EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Flying Squirrels Game Notes: vs. Bowie (Opening Day)

Published on April 9, 2015 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


SERIES AT A GLANCE: The Flying Squirrels open their sixth season in fitting fashion, hosting the team that they have faced more than any other opponent in the Eastern League. In fact, the Flying Squirrels have squared off against the Baysox more than any other EL opponent in every season of their existence. The rivalry has been a dead-heat entering 2015, as the two teams have each won 63 times in 126 total meetings. The Squirrels own bragging rights entering the season, having claimed the 2014 season series 14-10. Richmond also claimed the season-series in 2010 (16-13) and 2012 (13-11). The Baysox took the season-series in 2011 (16-9) and 2013 (13-11). The largest margin of victory in the season-series came in 2011, when Bowie posted a 16-9 mark against the Squirrels. However, that was also the season in which the Squirrels memorably squeaked past the Baysox into the Eastern League playoffs by a half-game. That margin coming on Wes Hodges' "Divine Blast" on the final day of the regular season in Altoona, PA. Hodges home run gave Richmond a 2-1 advantage just as play was suspended in the 8th inning due to heavy rain. Due to an obscure rule, the Squirrels were awarded the victory and in essence the wild-card spot in the Western Division. In their inaugural season, the Squirrels and Baysox met a franchise-record 29 times. That included the first game in franchise history, which occurred at Prince George's Stadium in Bowie, MD, on April 8th, 2010. Interestingly, that game was also suspended due to rain and was completed the following day. Richmond lost, 6-4. The Squirrels and Baysox have never met in the post-season. They will play 21 times in 2015. Tonight marks the second time that the Squirrels will open their season against the Baysox (2010). They have opened the year against the New Britain Rock Cats, a Minnesota Twins affiliate at the time, in each of the last four years.

BEATING DOWN THE GATES: Since their inception in 2010, the Flying Squirrels have been the top draw in the Eastern League in both average and overall attendance. In five seasons, the Flying Squirrels have logged 338 home dates at The Diamond, averaging a league-best 6,516 fans per opening. The team has lost 17 dates due to weather. The attendance title chase has really only involved two teams in that time, with the Flying Squirrels and Reading Phillies/Fightin' Phils placing 1-2 in each of the five years. In that span, the Flying Squirrels have welcomed 2,202,280 fans through the Squirrely Gates, topping Reading's mark of 2,170,638. That is despite the fact that Reading has only lost 14 dates in that time, hosting 341 openings for an average of 6,366. Additionally, in each season their parent club has won the World Series (2010, 2012, 2014), the Squirrels have claimed the overall EL attendance crown. They have also won three average attendance titles in that time (2010, 2013, 2014). The Flying Squirrels enter 2015 defending a sweep of both categories, an achievement they accomplished for the second time in franchise history (2010). In their five years of existence, the Flying Squirrels have never finished lower than second in the Eastern League, and third in all of Double-A baseball (Frisco), in either overall or average attendance. The club's franchise attendance records were established in 2010 and 2013 respectively. The overall mark was established in their inaugural season when 463,842 came to see the new team on the Boulevard. However, the average mark was set in 2013, when the team averaged 6,689 fans per opening (65 openings in 2013 due to 6 lost dates).

HOME OPENING HISTORY: With an expected sellout (9,560) tonight, the Flying Squirrels will continue their streak of home opening sellouts at The Diamond to six. They are the only franchise in the Eastern League to have sold out each home opener in that time period. On the field, the Squirrels carry a 3-2 all-time record in home openers. They won their home opener in each of their first three seasons, but have dropped the last two. Squirrels home opening results; 2014 - L, 6-1 - Altoona, 2013 - L, 1-0, New Britain, 2012 - W, 7-3 - Altoona, 2011 - W, 6-4 - New Britain, 2010 - W, 3-0 - Reading. The earliest date the Squirrels have ever played a home opener is 4/4, which occurred in 2011. The latest is 4/15, which occurred in their inaugural 2010 season. One additional home opening note: In 2013, the home opener was suspended due to rain and completed the following day as part of a doubleheader. On the backside of that DH, left-hander Jack Snodgrass and righty Daryl Maday co-authored what is still the only no-hitter in franchise history. Snodgrass is a member of the 2015 Squirrels, and is scheduled to start tomorrow night.

HEY, YOU LOOK FAMILIAR: Of the 28 players (3 DL) on the Squirrels opening day roster, a team-record 21 have previously spent time in Richmond. However, three of those 21 (OF Daniel Carbonell, RHP Tyler Rogers, 3B Mitch Delfino) have never appeared in a regular season game for the Squirrels, having joined the team only for the post-season last year. C Eliezer Zambrano has become more than a familiar face at The Diamond, he has become a mainstay. Zambrano remains the only player in team history to have appeared on the roster of the Squirrels in each of their six seasons. In fact, no other player has been a member of more than four. Zambrano is one of two players on this year's roster that were inaugural members of the team. Both are catchers. Jackson Williams also returns to the Giants' organization and the River City. Williams was the primary catcher in Richmond in both 2010 and 2011. In 2010, he was part of a group of eight players that then manager Andy Skeels compared to the famed "Great Eight" of the Richmond Braves. Williams reached the major leagues with the Colorado Rockies in 2014.

BOWIE STARTING PITCHER: LHP Tim Berry (0-0, ---)

Berry, 24, opens his second consecutive season at the Double-A level with Bowie. He spent all of 2014 with Bowie, making 23 starts and posting a 6-7 record and 3.51 ERA. Three of those starts came against the Squirrels, including one at The Diamond on May 13th. The northern-California native was tremendous in that appearance, tossing 7.0 innings and allowing just a lone run on 5 hits. Berry enters the season - his sixth professionally - as the #7 rated prospect in the Baltimore system by Baseball America. It is somewhat of a surprise that he is a member of the Bowie staff, as many projected him to open the year with Triple-A Norfolk. The placement may be due to a shoulder issue that cost him the tail-end of the 2014 season. He was shut down by the Orioles after his outing on August 10th. Due to Tommy John surgery as a high school senior, and a seemingly firm commitment to pitch at Oregon, the Orioles were able to nab the southpaw in the 50th (final) round of the MLB draft. They then convinced him to turn pro with a $125,000 signing bonus. Although he was selected in the 2009 draft, his professional career didn't begin in earnest until 2011. He did not get on the mound at all in 2009 due to surgery and was limited to just 20 GCL innings in 2010. Berry is a noted sinkerball pitcher with a tremendous changeup that serves as his best, and primary, secondary weapon.

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Eastern League Stories from April 9, 2015


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