A Minute for Charlie

12.12.07: Hey everbody. Well I'm back from the winter meetings and was there ever a lot of movement (more on that in a minute.)

- Before I get into baseball observations from these torrid past few weeks, please allow me to take a minute and ask for your kindness this holiday season. Our sister team, the Montgomery Biscuits, has started a fund for it's first ever manager Charlie Montoyo. His newborn son Alexander is fighting some life threatening illnesses and it will cost the family thousands to get him the medical treatment necessary. I have linked an article here from the Montgomery Advertiser so that you can have more information.

I worked closely with Charlie for two seasons while working with the Biscuits. He is a man that truly cares for his family and that loves the game of baseball. He is someone that I expect to see at the helm of a Major League club someday, but I can promise you that that is the least of his concerns right now. So please, if you have any extra money in this season of giving, donate to the Alexander Montoyo fund. You can do so by clicking on this link. Also, our ownership group has agreed to match the first $5,000 donated by fans. Minor league players and coaches don't make that much money and are chasing a dream every day. But let's all try to help his child have dreams one day to be like his father. He would grow up to be a good man.

- A couple of quick notes about the winter meetings before I go. First, the hotel in Nashville is enourmous. Myself and a couple of co-workers were lost for most of the first day inside of there. But it was also nice. The thing that I love about the winter meetings is that you see just about every side of the baseball world. There's a job fair for young professionals trying to break-in the business. There are representatives from every minor league team, rubbing elbows with execs from the big leagues. There are media personnel everywhere (Peter Gammons, Tracy Ringolsby, Steve Phillips, etc). There is a trade show with the latest in apparel and games. And then there are those few people who make you stand in awe (Cal Ripken, for example). Needless to say, it was a great time as usual.

- I also wanted mention the Tigers trade. WOW! What a move by Detroit. In my mind, it's between them and the Red Sox for the world series title. That line-up is stacked and anytime that you can make Dontrelle Willis your 3rd or 4th starter, you've gotten much better. Oh, did I mention that they got younger! Sure, they gave up Maybin and Miller, but that's the price of winning. Remember, the Yankees won all of their titles in the late-90s by trading farm talent, not by buying everyone.

Well that's all for now. I'll be back after the holidays where we'll wrap up the college football season and start counting down the days until Spring Training!

It's The Holiday Season

11.30.07: Happy Holidays everybody! Hopefully you all are having a terrific holiday season and that Santa treats you well. It's been busy around here the last week or two, so let's get to it!

- For those wondering, I have not backed out of my bet with our General Manager Pat Day. I promise that as soon as he brings his Red Sox jersey to the office, I will pose in it and post it here for all to mock me. As far as the World Series, well that didn't quite go how I had hoped. I really believe that the better team won, but you will never convince me that the eight day layoff didn't hurt Colorado. Oh well, at least they got that far and the future looks very bright for my Rockies.

- If you didn't see this article in the LSJ earlier this week about Travis Snider, I highly recommend it. Travis is a great kid and I am really looking forward to keeping tabs on his accension to Toronto. He will go down as one of the all-time great Lugnuts and our thoughts and prayers are with him. By the way, he had a very impressive stint in the Arizona fall league. You can see his stats here.

- Well the big news from Olds park this week was the dual announcement regarding the extension of the player development contract and the 2008 coaching staff. The extension of the player development contract was a no-brainer. The Blue Jays are an excellent partner for us and they also put a consistent, quality product on the field.

I am also looking forward to our new coaching staff. I have already spoken with new manager Clayton McCullough and he is genuinely excited about coming here. And I have heard nothing but great things about the guy as well.

I also spoke with Tom Signore and Bob Tarpey yesterday. They are both looking forward to another go in Lansing. Tom is especially excited about some of the younger guys in the system. Looking at the way the Blue Jays have drafted the last two years and with the signing of a few quality players from Latin America, I'm excited too.

- I have to add a quick plug about our team store, Nuts and Bolts. It has temporarily moved to Eastwood Towne Center. Jeff Jaworski, Matt Hicks, Matt Anderson, and Brandon Weingartz did a heck of a job with the store. It looks superb! Go check it out if you get a chance.

That's about it in Lugnut land right now. I'm off to the Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville this week for a marketing summit. I can't wait! I will get to be around Waffle Houses and sweet tea for a few days to hold me over until I go back to Alabama for Christmas. Hopefully I'll get to hear some good trade rumors while I'm there too!

World Series Predictions

10.23.07: Hey everybody! It's good to be back with an update since the season ended. I hope that everyone has enjoyed the last month and a half. First a couple of housekeeping things:

- If you have seen it yet, the 2008 schedule is out with promotional dates. My initial thought on the schedule are that I like how we are playing the Eastern Division teams more. I think it makes for more interesting baseball, especially as the season gets closer to playoff time. It will really help build up some rivalries.

- Also, the second annual Crosstown Showdown presented by Auto-Owners Insurance is set for April 24th. Last year's game was a classic, and this year should be just as good. Check out the details here.

OK, on to the Major League playoffs. I have to preface this section with the revelation that I am a longtime Colorado Rockies fan and that this will be somewhat biased. I have attended over 150 Rockies games and still have a picture of Coors Field in my broadcast booth and in my apartment, so this has been an amazing October for me.

Let's start with those Rockies. What a run! 21-of-22 is just a staggering number. I remember in 2006 that Jacksonville (AA-Southern League) won 24-of-25, but to rip off this kind of a streak when EVERY game mattered is just astonishing. The play-in game with San Diego was one of the best that I have seen in a long time, and no, Matt Holliday did not touch the plate. Sometimes when things are going right, the breaks go your way too. Either way, this team is very solid. We'll do a head-to-head breakdown against the Sox in a few paragraphs.

Outside of the Red Sox - Indians series, the playoffs have been pretty pedestrian so far. Every other series has lacked drama. You have to tip your cap to the Red Sox for their comeback, but you've also got to wonder how many times that they can play with fire by falling behind so far in a series. Sooner or later, that will bite them. On the other side, if Josh Beckett isn't the best big game pitcher in baseball right now, I don't know who is. He has been unbelievable. He dominated Games 1 and 5 and single handedly gave the Red Sox a chance. I guarantee that if he hadn't pitched Game 5, the Sox would have lost the series. You also have to admire Terry Francona for not panicking when some thought that he should start Beckett on short rest in Game 4. That's a great example of outsiders trying to second guess the head guy before anything actually happened.

On a side note, does anyone besides me think that Boston is becoming the new Yankees? They spend tons of money, are gettting old (outside of the terrific Jacoby Ellsbury), and seem obsessed with the Yankees. I really feel that this could hurt them, kind of like the drop-off in 2003 when the Yankees won a terrific ALCS, only to get beat by a talented and young Marlins team.

So now we have a World Series that features the new superpower in Boston against the new Blake Street Bombers in Colorado. Here's my unofficial tale of the tape:

Offense: Boston
Top to bottom, both of these teams can hit. During the regular season, Colorado finished with the 5th best batting average in the majors (.280) while Boston finished 6th (.279). However, during the playoffs, Boston is hitting 62 points higher than the Rockies (.304 to .242) and is averaging nearly three more runs per game. Colorado has struggled and has simply come up with the timely hit when needed.

Pitching: Colorado
Not only did the Rockies lead the NL in ERA during the second half, they lead everyone in the post-season with a razor-thin 2.06 ERA. The Red Sox are 3rd with a 3.60, but this edge goes far beyond numbers. The starting pitching staffs are pretty comparable. Beckett and Jeff Francis can each shut down their opponent. After that, there isn't a lock anywhere for either team.

However, the Rockies have a HUGE advantage in the bullpen. If Colorado can take a lead into the 7th inning, you really have to like their chances with the Matt Herges / Latroy Hawkins- Brian Fuentes - Manny Corpas combo. Their ability to shorten a game can be a major assett as the series goes on. Boston only has two reliable arms out of the pen in Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon.

Defense: Colorado
It's not even up for debate. The Rockies set a big league record for fielding percentage this year and have won at least two games in the playoffs thanks to defense.

The big problem for Boston comes during games 3, 4, and 5 in Coors Field. Where does David Ortiz play? He's not very good in the field and Kevin Youkilis is hitting the ball very well right now. But you also cannot take Ortiz out of the lineup. Watching how Francona manages this will be interesting and vital to the series.

Prediction: Colorado in six
While I do think the layoff will hurt the Rockies, I'm not putting anything past them. Many people missed a good team take care of business by not watching the NLCS. Also, this team will not be intimidated. Remember, the Rockies swept the Yankees this season and took 2-of-3 at Fenway Park from the Red Sox.

Ultimately I think that this series will come down to who makes the fewest mistakes. The Rockies have a much better defense, and if they can steal one game in Boston, they will take the title.

By the way, the Lugnuts General Manager Pat Day is a big Red Sox fan (he grew up in Massachussetts). So he and I have made a wager. The loser has to take a picture in the winning team's jersey and have said picture posted on this blog.

Stay tuned!

- BT

Another Season in the Books

9.11.07: First and foremost, with today being the 6th anniversary of 9/11, please take a minute and tell someone that you love them. Life is short and you never know what will happen.

Now on to baseball. Sorry it took me a while to get to this, but I took a mini-vacation right when the season ended last week. Obviously the playoff run didn't quite go how everyone hoped or expected. The Lugnuts were the hottest team in the league heading into the first round and the Labor Day Weekend sweep of West Michigan sure bode well for Lansing. However I really believe that the day off before the playoffs hurt this team. When you are rolling like that, the last thing you want is something to break that rhythm. And it just so happened that the Lugnuts played a rough game one, which put them in an insurmountable hole. So instead of dwelling on the playoffs, lets take a retrospective look at the entire year.

- It shouldn't be forgotten that this is the winningest club in team history with 78 victories. That's a pretty stout accomplishment. It also shouldn't be overlooked that this club put together the two longest win streaks ever by a Lugnuts team too (10 and 8).

- Travis Snider was everything that he was billed to be. He will be a star in the show one day, and probably sooner rather than later.

- I really enjoyed watching the middle infield this year. Jonathan Diaz has a heck of a glove and Scott Campbell really turned into a solid player as a defender and a leadoff hitter.

- Lots of power! The system isn't lacking power, but Toronto needs a few more high-average guys in the lower levels. But man, was BP fun to watch this year!

- The pitching talent is there, but it's still a bit raw. Once many of the guys realize that they can't overpower hitters like in college, they will start to take off. However, I was very impressed with Ben Harrison and Ray Gonzalez as the year progressed. The way that they attacked hitters and limited walks was what made them so effective. Plus, we always love quick workers on the mound!

That's about it for now. Keep checking back because I will be periodically updating this throughout the off-season. Thanks for all of your support this season and GO NUTS!

Playoffs? You Talkin' About Playoffs?

8.23.07: Well for those of you that are curious, I do still keep entries here occassionally. It's been a hectic month with a lot of travel and stuff going on around the ballpark, so this is one of the first chances that I have found to write a few thoughts down.

- We are in the final two weeks of the regular season now and it appears a safe bet that the Lugnuts will make their ninth playoff appearance. Most likely Lansing will play the Whitecaps, setting up an intriguing matchup. The disdain between those two teams doesn't have to be stated. However I do find it interesting that they play each other for the final three games of the season. The question then becomes, how does that series possibly effect the playoff series? It may not mean anything, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some intense ball during the final weekend. Of course that could all change is South Bend happens to catch Lansing, which would then pit the Lugnuts against Dayton. Either way, I think the Lugnuts are in for a full three-game series.

- It's very nice to see Brian Pettway back and slugging away. He's truly one of the good guys in baseball and he also worked extremely hard on getting back. By the way, the two homers he has hit in South Bend were both no doubters.

- I would be remissed if I didn't mention Juan Francisco's performance the other night in Dayton. If you happened to miss it, here's the boxscore. Yes you read that right, he hit three homers off of three different pitchers. What the box doesn't tell you is that all of the homers were on first pitches, each pitch was different (change-up, fastball, slider), and two of them were hit to the opposite field. Yeah, the kid has power.

- I've received a lot of questions over the season about how different transaction rules work in the baseball. Well why trying to find some answers on a few things, I ran across this site. It explains many of the every day baseball terminoligy that can be confusing. Enjoy!

- There's one other person I have to mention in this space. If you've listened to our broadcasts over the last two years, you've heard the
name Larry. Well he's our longtime motorcoach operator (or bus driver). Larry and I have actually become pretty good friends since we spend
so much time together, and I have to tell you that sometimes I wouldn't make it on the road without him. He keeps me laughing (sometimes with some very bad jokes) and really looks out for me. So here's
thanks to you Larry. The eight day trips wouldn't be the same without
you. For all who have ever wondered what he looks like, here you go! (Trust me, he's not as grumpy as he looks.)

I hope that everyone is doing well and I'll catch you for a playoff preview!

- BT

Is This Heaven? Nope, Definitely Iowa

7.27.07: Hey everyone!  Well I purposely kept this entry until late in the road trip because I knew some interesting things were going to happen and I wanted to share it all at once. Plus, we have another question to answer today!  Let’s get to it.

After an off day Wednesday, it was on to Clinton……..and that’s about it.  It’s been a relatively mundane series so far, but the crowds here this weekend have been much better than they were last year.  I did have the chance earlier today to head to Dyersville, Iowa and see the “Field of Dreams” (yes, the same cornfield where they filmed the movie).  Overall it was a pretty interesting place and it was awesome to see a lot of families out there having fun together.  I even got to take a few hacks at the plate and toss some BP, but we won’t talk about how poorly that went.

Housekeeping

7.12.07: Well it's been a while again, but after a couple of days away I thought that it was time to put some new thoughts up on the first two plus weeks of the second half. Also, I have an interesting question to answer today as well! Let's get to business:

- Travis Snider's performance last Saturday where he went 5-for-5 with the cycle was one of the best individual efforts that I have ever witnessed at any level of baseball. I have been fortunate enough to see a perfect game at the college level, a cycle at the Big League level, and many walk-off hits or thrilling comebacks. But what he did at Fort Wayne was nothing short of spectacular. After having time to think about the entire night, here's what really jumps out at me: he used every field!

Think about this....most players, especially young, developing ones, tend to have their best nights when they are pulling the ball. However Travis only pulled one of his hits (the homer) and even tripled to left field! I talked with Charles Poe the next day and we were both marvelling about that one. And the best thing that non one saw was how humble he was about it. I saw him after the game and talked with him, and he was very appreciative about the kudos from everyone and even mentioned that our bus driver gave him a hug too. Very cool.

- It was officially announced today that Adrian Martin finally got a well deserved promotion to Dunedin. I knew about this after the game on Monday and said goodbye to one of the best guys that I have ever had the pleasure to be around in baseball. Don't get me wrong, in my two years here I haven't met a single person that I don't get along with. But Adrian and I always talked about the game and he quickly became my "go to" guy for an interview. Congratulations to him and here's to hoping that his great season continues in the humidity of Florida.

- The win over Fort Wayne Monday gave the Lugnuts consecutive series wins for the first time since the 10-game winning streak in April! To put this into perspective, the Lugnuts won their first three series of the year. Since then, they played 18 different series between consecutive series wins.

Finally I had a question come to me from Patrick. He asks: What's your favorite Midwest League city (outside of Lansing, of course) and what do you like about it?

Ok, this is a much more complex question than it seems. I like to judge cities on three criteria: things to do, food close to the hotel, and the hotel itself. So using each one of these criteria, here are my top three for each category.

Things to do:
1) Quad Cities: Lots of fun stuff to check out in the city with a lively downtown area near the ballpark. Plus, two of my good friends happen to live near there.
2) Burlington: There's not much near the hotel, but the beauty of Burlington is that you don't have to leave the hotel! There's an arcade, a sports bar, go-karts, a bowling alley, laser tag, and a water park at the hotel site!
3) Cedar Rapids: Really a pretty cool downtown area near the hotel with music playing in a lot of places.

Food Near the Hotel:
1) South Bend: The selection here isn't as great as other places, but my favorite restaurant in the league is here. It's a very small Japanese restaurant that I go to at least twice every trip. The breakfast place next door to it should be mentioned too.
2) Dayton: Everything that you could ever want is within a half-mile from the hotel. Plus, if I'm willing to pay a cab fare, this is the only place in the league that I can find a little something from home, Waffle House! (You can take the boy out of the South, but you can't take the Waffle House out of the boy.)
3) Wisconsin: Love going here. The hotel is next to a mall, so there are tons of choices there along with plenty of other stand-alone restaurants.

Hotel Itself:
1) Burlington: As I said earlier, it's a virtual wonderland. Plus, I can walk to the ballpark from there if I choose to.
2) West Michigan : OK, so we have only stayed there twice, but the hotel there is great and the beds very well might be the most comfortable around. I would seriously buy one for myself if I could.
3) Fort Wayne and Kane County: Really big rooms. That will rank you up there really quickly.

Until next time!
- BT

New Beginnings

6.22.07: Welcome to the second half Lugnut fans! It's amazing to think that we've already been through 70 games this season. This has definately seemed like one of the fastest seasons that I have ever been a part of in baseball. Here are a few thoughts regarding the first-half, the All-Star Game, and more:

- The Lugnuts just missed the playoffs, finishing third in the division. However, Lansing had plenty of opportunities to make the first-half cut. The Lugnuts at one point were 10-games over .500, but stumbled to a 35-34 record in the half. During the last week of the half, Lansing needed to make up 2 1/2 games on West Michigan. The Whitecaps helped out by losing seven straight, but the Lugnuts could not take advantage of the slide and thus missed out. Don't get me wrong, Lansing ran into some very good pitching in that stretch (see Clayton Kershaw), but the Lugnuts cannot point the finger at anyone but themselves. They should however get credit for playing extremely hard down the stretch, especially in those consecutive doubleheaders in Fort Wayne. It just wasn't meant to be in the first half.

- The four Lugnuts that were able to participate in the All-Star Game did very well. Here is a link the boxscore from the game. Congratulations to all of them for their accomplishments.

- I truly believe that we have just seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Travis Snider. Yes, he has hit the ball at a high average all season, but his power numbers have lacked compared to last year's. However his titanic blast last night could be just a warning shot to the rest of the Midwest League. I would not be surprised to see him hit 10 or more homers in this half alone and really make a run at the MVP award.

- The second half has begun, and the race for the playoffs should be very interesting in the East. Great Lakes will be MUCH better this half, and I think that South Bend has a real chance to be good, especially if they can get some pitching to go with all of those bats.

Until next time, take care everyone!

- BT

Baseball, Belmont, and Buddies

6.9.07: What a gorgeous Saturday everyone! I wish that I could take a snapshot of this day at Oldsmobile Park and replicate it for the rest of the season. But since that is impossible, let's talk about a few things and answer a question as well.

First of the baseball side of things. The three game losing streak earlier this week severely hurt the Lugnuts, however a win today coupled with a West Michigan loss tonight (they have already taken game one of a doubleheader today) means that Lugnuts will only trail by two games in the race for the playoffs with one week to go. However, winning tonight has almost become a must for the Lugnuts with the Whitecaps taking game one today.

The series this past week in Dayton was one of the best that I can ever remember seeing in my time working in Minor League Baseball. It was played with good pitching, timely hitting, lead changes, and every game came down to the final outs. It's not often that players comment on how good a series was, but that was the talk from some of the guys after it ended and they had time to reflect. Hopefully that intensity between the two teams will carry over to Monday and Tuesday in Lansing.

On a side note, today is the running of the Belmont Stakes. I love the Triple Crown, and even though no one can win it this year, I still enocurage everyone to watch the race. It may not have the fanfare of the Derby, but to me it is the best race of the three because of the distance that the horses have to run. Plus, fewer horses tend to run in this event, so it becomes not only a test of endurance, but a testament to how good the trainers are as well.

Before I go, I wanted to take the time to answer a question that came in from Hilary.

When my friend and I, always go to the home games we always notice little Owen, who wears a number 9 jersey just like Sean Shoffit, warming up and walking around with the team. Does he have any relation to Sean, or anyone else on the team?

This is actually a really funny story. Owen is a local kid that has zero relation to anyone on the team. As the story goes, before a game last year Owen was searching for autographs and such around the dugout. One of the players then noticed that he struck a resemblance to Cory Patton, an outfielder on last year's team. So after Cory was promoted, Owen was invited onto the field to take his place in warm-ups and during the anthem. Needless to say, many of the players got know Owen and since then he has basically been like an extra man at home during warm-ups. He is actually a really cool kid and loves the Lugnuts and always comes dressed in full uniform. So earlier in the season, Charles Poe had a number and his name sewn on the back of his jersey.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

- BT

And Down the Stretch They Come
(In the First Half Anyway)

6.4.07: Good evening Lugnuts fans. As I am writing this, the Yankees and Red Sox are in a barnburner on TV so if some things seem a little incoherent, I apologize. (By the way, A-Rod just homered in the top of the ninth. NY 6, BOS 5.)

Now on to some other topics. This entry will touch on a little of everything, so let's get to it.

- The Lugnuts win today tightened the first half race even further. The Dragons, who started 23-4, now only lead the East by four games with two weeks to go. Dayton still has 14 games to go, including four with Lansing and eight with West Michigan. The Whitecaps and Lugnuts are in a virtual tie for second place, so it appears as is the race will come down to the final weekend for the two playoff spots. Each team still has 15 games left, but the Lugnuts have the easier road playing just four games against a team with a winning record. All four of those are against Dayton.

A lot could be determined this week. Dayton is in the midst of playing 11 straight against the Whitecaps and Lugnuts, but only two are on the road (each at Olds Park next week.) If the Dragons take four from West Michigan, the Whitecaps will have a lot of ground to make up in just one week. However, if the Whitecaps win that series, it will be a true three horse race for the two playoff spots. Don't count out the Lugnuts yet for the division crown in this half. If Lansing takes one more from Dayton in this series, they will only trail by four games, but if the Lugnuts pull off the sweep, Lansing will trail by only two games. Stay tuned!

(David Ortiz just flew out to the track. One out in the bottom of the ninth.)

- It's good to see Matt Lane heating up. Right now, I'm not sure of anyone else that I would want up in a tight spot. He's driven in 12 runs in the last nine games while going 17-for-36 in that span. He's also a really good guy and is pretty funny too. Having him in the lineup as a left-handed bat to protect Travis Snider could be a dangerous combination if he continues to hit like this.

- Yuber Rodriguez has raised his average nearly 100 points in the last three weeks. But that's not even his best statistic. On Saturday night, Yuber hit his sixth homer of the season. That ties his combined total from his last two years in a Lugnuts uniform.

(Manny Ramirez struck out. Two down.)

- The more that I see Adrian Martin, the more I like watching him pitch. I'm not sure if there has been a more valuable pitcher this season for Lansing. Sure, Seth Overbey didn't allow a run in his time here, but Martin has been asked to come in and throw long innings as a reliever, start games, and hold slim leads and every time he has answered the call. Having a guy like that in the bullpen is a necessity because of the length and rigors of the season.

(Mike Lowell strikes out. Yanks win 6-5. Good Game.)

- One non-baseball topic. I had the opportunity to go to my favorite restaurant in the world: the Waffle House. I have yet to find one since I moved here from Alabama, but there happens to be one about two miles from our hotel in Dayton. A couple of our booster club members were nice enough to take me this morning. I'm telling you, you haven't lived until you've ordered hashbrowns scattered, covered, capped, and chunked. It's little things like this that make your day.

Hopefully y'all have a terrific week and I'll check in again soon!

- BT

The Long Road Home

5.24.07: Good afternoon everyone from cloudy downtown Peoria. Well the road trip is on its final day and regardless of the outcome tonight it can be classified as successful. Any time that a team goes on the road for two series or more and comes back with a winning record is terrific. The winning trip has also put the Lugnuts back in the playoff picture with West Michigan and Dayton, which means the nine game stretch beginning Tuesday with those two teams could ultimately decide the first half in the East.

Our time in Peoria has been pretty good. Our bus driver Larry is an 11 year veteran of the league, so needless to say we were treated to a couple of good eating establishments around town that are off of the beaten path. One thing that I have learned in two years: if you need to know where something is on the road, find Larry.

A couple of quick baseball thoughts from this series before I go:

- Yuber Rodriguez is swinging the bat better than I ever seen him do so in his time here. Maybe its just a hot stretch, but Yuber has shown flashes of what Toronto has been waiting for. He has limitless tools, and if he can put them all together consistently he can move quickly.

- For all of those wondering about Travis Snider over the last couple of days, he is fine. He just bruised his thumb when he was jammed by a pitch the other day in Wisconsin. He will be back in the lineup and tearing up the league in no time.

- I'm always amazed by the resilency of players. Both Lansing and Great Lakes have to make the trip back from the Western Division following a night game. We will not return to Olds Park until about 5 a.m. on Friday morning, and then the guys have to turn around and play a game that night. And believe me, sleeping on a bus is easier said than done.

Hope that you all have had a great week and join us at the park Friday and Saturday as the race for the playoffs begins.

- BT

Sconny and Superstitions

5.19.07: Hello from Wisconsin! We are on day three of the current road trip, so I thought that I would take a few minutes to let you know what's been going on and answer a question from a reader.

We arrived here on Thursday after what seemed to be a longer than usual bus ride (mostly thanks to Chicago traffic). On the way here, we saw a rare thing around the these parts...a herd of Buffalo! For some of the guys, it marked the first time that they had seen the beautiful animal. It was really fun to see their reactions and faces. Really little unexpected things like that help break up the monotany of a routine bus ride.

Yesterday was one a the best days in baseball for yours truly. First, I had the chance to call my first near no-hitter, as the Lugnuts one-hit the Rattlers. Then I had the opportunity to see Miller Park for the first time and was afforded the opportunity to see some backstage highlights. Needless to say, it was spectacular. The Brewers did an awesome job with the ballpark and the fans were great (many of them tailgaited before AND after the game). I suggest the trip for any baseball fan if you get the chance.

Speaking of yesterday's one-hitter, Nate Starner was stunning in his outing. His curve was outstanding and his change-up was getting over for first pitch strikes, which makes him very dangerous. It was good to see him have a start like that after struggling over the last month. By the way, he has fanned 19 batters in his last 11 innings.

Let's answer one question real quick before I leave. It comes from Kerry Provenzano who asks:

Do you know of or have you noticed any of the guys doing things that seem to be superstitious or ritual?

As I'm sure many of you know, baseball is filled with superstitions and rituals. Perhaps the most famous player to have the craziest set of superstitions is Wade Boggs. According to Wikipedia, "Wade Boggs was known for his superstitions as much as his hitting. He ate chicken before every game (Jim Rice once called Boggs "chicken man"), woke up at the same time every day, took exactly 150 ground balls in practice, took batting practice at 5:17 and ran sprints at 7:17. His route to and from his position in the field beat a path to the home dugout. He drew the Hebrew word "Chai", meaning "life", in the batter's box before each at-bat, though he is not Jewish."

Lansing has a few players who have small rituals as well. Travis Snider adjusts each batting gloves before every at-bat. Josh Bell prefers to drink coffee before every game. Joey Metropoulos has a set routine when he steps into the batters box which ends with him hitting his back cleat with the bat.

However the most interesting rituals on the Lugnuts roster come from pitching coach Tom Signore. While playing in the Brewers system, Tom had a specific routine before every start. The day started with reading a passage from the Bible. Following that, Tom would take his vitamins before shaving, brushing his teeth, and showering (all in that order). After that, it was time for breakfast which consisted of two yogurts and a granola bar. Tom then arrived at the ballpark exactly 90 minutes before the game, where he would have his right arm massaged. Then at 6:33, Tom began his throwing and stretching. Exactly 12 minutes before gametime, Tom started throwing in the bullpen with an exact routine. By the way, 6+3+3 equals 12, which is the date that his father was born on (January 12), so thus the connection with the number 12.

Hope that y'all have a terrific weekend and that the Lugnuts can take two more here in the land of cheese. I'll catch up with you again from Peoria.

- BT

Long Time No Blog

5.14.07: Hello everyone! So I know that it has been a while since I have made an entry, and I sincerely apologize for that. Needless to say, it's been a busy couple of weeks. When I last left you the Lugnuts were finishing a three game winning streak. My how things have changed. Lansing is 3-10 this month and today marks the first time all season that the Lugnuts have not been in at least second place.

I keep getting the question of what happened to make this team suffer such a drastic change of course. The short answer is that they are young and that they will go through spots like this during the season. But a few things are really standing out over the last two weeks:

- The Lugnuts are committing a lot of errors. Lansing has the fourth worst fielding percentage in the league at .960, but what is even more troublesome is that the team is averaging 1.6 errors per game. If a team gives the oppostion too many extra outs, only bad things can happen.

- The starting pitching has really struggled during this stretch. Lansing relied heavily on quality starts from its starters during the scorching April start, but with the exception of a few outings, the staff has struggled to get past the fifth. That tends to overwork the bullpen and really hurts during a long stretch like the 20 gamer we are ending this week.

- The timely hitting has disappeared. Early in the season (and we still are early), the Lugnuts received a lot of key 2-out hits with men in scoring position. Those have vanished, as the Lugnuts are hitting just .197 with men in scoring position and 2-outs. Opponents however are hitting .282 in that situation against Lansing.

I do believe that the team will emerge from the funk and fight for a playoff spot. The last series of the first half could prove to be huge. Lansing will play five games in three days against Fort Wayne, and as it sits now, the Wizards, Whitecaps, and Lugnuts are all battling for that second playoff spot. Don't forget, Lansing has room to make up ground with three games in hand due to make-ups.

I hope that you all have been doing well. The crowds last week at Olds Park were amazing!!! Keep supporting this team because they will be fighting until the end for the playoffs. Hope to see you all at the park soon and GO NUTS!

- BT

Hot Days, Hotter Hitting

5.1.07: Happy Mayday all! Hopefully your week is starting off as well as our's out here in Burlington. Last night's win was the first time that the Lugnuts have won here since May 10, 2005. Lansing had lost seven straight at Community Field.

It's pretty warm here in southeastern Iowa. Apparently it was 87 degrees during batting practice, and I can tell you that this guy is glad to have the warm weather back. You can definately tell a difference between the players' approach now compared to earlier in the season when it was cold. Hitters look a lot more comfortable at the plate, which is a direct correllary to the amount of runs being put on the board. The Lugnuts are now second in the league in longballs with 15.

Here are a few quick thoughts before I go for the day:

- I've said it already in this space, but it bears repeating: Travis Snider can flat out hit. He is riding a seven game hitting streak and is 13-for-21 on the road trip and is now hitting .405 on the season. Also, he was just named the Midwest League Offensive Player of the Week by Minor League Baseball. Congratulations Travis.

- The win on Sunday was very big for this team. It seemed that they were a little down following the four game slide, but for them to come back late after losing a lead was a big lift. Josh Bell's pinch-hit homer seems like it has broken him out of his slump, and it may have done the same for the team as well.

Hope everyone has a great day!

- BT

Baseball, Food, Hotels, and More

4.29.07: Good Sunday afternoon to everyone! I hope that your weekend has been better than ours out here in Cedar Rapids. Needless to say, it's been a tough trip so far, capped off by an eight error game last night. Hopefully things will get back on track today.

Here a few thoughts before we start the final game of this series:

- Travis Snider continues to impress. He is raking at the plate right now, hitting the ball to all fields. But what's more impressive is that he is starting to play better defense. He made a heck of diving catch a few days ago and has shown a pretty good arm in right as well.

- It seems like a lot of the guys are pressing at the plate right now. That tends to happen when a team loses a few in a row, but they aren't waiting on as many quality pitches as they were a few weeks ago. Also, those big hits that came during the ten game winning streak just aren't there right now either. The one thing that you always have to remember though is that it is a 140 game season, so these peaks and valleys happen. After all, it's a pretty nice luxury to lose four straight and still be 12-6.

- Downtown Cedar Rapids was a happening place last nice. I had the chance to go out to dinner with a few of our booster club members who made the trip (that's dedication by the way). Needless to say, downtown was bustling with activity and the restaurants were pretty full. Oh yeah, if you're ever here, I recommend the C.R. Chophouse. Make sure you get the sandwich with wild mushrooms and red wine sauce. Very good!!!

- We head to my favorite hotel in the league tonight after the game (besides the Holday Inn South of course). Burlington's hotel has limitless entertainment and a very good restaurant inside as well. Inside the hotel alone, you can: go bowling, play laser tag, play a round of virtual golf, ride go-karts, shoot pool, play video games in a huge arcade, or hit the water park out back. There's really only one problem with the virtual golf; I play worse on that than I do real life, and that's BAAAAAAAAAAD!

Hope that you all enjoy the remainder of your weeknd. Make sure to get your tickets now for the big homestand that starts Friday!!!!!

- BT

On the Road Again

4.27.07: Well since we are in Cedar Rapids, I don't think that I can resist this link. We are actually only about 45 minutes from the "Field of Dreams," so it seemed appropriate. Now onto the Lugnuts.

We got rained out yesterday, but I think that it may help the team tonight. It's tough to play a game after travelling all day on a bus, so the night off was a pretty welcome respite. Plus with the way that Zach Dials and Nate Starner have been throwing the ball, these seven inning games could really work in Lansing's favor with two good performances. It should also help keep the bullpen rested for the rest of the road trip.

Since there isn't a whole lot of Lugnuts news to talk about within the last two days, I thought I would post a link to this story about former Lugnut Chip Cannon. He has struggled early this year, but came through twice in the clutch yesterday for New Hampshire.

I hope that everyone enjoys their weekend. I will be back soon with an update from Kernel-land.

- BT

Wrapping Up the Homestand

4.24.07: Hey everyone. Well its been a while since I've had an opportunity to get back with you, so let's get caught up. Needless to say, it's been a little busy lately :)

First, no matter what happens tonight, you absolutely have to consider this as nothing short of a great homestand for the Lugnuts. With a win, the Lugnuts will finish the stretch 9-1 and will head on the road at 11 games ABOVE .500. By the way, tonight is just game 15 of the season! As many of you know, this is the best start that Lugnuts have ever gotten off to, eclipsing last year's team. What's the difference? This team, like last year's, has great pitching and is getting timely hitting, but the difference seems to be the depth in the batting order. Last season the Lugnuts led the league in homers, but there were really only a handful of guys that provided power. This season Lansing seams to have a more balanced lineup with options. For example, Scott Campbell can hit in the 1, 2, 6, 7, or 8 spots in the lineup and be very effective. The same can be said for guys like Sean Shoffit and Chris Emanuele. So basically, the Lugnuts have the ability to match-up every day against the opposing starter without sacrificing anything. Plus, the 3-4-5 punch of Snider, Pettway, and Bell has to be one of the most feared stretches in the league to go through.

Speaking of Snider and Pettway, the start that they have gotten off to has really been fun to watch. Snider is the real deal. He possesses undeniable power (even though he only has one homer) and is faster around the bases than people might give him credit for. Watching his growth this season and the way that he battles back from slumps is something special. After his 0-for-13 stretch last week, he went on a tear and hasn't stopped since.

Pettway has really become more patient at the plate this season. It seems as if he is waiting on his pitch more and making hurlers pay for mistakes. I would be surprised if he is here past the All-Star Break with the way he is swinging the bat. If there is someone who deserves it right now, it's definately him.

That's all for today. Talk to you from the road this week!

- BT

Homestand Thoughts

4.18.07: Hey everyone. It's been a few days since I last checked in. A lot has happened over the last few days, as the Lugnuts continued to stay hot and they have won six straight. The pitching has really carried Lansing over the first two weeks of the season, with the lone exception being last night's game where the Lugnuts bats came alive in a 7-6 win. Either way, the pitching staff has been PHENOMINAL so far. It's very reminiscent of last year's start where the pitching was consistently great.

I really like the way the that Gary Cathcart is using his bench. There hasn't been one consistent lineup this season, which puts guys in different positions and situations in the batters box. That could really pay off later in the year. It also has to be a luxury for him to have 2-3 guys that can legitimately close a game. Paul Phillips, Seth Overbey, and Edward Rodriguez can all be brought in to finish off a team if needed.

I wanted to answer a couple of questions real quick before I ended today's entry. They both come Shawn who asks:

Do you have a list of Lugnuts alumni currently in the big leagues and how is Josh Bell adjusting to third base? Will the Blue Jays ever move him back to catcher?

Shawn, to your first question, I do not have a current list of Lugnuts in the Big Leagues, however I will start updating on former Nuts here every week starting today. Felix Pie made his Major League debut yesterday, going 1-for-6 in the Cubs loss to San Diego. Pie hit in the leadoff spot, taking Alfonso Soriano's place while he is on the DL. Here's a link to yesterday's boxscore.

As for Josh Bell, I think that they will keep him at third. He is playing adequately there right now, has a strong throwing arm, and it's a way to keep his bat in the lineup everyday and keep him fresh too. His season ended last year on a nasty collision at home that gave him a pretty severe concussion, so the move to third seemed logical. Plus, he played a little third base in college at Auburn University (War Eagle by the way!).

That'll do it for today. Let's hope the Lugs can make it lucky number seven tonight as they continue the homestand.

- BT

Dow Diamond A Gem

4.14.07: Hey everyone. Well one game is in history books at Dow Diamond, however I don't think the home fans were too excited about the outcome. It was a good night at the Diamond either way. This facility is very beautiful and feels bigger than it is in actuality. A rowdy 5,454 fans saw the opener, but the Lugnuts were able to take the crowd out of the game early. I expect more of the same enthusiasm tonight.

I do love the fire pits in the outfield berms for fans. You can actually stand around a fire, keep warm, and watch the game! Now someone was thinking when they decided on that. Today the grounds crew has added paint so that when the Loons walk from the on-deck circle to the plate, it looks like they are walking in the footsteps of a Loon. Pretty creative touch if you ask me.

How about the Lugnuts' pitching staff? They have terrific so far, allowing just eight runs in four games. Listen in today as pitching coach Tom Signore will join me for the pre-game show.

Thanks to everyone who is sending questions and comments on the air each night. Keep them coming because I enjoy answering your questions about the team to the best of my ability (which is sometimes severely limited I know.)

Enjoy your Saturday and join us this week at home as we play 10 straight games at Olds Park (and the weather is supposed to be good too!!!).

- BT

Sweet Home Olds

4.13.07: What a game last night for the home opener. On a cold, blustery evening in downtown Lansing, the baseball couldn't have been hotter. It had everything! Great pitching, big defensive plays, and of course the walk-off homer. It was great to see a game at home and its even better to see the forecast for next week's 10 game homestand. Kudos to all of you who came out and supported the Lugnuts through the cold, rain, and snow last night.

We get to do another home opener tonight, as we travel to Midland to take on the Loons. It will be the first time the Loons have ever played a game at Dow Diamond, so the atmosphere should be electric. I have been a part of one stadium opening before and it was one of the more amazing nights I have ever had at a ballpark.

It was the Biscuits first year in my hometown of Montgomery, Alabama in 2004, and I was on the staff as an intern. My basic reasoning for originally doing that internship was to be a part of somoething that I knew would be special since Montgomery hadn't had baseball in 24 years. Little did I know what would happen that night. There was standing room only at Riverwalk Stadium and the crowd was amazing during the entire game. A Blackhawk Helicopter landed on the field and delivered the mascot and game balls and a band played the national anthem in center field. All of that to go along with some major talent on the field. Names like Ricky Weeks, Prince Fielder, B.J. Upton, and Joey Gathright showed up in the boxscore the next morning.

I expect tonight to deliver much of the same at Dow Diamond, but hopefully the road team gets the win this time!

- BT

Another One Bites the Dust

4.11.07: Good afternoon everyone. Well our fourth straight home game had to be postponed because of the weather. However, if anyone has 30 pairs of skis, we could probably come up with some intriguing form of baseball to play. Don't feel too bad though. Every game in the league was postponed tonight due to the weather. I wonder when was the last time that happened.

I thought that it might be pretty fun to check back at last year's game time weather on April 11th. It was a 2-1 loss to the Dayton Dragons in Dayton, Ohio. The temperature: a balmy 72 degrees!

A quick thought on last night's game before I check out for the day. Nate Starner was outstanding last night and took a very hard luck loss. He really controlled the strike zone and has a devastating change-up that had batters out in front all night.

That's all for today. Here's a fun link to quench your baseball thirst for the day. It is the 10th inning of Game 6 during the 1986 World Series set to Nintendo's RBI Baseball (the Bill Buckner play). It even includes Vin Scully's call. If you have 10 minutes, check it out. It's really pretty cool. Stay warm everyone!

- BT

Finally, Baseball is Back!

4.10.07: Good afternoon Lugnuts fans! Well after several days of waiting out Mother Nature, we finally got a chance to get the season going yesterday. (Although there were some flurries during warm-ups.) It's pretty funny, the guys were itching to play and I felt the same itch to get back behind the mic. A few observations for you from yesterday's game while I am on the bus to West Michigan for game two.

1. Yuber Rodriguez had one of the most quiet, yet effective games that I've seen him play. Don't discount how big the three walks that he drew were in the game, as each directly led to at least one run, including the walk in the first that kept it alive for Brian Pettway's two-run single. Yuber looks much more comfortable this year and seems to have a quiet confidence about himself in and out of the clubhouse.

2. Brian Pettway came through as you would expect a veteran to do in his first action of 2007. He did a very nice job in the first of taking an outside pitch the other way and pulled a mistake for a double in the seventh. Listen in tonight as he will be our pre-game interview.

3. Much like last season, the Lugnuts bullpen is off to a good start. Even though it's just one game, they looked very sharp. Julio Pinto possesses a nasty 12-6 curve that could give hitters fits all season.

4. Jonathan Jaspe has a cannon behind the plate! He threw out a runner by four steps last night and also gunned down several MSU runners last week.

That's about it for today. The guys are finally getting to take batting practice and have a full day ahead of them today before the game tonight. One quick thing. If you get a chance, take a look at the box score from Fort Wayne yesterday. They nearly threw a perfect game against Great Lakes, coming two batters shy of the feat.

Tune in tonight on Oldies 92.1 as the guys try to go 2-0 on the road against the Whitecaps!

- BT

Ice, Ice Baby

4.6.07: Good afternoon from the frozen tundra of Oldsmobile Park! Well we tried our best, but the weather just wouldn't cooperate with us today. So tomorrow, in the words of Ernie Banks, "Let's play two!" I hope that everyone is staying warm on this cold day.

Since there's no Lugnuts baseball to talk about today, I thought we would venture off into my neck of the woods, or at least go close. For those of you who don't know, I hail from Montgomery, Alabama. One of the biggest events of the year back home in the South is The Masters, which got underway yesterday. I actually had the opportunity to go to the event in 2002 (one of Tiger's four wins). If you ever get the chance, GO!!!!! It's truly the most pristine place that I have ever been. It's like travelling into a world that shouldn't exist in the middle of a city. Everything is immaculate, the prices are very reasonable, and the crowd enthusiasm is absolutley amazing. I know that I will be tuned in on Sunday afternoon. By the way, I like Tiger to take his fifth jacket.

One other quick note before I head out for the day. If you had the chance to watch Daisuke Matsuzaka yesterday, consider yourself fortunate. He is going to be the ace of the Red Sox for a long time to come. I know that a lot of people want to compare him to Hideo Nomo, but there really is no comparison. Dice-K has two more pitches than Nomo and can throw all of them at any point for strikes. The rookie of the year race in AL should be great to watch with him, Delmon Young, and Elijah Dukes all battling it out.

Hope that everyone has a terrific Good Friday and we'll see you at the park tomorrow!

- BT

Opening Day Musings

4.5.07: Hey everyone! Welcome to my blog for the 2007 season. It's great to have baseball back and it's also great to be back for another year in Lansing. I truly loved it here last year and met many of our great fans during the course of the last 14 months. You guys have really made this Southern boy feel right at home, snow and all.

What a difference a day makes. Tuesday night was spectacular with the Crosstown Showdown presented by Auto-Owners Insurance. I can't remember a time when I've been in a ballpark where everyone was rooting for both teams, but there was still so much intensity in the air. I really want to thank everyone who came out to game or listened on the radio. It's an event that I hope will continue for sometime, because it was very fun, unique night for us and for baseball in the greater Lansing community.

Speaking of the Showdown, major kudos to the kids from Michigan State. They put up a valliant effort and were nearly able to come back and win. Coach Grewe really has something brewing on the banks of the Red Cedar and they have the potential to become a Big Ten power for years to come. The enthusiasm that is currently surrounding his program is contagious.

Unfortunately the weather took a bad turn on us last night, thus the Opening Night game tonight had to be cancelled. This is my fourth season working in Minor League Baseball, and there is nothing like Opening Night. All of the hard work that the staff puts in during the off-season comes into fruition that night, but we'll try to do it tomorrow and make it just as great as tonight would have been.

I will posting on this page throughout the season, so make sure that you check back frequently. Basically, this page will be dedicated to giving you an inside look at players, baseball, and life on the road. If you ever have any questions that you would like to be answered in this space, please feel free to e-mail me at btillery@lansinglugnuts.com. Just put BLOG as the subject of your e-mail and I will try to answer it here to the best of my ability.

Everyone have a great evening and stay warm!

- BT