Big Ralph bites off a little lessPosted Jul31, 2006 at 03:23 PMCoach Ralph Friedgen knows he is the face of the Maryland football program, but fans shouldn't be surprised if they see a little less of him this season. After back-to-back 5-6 seasons, the man they call "The Fridge" is drifting away from public relations and getting back to basics. "When I went to Maryland, I kind of knew what had to be done there," said Friedgen, who is entering his sixth season with the Terps. "I think we had to improve our fan base, we had to improve our fundraising, we had to improve our facilities. I think I’ve done all that. Now it’s time to get back to winning football games." Friedgen set a lofty standard at Maryland by winning 10 games in each of his first two seasons and claiming the 2001 ACC title. The fans have bought into the program -- the Terps averaged more than 52,000 per home game last year to set an attendance record -- but Friedgen thinks it will take nothing less than a bowl bid this season, and preferably more, to keep them interested. He accepts that -- as long as they're willing to accept seeing a little less of him. "I’m out of the fund-raising business," Friedgen said. "I used to do a breakfast the Friday before every home game. I think I’m only going to do three of those this year. I just can’t do everything. I’m going to cut back and focused on winning football now.” W.O.E.Posted Jul28, 2006 at 04:30 PMWondering why the P-Jays lost for the 11th time in 12 games last night? Well, because of injuries and guys just not hitting well, they ran out a lineup that included the following batting averages: .225, .263, .211, .260, .190, and .255. Chris Emanuele (.309), Jonathan Jaspe (.289) and Travis Snider (.297) are the only ones swinging the bat these days. Manager Dave Pano remains sanguine. The 13-1 start that propelled Pulaski to the top of the Appalachian League is long gone, but all is not yet lost. “We’ve just got to get back to doing what we do,” he said Friday from Burlington, N.C., where the Jays conclude a mammoth road trip with games tonight and tomorrow against the Indians. That “brutal” road trip – 14 games in 12 days, with two makeup games in Elizabethton – has Pano none too pleased. “There’s no other team in this league that has had to do that,” he said, and he’s right. Bluefield starts a 10-game trip Sunday and Princeton just started a nine-gamer, but most teams don’t leave home for more than six or seven games. Still, Pano said, “it’s not an excuse. We have not played well, and we’re really working hard to get back to playing like we did.” Wind Beneath WingsPosted Jul26, 2006 at 03:46 PMDo-gooder alert! The Pulaski Blue Jays have partnered with the New River Valley chapter of the American Red Cross to honor local residents who give back to their communities. They will take nominations for "Hometown Heroes" through Aug. 14. P.R. dynamo Marty Gordon explains: Criteria is simple: the individual has given back to the community in some form over the past year. This includes and is not limited to non-profit organizations through the NRV region. Examples: Someone that has given hours to help build a Habitat for Humanity home; the person that delivers home cooked meals to the elderly; the police officer that helped deliver a baby; the woman that has volunteered at her local hospital for numerous years; or the churchgoer that helped organize a fundraiser for the family of a cancer victim. Two is the loneliest numberPosted Jul26, 2006 at 11:56 AMYour Pulaski Blue Jays have dropped for the first time this season to second place in the East Division of the Appalachian League. Danville (21-13) has a two-game lead after dealing the visiting Jays (19-15) a second straight loss Tuesday, 12-1. Carnage update: Pulaski, which won 13 of its first 14 games, is 6-14 since and 1-9 in its past 10 games. And that's not the worst part. Last night they committed SEVEN errors, making 7 of Danville's 12 runs unearned. The lowlights: First inning: Josh Lex, not really a first baseman by trade, drops the throw on a potential inning-ending double play. The Braves go on to score three runs. Baron Frost, the best hitter and by far worst fielder among Jays outfielders, also bobbled a ball in left field that allowed two runners to advance, though Rey Gonzalez ended the inning by striking out the next hitter, the wonderfully named Concepcion Rodriguez. (He's a center fielder, not a shortstop.) Third inning: Jays baby bull Travis Snider displays his arm in right field, but the off-line throw allows runners to move up to second and third. Third baseman Leance Soto, no stranger to errors he, commits his first of the game with another bad throw. Gonzalez leaves with one out and Danville increases its lead to 9-1. Sixth inning: Calm for a while until throwing errors by Snider and reliever John Zinnicker on the same play spark a two-run burst. Soto throws in a fielding error for good measure, his 10th in only 20 games this summer. Yeesh. Wrestling updatePosted Jul25, 2006 at 02:43 PMIf any of you were waiting for Virginia Tech's response to the lawsuit filed June 30 by the five wrestlers fighting for transfer releases, it should come this week. The deadline for the university to file a response in Montgomery County Circuit Court is Thursday -- three weeks from the day Tech president Charles Steger was served with papers, not three weeks from the day the suit was filed. This news comes from the plaintiffs' attorney, John J. Robertson of Long & Neyhart, P.C. Click here for more background information. Redick named ACC male athlete of the yearPosted Jul25, 2006 at 10:43 AMJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Former Cave Spring and Duke basketball star J.J. Redick won the Anthony J. McKevlin Award as the ACC's top male performer today. Redick received 33 of the 73 votes by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Florida State's Garrett Johnson, NCAA champion in the indoor and outdoor shot put, was second with 11 votes. "Winning the award as the top male athlete in the ACC means a great deal to me because the league has always been such a big part of my life," Redick said in a news release announcing the honor. "As in any year, there were many deserving candidates and I am honored to be recognized in this way." Paula Infante of Maryland, the national field hockey player of the year, received the Mary Garber Award as the ACC's top female athlete. ACC commissioner John Swofford held his annual football forum this morning. Staff writer Doug Doughty will have a report on that in Wednesday's Roanoke Times and on roanoke.com. Beamer: QB competition 'still on'Posted Jul24, 2006 at 09:20 PMJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer made one thing perfectly clear Monday: Sean Glennon may have come out of spring practice as the team's No. 1 quarterback, but he hasn't earned anything yet. "This competition's still on," Beamer said. Glennon, a sophomore, outdueled sophomore Cory Holt and freshman Ike Whitaker this spring to earn the top spot on the depth chart. Mammoth freshman Greg Boone is also working at that position in addition to taking some practice time at tight end -- his more likely destination. But Holt and Whitaker have just as good a chance as Glennon to take the starting QB job for the opener against Northeastern. “We came out of spring with an order," Beamer said. "Now we’re going to come back and see how they report back. Has anybody made up ground over the summer? Who’s thrown the most balls? Is anybody throwing better? Is anybody throwing worse? And then we’ll go through about a week of preseason practice and hopefully name a starter. I think the quicker we name a starter will be the best for our football team and the best for the quarterback himself.” Beamer didn't give an exact deadline, but he did say that once the choice is made, he's going to stick with his quarterback. There will be no platoon situations, he said. "One guy," Beamer said. "We’ve been down the dual-quarterback situation, and most of them, it just doesn’t work very well. There’s too many people up in the stands, they’re looking at the results and if it turns out OK, it’s OK. But the first time it doesn’t turn out OK, it’s ‘Told you so.’ I think the quarterback, you need to go with a guy and he needs to be your guy.” Hokies back in hunter rolePosted Jul24, 2006 at 07:10 PMJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A year after being the overwhelming favorite to win the Coastal Division, the Virginia Tech Hokies are looking up at Miami in the ACC preseason poll, which was released this afternoon. Virginia Tech got 10 votes out of 65 to win the division, while Miami garnered 52. Florida State was the choice in the Atlantic Division. Miami was also the favorite to win the league title with 31 votes, while FSU had 23. Virginia Tech and Clemson each got five. "How many guys vote?" Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said. "Three hundred?" So what does it all mean? Absolutely nothing, of course. Miami and Florida State are obviously loaded with talent, but the fact that they have established quarterbacks is the real clincher in making them the favorites. Thanks for your question about the 12 games, Spring Bok75. Yes, it has been a topic of interest, but to answer your question, there is no consensus among players and coaches. Most of the players here said they'd play 100 games if they could. Most of the coaches expressed worry that the workload might be reaching a tipping point. But something tells me these players won't have much trouble getting through a 12th game, particularly because those games will be almost exclusively against patsies. Beamer's golf outing with UVa quarterbackPosted Jul24, 2006 at 06:52 PMJACKSONVILLE -- Here's a little nugget passed along by Virginia Tech beat writer Randy King. I'm posting it under my name because, well, I'm a thief like that: Tech coach Frank Beamer played with Virginia quarterback Christian Olsen and ex-Miami Dolphins star QB Bob Griese in Monday's captain's choice golf tournament at the Sawgrass Resort's Valley Course. Beamer said he had fun playing with Olsen despite the fact he's the projected starting QB for the Hokies' bitter instate rival. ACC preseason football poll releasedPosted Jul24, 2006 at 06:13 PMTo no one's surprise, the Florida teams are the teams to beat in the ACC football race, at least that's what the media gang this week in Jacksonville says. Florida State is supposed to beat out Clemson to win the Atlantic Division. Miami is favored in the Coastal over Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Virginia. For the entire poll and some other things the ACC media voted on, go to: Aaron McFarling will have more on this topic later today. More from Tech and UVaPosted Jul24, 2006 at 12:32 PMJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A few loose ends from yesterday as we await the unveiling of the ACC poll: Sunday was the first time I'd heard UVa quarterback Christian Olsen speak in person. For a first-time starter, the guy sure seems confident -- which is not a bad thing. But was it all just an act? After all, he did say that being a drama major at UVa has been a boon to his people skills. Either way, he's an engaging public speaker. Here's his response when I asked him what his biggest challenge would be this preseason: “I just want to get this offense to the point where we can go out and for the first game not even thinking about, 'Hey, if they’re playing this defense, where do I throw the ball?' I just want it to be like second nature. I want to get to where this offense is clicking in full gear. I don’t want it to take two games for this offense to get comfortable, [where] people say they’re shaking off rust or it’s early in the season. I want to be full-tilt as good as we can be the first game.” Asked if that was realistic with just a month of practice, Olsen didn't hesitate. “I think that’s very realistic," he said. "I don’t see any reason why our offense can’t be as good as it can be the first play of the first game.” Speaking of breaking in new guys, Virginia Tech senior Danny McGrath said it felt sort of odd being the elder statesman on the offensive line, where the Hokies will have three new starters. “You kind of take it for granted when you’re playing next to Jason Murphy and Jimmy Martin and Will Montgomery for two or three years, and now they’re gone," he said. "Now I guess we just need to start over and see if we can get as good as we can get in the next couple of weeks.” A nod to Darryl Slater of the Newport News Daily Press, a blogging veteran who suggested I pick the best media guide cover out of the 12 ACC teams. Duke, hands down. Or hand up, I should say. Simple, black cover featuring a gloved hand hoisting a Duke helmet. "Duke" is splashed across the top in gold with blue trim. "2006 Football" is written in small, white letters on the bottom. Pretty intimidating -- until you remember it's Duke. Football, golf and wussiesPosted Jul24, 2006 at 10:38 AMJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- I'm the wussie. But I'm not going to apologize. Not after a good night's rest and a nice, relaxing breakfast that the others weren't so fortunate to have. The Marvin "Skeeter" Francis Media and Coaches Golf Outing teed off at 8 a.m. today at the Sawgrass Valley Course, and a good chunk of the media and ACC football coaches here are playing in it. I didn't play because I am dedicated to you, the reader, and this blog, and I can't be blogging while golfing, now can I? That's a lie. I didn't play because I'm the worst golfer ever (although Virginia Tech radio play-by-play man Bill Roth argued that point with me yesterday. He tried to talk me into filling in for him, and then we had a 30-second debate on which of us was the crummier player). Maybe I'll grow a spine by next year. Tech beat man Randy King was placed in a foursome with Duke coach Ted Roof for the third consecutive year. "Wait till he sees those pairings," King said yesterday. "He's already won a game and the season hasn't even started yet." One of the more interesting foursomes includes UVa quarterback Christian Olsen, Tech coach Frank Beamer and Hall of Fame QB Bob Griese. Olsen was looking forward to the outing but didn't think he had much of a chance against those guys. “I don’t have a handicap," Olsen said. "I haven’t played in three years. My handicap’s probably my short game, if you want to put that in there.” The ACC preseason poll is scheduled to come out today. I'll post that as soon as we get it. Also, all 12 coaches are scheduled to speak to the media this afternoon. It will be interesting to see how many of them will be talking about their (lack of) job security. This is a big year for a lot of coaches in the league -- especially Miami coach Larry Coker, who has yet to win a title since leaving the Big East. UVa football -- comic reliefPosted Jul23, 2006 at 07:59 PMJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- I've got to say, UVa cornerback Marcus Hamilton put us all to shame today. How much journalism experience does he have? Zero? And he still conducted the best interview of the day. It came at the end of the session, when he grabbed a tape recorder and note pad with prepared questions on it and sat down next to quarterback Christian Olsen. Hamilton: “Chris…um…" Olsen (looking at the pad): “Are those your questions? That doesn’t look like your handwriting.” Hamilton: “Can I just ask the questions, please?” Hamilton: “What does Deyon bring to the table that you like?” Hamilton: “Are you a model or a supermodel?” (Click here or here for background on that). Olsen: “I’d say I’m probably a supermodel, especially when compared to the rest of our team.” Hamilton: “The final question is, what is the dumbest question you’ve been asked?” Sagging pecs -- how not to lift weightsPosted Jul23, 2006 at 06:55 PMJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Here's a challenge for you: Find a nastier injury than the one North Carolina tailback Ronnie McGill described this afternoon. OK, I probably shouldn't oversell this. So maybe it's not the nastiest ever (I'm looking in your direction, Theisman), but at the very least, it's weird. On June 11, 2005, McGill was lifting weights when he figured he'd test himself. “Like an idiot, I decided I was going to add weight to the bench press," McGill said. So he put 405 pounds on the bar. "I was doing it and I messed up my technique," McGill said. "And when I pushed it up my muscle just popped. I didn’t know what happened. I stood up and my chest wasn’t up. My chest dropped." Huh? Your chest did what? "Like the muscles that were holding it up tore, so my chest kind of fell. Which put me in shock.” I'd say that's an understandable response. He ended up having surgery and missed half of last season. But the 5-foot-11, 220-pounder is back and healthy for his senior year. He's a little wiser, too, when it comes to the bench press. “I try to keep it around 275,” he said, laughing. And while we're on the subject of McGill, I should credit Norm Wood, the Virginia Tech beat writer from the Daily Press in Newport News, for asking McGill what player in the league hits the hardest. McGill paused and thought for a second. “You can write the whole Virginia Tech defense down,” McGill said with a laugh. “Yeah, they do.” I'll check in again later tonight. Stay tuned. For Hokies, image is everythingPosted Jul23, 2006 at 03:22 PMJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- All the other players wore polo shirts today. Sandals. Shorts. T-shirts. This was, after all, merely an interview session with the ACC media -- normally a pretty casual crowd, particularly when they're turned loose at a resort hotel in Florida. But Virginia Tech's two players chose to be different. Lineman Danny McGrath showed up in dress slacks, a crisp white dress shirt and a tie. Linebacker Aaron Rouse was decked out in khakis, a blue dress shirt and tie. “He wanted to be fresh today," McGrath said, nodding toward his teammate. "I’m not as fresh as him over there.” Was that mandated by the coaches? “That was mandated by Aaron Rouse," he said. "That’s who mandated it.” But this wasn't about Rouse just wanting to look good. There was a message here. "It kind of sets that mentality of you know what to do," Rouse said. "You’re not just winging it. Be professional. People are counting on you. You never know who’s going to read this paper. There’s all kind of fans and people looking up to you. I’m trying to show these young guys that everybody’s always watching you, and if somebody’s always watching you, you need to be accountable for your actions.” Accountability, of course, been a big topic at Tech ever since the penalty-filled ACC championship game and the Gator Bowl. The dismissal of Marcus Vick and coach Frank Beamer's emphasis on discipline have been two of the major storylines of the off-season. "We went 11-2, and how many people out there remember that?" Rouse said. "What do they remember from last year? It may be a Marcus situation or a Jimmy [Williams] or a penalty or something like that. So I really try to tell these young guys that your behavior is what counts.” And was wearing a tie a part of that effort? “Of course," Rouse said. "When you’re a player and you see your team and your school kind of harassed by the media saying certain things, it kind of makes you look at the situation and see how you can improve and how to turn things around. That’s what we did. "That’s what coach Beamer did, he came in and looked for guys to step up and be leaders and show the world what Virginia Tech is really like.” I'll have some more from these two a little later this evening, so be sure to check back. We'll also get to some comments from the two UVa players here, Marcus Hamilton and Christian Olsen, and some other tidbits along the way. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to post them here. Welcome backPosted Jul22, 2006 at 10:18 PMDays after being promoted to Class-A Auburn, 19-year-old second baseman Wes Stone was sent back to rookie ball for Pulaski's five-games-in-three-days visit to defending champion Elizabethton. The California native returned to his familar No. 2 spot in the order for the first game of tonight's doubleheader, a 7-2 win that the Jays sorely needed after losing both Friday games. Manager Dave Pano had been feeling a bit shorthanded in the infield, particularly after first baseman Paul Franko left Thursday's game with a thumb injury. He asked for one of Auburn's seven infielders and got Stone, who had earned the promotion but wouldn't have gotten the playing time he gets at Pulaski. Stone did not, it appears, get his old No. 9 jersey back. That was given to newcomer Derek Tate in the interim, so Stone is listed as No. 23, which was worn earlier this summer by a pitcher since promoted. (I don't have my notes with me here over the weekend.) No doubt Franko would have been glad to take the open No. 23 -- he had it last year and was a little miffed the uniform powers-that-be gave him No. 15 instead. Uniform numbers aside, we'll try to catch up soon with Stone, who hit .154 in 13 Class-A at-bats, to see what he thinks of this promotion-demotion. At the moment, he's 1-for-4 with an RBI double in tonight's nightcap. He just caught a Twins pop-up to send the game to extra innings, tied at 6. Hampton QB picks TechPosted Jul21, 2006 at 07:57 PMHampton High School quarterback Tyrod Taylor made it official Friday night: He's a Hokie. Taylor, one of the top-rated rising senior quarterbacks in the country, announced his decision to attend Virginia Tech over his other finalist, Florida. Taylor becomes the 11th player in two weeks to commit to the Hokies. He's the 13th overall, but by far the jewel of Tech's 2007 recruiting class. Taylor said the Hokies offered him a scholarship in the summer before his sophomore season and promised him from then to now that he'd be the only quarterback they would recruit in this class. Tech coaches stayed true to their word, while Taylor stayed on the star track. As a junior this past season, Taylor led the Crabbers to a Group AAA Division 5 state title. He passed for 1,500 yards, ran for more than 1,000 and accounted for 30 total touchdowns. This report is courtesy of Kyle Tucker at the Virginian-Pilot who was in Hampton tonight for the announcement at Crabbers Restaurant. NotasPosted Jul21, 2006 at 06:54 PMBefore we serve up a steaming helpful of P-Jays news, a mea culpa: Apparently RHP Chase Lirette is not with Pulaski. Manager Dave Pano says he’s at Class-A Auburn. (Just when everyone was rushing out to get their replica Chase Lirette jerseys.) Onward ho. The Jays’ doubleheader at Elizabethton should be underway by now. Thanks to a pair of rainouts last month at Calfee Park, they’ll play five games in three days against the defending champion Twins (19-8), who passed Pulaski for the best record in the league by finishing a three-game sweep of Greeneville last night. “We’re playing the hottest team in the league right now,” Pano said. “And you know, it’s amazing how it works, because when they were at our place [June 24-26] they were not playing well and we blew them out the first game. We probably would have blown them out in all three games. But that’s the way it works.” Scheduled for 12 road games in 12 days, the Jays will now have 14 games. Bully for them. To get through doubleheaders today and tomorrow, Pano will supplement the usual starting rotation with Kyle Ginley, a recently signed 2006 pick who has one of the best arms on the club, and Joe Wice, who had worked long relief after starting all last season. Kyle Walter was slated to start today’s 6 p.m. game, with Ginley in the nightcap. Tomorrow it will be Mike Barbara and Wice, with Alex McRobbie on Sunday. ACC Football timePosted Jul21, 2006 at 05:18 PMWho wants to pile in a van Saturday and ride with Randy King and Doug Doughty down to Jacksonville for this weekend's ACC football kickoff? Anybody? Uh, didn't think so. Never fear. I'll be pilin' and I'll be going. And I'll be more than happy to check out some themes of interest to you. Two players from each of the 12 ACC teams will be available for interviews Sunday afternoon. On Monday, the 12 head coaches take the stage. A lot of the stuff we hear there we'll use in our upcoming preseason guide, but I plan to post here a couple of times a day with any buzz. Got a question about ACC football or something specific for any of the coaches? Let me know, and I'll try to get it answered while I'm there. You can just post it in the comment section here if you'd like. All the news, no van ride. Not a bad deal, eh? Be sure to check back this weekend.
Zut alors!Posted Jul21, 2006 at 11:03 AMHigh drama last night in Bluefield, as the P-Jays rallied from a four-run deficit but fell short when the tying run, in the person of Luis Fernandez, was thrown out at the plate to end the game at 5-4. Kieron Pope’s three-run run homer off Pulaski LHP Derek Tate (11.57 ERA in 2 appearances) helped the Orioles take a 5-2 lead into the ninth, but the Jays put the first two runners on. Victor Santana struck out looking – and then was ejected by home plate umpire Chris Segal – before Fernandez singled to right. C.J. Ebarb scored from second and Heliezer Aguilar came around from first when right fielder Joseph Nowicki bobbled the ball. Fernandez moved up to second on the error and tagged up to go to third when Chris Emanuele cracked a fly ball to deep right-center. Center fielder Richard Oleo made a running catch, Pulaski manager Dave Pano explained, but he “thought there were two outs, so he kind of jogged in and he just flipped it up to the cutoff guy.” Pano, who coaches third base, waved Fernandez around as second baseman Bobby Henson whirled to throw home. Catcher Justin Johnson applied the tag with some ease, Pano said. ”To me, it was worth the risk, because there were two outs,” Pano said. “One out, obviously we wouldn’t have done it.” Santana’s ejection came after he was called out on strikes for a second straight time. “Yeah, Vic’s been struggling,” Pano said. “He had got called out the time before and … they threw him out of the game. I mean, you just can’t do those things. He’s a young kid, he’s struggling right now and it’s kind of getting the best of him a little bit.” Plenty of Jays news going on as they continue their 12-day road trip -- including a Blog Fever mea culpa -- so check back later. Pink CadillacPosted Jul20, 2006 at 07:15 PMDon’t look now, but your Pulaski Blue Jays are slipping. Swept in a doubleheader Wednesday at Bluefield, the Panomen are 5-7 since winning 13 of their first 14 games. They have lost four of five and seen their East Division lead over Danville shrink to two games heading into tonight’s series finale at Bluefield. Maybe this will cheer you: There’s another new pitcher on the roster. RHP Chase Lirette, Toronto’s 16th-round pick last month, was the closer as a junior at the University of South Florida this spring, picking up seven saves with a 2.90 ERA, 8 walks and 45 strikeouts. NewbiesPosted Jul19, 2006 at 07:46 PMSignings and the call-ups of second baseman Wes Stone and pitchers Zach Dials, Ted Serro and Dennis Bigley have left the P-Jays with a handful of new faces. To wit, a primer: LHP Chris Reddout: A recent graduate of Pittsburg (Kan.) State (pdf), he thought he would spend his summer coaching locally. “I pretty much kind of thought it was over with,” he said, “and then I got a phone call saying I could throw a bullpen [session] for one of their regional scouts. Went down there, liked what he saw, and next thing I knew I was on a plane.” He has thrown 5.1 scoreless innings in two relief appearances, going 1-0 with two hits, no walks and six strikeouts. RHP Kyle Ginley: Toronto loves those St. Petersburg (Fla.) College pitchers – Rey Gonzalez, Mike Barbara and now Ginley makes three. Not coincidentally, Pulaski manager Dave Pano’s day job is coaching the SPC baseball program. Ginley, a 17th-round pick, has pitched once so far, with a hit and two strikeouts in two innings of relief. IF Jonathan Del Campo: Off to a 1-for-14 start at the plate, the Yuma, Ariz., high schooler, a 20th-round pick, has played second, short and third already for the Jays. With Raul Barron also a master of three positions, Pulaski now has two players who can play first base, two at second, three at short and three at third. LHP Derek Tate: Began the season at Class-A Advanced Dunedin, moved to Class-A Lansing, now in rookie ball. Five months shy of his 25th birthday, Tate seems to be going in the wrong direction. He made his Pulaski debut as the second of six relievers in Sunday’s 5-3 loss to Kingsport, allowing a hit, two walks and a run in 1.1 innings. OF Mikal Garbarino: Drafted in the 13th round last month, the 18-year-old California native, a product of San Dimas High School, signed late and batted exactly once – a pinch-hit groundout – before being shut down because of an elbow problem. If he can’t throw, he can’t play. SS Greg Lopez: Those of you paying particularly close attention to the roster this season will have noticed the continued inclusion of Lopez, a former Notre Dame captain who was drafted in the 33rd round. He hasn’t actually made it to Pulaski because he’s on injury rehab. “He’ll be back at some point in the summer,” Pano said. “I just don’t know exactly when.” Bengals' owner comments on Ahmad BrooksPosted Jul14, 2006 at 03:07 PMThe selection of former UVa linebacker Ahmad Brooks by the Cincinnati Bengals in Thursday's NFL supplemental draft has sparked debate in Ohio. Plus, today the Cincinnati Enquirer reported today that linebacker Odell Thurman will miss four games this season because of a violation of the NFL's substance-abuse policy. All this has prompted owner Mike Brown to release the following statement, which addresses the selection of Brooks: “We want our fans to know that we share their concerns regarding the recent off-field conduct of several Bengals players. We expect our players to be good citizens, as most are, and we hold them accountable for their conduct under team and league rules. “We are closely monitoring these matters. All are currently pending and they will be addressed in accordance with the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, including possible disciplinary action. “Regarding this week’s selection of Ahmad Brooks in the supplemental draft, we are aware of no pending allegations of any kind against Ahmad. The club’s judgment is that any past transgressions were insufficient to deny him an opportunity to prove himself as a responsible NFL player. “Coach Lewis and I look forward to meeting with our local media at our annual Pre-Training Camp Luncheon on July 26. As usual at this event, we will both be available to respond to any and all questions.” Huzzah and salutationsPosted Jul11, 2006 at 06:32 PMAfter that shout-out (not literally a shout-out) on today's Timescast (immediate sound), I figure it's high time to end my self-imposed three-day Blog sabbatical -- that's not so long, is it? -- and deliver some more of the sweet, sweet P-Jays nectar you so crave. (Or more likely, continue my efforts to get you hooked on the nectar in the first place.) When last we left them, the Fightin' Panomen stood astride the Appalachian League with a robust 13-1 record. Understandably unable to maintain that ridiculous pace, they are at a league-best 15-3 as they gear up for tomorrow's trip to Johnson City. (Yes, that means tonight is their first scheduled off day of the season. I hear there was to be a fishing trip of some kind.) Be sure to catch the Jays at home this weekend (Saturday through Monday) against Kingsport. A 12-day jaunt through Bluefield, Elizabethton, Danville and Burlington follows before they return to Calfee Park on July 30. FireworksPosted Jul07, 2006 at 12:52 PMThe mighty P-Jays improved to 13-1 last night with a 6-5 win against Bristol, but it wasn't easy. And afterward, the team had the gall to ask the venerable Ray Cox, Esq., to leave off with his postgame interviews and vacate the clubhouse so manager Dave Pano could chew out the players. Today, Pano explained. A little bit. “I’ve got to kind of keep that between myself and the guys," he said. "If anybody watched the game, they’ll know why I had a meeting. We just kind of had to clear a few things up. We should be ready to roll today.” After Wednesday's 8-4 win, Pano lamented his team's penchant for letting opponents back into games. Was that his problem Thursday as well? “Well, that’s part of it, yeah," he said. "You know what? The bottom line is we didn’t play the game the way we teach our guys to play the game. That’s the bottom line. We just didn’t do the things that we work on every day. We had to address some things.” Tonight, in the last of five straight games against Bristol, the Jays will send LHP Kyle Walter (0-0, 1.80) out for his third start. They will host the Princeton Devil Rays on Saturday, Sunday and Monday before heading south for a mid-week series at Johnson City. On the injury front, Pano said SS Luis Fernandez (quadriceps) is the only player banged up at the moment. “I’m hoping when I get to the ballpark tonight he’s ready to go so I can play him," Pano said. Rollin, rollinPosted Jul06, 2006 at 02:22 PMClinkie for glorious, technicolor details on Pulaski's Tuesday and Wednesday wins. The Jays just keep on keepin' on, now at 12-1 and five games ahead of second-place Burlington in the Appalachian League's East Division. More soon. PhewPosted Jul03, 2006 at 11:44 PMAnother win Monday for the league-leading P-Jays, but again, one that must have had manager Dave Pano shaking his head. Up five going into the ninth at Bristol, the Jays (10-1) allowed four runs before finally closing out a 7-6 win. For: Six fifth-inning runs, including a grand slam by OF Victor Santana (his 4th HR in 33 AB). ... RHP Alex McRobbie's first win and best start so far (5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 SO) ... Two flawless innings by struggling LHP (and Blog competition) Drew Taylor. Against: The disastrous bottom of the ninth, in which RHPs Jeff Gilmore and Patrick McGuigan, with two outs, allowed a double and three straight singles, followed by consecutive fielding errors by 1B Paul Franko and 3B Leance Soto. With the tying and winning runs in scoring position, McGuigan finally got a game-ending pop-up. Next: Tuesday vs. Bristol, first of seven home games, LHP Francisco Mateo (2-0, 1.80 ERA). And now, at the risk of jinxing him -- Gilmore was our inaugural selection -- we bring you the 2nd part of our derivative, 30-something-part series "Better Know a Blue Jay." Beatdown in K-townPosted Jul03, 2006 at 04:05 PMBreak up the P-Jays! Your Appy League representatives stand at 9-1 on the young season after a rousing sweep of three games at Kingsport over the weekend. That, needless to say, is the best mark in the league – by far – as are their totals of 78 runs scored and 35 runs allowed. Seven Jays are hitting over .300, led by first baseman Paul Franko (.375 BA, .948 OPS), catcher Jonathan Jaspe (.375, 1.104) and outfielder Victor Santana (.357, 1.098). A whopping 14 Pulaski pitchers, including two since promoted, have ERAs no higher than 2.35. Relievers Joe Wice, John Zinnicker, Jeff Gilmore, Nathan Starner, Alan Stidfole and Matt Foster have yet to allow an earned run in 20.2 combined innings. Enough numbers! (And enough exclamation points.) What happened in K-town this weekend? “It was kind of obvious that these were the two best teams in the league,” says John Moorehouse, a Wahoo of some repute who covers the K-Mets for the Kingsport Times-News. “Pulaski’s good.” |
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