THE FLYING TIGERS ... Lakeland dropped its sixth straight game on Saturday, falling 2-1 to Tampa. The Flying Tigers got seven strong innings from starter L.J. Gagnier who worked 7.0 innings holding the Yankees to three hits while striking out five. Justin Henry provided the lone offensive spark with a pair of hits, but left the game in the sixth after attempting to break up a double play. Lakeland is 17-22 in the second half and 46-58 overall. It was Lakeland’s 31st game of the season decided by one-run. Lakeland is ninth in the Florida State League with a .247 team batting average and also ninth with a 3.83 team ERA.
BREVARD COUNTY ... While the Manatees may be in second place in the North Division with a 24-14 record, they own the league’s best overall record at 64-38. Winners of the first half by 7-1/2 games over Daytona, Brevard County will be gunning for its 1000th franchise win this weekend as the club enters their series against Lakeland with 998 all-time wins. The Manatees sport the league’s second best team batting average at .263 while leading the league with a 2.74 team ERA. The also lead the league with 165 stolen bases, 33 more than the second place team. The Manatee pitching staff has combined for 17 shutouts, tops in the FSL.
THE SERIES .. These two clubs have met 11 times this season with the Manatees winning seven of those games. The most memorable game for Lakeland came on May 17 as Audy Ciriaco clubbed a walk-off grand slam to lift Lakeland to a 10-6 win. It was Ciriaco’s second homer of the game and the Lakeland shortstop finished with seven runs batted in.
ALL-TIME LAKELAND WINS? ... The Lakeland franchise was a charter member of the Florida State League in 1919 as the thenLakeland Highlanders and played in the FSL until 1926 before joining the Florida International League. Lakeland rejoined the FSL in 1953-55 as the Pilots, played one season as the Lakeland Giants in 1960 and the Lakeland Indians in 1962, before becoming a Detroit affiliate in 1963. Overall, the Lakeland franchise has won 3,664 games (entering this weekend) with 2,915 victories coming as a member of the Detroit organization.
YOUR EYES DID NOT DECEIVE YOU ... Fans paying close attention to Friday’s home game against Tampa may have thought their eyes were paying tricks on them while watching Yankee reliever Pat Venditte, who came on in relief in the seventh inning. Venditte, the only ambidexterous pitcher in professional baseball this season, faced ten batters pitching left-handed and then pitched right-handed to the other five he faced.
EVAN THE GREAT ... Brevard County pitcher Evan Anundsen wasted little time announcing his presence with authority this season tossing the league’s first no-hitter in 2009 in just his fourth start stifling Daytona with ten strikeouts on April 28. The 6’3” righty earned the FSL Pitcher of the Week honors for his effort and earned the award once again on June 22.
SPEAKING OF P.O.W.s ... In addition to the two FSL Pitcher of the Week honors mentioned for Evan Anundsen, Brevard County teammates Robert Wooten, Jeremy Jeffress, and Amaury Rivas have likewise garnered the FSL’s top weekly hurler award while third baseman Zelous Wheeler and outfielder Caleb Gindl picked up the league’s first two Player of the Week honors this season.
GAGNIER REMAINS IN FSL TOP FIVE ... L.J. Gagnier’s five strikeouts in his outing on Saturday put him over the century mark in strikeouts in 2009 and allowed him to remain in fifth place in the FSL with 104 strikeouts. He trails the league leader, Ft. Myers’s David Bromberg, by nine K’s. With his 104 punch-outs, he becomes the 29th Lakeland pitcher since 1978 to record triple digits in strikeouts in a single season. Jordan Tata (2005) and Rich Lacko (1987) share the team record with 134 strikeouts.
HEADING TO THE SERIES? ... Here’s a tip from the Manatees promotional schedule. If you wear your clothes backwards for Sunday’s 1:05 game, you’ll receive free admission. It’s Brevard County’s salute to the 1990’s band Kris Kross whose trademark was wearing baseball jersey tops backwards in concert. Also, if your name is Chris (or Christine, etc.) show your ID at the box office on Sunday for $2 off the admission price.
FLYING HIGH ... Adrian Casanova is 4x9 (.475) his last three games ... Chris White is 22x69 (.319) with 14 RBI since July 12 ... Jordan Newton is 27x85 (.318) with eight doubles, one triple, three home runs and 11 RBI since June 22 ... Josh Workman saw his five-game hit streak snapped on Friday and is now 7x24 (.292) his last six games ... Charlie Furbush, the FSL Pitcher of the Week for August 2, has allowed just one run on three hits and 14 strikeouts his last two starts.
ALUMNI REPORT ... DETROIT: Justin Verlander (2005) leads the American League with 180 strikeouts, tied for second with 12 wins and is eighth with a 3.29 ERA; Rick Porcello (2008) is second on the Detroit staff with 10 wins ... TOLEDO: Don Kelly (2003) is second in the International League with a .333 average; Jeff Frazier (2006) is seventh with a .304 mark; Wilkin Ramirez (2006-07) is third with 31 stolen bases ... ERIE: Brennan Boesch (2008) leads the Eastern League with 24 home runs and seven triples with ranking fourth with 74 RBI; Ryan Strieby (2008) is fourth with 17 home runs and eighth with a .305 average ... WEST MICHIGAN: Mark Sorenson, while now a Flying Tiger, still ranks fifth in the Midwest League with a 2.44 ERA. Gustavo Nunez (2008) is third with 39 stolen bases and fifth with 113 hits ... MISC: John Smoltz (1986) was designated for assignment by Boston.
FUTURE ALUMNI? ... WEST MICHIGAN: Brandon Douglas is second in the Midwest League with a .333 average; Billy Nowlin is sixth with a .311 mark; Brent Wyatt is third with 77 runs scored; Casey Crosby is second with 112 strikeouts and sixth with a 2.61 ERA; Tyler Stohr is tied for third with 17 saves ... ONEONTA: John Murrian leads the New York-Penn League with a .355 average; Rawley Bishop is tied for the lead with 31 RBI and 36 runs scored and is fifth with 53 hits; Michael Rocket is second with 57 hits; Kevin Faulk is second with eight saves; GCL TIGERS: Jordan Cruz is second in the GCL with five home runs, and third with 24 RBI and 13 doubles; Melvin Mercedes leads with 12 saves.
THE COMMANDER … Andy Barkett is in his second season with Lakeland with a 113-128 record (67-70 in year one). In his rookie season as manager, he led Oneonta to a 44-32 record in the New York-Penn League in 2007.
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Views expressed in “Mission Notes” are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Lakeland Flying Tigers.
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