Cleaning out the notebook
After being out of the area for 36 hours, my cranky sciatic nerve and I have returned for a day. That gives me enough time to clean out the notebook.
* The losing pitcher in Washington's 10-7 win Friday night at Traverse City was Jon Haldis, who almost played for the Wild Things this year. You might recall that in a home game last month the Wild Things had three players in uniform who were not on the active roster. One was catcher Phil St. Amant, who was signed and active for a few days but never played in a game. Pitcher Brooks Dunn also was one of the three mystery guys and the third was Haldis, a right-handed pitcher. Haldis even had his name on the back of his jersey, so you had to think he was set to join the active roster.
The story related to me was that Haldis decided after the game that he didn't want to play independent ball and went home. Several days later, Haldis' father sent the Wild Things an email stating that his son changed his mind and wants to play. The Wild Things, however, said they had moved on and didn't have room for him. Haldis eventually signed with Traverse City, where he has a 1-3 record.
* I was pleasantly surprised Friday night when, after driving westbound through the Allegheny Mountain tunnel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Somerset, I was able to pick up WJPA Radio's broadcast of the Wild Things' game at Traverse City. I didn't realize the station's signal was that strong.
* I think the 3-0 loss Wednesday night at Kalamazoo was the shortest nine-inning game in Wild Things history. It lasted only 1:56. The Wild Things played a Father's Day game at home in 2003 against Cook County that lasted 1:57. In that game, Ben Ally tossed a four-hitter against the Cheetahs and struck out 12 with only one walk. He outpitched Cook County's James Clelland, who threw a complete game that day and was picked up by an affiliated team later that week. That game gets mentioned occasionally at the O-R because it's the only Wild Things game Mike Kovak has covered. I often think about that when sitting at Consol Energy Park watching a game that is three hours old and only in the top of the eighth inning.
* Florence leads the league in batting average and home runs, and the Freedom's potent offense was made even better Thursday when they acquired outfielder Justin Randall in a trade with Evansville. Randall is sixth in the league in batting with a .323 average. Randall is yet to join the Freedom, but once he does he will make the league's most dangerous offense even better.
* Speaking of trades, the Robbie Knapp-for-Chris Raber deal hasn't paid dividends yet for the Wild Things. Raber is 1-for-21 with four walks, one stolen base and one RBI. Knapp, meanwhile, is 14-for-32 with a one home run and four RBI for Rockford.
* Former Wild Things pitcher Travis Risser has been promoted from the Tampa Bay Rays' affiliate in the short-season New York-Penn League to the full-season Class A South Atlantic League. Risser was 1-1 with a 1.83 ERA and two saves for Hudson Valley in the NYP. He will be rejoining the Columbus Catfish. Risser began the year with Columbus and was 0-0 with five saves and a 1.64 ERA before being sent to extended spring training.
* Former Wild Things manager Jeff Isom has the West Virginia Power (Milwaukee Brewers) in first place in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division with a 25-9 record in the second half. The South Atlantic uses a split-season format.
* Chris Sidick has played in 56 games this season and reached base by either hit or walk in 53 of those.
* The losing pitcher in Washington's 10-7 win Friday night at Traverse City was Jon Haldis, who almost played for the Wild Things this year. You might recall that in a home game last month the Wild Things had three players in uniform who were not on the active roster. One was catcher Phil St. Amant, who was signed and active for a few days but never played in a game. Pitcher Brooks Dunn also was one of the three mystery guys and the third was Haldis, a right-handed pitcher. Haldis even had his name on the back of his jersey, so you had to think he was set to join the active roster.
The story related to me was that Haldis decided after the game that he didn't want to play independent ball and went home. Several days later, Haldis' father sent the Wild Things an email stating that his son changed his mind and wants to play. The Wild Things, however, said they had moved on and didn't have room for him. Haldis eventually signed with Traverse City, where he has a 1-3 record.
* I was pleasantly surprised Friday night when, after driving westbound through the Allegheny Mountain tunnel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Somerset, I was able to pick up WJPA Radio's broadcast of the Wild Things' game at Traverse City. I didn't realize the station's signal was that strong.
* I think the 3-0 loss Wednesday night at Kalamazoo was the shortest nine-inning game in Wild Things history. It lasted only 1:56. The Wild Things played a Father's Day game at home in 2003 against Cook County that lasted 1:57. In that game, Ben Ally tossed a four-hitter against the Cheetahs and struck out 12 with only one walk. He outpitched Cook County's James Clelland, who threw a complete game that day and was picked up by an affiliated team later that week. That game gets mentioned occasionally at the O-R because it's the only Wild Things game Mike Kovak has covered. I often think about that when sitting at Consol Energy Park watching a game that is three hours old and only in the top of the eighth inning.
* Florence leads the league in batting average and home runs, and the Freedom's potent offense was made even better Thursday when they acquired outfielder Justin Randall in a trade with Evansville. Randall is sixth in the league in batting with a .323 average. Randall is yet to join the Freedom, but once he does he will make the league's most dangerous offense even better.
* Speaking of trades, the Robbie Knapp-for-Chris Raber deal hasn't paid dividends yet for the Wild Things. Raber is 1-for-21 with four walks, one stolen base and one RBI. Knapp, meanwhile, is 14-for-32 with a one home run and four RBI for Rockford.
* Former Wild Things pitcher Travis Risser has been promoted from the Tampa Bay Rays' affiliate in the short-season New York-Penn League to the full-season Class A South Atlantic League. Risser was 1-1 with a 1.83 ERA and two saves for Hudson Valley in the NYP. He will be rejoining the Columbus Catfish. Risser began the year with Columbus and was 0-0 with five saves and a 1.64 ERA before being sent to extended spring training.
* Former Wild Things manager Jeff Isom has the West Virginia Power (Milwaukee Brewers) in first place in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division with a 25-9 record in the second half. The South Atlantic uses a split-season format.
* Chris Sidick has played in 56 games this season and reached base by either hit or walk in 53 of those.
posted by Chris Dugan at
7:58 AM
15 Comments:
Chris,
I know you like to do some research. This is the 7th year for the Wild Things in the Frontier League. How many teams have been in longer?
I know Chillicothe is the lonest and I believe Evansville, Kalamazoo, and River City have been longer than the Wild Things.
With the way attendence is down this year, not only in official paid, but in actual attendees, I wonder how much longer Washington will be a Frontier League team?
Six cities have had Frontier League teams longer than Washington. They are:
* Chillicothe - Entered in 1993 as one of the eight original franchises.
* Evansville - Entered the league in 1996
* Kalamazoo _ Entered in 1996 and has had a team every year except 1999 and 2000.
* River City - Rascals' first season was 1999.
* Windy City - Entered the league in 1999 as the Cook County Cheetahs.
* Gateway - Began play in 2001.
Rockford entered the league in 2002 with the Wild Things.
Washington is averaging 2,900 fans per game and could end up at 3,000 and fourth in the league again. At that rate, you can keep a Frontier League team operating as long as corporate sponsors are on board and the league wants to keep its age limit and $60,000 salary cap. It would take gross mismanagement to allow a franchise that draws 3,000 fans per game to fail. One sure "sign" of trouble would be if you see blank spaces on the outfield walls where advertising used to be. I remember going to Canton in 2002 and there were about a half dozen signs on the outfield wall. Even without checking the attendance, figures you could tell that franchise was in serious trouble. If you look at the other parks in the league, almost all have less corporate advertising than Consol Energy Park.
zzzzzzzzzzzz
Anonymous sais "zzzzzz"
Sure does look as if interest in thw WT is starting to drop off quite a bit if the number of comments here the last few days is any indication.
That's what they get for having such a lazy looking manager - it just puts us all to sleep! Boy, do we ever need a change!
NO MORE JELKS! DUMP HIM NOW!
I’m completely burned out on both Jelks AND the Wild Things. At the end of the 2007 season the Wild Things management proved they don’t have a clue in how to handle an out of control baseball team. They allowed that situation to get completely out of hand before finally doing the right thing.
Then, depending on who’s story you care to believe, they let their somewhat competent manager get away. I don’t even begin to swallow the story the Wild Things told about that occurrence. Does anybody? He was just the fall guy.
For this season it seems the management decided it was time to hire their first black manager. If that is the case does anybody really think Greg Jelks was the best possible choice? Duh!!
At the start of this season the question was brought up about the things we, the fans, thought should be changed at CEP. A lot of the replies had to do with the job performance of some of the Wild Things employees ie: surly ushers and employees with a bad attitude, employees that seem as if they would rather be elsewhere, etc. Did the Wild Things pay attention to this? The short answer is no! I have had a personal experience with one such person at CEP this year. It was called to the management’s attention and still remains unresolved so far as I can see. Slow, or no reaction to fans concerns seems to be the norm at CEP. They always use the phrase “ we will be in touch” then never actually follow through.
I also have concerns about the Frontier League itself. I can’t exactly put my finger of what it is but something about it just doesn’t seem right. It doesn’t pass the ‘smell test’ with me. It seems as though they are trying to sell a 10 cent product for a dollar. Perhaps that’s not really the case – I hope not. However, I just have a feeling that something ain’t right here.
There just has to be some reason for the fall off in attendance and I don’t think it can all be placed at the feet of the team. Perhaps it is the ‘same old – same old’ every night with Dutch (who is just doing his job btw) and DiFabio with “another customer for”, or something about some roofing company, on and on and on. There is NEVER a quiet moment – you can’t here yourself think – honest to God! Please cut us some slack from all this stuff Wild Things
There's been plenty of quiet this year. Most of the time during the game, you can hear a pin drop. Crowds haven't been into the game at all.
Anonymous sThere's been plenty of quiet this year"
Actually I was talking about between innings. The speakers are so loud that you can't even speak with the person next to you. Also, don't forget that peanut kid. He is ALWAYS loud.
"10-cent product for a dollar" -- that is exactly the problem. Get an affiliated team in CEP. No one wants to watch this "quality" of Washington County's pastime anymore. It is not good baseball to watch which believe it or not is the real reason most come to games. Neither is the ball being played at PNC either but that is another blog.
It doesn't matter if you get an affliated team or not. I've seen affliated ball in Altoona, State College, Daytona Beach, and even hockey in Wheeling. They all look like the minor league players and the players that don't aren't there anymore...they go to the majors. And besides does anyone realize that Washington is ony a half game out of a playoff spot. Will everyone realax.
You can forget about having an affiliated team. There will NEVER be affiliated ball at CEP. Never. The park does not meet affiliated standards. That's why there is a Frontier League team there. If you want to see what kind of parks the the NY Penn League is playing in there are plenty of web sites you can visit. The best is digitalballparks.com Go there and click on NY Penn and then Brooklyn or Aberdeen. Look at those parks and think about CEP. You will realize the only way for Washington to get an an affiliated team is to tear down CEP and build a new stadium. This is the best it will get for Washington.
Claude said “Washington is only a half game out of a playoff spot.”
Claude, I understand what you are saying but I have a different view of the situation.
I know how things are in modern day sports and the fact that many teams only feel they have to play good enough to ‘get into the play-offs’. Phil Butch has openly stated that is what the Wild Things are trying to do that this season. It happens at all levels of play.
That may just be the way it is but I want our team to try to excel in EVERY game. Play-offs in any sport are just a way for the various leagues, and ownership to make more money.
Players, or teams that just want to get into the play-offs in the hope of getting a ‘hot streak’ at just the right time are, in my estimation, losers. That is what happened with Greg Jelks and Evansville in 2006. Does that make him, or them, a winner? Not in my book. – Just lucky. (I know it’s better to be lucky than good, but only if you have no pride).
One of the shortcomings of the Frontier League is that “good enough” is all they seem to aim for. They seem to feel that way about all aspects of the game from on the field action to the absolute abysmal ‘official’ scoring. Where is the desire to win, to improve to the point that other teams just hate to play against you? Where are the motivational skills of Greg Jelks? Is he the one encouraging his players to ‘just play good enough to get into the play-offs’?
This team should be striving to win their division – not be ‘just good enough’ to make the play-offs. Not just 2 out of 3 games but EVERY game. Players and coaching staff’s that want to settle for just ‘good enough’ should just go out and find a real job because they have lost their competitive edge and will never regain it!
I’m sure a lot of you will have a different point of view and I would like to hear your take on this.
Ron Wilson
Illegitimati non carborundum!
Ron, I don't understand your beef. You get to the post season and you have a chance. If you don't consider Jelks' Evansville club "champs" then by your view you do not consider the Pittsburgh Steelers champs in 2005 or the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006 or the New York Giants this past year. They were not the best at the end of the regular season, but they made the playoffs and they did what no other Wild Things team, even the ones that set league win records 3 different times, win their respective championship. It doesn't matter how you get there as long as you get there. And I do not understand what motivation you say he needs to give them... the motivation for his relief pitchers to not blow 12 games this year? They win half of those blown saves and they are battling Kalamazoo for the top spot. Once again this team's problem is not motivation, not the manager, it's the bullpen. I also think if you talked to Phil Butch and he said they are just trying to get into the playoffs, you misunderstood the context. That is the goal of every team of every season ever in every sport ever... get to the post season. Onto other posts, affiliated teams seem like a great idea and it is nice to see potential MLBers, but winning is not the goal of any of those teams. Its making the players better. None of those players care if they win, they care about moving up. I am sure some of these FL guys feel the same but this is all most of them have. So they care a little more. And the Major League team doesn't care whether their teams win or not, they just want there prospects to get better and get to the big club. You get stuck with some pretty bad teams. How would you have liked to be a season ticket holder for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies AAA team) this year and watched them fly out to a 3-22 start and are currently 20 games under .500?..yay!
Claude said “I don't understand your beef.”
Well Claude, first it isn’t a “beef” it’s merely an observation. As I stated I understand modern day sports and the play-off system in use by almost, if not all, so-called professional sports teams.
What my point is – perhaps I did not make it as clear as I should have- is that the play-off system in sports does not encourage individuals or teams to perform at their highest levels. In the ‘good ol’days' of baseball for instance you either finished on top at the end of the season OR you went home and waited for next year.
I really don’t see what is wrong with that.
Evansville finished the 2006 year with a less than .500 mark for the regular season and got hot during the play-offs and became the League “champion’ Many teams in the League had a much better regular season and were eliminated because they hit a slump at the ‘wrong’ time – that included the Wild Things. Do you mean that your OK with that? A champion with a losing regular season record! If that is the case why don’t we just make the play-offs a lottery? That would make the regular season a heck of a lot shorter because it is almost, if not entirely, meaningless. In other words – just try to get a hot streak at play-off time no matter how bad you stunk up the place all season long.. I suppose this is fine if your team is the one that is the beneficiary of this nonsense.
Claude, I know that winning in sports in todays world is different than it was in the past. I also know that play-off systems will never go away and that teams that do not excel will continue to win what I consider ‘tainted’ championships. I was just expressing my view of all this. If all baseball players played the way Chris Sidick plays in every game – to win – than baseball would be an even better sport to watch.
Ron Wilson
Illegitimati non carborundum!
BTW: What is it with the “your beef” stuff” Claude? I don’t understand YOUR “beef”. Can’t a person express the their opinions without somebody calling it a “beef” or some other adjective! I don’t like the play-off system in baseball. If that offends someone – sorry! Geez, I thought this was what it was all about! It’s NOT a “beef”
Ron I was not attacking your views or your opinions but offering a counter opinion. I guess instead of saying "beef" I should have said I don't understand your view or perspective. But yes they way I view it, whoever wins the championship is the champion no matter their record. And sometimes it can work out in my personal interest. During the "tainted" Evansville championship, the Wild Things were crowned division champs over Chillicothe by .5 of a game only because the Paints had a game rained out and never made it up. And Chillicothe made the championship and were swept by said Otters. Luck can go your way sometimes but you still have to win when it counts. And right now thats what Washington needs to do.
claude cainmaker said that if we won half our blown saves we would be battling for first.If that was the case for all the teams we still would be right were we are maybe worse.
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