Richmond Roosters flying the coop
Published on July 7, 2004 under Frontier League (FL)
Richmond Roosters News Release
July is going to be an exciting month at McBride Stadium as the Richmond Roosters and their fans get ready for all the fun. Coming in July is Paint The Park Orange Night, The Blues Brothers, The 10th Anniversary All-Time Richmond Roosters Reunion, The Richmond Parks & Recreation Department 5K Home Run Trot, A Car Giveaway by Miller's Used Cars,the Dale Earnhart Jr. Budweiser #8 Show Car and more!
Don't Forget. You can read the press releases for Richmond Roosters games by going to: http://www.richmondroosters.com/cgi-bin/press.cgi And if you can't make it to the game, all of our games are broadcast live on the Richmond Roosters Radio Network, or you can Listen Live on the internet by going to: http://www.richmondroosters.com/content_pages/broadcasts.html In addition to today's game, most all of the games are archived and can be listened to at your convenience.
Q & A with Kevin Brown By Andy Tillson
Before the team headed out on the road, we had a chance to sit down with Roosters first baseman Kevin Brown. We discussed the current season, his college days with the Miami Hurricanes, and the time he spent in the Atlanta Braves organization:
Q: What was it like winning the College World Series while with the University of Miami?
KB: Well, we won it in 1999 and then again in 2001. It was amazing. That was my first championship of any kind. It was fun playing in front of 20,000 plus fans during that run.
Q: You were drafted in the 19th round of the Major League Baseball draft in 2001 by the Atlanta Braves. Was that expected or were you expecting to go higher or lower in the draft?
KB: I was drafted after my Junior year, but I broke my leg and it took a little while to come back from that. I went back for my senior year and was hoping to get drafted again, but I wasn't sure. I eventually got drafted by the Braves.
Q: Was playing in affiliated minor league baseball much different from playing here in the Frontier League?
KB: There aren't too many differences between the two, other than the emphasis on development rather than winning. In affiliated ball they are more concerned about your development and individual improvement rather than the team's overall record. Here, winning is one of the top priorities.
Q: How does this season compare to others?
KB: This season I have been more patient at the plate. Earlier in my career I tried to do too much and stuck out a lot. Now I am waiting for my pitch and trying to avoid the bad ones.
Kevin Brown currently leads the Roosters and is among the Frontier League leaders in Home Runs, RBI, and Walks. Brown stands at 6'5 and 235 pounds. He is a native of North Fort Myers, Florida. Brown came to the Roosters after playing with the Cook County Cheetahs in 2003.
PREPARATION PAYS OFF FOR RICHARD BARKLEY By Scott Leo
Richard Barkley was sitting in Chris Mongiardo's office about an hour before game time. He was staring at notes on a clipboard like a determined college kid studying for a final exam. However, Barkley's grade would be coming in the form of a line score at the end of the night. He was reviewing his game notes on each hitter in the Kalamazoo lineup before taking the mound for another start. The right hander is among the best in the Frontier League so far in the 2004 season and Barkley believes that is a result of being prepared. " I think you have to be mentally prepared as well as physically" he said, " you always need a game plan when you go out there."
Barkley began the season with a brief bullpen appearance and was then put in the rotation for a game at Washington on May 27th. He proceeded to fire a complete game shutout and allowed only five hits. It didn't take long for Barkley to go from the team's fifth starter to the ace. " He doesn't necessarily have the best stuff, but he knows how to pitch" said Roosters Manager Chris Mongiardo, "right now we have Richard Barkley and four question marks in the rotation."
Barkley's consistency has continued through seven starts in 2004. After going 0-3 in 2003, he is now 4-2 with a 1.74 ERA this year. " He's effective because he just throws strikes" a Roosters teammate said. He has struck out 57 batters while walking just 14 this season. There is a strong possibility that he will be selected to represent the Eastern Division at the Frontier League All-Star Game on July 14th.
Baseball honors are nothing new for the native of Sumter, South Carolina. He was selected as a NCAA Division II Preseason All-American for his senior season at Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. He currently holds the school's career record for strikeouts and single season records for wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts. Barkley was named All-Conference and All-Region during his Junior and Senior seasons with the Presbyterian Blue Hose. Richard graduated this past fall with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration and is now joined in Richmond by fellow Presbyterian player Kevin White.
Richard Barkley struck out fourteen batters and went all nine innings in a 9-2 win over the Kings on June 29th. The night before, he had charted pitches and watched for tendencies from the Kalamazoo batters and it definitely seemed to pay off. The home crowd left McBride Stadium that night after a sixth straight Richmond win and Barkley's hard work had paid off. He had passed this test with flying colors.
ROOSTERS SET 2004 ATTENDANCE MARK
The Roosters celebrated their first sell out of the season on Monday, June 28th. A crowd of 2,318 saw the Roosters defeat the Kalamazoo Kings 16-9 The crowd was the eleventh largest in the Richmond Roosters ten year history The top ten crowds came mostly during the 1995 and 1996 season. This year's best fell just below the mark set on July 11th, 1995 for a game against Johnstown.
Frontier League Stories from July 7, 2004
- RiverHawks Rally, Beat Ducks, 6-4 - Rockford RiverHawks
- Evansville Holds Off Wild Things - Washington Wild Things
- Otters snap losing streak - Evansville Otters
- Richmond Roosters flying the coop - Richmond Roosters
- Richmond Roosters Sign Former Carmel Greyhound Standout - Richmond Roosters
- Paints Have Five On All-Star Team - Chillicothe Paints
- Kings blank Otters, 11-0 - Kalamazoo Kings
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.
