Crushers at Grizzlies: June 5

Starting Lineups for tonight...Games note are also below...

GATEWAY GAME TWO NOTES

CRUSHERS (5-8)
Dom Duggan - CF (.224, 2RBI)
Drew Saylor - 2B (.245, 2HR, 7RBI)
Andrew Davis - 3B (.255, 3HR, 11RBI)
Travis Vetters - DH (.255, 3RBI)
Eddie Tisdale - 1B (.208, HR, 4RBI)
Arden McWilliams - RF (.217, 2HR, 5RBI)
Wayne Bond - LF (.250, 2HR, 6RBI)
Joel Collins - C (.333, 2RBI)
Jodam Rivera - SS (.306, 6RBI)

RHP Matt Smith (1-1, 5.62 -- 2nd Start)

GATEWAY GRIZZLIES (9-5, 2nd Place West Division)
Bobby Burk - SS (.320, 2HR, 12RBI)
Brandon Peters - LF (.250, 3RBI)
Justin Baum - 3B (.281, 3HR, 14RBI)
Logan Parker - 1B (.320, 2HR, 12RBI)
Charlie Lisk - C (.351, 5HR, 17RBI)
Jareck West - CF (.269, 3HR, 15 RBI)
Toby Davis - 2B (.185, HR, 8RBI)
Breck Draper - RF (.214, HR, 8RBI)
Landon Hernandez - DH (.190, 2RBI)

RHP B.J. Dail (0-0, 5.00 -- 3rd Start)

Gateway 17, Crushers 4

We will start with the negatives...The 17 runs were the most allowed by the Crushers in franchise history and the defeat was also the largest in team history...The positives...Another extremely solid performance from Esmelvin Jimenez on the mound...4.1 innings of relief with just one hit allowed and an unearned run...Tracking: At this point last year the Crushers were 7-6 but had also played Rockford and Washington a total of seven times with a record of 6-1 in those games...With respect to those two teams who struggled especially early last year, Gateway is a much improved team and can hit...River City is pretty much the same team that lost to the Crushers a year ago and Traverse City is currently tied for the division lead...Throw in an Oakland County team sitting in the top half of the division and you catch my drift...The schedule is tougher to start this year...The league is as balanced as I have seen in my three years...

But, it is a long season and as Drew Saylor mentioned yesterday on Crushers First Pitch the first third of the year is really just to get into your routine...Consider the season three 32 game segments...Last year the first segment was 17-15...19-13 in the second segment and 21-10 in the last third...That said, I have also seen teams struggle out of the gates and fail to recover, see Traverse City 2007...You certainly can't wint a title in the first month of the season but you can lose one...However, 5-8 is not cause for panic...Let me repeat, 5-8 is not cause for panic...

Random notes from yesterday...Wayne Bond was the first Crusher player to pinch hit in 2010 and came through with an RBI single in the ninth...Andrew Davis, who was a closer in college at Kent State, pitched the eighth with much success...

Not much media from yesterday so I will just post our respective recaps...

TEAMS
CRUSHER RECAP: Grizzlies Homer Past Crushers

GATEWAY RECAP: Grizzlies Crush Lake Erie

Around the Frontier League: June 4

I am pleased to announce the addition of boxscores to my daily Frontier League recaps...Last night, Normal finally tallied a home victory after three tight losses to Windy City...The CornBelters combined for 38 hits with Kalamazoo in a 13-12 12-inning marathon that lasted 4:31 (And you thought our game was long last night!!!)...River City and Washington were three batters into their game before rain forced cancellation and a doubleheader today...Traverse City returned to its early winning ways by holding off Florence...Southern Illinois and Windy City engaged in a ture pitcher's duel with the Miners winning the early battle of division leaders 1-0...Evansville spoiled Oakland County's home opener in Ypsilanti, Michigan with an 8-1 victory, their third in four games...Below is the media and boxscores...

NORMAL-KALAMAZOO
Cowan's Walk-Off Blast

BOXSCORE

RIVER CITY-WASHINGTON
Rainout Gives Road Weary Team a Break

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS-WINDY CITY
Bats Not Up to Standards

BOXSCORE

TRAVERSE CITY-FLORENCE
BOXSCORE

300

SPARTANS!!!!! That was my best Leonidas impression...

I am not one for individual accomplishments, but in last night's 17-4 loss I broadcast my 300th Frontier League game for a team...I am at 301 if you include the 2008 All Star Game hosted by Traverse City...I have witnessed far more than 300 Frontier League games (I can think of at least five games I have been to on off days and other stuff) but have been behind the mike for 300 as of last night (96 in 07-08, 95 in 09, 13 in 10)...

I say this because, I love the Frontier League...Ultimately I share the same goal as the players, to have an opportunity to further my craft at a higher level, but in the short term have loved being able to broadcast the Frontier League every summer...There was a lot of movement in the Frontier League circles broadcast wise this offseason, maybe more than even managers this year, but I can think of just three others who are currently in the league that have witnessed 300 or more contests...That puts me among, dare I say it, the deans of Frontier League broadcasting...Its a great group to be a part of...The four of us have won a total of five Frontier League Broadcaster of the Year awards and I consider most of the broadcasters in the league to be very good friends of mine whom I try and stay in contact with in the offseason...There are a couple others who aren't far behind the 300 marker...

My overall baseball number is somewhere closer to 400 counting two years of summer college ball, but 300 at the pro level is pretty exciting...

Waxiing poetic with Joe Pott of Gateway last night I recounted a few of the things I have witnessed in three plus seasons in the Frontier League...A triple play (Joe said he has yet to see one -- Thanks Andrew Davis!), two cycles (Brad Miller 08; John Alonso 09 with TC), a no-hitter (Florence's Preston Vancil blanked the Beach Bums last season on July 26 despite seven walks and a hit batsman), a 14-run inning (Frontier League Record) on June 8, 2007 at Kalamazoo in a 20-6 TC win when the Bums batted around twice in the inning, a pair of 3 HR Games (Most recently Matt Maloney of Kalamazoo on May 28, interestingly enough both games ended in a walkoff homer)...

I look forward to making more memories with the Crushers and all of you in 2010...

Crushers at Grizzlies: June 4

Drew Saylor is my guest on Crushers First Pitch as the Crushers visit Gateway...Lineups below...

GAME NOTES FOR THE ROAD TRIP OPENER

CRUSHERS (5-7)
Jodam Rivera - SS
Drew Saylor - 2B
Andrew Davis - 3B
Travis Vetters - LF
Eddie Tisdale - 1B
Arden McWilliams - RF
Lee Huggins - DH
Julio Rivera - C
Dom Duggan - CF

RHP Phil Rummel

GATEWAY GRIZZLIES (8-5)
Bobby Burk - SS
Brandon Peters - LF
Justin Baum - 3B
Logan Parker - 1B
Charlie Lisk - DH
Jareck West - CF
Toby Davis - 2B
Breck Draper - RF
Landon Hernandez - C

LHP Mark Pawelek

Crushers First Pitch: Travis Risser

Here is yesterday's interview with Travis Risser...

Crushers 10, Rascals 1

Now that's more like it...I think last night was the team fans have been waiting to see in 2010 and hopefully the Crushers can build on it heading into a six-game seven-day road swing through St. Louis...I will post highlights later, I left them on the other computer...I know, brilliant...Josh Roberts (Pictured from the Morning Journal)picked up the first win for a starting pitcher this season last night, carrying a shutout into the eighth...

HIGHLIGHTS
Coming Soon...

NEWSPAPERS
Offense Erupts -- Chronicle-Telegram

Roberts Turns a Gem

Around the Frontier League: June 3

Here is some stuff from action last night around the Frontier League...Traverse City dropped its first series of the year after being blanked by Evansville...The Southern Illinois bats were at it again...Gateway routed Washington for the second straight night...Windy City is now alone atop the East Division having won five straight thanks to a sweep of Normal...

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS-KALAMAZOO
Miners Bash Kings

Miners Pick Up Win

GATEWAY-WASHINGTON
Grizzlies Pile Up Runs

NORMAL-WINDY CITY
CornBelters Swept Away

Crushers vs. Rascals -- June 3

Series finale between the Crushers and Rascals on a Thirsty Thursday at All Pro Freight Stadium tonight...First pitch is at 7:05 pm...Both games of the series so far have been decided by just a run...Will tonight be the same? The Crushers are 0-2 in rubber games so far this season and look to win their first series of the season having dropped two of three to Traverse City, Oakland County, and Kalamazoo...Should be a very good pitching matchup with Josh Roberts making his third start for the Crushers...I would be surprised if the contest isn't low scoring again...Arden McWilliams is back in the lineup following a day off yesterday...Travis Risser is my guest on Crushers First Pitch...Airtime is at 6:50pm...

CRUSHERS (4-7)
Dom Duggan - CF
Drew Saylor - 2B
Andrew Davis - 3B
Travis Vetters - LF
Eddie Tisdale - 1B
Joel Collins - C
Arden McWilliams - RF
Lee Huggins - DH
Jodam Rivera - SS

RHP Josh Roberts (3rd Start -- 0-0, 2.46)

RIVER CITY RASCALS (6-7)
Caleb Curry - CF
Doug Sanders - 2B
Scott Robinson - 1B
Stephen Holdren - DH
Chad Maddox - LF
Ryan Wehrle - 3B
Jeff DeSmidt - C
Chris McClendon - RF
JoJo Gutierrez - SS

RHP Tim Woodward (4th Start -- 1-0, 2.35)

Crushers First Pitch: Jodam Rivera

Jodam Rivera was my guest yesterday on Crushers First Pitch...Rivera was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs in his return to the lineup after missing four games...He talks about what he did to stay sharp, his day at the plate, and memories of 2009...

Rascals 2, Crushers 1

Coverage from around NE Ohio on last night's 2-1 River City victory...Last night was the one-year anniversary of the opening of All Pro Freight Stadium...After 11 games in 2009, the Crushers posted a 6-5 record...The pitching was outstanding again though starters have yet to post a win in 2010...Travis Risser (Pictured in photo from The Morning Journal) surrendered just two runs in five innings but was again victimized by some long innings...

I've been asked by numerous people the simple question...What is going on? My response? The season is 96 games long...We are just over 10 percent into that slate...Five of the seven losses have been by a run...Can losses early in the season hurt? Of course...But its not like the Crushers are getting blown out...We can re-visit the question following the upcoming roadtrip...I have a feeling there will be a lot of close games around the Frontier League this season...In fact, that thought prompted me to post below the records of all teams in one-run games early this year...Nine of the 12 teams have been involved in at least four one-run games, or 1/3rd of the schedule thus far...

TEAM 1-RUN RECORD
Windy City - 5-1
Traverse City - 4-2
Gateway - 3-2
Oakland County - 4-3
Kalamazoo - 2-2
Evansville - 2-2
Southern Illinois - 1-1
River City - 3-4
Florence - 1-2
Lake Erie Crushers - 2-5
Normal - 1-3
Washington - 0-1

HIGHLIGHTS
Lee Huggins opens the scoring with an RBI double in the 2nd


Stephen Holdren Doubles to Answer for River City


Dom Duggan Triples in the Ninth


NEWSPAPERS
Crushers Miss Opportunities -- The Morning Journal

TEAMS
Crusher Recap Written by Harry Plumer

River City Recap

Around the League: June 2

Here is what I am reading about Frontier League action from June 2 around the league's various media outlets...There is a little less news today...The stories? Well, almost every game was the exact opposite of Tuesday...The exceptions? Windy City, who has now won four in a row, with another tight win over the Normal CornBelters...Traverse City edged Evansville by the same score they lost by on Tuesday, 5-4...Southern Illinois hammered Kalamazoo after getting hammered on Tuesday...Kings' starter Brandon Parillo departed after just one inning, leaving with an injury...Gateway rolled over Washington, and Oakland County swept a pair from Florence in a doubleheader...

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS-KALAMAZOO
Extra Work Leads to Win for Miners

Contagious Hitting

NORMAL-WINDY CITY
CornBelters Strand 12

Crushers vs. Rascals -- June 2

Jodam Rivera will be my guest on Crushers First Pitch this evening...Airtime is 6:50pm...Crushers look to make it three in a row against the Rascals...Game Notes and Lineups Below...

WEDNESDAY'S GAME NOTES

CRUSHERS (4-6)
Jodam Rivera - SS (.292, 5RBI)
Drew Saylor - 2B (.231, 2HR, 3RBI)
Andrew Davis - 3B (.286, 3HR, 11RBI)
Travis Vetters - LF (.250, 3RBI)
Eddie Tisdale - 1B (.205, HR, RBI)
Wayne Bond - RF (.250, 2HR, 5RBI)
Lee Huggins - DH (.333, HR, 4RBI)
Julio Rivera - C (.250, HR, 3RBI)
Dom Duggan - CF (.222, 2RBI)

RHP Travis Risser (3rd Start -- 0-1, 5.23)

RIVER CITY RASCALS (5-7)
Chris McClendon - CF (.225, HR, 3RBI)
Doug Sanders - 2B (2nd Game)
Scott Robinson - 1B (.292, 11RBI)
Stephen Holdren - RF (.225, 5RBI)
Josh Banda - DH (.225, 2HR, 9RBI)
Ryan Wehrle - 3B (.263, 4RBI)
Chad Maddox - LF (.163, HR, 5RBI)
Danny Sawyer - C (.200, 2HR, 9RBI)
JoJo Gutierrez - SS (.180, RBI)

RHP Gary Moran (3rd Start -- 0-0, 3.00)

Alan Jackson at The Freight!!

Country Music Superstar Alan Jackson (Pictured) will bring his 'Freight Train Tour' to All Pro Freight Stadium on July 15...Tickets go on sale Saturday morning at 10am...Jackson has posted 57 Top 40 Hits on the Billboard Country Charts since 1990, 34 of which have reached #1...

Crushers First Pitch: Dom Duggan

A highly entertaining and informative interview with Lake Erie leadoff man Dom Duggan from Crushers First Pitch on June 1...

Around the Frontier League

Here's a tour around the Frontier League from last night...The big story was the opening of The Corn Crib in Normal as the Normal CornBelters played their first home game in franchise history...5,865 were on hand to watch Normal fall to Windy City...Perhaps lost in the shuffle was a tremendous pitching performance from Kalamazoo's Tyler Herron...The former First Round Pick shutout Southern Illinois...

CORN CRIB OPENING
Opener a Tough One to Lose

Early Sign CornBelters to Take Flight

Fans Give CornBelters Warm Welcome

KALAMAZOO-SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Herron Dominates

Southern Illinois Knocked Around

Miners Fall Flat

EVANSVILLE-TRAVERSE CITY
Streak Stopped

WASHINGTON-GATEWAY
Wild Things Rally Past Gateway

Things Rally

Crushers 5, Rascals 4

Media and highlights from last night's 5-4 win over River City...Most of which focused on the return of Jodam Rivera...The Morning Journal also features some video with Manager John Massarelli and Rivera...

GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Andrew Davis Hits his Third Homer


Wayne Bond Puts the Crushers Ahead


Jodam Rivera Knocks in his First Run


River City's Chris McClendon Thrown Out


Jodam Rivera Drive in the Winning Run


Rolon Records the Final Out


NEWSPAPERS
The Morning Journal

The Chronicle-Telgram

Cleveland Plain-Dealer Minor League Wrapup

TEAMS
Lake Erie Crushers.com Recap

River City Rascals Game Recap

ONLINE
Manager John Massarelli's Postgame News Conference

Enter the Corn Crib

Tonight, the Frontier League's newest team will christen its home stadium as the Normal CornBelters open the Corn Crib in Normal, Ill...I have seen the stadium first hand during its construction phase and it looks pretty neat...Check out this video courtesy of the Pantagraph for an inside peek...

VIDEO

More Media on Normal's Opening
CornBelters Fired Up

Crushers First Pitch: Josh Roberts

Josh Roberts joined Crushers First Pitch to speak about his first start and his road back from Tommy John surgery on May 25...

Picture is from his time with the Marlins...

Crushers First Pitch: Wayne Bond

Wayne Bond was the guest on Crushers First Pitch following his 2-for-3 showing on opening night...

Picture came from the Morning Journal following an image search for Wayne Bond...

Getting to Know the Cruisers

Oakland County General Manager Eric Coleman dropped by Crushers First Pitch to chat with Calderwood's Corner about perhaps the best addition of the Oakland County franchise in his three years with the club...

Audio!!!

I promised to post some audio on this site so how about it? Going back to the season opening series...I sat down with Traverse City Manager Gregg Langbehn to talk about his team in 2010...

Back at Home

I hope you had an awesome Memorial Day...The Crushers are back at home today, meeting the River City Rascals in a rematch of the 2009 Frontier League Championship Series...River City won all three regular season meetings at All Pro Freight Stadium last season, but the Crushers won both home games in the Championship Series...Its a Twofer Tuesday at the park...Dom Duggan will be my guest on Crushers First Pitch...Lineups for tonight are posted below...

GAME NOTES

CRUSHERS (3-6)
Dom Duggan - CF
Drew Saylor - 2B
Andrew Davis - 3B
Eddie Tisdale - 1B
Travis Vetters - DH
Joel Collins - C
Arden McWilliams - RF
Wayne Bond - LF
Jodam Rivera - SS

RHP - Mike Raymond (0-1, 3.00 -- 2nd Start)

RIVER CITY RASCALS (5-6)
Jorge Gutierrez - SS
Doug Sanders - 2B
Scott Robinson - 1B
Stephen Holdren - DH
Chad Maddox - DH
Ryan Wehrle - 3B
Danny Sawyer - C
Chris McClendon - RF
Joe Chavarria - CF

RHP - Tony Marsala (1-1, 3.68 -- 2nd Start)