Tourists To Face Two More Rehabbers Tonight
Published on July 29, 2008 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Asheville Tourists News Release
Grammy-award winner Amy Winehouse sang in a hit song, "They tried to make me go to rehab, but I won't go, go, go." Big league clubs have been sending pitchers to rehab all season long against the Tourists and unlike the British pop singer in her popular tune, they've been more than willing to take the hill against Asheville in 2008 for their rehab work.
Tonight, the Tourists will face both Carl Pavano and Phil Hughes when they open a four-game set against the Charleston RiverDogs at Joseph P. Riley Park. It will be the first time this season that the Tourists have faced multiple rehabbers on the same night and it comes on the heels of two other highly-touted rehab stints that occurred against Asheville previously this season. The Tourists are 3-0 when facing a pitcher making a major league rehab appearance this season.
Future Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz took the hill against the Tourists twice this season in a Rome Braves uniform while trying to recover from a shoulder injury. On May 29th at State Mutual Stadium in Rome, Smoltz was the starting pitcher against the Tourists, tossing two scoreless innings and allowing just one hit - a first-inning single by Michael Mitchell. Smoltz struck out three Tourists in his brief outing.
The Tourists saw Smoltz once more on May 31st in Rome, but this time the Atlanta Braves great would make his appearance out of the bullpen to a thunderous ovation from the Rome faithful. In another scoreless outing, Smoltz didn't allow a hit or walk with one strikeout. Smoltz would return to the Atlanta pitching staff within the next week and reaggrivated the shoulder injury while attempting a save in a game against the Florida Marlins on June 3rd. He hasn't pitched since and may not again, with his return from shoulder surgery somewhat questionable given his age. The Tourists won both games involving Smoltz.
A month and a half later, the Tourists went up against another major league rehabber in Lake County, when Cleveland Indians hurler Fausto Carmona started against the Tourists. Carmona worked four scoreless innings and yielded just one hit - a Michael Mitchell double, his second hit against a rehabbing pitcher - while striking out three. Cory Riordan threw a complete game for the Tourists in another Asheville win.
Pavano last pitched professionally on July 25th for the Gulf Coast Yankees, his first outing since Tommy John surgery in May of 2007. He's missed much of the 2005-2008 seasons. Hughes hasn't pitched since April, when he went on the Yankees disabled list with a strained oblique muscle and a cracked rib.
Tonight's game with the Tourists facing a pair of major league pitchers making rehab appearances can be heard on WRES-FM, the Tourists flagship station, at 7:05 p.m. with Jay Burnham handling play-by-play duties.
The Asheville Tourists are the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Tickets are available by contacting the front office at (828)-258-0428 or on the website, www.theashevilletourists.com.
South Atlantic League Stories from July 29, 2008
- BlueClaws go down 6-5 in 12 innings to the Power - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Power pull out extra innings victory - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Greenville Drives Past Rome - Rome Emperors
- Jackets Drop Series Opener to Columbus - Augusta GreenJackets
- Crawdads see wining streak snapped - Hickory Crawdads
- Intimidators Drop Series Opener In Delmarva 7-1 - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Longball Responsible for All Seven Run in Hoppers' 6-1 Victory - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Suns falter in series opener - Hagerstown Suns
- Capra Takes Over As Intimidators Manager - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Legg Promoted to Major Leagues - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Baird Back to Columbus - Columbus Catfish
- Tourists To Face Two More Rehabbers Tonight - Asheville Tourists
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