game-worn cap: $300

 

Knox home run ball: Priceless.

 

For the record, Rickie Weeks did have two hits, but Tony Gwynn Jr. went 0-for-3, Prince Fielder 0-for-4 and Biscuits megaprospect B.J. Upton 0-for-2.

 

Knox is undergoing radical surgery in his swing under the direction of manager Frank Kremblas. "From the ground up,'' Kremblas said. Literally. They're working to get Knox's lower body more into his swing, which in turn increases bat speed.

 

Which in turn provided an invaluable home run.

 

"Skipper had been changing my swing around the last couple of weeks with zero success,'' Knox said. "It was good to finally almost vindicate him and what he's trying to change. It came all together on that one swing. I said, 'Wow, it kinda works.' ''

 

Knox would disagree a tad with those who might find his home run ball with less value than ardent collectors might place on, say, Upton's protective cup from his first Double-A game or a wad of Fielder game-chewed bubble gum.

 

"First home run against the Montgomery Biscuits. Heck yeah,'' Knox said. "The first home run against them. The first runs scored against them. The first RBI.

 

"It's an infamous keepsake.''

 

Contact Mark McCarter at markcolumn@aol.com

[lend d money]

Actually, Mark, you are wrong. My son has at least one Ryan Knox bat in his room, we have signed cards in the cario cabinet and his old Snapper jersey can be found in my room. Way to show 'em Ryan, hopefully they will see you have greater value than the kid with the famous name.

[igor67]

I wouldn't give up hope just yet on beloit Lend. I see a fair number of similarities to last years team very strong pitching and ?'s on offense. Last year they did nothing until Gwynn showed up and magically catalyzed things (considering what he hit that's pretty strange). I think there's more balance on this year's team and a number of guys that can hit fairly well like Palmisano, Ramirez, maybe Heether and Rottino could be interesting. Plus I think Trofholtz is way better as a lead-off man than Crabbe or Bibbs were. Murray might equal Terni's blackhole, but I don't think we've seen enough to have any idea what he can and can't do.