FL Chillicothe Paints

Chillicothe Paints notebook

Published on July 8, 2005 under Frontier League (FL)
Chillicothe Paints News Release


2005 Play With The Paints

Youth Clinic

Dates: July 15 through 17

Times: 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon (Friday and Saturday); 12:00 Noon - 3:00 PM (Sunday)

Site: VA Memorial Stadium

Cost: $45.00; each participant will receive a camp t-shirt, certificate of completion and a pizza party

The Chillicothe Paints' players will be holding a Baseball Camp for "Little Paints" who would like to improve on their baseball fundamentals and learn from the professional baseball players and coaches of the Chillicothe Paints.

DEADLINE:

Tuesday, July 12

What Rhymes With Perry?

Bottom of pitching rotation a key to gaining ground in season's second half

First we'll use Spahn
then we'll use Sain.
Then an off day
followed by rain.
Back will come Spahn
followed by Sain
And followed,
we hope,by two days of rain.

That was the original anecdote, written by George V. Hern and published in the Boston Post, describing the Boston Braves' pitching staff. It eventually spawned the more famous saying "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain" that Braves fans adopted as a malcontent mantra when talking about their pitchers in the late 1940s. For those ill-informed, the classic cliché refers to pitchers Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain, who combined to win 40 games for the Braves in 1948 while the rest of Boston's pitching staff scraped by to win 12 more games than it lost in 70 decisions that year.

More than 50 years later, the saying still has some truth to it in southern Ohio.

Granted, things aren't quite that bad in Chillicothe, but with John Martinez and Perry Cunningham riding on solid success while the rest of the rotation struggles to find itself, the notion of what everyone was going through watching the top-loaded rotation of post WWII Boston's baseball team comes to mind.

Martinez and Cunningham and pray for... well, something that rhymes with "Cunningham."

Again though, that's not totally the case. But since the Paints lost lanky, good-natured lefty Lavelle Morgan to the Tampa Bay organization after one shaky start, the rotation has been out of whack. Guys have moved in and out, none with the solid success the team would want.

And, by extension, the whole thing's thrown the bullpen out of whack, too.

The team's move to a four-man rollover for the rest of the first half seems to be a good one. Martinez and Cunningham each figure to have at least one more start, and both will probably be at home during this visit by Kalamazoo. Even beyond that, Luke Palmer's evolution into a premiere pro starter is coming along, with his two best outings coming in the most recent of his four starts (as of July 6). Justin Munoz is still new and untested, but the coaching staff believes in him and is ready to run him out on the hill, leaving the responsibility for holding his team in games completely on his college-proven left arm.

As for the bullpen, the team seems willing to fill whatever hole comes up with whatever peg seems to fit. Jeremy Durkee's been up and down, but the coaches still believe in his "effective wildness." Nick Cavanaugh is available, and, with his first save of the season under his belt, would seem to be ready for whatever is asked of him -- long or short relief. Ditto Ryan Rafferty, who made a brief experimental appearance in the starting rotation, but is back at home in the bullpen for now.

Newcomers Bryce Bednarczyk, Pete Soskin and Dave Wolensky are still untested, but the staff believes each of them can stay put down the right-field line or move into a starting spot -- whatever the second half has in store.

That seems the key to the second half. For Perry and Munoz to emerge into solid starters, and for someone to step up and claim that No. 5 spot -- a pitcher to help bridge the gap between the bottom of the rotation, and when the aces come around again.

It's funny how much difference a little thing like Lavelle leaving can mean to a team. He had one start and gave up four bombs while he did it, but the Paints heartily believed in the guy, and when he left there wasn't a clear-cut choice to fill the vacancy.

So, here the Paints are now on the doorstep of the All-Star Game after a hard-fought first half. With all the movement, all the experiments, all the guys who just couldn't find their groove, the team isn't in bad shape. Four games out (again, as of July 6) with an entire half-season to go.

Hopefully, there's something to be found in the second half to go along with: John and Perry and...

Wow, it's hard to make a baseball rhyme out of "Perry" too. (Gray can be reached at the Gazette via e-mail at pgray@nncogannett.com)

Great 3-Game Homestand Coming Up This Weekend! Beginning Saturday night, the Paints are playing host to the Kalamazoo Kings. Saturday and Monday night's game time is 7:05 PM. Sunday is 6:05 PM. Please see the Calendar of Events on the left side of the page for all the great promotions coming up!

Don't miss a night of Paints' Baseball! After the All-Star Break, the Paints return to VA Memorial for a six-game homestand beginning Friday July, 15.

"If You Build It, They Will Come"

By DOUG KIMSEY

Chillicothe Paints Boosters Club President

There's something about a patriotic holiday like the Fourth of July that makes me reflect on just how much the game of baseball is woven into the fabric of America. Baseball, jazz and the U.S. Constitution are the best things our culture has ever produced, writer Gerald Ealey says. The movie Bull Durham reminds us that a baseball has as many stitches (108) as beads in a Catholic rosary.

I find myself passionately sharing with my sons - and anyone who will listen to my rants for that matter - the virtues of the hit-and-run and the absolute necessity of throwing strikes early in the count and the ill-conceived notion that bunting runners over in most close-game situations is ALWAYS the way to go. Because it isn't. Outs, like diamonds, are precious! Preserve them.

Fictional Pulitzer Prize winning writer Terrence Mann, played memorably by James Earl Jones in the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams" nails it, this symbiotic relationship between baseball and America, as he explains to Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) why if he builds his baseball field amidst the cornfields, "they will come."

"Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom.

They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person.

They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirt sleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes.

And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces.

People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.

America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.

This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come."

Folks, give thanks to God everyday that you are living in America.

*******

With his next triple, Mike Spry becomes the Paints' career leader with 11. He currently is tied with Joe Colameco with 10 career three-baggers. What's most impressive about Spry's numbers is he has accomplished it in 670 fewer career at bats than Colameco, the Canadian Clipper.

Beau Blacken is climbing the all-time home run leader board. His blast in Richmond on Tuesday - which was Blacken's fifth long ball in two weeks - was career round tripper No. 25 and places him No. 6 on the all-time list, trailing No. 5 Gator McBride (27), No. 4 Jackie Jempson (30), No. 3 Darin Kinsolving (40), No. 2 Mitch House (50) and the leader, Scott Pinoni (58).

Even with his early season struggles, Adrian Gascon is moving up on the leader board, surpassing Paints' legend Mitch House on the hits list this week. Gascon's two knocks in Richmond on Tuesday were career hits 232 and 233, moving him past House (232) into fifth place. Up next potentially this season for Gascon are Kinsolving (282) and Colameco (286). AG has an outside shot at catching Pinoni (302) for No. 2 on the list, but won't chase down the Paints' "Peter Edward Rose" Matt McCay (363) for the top spot this season.

Barring injury, Gascon is a lock to become the team's all-time leader in doubles. His 53 career two-baggers place him third, trailing only Kinsolving (54) and Colameco (59). Also in the mix is Doug Dreher who has 51 doubles.

Through July 5, Gascon continues to climb the list in other offensive categories, including at bats (701, 6th place), runs scored (108, 7th) and steals (21, 11th).

In pitching, John "Perfecto" Martinez's 9-0 start gives him 14 career wins and has catapulted him into 7th place on the most career victories list, trailing Sean Bosch (16), Brian Scarcello (18), Josh Rahrer (19). Stephen Byrd (20) and Bob Spears (20). But with 10 more starts this season - if he remains healthy - Martinez can't catch all-time winningest Paints hurler Rick Blanc, with 25.

Perry Cunningham, with 11 career victories, is tied with Andy Lee for 11th place. Cunningham now sets his sites on Tony Schiml (12) and Kris Buirley (12) and Mike Gits (13).

****

Game No. 1,000 in Paints history is on target to happen on Friday, Aug. 5 at VA Memorial when the defending FL champion Rockford Riverhawks visit. Of course, the vicissitudes of weather could affect that date.

The Paints, the lone remaining original plank owner in the FL, are the first team to reach the 1,000 game plateau.

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



Frontier League Stories from July 8, 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