Just a “quick hit” post for today.  Over the weekend, Zak’s team won their division in the East Nepean Little League.  Somewhat convoluted pitching rules meant “the boy” couldn’t pitch on consecutive days - he threw the maximum two innings in their Saturday semi-final game, striking out six and allowing one unearned run.  Good, creative coaching allowed the Athletics to spread out their remaining pitchers for the rest of Saturday and Sunday’s final.

Slapping an opposite field double to right field in Sunday’s final.

The 2008 East Nepean Major Nationals Champs!

Number 1!

This is the fourth and final attempt - WordPress seems to have a problem with “cutting and pasting” the last few days.

HT to blog reader for Darlene for finding a couple of english interviews with Gary Burnham.  Seems that due to some convoluted roster rules regarding foreign players, Gary’s been bumped backed down to the minors.

Well, for me its been life in the minors again. Its been 50% of the first half. This was something I didn’t expect. The team hired more foreigners than are allowed on the roster and are going with all pitching for now. Very frustrating for me considering I am trying to market myself to Korea and Japan.

On the field its been torrential down-pouring and batting practice in the cages I have had a lot of time to myself to think about my career, family, goals, and where this is all heading. Time in the minor leagues in a foreign country can play tricks in your mind and sometimes I feel as if the baseball gods are punishing me and testing my emotional fortitude in the minor leagues for something I did in the game. When you are in the minor leagues as long as I have been you always start to question the reasons and what it is you have to work on to finally get that secure feeling that you are in the majors to stay, you never get it.

So with that all being said I find myself getting closer to God and becoming more spiritual and leaving the ultimate destiny out of my hands. Running poles for a half hour late at night helps my mind deal with all of this. I try to remain positive. Something keeps me going and I am not sure what but it does. That faith, that someone sees my success and signs me to a bigger contract. Some team out here that needs my offense.

Here’s hoping that some team out there picks up on Gary’s availability.  And what about his plans for the future?

 My short term goal is to put up solid numbers here in Taiwan every time I get an opportunity and to market myself to Korea or Japan. I’d like to play five years in Korea or Japan and then retire.

In other non-Gary news, this is the kind of stuff that does our heart good: Brian Sanches was recently moved to the Washington Nationals’ 40 man roster.  On another site - as recently as last August, Brian was politely referred to as a “re-tread” and “fodder”.  Unbelievable.  There are 1200 such 40 man roster spots in all of MLB, and the “re-tread” has earned one.  Congrats Brian - and happy first Father’s Day!

In less joyful news, blog favorite Zack Segovia was released by the Phillies a few days ago.  Zack had started the season in Reading and was sent down to Clearwater.  AFter 7 rough outings, the Phillies cut him on Tuesday of last week.    At 25 Zack’s still a relatively young man - maybe getting a bit old to be a “prospect”, but he’s roughly a year removed from having a legit shot at the Phillies roster.  Our guess is that he’s still not recovered from the posterior shoulder release surgery he underwent in the off-season.  Hopefully, like Gary, he’ll be able to work his way back onto someone’s roster.

Thanks to Ronnie for the link to the excerpt from Chris Coste’s new book - I’d read an article/interview in the Philadelphia Inquirer, touting its release this week.  I’ve said this before, but after seeing how Coste conducted himself after being sent down to the minors at the beginning of 2007, I lost a lot of respect for him.  I get it - he had a great season with the Phils in 2006.  But with no disrespect intended, at the start of last year he had a whopping 198 plate appearances in the bigs.  198.  I’m sorry, but it wasn’t like they were sending down A-Rod.  Unfortunately, (from my perspective) that’s how he chose to conduct himself; as if he was above all of this. 

At one point last season, Kyle mentioned to me that it has been said that AAA is the “angriest level of baseball - because none of them think they should be playing here.  They all think they should be in the Majors”.  Thankfully, most of the guys don’t let that anger bleed through, and instead conduct themselves with a great deal of class - think Pedro Swann, Ron Calloway, Lou Collier.

Filed under “better late than never”:

Classy guy, Jim Rushford (pictured right) has been signed to a minor league contract by the Chicago White Sox.  Tough deal for Fabio Castro - he was sent down to Reading to start the 08 season.

Zack Segovia (Photo courtesy Patrick Shanks)

FLP and all around decent guy, Zack Segovia seems to have shaken off last year and the season ending surgery.  Zack threw a couple of innings in yesterday’s 3-1 Grapefruit League win over the Pittsburgh Pirates - the line on Zack:  2IP, no hits, no runs allowed.  Joe Bisenius also got in an inning, giving up a pair of hits, but didn’t allow any runs and picked up the save.  Quick breakdown on Zack from Phillybaseballnews:

Why he fell from #7 to #31: Last season started on such a promising note for Zack Segovia. He made a start in the bigs with the Phillies and even though he didn’t overwhelm the Florida Marlins, he made it through five innings and did pretty much what the Phillies were looking for him to do. From there though, his season fell apart as he struggled at Triple-A Ottawa and was finally dropped down to Double-A Reading and ultimately off the Phillies 40 man roster. He also suffered another injury and had yet another surgery, bringing back concerns about his health, which were expanded when Segovia attempted to pitch through an injury last season and ultimately wound up having shoulder surgery after the season.

Repertoire: Segovia has a low to mid-90s fastball that the Phillies are hoping returns after he underwent posterior shoulder release surgery. His slider has been a very good pitch for him and he generally has it in the low-80s. On all of his pitches, Segovia gets a lot of downward movement and usually keeps the ball in the park very well.

Pitching Style: Segovia generally lives by keeping the ball down in the zone and not letting hitters take him deep. He pitches ahead in the count and has strong control and is a smart pitcher, who is in control of himself on the mound. There have been some thoughts about moving Segovia to the bullpen and it’s a move that he has said he would be fine with if he was asked. He certainly has the bulldog mentality and prefers to go right after hitters, making a relief role a possibility down the road.

Projection: When the Phillies drafted Segovia out of high school, he was like most other high school pitchers and needed a lot of work. The Phillies believed that they had a great and potentially dominating pitcher in Segovia, but Tommy John surgery slowed his progress. If he returns from the most recent surgery in good shape, Segovia should be able to bounce back from what became pretty much of a lost season and there’s no reason - other than health - why he wouldn’t be able to do that. The early reports out of Clearwater where Segovia was rehabbing were very good. He seemed to be throwing without the stiffness that he showed at times during the season and thoughts were that he would be ready to go when the season starts. That’s all good news and if Segovia can pick up from where he was coming into next season, he would wind up being an option for an emergency call to the Phillies bullpen or starting rotation if they needed it.

ETA: The big question is whether Segovia truly did take a step back last season. The injury obviously played a part in his slide and the trouble that he had at pitching at Ottawa. If he’s healthy, Segovia would likely be ready to step in for the Phillies if they really needed him, but his health is a definite concern.

What else you should know about Zack Segovia: 

• Segovia had accepted a scholarship to the University of Miami, but signed with the Phillies out of high school.

Zack Segovia’s career stats

But you had better stuff to do this weekend anyway, right?

From ESPN.com:

Signed pitchers Jason Anderson, Matt Childers, Justin Pope, Kris Wilson and R.J. Swindle, catchers Orlando Guevara and John Suomi, infielders Gookie Dawkins, Joey Hammond and Juan Tejeda and outfielders Jake Blalock, Branden Florence and Mike Spidale to minor league contracts.

and from the Phillies website, a little more detail:

The Phillies signed 13 Minor League free agents, Steve Noworyta, Director, Minor Leagues announced today.

The list is made up of five pitchers, three infielders, three outfielders and two catchers: right-handers Jason Anderson, Matt Childers, Justin Pope and Kris Wilson and lefthander R.J. Swindle; infielders Gookie Dawkins, Joey Hammond and Juan Tejeda; outfielders Jake Blalock, Branden Florence and Mike Spidale; catchers Orlando Guevara and John Suomi.

Blalock, 24, the younger brother of Rangers’ third baseman, Hank, was originally selected by the Phillies in the fifth round of the 2002 draft. Dawkins, 28, appeared in 31 games for Triple-A Ottawa last season and has played in 55 Major League games between the Reds (1999-2000, 2002) and Royals (2003).

Childers, 28, who went 7-4 last season for Triple-A Ottawa, has appeared in 11 Major League games between the Brewers (2002) and Braves (2005). Anderson, 28, has a 3.39 ERA in 582 career Minor League games and has appeared in 32 Major League games with the Yankees (2003, 2005), Mets (2003) and Indians (2004).

A first-round selection of the Cardinals in 2001 (28th overall), Pope, 28, spent parts of the last five seasons in the Yankees’ Minor League system and has a 3.41 ERA in 225 Minor League games. Wilson, 31, has a 14-9 career record in 95 Major League games (20 starts) between the Royals (2000-03) and Yankees (2006).

Originally selected by the White Sox in 2000, Spidale, 25, split last season between Single-A Clearwater and Reading where he combined to hit .296 in 126 games. Tejeda, 25, a career .283 hitter with 95 home runs and 570 RBI in 865 Minor League games, spent last season with Double-A Reading.

Hammond, 30, spent last season between Reading and Ottawa, hitting a combined .297 in 117 games. Florence, 29, a career .312 hitter in 540 Minor League games, hit .350 (7-20) as a pinch-hitter for Reading in 2007.

Nice to see that Jason Anderson, Matt Childers, Joey Hammond and Gookie Dawkins all made it back.  We’re hoping that Mr. Hammond at least gets a shot at something in Philly; and certainly more than just the shuttle bus between Reading and [cough] the other place.  We liked what we saw of Gookie - even if we weren’t too sure about the nickname.

Matt Childers gets set. (photo credit: Zechariah Kiiffner)

And I’m not writing it.  Just a quick hit (for you and me - seems I have to get my blogging fix in).  Long drive down to Richmond yesterday, punctuated by several bathroom stops and food breaks.  If the team took the bus to Richmond my sympathies go out to them, and it’s small wonder they were tired out after a roadie - that is one long drive.  Scenic (when you’re not the driver), but long.

The “knowledgeable Lynx fan” returns and is credited with the following find concerning the fair city of Ottawa.  I haven’t had time to read it all, but the title speaks volumes - as does the closing sentence.

On to Savannah!

Once the hated Yankees were out of the picture, “the boy” was extremely pleased - if not relieved.  I’m sure there are people out there who detest the Bronx Bombers more than my son - I just haven’t met them yet.  Now, from the glass is “half-full” perspective, I’m quite certain that one “knowledgeable Lynx fan” is likely beside himself with the Tribe one win away from taking out Boston (although, if I recall correctly the locals in nis neck of the woods were decidedly in the Boston camp…. hmmm….. he’s probably not watching the games at any of the local watering holes…).

Before I forget - TaoofStieb, you’re off the Christmas card list.  Like I had time to waste on this stuff.  Thanks.

For those of you not addicted to computer/video games, PhuturePhillies has their eye on the Winter Leagues (i.e. Hawaii and Arizona).  I’ve taken a look at the Mexican League but unfortunately my Spanish isn’t as good as it used to be - OK, I don’t know any Spanish beyond “Por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas…” (from Disney World - “Please stand clear of the doors…”).  Yes.  I am a loser.  But a loser who’ll be lying on a beach in a few days….

Tough loss for FLP, Joe Bisenius today.  He went two innings and surrendered six runs, four of them earned.  Oh well - it’s gonna happen every once in a while.

Thanks for stopping by - I realize that it hasn’t exactly been quality bloggin’ of late, but, well - you’ll see.

A lonely figure in right field.

Honestly, I’m sure if I refer to Gary Burnham as a “blog favorite” again, a few of you will tune the blog out for good - but really, how can you not love this guy?  A home run, taking one for the team on the right arm, scoring from first (!!) - the man was pumped last night, letting out a yell as he returned to the dugout after coming around to score the team’s fifth run.

Who didn’t have a good night last night?  Sure, Chris Roberson made a few base running errors, but you’d hate for a guy with his speed to start second guessing.  Brennan King went o’fer, but he was solid defensively in a game that had more than it’s fair share of errors.

High fives for Joe Thurston’s third HR of the season.

And how big was Jim Rushford’s strike to JJ in the third?  The play at the plate (as captured by crack blog photographer Zechariah Kiiffner), stopped the bleeding at 3 runs and may have been the pivotal play of the game.

Morales, DOA. (photo credit: Zechariah Kiiffner)

Nice work by Ken “Bubba” Nelson, to pick himself up off the mat after giving up three runs and the lead, mowing down the Red Wings until he gave way to Geoff Geary who also had a strong outing (3 up -  3 down in the seventh, with 2 Ks).

Ken, mowing them down (blogger: Sorry. We just can’t call someone “Bubba”)

Blog interviewee, Dusty Wathan also had a great night with a walk, an RBI and a run scored - all in front of family. Way to go Dusty!

A strong performance for Dad, Mr.  Dusty Wathan.

Lynx staff also had a strong night with the Harry Potter promotion - the kids all had a good time and the costumes and level of enthusiasm were fantastic.  Morale seems to be very strong right now, hopefully this weekend with the Expos will continue the “boost” everyone’s feeling off and on the field.

Fun crew member, Cory, bringin’ it.

Hopefully, we’ll be bringing back the brooms on Monday for a six game sweep!

Mean, mean stride

Today’s Tom Sawyer…

Mean, mean pride.

With no apologies to Rush.  Blog favorite Gary Burnham hits some of the prettiest home-runs we’ve ever seen.  Like a Tiger Woods drive, they just keep climbing and climbing, seeming to accelerate as they get out of the park.  What a beautiful, signature shot over the right field wall yesterday.  Is there any better sight than seeing the outfielder turn his back to home plate and then stop running?  Probably, but not last night - what a needed win for the good guys.

Matt Childers, Geoff Geary, Fabio Castro and Clay Condrey all contributed in a well pitched game for the Lynx. (Personally, I thought they could have left Geary in a little longer, but what do I know?)

Matt in the shadows.

Big weekend coming up - Hallowe’en at the ballpark tonight, race tomorrow and then the 15th Anniversary celebration tomorrow afternoon.  I’ll be checking out early tonight to get some rest before the 105 km. road race tomorrow, but uber-blogger and tireless Lynx chronicler, Neate Sager has got things covered. Sorry about the brevity of the post, but multiple tasks are callin’. Gotta bounce! See you at the park.

Sorry, couldn’t come up with anything “clever” for the title - there’s been too much hotdoggin’ around here lately anyway.  I had the chance to sit and watch the baseball game with uber-blogger, Neate Sager last night.  Neate’s one of those guys that takes the time to score the game and make some notes for use in his blog later.  We have one word for guys like that:

Keener.

It was a fun evening - I’m glad he was able to get out.  Unfortunately for me, most of my photos didn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped - particularly for the last play of the game.  All I could come up with for Carlos Leon’s winning run was this:

Home plate awaits (Carlos and the catcher).

Oh, the suspense - my intention here was to leave the viewer wondering… who got there first?  Carlos or the catcher? [cough].  Okay.  Obviously I’m no Karsh.  If you want the good stuff, you’ll have to wait for Patrick to upload his shots.

One of the things which won’t show up in the box scores, or on Baseball Cube, is the “character” of a player.  You could forgive Geoff Geary if he simply mailed in his post game appearances after being sent down from Philadelphia.  Instead, last night he signed autographs and took photos - literally until there was no one left.   He told a bunch of little kids that they were the reason the Lynx won - “You were our good luck charms!”, and he thanked just about every one for coming out to the game.  We like this guy.

Mr. Geary in a serious moment.

Kurt Stoodley won the celebrity portion of the hotdog eating contest.  My sources say that he ate 10, started 11 but didn’t finish it.

“The source” was overseeing Mr. Stoodley’s every move.

While Mr. Mauler just wanted things to stop moving.  How about just one more - they’re just wafer thin!

This man does not look well.

Finally, blog favorite Charlie Weatherby put together six solid innings when it may have mattered most: Pat Gillick was still in the stands yesterday evening.  Great game Charlie!

Rod Nichols, looks to be prayin’ for a great start from Charlie.  He got one.