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Bluefish Win Two Marathons Against the Ducks

August 21, 2004 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Bridgeport Bluefish News Release


What a series we had, again, with the Long Island Ducks this past week at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard! The first game was an extraordinarily well-pitched game between the Ducks' Jason Navarro and our own Kevin Henthorne. The Ducks prevailed 2-0 thanks to a home run by slugger Patrick Lennon, about the only bad pitch Henny made all evening in a complete game loss. Henthorne's only two losses all season, against eleven wins, have come at the hands of the Ducks, and he certainly pitched well enough to have won both of those games.

The other two games were anything but pitchers' duels. In the first game we jumped out to a 9-2 lead, and in the second game, we started out even faster, with a 9-0 lead after two innings. The persistent Ducks never gave up, however, and in both games had the winning run at the plate in the ninth inning. Our closer, Eddie Ramos, persevered, however, and registered two saves in nail-biting 10-8 and 12-11 wins for us good guys.

So, after 16 games against the Ducks, we're about as evenly-matched as two teams could possibly be. They have won 8, we have won 7, and then there was that improbable rainy-night 3-3 suspended game tie on July 12. We travel there for a final regular season three-game series September 1-3, and, if we make the playoffs, the Ducks, quackers and all, will be back at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Tuesday, September 21 for the first game of the first round of the playoffs (with games Two and Three, if necessary, at their place in Central Islip, NY). You better pencil in that September 21 night here since we plan on making the playoffs. And we know from our infamous "marbles" game here on August 9 that the Port Jefferson Ferry will be loaded that evening with Ducks fans, and their ever-smiling mascot, QuackerJack. It has become a great rivalry that just keeps getting better and better.

Playoff Picture: The Atlantic City Surf and the Long Island Ducks are in the playoffs as first half champions. Second half leaders are the Bridgeport Bluefish and the Newark Bears. The Bluefish lead is 7 ½ games over the Ducks and the Nashua Pride. If we play .500 ball the rest of the way, the Ducks or the Pride will have to win three fourths of their games to catch us. It's much closer in the Southern Division where the Bears' lead is only 1 ½ games over the Atlantic City Surf, 2 games over the surging Camden Riversharks (who are on an 8-game winning streak), and 3 games over the Somerset Patriots.

Wild card scenario: There will only be wild card teams in the playoffs if the Surf or the Ducks win the second half of their respective divisions. If either team does win its second half, the leaders right now for the one or two wild card spots that would be created are as follows: 1. Bluefish; 2. Riversharks (5 games back); 3. Patriots (8 ½ games back). Calculations are based on all games played through Friday, August 20. Our best-in-the-league record means nothing if we don't make the playoffs.

You may nave missed it but New York Times culinary reporter Dana Bowen had a great article about Bluefish in the August edition of the Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/11/dining/11BLUE.html). Here are a few choice quotes from the article: The stage, in fact, is set for a bluefish invasion. It's been a good year for the dark-fleshed fish... they've been linked to everything from heart health to good moods... Many East Coast natives regard the fish with nostalgic reverence... it's one of summer's great sporting fish, and anglers speak of it with a mythic mix of respect and contempt. No fish is more ferocious, even small ones..; they're a lot of fun. Over time, bluefish's ruthless behavior and abundance have contributed to their bad reputation... Anyway, it's a great article if you're interested in catching and eating bluefish.

Here's a very friendly e-mail from a parent whose family especially enjoyed our most recent Bluefish baseball camp: Just wanted to tell you how impressed my husband and I were with the Bluefish camp. Our son had a great time. He especially loved eating lunch with the players, whom I found to be great sports. They never seemed to mind the interruptions to their lunch for autograph signing and the like!! Also, the Bluefish staff members were outstanding. I found them to be professional, organized and friendly. My Dad watched the camp on the last day and thought it was terrific. He also enjoyed a couple of burgers! Thanks again.

And here's yet another e-mail from a person who sat near our dugout at an away game recently against the Camden Riversharks: "On Thursday, August 12th, 2004 I happened to attend the baseball game at Camden - Campbell's Field, New Jersey. The host team was the Riversharks playing against your team the Bluefish. I went to the game with my father and my nephew, Sean. Both are true baseball fans. My nephew and I were sitting by your team's dugout. I was impressed with your team and staff and how they conducted themselves with all the children asking them for autographs during the game. They were very nice to everyone. One child went up to your website photographer and asked if he worked for the team, if so can I have your autograph. The photographer said yes, and yes to signing the autograph. The batboy had struck up a conversation with my nephew Sean. He was nice to give him a broken bat. It made him happy. The batboy was very nice to ask me about my arm. I have a cast on my left hand from surgery. A baseball player I believe his name was D. J. Boston was very nice to my nephew. He answered his question if he was related to the Boston who played on the Mets. He also signed his hat. He was also nice to me and asked me about what happened to my arm. After the game my nephew asked him to sign his bat, but we didn't have a marker. Instead he signed his baseball. Mr. Boston was nice enough to return my pen, when others were asking him for autographs. There were other players and staff who gave him autographs and baseballs. I'm sorry I don't know their names. This letter is to all just to say thank you. I am a teacher and it is always nice to see children happy. Even the umpire was nice to Sean. Sean told him that he had a good game and the ump gave him a ball. Just thank you for a good game and a good day. Keep up the good work."

Editor's note: The "web site photographer" the writer referred to above is none other than Kevin Henthorne, one of the Atlantic League's two best pitchers this season (along with teammate Tim Cain). It just so happens that Henny has a passion for photography, and can be seen outside our dugout at virtually very game (except when he's pitching), snapping digital photos of all the interesting things that go on in the ballpark. At last Wednesday's game against the Long Island Ducks, he actually snapped a picture of Rolo Avila beating a throw to home plate, despite being called out by the umpire. After the inning, Henny showed the photo to the umpire who good-naturedly said: "I called him out. That's my story and I'm sticking to it." The good news is that we scored ten other runs that evening to beat the Ducks 10-8, and didn't need Rolo's run to emerge victorious.

Here's a recent frustrated quote from Somerset Patriots' manager Sparky Lyle in the Courier-News, the local New Jersey paper that covers the Patriots. Sparky was lamenting the lack of quality starting pitching for the Patriots when he was asked if he had any immediate changes planned in the starting rotation. He said: "Not unless John (pitching coach John Montefusco) and I activate ourselves," Lyle quipped, "and by the looks of a couple of them out there, we just may. We've done everything we can to try and straighten these pitchers out. They can't get it. They do the same thing time after time." Not an insignificant comment when you realize that John "the Count" Montefusco hurled in the bigs for 13 seasons, and Sparky himself logged 16 seasons in the big leagues. Of course, Montefusco is 54 years old, and Sparky hit the big 6-0 last month. His comment reminds one of the great quote from Ty Cobb when he was asked late in his life what he would hit if he played in the major leagues in the 1950's. When he replied "about .275" (or some similar mediocre number), the surprised questioner thought he had a great story until Cobb deadpanned, "yeah, but you have to take into account the fact that I'm 73 years old."



Atlantic League Stories from August 21, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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