Bluefish to Regroup for Second Half

Published on July 5, 2005 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Bridgeport Bluefish News Release


Life in the Atlantic League. With six games left in the first half, we can begin to reflect on what we have accomplished year-to-date. Unfortunately, there are two different stories to tell. In our first 32 games, we were 20-12, while in our next 32 games, we were 11-21. Never before in our eight-year Atlantic League history have we been "plucked" so dramatically by affiliated baseball organizations. Consider where we might be if we had these individuals for the whole season; outfielder Jamie Gann, shortstop Corey Hart, catcher Tino Sanchez, and pitchers Brady Raggio, Andy Shibilo, Eddie Ramos, Hector Mercado and closer T. J. Mathews. Add in injuries to Rolo Avila, Gustavo Escobar, Angel Miranda and Angel Espada, a suspension to Will Pennyfeather and a player quitting (Richard Bell). We sure are not making excuses here since every Atlantic League team has to deal both with affiliated losses and injuries, but this has been an unusually horrific experience for our team.

Lest we lapse into despair, let's consider that we have the ability to acquire other players. We certainly are not going to "sit still". Just think of these names: Jose Amado, Willis Otanez and Brad Cornett, and the "reclaiming" of Shibilo, Raggio, Ramos, and Gann. Sure would make a difference, wouldn't you say? That's, of course, what makes the Atlantic League so competitive. The Ducks did not start the year with Henry Rodriguez, Patrick Lennon or Doug Jennings, and chances are they will have Bill Simas and maybe even Bill Pulsipher before the year is out. Those additions tremendously bolster a team that last year won a championship but are limping into the All-Star break currently in last place in our Northern Division. All this is by way of saying that you'll need to fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a hard-fought and competitive second-half of the season. We haven't made the playoffs five of seven years by sitting idly by...

Rickey Henderson update. He's 46 now, and no longer playing for the Newark Bears (you may recall he played half a season for the Bears in 2003, leading the league in hitting when he was signed and played out that season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He returned last season and played the whole season with the Bears.) Well, Rickey re-surfaced this year with the San Diego Surf Dawgs of the new, independent Golden Baseball League out west. So how is Rickey doing? Through yesterday, he was hitting a solid .299 in 33 games. His .483 on-base percentage was second in the league, and his 12 steals were also second best in the league. And his team had the best record in the league at 26-12. Pretty good stats for a player born on Christmas Day in 1958.

The Long Island Ducks have re-signed Bluefish nemesis and 21-year veteran Doug Jennings who was the designated hitter last evening in Lancaster and had one hit in two at bats, and was hit by a pitch. Doug is the all-time batting average (.326) and RBI leader of the Ducks and will surely be an asset in the middle of the Ducks' lineup for the second half of the season. Last year he hit .359 with 17 home runs and 84 RBIs and finished runner-up for Atlantic League MVP to Somerset Patriots shortstop Victor Rodriguez. His first home game with the Ducks will be this Friday night, only one night before the Ducks have a big "bobblehead" promotion, giving away 2,000 bobbleheads of, you guessed it, Doug Jennings. In less monumental news, the Ducks also signed former Bluefish pitcher Shane Arthurs.

Big Bluefish Booster Jim Barr wrote that he was also in Lancaster, PA over the last weekend in June, and was one more Bluefish fan lost in the sea of Barnstormer fans. He did alert me to the following which I duly noted for my next trip there: "you missed an opportunity to go to Wilbur's Chocolate Factory. No Lancaster experience is complete without having some Wilbur Buds; better than Hershey's Kisses and far more addictive, in my opinion!"

Our friend Mike Ashmore who operates the website www.atlanticleaguebaseball.com notes that of the 206 players on the current Atlantic league rosters, 56 have played in the Major Leagues. The last-place Long Island Ducks lead the list with 13 former major leaguers (including 7 of their 11 pitchers) while the Atlantic City Surf and the Lancaster Barnstormers can only boast of four former Major Leaguers. Current Bluefishers with former Major League experience are Michael Coleman, Robert Person, Will Pennyfeather, Tony Rodriguez, Angel Miranda, Pat Ahearne and Steve Larkin (albeit for only four games in Pat's case and one game in Steve's case).

The Bluefish return home after the All-Star break on July 15 for a three-game set against the Newark Bears, a team that we may have to beat to get into the playoffs. We have an excellent pre-sale for that weekend, with fireworks for the Friday night game (as with every Friday night home game), and with a visit from Rockin' Ray and the Skyy Doggs for both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. If you haven't seen what Rockin' Ray can do with these dogs, you don't know what you're missing. Imagine throwing a Frisbee some 300 feet into the outfield and having one of his dogs catch that Frisbee before it hits the ground.

And if you'd rather partake of some excellent theater on Friday or Saturday evening instead of a Bluefish game, then, by all means, consider attending a staged reading entitled "A Stone Carver" at the Playhouse on the Green. It's a play written by William Mastrosimone about father-son relationships, Italian families, and one man's battle to hold onto his home. The play starts at 8:00 PM both evenings and tickets can be purchased by calling (203-345-4800, ext. 150) or visiting our box office here at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, or by going on line to www.playhouseonthegreen.org. If you really want a special evening, the Playhouse is offering a dinner package that includes dinner at High on the Hog ($45/person), or an After Theater package that includes a drink and dinner at the Savoy after the play for $35 per person. Both of these restaurants are right next to the Playhouse on State Street. "A Stone Carver" is directed by Bob Kalfin with artistic direction provided by Dan Lauria, and featuring Ralph Macchio and Elizabeth Rossa.

Bluefish league leaders: Michael Coleman is among the league leaders in several categories: 2nd in home runs (15); tied for 1st in extra base hits (30); 4th in runs scored (40); 3rd in slugging percentage (.573); and 4th in on-base percentage (.401). Josh Kalinowski is now 2nd in the league in strikeouts with 63, while Pat Ahearne is tied for 2nd in complete games (2), and is 5th in innings pitched (82).

Go figure. The cliché is "that's why they play the games". After a humiliating 11-5 defeat Saturday night and another 6-2 setback on Sunday night to the Camden Riversharks at home, the Bluefish rebounded last evening with a scintillating 1-0 defeat of the Somerset Patriots, currently in first place in the Southern Division of the Atlantic League. The two-hit shutout, orchestrated by pitchers Josh Kalinowski, Dan Krines and Brian Warren, featured 12 strikeouts. After committing five errors in that 11-5 defeat, we played errorless ball against Somerset, and Hector Kuilan threw out the only two Somerset base runners who attempted to steal off us. Now if we can only play like that consistently...

How about former Bluefish Jose Offerman delivering again yesterday with a game-winning hit for the New York Mets against the first-place Washington Nationals?! Offie is now 3-3 as a Mets' pinch hitter, driving in a run each of his three appearances.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Atlantic League Stories from July 5, 2005


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.

OurSports Central