ottawalynx.blogspot.com has hit the BIG TIME! To celebrate the 1000th hit on the blog, I’ve teamed up with the Lynx to offer some FANTASTIC prize packages to blog visitors. Starting on December 2, 2006 I will be accepting entries for the contest, which will close midnight January 4, 2007.
How do you enter? Just send an email with your name to lynxblogcontest@hotmail.com. One entry per person, per day. Winners will be announced on January 5, 2007. To quote Jeff Probst (Survivor), in one of the show’s most overused phrases:
Wanna know what you’re playing for?
There are two prizes and one Grand Prize to be awarded:
Grand Prize: game-worn jersey + 4 tickets to Opening Day + $40 Cat Cash
Thanks to “Kevin in the Ticket Office” from Clearwater for the update on Scott Mathieson - “Scott Mathieson is injured and will probably miss the ‘07 season”.
When I looked at the Clearwater website last month, I noted that they “obviously had a good sense of humor”. Check out the following video from Youtube.
Their groundskeeper, Opie, is featured in a series of commercials and he’s got his own website which you can find here. As Johnny Carson would say, “It’s wild, wild stuff!” The Threshers blog is here, and I notice that “Kevin in the Ticket Office” is one of their contributors.
God knows that no one hates Ottawa weather more than me during the winter. No one. However, a few posts back I took issue with the perception that we’re always cold. Anyone who’s spent any time in Ottawa in June, July and August knows that isn’t the case. But how much better is Scranton in April? The answer: not much.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre vs. Ottawa Average high: 59F ————51F Average low: 38F ————-32F
Buffalo’s even closer to Ottawa with an average low of 36, a scant 4 degrees better, and an average high of 54 - only 3 degrees more than Ottawa. Columbus (Ohio) is virtually identical with an average low of 32 (the same as Ottawa) and high of 53 (+2). Rochester is also virtually identical - 35 and 55. Syracuse? 35 and 56.
Out of fourteen teams in the IL, 5 have weather very close to Ottawa’s in April. Can we put the weather thing to rest now?
Bekah on a scorching Sunday this past year, just after running the bases.
One of my many ongoing blog “projects” is the profiling of the other minor league teams in the Philadelphia farm system. So far I’ve looked at Clearwater, and to a lesser extent, Reading. The Lakewood Blueclaws play in Lakewood, New Jersey and are an “A” affiliate. I’ll have more on the Blueclaws later, but for now, here’s a short video of them winning the South Atlantic League Championship.
John Russell, we will get to know ye!!!! Sorry, that’s a reference to this post back in October. According to this story on the Lynx’s website John Russell and his coaching staff from Scranton Wilkes-Barre, will all be returning next year. Good news!
Couple of things this morning. Unfortunately, for all the strengths of a blog, old posts get pushed down into archives, and unanswered questions get left, well unanswered or forgotten.
Having said that – I’ve found out about Cat’s Pride, the Lynx booster club. Thankfully, the club still exists – just not their website. Here’s an email address if you need to reach them: catspride_clb@yahoo.com Moving on, in my post yesterday “Tough Questions”, I really should have given some context – we were at a friend’s place on Sunday and they asked us about the ball team. I was caught flat footed and didn’t really give a good answer. The thought occurred to me on the drive home that we’ll all be facing these questions soon and it would be helpful to have some answers (hopefully good ones).
Finally, my very first post dealt with “Full Disclosure” – since that post is buried under 100+ others, I thought I’d revisit it for a moment. Just so we’re clear – this blog is more than just a clearing house for information on the team, occasionally you get some opinion, mostly mine. Okay, all mine (although everyone’s free to leave comments). As most regular visitors now know, I’m an unqualified supporter of the team – all the way from the product on the field through management and ownership. Full stop. There’s my bias. If you’re looking for objectivity, you won’t necessarily find it here.
I’m guessing we might get a look at Scott Mathieson (P), Gio Gonzalez (P), J.A. Happ (P) and hopefully, Michael Bourn (OF). Bourn ended his season last year with the Phillies, but pundits suggest he might need a little more time in the minors - I’d like the chance to see his “Esix Snead”-like speed here in Ottawa, if only for a few months.
It seems that certain corners of the Phillies ‘blogosphere’ have picked up on comments that Pat Gillick made recently about their catchers - he’s looking to sign someone to catch 50-60 games next year. Does this threaten Carlos Ruiz (who I discussed here), or Chris Coste? Who knows? Certainly not me. What caught my eye in the blogger’s discussion was this:
“Needless to say, backup opportunities appear limited, which is why trading for a young, albeit ML-ready player might be the best answer. It would seem less likely for a free agent — minor league or otherwise — to gamble on winning a job in spring training, with Ottawa, Canada as their most likely destination …“
You’ll see this type of comment a lot. Too much for my liking, because it strikes me as a comment born out of ignorance of our city. Yes, it’s cold in April. But colder than Buffalo? Colder than Rochester, or Syracuse, or Toledo? Are people less friendly here? Is the city more dangerous? Less clean? Is there nothing to do in this area that has close to a million people?
Let me be clear - I am probably the least anti-American Canadian you’ll ever meet. Let me rephrase: I am probably the most pro-American Canadian you’ll ever meet. My parents are landed immigrants (my Dad’s from Maryland, Mom’s from St. Louis) and I’ve encouraged them to retain their US citizenship. The American flag flies proudly above my door step - despite having been stolen/vandalized several times.
Clear? Good. Here goes.
Why can’t Americans get past this “cold” thing? This “Canada as a desolate backwater” thing? I gotta tell you, if I was being offered an opportunity at a MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL career, I would play in Siberia in January - or July. I’m not sure which would be worse. I would play on a tiny island off of Antarctica, in front of penguins if I had to. And if you aren’t playing for the LOVE OF THE GAME, did you see what Soriano’s getting paid? Carlos Lee?
How freaking soft are these guys?
I don’t want to play in Ottawa, it’s too: cold/boring/tired/unfriendly.
If my son EVER said something like that as a prelude to holding out on an opportunity to play MiLB - well, there wouldn’t be much left after my wife was done with him. She’s very creative, which also makes her dangerous.
Man, it’s a good thing I’ve got the entire off-season to catch up… This week, former Lynx pitcher Tim Kester was signed by Baltimore to a minor league contract, as was Brian Bowles (by San Francisco). Philadelphia signed 1B Gary Burnham, LHP Allen Davis, OF Ryan Fleming, OF Branden Florence and RHP Tim McClaskey - all to minor league deals. Last week, the Phils also signed Joey Hammond - I’ll have to see if it’s been determined where he’s meant to be assigned. Bobby Scales was picked up by Baltimore for “future considerations” (which means we won’t see him in anything but a Tides uniform this year).
Stay tuned, and/or let me know if you see anything.
