Catching Up

So, I have some catching up to do... I blame work for my lack of posting. Dog gone work. Still, it's good to have a job.

6/21 Farm Report:
AA: at Frisco 2, Corpus Christi 1
Win: Torres (1-1, 3.54)

Before 10,830 adoring onlookers, Blake Beavan squelched the Hooks for seven innings, allowing a lone run on six hits and a walk. Beavan struck out four and threw 73 of his 99 pitches for strikes.

Adam Fox singled home Manny Pina (who had reached on an error) in the bottom of the 9th. Pina drove in Marcus Lemon (3-3) in the 6th for Frisco’s other run.

6/27 Farm Report:

AA: at Frisco 3, Corpus Christi 10
Loss: Beavan (0-1, 6.48)
Record: 0-3, -3.0 (2nd half)

The Hooks avenged last weekend’s lost to Blake Beavan, who permitted nine runs (six earned) in 4.1 innings, walking and striking out two. Congrats to Zach Phillips, who was promoted from Bakersfield and immediately thrown into the fire. Phillips replaced Beavan with one out and the bases loaded in the 5th; he allowed all three to score, then held the Hooks scoreless for three more innings. The 22-year-old Phillips posted a 1.23 ERA and 27% strikeout rate in 44 Bakersfield innings.

LF Mitch Moreland (.309/.348/.455 in Frisco) tripled and walked. In his last four games, Johnny Whittleman (.217/.342/.297) is 1-for-7 with nine walks.

Coming into the season, would you take the Rangers six games over 500 and a game and a half back at the end of June? I'm pretty sure anybody would, but also knowing that we had a four game lead at one point and dropping from that lead to where we are, well, it's takes the sweetness out of the whole thing. Still, this is a team geared up for the future. It would be especially tempting to want to do a trade or two to gear up for the rest of this season, but let's be honest... we have to be wise about this situation and stay the course of the plan. Let's not win now to lose in the future, which this club has been accustomed to in the past. Right now... it would be hard to have that mindset, but I am fully convinced that this team can win next year and in the years to come if we exercise patience now.

Home Plate

Roughriders vs. Hooks

Yes, the Texas League All-Star game is in Frisco this year. Nice.

Frisco is last in their division with a record of 27-35 and seven games behind Midland, while the Hooks stand in 3rd with a record of 30-32 and four games behind Midland. This is Beavan's second start for Frisco, his first at home.

Trinidad has a record of 6-4 with a 3.53 ERA. He's currently tied for the club lead in innings, has ten starts, with a complete game, and has a save. He gives up one HR in nine innings (actually, it is one in 9.48 innings, which works out to be one in 9.1 innings), so he has pretty good control and keeps the ball down, or so his statistics would suggest.

Beavan's first start was not good, really. He gave up six runs (five earned) in 5.1 innings while walking none, but giving up eight hits and striking out six. His ERA is 8.44 and he has no record. They say the transitition from A ball to AA baseball is one of the toughest for a player. The other is the transition to the Majors. If Beavan does well in Frisco, which I think he will, he will be set up for success for when he starts for the Texas Rangers. I think he is several starts away from figuring things out in Frisco. That won't really help him tonight, but maybe he will make some adjustments now... hard to say. I guess a strong plus in his first start is the zero walks. If he keeps that consistency up, things should fall into place fairly quickly. And you know, there is no place like home.

Forecast: Beavan could pull it off today. Or at least do enough to grab a win. And that is what I am going to go with... I think he will not necessarily pitch like the Ace he will become, but he will pitch enough to win. Look for him to give up three runs over five and a partial innings as the Rider's win this one, 6-4.

Home Plate

Spokane Indians Roster

Spokane begins its 76-game season in the Northwest League this Saturday. The Indians' roster as of Wednesday:

Pitchers signed in 2008 or earlier:

• Reiner Bermudez (US debut)
• Geuris Grullon (2008 rookie league)
• Ben Henry (mostly rookie ball in '08)
• Trevor Hurley (in Hickory part of this season)
• Justin King (2008 rookie league)
• Kyle Ocampo (2008 rookie league)
• Joseph Ortiz (in Hickory at start, then hurt)
• Jorge Quintero (in low-A Clinton all of '08)
• Robbie Ross (finally making pro debut, #57 overall pick in '08)
• John Slusarz (hurt forever, last pitched in Clinton in '07)
• Matt Thompson (2008 rookie league)

New pitchers (all drafted):

• Sam Brown (22nd round)
• Keith Campbell (15)
• Chris Matlock (21)
• Braden Tullis (8)
• Shane Zagarac (42)

Position players signed in 2008 or earlier:

• C Albert Puello (mostly rookie ball in '08)
• C Zach Zaneski (played sparingly in Hickory)
• 1B Clark Murphy (began in Hickory, batted .218/.282/.273)
• MIF Edward Martinez (also played in Hickory, .196/.212/.225)
• 3B Emmanuel Solis (rookie ball in '07, Dominican League last year)
• OF Miguel Alfonzo (in low-A Clinton all of '08)
• OF Aja Barto (currently in Bakersfield)
• OF Santo Dejesus (US debut)
• OF Chris Dove (rookie ball in '08)
• OF Cody Podraza (just reassigned from Hickory)

New position players:

• C Vincent Difazio (12th round)
• 2B Danny Lima (23)
• SS Denny Duron (free agent)
• MIF Shon Landry (31)
• OF Jared Prince (34)
• OF Kyle Rhoad (33)

Home Plate

Harper's Island: Episode 10

I'm thinking from Episode 9 on, there will be at least two who die in each of the remaining episodes... which now, there is episode 10 and episode 11. They revealed that the Sheriff is the killer in episode 9, but I am not buying into it.

Here are the updates:

• Beth Barrington: A trail of blood led the survivors into a series of underground tunnels where bridesmaid Beth's dismembered corpse was found...
• Katherine Wellington: The bride's stepmom spent the night sleeping on a couch, but in the morning, she was discovered with a pair of garden shears stabbed in her back...
  

Since two women died in episode nine (which two of my three guesses were right), I am thinking a guy is going to get it in episode 10. And it is likely that Shane will get knocked off. I also like Sully to bite it. Danny is just a shot in the dark...

My prime suspect right now is Nikki. Maggie and Cal remain high on my list, but Nikki is my prime suspect at this point. She hasn't been in an episode for quite some time... and that is why. I have read others who have said they think it is Henry, the groom. And there are some huge question marks about him, as he has cuts on him that he does not "know" where they came from. But he didn't plant the animal head in his bathtub... that wouldn't make much sense... unless he has multiple personalities. And my number one thing about this killer is that the killer isn't right in the head.

Home on the Range

Why Children Shouldn't Have Camera's

This is just HILARIOUS to me. What I am going to do is update the post, repost it everyday with the latest, adding it underneath the previous day's strip to follow the progress. Why? Just because.

Home Plate