Rapidz 6 Capitals 2

[titanium]

I was at the game last night and it was great. Some of the new additions are really helping, i.e. Escalona, Salas. The announced crowd of a little over 2,000 were really in the game & supportive of the team.

Bergeron continues to impress. He's a horse out there. The team even executed a squeeze play - the most exciting play in baseball. Infante showed the usual great hustle getting down to first base. The official scorer was kind to the Quebec team when he decided to ignore at least two obvious errors on their part.

I think this team is set to go on a roll. They are not as bad as their record indicates & they have a bit more experience now.

Who is David Keesee, he was listed on last nights program. No mention of him on the Rapidz web page - I wish the team would keep this web page more up to date.

Orlando Trias should also be given credit for pitching a complete game victory.

Keep rolling Rapidz

[OttawaBallFan]

Yes, good game last night. We won with small ball. Of 15 hits, all but 2 were singles plus 3 sacrifices. Trias pitched his second great game of the season (he was the loser in the 1-0 game which I think he pitched better).

Salas will DH mostly, and occassionaly catch as he did last night and play first base. Max Bouchard was therefore given his walking papers. Karl Mejlholm is also gone.

One of those Quebec "errors" could have gone either way (late innings to shortstop). I don't recall which other potential error you are referring to. I might have missed the play. Unless you are thinking about a sacrifice bunt you think the pitcher could have gotten to. That one was a hit.

Who is David Keesee? He was mentioned on CJRC radio on Sunday. Independant league veteran, including Can-Am with Brockton in 2006 and Atlantic City last year. Never belonged to MLB team. Typical light-hitting infielder, plays short and second. McKnight may be next to go. Keesee will probably play tonight.

I believe it is Fraser Robinson tonight (1-1, 3.58 ) against Luis Valdez (4-0, 0.42). That's right, 0.42 ERA!

[titanium]

Thanks for the reply ottawaballfan. I could be wrong on one of those potential errors.

There was some complaining on the other Rapidz blog (that I have great difficulty loging onto) that the team is getting rid of their Canadian talent unfairly & contrary to their mission statement (something about developing Canadian talent).

I thought the comments & critisim of Nottle were very unfair. The ones let go were not producing & Nottle had to improve the team. I was sorry to see Max Bouchard go as I thought he had potential, but again, I think Nottle did the right thing. Nottle has a limited roster to work with & he has to go after the best talent available (regardless of citizenship). If he doesn't he is not doing his job

[OttawaBallFan]

Have you registered as a Google blogger on The New Ottawa Rapidz Blog? I use the Name option (Pierre L) and don't have a problem. I would never use Anonymous who, if it's the same one, said ten days ago that the team was bush league because Canadian Tire won't allow fireworks.

I agree with you Nottle is trying to improve the team. How else to explain five roster changes this month alone? These may not all work out but at least management is trying something.

[titanium]

Thanks OBF, think I finally figured out how to log on there. Didn't make the game last night. Sorry they lost, but again it was close - until the top of the 9th I guess. Hope they shore up the pitching staff soon. I've seen a player? coach? at games with 27 on his back, never seen him in games, never seen him listed anywhere, i.e. program or website. Am I seeing things? Who is this guy? Also, the first coach they had, No 6, I think, is not there anymore, who was he & where did he go. These are things the web page should be more detailed about.

[OttawaBallFan]

> Didn't make the game last night

Well, wasn't a good night with the rain and all.

> I've seen a player? coach? at games with 27 on his back

I've seen him too. I think that's the hitting coach they hired a few weeks ago. Can't recall his name and is not listed on the site. If it's who I think it is, he's Ed's old friend. I call him Vlad (Guerrero) since he wears number 27.

I don't even know Nottle's number because he always wears a jacket, no matter how hot it is.

Number 6 is now Jose Salas. Don't recall an old #6. Maybe it was The Prisoner and he escaped.

By the way, the home games have been on Internet in English on ShoutCast since the last home stand. Howard Bloom does the play by play. That too is not on the Rapidz site. Go on ShoutCast and search for "rapidz radio", you should find it that way. No archives of previous games.

[OttawaBallFan]

The coach's name is Tom Carcione. I think he's #27.

Also, the game was on Rogers last night and is again tonight for those who can't be there in person.

[Brockton Boomer]

Welcome to all the Ottawa fans great to see your team in the Can Am. Ottawa came to visit us and the games were exciting.I would like to visit Ottawa but I have some questions I read from your site, are fire works shows not allowed in Canada and there are no beer nites. If this is correct you miss out on the biggest attendance nites ,every indy team I have heard of in the Frontier league,the Atlantic the AA , the Golden and Northern league all have 12 to 16 home dates with fireworks and a beer nite every week(16 more nites )these games are the money makers and always are the best draw. Mickey Mantel Babe Ruth and Ed Nootle all baseball greats Ed brought us the Championship in 2003 we all loved him but as with the Babe and Mickey the problem could not be solved and he moved on and had the same problem with his next team also now in Ottawa I heard he makes the team leave at 2.00am when the bars close, than drives and gets in the morning rush hour and goes to the park . It won't take long before the players revolt.

[titanium]

Don't think we have ever had Fireworks or beer night promotions, if we have have them, it was very seldom during the last 15 years of AAA baseball in Ottawa.

As far as Nottle is concerned, I only recently have read (on these blogs) stories about his past or present problems or lifestyle or whatever else you want to label it as.

Personally, I am not interested in knowing or hearing that he likes a drink or smokes in the dugout or on the team bus. (Yes, I read this in another blog site which was submitted by a local fan.)

I don't know a thing about his personal life, nor do I want to. What's important to me is the fact that he appears to be a career baseball man, is very personalble with the fans & media (Ottawa needs this to make this league work in this city.)

I am more interested in hearing about the action on the field, seeing the box scores published in the paper, an up-to-date team and league web site with lots of coverage on player transactions, stats, etc.

[titanium]

Thanks OBF.

The coach wearing no 6 I was referring to hasn't been around for several weeks, he was a black man & was with the team from day1.

I wish the Rapidz web site was a bit more professional looking and more current & informative.

I have been very diasppointed by the print coverage of the team in the Ottawa Citizen of late. They were doing a great job for the first home stand. Now it has been very scanty to say the least - like it was for the Lynx for the last few years they were here.

Thanks for the info. on ShoutCast. I checked their web site but couldn't figure out how to find and retrieve the game play-by-play.

Catching the Rapidz Pride game on the Pride web-cast tonight: Ottawa ahead 3-0 early in the game.

[OttawaBallFan]

Titanium (and all), the Internet broadcast will be for HOME games only. If you want to catch road games, your options are to listen to CJRC, if you understand French that is, or listen to our opponent's broadcast. My understanding however is that a couple of teams have radio deals and don't broadcast on the Internet. A couple of other teams ONLY have Internet broadcast. Not sure which ones they are, maybe fans from those teams can tell us.

I don't remember a number 6 before Salas got here. Now, according to the web site, he's wearing 12 and Joe Wilson will be wearing 6. I'll try to find out who that #6 was.

Yes, Nottle likes to drink and sing and he smokes a lot. Nothing I can do about that. As long as he does his job. I also want to talk about action on the field. Ed will be Ed.

Boomer, fireworks are not allowed at the stadium for the simple reason that the Canadian Tire store, just beyond the right field fence (literally 50 feet away), won't allow them due to fire hazard.

I don't drink beer but I understand that it is cheaper than in the Lynx days. So every game is beer night. It was even half price for an inning after Lemieux hit a grand slam.

I don't know where you heard about Ed making the team leave at 2 am. You might confuse this with the team bus leaving at that time for road trips. That is to save the team one night in a hotel. Not sure as a player if I'd want to sleep on a bus. I'd also object to Ed's smoke. But hey, this is not the majors, or even the minors.

Bars close at 1 am on Ontario side and 3 am on Quebec side. Locals, correct me if that's wrong, I haven't gone to a bar in ages.

[Skyhawker]

hey guys, i can help you with the broadcast situation for when ottawa plays sussex, only some games are broadcast on espn 1490 AM radio. otherwise, i am stuck listening to the opponents commentators. the skyhawks do not have an internet broadcast.

[summerfan]

Welcome to all the Ottawa fans great to see your team in the Can Am. Ottawa came to visit us and the games were exciting.I would like to visit Ottawa but I have some questions I read from your site, are fire works shows not allowed in Canada and there are no beer nites. If this is correct you miss out on the biggest attendance nites ,every indy team I have heard of in the Frontier league,the Atlantic the AA , the Golden and Northern league all have 12 to 16 home dates with fireworks and a beer nite every week(16 more nites )these games are the money makers and always are the best draw. Mickey Mantel Babe Ruth and Ed Nootle all baseball greats Ed brought us the Championship in 2003 we all loved him but as with the Babe and Mickey the problem could not be solved and he moved on and had the same problem with his next team also now in Ottawa I heard he makes the team leave at 2.00am when the bars close, than drives and gets in the morning rush hour and goes to the park . It won't take long before the players revolt.

1)As for leaving at 2 am its nothing more then the distance they have to travel.Of course they could leave before that but then the players and staff would have no real social life and would not be all that happy.

2)As for the fireworks its because of the canadian tire behind the park there not allowed to have fireworks.

[Brockton Boomer]

Summer fan Leaving at 2.00 am is a joke just ask the players they have to leave and vacant there hotel or campus before the game and sit and wait in the club house till 2.00 am.The distance is the same when the other clubs visit Ottawa and they leave right after the game these guys are here to play baseball not have a social life they don't get paid enough money to have much of a social life when the season is on . Most players do not live in Ottawa. That is to bad you have a tire company next to the stadium we have bars here where they have fireworks shows inside . You try going on a 11 hour bus ride and than going through rush hour have something to eat and have batting practice and than you are expected to play your best ,to me this is not fair to the players. To me it is better to leave after the game and get to the hotel at 2.00 or 3.00 am get some sleep in a real bed and than go to the park this is how they do it in Brockton and all the other teams I know . Quebec is close to you, they never do the 2.00am shuffle maybe thats why there in first .

[summerfan]

Summer fan Leaving at 2.00 am is a joke just ask the players they have to leave and vacant there hotel or campus before the game and sit and wait in the club house till 2.00 am.The distance is the same when the other clubs visit Ottawa and they leave right after the game these guys are here to play baseball not have a social life they don't get paid enough money to have much of a social life when the season is on . Most players do not live in Ottawa. That is to bad you have a tire company next to the stadium we have bars here where they have fireworks shows inside . You try going on a 11 hour bus ride and than going through rush hour have something to eat and have batting practice and than you are expected to play your best ,to me this is not fair to the players. To me it is better to leave after the game and get to the hotel at 2.00 or 3.00 am get some sleep in a real bed and than go to the park this is how they do it in Brockton and all the other teams I know . Quebec is close to you, they never do the 2.00am shuffle maybe thats why there in first .

1)Quebec is 5 hours away i would really not call that close.
2)Yes they do have a social life maybe not a great one but its still there.
3)This leaving at 2 am may have been the players call
4)Out of the 8 teams ottawa has the most travel.

[spaggis]

FYI - The Rapids say they will be having fireworks after the game on June 30th (according to an email I got from the team), so things must have been worked out with Canadian Tire. I can't find this info on their web site (yet), but that's no real surprise.

Also, the old #6 was the original coach. I need to dig out the handout I got at the Rapids training camp that lists his name. He seems to be gone now that Carcione is here.

[OttawaBallFan]

I'm no ballplayer but I guess a typical player's life during the season is as follows (assuming 7:00 game start):

10:00 am Probably typical wake-up time for most
Get ready for the day.
Do personal stuff (laundry, phone calls, etc)
Pack your bags on getaway days.
1:00 pm Head to stadium
Players likely have to be there by 2:00 pm
"Work". Discuss game strategies, talk to manager, coaches.
Stretch routines, batting and fielding practice.
7:00 pm Game time
10:00 pm Game ends
Post-game exercise, shower
11:00+ Go home or to hotel
Socialize with teammates somewhat, because by then it's midnight.
1:00 am to 2:00 am Go to bed

So there's not much socializing time, except with your teammates or players you know from the other team. I certainly would not have time for a girlfriend. And Boomer is right, they don't get paid much so they are probably very careful about spending money.

I know that prior to the Rapidz first road trip, they went visiting the city after the game. They were probably in groups with the few local players acting as guides.

There is not much around the stadium except for the hotel and box stores. But the mall is just 1 km away with its restaurants and all a guy could need. They probably bus from there too taking the 95 going to Algonquin College where, as far as I know, is where many of them are staying in the student housing.

The travel is the toughest part of these guys' lives. While I don't like the idea of sleeping on the bus, those seat are very comfortable. I think I would rather leave at 2:00 am and sleep on the bus than leave at 6:00 pm, be awake and have little to do for 6-10 hours and then go to bed at the hotel. To me, that would be the lesser of two evils.

[summerfan]

FYI - The Rapids say they will be having fireworks after the game on June 30th (according to an email I got from the team), so things must have been worked out with Canadian Tire. I can't find this info on their web site (yet), but that's no real surprise.

Also, the old #6 was the original coach. I need to dig out the handout I got at the Rapids training camp that lists his name. He seems to be gone now that Carcione is here.

Its not so much canadian tire but the city of ottawa and the fire dept they had to work thing out with.