2017 Bowling Green Hot Rods Game Notes ( at Fort Wayne)
April 9, 2017 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release
Bowling Green Hot Rods (2-1, 1-1) vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (1-2, 1-2)
LHP Travis Ott vs. LHP Jerry Keel
Bowling Green Hot Rods - Class-A Affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays
Sunday, April 9, 2017
2:05 p.m.
Parkview Field - Fort Wayne, IN
Last Game: For the first time since 2013, the Hot Rods won their road opener, beating the Fort Wayne TinCaps in 11 innings by a score of 5-4 at Parkview Field on Saturday night. Bowling Green got their run in the 11th on a RBI triple from Robbie Tenerowicz.
NEWS AND NOTES
2016 In Review: Fresh off the best season in franchise history, the Bowling Green Hot Rods have set a high standard for this coming season. En route to their first division title (second half) since 2011, the Hot Rods set numerous franchise records, including wins (84), runs scored (711) and tied a team-record for longest win streak (9) on two separate occasions in the second half while also tying a franchise high mark for most consecutive games with a home run (10). The Hot Rods also won their first ever playoff game in team history, beating the Great Lakes Loons in Game 2 of the Midwest League East Divisional Series by a score of 8-6.
Ruiz to Miss Start of Season: For the third straight year, Reinaldo Ruiz will be the manager of the Hot Rods. However, he will miss the beginning of the season to tend to a family matter. Ruiz, 37, went 69-69 in his first season while leading Bowling Green last year to a franchise best 84-55 mark.
First-year hitting coach Joe Szekely will serve as the Interim Manager.
Szekely has been the Port Charlotte hitting coach for the last eight years, but has served as a manager in the Midwest League before with the Rays as the skipper of the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays in 2005.
Coaching Staff : Joining Ruiz for another season is pitching coach Bill Moloney, who is returning for his fourth season overall in his second stint with Bowling Green. Moloney was also the pitching coach in Port Charlotte (High-A, Rays) in 2013 following his first season with the Hot Rods. Rounding out the coaching staff is coach Hector Torres, a longtime fixture in the Rays organization. Torres is returning for his second stint in Bowling Green, having served as the coach for the Hot Rods during their inaugural season in 2009.
Hot Rods Roster Breakdown: Of the 25 men on the Hot Rods 2017 Opening Day Roster, nine of the players were either international signees or were undrafted out of college. Three players were also acquired in three separate trades that involved big leaguers. LHP Travis Ott (Nationals) was dealt to the Rays in 2014 from the Washington in a three-way deal that involved Wil Myers, Trea Turner and current Rays OF Steven Souza. SS Lucius Fox (Giants) and C Jonah Heim (Orioles) were acquired by the Rays in 2016 in deals that involved former Hot Rods ace Matt Moore being sent to the San Francisco and Steve Pierce heading to Baltimore. In addition to that, the Hot Rods also have two Rays first-round draft picks (outfielders Josh Lowe and Garrett Whitley) for the fourth time in five seasons.
Baseball Prospectus : According to MLB.com, five of the Rays top-14 prospects in the organization are on the Hot Rods Opening Day Roster. Lowe (#6) and Whitley (#11) are joined by Jesus Sanchez (#7) in the outfield while Fox (#13) and 3B/SS Adrian Rondon (#14) headline the contingent in the infield. Bowling Green also has the reigning "Team MVP" for both the Princeton Rays in OF Eleardo Cabrera and the Hudson Valley Renegades with 1B Nathaniel Lowe.
Parkview Field Love: With a win on Saturday night, the Hot Rods are 7-2 in their last 9 games at Parkview Field since the start of the 2016 season. Bowling Green averaged 7.6 runs/game in FW last year, outscoring the TinCaps 61-32 on their homefield.
Midwest League Stories from April 9, 2017
- Olson Pitches Dragons to 6-0 Win at Lake County - Dayton Dragons
- TinCaps to Wear Padres Jerseys on Sundays in 2017 - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- 2017 Bowling Green Hot Rods Game Notes ( at Fort Wayne) - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Home Opener Spoiled by Second Straight Shutout Loss - Clinton LumberKings
- Roster Transactions /2017 - Beloit Sky Carp
- TinCaps Game Notes: April 9 vs. Bowling Green (Game 4) - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Dragons GameDay for Sunday - Dayton Dragons
- South Bend Cubs Drop Home-Opener to West Michigan 2-0 - South Bend Cubs
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