Wingnuts Notes - Morning Start-Times: Impact on Preparation or Not?
June 18, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release
The Wichita Wingnuts recently played their fifth game of the regular season with a start time near the 11:00 a.m. hour.
Baseball is a game of preparations and regimented schedules. Playing games with odd start times can mess with a ball player's preparation and forces some to leave the comfort zone of their regular game preparation.
Although few members of the team admitted that it has altered their routines, playing that many early games can still have an impact.
"We've had quite a few of them. One or two here and there is not bad, but we've seemed to play in one on every trip. It's an early morning. I don't want anyone walking around like they are tired. We have to get our rest and treat it like any other game," Wingnuts' manager Kevin Hooper said.
Wichita is 2-3 this year in morning starts. They split two games in Gary, Indiana and two in Winnipeg, Canada before a loss to the RailCats at home on Tuesday.
Designated hitter John Rodriguez did admit that an early start time is a similar factor on games in comparison with weather-related issues that can impact a ball game.
"Everything just starts earlier. I try to have the same routine and I try not to get away from it. It's easy to get away from your routine when you are at a different stadium, or there's a weather or wind change, but I try to stay with my same game plan as much as possible--no matter what is thrown at us," Rodriguez said. "It doesn't matter what time or how early it is. It's just not me dealing with those circumstances it's all of us. Everybody is going through that and it can't be used as an excuse."
Tuesday had the added wrinkle of the morning game being the first leg of a day-night double header. The Wingnuts face the RailCats again later tonight at 7:05 p.m.
Today's game schedule is one that many of the Wingnuts have rarely, if ever, experienced.
"The big thing is getting your rest in between games. I've only been a part of one of those and that was in my short time in the majors. It will be different because we play at 11:00, we'll be done close to 2:00 and then we have to strap it on again at 7:00. It will be different and a lot of the guys will not have played that kind of a double header before," Hooper said.
The Wingnuts offense is on a serious hot streak as they just finished a four-game series against St. Paul in which 38 runs were accumulated. Two key Wichita contributors, first baseman C. J. Ziegler and outfielder David Amberson anticipate the offense staying hot.
"I've never played two nine inning games in one day. It will be a new thing for me. I just want to make sure that I can maintain my game the whole day," Ziegler said.
Ziegler leads the team in RBIs with 30 and home runs with 10, while Amberson recently finished a 16-game hitting streak. Amberson discussed the challenge that the day-night format could present.
"When you play two games in 99-degree heat, it's going to be a grind. You have to make sure you get enough sleep and stay hydrated," Amberson said.
Shortstop Ryan Khoury was one of those who felt like nothing would be much different from these two games than any of the other 98 games scheduled for the regular season.
"I've only played in one or two day-night double headers. I'll just try to relax, get some food in me, and try not to change anything as far as preparation," Khoury said.
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