THE SERIES ... After playing all their games so far in the North Division, Lakeland now ventures into the South Division to take on the Charlotte Stone Crabs, a Tampa Bay Rays affiliate, in a four-games series April 28-May 1. The series opener is Sunday, April 28 at 5:30 p.m. with the final three games April 29-May 1 getting underway at 6:30 p.m. All games will be livestreamed on the Stone Crabs website.
THE FLYING TIGERS (8-14, 6th Place: North, 7.0 GB) ... Lakeland downed Daytona 5-1 on Saturday to split a three-game series as the Cubs took games one and two. With the win, the Flying Tigers have won four of their last six, but remained in sixth place in the North Division, 7.0 games out of first place. In Saturday’s game, Eugenio Suarez and Jeff McVaney each homered as the club hit two homers in a game for just the second time this season. The Flying Tigers rank eighth with a .246 team batting average and have scored the fourth fewest runs (77) of any league team while hitting the second fewest homers (8) of any FSL line-up. The pitching staff has the fourth lowest ERA (3.38)in the Florida State League. Lakeland is 4-7 on the road in 2013.
THE STONE CRABS (8-14, 4th Place: South, 11.0 GB) ... Charlotte was swept in three games by Fort Myers and have lost five of its last six games. Three of the losses were by one run and a fourth by two runs. Ryan Carpenter ranks fourth in the Florida State League with a 1.96 ERA to go with a 2-1 record and leads the FSL with 28 strikeouts. Alejandro Segovia is tied with two others for second in the league with five home runs and is second with a .612 slugging percentage. Taylor Motter is tied for second with eight stolen bases. The Stone Crabs have the league’s third lowest team batting average (.239) and have scored the second fewest runs (70) in the league. Charlotte also has the third highest staff earned run average (4.25) of any FSL staff. The Stone Crabs are 5-6 at home.
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS
4/25 - RHP Wilsen Palacias (1-2, 3.86 ERA) ... picked up his first win in his last start on 4/22 against Clearwater tossing 6.0 innings of shutout ball, allowing four hits while striking out seven and walking one ... has struck out 12 in his last two starts (each 6.0 innings) ... is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two home starts and 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in two road starts ... of his nine runs allowed this season, four runs came in the first inning and five in the third ... lefties are hitting .348 with righties batting .254.
4/26 - LHP Kyle Ryan (2-1, 3.51 ERA) ... picked up the win in his last start on 4/23 against Clearwater ... allowed two runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and no walks in 6.0 innings ... had tossed eight shutout innings and allowed one hit in a no-decision versus Dunedin on 4/18 ... is 2-0 with a 1.37 ERA in three home starts and 0-1 with a 10.50 ERA in his one previous road outing ... holding lefties to a .200 average while allowing righthanders to hit .270.
4/27 - RHP Kevin Eichhorn (0-2, 3.60 ERA) ... took the loss in his last start on 4/25 at Daytona allowing four runs on nine hits (two homers) with four strikeouts and no walks in 5.0 innings ... has lost last two starts ... is 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA in two home starts and 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two road starts ... lefties are batting .200 against him while righthanders are hitting .283 ... almost half of his hits allowed (10 of 21) have come in the fourth inning.
LAST YEAR ... Lakeland won the season series in 2012 taking four of the seven games played (one was rained out). The two teams split the four games played in Charlotte with Lakeland winning two of the three in Lakeland. Both series were affected by the weather with one rain out and two postponements resulting in three doubleheaders (one was called after one game). Both squads hit three homers in the series last season. Lakeland hit .241 in the seven games while Charlotte batted .255.
VANDY REUNION ... The series will be a reunion in two ways. Stone Crabs catcher Curt Casali was a member of the Flying Tigers 2012 Florida State League championship team. In addition, Casali played collegiately at Vanderbilt University in 2011 with Lakeland’s Will Clinard and Aaron Westlake.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... Last season, Hernan Perez led the Flying Tigers with 27 stolen bases – the second highest total since this player swiped an amazing 75 stolen bases to lead all of minor league baseball in 2007. Can you name this speedster?
FOURTH FIRST ROUNDERS ON CHARLOTTE ROSTER ... Charlotte third baseman Richie Shaffer was Tampa Bay’s first round pick (25th overall) in the 2012 draft out of Clemson University. Shaffer is ranked ninth among Rays’ prospects by MLB.com entering the 2013 season. Shortstop Jake Hager was Tampa Bays’ top pick (32nd overall) in the 2011 draft out of Sierra Vista High School in Nevada. Hager was named the 2011 Gatorade Nevada Baseball Player of the Year. Outfielder Kes Carter was also selected by the Rays in the first round in 2011 (56th overall) out of Western Kentucky University. Fellow outfielder Drew Vettleson was tabbed by Tampa Bay as a first-round pick in 2010 out of Central Kitsap High School in Washington. Vettleson tossed three no-hitters as an ambidextrous pitcher in high school.
TIGERS REHAB ASSIGNMENT ... Detroit outfielder Avisail Garcia joined Lakeland for the recent Daytona series while rehabbing from a right heel contusion suffered during Spring Training.
ANOTHER ONE HITS THE DL ... Starting pitcher Drew VerHagen is the latest Flying Tiger to see himself on the disabled list. Taking his place on the roster is Charlie Gillies who joins the club from Extended Spring Training. Gillies wasted no time in making a mark on the staff, picking up the win on Saturday with three shutout innings of relief work.
LEADS THE LEAD-OFF SPOT ... Eugenio Suarez was moved into the lead-off slot in the Lakeland line-up on 4/19 and has responded with a .448 average going 13x29 with seven runs scored. He has hit three doubles and a triple and led off Saturday’s game with his first homer of the season. He brings an eight-game hit streak into the Charlotte series and has scored at least one run in six of those eight games.
GO WESTLAKE YOUNG MAN ... Aaron Westlake is 11x33 his last seven games and has two games with three hits and two more with two hits during that stretch.
RIGHT WITH WRIGHT ... Chad Wright dropped down to No. 2 in the line-up when Eugenio Suarez moved into the No. 1 spot. Wright is 12x32 (.375) in that second spot with four runs scored and five more driven in. During a five-game stretch from April 20-25, Wright had two or more hits in each game.
TAKING ADVANTAGE ... Tyler Hanover has played in just two games since 4/18, but has made the most of his limited action with a combined five hits in eight at bats. Two of the hits were doubles and he has driven in a run in each of the two games.
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,753-1,597 record entering the Charlotte series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
TRIVIA ANSWER - Ovando Suero stolen 75 bases in 2007 to lead all of minor league baseball. Only Jose Reyes of the New York Mets stole more bases that season (78) that Suero.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Mission Notes vs. Daytona (April 25-27)
THE SERIES ... After a day off, Lakeland heads to Daytona for three games on April 25-27 with each game getting underway at 7:05 p.m. All three games may be heard live on the Daytona website at www.daytonacubs.com.
THE FLYING TIGERS (7-12, 6th Place, 7.0 GB) ... You may excuse Lakeland if it petitions the league to play Clearwater every series. Entering the recent Thresher series with a 4-12 mark, the Flying Tigers swept Clearwater in three games to improve to 7-12 on the year. Lakeland outscored the Threshers 22-8 and outhit them 38-30. In the series finale on Tuesday, Lakeland had 17 hits in a 12-3 win, including four doubles, two triples (both by Chad Wright) and a homer in recording season highs for runs scored and hits. Lakeland ranks sixth in the Florida State League with a .251 average and is now third with a 3.29 staff earned run average.
THE CUBS (8-11, T-4th Place, 6.0 GB) ... Daytona is looking to snap out of a funk that has seen the squad lose five of its last six games. During the Dunedin series, the Cubs lost 10-7, 10-8, and 11-8. Stephen Bruno is fourth in the league with a .355 average while Dustin Geiger is second with 18 RBI (one behind the co-leaders). John Andreoli is fourth with a .447 on-base percentage and is second in the FSL with 15 walks, one behind teammate Zeke DeVoss. Daytona is fourth in the league with a .262 team batting average and is last with a 5.27 staff ERA.
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS
4/25 - RHP Kevin Eichhorn (1-2, 2.30 ERA) ... making his fourth start ... took the loss in last outing on 4/19 vs Dunedin ... gave up three runs – two earned – on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 4.0 innings ... has not allowed more than two earned runs in any start ... tossed seven shutout innings on 4/14 in road win, holding Dunedin to a pair of hits ... all four of his earned runs allowed have come in the fourth inning.
4/26 - RHP Jeff Ferrell (0-1, 3.60 ERA) ... making his second start since moving into the rotation on 4/20 against Dunedin (replacing Tommy Collier who went on the DL) ... allowed one run on three hits (one of them a home run) with two walks and two strikeouts in 3.0 innings ... did not factor into the decision ... is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA as a starter and 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in four relief appearances.
4/27 - RHP Drew VerHagen (0-2, 3.60 ERA) ... looking for his first win ... has not factored in the decision in last two outings ... gave up four runs –three earned – on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 4.2 innings in last start on 4/21 vs. Clearwater ... has a 0-1 record and a 1.64 ERA in two road starts ... five of his eight earned runs allowed have come in the fifth inning.
LAST YEAR ... Lakeland won 11 of the 18 meetings last season including seven of first ten. However, in Daytona, the Cubs held a 5-4 advantage.
INSIDE THE CUBS ... The Cubs’ coaching staff features a pair of former Major Leaguers in Storm Davis and Mariano Duncan. Davis pitched for 13 years in the majors while Duncan played for 12 seasons in the bigs. Both played on two World Series Championship teams ... pitcher Yao-Lin Wang hails from Tai-Tung, Taiwan ... shortstop Javier Baez was rated as the Cubs top prospect by MLB.com entering the 2013 season while outfielder Jorge Soler, who is from Havana, Cuba, was ranked third.
BING, BANG, BOOM ... The Lakeland offense has begun to crank up over the last few games, batting .357 the last four games with 51 hits, including 11 doubles. Of the 57 hits in the last five games, 15 have been doubles with four triples and a home run. Lakeland has batted .333 over the last ten games and has had four doubles in a game four times in that span. Chad Wright and Aaron Westlake have each gone 17x46 (.370) during the stretch. Eugenio Suarez (who is 8x14 with two doubles and a triple since moving into the lead-off spot four games ago) has gone 15x47 (.319) while Jeff McVaney and Dean Green (now on the DL) have each had 13 hits. Suarez, Westlake and Wright have combined to score 19 runs.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... In 1997, this outfield duo each had over 150 hits for Lakeland - something no Lakeland player had accomplished since Joe Staton set the franchise record with 160 hits in 1970. Can you name this dynamic duo?
GREEN PLACED ON DL ... Dean Green, Lakeland’s leading hitter with a .333 average, was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday with an undisclosed injury. Taking his spot on the Lakeland roster is Jesus Ustariz, who hit .282 for the GCL Tigers last season while leading the league’s first basemen in fielding percentage, total chances, putouts, and double plays. Green joins outfielder Steven Moya and pitchers Tommy Collier and Joe Rogers on the injured list.
VALVERDE TRANSFERRED TO DETROIT ... Former Detroit closer Jose Valverde has returned to the big club after a three-game stint in Lakeland. In three outings, Valverde allowed one hit, walked two and struck out four in 3.0 shutout innings.
PRODIGAL SON RETURNS ... The Flying Tigers added outfielder Mike Hernandez to the roster on April 24. Hernandez, who was named to the FSL All-Star team while playing in Lakeland in 2007, comes to the team from West Michigan, where he was batting .289 in 11 games. Hernandez twice hit for the cycle at West Michigan in 2006 and set a team record with seven RBI in one game. In 2007 in Lakeland, he finished second in the FSL with 87 RBI and fourth with 20 home runs. He was traded and released by Texas and then played one season in the Mets’ organization. He has 85 homers and 382 RBI in his minor league career.
SUAREZ RECEIVES HARDWARE ... Shortstop Eugenio Suarez received his 2012 Rawling Gold Glove prior to Tuesday’s home game in Lakeland. Suarez played all of 2012 at West Michigan and had a .971 fielding percentage while leading all league shortstops with 257 putouts. A Midwest League midseason All-Star, he was named the Whitecaps Player of the Year. Suarez is one of nine minor league players to receive a Gold Glove for 2012, presented by Rawlings.
FSL HONOR ... Kyle Ryan, who played at Auburndale High School, was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week for the period April 15-21. Ryan tossed eight shutout innings in his only starting, allowing one hit while striking out three. He is the first Flying Tigers pitcher to earn the FSL honor since Drew Smyly was so honored on June 13, 2011.
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,752-1,595 record entering the Dunedin series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
RONDON GETS THE CALL ... Bruce Rondon, who led Lakeland with 15 saves last season despite being promoted to AA Erie in mid-June, was called up to the big club from Toledo on Tuesday. Rondon was thought to the leading candidate for Detroit’s closer before Spring Training, but began the season at AAA Toledo.
UP NEXT ... The Flying Tigers head south to Charlotte for four games against the Tampa Bay Rays affiliate on April 28-30 and May 1. Lakeland will then return home for the second seven-game homestand of the year on May 2-4 against Daytona and May 5-8 against Jupiter.
TRIVIA ANSWER - Alejando Freire (154) and Gabe Kapler (153)
THE FLYING TIGERS (7-12, 6th Place, 7.0 GB) ... You may excuse Lakeland if it petitions the league to play Clearwater every series. Entering the recent Thresher series with a 4-12 mark, the Flying Tigers swept Clearwater in three games to improve to 7-12 on the year. Lakeland outscored the Threshers 22-8 and outhit them 38-30. In the series finale on Tuesday, Lakeland had 17 hits in a 12-3 win, including four doubles, two triples (both by Chad Wright) and a homer in recording season highs for runs scored and hits. Lakeland ranks sixth in the Florida State League with a .251 average and is now third with a 3.29 staff earned run average.
THE CUBS (8-11, T-4th Place, 6.0 GB) ... Daytona is looking to snap out of a funk that has seen the squad lose five of its last six games. During the Dunedin series, the Cubs lost 10-7, 10-8, and 11-8. Stephen Bruno is fourth in the league with a .355 average while Dustin Geiger is second with 18 RBI (one behind the co-leaders). John Andreoli is fourth with a .447 on-base percentage and is second in the FSL with 15 walks, one behind teammate Zeke DeVoss. Daytona is fourth in the league with a .262 team batting average and is last with a 5.27 staff ERA.
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS
4/25 - RHP Kevin Eichhorn (1-2, 2.30 ERA) ... making his fourth start ... took the loss in last outing on 4/19 vs Dunedin ... gave up three runs – two earned – on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 4.0 innings ... has not allowed more than two earned runs in any start ... tossed seven shutout innings on 4/14 in road win, holding Dunedin to a pair of hits ... all four of his earned runs allowed have come in the fourth inning.
4/26 - RHP Jeff Ferrell (0-1, 3.60 ERA) ... making his second start since moving into the rotation on 4/20 against Dunedin (replacing Tommy Collier who went on the DL) ... allowed one run on three hits (one of them a home run) with two walks and two strikeouts in 3.0 innings ... did not factor into the decision ... is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA as a starter and 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in four relief appearances.
4/27 - RHP Drew VerHagen (0-2, 3.60 ERA) ... looking for his first win ... has not factored in the decision in last two outings ... gave up four runs –three earned – on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 4.2 innings in last start on 4/21 vs. Clearwater ... has a 0-1 record and a 1.64 ERA in two road starts ... five of his eight earned runs allowed have come in the fifth inning.
LAST YEAR ... Lakeland won 11 of the 18 meetings last season including seven of first ten. However, in Daytona, the Cubs held a 5-4 advantage.
INSIDE THE CUBS ... The Cubs’ coaching staff features a pair of former Major Leaguers in Storm Davis and Mariano Duncan. Davis pitched for 13 years in the majors while Duncan played for 12 seasons in the bigs. Both played on two World Series Championship teams ... pitcher Yao-Lin Wang hails from Tai-Tung, Taiwan ... shortstop Javier Baez was rated as the Cubs top prospect by MLB.com entering the 2013 season while outfielder Jorge Soler, who is from Havana, Cuba, was ranked third.
BING, BANG, BOOM ... The Lakeland offense has begun to crank up over the last few games, batting .357 the last four games with 51 hits, including 11 doubles. Of the 57 hits in the last five games, 15 have been doubles with four triples and a home run. Lakeland has batted .333 over the last ten games and has had four doubles in a game four times in that span. Chad Wright and Aaron Westlake have each gone 17x46 (.370) during the stretch. Eugenio Suarez (who is 8x14 with two doubles and a triple since moving into the lead-off spot four games ago) has gone 15x47 (.319) while Jeff McVaney and Dean Green (now on the DL) have each had 13 hits. Suarez, Westlake and Wright have combined to score 19 runs.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... In 1997, this outfield duo each had over 150 hits for Lakeland - something no Lakeland player had accomplished since Joe Staton set the franchise record with 160 hits in 1970. Can you name this dynamic duo?
GREEN PLACED ON DL ... Dean Green, Lakeland’s leading hitter with a .333 average, was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday with an undisclosed injury. Taking his spot on the Lakeland roster is Jesus Ustariz, who hit .282 for the GCL Tigers last season while leading the league’s first basemen in fielding percentage, total chances, putouts, and double plays. Green joins outfielder Steven Moya and pitchers Tommy Collier and Joe Rogers on the injured list.
VALVERDE TRANSFERRED TO DETROIT ... Former Detroit closer Jose Valverde has returned to the big club after a three-game stint in Lakeland. In three outings, Valverde allowed one hit, walked two and struck out four in 3.0 shutout innings.
PRODIGAL SON RETURNS ... The Flying Tigers added outfielder Mike Hernandez to the roster on April 24. Hernandez, who was named to the FSL All-Star team while playing in Lakeland in 2007, comes to the team from West Michigan, where he was batting .289 in 11 games. Hernandez twice hit for the cycle at West Michigan in 2006 and set a team record with seven RBI in one game. In 2007 in Lakeland, he finished second in the FSL with 87 RBI and fourth with 20 home runs. He was traded and released by Texas and then played one season in the Mets’ organization. He has 85 homers and 382 RBI in his minor league career.
SUAREZ RECEIVES HARDWARE ... Shortstop Eugenio Suarez received his 2012 Rawling Gold Glove prior to Tuesday’s home game in Lakeland. Suarez played all of 2012 at West Michigan and had a .971 fielding percentage while leading all league shortstops with 257 putouts. A Midwest League midseason All-Star, he was named the Whitecaps Player of the Year. Suarez is one of nine minor league players to receive a Gold Glove for 2012, presented by Rawlings.
FSL HONOR ... Kyle Ryan, who played at Auburndale High School, was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week for the period April 15-21. Ryan tossed eight shutout innings in his only starting, allowing one hit while striking out three. He is the first Flying Tigers pitcher to earn the FSL honor since Drew Smyly was so honored on June 13, 2011.
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,752-1,595 record entering the Dunedin series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
RONDON GETS THE CALL ... Bruce Rondon, who led Lakeland with 15 saves last season despite being promoted to AA Erie in mid-June, was called up to the big club from Toledo on Tuesday. Rondon was thought to the leading candidate for Detroit’s closer before Spring Training, but began the season at AAA Toledo.
UP NEXT ... The Flying Tigers head south to Charlotte for four games against the Tampa Bay Rays affiliate on April 28-30 and May 1. Lakeland will then return home for the second seven-game homestand of the year on May 2-4 against Daytona and May 5-8 against Jupiter.
TRIVIA ANSWER - Alejando Freire (154) and Gabe Kapler (153)
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Mission Notes vs. Clearwater (April 21-23)
THE SERIES ... All three games of this series will be played at Joker Marchant Stadium on April 21-23. The series opener is Sunday at 1 p.m. with games two and three taking place Monday and Tuesday, respectively, at 6:30 p.m. The series finale is slated for Saturday at 6 p.m. All three games can be heard live at Clearwater Threshers website.
THE FLYING TIGERS (4-12, 6th Place, 8.0 GB) ... Lakeland has lost five in a row and 10 of its last 12 games dating back to April 9. The bats have starting to heat up with double-digit hits in five of the last eight games for a combined 67 hits, but that has translated into a total of only 18 runs. The Flying Tigers have lost four games by one-run and three others by a pair of scores while two of the losses have come in extra innings. Lakeland’s team batting average of .231 ranks second lowest in the Florida State League while the staff earned run average of 3.53 ranks fourth lowest.
THE THRESHERS (8-8, T-3rd Place, 4.0 GB) ... Clearwater has won its last two games after going 1-5 the previous six games. In the last six games, the Threshers have had games with 15 and 13 runs with three games of two or fewer runs. Jose Mojica has been on fire the last five games going 13x18 for a .722 clip while Cameron Perkins brings an eight-game hit streak into the series (13x31, .419) and has hits in 14 of his 15 games played this season. Chris Serritella has a six-game streak himself going 9x26 (.346). Reliever Gabriel Arias is second in the FSL with a 0.64 ERA to go with his 2-0 record while Nick Hernandez is 10th in the league with a 2.12 ERA and is tied for third in the league with teammate Colin Kleven with 19 strikeouts. Maikel Franco has a league-high eight doubles and is fourth with 35 total bases. The Thresher have the second highest batting average in the league (.288), but the second worst ERA (5.06).
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS
4/20 - RHP Drew VerHagen (0-2, 2.93 ERA) ... making his fourth start of the season ... gave up two runs on six hits in his last start on 4/16 at Brevard County in a no-decision ... has allowed two or more runs in each of his starts this season ... making his first home start since 4/5.
4/21 - RHP Wilsen Palacios (0-2, 5.40 ERA) ... has gone an inning longer than the previous start in each outing with 6.0 innings pitched on 4/17 at home vs. Brevard County ... allowed seven hits in each of his two previous starts (losing both) ... surrendered a combined seven runs in the last two starts ... struck out season-high five batters last time out ... lefties are batting .400 (8x20) against Palacios.
4/22 - LHP Kyle Ryan (1-1, 3.66) ... bounced back from a 10-hit, seven run start on 4/13 at Dunedin with eight shutout innings of one-hit ball on 4/18 at home versus the Blue Jays (did not get a decision) ... making his third home start of the season ... is 1-0 with a miniscule 0.66 ERA at Joker Marchant Stadium ... lefties are hitting just .182 against Ryan.
LAST YEAR ... Lakeland went 9-7 against Clearwater in 2012, including a 5-2 record at Joker Marchant Stadium.
INSIDE THE THRESHERS ... Threshers manager Chris Truby played four seasons in the major leagues including 2002 with Detroit ... pitcher Nick Hernandez is the nephew of Major League umpire Angel Hernandez ... pitcher Hoby Milner is the son of former Major Leaguer Brian Milner ... third baseman Maikel Franco was ranked No. 11 among Phillies prospects by MLB.com entering 2013.
MULTI-HIT MACHINE ... Dean Green had two hits on Saturday, marking the seventh time this season he has had two or more hits and is 9x23 (.391) his last five games. Despite leading the team in hitting, Green has not scored a run in the last seven games and just once in the last 10 contests.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... Which Flying Tiger currently leads the team with two triples?
ANSWERED THE CALL ... Eugenio Suarez was moved into the lead-off spot in the line-up for the first time this season on Saturday and responded to Manager Dave Huppert’s challenge with a 3x5 night including a double and a run batted in. The three hits marked the fifth time this season he has had two or more hits.
CONTINUE TO ROLL ... Jeff McVaney brings a six-game hit streak into the Threshers series and has gone 9x28 (.321) the last six outings. Despite hitting .313, McVaney has scored just one run in the last 12 games.
HOME, SWEET HOME? ... Aaron Westlake has 12 hits in 30 at bats on the road for a .400 average with two doubles, a homer and six runs batted in. However, at home, he has just four hits in 33 at bats for a .121 mark and just one RBI.
HOME, SWEET HOME? - PT. 2 ... Chad Wright is another Flying Tiger who finds the going a bit easier on the road. In seven home games, Wright has gone 6x29 for a .207 mark compared to eight road games in which he is 11x34 for a .324 average. Wright did have two hits at home on Saturday and is now 9x29 (.310) the last six games.
COMIN’S & GOIN’S ... For the first two weeks of the season, the Flying Tigers roster was fairly stable with just one move when Steven Moya went on the DL with Zach Kirksey taking his place (he has since been sent back to Extended Spring Training). Since then, pitcher Tommy Collier and Joe Roger have placed on the disabled list and catcher Zach Maggard has been sent to AA Erie. Joining the roster are pitchers Nick Avila and Slade Smith, as well as catcher Luis Sanz. In addition, former Detroit closer, Jose Valverde joined the club in an effort to rejoin Detroit.
SPEAKING OF VALVERDE ... Former Detroit closer Jose Valverde made two appearances for Lakeland on Friday and Saturday working one inning in each contest. In each outing, he walked a batter and then erased him with a double play. Valverde also struck out one batter. He is expected to now move to AAA Toledo.
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,749-1,595 record entering the Dunedin series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
UP NEXT ... The Flying Tigers have a day off on April 24 before heading for Daytona on April 25-27.
NOT JUST LAKELAND ... The Detroit minor league organization has a combined 23-38 record - worst of the 30 clubs. Only Erie, at 8-7, has a winning record among the four minor league clubs.
TRIVIA ANSWER - Dean Green, at 6-4, 255 pounds, hit his second triple of the season on Saturday to take over the team lead.
THE FLYING TIGERS (4-12, 6th Place, 8.0 GB) ... Lakeland has lost five in a row and 10 of its last 12 games dating back to April 9. The bats have starting to heat up with double-digit hits in five of the last eight games for a combined 67 hits, but that has translated into a total of only 18 runs. The Flying Tigers have lost four games by one-run and three others by a pair of scores while two of the losses have come in extra innings. Lakeland’s team batting average of .231 ranks second lowest in the Florida State League while the staff earned run average of 3.53 ranks fourth lowest.
THE THRESHERS (8-8, T-3rd Place, 4.0 GB) ... Clearwater has won its last two games after going 1-5 the previous six games. In the last six games, the Threshers have had games with 15 and 13 runs with three games of two or fewer runs. Jose Mojica has been on fire the last five games going 13x18 for a .722 clip while Cameron Perkins brings an eight-game hit streak into the series (13x31, .419) and has hits in 14 of his 15 games played this season. Chris Serritella has a six-game streak himself going 9x26 (.346). Reliever Gabriel Arias is second in the FSL with a 0.64 ERA to go with his 2-0 record while Nick Hernandez is 10th in the league with a 2.12 ERA and is tied for third in the league with teammate Colin Kleven with 19 strikeouts. Maikel Franco has a league-high eight doubles and is fourth with 35 total bases. The Thresher have the second highest batting average in the league (.288), but the second worst ERA (5.06).
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS
4/20 - RHP Drew VerHagen (0-2, 2.93 ERA) ... making his fourth start of the season ... gave up two runs on six hits in his last start on 4/16 at Brevard County in a no-decision ... has allowed two or more runs in each of his starts this season ... making his first home start since 4/5.
4/21 - RHP Wilsen Palacios (0-2, 5.40 ERA) ... has gone an inning longer than the previous start in each outing with 6.0 innings pitched on 4/17 at home vs. Brevard County ... allowed seven hits in each of his two previous starts (losing both) ... surrendered a combined seven runs in the last two starts ... struck out season-high five batters last time out ... lefties are batting .400 (8x20) against Palacios.
4/22 - LHP Kyle Ryan (1-1, 3.66) ... bounced back from a 10-hit, seven run start on 4/13 at Dunedin with eight shutout innings of one-hit ball on 4/18 at home versus the Blue Jays (did not get a decision) ... making his third home start of the season ... is 1-0 with a miniscule 0.66 ERA at Joker Marchant Stadium ... lefties are hitting just .182 against Ryan.
LAST YEAR ... Lakeland went 9-7 against Clearwater in 2012, including a 5-2 record at Joker Marchant Stadium.
INSIDE THE THRESHERS ... Threshers manager Chris Truby played four seasons in the major leagues including 2002 with Detroit ... pitcher Nick Hernandez is the nephew of Major League umpire Angel Hernandez ... pitcher Hoby Milner is the son of former Major Leaguer Brian Milner ... third baseman Maikel Franco was ranked No. 11 among Phillies prospects by MLB.com entering 2013.
MULTI-HIT MACHINE ... Dean Green had two hits on Saturday, marking the seventh time this season he has had two or more hits and is 9x23 (.391) his last five games. Despite leading the team in hitting, Green has not scored a run in the last seven games and just once in the last 10 contests.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... Which Flying Tiger currently leads the team with two triples?
ANSWERED THE CALL ... Eugenio Suarez was moved into the lead-off spot in the line-up for the first time this season on Saturday and responded to Manager Dave Huppert’s challenge with a 3x5 night including a double and a run batted in. The three hits marked the fifth time this season he has had two or more hits.
CONTINUE TO ROLL ... Jeff McVaney brings a six-game hit streak into the Threshers series and has gone 9x28 (.321) the last six outings. Despite hitting .313, McVaney has scored just one run in the last 12 games.
HOME, SWEET HOME? ... Aaron Westlake has 12 hits in 30 at bats on the road for a .400 average with two doubles, a homer and six runs batted in. However, at home, he has just four hits in 33 at bats for a .121 mark and just one RBI.
HOME, SWEET HOME? - PT. 2 ... Chad Wright is another Flying Tiger who finds the going a bit easier on the road. In seven home games, Wright has gone 6x29 for a .207 mark compared to eight road games in which he is 11x34 for a .324 average. Wright did have two hits at home on Saturday and is now 9x29 (.310) the last six games.
COMIN’S & GOIN’S ... For the first two weeks of the season, the Flying Tigers roster was fairly stable with just one move when Steven Moya went on the DL with Zach Kirksey taking his place (he has since been sent back to Extended Spring Training). Since then, pitcher Tommy Collier and Joe Roger have placed on the disabled list and catcher Zach Maggard has been sent to AA Erie. Joining the roster are pitchers Nick Avila and Slade Smith, as well as catcher Luis Sanz. In addition, former Detroit closer, Jose Valverde joined the club in an effort to rejoin Detroit.
SPEAKING OF VALVERDE ... Former Detroit closer Jose Valverde made two appearances for Lakeland on Friday and Saturday working one inning in each contest. In each outing, he walked a batter and then erased him with a double play. Valverde also struck out one batter. He is expected to now move to AAA Toledo.
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,749-1,595 record entering the Dunedin series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
UP NEXT ... The Flying Tigers have a day off on April 24 before heading for Daytona on April 25-27.
NOT JUST LAKELAND ... The Detroit minor league organization has a combined 23-38 record - worst of the 30 clubs. Only Erie, at 8-7, has a winning record among the four minor league clubs.
TRIVIA ANSWER - Dean Green, at 6-4, 255 pounds, hit his second triple of the season on Saturday to take over the team lead.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Mission Notes vs. Dunedin (April 18-20)
THE SERIES ... All three games of this series will be played at Joker Marchant Stadium on April 18-20. The series opener is Thursday at 6:30 p.m. with game two taking place Friday at 7:11 p.m. The series finale is slated for Saturday at 6 p.m. All three games can be heard live at www.dunedinbluejays.com.
THE FLYING TIGERS (4-9, 6th Place, 5.0 GB) ... Lakeland has now dropped two in a row after being shutout 3-0 by Brevard County on Wednesday and has lost seven of its last nine games. The team batting average of .233 is third lowest in the Florida State League and the team has scored the second fewest runs of any league team. The staff ERA of 3.85 ranks eighth in the league. Lakeland has been charged with 16 errors – fourth most in the league – and ranks ninth in fielding percentage with a .969 mark.
THE BLUE JAYS (9-4, 1st Place) ... Dunedin is coming off a 9-4 loss to Tampa on Wednesday, but is still in first place with a 1.0 lead over Brevard County. The loss was the second in four games for the Blue Jays, who are 6-2 in their last eight games. The Blue Jays are batting .253 as a team and, despite playing in one of the smaller parks in the FSL, have hit a league-low three home runs. Their staff ERA of 3.03 is third lowest in the league and Dunedin has committed just five errors on the season to rank second in the league with a .991 fielding percentage.
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS
4/18 - Kyle Ryan (1-1, 6.17 ERA) ... took the loss in his last start on April 13 at Dunedin ... tagged for seven runs on 10 hits (including a home run) in 6.0 innings with four strikeouts and two walks ... in contrast, during his first start on April 7, he allowed just a solo home run and five hits in getting the win with 5.2 innings at home against Tampa.
4/19 - Kevin Eichhorn (1-1, 1.54 ERA) ... tossed seven shutout innings in victory at Dunedin on April 14, allowing just two hits while striking out one and walking one ... allowed a pair of earned runs on three hits in 4.2 innings in first start of the year on April 9 ... allowed a total of five hits in his two starts.
4/20 - TBA ... This is the spot in the rotation previously occupied by Tommy Collier who is now on the disabled list ... my guess for starter would be newcomer Slade Smith who joined Lakeland on April 17 from West Michigan (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 APP). He hasn’t started a game as a pro, but did see some starts at Auburn University.
FIRST SERIES MEETING ... The Blue Jays took two out of the three games played April 12-14 in Dunedin, winning games one and two by a combined score of 15-4. The Flying Tigers won the series finale 2-0 behind seven shutout innings by Kevin Eichhorn. Andy Burns led the Blue Jays with six hits, including a homer and four runs batted in the series while Gabe Jacobo added four hits and six RBI in two games. Eugenio Suarez and Aaron Westlake each had five hits for Lakeland while Jason King and Jeff McVaney each homered.
INSIDE THE BLUE JAYS ... Matt Newman is sixth in the Florida State League with a .357 average and is second with a .386 slugging percentage in nine games while Gabe Jacobo is tied for fourth with 12 RBI. Andy Burns has a .560 slugging percentage to rank fourth in the FSL while Jonathan Jones has swiped five bases to tie for third most in the league. Scott Copeland, who has the only complete game in the league, ranks seventh with a 1.57 ERA and has tossed a league-high 23.0 innings.
INSIDE THE FLYING TIGERS ... Kevin Eichhorn ranks seventh in the FSL with a 1.54 ERA while leading the league with a 0.51 WHIP (walks and hits per inning). His .125 opponents’ average also tops the league. Brandon Loy is tied the league lead with 12 walks.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... Despite winning the FSL Championship in 2012, Lakeland had just one player honored as the Florida State League Player of the Week. Can you name that player?
BIZARRE FINISH ... In Tuesday’s game at Brevard County, the first eight innings were a see-saw battle with the Manatees scoring twice in the bottom of the eighth to knot the game at 5-5. Lakeland had plenty of chances in the extra innings, but couldn’t capitalize. Dean Green led off the 11th with a single for the Flying Tigers but was still at first at the end of the frame. In the 12th, Zack Kirskey drew a lead-off walk and was sacrificed to second, but got no further. Jeff McVaney reached on an error with one out in the 13th, but couldn’t advance. In the 14th, Zach Maggard singled with one out and one out later, Brandon Loy drew a walk, but both were left on the sacks. In the bottom of the frame, Cameron Garfield walked and then was replaced with pinch-runner Adrian Williams, who moved to second and third on consecutive passed balls. Cody Hawn was then intentionally walked, but ball four sailed wide and Williams scored on the wild pitch.
IT’S A MERCEDES ... While recording two saves in his last two outings, Melvin Mercedes has not allowed a run in four appearances this season and has not issued a walk so far.
ON A ROLL ... Jeff McVaney has six hits his last three games (6x14, .429) and has hits in six of his last seven games (10x30, .333) ... Aaron Westlake has hits in six of his last seven games and is 11x27 (.407) in his last seven contests ... Chad Wright is 7x19 (.368) his last four games and has hits in seven of his last eight contests.
SNAPPED ... Eugenio Suarez is saw his eight-game hit steak snapped on Wednesday. During the streak, Suarez was 12x35 (.343).
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,749-1,592 record entering the Dunedin series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
UP NEXT ... Clearwater visits Lakeland April 21-23 and then the Flying Tigers have a day off before heading for Daytona on April 25-27.
NO BAKER’S DOZEN ... Fort Myers finally tasted defeat after an 12-0 start as Palm Beach topped the Miracle 5-3 on Wednesday.
THRESHERS OUT FOR BLOOD ... Clearwater crushed Daytona 15-6 on Tuesday and out-hit the Cubs 27-10. Every batter had at least two hits for the Threshers with Jose Mojica, batting in the No. 9 slot, went 5x5. Three hitters had four hits each. Of the 27 hits, 24 of them were singles. Cubs’ starting pitcher, Ryan Searle, did strike out five, but gave up seven runs on 15 hits in just 4.2 innings of work.
TRIVIA ANSWER - Third baseman Nick Castellanos batted .464 (13x28) with seven runs driven in to earn the FSL Player of the Week Honors on May 7, 2012 and was the only Flying Tiger to be so honored in 2012.
THE FLYING TIGERS (4-9, 6th Place, 5.0 GB) ... Lakeland has now dropped two in a row after being shutout 3-0 by Brevard County on Wednesday and has lost seven of its last nine games. The team batting average of .233 is third lowest in the Florida State League and the team has scored the second fewest runs of any league team. The staff ERA of 3.85 ranks eighth in the league. Lakeland has been charged with 16 errors – fourth most in the league – and ranks ninth in fielding percentage with a .969 mark.
THE BLUE JAYS (9-4, 1st Place) ... Dunedin is coming off a 9-4 loss to Tampa on Wednesday, but is still in first place with a 1.0 lead over Brevard County. The loss was the second in four games for the Blue Jays, who are 6-2 in their last eight games. The Blue Jays are batting .253 as a team and, despite playing in one of the smaller parks in the FSL, have hit a league-low three home runs. Their staff ERA of 3.03 is third lowest in the league and Dunedin has committed just five errors on the season to rank second in the league with a .991 fielding percentage.
LAKELAND PROBABLE STARTERS
4/18 - Kyle Ryan (1-1, 6.17 ERA) ... took the loss in his last start on April 13 at Dunedin ... tagged for seven runs on 10 hits (including a home run) in 6.0 innings with four strikeouts and two walks ... in contrast, during his first start on April 7, he allowed just a solo home run and five hits in getting the win with 5.2 innings at home against Tampa.
4/19 - Kevin Eichhorn (1-1, 1.54 ERA) ... tossed seven shutout innings in victory at Dunedin on April 14, allowing just two hits while striking out one and walking one ... allowed a pair of earned runs on three hits in 4.2 innings in first start of the year on April 9 ... allowed a total of five hits in his two starts.
4/20 - TBA ... This is the spot in the rotation previously occupied by Tommy Collier who is now on the disabled list ... my guess for starter would be newcomer Slade Smith who joined Lakeland on April 17 from West Michigan (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 APP). He hasn’t started a game as a pro, but did see some starts at Auburn University.
FIRST SERIES MEETING ... The Blue Jays took two out of the three games played April 12-14 in Dunedin, winning games one and two by a combined score of 15-4. The Flying Tigers won the series finale 2-0 behind seven shutout innings by Kevin Eichhorn. Andy Burns led the Blue Jays with six hits, including a homer and four runs batted in the series while Gabe Jacobo added four hits and six RBI in two games. Eugenio Suarez and Aaron Westlake each had five hits for Lakeland while Jason King and Jeff McVaney each homered.
INSIDE THE BLUE JAYS ... Matt Newman is sixth in the Florida State League with a .357 average and is second with a .386 slugging percentage in nine games while Gabe Jacobo is tied for fourth with 12 RBI. Andy Burns has a .560 slugging percentage to rank fourth in the FSL while Jonathan Jones has swiped five bases to tie for third most in the league. Scott Copeland, who has the only complete game in the league, ranks seventh with a 1.57 ERA and has tossed a league-high 23.0 innings.
INSIDE THE FLYING TIGERS ... Kevin Eichhorn ranks seventh in the FSL with a 1.54 ERA while leading the league with a 0.51 WHIP (walks and hits per inning). His .125 opponents’ average also tops the league. Brandon Loy is tied the league lead with 12 walks.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... Despite winning the FSL Championship in 2012, Lakeland had just one player honored as the Florida State League Player of the Week. Can you name that player?
BIZARRE FINISH ... In Tuesday’s game at Brevard County, the first eight innings were a see-saw battle with the Manatees scoring twice in the bottom of the eighth to knot the game at 5-5. Lakeland had plenty of chances in the extra innings, but couldn’t capitalize. Dean Green led off the 11th with a single for the Flying Tigers but was still at first at the end of the frame. In the 12th, Zack Kirskey drew a lead-off walk and was sacrificed to second, but got no further. Jeff McVaney reached on an error with one out in the 13th, but couldn’t advance. In the 14th, Zach Maggard singled with one out and one out later, Brandon Loy drew a walk, but both were left on the sacks. In the bottom of the frame, Cameron Garfield walked and then was replaced with pinch-runner Adrian Williams, who moved to second and third on consecutive passed balls. Cody Hawn was then intentionally walked, but ball four sailed wide and Williams scored on the wild pitch.
IT’S A MERCEDES ... While recording two saves in his last two outings, Melvin Mercedes has not allowed a run in four appearances this season and has not issued a walk so far.
ON A ROLL ... Jeff McVaney has six hits his last three games (6x14, .429) and has hits in six of his last seven games (10x30, .333) ... Aaron Westlake has hits in six of his last seven games and is 11x27 (.407) in his last seven contests ... Chad Wright is 7x19 (.368) his last four games and has hits in seven of his last eight contests.
SNAPPED ... Eugenio Suarez is saw his eight-game hit steak snapped on Wednesday. During the streak, Suarez was 12x35 (.343).
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,749-1,592 record entering the Dunedin series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
UP NEXT ... Clearwater visits Lakeland April 21-23 and then the Flying Tigers have a day off before heading for Daytona on April 25-27.
NO BAKER’S DOZEN ... Fort Myers finally tasted defeat after an 12-0 start as Palm Beach topped the Miracle 5-3 on Wednesday.
THRESHERS OUT FOR BLOOD ... Clearwater crushed Daytona 15-6 on Tuesday and out-hit the Cubs 27-10. Every batter had at least two hits for the Threshers with Jose Mojica, batting in the No. 9 slot, went 5x5. Three hitters had four hits each. Of the 27 hits, 24 of them were singles. Cubs’ starting pitcher, Ryan Searle, did strike out five, but gave up seven runs on 15 hits in just 4.2 innings of work.
TRIVIA ANSWER - Third baseman Nick Castellanos batted .464 (13x28) with seven runs driven in to earn the FSL Player of the Week Honors on May 7, 2012 and was the only Flying Tiger to be so honored in 2012.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Mission Notes vs. Brevard County (April 15-17)
THE SERIES ... The first two games of this series will be played at Space Coast Stadium in Viera on Monday and Tuesday, April 15-16. Both games are scheduled for 6:35 p.m. The series finale takes place Wednesday, April 17, at 6:30 p.m. at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland.
THE FLYING TIGERS (3-7, 6th Place, 4.0 GB) ... Lakeland shut out Dunedin 2-0 on Sunday to snap a five-game losing streak. Kevin Eichhorn tossed seven shutout innings in holding the Blue Jays to two hits. Sunday’s game was the seventh time this season Lakeland has three or fewer runs in a contest. The Flying Tigers have a staff ERA of 4.08 which is eighth in the league.
THE MANATEES (6-4, 2nd Place, 1.0 GB) ... Brevard County beat Clearwater 2-1 on Sunday to win its second straight game and fifth in the last six outings. Nick Ramirez is tied for the league lead with three homers and has gone 8x25 (.320) in the last six games. Chad Pierce leads the Florida State League with 17 strikeouts. Seth Harvey is tied for second with three saves. The Manatees have a 4.04 staff earned run average which is seventh in the Florida State League.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHES (based on past rotations)
4/15 (@BRE) - RHP Tommy Collier (0-0, 7.27 ERA) ... last start came on 4.10 at Brevard Country ... allowed five earned runs on six hits ... stuck out four and walked none in 4.2 innings ... five of his seven earned runs this season came in the second inning with the other two scoring in the first frame.
4/16 (@BRE) - RHP Drew VerHagen (0-2, 2.61 ERA) ... last start came on 4/11 at Brevard County ... allowed just one hit in 6.0 shutout innings ... retired the first 14 in a row ... struck out four and walked one in allowing two unearned runs .. the 6.0 is the longest any Lakeland started has gone this season.
4/17 (@LAK) - RHP Wilsen Palacios (0-1, 6.00 ERA) ... last start came on 4/12 at Dunedin ... gave up four earned runs on seven hits ... struck out two and walked four in 5.0 innings ... this will be his home debut after two road starts.
LAST WEEK ... The Flying Tigers were swept by the Manatees in last week’s series, losing 1-3 and 6-7 in Lakeland and 0-2 at Brevard County. Eugenio Suarez and Dean Green each had four hits in the series while Jason Krizan had three hits. One of Green’s hits was a solo home run. Nick Ramirez singled, tripled and had a pair of doubles for the Manatees while Gregory Hopkins hit a grand slam and totalled five RBI in three games.
ANYBODY SEEN THE OFFENSE? ... The Flying Tigers and the Manatees have the two lowest team batting averages in the league. Lakeland is hitting .227 while Brevard County is last with a .207 mark. The two teams are also in the bottom three in runs scored. Jupiter is last with 25 runs, Lakeland is second with 30 and Brevard County is third with 35 tallies.
DOUBLE DIGIT HITS ... On Sunday, Eugenio Suarez and Aaron Westlake each had three hits while John Murrian added a base of base hits as the Flying Tigers reached double digits in hits (11) for just the second time this season.
BULLPEN CONTROL ... The Flying Tigers bullpen has not walked a batter in the last 13.1 innings over five games and issued just one free pass in the last 21.0 innings over seven contests. Relievers have struck out 24 batters in those same seven games. Melvin Mercedes has not allowed a run or a walk in any of his three appearances out of the pen while Michael Torrealba has also not allowed a base on balls in his three outings.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... Lakeland has won four Florida State League Championships since 1976 with current Detroit manager Jim Leyland guiding the team to back-to-back titles in 1976 and 1977. Who managed the 1992 team to their FSL crown? (Answer at the end of this column.)
GREEN WITH ENVY ... Dean Green has base hits in nine of his ten games this season for a .325 average.
DOUBLE GAINS FOR McVANEY ... Jeff McVaney has collected at least one base hits in eight of his ten games played this season for a .308 average. Seven of his 12 base hits have been for extra bases, including five doubles, a triple and a home run.
SUAREZ ROLLIN’ ... Eugenio Suarez brings a six-game hit streak into the Brevard County series. The Flying Tiger shortstop is 9x23 over the last six games for a .391 clip. On Sunday, he had a season-high three base hits in four at bats against Dunedin.
WESTLAKE MOVIN’ ... Aaron Westlake has a four-game hit streak entering the Manatee series in which he is 6x14 (.429). Half of those hits came in Sunday’s game as he went 3x4 against the Blue Jays.
10-FOR-10 ... Only two players have batted in the same place in the batting order in each of Lakeland’s ten games this season. Dean Green has batted clean-up in each game while Aaron Westlake has started each game batting in the sixth spot.
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,748-1,590 record entering the Brevard County series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
UP NEXT ... Wednesday’s game is the first of a seven-game home-stand for the Flying Tigers. Dunedin comes to town for three games April 18-20 with Clearwater visiting Lakeland April 21-23. The Flying Tigers will have three more seven-game homestands during the 2013 season.
UPCOMING PROMOS ... Wednesday, April 17 is All-You-Can-Eat Night sponsored by Texas Roadhouse ... Thursday, April 18 is Taste of Lakeland with food from vendors across Polk County and live music ... Friday, April 19 is the fourth annual “Pink in the Park.” ... Saturday, April 20 will feature postgame fireworks (weather permitting).
A PERFECT 10 ... Fort Myers continues to roll in the early going, posting a perfect 10-0 record. Six of its wins have been by one run, including two in extra innings.
TRIVIA ANSWER ... John Lipon capped his five-year career with Lakeland by leading the 1992 squad to the Florida State League championship. Lakeland swept West Palm Beach and Clearwater in the first two rounds and then swept Baseball City for the Florida State League title.
THE FLYING TIGERS (3-7, 6th Place, 4.0 GB) ... Lakeland shut out Dunedin 2-0 on Sunday to snap a five-game losing streak. Kevin Eichhorn tossed seven shutout innings in holding the Blue Jays to two hits. Sunday’s game was the seventh time this season Lakeland has three or fewer runs in a contest. The Flying Tigers have a staff ERA of 4.08 which is eighth in the league.
THE MANATEES (6-4, 2nd Place, 1.0 GB) ... Brevard County beat Clearwater 2-1 on Sunday to win its second straight game and fifth in the last six outings. Nick Ramirez is tied for the league lead with three homers and has gone 8x25 (.320) in the last six games. Chad Pierce leads the Florida State League with 17 strikeouts. Seth Harvey is tied for second with three saves. The Manatees have a 4.04 staff earned run average which is seventh in the Florida State League.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHES (based on past rotations)
4/15 (@BRE) - RHP Tommy Collier (0-0, 7.27 ERA) ... last start came on 4.10 at Brevard Country ... allowed five earned runs on six hits ... stuck out four and walked none in 4.2 innings ... five of his seven earned runs this season came in the second inning with the other two scoring in the first frame.
4/16 (@BRE) - RHP Drew VerHagen (0-2, 2.61 ERA) ... last start came on 4/11 at Brevard County ... allowed just one hit in 6.0 shutout innings ... retired the first 14 in a row ... struck out four and walked one in allowing two unearned runs .. the 6.0 is the longest any Lakeland started has gone this season.
4/17 (@LAK) - RHP Wilsen Palacios (0-1, 6.00 ERA) ... last start came on 4/12 at Dunedin ... gave up four earned runs on seven hits ... struck out two and walked four in 5.0 innings ... this will be his home debut after two road starts.
LAST WEEK ... The Flying Tigers were swept by the Manatees in last week’s series, losing 1-3 and 6-7 in Lakeland and 0-2 at Brevard County. Eugenio Suarez and Dean Green each had four hits in the series while Jason Krizan had three hits. One of Green’s hits was a solo home run. Nick Ramirez singled, tripled and had a pair of doubles for the Manatees while Gregory Hopkins hit a grand slam and totalled five RBI in three games.
ANYBODY SEEN THE OFFENSE? ... The Flying Tigers and the Manatees have the two lowest team batting averages in the league. Lakeland is hitting .227 while Brevard County is last with a .207 mark. The two teams are also in the bottom three in runs scored. Jupiter is last with 25 runs, Lakeland is second with 30 and Brevard County is third with 35 tallies.
DOUBLE DIGIT HITS ... On Sunday, Eugenio Suarez and Aaron Westlake each had three hits while John Murrian added a base of base hits as the Flying Tigers reached double digits in hits (11) for just the second time this season.
BULLPEN CONTROL ... The Flying Tigers bullpen has not walked a batter in the last 13.1 innings over five games and issued just one free pass in the last 21.0 innings over seven contests. Relievers have struck out 24 batters in those same seven games. Melvin Mercedes has not allowed a run or a walk in any of his three appearances out of the pen while Michael Torrealba has also not allowed a base on balls in his three outings.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... Lakeland has won four Florida State League Championships since 1976 with current Detroit manager Jim Leyland guiding the team to back-to-back titles in 1976 and 1977. Who managed the 1992 team to their FSL crown? (Answer at the end of this column.)
GREEN WITH ENVY ... Dean Green has base hits in nine of his ten games this season for a .325 average.
DOUBLE GAINS FOR McVANEY ... Jeff McVaney has collected at least one base hits in eight of his ten games played this season for a .308 average. Seven of his 12 base hits have been for extra bases, including five doubles, a triple and a home run.
SUAREZ ROLLIN’ ... Eugenio Suarez brings a six-game hit streak into the Brevard County series. The Flying Tiger shortstop is 9x23 over the last six games for a .391 clip. On Sunday, he had a season-high three base hits in four at bats against Dunedin.
WESTLAKE MOVIN’ ... Aaron Westlake has a four-game hit streak entering the Manatee series in which he is 6x14 (.429). Half of those hits came in Sunday’s game as he went 3x4 against the Blue Jays.
10-FOR-10 ... Only two players have batted in the same place in the batting order in each of Lakeland’s ten games this season. Dean Green has batted clean-up in each game while Aaron Westlake has started each game batting in the sixth spot.
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,748-1,590 record entering the Brevard County series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
UP NEXT ... Wednesday’s game is the first of a seven-game home-stand for the Flying Tigers. Dunedin comes to town for three games April 18-20 with Clearwater visiting Lakeland April 21-23. The Flying Tigers will have three more seven-game homestands during the 2013 season.
UPCOMING PROMOS ... Wednesday, April 17 is All-You-Can-Eat Night sponsored by Texas Roadhouse ... Thursday, April 18 is Taste of Lakeland with food from vendors across Polk County and live music ... Friday, April 19 is the fourth annual “Pink in the Park.” ... Saturday, April 20 will feature postgame fireworks (weather permitting).
A PERFECT 10 ... Fort Myers continues to roll in the early going, posting a perfect 10-0 record. Six of its wins have been by one run, including two in extra innings.
TRIVIA ANSWER ... John Lipon capped his five-year career with Lakeland by leading the 1992 squad to the Florida State League championship. Lakeland swept West Palm Beach and Clearwater in the first two rounds and then swept Baseball City for the Florida State League title.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Mission Notes vs. Dunedin (April 12-14)
THE SERIES ... All three games of this series will be played at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium (site of the 2013 FSL All-Star Game) in Dunedin. Games on Friday and Saturday begin at 6:30 pm with Sunday’s game getting underway at 1 pm. The games can be heard on the Jays website, www.dunedinbluejays.com.
THE FLYING TIGERS (2-5, 6th Place, 3.0 GB) ... Lakeland will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak after being swept by Brevard County. Thursday’s game was bittersweet as Drew VerHagen and Jade Todd combined on a 1-hitter, only to lose 2-0 on a pair of unearned runs. The Flying Tigers have committed at least one error in six of the seven games so far, including five miscues over the last two outings. Lakeland is hitting .223 on the year, third lowest in the FSL.
THE BLUE JAYS (5-2, 1st Place) ... Dunedin brings a two-game win streak into the series following a 3-2 win in 11 innings over Tampa on Thursday. The Blue Jays are batting .255 on the year, sixth best mark in the league while the staff ERA of 2.59 is third best.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHES (based on past rotations)
4/12 (@DUN) - RHP Wilsen Palacios (0-0, 4.50 ERA) ... last started on 4/6 at Tampa ... gave up 2 earned runs on 6 hits ... struck out 3 and walked 1 in 4.0 innings ... ninth year in the organization ... second stint with Lakeland (also pitched 1.0 inning for the Flying Tigers in 2010) ... brings a career mark of 25-24 with a 3.16 ERA into Dunedin series ... signed by Detroit in 2006 as a non-drafted free agent.
4/13 (@DUN) - LHP Kyle Ryan (1-0, 1.59 ERA) ... last started on 4/7 in Lakeland vs. Tampa ... gave up solo homer for only score ... scattered five hits in 5.2 innings with 1 strikeout and 1 walk ... fourth year in organization (16-12. 3.55 ERA coming into this start) ... graduate of Auburndale High School in Polk County ... 11th round pick by Detroit in 2010 out of high school.
4/14 (@DUN) - RHP Kevin Eichhorn (0-1, 3.86 ERA) ... last started on 4/9 in Lakeland vs. Brevard County ... held Manatees to 2 earned runs on 3 hits ... struck out 4 and walked none in 4.2 innings ... originally a third-round pick of Arizona in 2008 out of Aptos High School in California (acquired along with Ryan Robowski from D-Backs in Armando Galarraga trade) ... has a 19-16 record and a 4.08 ERA for his career coming into this series ... was West Michigan’s Pitcher of the Year in 2011 ... went on disabled list on May 15, 2012 and missed the remainder of the season with a strained flexor mass.
INSIDE THE BLUE JAYS ... Pitcher Aaron Sanchez was Toronto’s first round pick in the 2012 draft (34th overall) and is rated as No. 1 among Blue Jay prospects by MLB.com ... pitcher Efrain Nieves was signed by Detroit as a minor league free agent in 2012 and was selected by Toronto in the Minor League phase of the 2012 Rule 5 Draft ... second baseman Jon Berti is the son of Tom Berti who played in 1978 and 1979 for Lakeland as a member of the Detroit organization
NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN ... Last year, the Blue Jays were managed by Mike Redmond, who is now the manager of the Miami Marlins. Taking over the reigns in Dunedin is Bob Meacham, former first base coach for the Houston Astros.
LAST YEAR ... Lakeland won nine of the 16 meetings last year including five of the last six contests. The Flying Tigers were 6-2 versus the Blue Jays in Lakeland, but 3-5 in Dunedin. Lakeland swept Dunedin in the opening round of the FSL Playoffs winning both games by shut (1-0 in Dunedin and 3-0 in Lakeland).
BATTLE OF THE GLOVES? ... Dunedin is the top fielding team in the FSL having committed just two errors so far. Lakeland has the second highest total of errors – 15 – of any league team.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... Can you name the only Lakeland player to score 100 or runs during a season? (Answer at the end of this column.)
ONE REMAINING ... At 7-0, Fort Myers is the lone remaining undefeated team in the FSL. Bradenton and Jupiter are still looking for win number one.
HITTING A GREEN STREAK ... First baseman/DH Dean Green has collected at least one base hit in each of the Flying Tigers’ seven games so far, including four games with two hits. He has also scored seven runs and driven in three and is now batting .393 on the season which is tied for fifth best in the Florida State League.
FINALLY ... Aaron Westlake splashed onto the scene with a 2-for-3 night with a homer and three RBI in his first game. He then went hitless for five games before doubling in Thursday’s game at Brevard County.
FIRST DL MEMBER ... Steven Moya chased down a fly ball on April 9, but slipped and came down hard on the Joker Marchant Stadium turf, coming up with an apparent shoulder injury. He was placed on the seven-day disabled list on April 10 and was replaced on the roster by Zach Kirksey, a 29th round draft pick by Detroit in 2012 out of the University of Mississippi. Kirksey has some pop in his bat, twice winning the home run derby at the NJCCA World Series while playing at LSU-Eunice (a junior college in Louisiana)
YOUNG LEAGUE ... According to Baseball America, the Florida State League has the third youngest median age of 23.5 of any of league in pro baseball. The American League is the oldest with a median age of 29.0 years for its active players with the National League second at 28.6. The South Atlantic League is the youngest with a median age of 22.3 years.
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,747-1,588 record entering the Brevard County series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
PROMOS ... Saturday’s game at Dunedin is “Bark in the Park”.
UP AHEAD ... Following the Dunedin series, Lakeland tangles with Brevard County once again, playing April 15 and 16 at Space Coast Stadium before returning home to Joker Marchant Stadium to close out the series against the Manatees on April 17.
PEREZ IMPRESSIVE IN EARLY GOING ... Former Flying Tiger shortstop Hernan Perez is off to a hot start at AA Erie collecting 10 hits in 26 at bats for a .385 average. Perez has three doubles and a home run so far for the SeaWolves.
TRIVIA ANSWER ... Milt Cuyler scored exactly 100 runs in 1988 for Lakeland. The closest anyone has come since is Gabe Kapler who crossed the plate 87 times in 1997.
THE FLYING TIGERS (2-5, 6th Place, 3.0 GB) ... Lakeland will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak after being swept by Brevard County. Thursday’s game was bittersweet as Drew VerHagen and Jade Todd combined on a 1-hitter, only to lose 2-0 on a pair of unearned runs. The Flying Tigers have committed at least one error in six of the seven games so far, including five miscues over the last two outings. Lakeland is hitting .223 on the year, third lowest in the FSL.
THE BLUE JAYS (5-2, 1st Place) ... Dunedin brings a two-game win streak into the series following a 3-2 win in 11 innings over Tampa on Thursday. The Blue Jays are batting .255 on the year, sixth best mark in the league while the staff ERA of 2.59 is third best.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHES (based on past rotations)
4/12 (@DUN) - RHP Wilsen Palacios (0-0, 4.50 ERA) ... last started on 4/6 at Tampa ... gave up 2 earned runs on 6 hits ... struck out 3 and walked 1 in 4.0 innings ... ninth year in the organization ... second stint with Lakeland (also pitched 1.0 inning for the Flying Tigers in 2010) ... brings a career mark of 25-24 with a 3.16 ERA into Dunedin series ... signed by Detroit in 2006 as a non-drafted free agent.
4/13 (@DUN) - LHP Kyle Ryan (1-0, 1.59 ERA) ... last started on 4/7 in Lakeland vs. Tampa ... gave up solo homer for only score ... scattered five hits in 5.2 innings with 1 strikeout and 1 walk ... fourth year in organization (16-12. 3.55 ERA coming into this start) ... graduate of Auburndale High School in Polk County ... 11th round pick by Detroit in 2010 out of high school.
4/14 (@DUN) - RHP Kevin Eichhorn (0-1, 3.86 ERA) ... last started on 4/9 in Lakeland vs. Brevard County ... held Manatees to 2 earned runs on 3 hits ... struck out 4 and walked none in 4.2 innings ... originally a third-round pick of Arizona in 2008 out of Aptos High School in California (acquired along with Ryan Robowski from D-Backs in Armando Galarraga trade) ... has a 19-16 record and a 4.08 ERA for his career coming into this series ... was West Michigan’s Pitcher of the Year in 2011 ... went on disabled list on May 15, 2012 and missed the remainder of the season with a strained flexor mass.
INSIDE THE BLUE JAYS ... Pitcher Aaron Sanchez was Toronto’s first round pick in the 2012 draft (34th overall) and is rated as No. 1 among Blue Jay prospects by MLB.com ... pitcher Efrain Nieves was signed by Detroit as a minor league free agent in 2012 and was selected by Toronto in the Minor League phase of the 2012 Rule 5 Draft ... second baseman Jon Berti is the son of Tom Berti who played in 1978 and 1979 for Lakeland as a member of the Detroit organization
NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN ... Last year, the Blue Jays were managed by Mike Redmond, who is now the manager of the Miami Marlins. Taking over the reigns in Dunedin is Bob Meacham, former first base coach for the Houston Astros.
LAST YEAR ... Lakeland won nine of the 16 meetings last year including five of the last six contests. The Flying Tigers were 6-2 versus the Blue Jays in Lakeland, but 3-5 in Dunedin. Lakeland swept Dunedin in the opening round of the FSL Playoffs winning both games by shut (1-0 in Dunedin and 3-0 in Lakeland).
BATTLE OF THE GLOVES? ... Dunedin is the top fielding team in the FSL having committed just two errors so far. Lakeland has the second highest total of errors – 15 – of any league team.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... Can you name the only Lakeland player to score 100 or runs during a season? (Answer at the end of this column.)
ONE REMAINING ... At 7-0, Fort Myers is the lone remaining undefeated team in the FSL. Bradenton and Jupiter are still looking for win number one.
HITTING A GREEN STREAK ... First baseman/DH Dean Green has collected at least one base hit in each of the Flying Tigers’ seven games so far, including four games with two hits. He has also scored seven runs and driven in three and is now batting .393 on the season which is tied for fifth best in the Florida State League.
FINALLY ... Aaron Westlake splashed onto the scene with a 2-for-3 night with a homer and three RBI in his first game. He then went hitless for five games before doubling in Thursday’s game at Brevard County.
FIRST DL MEMBER ... Steven Moya chased down a fly ball on April 9, but slipped and came down hard on the Joker Marchant Stadium turf, coming up with an apparent shoulder injury. He was placed on the seven-day disabled list on April 10 and was replaced on the roster by Zach Kirksey, a 29th round draft pick by Detroit in 2012 out of the University of Mississippi. Kirksey has some pop in his bat, twice winning the home run derby at the NJCCA World Series while playing at LSU-Eunice (a junior college in Louisiana)
YOUNG LEAGUE ... According to Baseball America, the Florida State League has the third youngest median age of 23.5 of any of league in pro baseball. The American League is the oldest with a median age of 29.0 years for its active players with the National League second at 28.6. The South Atlantic League is the youngest with a median age of 22.3 years.
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manager and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,747-1,588 record entering the Brevard County series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
PROMOS ... Saturday’s game at Dunedin is “Bark in the Park”.
UP AHEAD ... Following the Dunedin series, Lakeland tangles with Brevard County once again, playing April 15 and 16 at Space Coast Stadium before returning home to Joker Marchant Stadium to close out the series against the Manatees on April 17.
PEREZ IMPRESSIVE IN EARLY GOING ... Former Flying Tiger shortstop Hernan Perez is off to a hot start at AA Erie collecting 10 hits in 26 at bats for a .385 average. Perez has three doubles and a home run so far for the SeaWolves.
TRIVIA ANSWER ... Milt Cuyler scored exactly 100 runs in 1988 for Lakeland. The closest anyone has come since is Gabe Kapler who crossed the plate 87 times in 1997.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Mission Notes vs. Brevard County (April 9-11)
THE SERIES ... After an early day off on Monday, Lakeland returns to action on Tuesday, opening a three-game set with Brevard County on April 9-11. The series opens with a pair of games at Joker Marchant Stadium on Tuesday, April 9 and Wednesday, April 10, with both games scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The two squads then head to Brevard County for a 6:35 p.m. game on Thursday, April 11, at Space Coast Stadium. Thursday’s game will be broadcast on WMEL radio (http://www.1300wmel.com/).
THE FLYING TIGERS (2-2) ... After dropping the first two games of the season, Lakeland has come back with wins in each of the last two outings to split their opening four-game series against Tampa. The Flying Tigers lost in the season opener at Tampa then lost to the Yankees on Saturday, suffering their first home opening defeat since 2006. Dean Green and Jeff McVaney each went 7x16 in the Tampa series to tie for fourth in the FSL with .438 averages while Aaron Westlake is tied for second with five runs batted in.
THE MANATEES (1-3) ... Brevard County, an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, won its opener at Daytona 4-3 and then dropped the next three – including two by shutout – while being outscored 21-2 in the three contests. Gregory Hopkins and Kevin Shackelford each have five hits for the Manatees who are hitting just .212 as a team. The staff ERA of 4.85 in the highest in the league.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHES (based on past rotations)
4/09 (@LAK) - RHP Kevin Eichhorn (3-2 with a 4.00 ERA for Lakeland in 2012) ... making his first start of the season ... was 3-2 with a 4.00 ERA in eight starts for Lakeland in 2012 with 25 strikeouts and 7 walks in 45.0 innings ... placed on disabled list in May 2012 for remainder of season with a strained flexor mass ... West Michigan’s Pitcher of the Year in 2011.
4/10 (@LAK) - RHP Tommy Collier (9-8, 2.74 ERA at West Michigan in 2012) ... Got the opening day nod for Lakeland ... worked 4.0 IP and allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits; struck out six and walked three in taking the loss.
4/11 (@BRE) - RHP Drew VerHagen (0-3, 3.67 ERA at Lakeland in 2012) ... Started game two against Tampa .. lasted 4.1 IP ... allowed three runs, all earned, on four hits with one strikeout and two walks ... took the loss.
INSIDE THE MANATEES ... Pitcher Mark Williams was 8-1 with a 1.59 to help lead Marietta College to the 2011 NCAA Division III national Championship ... Pitcher Jed Bradley was the 15th pick overall in the 2011 draft out of Georgia Tech ... Pitcher Cameron Garfield was born in Frankfurt, Germany ... Outfielder Lance Roenicke is the son of Milwaukee Brewers manager, Ron Roenicke ... Outfielder Chadwin Stang was born in Surrey, British Columbia.
THE GREEN STREAK ... Lakeland designated hitter Dean Green is doing just that – hitting – going 7x16 in the early going for a .438 average. Collecting hits in each of the four games so far, Green has scored four runs and driven in two more. The big DH has had two hits in each of three of the four games of the Yankees series.
McVANEY THERE AS WELL ... Centerfielder Jeff McVaney has also gotten a hit in each of the four games of the Tampa series exclamated by a four-hit night on April 6 in Tampa. McVaney collected three singles and a double to help lead Lakeland to their first win of the year. Like Green, McVaney is also 7x16 at the plate.
MORE MOYA ... Rightfielder Steven Moya also has carried a hot bat so far (although he was hitless on Sunday). Moya, who had three hits in game two of the Tampa series, is 5x19 so far.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... Last season, this Flying Tiger had a torrid start to the 2012 season, collecting 12 hits in his first 17 at bats. Can your name this hot hitter? (Answer at the end of this column.)
ONE MORE ... Chad Wright doubled and singled twice on Saturday at Tampa and is 4x13 so far.
THE REST LOOKING FOR THEIR BATS ... With the above mentioned four hitters collecting 23 hits in 64 at bats (.359) as a unit, the rest of the roster is 9x70 (.129).
TAMPA BLANKS LAKELAND CATCHERS ... The only position not to get a hit in the Tampa series was the catching spot. John Murrian was held hitless in nine at bats over three games while Zach Maggard was kept off the bases in four at bats on Saturday,
SO CLOSE ... The Charlotte Stone Crabs came within one out of tossing the franchise’s first no-hitter on Saturday. Pitchers Jesse Hahn (3.0 IP), Jake Floethe (5.0 IP) held Palm Beach hitless through eight innings and Lenny Linsky had retired the first two batters he faced before walking one. Palm Beach’s Colin Walsh then tripled to right to break up the no-hitter. The Cardinals had just one baserunner in the first eight innings, that coming on an first-inning error.
AND THEN THERE WERE TWO ... Through the first weekend of action in the Florida State League just two teams remain undefeated. Fort Myers swept Bradenton in four games and St. Lucie emerged unscathed in four games against Jupiter, winning two games 1-0 and allowing just three runs over the four games.
ONES THAT GOT AWAY ... Not all Lakeland alums make the Detroit roster. Here’s some players that are active elsewhere in the majors: Burke Badenhop (2007) Brewers; Brennan Boesch (2008) Yankees; Rob Brantly (2011) Marlins; Alfredo Figaro (2008) Brewers; Jason Frasor (2002) Rangers; Charlie Furbush (2002) Mariners; Jack Hannahan (2002) Reds; Cristhian Martinez (2006) Braves; Cameron Maybin (2007) Padres; Andrew Miller (2007) Red Sox; Ryan Raburn (2004) Indians; Wilkin Ramirez (Twins); Fernando Rodney (2001) Rays; Scott Sizemore (Athletics); Andres Torres (Giants)
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manage and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,747-1,585 record entering the Brevard County series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
UPCOMING PROMOS ... Tuesday, April 9 is Baseball Wingo sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings. A 2-for-1 ticket offer is available in The Ledger. Silver Sluggers received free admission to Tuesday’s contest ... Wednesday, April 19 is All-You-Can-Eat night sponsored by Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grill.
TRIVIA ANSWER ... Outfielder Tyler Collins had three hits in each of the four games of the 2012 season for Lakeland.
THE FLYING TIGERS (2-2) ... After dropping the first two games of the season, Lakeland has come back with wins in each of the last two outings to split their opening four-game series against Tampa. The Flying Tigers lost in the season opener at Tampa then lost to the Yankees on Saturday, suffering their first home opening defeat since 2006. Dean Green and Jeff McVaney each went 7x16 in the Tampa series to tie for fourth in the FSL with .438 averages while Aaron Westlake is tied for second with five runs batted in.
THE MANATEES (1-3) ... Brevard County, an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, won its opener at Daytona 4-3 and then dropped the next three – including two by shutout – while being outscored 21-2 in the three contests. Gregory Hopkins and Kevin Shackelford each have five hits for the Manatees who are hitting just .212 as a team. The staff ERA of 4.85 in the highest in the league.
LAKELAND PROBABLE PITCHES (based on past rotations)
4/09 (@LAK) - RHP Kevin Eichhorn (3-2 with a 4.00 ERA for Lakeland in 2012) ... making his first start of the season ... was 3-2 with a 4.00 ERA in eight starts for Lakeland in 2012 with 25 strikeouts and 7 walks in 45.0 innings ... placed on disabled list in May 2012 for remainder of season with a strained flexor mass ... West Michigan’s Pitcher of the Year in 2011.
4/10 (@LAK) - RHP Tommy Collier (9-8, 2.74 ERA at West Michigan in 2012) ... Got the opening day nod for Lakeland ... worked 4.0 IP and allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits; struck out six and walked three in taking the loss.
4/11 (@BRE) - RHP Drew VerHagen (0-3, 3.67 ERA at Lakeland in 2012) ... Started game two against Tampa .. lasted 4.1 IP ... allowed three runs, all earned, on four hits with one strikeout and two walks ... took the loss.
INSIDE THE MANATEES ... Pitcher Mark Williams was 8-1 with a 1.59 to help lead Marietta College to the 2011 NCAA Division III national Championship ... Pitcher Jed Bradley was the 15th pick overall in the 2011 draft out of Georgia Tech ... Pitcher Cameron Garfield was born in Frankfurt, Germany ... Outfielder Lance Roenicke is the son of Milwaukee Brewers manager, Ron Roenicke ... Outfielder Chadwin Stang was born in Surrey, British Columbia.
THE GREEN STREAK ... Lakeland designated hitter Dean Green is doing just that – hitting – going 7x16 in the early going for a .438 average. Collecting hits in each of the four games so far, Green has scored four runs and driven in two more. The big DH has had two hits in each of three of the four games of the Yankees series.
McVANEY THERE AS WELL ... Centerfielder Jeff McVaney has also gotten a hit in each of the four games of the Tampa series exclamated by a four-hit night on April 6 in Tampa. McVaney collected three singles and a double to help lead Lakeland to their first win of the year. Like Green, McVaney is also 7x16 at the plate.
MORE MOYA ... Rightfielder Steven Moya also has carried a hot bat so far (although he was hitless on Sunday). Moya, who had three hits in game two of the Tampa series, is 5x19 so far.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... Last season, this Flying Tiger had a torrid start to the 2012 season, collecting 12 hits in his first 17 at bats. Can your name this hot hitter? (Answer at the end of this column.)
ONE MORE ... Chad Wright doubled and singled twice on Saturday at Tampa and is 4x13 so far.
THE REST LOOKING FOR THEIR BATS ... With the above mentioned four hitters collecting 23 hits in 64 at bats (.359) as a unit, the rest of the roster is 9x70 (.129).
TAMPA BLANKS LAKELAND CATCHERS ... The only position not to get a hit in the Tampa series was the catching spot. John Murrian was held hitless in nine at bats over three games while Zach Maggard was kept off the bases in four at bats on Saturday,
SO CLOSE ... The Charlotte Stone Crabs came within one out of tossing the franchise’s first no-hitter on Saturday. Pitchers Jesse Hahn (3.0 IP), Jake Floethe (5.0 IP) held Palm Beach hitless through eight innings and Lenny Linsky had retired the first two batters he faced before walking one. Palm Beach’s Colin Walsh then tripled to right to break up the no-hitter. The Cardinals had just one baserunner in the first eight innings, that coming on an first-inning error.
AND THEN THERE WERE TWO ... Through the first weekend of action in the Florida State League just two teams remain undefeated. Fort Myers swept Bradenton in four games and St. Lucie emerged unscathed in four games against Jupiter, winning two games 1-0 and allowing just three runs over the four games.
ONES THAT GOT AWAY ... Not all Lakeland alums make the Detroit roster. Here’s some players that are active elsewhere in the majors: Burke Badenhop (2007) Brewers; Brennan Boesch (2008) Yankees; Rob Brantly (2011) Marlins; Alfredo Figaro (2008) Brewers; Jason Frasor (2002) Rangers; Charlie Furbush (2002) Mariners; Jack Hannahan (2002) Reds; Cristhian Martinez (2006) Braves; Cameron Maybin (2007) Padres; Andrew Miller (2007) Red Sox; Ryan Raburn (2004) Indians; Wilkin Ramirez (Twins); Fernando Rodney (2001) Rays; Scott Sizemore (Athletics); Andres Torres (Giants)
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manage and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,747-1,585 record entering the Brevard County series. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
UPCOMING PROMOS ... Tuesday, April 9 is Baseball Wingo sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings. A 2-for-1 ticket offer is available in The Ledger. Silver Sluggers received free admission to Tuesday’s contest ... Wednesday, April 19 is All-You-Can-Eat night sponsored by Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grill.
TRIVIA ANSWER ... Outfielder Tyler Collins had three hits in each of the four games of the 2012 season for Lakeland.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Mission Notes vs. Tampa (April 4-7)
THE SERIES ... The Flying Tigers open defense of their 2012 Florida State League Championship with a four-game set against the Tampa Yankees. Lakeland opens the season on Thursday, April 4 in Tampa at 7 pm and then holds the homer opener on Friday, April 5 at 7:11 pm at Joker Marchant Stadium. The series heads back to George Steinbrenner Field on Saturday, April 6 for a 6 pm game before closing out in Lakeland on Sunday, April 7 at 1 pm. Last season, Lakeland was 13-7 vs. Tampa, including wins in the first seven games. The Flying Tigers went 7-3 in Lakeland against the Yankees and 6-4 in Tampa.
SEASON LID LIFTERS ... This marks the 11th consecutive season Lakeland has faced Tampa to open the season. The Flying Tigers hold a 6-4 advantage in the previous ten openers and are 8-5 in season openers since 2000.
HOME OPENERS ... This is the fifth straight season the Tampa Yankees will be the opponent Lakeland faces in its first home game of the year. Lakeland has won the six consecutive home openers and is 8-1 since 2004. Last season, Lakeland drew 2,020 fans to the first home game of the year and has averaged 2,035 fans over the last four home openers. In 2009, the homer opener was witnessed by 2,224 fans - the largest first crowd in the last nine seasons.
THE FLYING TIGERS (73-58 in 2012) ... The Flying Tigers enter the 2013 season as the defending Florida State League champions. The title was Lakeland’s fourth FSL championship (which is second most in the league) and is its first since 1992.
THE YANKEES (65-70 in 2012) ... Tampa finished fourth in both the first and second halves of 2012. Yankee skipper, Luis Sojo, has the most wins of any Florida State League manager in league history.
2012 DRAFT CLASS ... The 2012 Flying Tiger roster features five member of Detroit’s 2012 draft class - Drew VerHagen (4th round); Joe Rogers (5th); Jeff McVaney (8th); Will Clinard (19th); Tyler Hanover (33rd)
VANDY MEN ... Three members of the 2013 Flying Tiger squad played collegiately at Vanderbilt University - Will Clinard, Drew VerHagen and Aaron Westlake. Clinard and VerHagen combined for a 13-6 record in 2012. Westlake, Clinard and former Flying Tiger Curt Casali (now with Charlotte) were teammates at Vandy on the 2011 team.
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR ... Tommy Collier was West Michigan’s Pitcher of the Year last season while Eugenio Saurez was the Midwest League’s Player of the Year. In 2011, Kevin Eichhorn was the Whitecaps’ Pitcher of the Year and Dean Green was Connecticut’s Player of the Year.
ALL-STARS ... Tommy Collier, Dean Green, Steven Moya, Eugenio Saurez and Michael Torrealba were all named to the 2012 Midwest League All-Star squad. Green was also named to the 2011 New York-Penn League (NYPL) All-Star team. Tyler Hanover was an All-Star in the NYPL in 2012 while John Murrian was a 2009 NYPL All-Star.
LOCAL BOYS ... Kyle Ryan played high school ball at Auburndale High while Joe Rogers played prep ball at Winter Haven High. Zach Maggard played collegiately at Florida Southern College.
FRIDAY’S PROMOS ... 7-11 Friday ... The first 1500 fans to Friday’s game will get a magnet schedule from Crestwood Suites of Lakeland. Friday is also McKeel Academy Spirit and Chick-Fil-A Night. In addition, Friday is TGI Friday’s Flying Tigers Mug Club Night #1.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... The Flying Tigers won their fourth Florida State League championship in 2012. Who was the manager of the first Lakeland team to capture a FSL Title? (Answer at the end of this column.)
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manage and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,745-1,583 record entering the 2013 season. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ... Here’s a look at where some of the 2012 Lakeland Flying Tigers are in 2013 ...
DETROIT (MLB): Avisail Garcia (DL)
TOLEDO (AAA): Nick Castellanos and Bruce Rondon
ERIE (AA): Cesar Carrillo (inactive); Luis Castilo, Tyler Clark, Tyler Collins, Patrick Cooper, Matt Crouse, Daniel Fields, Wade Gaynor, Corey Jones, Victor Larez, Marcus Lemon, Dixon Machado (DL); James McCann, Hernan Perez, James Robbins, Warwick Saupold
LAKELAND (A+): Alex Burgos, Kevin Eichhorn, Dean Green, Zach Maggard, Melvin Mercedes, Jade Todd, Drew VerHagen
WEST MICHIGAN (A): Lance Durham, Julio Felix, Jeff Holm, Guido Knudson, Matt Perry, Adolfo Reina, Luis Alverto Sanz, Austin Schotts
RELEASED: Daniel Bennett, Jordan Guida, Cale Iorg, Matt Little, Michael Rockett, Brian Stroud, Shawn Teufel, Jared Wesson, Tyler White, Ryan Woolley
CHANGE OF SCENERY ... Catcher Curt Casali remains in the Florida State League, but now dons the blue and white of the Charlotte Stone Crabs as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Casali was shipped to Tampa Bay as compensation for the Tigers keeping Rule 5 selection Kyle Lobstein.
• Pitcher Brian Flynn now takes the mound in Jacksonville in the AA Southern League as a member of the Miami Marlins group. Another Marlins member is Jacob Turner who now hurls for the New Orleans Zephyrs in the AAA Pacific Coast League. Both players were traded by Detroit last July (along with former Flying Tiger catcher Rob Brantly) to Miami in exchange for pitcher Anibal Sanchez and infielder Omar Infante.
• Pitcher Luis Angel Sanz was signed by Pittsburgh as a free agent and starts the season at Altoona in the AA Eastern League.
SAME THAMES ... Tampa Yankee batting coach Marcus Thames played for the Detroit Tigers from 2004-2009 and played parts of ten seasons in the Major Leagues.
TOP YANKEE PROSPECTS ... Tampa catcher Gary Sanchez is rated as the top prospect in Yankee organization by MLB.com. Outfielder Mason Williams is the No. 2 prospect while second baseman Angelo Gumbs is the No. 7th ranked Yankees prospect by the same MLB.com. Gumbs was New York’s second pick out of high school in 2010.
TRIVIA ANSWER ... Current Detroit skipper Jim Leyland was the manager of the 1976 Lakeland Tigers when the team won the FSL title. He would also coach the 1977 Lakeland team to the FSL crown.
SEASON LID LIFTERS ... This marks the 11th consecutive season Lakeland has faced Tampa to open the season. The Flying Tigers hold a 6-4 advantage in the previous ten openers and are 8-5 in season openers since 2000.
HOME OPENERS ... This is the fifth straight season the Tampa Yankees will be the opponent Lakeland faces in its first home game of the year. Lakeland has won the six consecutive home openers and is 8-1 since 2004. Last season, Lakeland drew 2,020 fans to the first home game of the year and has averaged 2,035 fans over the last four home openers. In 2009, the homer opener was witnessed by 2,224 fans - the largest first crowd in the last nine seasons.
THE FLYING TIGERS (73-58 in 2012) ... The Flying Tigers enter the 2013 season as the defending Florida State League champions. The title was Lakeland’s fourth FSL championship (which is second most in the league) and is its first since 1992.
THE YANKEES (65-70 in 2012) ... Tampa finished fourth in both the first and second halves of 2012. Yankee skipper, Luis Sojo, has the most wins of any Florida State League manager in league history.
2012 DRAFT CLASS ... The 2012 Flying Tiger roster features five member of Detroit’s 2012 draft class - Drew VerHagen (4th round); Joe Rogers (5th); Jeff McVaney (8th); Will Clinard (19th); Tyler Hanover (33rd)
VANDY MEN ... Three members of the 2013 Flying Tiger squad played collegiately at Vanderbilt University - Will Clinard, Drew VerHagen and Aaron Westlake. Clinard and VerHagen combined for a 13-6 record in 2012. Westlake, Clinard and former Flying Tiger Curt Casali (now with Charlotte) were teammates at Vandy on the 2011 team.
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR ... Tommy Collier was West Michigan’s Pitcher of the Year last season while Eugenio Saurez was the Midwest League’s Player of the Year. In 2011, Kevin Eichhorn was the Whitecaps’ Pitcher of the Year and Dean Green was Connecticut’s Player of the Year.
ALL-STARS ... Tommy Collier, Dean Green, Steven Moya, Eugenio Saurez and Michael Torrealba were all named to the 2012 Midwest League All-Star squad. Green was also named to the 2011 New York-Penn League (NYPL) All-Star team. Tyler Hanover was an All-Star in the NYPL in 2012 while John Murrian was a 2009 NYPL All-Star.
LOCAL BOYS ... Kyle Ryan played high school ball at Auburndale High while Joe Rogers played prep ball at Winter Haven High. Zach Maggard played collegiately at Florida Southern College.
FRIDAY’S PROMOS ... 7-11 Friday ... The first 1500 fans to Friday’s game will get a magnet schedule from Crestwood Suites of Lakeland. Friday is also McKeel Academy Spirit and Chick-Fil-A Night. In addition, Friday is TGI Friday’s Flying Tigers Mug Club Night #1.
LAKELAND TRIVIA ... The Flying Tigers won their fourth Florida State League championship in 2012. Who was the manager of the first Lakeland team to capture a FSL Title? (Answer at the end of this column.)
THE SKIPPER ... Manager Dave Huppert, who was inducted into the Florida State League Hall of Fame in 2012, is in his 25th season as a minor league manage and is the active winningest manager in the minors with a 1,745-1,583 record entering the 2013 season. Last season, he led Lakeland to the 2012 Florida State League Championship to record his fourth overall championship and his third in the FSL. He also led the 2001 Brevard County to a co-championship while his 2007 Clearwater squad won the crown outright. In addition, he coached the Lakeland Blue Claws (Phillies) to the 2006 South Atlantic League title.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ... Here’s a look at where some of the 2012 Lakeland Flying Tigers are in 2013 ...
DETROIT (MLB): Avisail Garcia (DL)
TOLEDO (AAA): Nick Castellanos and Bruce Rondon
ERIE (AA): Cesar Carrillo (inactive); Luis Castilo, Tyler Clark, Tyler Collins, Patrick Cooper, Matt Crouse, Daniel Fields, Wade Gaynor, Corey Jones, Victor Larez, Marcus Lemon, Dixon Machado (DL); James McCann, Hernan Perez, James Robbins, Warwick Saupold
LAKELAND (A+): Alex Burgos, Kevin Eichhorn, Dean Green, Zach Maggard, Melvin Mercedes, Jade Todd, Drew VerHagen
WEST MICHIGAN (A): Lance Durham, Julio Felix, Jeff Holm, Guido Knudson, Matt Perry, Adolfo Reina, Luis Alverto Sanz, Austin Schotts
RELEASED: Daniel Bennett, Jordan Guida, Cale Iorg, Matt Little, Michael Rockett, Brian Stroud, Shawn Teufel, Jared Wesson, Tyler White, Ryan Woolley
CHANGE OF SCENERY ... Catcher Curt Casali remains in the Florida State League, but now dons the blue and white of the Charlotte Stone Crabs as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Casali was shipped to Tampa Bay as compensation for the Tigers keeping Rule 5 selection Kyle Lobstein.
• Pitcher Brian Flynn now takes the mound in Jacksonville in the AA Southern League as a member of the Miami Marlins group. Another Marlins member is Jacob Turner who now hurls for the New Orleans Zephyrs in the AAA Pacific Coast League. Both players were traded by Detroit last July (along with former Flying Tiger catcher Rob Brantly) to Miami in exchange for pitcher Anibal Sanchez and infielder Omar Infante.
• Pitcher Luis Angel Sanz was signed by Pittsburgh as a free agent and starts the season at Altoona in the AA Eastern League.
SAME THAMES ... Tampa Yankee batting coach Marcus Thames played for the Detroit Tigers from 2004-2009 and played parts of ten seasons in the Major Leagues.
TOP YANKEE PROSPECTS ... Tampa catcher Gary Sanchez is rated as the top prospect in Yankee organization by MLB.com. Outfielder Mason Williams is the No. 2 prospect while second baseman Angelo Gumbs is the No. 7th ranked Yankees prospect by the same MLB.com. Gumbs was New York’s second pick out of high school in 2010.
TRIVIA ANSWER ... Current Detroit skipper Jim Leyland was the manager of the 1976 Lakeland Tigers when the team won the FSL title. He would also coach the 1977 Lakeland team to the FSL crown.
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