THE PITCH
Wednesday 23 May 2007
REMINDER: To unsubscribe to THE PITCH simply send an email to this address with your request – new subscribers are always welcome and can be easily added by request. You may contact our office: majorleaguebaseball@bigpond.com or by telephone 02 9238 2292.
PETER MOYLAN: 1.86 ERA
Our wayward pharmaceutical salesman is making a home for himself in the Atlanta Braves bullpen. In 14 appearances he is 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA over 19.1 innings pitched. For the month of May his ERA is 0.90 -- during which time he’s only allowed 2 hits and 1 run over 7 games -- and over the past 30 days it’s 0.55.
NEW CATCHER, MITCH EVANS, LEADS VIPERS IN SEASON-OPENER
Cam Maxwell, The Calgary Sun – 18 May
The Snakes are off and sliding.
A 6-4 win last night in Joliet against the Jackhammers gave the Calgary Vipers their first win of the campaign as they started their third season of Northern League play.
Vipers catcher Mitch Evans (Kuraby QLD) drove in three runs, while third baseman Carlos Duncan, who went 4-for-5, drove in a pair.
Calgary broke it open with a three-run fifth inning as 2,843 fans in Joliet didn't kick off the campaign on a good note.
Making his debut on the mound for Calgary, lanky 6-ft. 5-in. right-hander Jeff Groeger of Diamond Bar, Calif., picked up the win, while Joliet's Nate Sevier took the loss.
Groeger tossed five innings, giving up two earned runs and fanning four.
With a total of five errors in the contest, two by Calgary and three for the Jackhammers' rusty defence, it certainly played like the first game of the season.
Tom Lyons picked up the save as the Vipers hung on despite giving up two runs in the ninth when reliever Dave Manning struggled, allowing those two runs.
Shortstop Tim Hutting was 2-for-4, scored a run and drove in another for the Jackhammers.
MUSIC HIT HIGH NOTE
Moss starting pitcher on opening night
Hugh Zeitlin, 13WMAZ.com – 18 May
In front of a standing room only crowd of 5,033 people, the Macon Music were victorious on opening night, squeezing out the Bradenton Juice 5-3.
The contest started as a pitcher's duel, with former Atlanta Brave Damian Moss (Sadleir NSW) front and center.
The lefty pitched three scoreless innings for the Music, which included several strikeouts.
The most important "k" came in the top of the third inning, as he racked up Bradenton's Brennan Herrera to end the inning, stranding two Juice runners on base.
The Music used small ball to score in the bottom of the third.
In his lone appearance at the plate, Moss laid down a slow rolling bunt, which allowed enough time to allow Music outfielder Lafyette Brown to advance from first to third base.
Brown scored later in the inning, when Carlos Arroyo grounded out to second, giving the Music a 1-0 lead.
Brown was named game MVP, as he also contributed in the fourth inning, hitting a two-RBI single to right with the bases loaded.
AT A GLANCE
· Australians batting over .300: Trent D’Antonio (Wollongong NSW) .310 3RBI over 15 games with FLA’s A+ Jupiter, Luke Hughes (Morley WA) .308 10RBI 1HR in 20 games with MIN’s AA-New Britain, Matt Kent (VIC) .325 10RBI 2HR with independent El Paso and Trent Oeltjen (Baulkham Hills NSW) .326 7RBI 1 HR with MIN’s AAA-Rochester.
· It was reported on 19 May that the LA Angels of Anaheim had promoted Josh Davies (Bendigo VIC) to A+ Rancho Cucamonga but he has not yet made an appearance with that club nor made additional appearances with his old team the A- Cedar Rapids Kernels.
· Last Thursday catcher Andrew Graham (Warrawee NSW) hit his first Triple-A home run playing for Detroit’s Toledo Mud Hens. On the season he’s batting .276 with 4 RBI over 30 at bats in 13 games.
· The San Diego Padres assigned John Hussey (Mornington VIC) to A- Fort Wayne on 11 May from extended spring training. In 2 games he’s gone 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA over 9 innings.
· Turns out Ryan Rowland-Smith (Newcastle NSW) is the first player with a hyphenated surname to appear on a Major League roster, ever. As of last week that list included 16,921 names.
· Chris Snelling (Gorokan NSW) is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Oakland’s AAA-Sacramento soon. He’s been hampered by a bone bruise in his left knee.
· Last Thursday Phil Stockman (Mt Warren Park QLD) was returned to 7-day disabled list with continued problems in the upper hamstring. He made one appearance after coming off the DL – allowing thee hits and two earned runs, his first of the season.
· David Sutherland (Ferny Grove QLD) has been transferred from A-Great Lakes to A-SS Ogden – their season begins 19 June. In 23 games with Great Lakes David had batted .216 with 9 RBI and 1 HR.
· Last week’s report from Baseball America that Brad Thomas (Kellyville NSW) had been released by Seattle appears to have been false as Thomas has since pitched to AAA-Tacoma. He is 1-3 with a 8.22 ERA over 13 appearances.
· At Milwaukee’s A+ Brevard County affiliate David Welch (Adelaide SA) is 1-0 with a 1.16 ERA, he’s pitched 23.1 innings over 9 games allowing only 2 walks while chalking up 21 strikeouts.
· Matt Wilkinson (Barwon Heads VIC), recently released by Arizona, has signed on with the Coastal Bend Aviators of the American Association. In three appearances with his new team he is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA over 4.2 innings.
· Last Thursday the Detroit Tigers have assigned Brendan Wise (Perth WA) to A+ Lakeland from extended spring training – he’s gone 0-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three appearances pitching 4.0 innings.
· Statistics for players in the Northern League and South Coast League are not available this week because of faulty league websites – look for them next week.
Wednesday 23 May 2007
REMINDER: To unsubscribe to THE PITCH simply send an email to this address with your request – new subscribers are always welcome and can be easily added by request. You may contact our office: majorleaguebaseball@bigpond.com or by telephone 02 9238 2292.
PETER MOYLAN: 1.86 ERA
Our wayward pharmaceutical salesman is making a home for himself in the Atlanta Braves bullpen. In 14 appearances he is 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA over 19.1 innings pitched. For the month of May his ERA is 0.90 -- during which time he’s only allowed 2 hits and 1 run over 7 games -- and over the past 30 days it’s 0.55.
NEW CATCHER, MITCH EVANS, LEADS VIPERS IN SEASON-OPENER
Cam Maxwell, The Calgary Sun – 18 May
The Snakes are off and sliding.
A 6-4 win last night in Joliet against the Jackhammers gave the Calgary Vipers their first win of the campaign as they started their third season of Northern League play.
Vipers catcher Mitch Evans (Kuraby QLD) drove in three runs, while third baseman Carlos Duncan, who went 4-for-5, drove in a pair.
Calgary broke it open with a three-run fifth inning as 2,843 fans in Joliet didn't kick off the campaign on a good note.
Making his debut on the mound for Calgary, lanky 6-ft. 5-in. right-hander Jeff Groeger of Diamond Bar, Calif., picked up the win, while Joliet's Nate Sevier took the loss.
Groeger tossed five innings, giving up two earned runs and fanning four.
With a total of five errors in the contest, two by Calgary and three for the Jackhammers' rusty defence, it certainly played like the first game of the season.
Tom Lyons picked up the save as the Vipers hung on despite giving up two runs in the ninth when reliever Dave Manning struggled, allowing those two runs.
Shortstop Tim Hutting was 2-for-4, scored a run and drove in another for the Jackhammers.
MUSIC HIT HIGH NOTE
Moss starting pitcher on opening night
Hugh Zeitlin, 13WMAZ.com – 18 May
In front of a standing room only crowd of 5,033 people, the Macon Music were victorious on opening night, squeezing out the Bradenton Juice 5-3.
The contest started as a pitcher's duel, with former Atlanta Brave Damian Moss (Sadleir NSW) front and center.
The lefty pitched three scoreless innings for the Music, which included several strikeouts.
The most important "k" came in the top of the third inning, as he racked up Bradenton's Brennan Herrera to end the inning, stranding two Juice runners on base.
The Music used small ball to score in the bottom of the third.
In his lone appearance at the plate, Moss laid down a slow rolling bunt, which allowed enough time to allow Music outfielder Lafyette Brown to advance from first to third base.
Brown scored later in the inning, when Carlos Arroyo grounded out to second, giving the Music a 1-0 lead.
Brown was named game MVP, as he also contributed in the fourth inning, hitting a two-RBI single to right with the bases loaded.
AT A GLANCE
· Australians batting over .300: Trent D’Antonio (Wollongong NSW) .310 3RBI over 15 games with FLA’s A+ Jupiter, Luke Hughes (Morley WA) .308 10RBI 1HR in 20 games with MIN’s AA-New Britain, Matt Kent (VIC) .325 10RBI 2HR with independent El Paso and Trent Oeltjen (Baulkham Hills NSW) .326 7RBI 1 HR with MIN’s AAA-Rochester.
· It was reported on 19 May that the LA Angels of Anaheim had promoted Josh Davies (Bendigo VIC) to A+ Rancho Cucamonga but he has not yet made an appearance with that club nor made additional appearances with his old team the A- Cedar Rapids Kernels.
· Last Thursday catcher Andrew Graham (Warrawee NSW) hit his first Triple-A home run playing for Detroit’s Toledo Mud Hens. On the season he’s batting .276 with 4 RBI over 30 at bats in 13 games.
· The San Diego Padres assigned John Hussey (Mornington VIC) to A- Fort Wayne on 11 May from extended spring training. In 2 games he’s gone 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA over 9 innings.
· Turns out Ryan Rowland-Smith (Newcastle NSW) is the first player with a hyphenated surname to appear on a Major League roster, ever. As of last week that list included 16,921 names.
· Chris Snelling (Gorokan NSW) is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Oakland’s AAA-Sacramento soon. He’s been hampered by a bone bruise in his left knee.
· Last Thursday Phil Stockman (Mt Warren Park QLD) was returned to 7-day disabled list with continued problems in the upper hamstring. He made one appearance after coming off the DL – allowing thee hits and two earned runs, his first of the season.
· David Sutherland (Ferny Grove QLD) has been transferred from A-Great Lakes to A-SS Ogden – their season begins 19 June. In 23 games with Great Lakes David had batted .216 with 9 RBI and 1 HR.
· Last week’s report from Baseball America that Brad Thomas (Kellyville NSW) had been released by Seattle appears to have been false as Thomas has since pitched to AAA-Tacoma. He is 1-3 with a 8.22 ERA over 13 appearances.
· At Milwaukee’s A+ Brevard County affiliate David Welch (Adelaide SA) is 1-0 with a 1.16 ERA, he’s pitched 23.1 innings over 9 games allowing only 2 walks while chalking up 21 strikeouts.
· Matt Wilkinson (Barwon Heads VIC), recently released by Arizona, has signed on with the Coastal Bend Aviators of the American Association. In three appearances with his new team he is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA over 4.2 innings.
· Last Thursday the Detroit Tigers have assigned Brendan Wise (Perth WA) to A+ Lakeland from extended spring training – he’s gone 0-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three appearances pitching 4.0 innings.
· Statistics for players in the Northern League and South Coast League are not available this week because of faulty league websites – look for them next week.
