Mobile BayBears 2007 Season Recap
Published on September 6, 2007 under Southern League (SL1)
Mobile BayBears News Release
MOBILE, AL - The BayBears first year as an Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate brought great anticipation for a new era in Mobile professional baseball. Led by a coaching staff comprised of three former Major Leaguers in Brett Butler, Dave Hansen and Dan Carlson, the 2007 BayBears finished with a 71-68 record, Mobile's first winning record since the championship season of 2004.
Here were some of the standout dates in the eleventh season of Mobile BayBears baseball:
April 5th: With temperatures reaching as low as 42 degrees, the BayBears opened their 2007 campaign against the Chattanooga Lookouts. The only player to wear a BayBears uniform as a Padres and Diamondbacks Minor Leaguer, Ronnie Merrill, bridged the old BayBears to the new BayBears with a game winning single in the bottom of the tenth inning.
May 11th: In a streak now into its eleventh year, there has still never been a no-hitter in a Mobile BayBears game, for or against Mobile. The Huntsville Stars came close on May eleventh, when they had two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning before allowing a Mark Reynolds single to left field for the BayBears first hit. The BayBears lost the game 2-1.
May 14th: After posting impressive early season statistics at Single-A, the gossip around Hank Aaron Stadium involved questions of when BayBears fans would see former #1 overall draft pick Justin Upton. The 19-year-old arrived on May 14th and hit a home run in his first Double-A at bat. Upton would end up hitting three home runs in his first two games as a BayBear.
May 15th: The 71st Mobile BayBear to be called to the Major Leagues was also the first to get the call up as an Arizona Diamondbacks player. Mark Reynolds left the BayBears after their game against Jacksonville on May 15th, and joined the Arizona Diamondbacks for their series in Colorado. Reynolds has remained a regular in the team's Major League lineup ever since.
May 18th: In a BayBears 10-3 win in Chattanooga, first baseman Javier Brito went 5-for-5 with three doubles on May 18th. Brito finished the 2007 season with a BayBears record .327 batting average, and became the first BayBear to win the Southern League batting title.
June 23rd: One of the most bizarre moments in BayBears history occurred in Montgomery on June 23rd, when Mobile relief pitcher Matt Elliott had to leave a game when he got locked in the bathroom near the Riverwalk Stadium visitors dugout. Elliott had pitched the bottom of the eighth, and was not able to take the field with the rest of the BayBears in the bottom of the ninth. He remained locked in the bathroom until after the 10 inning loss to Montgomery, in a story which was mentioned everywhere from Sports Illustrated to ESPN radio.
July 1st: The BayBears lost in Jacksonville on July 1st for the first time in eight games, ending their longest winning streak of the season. The eight-game win streak included a six-game sweep of the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. It also placed the BayBears in second place in the second half standings. This was the only time all season the BayBears were in sole possession of second place in the standings in either half.
July 8th: The BayBears had two players in Major League Baseball's All-Star Futures Game in San Francisco on July 8th. In a gathering of the best prospects in all of the Minor Leagues, Justin Upton hit a home run and Carlos Gonzalez recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly as the Diamondbacks two minor league representatives.
July 9th: The BayBears had four players in the Southern League All-Star Game on July 9th, held at Trustmark Park in Mississippi. Matt Green pitched a scoreless inning, with Javier Brito, Emilio Bonifacio and Wilkin Castillo also suiting up for the South Division team.
July 29th: Two days after BayBears manager Brett Butler suffered a mild stroke, the Diamondbacks announced former Major League All-Star Matt Williams will leave the Diamondbacks broadcast team in Phoenix and become the BayBears interim manager. Williams remained at the helm for the remainder of the 2007 season.
August 1st: After 70 games in Double-A with the BayBears, the Arizona Diamondbacks called Justin Upton to the Major Leagues after the BayBears doubleheader against Mississippi. Upton played the following night in San Diego for Arizona, becoming the 72nd BayBear to reach the Major Leagues.
August 6th: BayBears Manager Brett Butler appears at Hank Aaron Stadium for the first time since his mild stroke suffered in Montgomery in late July. Butler addressed the team, and held a pre-game press conference in the BayBears Stadium Club.
August 24th: Rusty Ryal's home run against Tennessee's Jeff Samardzija in the second inning was the only run in the BayBears 1-0 win on August 24th. The BayBears won the game in front of a season high 6,576 fans at Hank Aaron Stadium. This began a three-day stretch of consecutive sellouts, with all three nights bringing over 6,000 people to "The Hank." The 2007 season brought 232,235 fans to Hank Aaron Stadium, an increase of around 25,000 fans from the previous year.
September 1st: The Arizona Diamondbacks include BayBears infielder Emilio Bonifacio in their group of September callups. Bonifacio led the Southern League in stolen bases with 41, and was the BayBears leadoff hitter all season long, batting .285 with a league leading 157 hits.
September 2nd: In a series where they were already eliminated from playoff contention, the BayBears won three of four games in a season-ending series in Mississippi. In the final game of the season, the BayBears had a season high 18 hits and a season high five errors in their 10-9, 10 inning win.
BayBears 2007 Southern League Leaders:
Batting Average - Javier Brito (.327)
On Base Percentage - Javier Brito (.433)
Stolen Bases - Emilio Bonifacio (41)
Hits - Emilio Bonifacio (157)
Doubles - Carlos Gonzalez (33 - tied)
BayBears 2007 Team Award Winners:
Player of the Year: Justin Upton
Team MVP: Javier Brito
Pitcher of the Year: Esmerling Vasquez
Most Popular Player: Emilio Bonifacio
Community Service Award: A.J. Shappi
Southern League Stories from September 6, 2007
- Biscuits edge Braves in 6-5 thriller, take 1-0 series lead - Montgomery Biscuits
- Smokies Grab Game One, 6-3 - Knoxville Smokies
- Brignac Delivers Biscuits in SLDS Game One - Mississippi Braves
- Stars Fall in Playoff Opener - Huntsville Stars
- Biscuits unveil playoff roster - Montgomery Biscuits
- Mobile BayBears 2007 Season Recap - Mobile BayBears
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