SL1 Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Pensacola Ends Year at Home with Win, 6-2

Published on August 27, 2014 under Southern League (SL1)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos News Release


PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Pensacola Blue Wahoos ended the 2014 season with a standing ovation from the packed stadium.

It was a heart-felt and electrifying moment to end the team's 70 home games this year and deeply appreciated by the Blue Wahoos players and coaches. Plus, it was particularly gratifying going out with a victory, 6-2, over the Montgomery Biscuits Tuesday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.

"It reminds me a lot of Wrigley Field," said Pensacola Manager Delino DeShields. "The people keep coming back no matter what. The fans really make this place go. They are the best in the league by far in my opinion."

Starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen admitted that the players joke that they like Pensacola so much, they don't want to get called up.

"The atmosphere is always fun here, no matter the wins and losses," said Lorenzen, who worked four innings and gave up two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out three. "We love it here. A lot of the players say we don't want to go up. We want to stay because it's so nice here."

Pensacola's closer Shane Dyer, who earned his franchise record 19th save Tuesday, was on the mound as the fans rose to their feet with two out and the last Biscuits player coming to the plate. Of course, Dyer struck out Montgomery's Richie Shaffer, who has homered the past two games.

"It's a great feeling," he said of the loudly cheering fans. "That's what guys in the bullpen thrive on. It's always exciting to go out on top."

The Wahoos ended their final game of the 2014 season with a sellout crowd of 5,038 to reach 311,687 total, which is the second highest total in the Southern League behind the Birmingham Barons.

It was the 33rd sellout in 70 home games this season for the Blue Wahoos, who averaged 4,453 fans a game. Pensacola had entered the final game 445 fans short of passing last season's attendance total of 307,094.

The Wahoos are now 53,072 fans from reaching the 1 million mark in attendance in their fourth season in existence, which they will likely reach by the third homestand next season.

Jack-of-all-trades Brodie Greene came over from the Carolina Mudcats, which Quint and Rishy Studer bought and moved to Pensacola to start the 2012 season. Greene, who has played second base, shortstop and the outfield this season, has spent all three years in Pensacola. His season was cut short last year, when he broke his leg in July.

He ended his third season with the Blue Wahoos in fairy-tale fashion, belting a solo home run to deep leftfield - his third of the year and first at home.

"It was a good way to end a tough season," Greene said. "I've been scuffling a little bit. I finally got one over the fence, though. It was great to see everyone behind us. It was like we were in the playoffs or something."

The Wahoos have five more games on the road against the Birmingham Barons before the end of the Southern League season. They're 56-78 overall and out of the playoff picture.

Many are making their plans for the offseason, such as playing in the Arizona Fall League, running a baseball academy in Europe, coaching a Wyoming and Colorado high school All-Star team, playing winter ball in Venezuela and returning home to their families, among other things.

One thing's for sure. As they break for the winter, the Blue Wahoos fans' standing ovation Tuesday will still be ringing in their ears.

GAME NOTES

The final five-game series for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in the 2014 season is against the Chicago White Sox Double-A affiliate the Birmingham Barons. It gets underway after a day off Wednesday with a 7:05 p.m. start Thursday. LHP Tim Adleman (3-7, 3.00) takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the Barons RHP Tony Bucciffero (2-2, 5.59). The season concludes Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 1.

The game will be broadcast live on radio on ESPN Pensacola at 101.1 FM and 1450 AM. You can stream the game at MILB.TV.

BIG FISH Leftfielder Yorman Rodriguez went 1-for-4 scored a run, as he increased his hitting streak to 12 games...Right fielder Kyle Waldrop went 2-for-4 and now has a nine-game hitting streak, including seven multi-hit games. He did not get an RBI for the first time in a team record of seven consecutive games...Shortstop Brodie Greene went 2-for-4 with his first dinger at home in his final at bat of the season in Pensacola...Third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean went 2-for-2 with a run scored and a RBI...Relief pitcher Shane Dyer earned his team record 19th save, pitching 1.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and one walk.

AZ FALL LEAGUE The Cincinnati Reds have five Pensacola Blue Wahoos players and one Dayton Dragons player selected for the prestigious Arizona Fall League in October and November.

The six-team league includes 22 of MLB.com's Top 100 prospects in 2014. Entering its 23rd season, nearly 58 percent (2,300 of 3,900) of Fall Leaguers have reached the major leagues. Of those, 212 have been named Major League All-Stars, 25 have earned Rookie of the League honors, and 12 have become MVPs.

The Reds prospects are slated to play for the Surprise, Ariz, Saguaro with others from the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox. The seven players representing the Reds are: pitcher Ben Klimesh, third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean, outfielder Kyle Waldrop, second baseman Ryan Wright, outfielder Jesse Winker and pitcher Nick Howard (Dayton).

PENSACOLA'S FIELD OF DREAMS Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the classic baseball movie, "Field of Dreams," starring Kevin Costner at Bayfront Stadium at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30.

The FREE community event includes a wiffle ball game, a tour of the locker rooms and kids activity area. A fireworks extravaganza at 8 p.m. follows the movie about an Iowa farmer who hears a voice telling him, "If you build it, they will come." So, he builds a baseball diamond in his cornfields.

Is this heaven? No, it's Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.

WAHOOS OWNER ON WSRE Pensacola Blue Wahoos owner and entrepreneur Quint Studer appears on WSRE-PBS show "Conversations with Jeff Weeks" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The 30-minute interview will also air at 12:30 a.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Sunday.

During the interview, Studer discusses his new ventures, including the Studer Institute which just released a 64-page report, "Pensacola Metro Report 2014," on the quality of life in the area. He also talks about his desire to help make Pensacola a thriving city. Studer provides insight into his long range plans and why he is investing so much of his time and own money into the city he now calls home.

Studer first appeared on "Conversations with Jeff Weeks" in 2011 when he and his wife, Rishy, had purchased the Carolina Mudcats Double-A baseball team to move to Pensacola. Today, they own the Wahoos, which are the Cincinnati Reds Double-A affiliate.

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Southern League Stories from August 27, 2014


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