Up in smoke
The Wild Things awaken today with a 2-4 record and without a series win. They should be 5-1 and coming off their second series win.The reason for the three-game difference can be summed up by two words: relief pitching.
After tying for the league lead in blown saves last year with 15, the Wild Things have failed to convert three save opportunities in the last four games, including both games of a doubleheader Thursday at Gateway. In Washington's last three losses, the opponent scored the winning run in its final at-bat.
The bullpen received a major overhaul in the offseason, but it seems the more things change the more they stay the same. Jon Lewis was brought in to be the closer, but he has two blown saves in as many opportunities, including Game 1 Thursday, when the winning run scored on a wild pitch. In the nightcap, Washington had a 7-4 lead in the seventh inning (doubleheaders are seven innings) but gave up three solo home runs that forced extra innings. Chris Demons homered in the 8th to put the Wild Things back in the lead, but Gateway scored in the bottom of the eighth and won the game on a bases-loaded hit batsman in the ninth.
For the season, Washington relievers have pitched 20 1/3 innings and given up 18 hits, 20 walks and hit four batters for a 6.21 ERA. They have a 1-3 record.
Manager Mark Mason left himself open to some second-guessing during the doubleheader. In the opener, he took out starting pitcher Zach Groh after six innings. Groh was throwing a three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and just one walk. In the second game, Matt Maradeo, who has been Washington's best reliever to date with 4 1/3 scoreless innings and no walks, was taken out after throwing two perfect innings and the game heading to the bottom of the seventh.
I wrote about this last year, but it's worth mentioning again: To me, the most impressive season by a Wild Things player was not Josh Loggins' MVP year in 2003, but Robert Garvin's 2002 season. Garvin began the year as just another arm in the bullpen but won the closer's job early in the season. He went 2-2 with 18 saves and a 2.20 ERA in 33 games. Those numbers are good, but not great, right?
Looking deeper into Garvin's season you'll find that he converted 18 of 20 save opportunities, including 18 straight. His two blown saves were in his first appearance of the year (in middle relief) and in his last outing of the regular season which, as it turned out, was a meaningless game because the Wild Things had clinched the division title only minutes earlier because of Richmond loss.
The most impressive aspect of Garvin's season was that he pitched 47 innings and issued only four walks. Think about that for a moment. Four walks in 47 innings. During one stretch, Garvin went 15 consecutive outings and 17 1/3 innings without walking a batter. Over that span, Garvin struck out 24 batters. Twenty-four strikeouts to zero walks. You think the Wild Things would like to have someone with those numbers today?
Another note from the doubleheader is Washington catcher Alan Robbins is facing a suspension after bumping the home-plate umpire following the game-ending wild pitch and play the the plate. It's never a good idea to make contact with an umpire, but it's even worse to do it when the league commissioner is in the ballpark.
Labels: Alan Robbins, Chris Demons, Jon Lewis, Mark Mason, Matt Maradeo, Robert Garvin, Zach Groh
posted by Chris Dugan at
5:32 AM
24 Comments:
The Wild Things no longer are able to sign the better players of the frontier league outside of local tri-state players.
I think my theory of last year still prevails.
The Frontier League is moving west.
Washington, being the farest east, has the longest bus rides.
Bus rides on the stinky team bus can't be much fun. I think the better players nationwide want shorter bus rides. Until, and if the league is balanced more geographically, Washington will have a hard time competing.
With artficial turf, it will probably make signing quality players even more difficult because getting into affliiates is number and not getting hurt is number 2.
I blame Greg Jelks.
I think we should blame this all on Greg Jelks. Had not let the Wild Things honk him over the Wild Things would have had least three wins by now. Bob Gregg; please send him some tourism money so he can return to his rightful place.
If you would like, I can send you instructions on how to get your head of the Wild Things a… re, attic.
By the way WT, all your students failed the marketing class you sent them to. Well just more wasted taxpayer money. Nothing ever changes in Washington.
Well Chris, I see the Wild Things are still showing you all the disrespect they can muster.
Franni blew you off probably because she knew she had no good answers for you. We all remember how they treated you after the 2006 championship game. It was almost three weeks before they sent a half hearted apology to the O-R. (They are experts at that).
Perhaps Franni was just flustered because she couldn’t find her ‘Smiley Face’. Crap, the truth be told, she couldn’t even buy a Smiley Face at Eat n Park! I think she was honestly too busy to see you because she had just received all those taxpayer dollars and wanted to be sure it was all there. One can’t be too careful with those pesky taxpayers these days. I’ve received they, the taxpayers, they are forming a new 12 step group called “Cash Cows Anonymous”. It a program to help us recover from government giving our money to undeserving private corporations.
I’m sure that Franni will be happy to give you an interview after she, Bob Gregg, and all others involved,
get the story about how they made all this legal straight. I hope you don’t think she will ‘shine you on”. the Wild Things would NEVER do that!
David
I don't need to meet with any one to "get the story straight."
The owners of the stadium, Ballpark Scholarships, Incorporated, applied for, and received, a state capital grant for the purpose of replacing the playing surface at CONSOL Energy Park. That grant requires a local match.
The owners of the ballpark have determined that the playing surface that makes the most sense for all of the uses of the park is an artificial surface, one that can be playable shortly after rains like we had yesterday (rains that forced the postponement and moving of the scheduled WPIAL baseball championships).
As a player, the lush, thick, green natural grass surface such as is on display at PNC Park, is the preferable playing surface. However, it is not possible, in this geographic location, with our weather and the desired usage of the facilit, to provide that kind of playing surface.
The owners of the ballpark and the Washington County Commissioners asked the Board of Directors of the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency to consider committing $500,000 of future room tax proceeds towards the local match. The room tax proceeds, by act of the state legislature, can ONLY be used for tourism development and promotion.
The Board discussed, at length, the pros and cons of this request, along with potential benefits and drawbacks.
Following that discussion, the question was called and, by an 8-3 vote with two abstentions, it was decided to proceed with the request in a manner that will best serve the Agency's tourism promotion mission.
Washington County is a better place to live, work and play because of the activities afforded all of us at CONSOL Energy Park. The request of Ballpark Scholarships, Inc., and the decision of the Board of Directors of Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency will enhance this facility, making more events possible and providing an increased level of likelihood that those events already scheduled will actually take place.
The meeting at which the decision was made was not a secret. In fact, the quotes attributed to me in the Observer-Reporter article were all taken from the meeting discussion. I was not interviewed afterward by the writer.
That is the story. You may not like it. You may disagree with the request or the decision. But know this--any new car you'll see me driving will be as a result of the work I do for my employer--the Washington Broadcasting Company. Other than a few stringer jobs for the O-R, the P-G and MSA Sports, that's been my only employer for nearly 30 years.
Yeah RIGHT, Bob. We beleive YA1 Sure
I almost got a tear in my eye reading that, Bob. Two questions. Why has no one who is anteing up the money for this artificial turf demanded answers regarding the clear ineptitude, whether deliberate or not, in the original installation of the grass field? There are many Little League fields in our area that have better drainage than that mess. Was it done "on the cheap," as some have suggested here? And I'd like an explanation as to how someone who broadcasts Wild Things games, and whose employer financially benefits from those broadcasts, doesn't recognize an obvious conflict of interest in voting for the turf money.
Thanks Bob for that explanation. There was so much more involved than we could ever imagine.
None of us could have figured out the weather thing without your help. We could however, figure out the fact That Pittsburgh is a whole 30 miles from here Had the WT done some research they would have known what the weather was here BEFORE setting up shop!
Your employer, the Washington Broadcasting Company, broadcast the WT games on radio.
This just has to involve a legal contract of some sort between WBC and the WT and/or The Frontier League. Now, without thinking about it too hard, that means that WT money ends up in your wallet via a pay check. Right?
Since you are probably at CEP for most games you have direct contact, in some manner with the WT
personal every game. Even if it’s only by showing a press pass. Ever hear of “conflict of interest”? Ever wonder how that just might look to the public? Ever hear of the word ‘integrity’? Ever wonder why so many of are pissed off at you? I pretty sure you don’t care. I wonder just why Christine Blaine was at that meeting with the right to cast a vote. To her credit, she choose to abstain – at least one WT associate has some integrity - thank God for that. She will probably be run out of “Dodge” in the near future. Legally, of course.
There are NO words to describe how despicable you seem to be. I would strongly urge the fans NOT to buy ANYTHING from any sponsor of the Wild Things baseball games.
Sometimes it “Ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it!” Either directly, or indirectly, the WT bought your vote. Legally, of course.
Too smart to give my name, but fully expecting a cyber assassination anyway!
I heard a rumor that during the next home stand the Wild Things were going to have Dutch standing in front of the office playing Jailhouse Rock on a harmonica. Meanwhile Bob Gregg will be working the crowd with a large tin cup. This cup will be ‘salted’ with some Washington County Tourism money to make it look like EVERYBODY is chipping in.
Sorry Wild Things, everybody already chipped in whether they wanted to, or not! Don’t you recall that Bob already arranged that for you? Probably not – greedy people have such short memories. Why don’t you cut Bob Gregg some slack and stop ‘using’ him so much. His nose is already brown enough!
It is tourism money people!! I can understand the level of frustration based on the education level of the people constantly posting on here, however no one in the county is contributing to the grant. Unless you take your 'life-partner' to the Red Roof for a change of scenery, your money won't go towards the turf.
Joe from Gabby
Well, Joe, I don't know what your education level is, but there's also state matching money for this turf project. State money. You know, state TAX dollars. The dollars you and I and all working people pay to the state. You can make whatever argument you want about the tourism money, but the matching funds are our tax dollars.
^^^^^
Now that is funny!
You people should be more upset over what the Feds are doing.This is chump change compared to the trillions the Federal government is throwing at Wall St. and the billions going to the auto industry.Talk about screwing over the tax payers.
Stick to the issue. Obama's BS can be discussed on another blod.
We are talking here about how thw WT with help from people like Bob Gregg, screwed us.
Joe in Gabby. If you REALLY beleive what you said then you flunked "common sence 101"
Bob Gregg said:
“That is the story. You may not like it. You may disagree with the request or the decision.”
Bob, why didn’t you finish your thought? The logical conclusion to be reached by your remarks is ‘if you don’t agree with it then, “Tough shi*”! Typical Washington County politics!! Nothing ever changes – it still smells like the bull crap it is.
Speaking of Franni,
Your driving down the street in your SUV and you see something slithering across in front of your car and you can’t stop in time. The only way to know if you just ran over an attorney or Bob’s rattlesnake is to look in the mirror. If it’s flipping all over the place it was an attorney. You need to go back and finish the job.
Wait, that might have been Bob Gregg!
By accepting the tourism tax money and the state matching grant, also tax payers money, I wonder if Baseball Scholarships and the Wild Things will now be audited the Washington County Controller and the state of Pennsylvania Attorney General.
Ford refused to take federal bailout money because they did not want to be controlled by the Federal Government like Chrysler and GM (Government Motors).
Hopefully the Wild Things and Baseball Scholarship will be audited and their records made public since they accepted public money whether payed by taxpayers of Washington County, Pa, the USA, or a person from a foreign country that stayed at one of the hotels in Washington County.
Afraid to give my name because I don't want audited!
Like I said before, you are all nasty. If you don't like the Wild things and what they are doing to better themselves then DON'T go. Stay home but I sure will fell sorry for your family. You complaining about eveything that is happening is not going to change the decision. Its final so deal with it.
Anonymous said;
“Its final so deal with it.”
We are all too aware that it’s a done (legal) deal. But we are not as bone headed as some people, just so willing to be led down the Primrose path. If you accept what happened by these band of legal thieves then you are part of the problem. You, and people like you, are just so easy that the Wild Things use your type to advance their cause at your expense and you don’t seem to mind a bit. Pull your head out of the sand, or wherever it is, open your eyes. Who knows just what you might see? Even if you don’t see it you should be able to smell it. I suppose you still believe in Santa Clause!
Bill
It's not a done deal, Washingtonians, not by a long shot. There's plenty you can do. Start by circulating petitions, not the lame one's like have been talked about in these blog vomit sessions. Get a nominating petition at the County Elections Office. Put your name at the top, along with what elected job you'd like to have. Then, get people sign to get their name on the ballot. It only takes a few names to get listed. Maybe 100. You all could even sign each others.
Put your name, your ideas, your work in front of the voting public and see what they think. There were so many open seats in the recent election, surely, the other slightly interested candidates must have known that you all were out there, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to ride in and save the day.
Put your name on the ballot. Get elected. Get to work.
It's far from over...unless you all aren't really up to the task in front of you.
Captain John Smith said, "If a man will not work, neither shall he eat." So, vomiteers, get to work. Get those signatures, get elected, and get to work.
To what the article was actually about....I have a feeling a former reliever will be resigned very soon.
Chris you might know who I'm talking about too.
I know of somebody who throws alot of strikes.
A lefty.
You people do know you have already paid for Blair County Ballpark in Altoona to be resurfaced twice right? With all tax money to boot...no half tourism dollars but all state dollars.
Yes, we know!! SO does that means the Wild Things should do it to? Just because they cam?
John 'the butt hole' Murtha just kappens to be in the area. Hummmmm!
We have the great Bob Gregg here. Of course, he's small potatos!
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