Texas League Newsletter

Published on June 9, 2008 under Texas League (TL1) News Release

By Rich Polikoff, Todd Traub Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Sunday, June 8, 2008

Elson gets to show off handiwork

When Arkansas Travelers broadcaster Phil Elson finally needed his glove at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock, he didn't have a chance to break it out.

No matter. Elson turned out to have pretty good hands anyway.

In the span of 10 pitches during the first game of Monday's doubleheader with San Antonio, Elson caught two foul balls barehanded - one with his right, one with his left - to end a drought that had existed since the ballpark opened April 12, 2007.

Foul balls have flown in clusters through open press box windows on either side of Elson's booth and have sent people ducking almost from Dickey-Stephens' inaugural pitch. While the damage has been repaired, there were once dents in the wall in the back of the visiting broadcaster's booth and a dented rail behind the upper deck of the print media and scorekeeper's side.

Elson, who keeps a battered baseball glove in his booth and works with the windows open no matter what the temperature, could only look to his left and right in envy.

Not anymore.

"Who would think that the same seat would get a foul ball twice in the same inning or even in the same game at a minor league ballpark, or any kind of ballpark for that matter?" Elson said. "So to have two in the same 10 pitches come right at me is the kicker.

It's cool enough to catch the thing, especially in front of a couple thousand people.

...But then when the second one comes back and it's the same thing, it's kind of surreal."

Elson was standing when the first ball came in and, trying to protect his computer, he snagged it despite holding a pencil in his right hand.

The second, which Elson said was even more surprising, he caught with his left, bobbled and pinned against his body.

They were the first catches made in the press box and the plays drew a standing ovation from the crews on either side of Elson's booth. The second catch even prompted an abbreviated wave from the group of scorekeepers, writers, photographers, Internet statisticians and assorted hangers-on to Elson's right.

"I was still basking in the glow of the first one when the second one surprised me even more than the first one did," Elson said.

Elson was an all-city catcher during his high school days in Pittsburgh and won the league batting crown as a senior. Since coming to Arkansas in 2001, Elson has shown his athletic ability mainly by throwing leftover press box food at unsuspecting victims - usually with alarming accuracy -after games.

It was good to prove he could still handle baseballs as well as he does hot dog buns, Elson said.

"I never question that I've lost any of my hand-to-eye coordination, but to have realworld experience on that now is great," Elson said.

Adhering to Travelers tradition, Elson gently dropped both of his caught baseballs to kids in the stands.

"I can have a ball any day I want," said Elson, who clearly does.

Veteran pitcher

It's been a while between first pitches for Billy Earl "Red" Thompson - 76 years in fact. Thompson was 6 years old when, on April 13, 1932, he pitched in a three-inning, Boys Club game that preceded the Arkansas Travelers' Southern Association meeting with Memphis that opened Travelers Field, later renamed Ray Winder Field. Thompson's mini game came before the ceremonial first pitches Gov. Harvey Parnell threw to ceremonial first batter Horace Knowlton, Little Rock's mayor.

On Monday night, at 82, Thompson threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Dickey-Stephens Park before the Travelers hosted the San Antonio Missions in a doubleheader.

"It was about like this," Thompson said, gesturing around Dickey-Stephens as he sat next to the home dugout. "Hot. I walked the first three batters and then after that I settled down and I lost the game in three innings, 8-6."

As a Boys Club member, Thompson also had membership in the "Knothole Gang," a group of youths granted free admission who sat in the left-field corner at Travelers games.

One of Thompson's' fondest memories, one that still brings tears, was of a Travelers uniform that was a gift from popular Travs center fielder Leo Nonnenkamp. Thompson's mother cut and altered the uniform so he could wear it.

"He was the best center fielder and he took care of the kids and whatever," Thompson said.

Thompson, who lives in North Little Rock, continued to play youth, American Legion and semipro baseball until he was 47, and he spent plenty of time at Little Rock's other famed old ballpark, Lamar Porter Field.

"They've changed quite a bit from that," Thompson said, comparing the new ballparks to the old.

"Capacity, I think, would be one. But to me it looks smaller than it did back then. Even the field looks smaller. It looked like there was more depth."

King Earns Moniker As Naturals' Top Fan

By Paul Nielsen THE MORNING NEWS June 4, 2008

ROGERS - Tiffany King arrived a little later than normal at Arvest Ballpark on Memorial Day.

King is a regular at Arvest Ballpark. Fellow fans know her, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals almost to a player stop and say hello and the front office brass counts King as the team's top fan.

In all the hustle and bustle of the 1 p.m. wrap-up of a six-game homestand on Memorial Day, ticket takers at the entrance gates marveled that King hadn't made her way to her seat near the Naturals on deck circle.

After all, King has been in a front row seat for 27 of the Naturals 28 home games so far this season.

Rest assured, King will make an early arrival tonight as the Naturals kickoff a critical four-game homestand with their in-state rival Arkansas. The first-place Naturals (30-26) hold a two-game lead over the Travelers (28-28) in the Texas League North Division standings with 14 games left in the first half of the season.

The winner of the first half of the season will punch a ticket to the Texas League playoffs.

But on Memorial Day as the 2006 Rogers High graduate maneuvered her wheelchair toward the ticket office, King, who has Cerebral Palsy, was in a jovial mood.

Why?

King was a little later than normal because the NCAA College Baseball Selection show was on just two hours before the Naturals played Frisco in a key Texas League matchup. King, like all Arkansas fans, was happy to see the Razorbacks make the field of 64. King also attends nearly every Arkansas baseball game and the one Naturals game she missed was because the Razorbacks also played that night.

King counts the Razorbacks as her favorite team but the Naturals are a very close second

"I just like watching baseball, I'm a big baseball fan," King said. "It's a difficult decision who my favorite team is but the Razorbacks are my favorite team. I have been going to games for about a year."

Naturals management, players and coaches know that Northwest Arkansas is Razorbacks country first and foremost but outfielder Brian McFall said having fans like King in their corner is a plus. After all, home-field advantage has resulted in a 19-9 home record for Northwest Arkansas.

"Tiffany is awesome and we love her," McFall said. "We like her being right there next to the dugout. It's cool to have that type of support from her. The support we have had here has been awesome."

Naturals general manager Eric Edelstein agreed that the players feed off the team's diehard backers.

"All of these guys are away from home and it's nice for them to come to the ballpark everyday and see a friendly face," Edelstein said. "Every place that I have been, there is a fan that has become the it fan. Tiffany was one of those people early on. She is dedicated."

Naturals marketing coordinator Erin O'Donnell has seen that dedication night-in and night-out. O'Donnell is often situated near King to help coordinate the many on-field promotions and the two talk often.

"Tiffany has been at every event," O'Donnell said. "She was there for the National Anthem tryouts, the first practice, and every game. She is so sweet and a great fan."

And O'Donnell said there is very little girl talk between the two.

"We talk baseball," O'Donnell said. "Tiffany is well versed in all the stats. It's amazing how much she knows about each player, each team (in the Texas League)."

King at first balked when asked to name her favorite player but the Northwest Arkansas Community College student eventually settled on first baseman Kila Kaaihue.

"I just like the way he plays the game," King said.

O'Donnell wasn't surprised to hear that Kaaihue is King's favorite player.

"Kila always says hello to Tiffany when he goes to bat," O'Donnell said.

Getting a good jump

BY RICH POLIKOFF Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Posted on Monday, June 2, 2008

SPRINGDALE - It takes less time for Northwest Arkansas Naturals outfielder Ovandy Suero to steal a base than for someone to write about him doing it.

That's neither hyperbole nor an indictment of people's typing skills. Suero is simply that fast.

"Suero is raw speed," Naturals hitting coach Tommy Gregg said. "He'll take off whenever. It doesn't really matter; they can pitch out, and he can beat the throw.

" He's one of the fastest guys in the game right now, and probably one of the fastest guys that's played the game."

The numbers back that up. Suero entered Sunday leading all of Class AA with 24 steals, despite having significantly fewer plate appearances than any of his closest competitors, leading Naturals announcer Steven Davis to label him "the fastest man in baseball."

Naturals Manager Brian Poldberg has been coaching in the Kansas City Royals' organization for 20 years and says he can't remember a faster player than the 25 year-old Suero. That's why Poldberg has given Suero a permanent green light on the base paths.

"He's at the top of the line as far as raw speed," Poldberg said. "He can outrun the ball at times. I've seen [former Royal ] Johnny Damon, but as far as pure speed, he's one of the fastest that we've had."

A native of the Dominican Republic, Suero says he has been fast his entire life. In three of the past four seasons, he wound up leading his league in steals, often by a comfortable margin.

In 2007, Suero stole 75 bases for Lakeland, the advanced Class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. That not only led the Florida State League, it was almost double the runner-up's total of 38.

"You don't want to be heavy," said Suero, who is generously listed at 5-10, 160 pounds. "In Florida they called me ‘Lightning. '"

That nickname hasn't yet followed Suero to Northwest Arkansas, where he was assigned after being signed by the Royals in December, but he appears to be terrorizing opposing catchers in Class AA just as mercilessly as he did at lower levels.

He stole seven bases during the Naturals' recent six-game homestand and scored seven runs - even though he played in only four of the games. Northwest Arkansas went 3-1 in those games.

"He just keeps stealing bases off me," Midland catcher Anthony Recker said, laughing. "So far, from what I've seen, not only does he have speed, but he can get a good jump. That's a big key. You can have all the speed in the world, but if you don't get a good jump, I've got a shot of throwing you out."

Though he's naturally righthanded, Suero is a switch-hitter. Few of his swings this season have come from the right side of the plate, however. Only 12 of his 123 at-bats have come against left-handed pitchers.

Suero is a better hitter as a right-hander, but as a left-hander, he starts a step closer to first. For a player like Suero, who can make it to first base in 3. 6 seconds, that makes a difference.

"It's my best [side ], righthanded," Suero said. "But there are more pitchers that are right handed than lefties. If they call on me [to bat right-handed ], I'm ready."

Gregg said he wants Suero to take a batting approach similar to Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, a speedy left-handed hitter who slaps at pitches while running to first. He also wants Suero to bunt more but says he is pleased with the progress Suero has made as a hitter.

Suero is batting. 301, an improvement of nearly 50 points from last year and his highest batting average since 2005. He's even shown a little pop, homering in a game against Springfield and hitting a team-high three triples.

In his past nine games, Suero is 12 for 27 (. 444 ) with 10 runs scored and 9 stolen bases, and he reached base in more than half his plate appearances.

"He needs to keep the ball out of the air as much as possible," Gregg said. "But he is taking good swings, and when he does hit the ball to the outfield, it's usually a line drive. The problem is his line drives go to the outfielders; rarely does he get it over their heads. I've joked with him that he's hitting the ball too hard.

" The main thing I'm trying to teach him is that that [opposing ] third baseman plays in so close that if he can slap it by that third baseman, that's an easy hit or even a double."

While Suero is undoubtedly the Naturals' fastest player, he is hardly their only base-stealing threat. Third baseman Mario Lisson is fifth in the league with 14 steals, and center fielder Jose Duarte is sixth with 13.

Duarte and Lisson aren't as fast as Suero - few are - but they have made the most of their speed, getting caught only seven times total, a combined success rate of 79 percent. As a team, the Naturals have been successful on 72 percent of their stolen-base attempts.

That's well above Poldberg's goal of two steals for every time caught.

"We want to be aggressive," Poldberg said. "If we get thrown out, we get thrown out. You cannot be afraid of making an out and be a good base runner."

NORTH NOTES Arkansas Travelers (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) 31-30, T-First Place, North Division

June 2...In Arkansas' 4-1 loss in game one of a doubleheader, second baseman Nate Sutton socked a solo homer in the third. Catcher Brian Walker, promoted from Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on May 30, notched his first Double-A hit with a second-inning single to right. The Travelers could only muster six hits in a 4-0 shutout to the Missions in game two. The Travelers bullpen, comprised of Doug Brandt, Rafael Rodriguez, and Stephen Marek, allowed no runs, three hits, and no walks over 4.1 innings of relief. Brandt struck out four in two frames.

June 4... Arkansas fell 3-0 to Northwest Arkansas. Losing pitcher Dan Denham surrendered three runs, seven hits, and a walk, while fanning four in seven innings.

June 5...Ending a scoreless drought of 20 innings, Arkansas pounded 12 hits on the way to a 7-1 win over Northwest Arkansas. The scoreless streak ended when Jordan Czarnicecki, the second batter of the game for the Travs, ripped a two-run home run (4) to left. The blast scored Adam Greenberg, who led off the game with a triple to left. Czarnicecki finished the game at 2-for-4, with a double, and three RBIs. Shortstop Hainley Statia also provided a pair of hits, and scored twice. In his last ten games, Statia is hitting .378. Victorious in his second straight start, Anthony Ortega (6-3) allowed one run, eight hits, and two walks in seven innings of work. With the victory, the Travelers moved to within two games of the first-place Naturals.

June 6....Boosted by homers from their three, four, and five hitters, Arkansas defeated Northwest Arkansas 4-2. Home runs by Michael Collins, Ben Johnson, and Brian Stavisky accounted for all four of the Travelers runs on the night. During a three-run sixth, Johnson cracked a two-run homer, and Stavisky followed with a solo blast. Winning pitcher Robert Mosebach (5-3) yielded one earned run in 6.2 innings. Stephen Marek fanned four batters in two perfect innings, picking up his third save.

June 7...Arkansas squeaked by Northwest Arkansas 4-3. The Travelers improved their record to 31-29, tying them with the Naturals for first place in the North Division. In his Double-A debut, shortstop Wilberto Ortiz went 2-for-4, and hit a two-run single in the sixth, driving in the go-ahead run. Travelers relievers Rafael Rodriguez and Kevin Jepsen combined to throw four scoreless frames of one-hit ball, sealing the victory. Prior to the game, Ortiz and Anderson Rosario were called up from high Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. Arkansas placed shortstop Hainley Statia (hamstring) and outfielder Adam Greenberg (knee) on the disabled list. Outfielder Cliff Remole was reassigned to Rancho Cucamonga.

June 8...In a wild 10-inning affair, Arkansas came out on the short end, losing 9-7 to Springfield. Tied at 6-6 in the 10th, Brian Stavisky crushed a solo homer to left, lifting the Travs to a one-run advantage they wouldn't hold on to. Brian Walker hammered a solo round-tripper in the second, his first homer in a Travelers uniform.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Kansas City Royals) 31-30, T-First Place, North Division

June 2...Julio Pimentel silenced the bats of the league's top scoring offense, helping Northwest Arkansas defeat Frisco 3-1. Over seven frames, Pimentel limited the ‘Riders to one run, three hits, and two walks, while striking out five. With the win, the Naturals starter improved his record to 3-5. Adam Donachie, Pimentel's battery mate, cracked a two-run homer in fourth. Donachie finished the game going 2-for-4, in addition to his homer, he also clubbed a double, and scored two runs.

June 4...Blake Wood stole the show in his second Double-A start, firing a three-hit shutout in Northwest Arkansas' 3-0 win over Arkansas. Wood struck out 10, walked none, and allowed just three singles. No Travelers player made it past first base. In a swift one hour and 57 minute affair, the 6-foot-5 right-hander needed only 99 pitches to go the distance. The Naturals scored their three runs courtesy of Mario Lisson's two-run homer in the seventh, and Angel Sanchez's solo blast in the fourth. Second baseman Marc Maddox batted 3-for-3, with a double. The win pushed the Naturals three games ahead of the Travelers in the North Division standings with 13 contests remaining on the first-half schedule. The Naturals are now 5-0 against their in-state rivals at Arvest Ballpark.

June 5...In Northwest Arkansas' 7-1 loss to Arkansas, Kila Kaaihue swatted a sixth inning, solo homer to right. Kaaihue, who leads the Naturals with 12 round-trippers, had not homered since May 8.

June 6...Kila Kaaihue homered for the second consecutive night in Northwest Arkansas' 4-2 loss against Arkansas. Kaaihue went 2-for-4, the only Naturals player with a multiple hit game. Kaaihue 13 dingers are tied for second on the Texas League leaderboard.

June 7... In front of the 6,587 fans, Northwest Arkansas fell 4-3 to Arkansas. It was the second largest crowd to attend a game at Arvest Ballpark this season. All four home Texas League home clubs drew more than 6, 000 fans on the night. Ovandy Suero batted 2-for-4 and stole his 27th base of the season. Jose Duarte ripped a solo dinger, his fourth of the year. Catcher Adam Donachie gunned down three Travelers runners attempting to steal, improving his success rate to 39 percent (18-for-46) this season.

June 8...Starter Julio Pimentel pitched a solid game, but didn't get run support in Northwest Arkansas' 4-1 loss to Tulsa. The sinkerballer struck out six batters in seven innings, yielding three runs, seven hits and a walk.

Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals) 31-30, T-First Place, North DivisionJune 2...Trailing 3-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, Springfield scored four runs, propelling them to a 5-3 victory over Corpus Christi. Prior to the comeback victory, the Cardinals were a lamentable 0-23 when losing after seven frames. Starting the four-run eighth inning rally, Jon Jay socked a two-run homer to right, tying the contest at 3-3. Later in the inning, Mark Hamilton crushed a RBI double to the right-center gap, bringing home Allen Craig from first. Hamilton's go-ahead RBI double was his second, run scoring two-bagger of the game. Closer Fernando Salas struck out the side in the ninth, sealing the victory. Four of Salas' seven saves this season have come against the Hooks. Not factoring into the decision, starter Mark McCormick tossed seven solid innings, yielding three runs, three hits, and a walk.

June 4...Getting a good blend of long-balls and outstanding pitching, Springfield beat Tulsa 4-1. The Cards have been victorious in seven of their last 10 contests. Shane Robinson, Steven Hill, and Mark Shorey each had two hits andwent deep with solo homers. Tyler Herron threw seven shutout innings of two-hit ball, notching his second win in the process. The Cardinals 2005 first rounder allowed no extra-base hits and walked only two. Closer Fernando Salas fired a scoreless ninth, registering his eight save. Salas has recorded a 0.00 earned run average in seven appearances against the Drillers this season.

June 5...Tied at 2-2 in the top of the ninth, Mark Shorey drilled a go-ahead, line-drive homer off the scoreboard in right, lifting Springfield to a 3-2 win over Tulsa. Accounting for the Cards' other two runs, Steven Hill homered for the second straight night, and added a RBI single. Shane Robinson, who raised his batting average to .386 after a 2-for-4 showing, scored on Hill's sixth inning single to right. Starter Jess Todd pitched 6.1 innings and allowed one earned run on seven hits and no walks, while striking out four. Coming off two consecutive one-hit stints over seven innings, Todd's fine outing could be characterized as an off night for the 22-year-old right-hander.

June 6...Springfield hammered 15 hits as they defeated Tulsa 9-4. Going 3-for-5, Shane Robinson socked a two-run double, and finished with three RBIs. Jon Jay (3-for-5) capped a Cardinals four-run ninth by driving in Robinson with a triple. Steven Hill matched Robinson and Jay with three hits, and homered for the third consecutive game. In his third appearance with Springfield, winning pitcher Scott Vander Weg punched out two in a scoreless frame of relief. Right-hander Clayton Mortensen, who went 3-4, with a 4.22 earned run average in 11 starts, was promoted to Triple-A Memphis.

June 7...Springfield beat Tulsa 8-6, taking their ninth straight game at Drillers Stadium dating back to the 2007 North Division Playoffs. Breaking a 5-5 tie in the eighth, third baseman Isa Garcia clubbed a go-ahead solo homer. In addition to the home run, Garcia was 2-for-5, with two runs scored and a double. Jon Jay led the Cardinals with three hits, and scored a pair of runs.

June 8...In the bottom of the 10th, Tyler Greene cracked a two-out, three run homer, catapulting Springfield to a 9-7 come-from-behind victory over Arkansas. Greene's dramatic blast occurred after Arkansas took a 7-6 lead on Brian Stavisky's solo dinger in the top of the tenth. Trailing 6-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Jon Jay (3-for-4) ripped a two-out, two-run homer, sending the contest to extra innings. Down 6-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Springfield began their rally by scoring two runs that inning. Catcher Brandon Yarbrough clubbed a two-run round-tripper in the second, finishing the game 2-for-5. St. Louis Cardinals hurler Matt Clement, making a rehab start, allowed three runs in five innings pitched. Southpaw Justin Fiske relieved Clement, and fanned five Travelers over three frames.

Tulsa Drillers (Colorado Rockies) 23-38, Fourth Place, North Division

June 2...Anchored by starter Alan Johnson's gem, Tulsa strolled to a 7-1 win at Midland. Johnson struck out 12 batters in seven shutout frames, yielding five hits and two walks. The dozen strikeouts tied a career high for Johnson, and were the most by a Drillers pitcher this year. The 24-year-old right-hander never let more than one runner reach base in an inning, and allowed no RockHounds to advance past second base. The Mississippi St. alumnus notched his first win since April 30 when he tossed seven innings in a 1-0 win against Arkansas. On the offensive end, Matt Miller (2-for-4) and Tony Blanco (3-for-5) both contributed with two-RBI doubles.

June 4...Unable to produce an extra-base hit, Tulsa loss 4-1 to Springfield. Allowing three earned runs and no walks over 7.2 frames, starter Brandon Hynick gave the Drillers a solid effort on the mound. The Rockies assigned left-handed reliever Aaron Fultz to the Drillers. Fultz, a former big league veteran, has compiled 463 appearances with San Francisco, Texas, Minnesota, Philadelphia and Cleveland. To make room, southpaw Luis Gonzalez was released.

June 5...Tulsa came up short in a 3-2 loss to Springfield at Drillers Stadium. Reliever Aaron Fultz made his Drillers debut. Fultz's only pitch of the night, a fastball, was hammered to right for a dinger by Springfield's Mark Shorey, breaking a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth. Not factoring into the decision, Taiwanese right-hander Ching-Lung Lo fanned seven Cardinals over seven frames, and walked none. Lo gave up two runs on five hits. Eric Young, Jr., and Tony Blanco both went 2-for-4, with doubles. The Drillers, second in the T.L. with 67 team stolen bases, got swipes from Young, Jr. (12) and Corey Wimberly (26).

June 6...In Tulsa's 9-4 loss to Springfield, third baseman Tony Blanco batted 3-for-4, with a two-run homer (8). Blanco's homer followed Matt Miller's two-RBI single in the Drillers' four-run third inning. Utility player Duke Sardinha announced his retirement from baseball. Sardinha was an eight-year minor league veteran who also played in the Reds and Tigers organizations.

June 7...Tulsa fell to Springfield 10-6 at Drillers Stadium in front of 6,155 fans. Dexter Fowler and Matt Miller, the team's number two and three hitters, each had a homer, two hits, two RBIs, and a pair of runs scored. Fowler drove in a run with a RBI triple, which tied him for the league lead in three-baggers with five. Right-hander Chaz Roe was called up from high Class-A Modesto and made his Double-A debut. Roe fanned seven Cardinals in six frames, allowing four earned runs. In the top of the eighth, reliever Aaron Fultz surrendered a leadoff homer to Isa Garcia. Fultz served up round-trippers to the first two batters he faced as a Driller hurler. The left-hander faced five batters in two appearances, and has two losses to show for them. The Drillers placed southpaw Adam Bright on the disabled list, and activated right-handed reliever Jarrett Grube.

June 8...Backed by a masterful performance from Alan Johnson, Tulsa beat Northwest Arkansas 4-1 in a swift two hours and 19 minutes. Johnson punched out seven batters in seven innings pitched, while giving up one run, six hits and two walks. Picking up his second win in the last seven days, the right-hander finished a week in which he recorded a microscopic 0.64 earned run average and fanned 19 batters over 14 innings. Closer Ryan Mattheus was credited with his eight save after firing a perfect ninth with two strikeouts. Right fielder Daniel Carte led the Drillers with three hits and two RBIs. Dexter Fowler batted 2-for-4, and scored twice.

SOUTH NOTES Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston Astros) 27-34, Fourth Place, South Division

June 2...Corpus Christi blasted three solo homers, but couldn't manufacture any additional runs in a 5-3 loss at Springfield. Rob Cosby swatted a pair of round-trippers, increasing his season total to seven. With his multi-homer performance, Cosby joined Mitch Einertson and Drew Sutton as the third Hooks player to accomplish the feat this season. Eli Iorg, the son of former big leaguer Garth Iorg, clubbed his sixth dinger. Staff ace Brad James surrendered one run and four hits through six innings of work. James left the game as the pitcher of record, with a 3-1 lead.

June 4...In Corpus Christi's 9-3 loss to Midland, outfielders Billy Hart, Eli Iorg, and Mitch Einertson all hit doubles. The Hooks have dropped nine of their last 10 games. Rejoining the Hooks from Triple-A Round Rock, right-hander Chance Douglass started and allowed five runs in 6.2 innings. Infielder Richie Paz was placed on the inactive list.

June 5...Two outs away from a win, Corpus Christi could not put the nail in the coffin, losing 9-6 to Midland. Snake bit by four errors, closer Sammy Gervacio allowed four unearned runs and drew the loss along with a blown save. In 1.1 innings, Gervacio fanned four RockHounds. The Hooks two through five hitters, Wladimir Sutil, Chris Johnson, Chris Sheldon, and Rob Cosby, all enjoyed multiple-hit games. Going 3-for-5, Johnson crushed a pair of homers to left, had four RBIs, and scored three times. In the bottom of the seventh, Johnson singled in Sutil, giving the Hooks a 6-5 lead. During the sixth, Sheldon walloped a two-run dinger, tying the game at 5-5. Sutil, batting .367 since his May 2 callup, socked two doubles and scored two runs.

June 6...Ending a four game losing streak, Corpus Christi defeated Midland 4-1. In his second Double-A start, Dominican southpaw Polin Trinidad held the ‘Hounds to one run, four hits and no walks over six innings. Trinidad struck out four, notching his first Texas League victory. The left-hander was hurling a shutout for 5.2 innings before yielding a homer to Midland's Jesus Guzman. Relievers Evan Englebrook and Kyle Middleton followed with three perfect innings to slam the door shut on Midland's comeback hopes. Middleton, who saved 23 games last year for the Hooks, tallied his first save of 2008 after rejoining the team earlier in the day from Triple-A Round Rock. Designated hitter Rob Cosby went 2-for-4 at the dish, with two RBIs. Ole Sheldon walked twice in four plate appearances and socked a solo homer (6). Right-hander Ryan Thompson was released by the Hooks.

June 7...The Hooks rallied for four runs in the ninth, but came up a run short in a 9-8 loss to Midland. Mitch Einertson (2-for-4) shined in defeat by clubbing a three-run homer. Right fielder Eli Iorg, 2-for-4, swatted his seventh homer of the year, and scored twice. Continuing his hot week, Chris Johnson had a pair of hits and RBIs. Shortstop Tommy Manzella, who hit .299 for the Hooks in 54 games, was called up to Triple-A Rock.

June 8...Chris Johnson socked his third homer of the week in Corpus Christi's 4-1 loss to San Antonio. Johnson's sixth inning, solo blast to left was his seventh dinger of the year. Racking up half of his team's four hits, Johnson went 2-for-4.

Frisco RoughRiders (Texas Rangers) 37-24, First Place, South Division

June 2...Held to four hits, Frisco fell 3-1 to Northwest Arkansas. Accounting for the ‘Riders' only run, Steven Murphy hammered his eighth home run of the season in the second. Frisco relievers Alfredo Gonzalez, Brandon Puffer, Trey Hodges, and Andrew Laughter combined to hurl 4.2 scoreless innings, yielding three hits and a walk.

June 4...Frisco matched San Antonio with six hits and two doubles, but fell short on the scoreboard, losing 4-1. Starter Michael Schladt no-hit the Missions for five innings, but was dinged for four runs and four hits before he was relieved with two gone in the sixth. Stephen Murphy went 2-for-4 at the plate, with a double, and scored his team's only run. Matt Harrison, who went 3-2 with a 3.33 earned run average in nine starts, was promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma. The left-hander threw a no-hitter on May 18 against the Missions.

June 5... Frisco collected nine hits and put 13 men on-base yet still wound up getting shutout 4-0 by San Antonio. Steven Murphy, Emerson Frostad, and Corey Benjamin each had two hits in the frustrating loss.

June 6...Pitchers Tommy Hunter and Andrew Laughter combined on a five-hitter in Frisco's 2-0 loss to San Antonio. Over seven innings, Hunter, allowed two runs, five hits, and three walks.

June 7...During Frisco's 6-5 loss at San Antonio, center fielder Craig Gentry swatted the only home run of the Frisco/San Antonio series, a solo shot on a line drive to left. Gentry also stole his 11th base, collected two hits, and scored twice. Dustin Majewski went 2-for-4, with a double, and drove in a pair of runs. In the top of the eighth, Ben Harrison gave Frisco a 5-2 lead by drilling a two-run double to right.

June 8...In the bottom of the 12th, Tim Gradoville's sacrifice fly to left scored Casey Benjamin, giving Frisco a 6-5 win over Midland. The victory snapped Frisco's season-high, five game losing skid. Benjamin finished 2-for-5, with a homer, and three runs scored. Benjamin's eighth inning, solo dinger tied the game at 5-5. Max Ramirez went 4-for-5, leading the RoughRiders' 14 hit effort. In addition to Benjamin, Ben Harrison, Emerson Frostad, and Corey Ragsdale also contributed with two hits. Ragsdale socked his third homer of the year, doubled and swiped his sixth bag of 2008. Reliever Zach Parker improved to 1-0 after fanning two in a scoreless inning of work. Alfredo Gonzalez came out of the bullpen and struck out five ‘Hounds over four innings of relief, allowing one run, two hits and no walks.

Midland RockHounds (Oakland Athletics) 31-30, Third Place, South Division

June 2...Right fielder Jon Zeringue went 2-for-4, and scored his club's only run as Midland fell 7-1 to Tulsa.

June 4...Midland pounded out 15 hits and seven extra-base knocks, cruising to a 9-3 victory over Corpus Christi. Starter Vincent Mazzaro (7-2) hurled 7.2 impressive innings, holding the Hooks to one run, two hits, and three walks, while fanning six. In four starts against the Hooks this year, Mazzaro is 3-0, has tallied 22 strikeouts, and has given only three earned runs in 26.1 innings of work. On a 4-for-5 night at Whataburger Field, Jesus Guzman cracked a three-run homer (11), socked a double, and scored a pair of runs. Jon Zeringue and Justin Sellers both hit solo home runs for the RockHounds.

June 5...Boosted by a four-run rally in the ninth, Midland defeated Corpus Christi 9-6. Beneficiaries of four Hooks fielding errors in the inning, all four runs Midland scored were unearned. The big inning made a winner of Andrew Carignan (2-0), who fired two perfect innings of relief. On a 3-for-4 night, catcher Anthony Recker clubbed his fifth homer, had two RBIs, and scored twice. Jon Zeringue went 2-for-4, reached double digits with his 10th dinger, cracked his 16th double, and scored a pair of runs.

June 6...Jesus Guzman went 2-for-4, with a homer in Midland's 4-1 loss at Corpus Christi. In the sixth, Guzman crushed his 12th round-tripper to left-center, breaking up the Hooks' shutout bid. Third baseman Brian Snyder batted 2-for-3, with a two-bagger. Guzman and Snyder accounted for all four of the ‘Hounds hits. The RockHounds activated Texas League All-Star right-hander James Simmons from the disabled list. Henry Rodriguez, the wild Venezuelan fireballer, was sent back to high Single-A Stockton.

June 7...Thanks to two four-run innings, Midland edged Corpus Christi 9-8. The RockHounds erupted for four runs in the first, and later tagged on another four in the sixth. Jesus Guzman scored three times, and went 3-for-5, lifting his average to .355. Joe Gaetti, Tommy Everidge, and Myron Leslie each enjoyed two RBI performances. Gaetti added three hits, tying him with Guzman for the team lead.

June 8...In 12 innings, Midland lost 6-5 at Frisco. Jon Zeringue batted 3-for-6 and drove in a run during the ‘Hounds three-run first.

San Antonio Missions (San Diego Padres) 33-28, Second Place, South Division

June 2...Getting a combination of quality pitching and extra-base hits, San Antonio swept Arkansas in a twin-bill by the scores of 4-1 and 4-0. With the pair of wins, the Missions have won three straight, seven of their last 10, and ended their road trip with a 5-1 record. In the 4-1 game one, Will Inman hurled a seven-inning complete game, improving his season mark to 5-2. The right-hander held the Travs to one run, four hits, and a walk, while fanning five. Kyle Blanks cracked a two-run dinger to left in the first inning. In the second inning, Sean Kazmar socked a two-RBI double. In the second game win, four pitchers combined on a six-hit shutout. San Antonio relievers Gabe DeHoyos, Greg Burke, and Neil Jamison collectively threw 4.2 shutout frames, holding the Travs to two hits and a walk. DeHoyos fanned three batters in 1.2 innings of work. The Missions scored four runs on seven hits, four of which were the extra-base variety. In the second inning, Mike Baxter clubbed a solo homer to right, while Jose Lobaton walloped a two-run homer, giving the Missions a 3-0 lead. Blanks added a RBI triple in the third. Blanks went 3-for-5 in the doubleheader, with a homer, a triple, a walk, and 3 RBIs.

June 4...San Antonio defeated Frisco 4-1. No-hit by Frisco's Michael Schlact through five innings, the Missions erupted with four runs on five hits in the sixth. Missions pitchers Stephen Faris, Jonathan Ellis, Philip Barzilla, Gabe DeHoyos, and Greg Burke combined to throw nine innings of six-hit ball, and collectively racked up 11 strikeouts. Throwing two hitless frames, Ellis was credited with th win, improving his record to 7-3, all in relief.

June 5...San Antonio won their fifth straight game with a 4-0 victory over Frisco. Allowing no runs in five innings pitched, winning pitcher Matt Buschmann overcame some wildness (five walks), and improved his mark to 5-4. Relievers Philip Barzilla and Gabe DeHoyos followed with two scoreless frames of their own, sealing the shutout. Kyle Blanks wielded a hot stick going 4-for-4. Craig Cooper went 2-for-4, with a two-run double.

June 6...Recording their second straight shutout, San Antonio blanked Frisco 2-0 in just two hours and 25 minutes. Steve Garrison, Jonathan Ellis, and Greg Burke combined on a five-hitter and collectively struck out nine. Dating back to June 4, Missions pitchers have hurled 24 consecutive scoreless innings against the ‘Riders. Garrison, the winning pitcher (4-3), compiled six strikeouts through six frames, and held Frisco to five hits and a walk. By tossing a perfect ninth, Burke earned his fourth save and lowered his 2008 earned run average to 1.17. Scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, Mike Baxter smoked a two-run triple to center, giving the Missions all the offense they would need.

June 7...Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth, San Antonio rallied for four runs propelling them to a 6-5 victory over Frisco, completing a four-game sweep. In the eighth, Sean Kazmar's two-RBI double to the right-center field gap was the key hit in the Missions' comeback. Reaching base safely all four times, Kazmar went 2-for-2, with two walks, and scored a pair of runs. The Missions shortstop finished the series batting 6-for-11 (.545), with four bases on balls. Seth Johnston, was also perfect at the plate, batting 4-for-4. Frisco scored in the third, ending San Antonio's scoreless streak of 25.2 innings. Not factoring into the decision, starter Manny Ayala surrendered two runs, four hits and a walk in 5.2 innings. Closer Greg Burke earned his fifth save after tossing a perfect ninth. The comeback win was the Missions seventh straight.

June 8...The Missions won their eighth straight as a trio of pitchers combined on a four-hitter in a 4-1 victory at Corpus Christi. Winning pitcher Will Inman (6-2) tossed 5.1 innings, allowing one run, four hits, and three walks. Relievers Wilton Lopez and Mike Ekstrom combined to hurl 3.2 perfect innings, retiring the final 10 batters they faced in order. Drew Macias, Mike Baxter, Colt Morton and Inman all enjoyed multiple-hit games for the Missions. Morton hammered a solo homer in the fourth, his first round-tripper of the season. The Missions have won eight in a row, and nine of their last 10.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Jon Jay - Springfield

6 G, 24 AB, 12 H, .500, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, .538 OBP, .875 SLG

In addition to leading the league with 12 hits and 1.413 OPS last week, Jay also led Springfield to a pair of victories by slugging two dramatic, late-inning homers.

With his club trailing 3-1 in the eighth on June 2, Jay sent a 2-2 offering over the right field fence for a game-tying homer. Springfield tacked on two more runs, and held on to defeat Corpus Christi 5-3.

Six days later on June 8, Springfield was trailing to first place Arkansas 6 to 4 in the bottom of the ninth with two out, Jay came through with a towering two-run homer to center, sending the game to extra-innings. The Cardinals eventually won 9-7 in ten innings and moved into a three-way, first place tie with Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas.

The former University of Miami star hit safely in all six games he played in last week. Jay also had three hits in each of his final three games.

Through 59 games this season, the 23-year-old is hitting .304, seven homers, and 30 RBIs for the Cardinals. The outfielder's play has landed him a spot on the North Division All-Star team.

The Cardinals drafted Jay in the second round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK Blake Wood - Northwest Arkansas

1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 1 SHO, 1 CG, 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K

It would be hard to be more successful than Blake Wood was on June 4th, pitching in just his second Double-A game.

Facing Arkansas, the 6'5" Wood need just 99 pitches to craft a three-hit, no walk, 3-0 win over the Travelers. Allowing none of the batters to reach base to advance beyond first base, Wood needed just one hour, fifty-seven minutes to complete the game.

Wood's gem established two milestones in the young history of the Naturals. The right-hander fanned a franchise best 10 batters, and he also became the first hurler to toss a complete game.

Wood was promoted on May 29 after going 3-2 and registering a 2.67 earned run average in 10 starts with high Class-A Wilimington of the Carolina League. With the Wilmington Blue Rocks, the Georgia Tech alumnus struck out 63 batters in 57.1 innings.

The way he has been dealing this season, Baseball America's number five ranked Royals prospect appears to be on the fast track to the big leagues.

This Week in the Texas League History

June 10, 1897...Galveston collected 19 hits on the way to a 12-10 "squeaker" ore San Antonio. Leadoff hitter Gus Klopf helped lead the Sand Crabs to victory with a single and three doubles in six times to the plate.

June 11, 1950...Led by burly Bob Lemon, who drove in five runs with his 19th and 20th home runs of the season, Oklahoma City pounded San Antonio 12-6. It was Lemon's second big game in as many days. He had homered twice and driven in four runs the day before.

June 12, 2003...Arkansas rallied to an 8-7 win over Round Rock in the 12th inning when the received consecutive run scoring singles from Junior Zamora and Ryan Budde. Round Rock had taken a 7-6 lead in the top of the inning when John Tamargo stroked a two-out, RBI single. Tamargo was clearly the offensive star of the game, having driven in six of his club's seven runs with two singles, a double and a home run in five at-bats. Tamargo also walked twice, reaching base in six of his seven times to the plate in the game.

June 13, 1968...Five days after joining Arkansas following completion of classes at Southern Illinois University, Jerry Ruess tossed a two-hit, 2-0 win for the Travelers over Amarillo. Ruess, who also walked two batters, allowed just one runner to advance as far as second base in the complete game win. Oddly, Arkansas needed just one hit to score both of their runs in the first inning. Two walks, an error, a wild pitch and a single by Mike Cristino produced all the runs Ruess would need to win the game.

June 14, 1998...Shreveport's Randy Phillips came within one out of pitching a no-hitter, then lost it and a shutout on one swing of the bat. With two gone in the top of the ninth inning, Tulsa outfielder Ruben Mateo drove a clean single to left, scoring Ramsey Koeyers, who had walked and advanced to second on an infield out. Phillips retired the next batter, settling for a one-hit, 5-1 win over the Drillers.

June 15, 1986...Shreveport's Jeff Brantley tossed a six strikeout, three-hit, 1-0 win over Jackson. Captains' outtfielder Alan Cockrell, who was a perfect 4-for-4 in the contest, scored Shreveport's only run, coming home in front of a double by Greg Litton.

June 16, 1922...In spite of collecting 14 hits, including a perfect 5-for-5 day from outfielder Bob Bescher, Wichita Falls fell to Galveston 9-6. The Spudders, who put 22 men on base in the loss, adding four walks, a hit batter and two men safe on Galveston errors to their 14 hits, just could not get enough clutch hits. Their most glaring lost opportunity occurred in the second inning when they loaded the bases with none out, but failed to score a single run.

2008 North Division All-Star Team

STARTERS C-Ben Johnson, Arkansas 1B-Kila Kaaihue, Northwest Arkansas 2B-Corey Wimberly, Tulsa 3B-Allen Craig, Springfield SS-Tyler Greene, Springfield OF-Dexter Fowler, Tulsa OF-Matt Miller, Tulsa OF-Shane Robinson, Springfield DH-Juan Richardson, Northwest Arkansas

RESERVES C-Brandon Yarbrough, Springfield IF-Tony Blanco, Tulsa IF-Angel Sanchez, Northwest Arkansas OF-Jon Jay, Springfield OF-Ovandy Suero, Northwest Arkansas

PITCHERS Adam Bright, Tulsa Daniel Cortes, Northwest Arkansas Dan Denham, Arkansas Dusty Hughes, Northwest Arkansas Kevin Jepsen, Arkansas Blake Johnson, Northwest Arkansas Ryan Mattheus, Tulsa Robert Mosebach, Arkansas Fernando Salas, Springfield Jess Todd, Springfield

STAFF Manager: Ron "Pop" Warner, Springfield Coach: Derrick May, Springfield Coach: Bryan Eversgerd, Springfield Trainer: Jay Pierson, Springfield

2008 South Division All-Star Team

STARTERS C-Max Ramirez, Frisco 1B-Chris Davis, Frisco (1) 2B-Drew Sutton, Corpus Christi 3B-Jesus Guzman, Midland SS-Tommy Manzella, Corpus Christi OF-Ben Harrison, Frisco OF-Chad Huffman, San Antonio OF-Steven Murphy, Frisco DH-Kyle Blanks, San Antonio

RESERVES C-Anthony Recker, Midland IF-Elvis Andrus, Frisco IF-Chris Johnson, Corpus Christi OF-Jon Zeringue, Midland OF-Billy Hart, Corpus Christi

PITCHERS Greg Burke, San Antonio Matt Buschmann, San Antonio Andrew Carignan, Midland Brian Gordon, Frisco (3) Matt Harrison, Frisco (2) Trey Hodges, Frisco Will Inman, San Antonio Brad James, Corpus Christi Vincent Mazzaro, Midland James Simmons, Midland

STAFF Manager: Bill Masse, San Antonio Coach: Steve Webber, San Antonio Coach: Terry Kennedy, San Antonio Strength Co.: Andy Stucke, San Antonio Trainer: Wade Yamasaki, San Antonio

(1) Chris Davis has been promoted to Triple A. He will be replaced by Tommy Everidge, Midland, who will become the starting DH, with Kyle Blanks becoming the starting first baseman.

(2) Matt Harrison has been promoted to Triple A. He will be replaced by Ryan McKeller, Corpus Christi.

(3) Brian Gordon has been promoted to Triple A. He will be replaced by Chris Blazek, Corpus Christi

For Texas League stats and standings, please visit http://texas-league.com/stats/. Copyright - 2008 Texas League, All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.texas-league.com

Texas League Stories from June 9, 2008

• Travs outslug Cards - Arkansas Travelers
• Drillers win second straight - Tulsa Drillers
• Douglass Dazzles in Shutout - Corpus Christi Hooks
• Cards lose big to begin week - Springfield Cardinals
• Rough Riders knock off Midland - Frisco RoughRiders
• Texas League Newsletter - TL1
• Naturals, CCF Brands Partner on Free Baseball Clinic - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
• Wood Named Texas League Pitcher of the Week - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
• July Celebration at Citibank Ballpark - Midland RockHounds

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