CarL1 Winston-Salem Dash

Warthogs newsletter

Published on August 7, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Winston-Salem Dash News Release


In the thick of it - With less than four weeks remaining, the Warthogs are tied with Kinston for the final playoff spot in the Southern Division, so come out and support the Hogs as they push for the playoffs this week versus Potomac and Wilmington.

 It's time for ZOOperstars! - The nationwide entertainment act ZOOperstars! is visiting Ernie Shore Field on Saturday, August 9. Come out and see their hilarious dances and skits throughout the game!

 Sunday Smorgasbord - There are events-a-plenty going on before and after the game on Sunday, August 10. Before the game, all Jr. Warthogs and their parents/guardians are invited to a picnic with Wally and Warthogs players. After the game the Make-a-Wish foundation will host its annual Walk for Wishes fundraiser.

 Warthogs offer Electrolux kitchen set to five millionth fan - On Wednesday, August 27, the Warthogs are giving away everything but the kitchen sink as fan No. 5,000,000 will enter the turnstiles at Ernie Shore Field.

 Down and Dirty with a Warthog - Baseball and the Dominican Republic seem to go hand-in-hand these days, but as Francisco Hernandez knows, making it in the Caribbean country is still a mighty struggle.

 Got the Monday blues? We've got the cure - The Hanes Mall Family 4 Pack is the perfect family package, with 4 tickets, 4 food vouchers and 4 game vouchers for $25.

 "Who Done It?" Trivia - Know "who done it?" First person to answer correctly wins two free tickets to a Warthogs game of their choice! Advanced Class-A Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox

In the thick of it Warthogs continue race for playoffs during seven-game homestand starting Thursday The Warthogs return to Ernie Shore Field this week still in the thick of the playoff race. As of Wednesday, the Hogs are tied with the Kinston Indians for the final playoff spot, and are looking for some home cooking versus a pair of Northern Division foes this homestand. Winston-Salem opens the seven-game homestand with four games against the Potomac Nationals, and then the Wilmington Blue Rocks make their final visit to Ernie Shore Field for a three-game series. Special events for the homestand include ZOOperstars! on Saturday, the Junior Warthogs Picnic and Walk for Wishes on Sunday and our Summer Reading Program Night on Wednesday. For a complete schedule or to order tickets, please visit our website at www.warthogs.com. Looking ahead:

Fri. 8/8 Potomac 7 p.m. Friday Fireworks sponsored by BB&T and Rock 92

Probables: John Ely (6-11, 4.83) vs. Andrew Kown (0-0, 0.00) Sat. 8/9 Potomac 6 p.m. Special ZOOperstars! Entertainment sponsored by State Farm and WKZL 107.5

Probables: Michael Dubee (4-6, 4.67) vs. Hassan Pena (0-1, 5.40) Sun. 8/10 Potomac 5 p.m. Family Fun Day sponsored by McDonalds on North Point and WMAG / Jr. Warthogs Picnic

Probables: Anthony Carter (4-3, 5.66) vs. Jeff Mandel (4-4, 4.60) Mon. 8/11 Wilmington 7 p.m. Family 4 Pack sponsored by Hanes Mall and Majic 94.1

Tue. 8/12 Wilmington 7 p.m. Senior Day Tuesday and Baseball Bingo sponsored by Salemtowne

Wed. 8/13 Wilmington 7 p.m. Summer Reading Program Night sponsored by First Community Bank and WXII

Thu. 8/14 @ Lynchburg 7:05 p.m.

Can't make it to the game? Listen to any game this season live on the web at www.MiLB.com or www.warthogs.com. The week that was:

"You have to put your behind in the past." Pumbaa, the second greatest Warthog of all time. The Hogs went 3-4 during their last seven-game road trip to Potomac and Wilmington. The trip started on a disappointing note when Potomac rallied for three runs in the ninth off Henry Mabee to tie the game, then scored the winning run off Steven Spurgeon in the 12th inning. Joe Persichina led the way offensively, going 3-for-4 with two RBI. Winston-Salem rebounded in game two behind Jacob Rasner's first win as a starter since April 21. Rasner (4-5) pitched five innings, allowing just one run and striking out six. Matt Davis relieved Rasner and pitched four innings of no-hit ball to earn the save. Paulo Orlando and C.J. Retherford each contributed a pair of RBI in the 5-1 victory. Game three was another frustrating loss for the Hogs, as they rallied from a 8-1 deficit, but didn't quite have enough, falling 8-6. Winston-Salem brought the tying run to the plate three times in the ninth, but were unsuccessful each time. Matt Long (6-10) got tagged with the loss after allowing six runs, four earned, in just three innings. Retherford, Orlando and John Shelby each had a pair of hits and six Hogs added an RBI in the game. The Warthogs continued the back-and-forth series with a 5-0 win in the finale. John Ely (6-11) pitched six shutout innings and Retherford had three RBI to lead the way for Winston-Salem. Mabee and Ricky Brooks finished out the shutout out of the bullpen. For his efforts, Ely was named the Carolina League pitcher of the week. The Hogs won their second straight road game in the series opener at Wilmington, 6-5. Winston-Salem plated runs in each of the first three innings and bashed 13 hits to pick up the win. Freddie Thon hit his second home run as a Warthog in the second inning and Retherford picked up his second consecutive three-RBI game to lead the way. After Clevelan Santeliz got roughed up, Michael Dubee (4-6) picked up the win for the Hogs and Matt Zaleski pitched two scoreless innings to earn his third save. Wilmington salvaged game two of the series on Tuesday night when they exploded for three runs in the first inning off Warthogs starter Anthony Carter. Carter (4-3) allowed four runs in four innings to suffer the loss. Thon and Francisco Hernandez each homered for Winston-Salem. The road trip ended with a tough 1-0 loss to the Blue Rocks. Jacob Rasner pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing no earned runs, but his throwing error in the fourth led to the only run of the game. Retherford had two hits in the game to raise his average to a season-high .291.

Carolina League Standings: North South Club W L Pct. GB Club W L Pct. GB Potomac 25 19 0.568 -- Myrtle Beach 30 13 0.698 -- Wilmington 20 24 0.455 5 Winston-Salem 25 19 0.568 5.5 Lynchburg 18 27 0.400 7.5 Kinston 25 19 0.568 5.5 Frederick 18 27 0.400 7.5 Salem 15 28 0.349 15

It's time for ZOOperstars! The traveling entertainment group is coming to Ernie Shore Field on Saturday, August 9! They are wild, wacky and sure to entertain fans of all ages. Come to Ernie Shore Field on Saturday, August 9 and see the zany group ZOOperstars! perform several on-field skits throughout the game. Come see Mackerel Jordan, Mia Hammster, Cow Ripken, Jr., Harry Canary and Monkey Mantle dance and dazzle you throughout the night and keep you laughing. Game time is at 6 p.m. and gates open at 5 p.m. For more information, visit them online www.zooperstars.com or to order tickets, call the Warthogs office at (336) 759-2233 or visit us online at www.warthogs.com.

Sunday Smorgasbord Jr. Warthogs picnic and Walk for Wishes highlight schedule on Sunday, August 10 The Warthogs have events both before and after the game on Sunday, August 10. Prior to the game, all Jr. Warthogs club members and parents/guardians are welcome to join Wally and the Warthogs players for a pizza picnic on the third base picnic deck. The picnic starts at 4 p.m. and costs just $2 per person with everyone getting a slice of pizza and a soda. Jr. Warthogs must show their membership cards to be allowed into the picnic, and since the picnic is inside the gates, all adults will need to purchase a ticket to the game to join in the picnic. But all Jr. Warthogs get free admission since it is a Sunday game!

Following the game, the Make-a-Wish foundation will host their annual Walk-for-Wishes fundraiser. To order tickets to both support the foundation and sign-up for the event, visit Make-a-Wish online at www.wswfw.kintera.org. If you have any questions regarding either event, or would like to reserve your ticket to the game, please give the Warthogs a call at (336) 759-2233 or visit us online at www.warthogs.com. Warthogs offer Electrolux kitchen set to five millionth fan Ticketing forecasts point to Wednesday, Aug. 27 as date for Ernie Shore's 5,000,000th fan! The Winston-Salem Warthogs and Brown-Rogers-Dixon are proud to announce that based on pre-sales and forecasted attendance, Ernie Shore Field will welcome its 5,000,000th fan through the turnstiles on Wednesday, August 27! One lucky fan will receive a complete Electrolux kitchen valued at over $7,000 in an on-field presentation during the game. Winner must be at least 21 years old to qualify. Order your tickets today to ensure your chance to be fan No. 5,000,000! Tickets may be purchased online at www.warthogs.com, or over the phone by calling the Warthogs ticket office at (336) 759-2233. Game time is at 7 p.m. and gates will open at 6 p.m.

Down and Dirty with a Warthog There's a lot more to catching than squatting behind a plate, just ask Francisco Hernandez Baseball in the Dominican Republic is indigenous. It's easy to look up and down Major League rosters and see a strong presence from the small Caribbean country. Vladimir Guerrero, Hanley Ramirez and Albert Pujols are a few of the Dominicans making an impression in the United States. For Warthogs catcher, and Dominican, Francisco Hernandez, these players are truly inspirational. "I remember watching Miguel Tejada play while I was a batboy for the Oakland A's in the Dominican Summer League," Hernandez said. "Just watching him made me think that if I worked hard enough, maybe I could be there someday, too." As a batboy, Hernandez was supplied with basic baseball equipment many Dominicans can't afford. "Many of us can't even go to school because we need to work to provide for our families," explained Hernandez, who grew up in the town of La Victoria, just outside the capital, Santo omingo. "Every time I fly back, I always bring batting gloves, cleats, anything to help young players have the equipment they need." Hernandez was also fortunate in he did have some schooling, although like many American athletes, he sacrificed some of his academics to pursue a career in baseball. "You have to contact local scouts and they watch you for weeks or even months," said the switch-hitting catcher. "Then if they like you, you get to go to a baseball academy." Being a switch-hitter, Hernandez did draw attention from a couple Major League clubs. But when the Arizona Diamondbacks backed out on Hernandez, it was the Chicago White Sox who stepped in. "Arizona was going to sign me, but they didn't have the money to sign me and Tony Pena, who's now in the Major Leagues," Hernandez said. "But Chicago stepped right in and picked me up, so it's been great." The White Sox picked up Hernandez on July 30, 2002 and he has slowly climbed up the organizational ladder, having spent the past two full seasons in Kannapolis. Hernandez, who loves his reggaeton music, is now in Winston-Salem with his wife Victoria and newborn daughter Brashly, who was born on June 13. Offensively, Hernandez hit just .209 with one home run and nine RBI in the first half, but has come alive since, hitting .308 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in July and August. The high point of his season was a 3-for-3 game on July 28 vs. Lynchburg where Hernandez hit a 3-run home run and doubled to lead Winston-Salem to an 8-2 win. One thing that's been exceptional all season has been his defense. Hernandez has committed just three errors this season (.993 fielding percentage) and has allowed only four passed balls. He has also shown off his arm, gunning down a league-high 46 percent of potential base-stealers on the season. "Defense is always the first thing I'm busy working on," Hernandez said. "It's easy to lose games because of bad defense, so I'm always working on my footwork and arm position." He also loves the mental and physical challenges of catching. "You have to have a great memory and know how to pitch each batter, but I never feel tired during the game," said Hernandez, who is the self-proclaimed "crazy boy" on the Warthogs team. "I feel tired after the game and certainly in the morning, but not during the game." As tiring as catching is, that's only part of the job description of a catcher. He's also got to work with different pitchers and their styles. And if there is a pitcher he finds harder to work with, he sure isn't saying. "They are all great guys," Hernandez said. "They are all different, but I can't say any of them are harder to catch for. That's how I get in trouble. You'll have to pick one for me."

Got the Monday blues? We've got the cure Hanes Mall's Family 4 Pack is the perfect package to treat your family to a night at the park You know how long Mondays can feel? And then how laborious it is to try and work up the energy to cook supper? Well, now, instead of aimlessly searching the washing machine for the Ramen soup, you can treat the family to Warthogs baseball for just $25. With the Hanes Mall Family 4 Pack, you get four reserved section tickets, four hotdogs, four sodas and four game vouchers for $25 at all Monday home games this season. That's a $50 value! So don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity to relax and celebrate the goodness of Mondays at the next Monday home game on August 11 at 7 p.m. versus the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Gates open at 6 p.m. and tickets can be purchased online at www.warthogs.com or over the phone by calling (336) 759-2233.

"Who done it?" Trivia The first fan to submit a correct answer to the trivia question will receive a pair of tickets to a Warthogs game of their choice in the 2008 season. Name one of the two Warthogs pitchers to win three games in the month of July. Submit your answer to droach@warthogs.com and remember the first correct answer submitted is the winner! Good luck!

Who did it? Did you get it? Which current Warthog leads the team with 53 RBI? (through games on 7/15)

ANSWER: John Shelby, III Congratulations to Becky Beach of Winston-Salem, who was the first to answer correctly and win two free Warthogs tickets! If you would like to be added to the Warthogs Weekly E-newsletter or if you have received this E-newsletter in error or do not wish to receive the newsletter anymore, please email David Roach at droach@warthogs.com.

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Carolina League Stories from August 7, 2008


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