The Flagrant Fan: Portland Sea Dogs and New Friends

The family and I road-tripped it to Portland, Maine this past weekend to take in a Sea Dogs game, but also to meet up with a couple friends from the baseball blogging community.

Normally, I would write a brief post about such an adventure, but my pal William Tasker of The Flagrant Fan did a pretty darn good job of writing about it himself. So, I'll just link to his post here and add a few of my own comments:

The Flagrant Fan: Portland Sea Dogs and new friends

I'll reiterate William's sentiment that Bryan O'Connor, of The Replacement Level Baseball Blog, and his wife were excellent hosts, as were their two kids, who played well with Little Chuck.

Unbeknownst to me prior to the trip, Bryan's sister works for Maine Beer Company, so the visit included my first tastings of Lunch and MO, and both were excellent.

Lunch is their IPA, which is my favorite style, but I actually liked MO, a pale ale, a little better. The upfront citrusy aroma of MO was more dominant, which is actually a quality I love in my favorite IPAs. In fact, I'm prepared to put MO in a category with Dale's as my two favorite pale ales. For now, I'm just throwing Lunch in a category with many other very good IPAs, but not one of my absolute favorites.

Lastly, I want to share a little discussion the three of us had—in one of the rare moments we had to talk baseball rather than chase toddlers—regarding our perspectives as fans of rival teams. Bryan is a Red Sox fan. William and I are Yankees fans.

Bryan talked about why—although he has softened a bit—he can't seem to shake the attitude which is typical of most Red Sox fans towards the Yankees.

When the Yankees were in the midst of their run of three consecutive World Series victories—and four out of five—in the late '90s and early '00s, despite the fact there were plenty of stars on those teams, it was always a Jose Vizcaino or a Luis Sojo (I'll add Jim Leyritz and Chad Curtis) who came up with the big hits.

Fast forward to the Yankees' current season of imminent demise, and it's washed-up players like Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay who seemed to save their season in the early going. Bryan's point—if I'm interpreting it correctly—is it gives fans of other teams the feeling that, no matter how the Yankees' roster is constructed, they somehow find a way to always be successful.

I can understand how that would be frustrating, even ominous. On the other hand, William commented that this year's Yankees team is one of his least favorite in recent memory to follow. I wondered why, since to me, this season has offered Yankees fans the unique feeling of getting to root for a team that's kind of an underdog. William's response was to point out that he knew it was only a matter of time before the shoe would drop, so to speak.

He was right, of course, but I failed to see it that way. On the other hand, my opinion also points to the fact I went into this season with a somewhat indifferent attitude toward this year's team, in that I knew I wouldn't be terribly upset with an outcome that didn't live up to typical Yankee standards.

I suppose, perhaps, these perspectives provide a little insight that Bryan is on the emotional end of the fan spectrum, William is on the pragmatic end, and I'm somewhere in the middle. Which is just an observation, of course, although it may have something to do with where the three of us fall on the age spectrum as well.

Anyway, I had a fantastic time meeting up with my fellow bloggers this weekend, and I look forward to future occasions of a similar nature.

Paw Tuck It

In the late '90s, I was a fan of a Providence-based indie band called Purple Ivy Shadows. I knew of them and got to know the band members through friends who were mutual inhabitants of a similar music scene, but I've remained friendly with, and a fan of subsequent projects by, singer/guitarist Chris Daltry, a charming southernish gentleman who once was a batboy for the Richmond Braves.

I'm pretty sure Chris used to live—and maybe still does—in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He still plays music, currently in a rootsy band called the 'Mericans, when he's not running What Cheer Antiques and Vintage, the store he co-owns and operates with his wife.

Purple Ivy Shadows' most acclaimed record was probably 1997's No Less the Trees Than the Stars—although 1999's White Electric is probably my personal favorite—and its opening track was a song named for the aforementioned Providence suburb. It's a good song, no doubt, but the thing about it that has stuck with me for all these years: Daltry's raspy/twangy song-closing rendering of the word Pawtucket, whether intentionally or not, sounds an awful lot like "aww fuck it."

Alright, so I'll admit that was a rather pointless intro to a post about an outing to baseball game, but KJ and I took the boy to his second game this past weekend, a Labor Day trip to McCoy Stadium, home of the AAA International League Pawtucket Red Sox.

Their opponent for their final regular season game was the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (or Empire State, whichever it is) Yankees. In the alternative reality that is the International League, the Yankees did not squander a comfortable division lead and the Red Sox also qualified for the playoffs as a wild card. In fact, this game was just a tune-up for a postseason series between the two teams.

I'm really curious as to why this matchup is happening in the first round, considering Indianapolis finished with the league's best regular season record. In most playoff systems, that would draw them the wild card. I even asked Tamar Chalker (@jeterian on Twitter), who writes about the Yankees minor league system for It's About the Money, Stupid, but even she didn't know the answer.

It then occurred to me that, with the exception of the players involved and the fans in those smaller cities and towns, nobody really cares about the minor league playoffs. Even a writer covering those teams for a major league team-oriented blog is really only interested in how the prospects are doing. But, Tamar's interest in finding the answer seemed seriously piqued, so maybe this mystery will eventually be solved.

Monday's game was Little Chuck's second professional baseball game and he was just as well-behaved as the first, lasting until around the 8th inning before he started acting a little overtired. This time he stayed awake, though, but mom and dad had work to do back at the home front, so we left early.

I'm not even going to try to give the impression I paid much attention to the game. I saw former Boston Red Sox Darnell McDonald hit a solo homer for the Yankees, but beyond that I can't really recount the highlights. I could look them up, of course, but so could you, and minor league game recaps are not what you're here for. (What are you here for, while I'm on the subject?)

At this point, a ballgame is basically just a family outing to a place we enjoy spending time. McCoy Stadium is a great little park, with an added bonus being—for parents who might otherwise be stressed about whether or not they sufficiently applied sunscreen to their pale little baby of German, Irish, English and northern Italian descent—a good percentage of seating is in the shade.

While we're on the subject of family-related amenities, the changing station in the men's room was adequate and, more importantly, situated in a spot that wasn't over-run with traffic. There was also a family restroom, which we strategically used so we could take turns holding LC while the other took care of business. (I'm sure KJ will be pleased I included that detail.) The concourses were quite congested, however. Actually, they weren't that crowded, but since New Englanders walk like they drive, we felt like we were constantly trying to avoid people running into us while carrying the little guy. In fact, at one point KJ used her arm to shield LC from being brushed by a bag of garbage carried by a PawSox employee. Needless to say, she was not pleased.

Overall, though, Little Chuck's second baseball game was a successful adventure. We did finally find an infant-sized ball cap suitable for a boy and it looks nothing like the Bosox ripoff that is the standard PawSox cap:

Take LC Out to the Ballgame

I've been to games at 30 major league parks, 19 of which are currently in use by big league clubs. I've also been to a whole lot of minor league parks, but I honestly don't know how many that is. I've tried to figure it out, but it's not as easy to jog your memory when there are so many minor league teams that have come and gone over the years.

In fact, I know I saw one game at Reading, Pennsylvania when I was in Lancaster on a work trip, but I can't remember if I also hit Harrisburg. I also once received a job offer—that I didn't accept—from the Williamsport Cubs, but I believe my only visit to that park was for the interview.

My rough count has it at around 30, including independent leagues, spring training sites and the inaugural home game of the Sun City Rays.* So, that's an approximate total of 60 professional baseball parks I've seen games at. Little Chuck has some serious catching up to do—but, we plan to give him every opportunity—as this past Saturday he got his first live taste of the sport that both his parents revere.

*In case you're wondering, the Rays were a team in the Senior Professional Baseball Association, a league for players 35 and older that began play in 1989 and folded halfway through their second season due to poor attendance.

KJ, LC and I went on a little overnight jaunt this past weekend to Portland, Maine—a two-hour drive up I-95 for us—as one of my birthday presents was to take our son to his first game.

Interestingly enough, Portland happens to be one of the ballparks I couldn't seem to recall whether I'd been there or not. I certainly spent a lot of time in that neck of the woods when, in my previous career, Poland Spring was my client. But, as it turns out, walking up to Hadlock Field was all the evidence I needed to realize it was my first time there.

The Portland Sea Dogs are the AA Eastern League affiliate of the Red Sox, so for some reason they thought it would be a good idea to turn their home into a bit of a replica of Fenway Park. The left field wall, dubbed the Maine Monster, is a wooden version of Fenway's Green Monster, complete with miniature Coke bottle, Citgo sign and WB Mason billboard. However, the scoreboard is electronic rather than manual, probably because there's nowhere for the scoreboard operator to hang out, or for Manny Ramirez to "take a break," had he ever played there while on rehab.

I have mixed emotions about the Maine Monster. I guess it's kind of a cool idea that some young fans might get a big kick out of, and I'm more appreciative of that angle these days. But, I can't help wondering if it was created for player development purposes, and this would seem like a silly idea to me.

Ultimately, there is only one Fenway and it should remain that way. Now, if they decided to tear down the original, then I'd be all for paying tribute to it elsewhere.

At least the amenities at Hadlock Field—most notably the relative spaciousness of the seats—made for a much more comfortable fan experience than at its major league counterpart.

The one important area where Hadlock was hands-down better than any major or minor league park I've visited is in beer selection.**

**I'm kind of embarrassed to say I don't remember what the selection was like at PGE Park, the former home of the Portland Beavers. You know, the superior Portland (no offense to Maine's, but Oregon's is a tough standard), also known as the craft beer capital of the United States.

The park has an entire stand dedicated to microbrews, with about a dozen selections from Maine brewers Geary's, Sebago, Shipyard, Sea Dog and Baxter, one of my new favorites. They also had Harpoon IPA, which I suppose is better than offering Bud Light, but I would have preferred it to be exclusively local beers.

In hindsight, I should have opted for one of the Baxter offerings that I've never tried, but I was in the mood for an IPA and they didn't have Baxter's Stowaway, which is excellent. So, I opted for a Sebago Frye's Leap IPA, which was good, but falls short of my favorites for the style because of its piney rather than citrusy hop characteristics.

There's also a Shipyard Grill concession stand, offering a wider selection of styles from one of Maine's weaker microbreweries—in my opinion—as well as a few interesting food options and...Bud Light. I guess you can't win 'em all.

We missed the first two innings of the game between feeding LC, taking turns in the rest room following a few hours on the road, and getting ourselves fed, but we knew this was par for the course when taking a baby to a ball game. After spending a few innings in our seats, it was fairly obvious the boy needed a respite from the sun, so we headed to the souvenir stand.

We had our sights set on an infant ball cap, which would be LC's first and would appropriately commemorate his first game. But, all they had in his size was a girl's cap. The Sea Dogs hat sized for a 2-4 year old was adorable, but I didn't see the point in buying his "first hat" if it wasn't going to fit. So, we purchased a cheap $8 Sea Dogs ball, which will be a decent souvenir we can hang onto until he loses it or decides he's not as nostalgic as we are. But still, we couldn't help feeling a little disappointed (even more so when I discovered the infant cap is not available online).

We weren't sure how long the little guy would last at the game, but our Baby Bjorn sure made it easier for his parents. The wife has more experience carrying him in it, but I quickly learned to make sure everything else I was holding was at least an LC arm's length away. So, in fact we did make it through nine innings, although LC did fall asleep briefly in the 8th, which is right about when all the fireworks were happening (literally).

The Sea Dogs led 1-0 until late in the game when both offenses came to life: the visiting Binghamton Mets scoring five runs in the top of the 8th, the home team answering with three of their own (on two homers) in the bottom of the frame, and one more to tie it up in the last of the 9th.

Portland's outburst introduced us to the lighthouse that rises behind the center field fence, accompanied by fireworks, after a home team player hits a home run. I liked this attribute of the ballpark much more than I did the Maine Monster.

Now is when I admit we left after the bottom of the 9th, and didn't stick around to see Binghamton win on a solo homer in the 10th. Normally, I'm not a fan of leaving early, but I think you'll cut us some slack considering the circumstances.

Our hotel was in South Portland, only a mile or so away from two brewpubs, or so I thought. My first choice for my birthday dinner was Sebago Brewing Company, but it turned out The Beer Mapping Project needs an update as that brewer's South Portland location is no more.

The other nearby option was Sea Dog Brewing Company. I made the mistake of telling KJ earlier my initial impression of this brewery wasn't a great one, so of course she felt bad we were settling. But, it was getting late, and being a beer snob is much further down my list of priorities than is being a parent. Besides, I didn't have a strong recollection as to why I was so non-plussed about Sea Dog, and I'm always willing to challenge such hazy impressions.

Turns out, my first impression was dead on. Their IPA was basically a Bass Ale clone passed off as brewed in the style of an English IPA. But, if you ask me, while Bass is worthy of being considered the predecessor to considerable improvements in the style, it really shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as an IPA at all.

The food was nothing to write home about either. I broke a personal rule by ordering an ethnic dish—Chicken Mole—in a region not known for that particular ethnicity. It actually wasn't bad, but the portion was a little light, even after I questioned why it included only one filet and was brought a second. KJ, on the other hand, ordered something you'd think it reasonable to expect would be done well in Maine. But, her Fish 'n' Chips looked more like fish nuggets and were a little on the soggy side.

None of this, of course, detracted from a great little birthday road trip, one I'm sure will remain in the memory bank for however many more years or decades this world has in store for me. I took my only son to his first baseball game, after all. Short of watching him play in his first game (but, let's not rush things), it doesn't get much better than that.

Rock a No-Show vs. Rox

Last night was my last chance of the season to see Tim Raines's Newark Bears play at Campanelli Stadium versus the local team, the Brockton Rox. I had fully intended to write a blog post about how I saw Tim Raines in Brockton last night, when I really should be seeing him in Cooperstown this weekend.

Of course, I've written plenty here about how I feel Tim Raines should be a Hall of Famer. In fact, I didn't realize how many times his name has been mentioned in this blog until a search on Raines returned 11 results. One of those was actually about his son, but if you're interested you can read my feelings on Rock's Hall of Fame credentials here.

If you want even more on the subject, check out this excellent web site.

Anyway, I didn't get to see Raines last night, because he wasn't there. In fact, neither was his son, Tim Raines Jr., who is one of Newark's star players. He's currently hitting .321, with 8 HR, 38 RBI, 46 runs and 16 stolen bases in 46 games.

As it turns out, the junior Raines hasn't played since July 16 due to injury. But, according to this article, the elder Raines is out with a bad back. So, I was disappointed not to get to see him, but I was pleasantly surprised that the Bears' acting manager and pitching coach is none other than Yankees' 1996 World Series hero Jim Leyritz.

My good friend—and former drinking buddy—Barb accompanied me to last night's game. At one point, a question she asked prompted me to explain that most of the players in the independent minor leagues have previous experience in affiliated professional baseball and are just trying to work their way back into the system. That is, they're trying to get noticed enough to earn a contract with a major league organization and get their dreams back on track.

My post-game research uncovered a good example of such a player. Jorge Jimenez started the 2011 season with the Brockton Rox, and was the starting third baseman for the team when KJ and I attended our first game back in late May. Jimenez, who had previous experience in the Boston Red Sox farm system, recently had his contract purchased by the Cincinnati Reds and is currently playing for the Bakersfield Blaze in the Class A California League.

She also asked me if I'd seen any "washed-up former major leaguers" at these games. My reply was no, but last night provided a good example of this as well. Former Astro/Dodger/Pirate/National/Brave/Cub Daryle Ward is the first baseman for Newark. Ward, now 36 years old, played 11 years in the majors from 1998 to 2008, and was basically an average-to-slightly-below player.

Of course, this makes him a star in the Can-Am League, and last night provided evidence of this. He got the scoring started for the Bears by hitting a solo homer in the second and an RBI single in the third to give Newark a 2-0 lead.

Then, in the bottom of the 6th, with his team leading 9-2, Chris Valencia was on second for Brockton with no outs. The batter—Mike Torres—smacked a hard grounder that Ward snared on a hop and threw to third, with Valencia attempting to advance, as he's supposed to, on a ball hit to the right side. My initial reaction was, "What the heck is he doing?" (in reference to Ward). But, lo and behold, he threw the runner out. Unorthodox, but unbelievable. Leyritz had to have been shaking his head in the dugout.

Newark won the game, 10-2, snapping an eleven-game home winning streak for Brockton. The loss was also the Rox's first defeat in the second half of the Can-Am League season.

The league plays a split-season schedule, with the first-half and second-half champions (if different) both qualifying for the playoffs, in addition to the two (or three) additional teams with the best overall records. The Québec Capitales won the first half, while Brockton and the New Jersey Jackals are currently tied for the second half lead at 4-1. The Rox are also third overall, so they're in a good position to qualify for the postseason in Bill Buckner's first season as manager.

Unless Brockton meets Newark in the playoffs, I'll likely have to wait until next season to see Tim Raines at Campanelli Stadium. It remains to be seen how much longer than that I'll have to wait to see him in Cooperstown.

On the Rox

It looks like I've got some blog catching up to do.

On Friday night, May 27, KJ and I attended our first game at Campanelli Stadium, home of the Brockton Rox of the independent Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, otherwise known as the Can-Am League.

I've got a bit of a history with independent minor league baseball. In 1995, I tried out for an umpiring position with the brand new North Atlantic League, and was selected as an alternate. Unfortunately, due to financial issues, the league released all of its umpires and decided to go with local officials mid-way through that first season, so I never got the call to work a game. Not surprisingly, the league disbanded after only two years in existence.

My pal Fred, whom I met at umpire school, was also one of the alternates in that inaugural North Atlantic League season. Following this unsuccessful venture, he went on to work close to ten years in the Northeast League, which eventually became what is now the Can-Am League.

I saw Fred work games in small cities such as Newburgh (NY), Waterbury (CT), Nashua (NH) and Lynn (MA), three of which are sometimes known as the armpit of their respective states. My main observation regarding the crowds in these cities are that they can sometimes be a little less than civil. That's possibly a spillover from the on-field action, as the lack of affiliation with a major league organization generally makes for a less professional contest. Not in terms of the quality of play, but instead with regard to the way the players carry themselves on the field.

Neither of these prior impressions were confirmed by my first taste of Can-Am League action. The size of the crowd—2017, or about 1/3 the capacity of the 6000-seat stadium—wasn't all that impressive, but there was a definite family/community feel to the atmosphere. I've also learned to appreciate that the between-innings games and promotions are part of the experience when it comes to the minor leagues.

On this particular night, my favorite was the "Pie-In-The-Face Game," which basically consisted of a 5-year old three times being offered the choice between a prize in an envelope/box or hitting his father in the face with a pie. Not surprisingly, he chose the pie in the face every time. In the end, though, quite predictably he was awarded the prizes anyway.

As far as the baseball was concerned, the Can-Am League claims to be AA-quality baseball. While there were a couple errors—both by Brockton's opponent, the Worcester Tornadoes—and a few more mental lapses during the game, I'd have to say this is a fair assessment.

The offensive talent is definitely there, as evidenced by the three home runs the two teams combined for. That kind of hitting display is something you almost never see in the short-A New York-Penn League, because the players at that level just haven't developed enough power yet, particularly due to the adjustment to wooden bats. Of course, the exception was the four homers Evan Longoria hit in just eight games for Hudson Valley back in 2006.

The Rox defeated Worcester 7-5, in what was the second game of a season-opening four-game sweep en route to an 8-1 start. They've since lost four of five games, including three of four to the Quebec Capitales, the Can-Am League's two-time defending champions.

At 9-5 prior to tonight's game, Brockton finds themselves tied for second place with this weekend's opponent, the Newark Bears, with both teams trailing first-place Quebec by a half game.

Newark is managed by none other than Tim Raines—his son is also on the team and one of the league's major hitting stars—so we'll definitely be checking out some of this weekend's action. Of course, you know Brockton has a pretty noteworthy—especially in these parts—skipper of their own.

Rox Looking to Bring a Can-Am League Crown to the City of Champions

Brockton, the seventh largest city in Massachusetts, refers to itself as the "City of Champions," mainly due to two legendary boxing champions—Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler—who called Brockton home.

The Italian-American Marciano was born and raised in Brockton. Hagler's birthplace was Newark, New Jersey, but his family moved to Brockton during his early teenage years, and it was there that his boxing career got its start.

But, it's the Brockton Rox—of the independent Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball—who, following a strong 2010 campaign, are looking to bring some glory back to the South Shore city they call home.

As my eight or so loyal readers are well aware, KJ and I recently moved to the South Shore, less than a half hour from Brockton. A few months ago, we decided to purchase a flex pack of 12 vouchers to Brockton Rox games. Each voucher can be exchanged for a game ticket at the stadium's ticket office, so we're looking at probably attending at least six games this year.

My father is a Hudson Valley Renegades season-ticket holder, and I love the idea of having our own local team to root for on a regular basis. So, we're definitely candidates for being future Rox season ticket holders. We just need to check out the product first, before we make such a commitment.

The Rox open their 2011 season with a seven-game home-stand from May 26 to June 1. That stretch runs through Memorial Day weekend, so KJ and I plan to attend our first game of the season, most likely on Friday, May 27. Of course, I'll be blogging about all of our experiences, and maybe even writing a post or two about the Can-Am League in general, and the Rox specifically, prior to the start of the season.

PONY League

Last week, KJ and I went on an unintended mini-tour of New York-Penn League stadiums, visiting Lowell on Thursday night and Hudson Valley on Friday. The Lowell game was planned, as the tickets were courtesy of KJ's employer, but we ended up at the Hudson Valley game as a result of making excellent time on our Boston-to-Poughkeepsie trip for the three-day 4th of July weekend.

The Short-Season A-level New York-Penn League actually consists of seven teams from New York and only two from Pennsylvania, plus one each from Maryland, Ohio, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont. For as long as I've been familiar with the league, Pennsylvania has been just as under-represented. In fact, after the Erie Sailors left town following the 1993 season, and moved to Hudson Valley to become the Renegades, the Williamsport team was the only representative of the Keystone State until the New Jersey Cardinals became the State College Spikes in 2006.

Incidentally, I was once offered a job by the Williamsport Cubs—now the Crosscutters—back in 1996. But, it was a seven-month position, and one which paid very little. Despite being a job in baseball, I wasn't all that excited about the responsibilities, and even back then I wasn't young enough to be willing to make the sacrifice, so I turned it down.

When the league was founded, in 1939, it was originally the Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York League, or PONY League. But, even then, with their name receiving first billing, the Bradford Bees were the only team from Pennsylvania, while four from New York and one from Ontario rounded out the league. In fact, in its 70-plus year history, Pennsylvania teams have won only four championships, in addition to one "co-championship." Five teams from outside the two states that are the current league's namesakes have won, with the remaining 60 or so championships belonging to New York teams.

I was originally going to compare the two minor league venues, but you probably know how I feel about all the between-innings nonsense that goes on at these games. I have to admit, though, that I'm softening my stance a little, and accepting that it's all part of the show. Besides, these two games finished in an average time of just under 2 1/2 hours, a half hour shorter than the norm at the major league level, so the extras don't really drag these games out all that much.

Instead, I find myself focusing on just a couple of factors that favor Hudson Valley. Free Wi-Fi at Dutchess Stadium allowed me to jinx the opposing team's seven-inning no-hitter by tweeting about it, as well as to provide Red Sox-Orioles game updates to a couple Sox fans—KJ and my Dad's friend, a native of Maine—sitting with me.

More importantly, Hudson Valley can boast of one legitimate craft beer offering—Pleasantville, New York's Captain Lawrence Pale Ale—while the best Lowell has to offer is Sam Adams. Now, don't get me wrong here. I think Samuel Adams Boston Lager is a solid offering, but I'd much rather try something new than opt for "solid."

Captain Lawrence Pale Ale reminded me of how Sierra Nevada Pale Ale used to make me feel when I first discovered it in the mid-'90s, and why the latter became my regular beer of choice at my favorite Lark Street watering hole in Albany. It's just a really nicely balanced California-style pale ale: malty sweet and slightly citrusy up-front with a mildly bitter kick to back it up. In fact, I liked it enough to drink a couple more at my sister's restaurant two nights later, and to begin thinking about how I can get my hands on some Captain's Reserve Imperial IPA.

The Dutch

Dutchess County was settled and founded by the Dutch, of course, in the late 17th century. Over 300 years later, the Erie Sailors—then the Texas Rangers' short season Single-A affiliate—left their home in northwest Pennsylvania and moved east to the Hudson Valley. Their new home, Dutchess Stadium, is affectionately known to local residents as "The Dutch."

The Hudson Valley Renegades celebrated the close of their 16th season in the region by setting their all-time single season attendance record of 165,601, an average of 4,600 per home date. They established this mark despite an ill-fated, and tackily named, promotion they called Ball-Less Baseball on July 7.

The idea behind Ball-Less Baseball night was that only women would attend the first five innings of the game, at which point the men would enter the stadium and join the ladies. On the night in question, they ended up drawing just 2,577 fans—more than 2,000 below their season average—for their matchup with the otherwise popular Staten Island Yankees. They rationalized that it was only a Tuesday, but they drew an average of 4,415 for all Tuesday night home games not including July 7.

My father, a Renegades season-ticket holder since 1995, was not thrilled with the idea, and was one of the men who chose to defy the team's request and enter the park at game time. He then proceeded to give Hudson Valley's management a piece of his mind when interviewed by a local television reporter.

Now, I don't necessarily always agree with my dad, but he was absolutely in the right with this particular stance. His reasoning was that the concept of ladies' night means offering half-price admission and/or promotional giveaways to the fairer sex, not creating an exclusive situation for them. After all, the team did not offer to buy back his tickets in exchange for going along with their silly plan. Needless to say, the 'Gades also received a considerable amount of grief from local government.

KJ and I joined my father and his old IBM pal at this past weekend's season-ending showdown with the Oneonta Tigers. The game was also KJ's introduction to keeping score, and she caught on fast, but also found out how much there really is to learn. For a while, I thought she was going to be Renegades pitcher Alexander Colome's good luck charm, as his stuff looked nasty and he carried a perfect game into the 5th inning.


Colome lost his perfect game on a walk in the 5th frame, then saw his no-hitter slip away with one out in the 6th. An error by first baseman Eli Sonoqui later, and the shutout was gone as well, but his final pitching line (6 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 9 K) was pretty impressive, despite taking the loss in a 2-0 Tigers victory.

Add Colome (7-4, 1.66 ERA, 1.03 WHIP on the season) to my short list of lesser prospects whom I'll be keeping an eye on in years to come.

The night ended with fireworks off the field, although the Renegades were unable to generate any of their own on it. Despite the losing effort, Brady Williams—the son of former major league manager and current Phillies bench coach, Jimy Williams—ended his first season as a professional skipper by guiding Hudson Valley to a winning season, at 38-37.

Dam Soccer

In case you haven't heard the news, the major leagues are coming to Portland, Oregon. In 2011, the Portland Timbers of the United Soccer Leagues First Division—professional soccer's equivalent of AAA—will become the newest expansion franchise of Major League Soccer (MLS). What this means for the Portland Beavers, the Pacific Coast League (AAA) affiliate of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres, is that they'll be losing their home and there's not a “dam” thing they can do about it.

The Beavers' current home, PGE Park, is easily the nicest minor league park I've ever visited. Unfortunately, this season will be their second to last there, as the city of Portland has announced plans to renovate the stadium to make it more suitable for play at professional soccer's highest level, and to build a new park for the baseball team. Since the Timbers and Beavers are both owned by the same company, the baseball team is not actually getting kicked out of their home. However, having been raised by a father who considered soccer to be un-American and even downright evil, I feel it is my duty to report on the injustice that this situation represents.


Seriously, KJ and I visited PGE on Friday night. Our purchase of seats directly behind home plate—five minutes before game time—and the night's total attendance of just over five thousand, does not bode well for Portland's chances of being awarded a Major League Baseball franchise in the not-too-distant future. But, that didn't detract from an enjoyable experience at a truly great park.

It was Family Feast Friday, which meant hot dogs, ice cream and bottled water could all be purchased for just $1 each. It was also Girl Scout Sleepover Night, as the girls from the local scout troup were camping out on the field after the game. We ran into an old neighbor of KJ's, and he just happened to be one of the parents involved with the Girl Scout event. I told him that, personally, I'd probably be just as excited as the kids about the prospect of spending a night on a professional baseball field. He may or may not have agreed with me, but he didn't give me a funny look, so my guess is he did.


The fact that you can take the MAX, Portland's Light Rail Public Transportation System, to a stop just outside the stadium is another huge plus, even for a city that just seems to do most everything right. Obviously, they're not the only city that offers this, but it still reminded me of our experience trying to get to Turner Field via the subway.

A brave 11-year old girl performed the national anthem. Despite some problems with the sound system that didn't provide the best representation of her performance, she was great. She may not have always been perfectly on key, but I was amazed that she reached the higher notes virtually effortlessly, and was adorably giddy once her work was complete. We were told by our very friendly—not an aberration in this neck of the woods, by the way—usher that her family was in the section next to ours, and we believe we caught a glimpse of her grandfather crying.

PGE's left field wall is an intriguing hybrid of Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. It's roughly the same height as the Green Monster and is covered in ivy. There is also a row of seats at the top of the wall that look directly down at the left field warning track, but what's most impressive is its manual scoreboard. It's 60 feet wide and stands almost seven stories high, and displays not only the game's line score, but also both teams' lineups and the current balls, strikes and outs. According to the Beavers' web site, it takes a staff of four to operate.


There was a small group of annoying fans sitting directly to our right, dispelling the myth that everyone in Portland is cool. I gave all of them nicknames, with their obvious leaders being "The Know-It-All," a version of whom is found in every park, and "Herm," who as far as I know is unique to this particular place. In my opinion, Herm overdid it a bit with her heckling of Tim Raines Jr. of the visiting Omaha Royals. Raines didn't seem really phased, though, as he hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to deep center. I was fully prepared to give him a standing ovation had he hit a grand slam. It's fans like Herm that reinforce my otherwise unusual desire to root against the home team.

The star of the game was Omaha starting pitcher Mike O'Connor, who was released by the Padres just a month ago, and was making his first start for his third organization of 2009. He outdueled Aaron Poreda, one of the players obtained by San Diego in the Jake Peavy deal, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning. O'Connor threw seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out six, and combined with reliever Carlos Rosa on a three-hit shutout. Omaha scored four runs in the seventh on their way to a 5-0 victory over the home team.

Overall, Portland's PGE Park has just about everything I look for in a baseball venue. I love the urban atmosphere and the uniqueness of the stadium, as well as the fact that it is simply a really nice place to witness a professional baseball game. I can only hope that the Beavers' next home is at least as good as their soon-to-be old one.

The Real McCoy

I've written a lot about the increasing number of major league stadiums I've visited, but I've also been to my fair share of minor league games and parks as well. It just occurred to me, though, that other than a few Syracuse Chiefs (AAA) games when I lived there from 1989 to 1992, one Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA) game circa 1997, and two or three Eastern League (AA) games, the vast majority of these have been at the Single A level. Last night's trip to Pawtucket's McCoy Stadium was proof to me that, while games at the lower levels can be entertaining, there is a wide chasm in the level of competition when compared to the upper levels of the minor leagues.

There were four home runs hit in last night's game, three by the opposing Syracuse Chiefs and one by the PawSox. By contrast, the Hudson Valley Renegades have hit a total of six homers in their 22 games so far this season. The mere existence of more home runs is not necessarily the reason that the competition is better, but the fact that the hitters' skills have developed to the point where they can hit the ball out of the park is. There are a few potential reasons for this. It could be that it takes some time to get used to driving the ball with wooden bats, that the younger players' bodies are still developing, or that the superior coaching and weight training programs in professional baseball are to credit. In truth, it's probably a combination of factors, but the bottom line is it makes for a much more interesting game when it doesn't take three or more baserunners to score one run.

I have to give credit to the PawSox for not gouging for extras in their pricing. We paid $24 to purchase two tickets online before heading down, which was $10 per ticket plus a reasonable $4 service fee. They also offer limited free parking on a first-come, first-served basis. We didn't make it in time for that, but their regular parking cost only $2 per car. When I purchased my $7 ticket for the Lowell game a couple weeks ago, they tacked on $6.56 in fees and it cost $5 to park. So, in total we spent $26 for two to attend a AAA game and see the likes of Pawtucket's Jed Lowrie and Syracuse's Elijah Dukes and Corey Patterson, while the Lowell game was nowhere near the bargain, and included no notable players.


In addition to the three players just mentioned, Pete Orr—of World Baseball Classic Team Canada fame—was also part of the action as the starting shortstop for Syracuse. Knuckleballer Charlie Zink was on the mound for Pawtucket, but he hardly looked like the second coming of Tim Wakefield. The knuckler wasn't dancing for him early, as he gave up eight runs on seven hits—including three home runs—and three walks in the first three innings, but remained in the game to throw three shutout innings thereafter. That allowed his team to rally from an early 7-0 deficit, although they still wound up on the losing end of an 8-7 final score.

One final observation from me is that, at the higher levels of the minor leagues, there aren't all the gimmicky promotions and silly games between innings. There are also fewer sound effects and much less nonsense from the public address announcer in general. This, of course, gave this game a much more professional feel than those at Lowell and Hudson Valley. Frankly, games at those places come off as a bit amateurish, in my opinion. KJ was a little traumatized by the fact that the PawSox, as the home team, resided in the third base dugout, but I think she'll get over that.

Future Rivals?

On Wednesday night, I made my first trip to the outer suburbs of Boston to visit LeLacheur Park, home of the Lowell Spinners, the New York-Penn League Class A affiliate of the Red Sox. Despite the consistent rain that this area has been getting of late, and a torrential downpour just before game time, they managed to play a full nine innings.

The weather did seem to keep a lot of fans away though, as the stadium was only about half full, and I had actually purchased online the last remaining ticket two days before the game. How do I know it was the last seat in the house? Because their web site allows you to view available seats by section, and since there are only 20 sections in the entire place, it isn't too difficult to go through the entire stadium to find the best spot. In this case, the best spot was the only one.

As is the case with most relatively new minor league parks, LeLacheur is a cozy place to watch a game up close and personal. Nothing made this park stand out as any better or worse than Dutchess Stadium, the home of the Hudson Valley Renegades, the New York-Penn League team for which my dad is a season ticket holder. Both stadiums are simply well designed.

The Spinners' opponent was the Staten Island Yankees, which got me to thinking about what the chances are that, in the future, any of these players will be facing each other in the major leagues, as Yankees and Red Sox. Keep in mind, of course, that this is short-season A ball, four steps away from the big show. I went to the Renegades game with my dad last night, and he told me they estimate that one out of 13 of the players on the current squad will make it to the majors.

Based on my knowledge of the players who have passed through the Hudson Valley in the team's 15-year history, I think this is a conservative estimate. Even if I'm right, this most likely means that no more than three guys from each of the current rosters of Lowell and Staten Island will get to the majors. The fact that some of them may have changed organizations in the process decreases the chances even further that they'll play against each other as Yankees and Red Sox. So, I would say that maybe one day the big clubs will square off, and there will be one member of each of the current editions of these minor league teams involved.

I've written a couple of posts about the perceived bad luck that I've brought the Yankees in their recent matchups with the Red Sox. It hadn't even occurred to me that it might actually carry over to minor league games as well, but the Spinners defeated the Yankees 11-0. In fact, I left in the bottom of the 6th, with the score already 11-0, so once I was gone, the Yankees performed much better, relatively speaking.

Particularly woeful was the performance of Staten Island pitcher Sam Elam, and his manager's handling of the situation. Five walks, two wild pitches and a hit batter resulted in four runs allowed on no hits in one inning of work. Making matters even worse, in my opinion, was the fact that Yankees' manager Josh Paul—most famous as the catcher involved in the botched third strike on A.J. Pierzynski in the 2005 ALCS—didn’t even have a pitcher start warming up in the bullpen until after the fourth walk.

The most impressive performance was turned in by Spinners starting pitcher Jose Alvarez, who gave up hits to the first two Yankees he faced, then proceeded to throw six scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and a walk thereafter. Listed at 5'11" and 150 lbs., the Venezuelan hurler is probably not one of the Red Sox hottest pitching prospects due to his size, but he's now allowed only one run on 9 hits and a walk, while striking out 15, in 18 innings for Lowell.

Up From the Valley (Part 3)

The third, and final, installment of this series, highlighting the best major league players who once played for the Hudson Valley Renegades, includes one solid part-time player and three potential future stars, two of whom were selected to this year's All-Star Game. The first two installments can be found here:

Up From the Valley (Part 1)
Up From the Valley (Part 2)

Matt Diaz (1999)
Matt Diaz was drafted by the Devil Rays in 1999, and played that season with Hudson Valley. He worked his way gradually through the organization's system and, after hitting .383 at AA Orlando and .328 at AAA Durham in 2003, was promoted to Tampa Bay. However, he didn't get much of a chance at the major league level, with a total of only 30 at bats between 2003 and 2004. Despite batting .332, with 21 HR and 93 RBI at Durham in 2004, he was released by Tampa Bay in the off-season.

He was subsequently signed by Kansas City and played most of 2005 at AAA Omaha, batting .371, with 14 HR and 56 RBI in 259 at bats. Still, he was traded in the off-season to the Atlanta Braves. It was with the Braves that he was finally given the opportunity to prove himself at the major league level. Between 2006 and 2007, as a platoon left fielder, he batted .333 with 19 HR, 81 runs and 77 RBI in 655 at bats.

His 2008 season has been marred by injury, though, as he's been out for three months with a left knee injury. Despite this, his career numbers (.310, 23 HR, 102 runs, 103 RBI in 906 at bats) are solid enough to expect that he should be able to return and continue a productive career as a platoon outfielder.

Josh Hamilton (1999)
By now, everyone knows the Josh Hamilton story: first-round draft pick (#1 overall) of the Devil Rays in 1999, after which he began his ascent through the organization, including helping to lead the Renegades to their first New York-Penn League championship in his first professional season. He actually batted only .194 in 72 AB with Hudson Valley that year. Still, his progression through the minors continued until injuries and drug problems put his career on hold following the 2002 season.

He was out of baseball from 2003 until his reinstatement from drug suspension in 2006. That year, he made a brief appearance with Hudson Valley again, but batted .260 and slugged only .360, with 0 HR in 50 at bats.

In the off-season following 2006, he was left unprotected by Tampa Bay and was selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Chicago Cubs, who subsequently sold his rights to the Cincinnati Reds. Since the Rule 5 draft requires the selected player to remain on the team's major league roster for an entire season, this turned out to be Hamilton's big break. Injuries to other Reds outfielders paved the way for him to earn considerable playing time, but his own injuries also limited him to 90 games and 298 at bats. He made the most of those at bats, though, hitting .292 with 19 HR and 47 RBI.

Cincinnati traded him in the off-season to the Texas Rangers, for Edinson Volquez, in a deal that's turned out well for both teams, with both players selected to play in the 2008 All-Star Game. So far this season, Hamilton has batted .301, with 31 HR and a major-league leading 121 RBI, and has emerged as a candidate for American League Most Valuable Player, despite playing for a team with a losing record. It may be a little early to say, but it appears he may be emerging as the tremendous player he was projected to be when drafted, and quite possibly one of the best in the game.

James Shields (2001)
Jamie Shields, as he was then called, was drafted by Tampa Bay in 2000, and played for the Renegades briefly in 2001. After a strong first professional season, injuries and ineffectiveness slowed his progress for the next few years.

Shields turned things around in 2005, though, posting a 2.80 ERA with 104 SO and just 31 BB in 109 1/3 innings at AA Montgomery. Then, a strong start at AAA Durham in 2006 (2.66 ERA, 64 SO, 6 BB in 61 IP) earned him a promotion to the big leagues. His rookie season was unimpressive, though, as he went 6-8 with a 4.84 ERA, but still struck out 104 batters in 124 2/3 innings.

Somewhere along the way, he started going by his given name, James, again. 2007 turned out to be James' breakout year, as he showed his potential to team with Scott Kazmir as an effective 1-2 punch at the top of the Tampa Bay rotation, going 12-8 with a 3.85 ERA and 184 SO, to just 36 BB, in 215 innings. This year, he's built on that impressive 2007 season, and is one of several reasons why the Rays currently own the best record in the majors. His 12-8 record, 3.66 ERA, 140 SO, and just 35 BB, in 184 2/3 innings have demonstrated his ability to be the staff ace, a role he had to assume for the first month of the season due to an injury to Kazmir.

Other than a propensity to give up the long ball (66 HR in 524 career IP), Shields' statistics, particularly an almost 4-1 strikeout/walk ratio (428 SO, 109 BB), his stuff and his makeup show his potential to be a dominant major league starting pitcher.

Evan Longoria (2006)
Tampa Bay made Evan Longoria the third overall pick in the 2006 draft. He batted .424, with 4 HR, 11 RBI and an .879 slugging percentage in just 33 at bats at Hudson Valley before being promoted. Following that brief stint, he quickly rose through the organization, batting .304, with 44 HR and 153 RBI in 733 at bats in his two full minor league seasons.

He didn't make the Tampa Bay squad out of spring training this year, but quickly was called up following an injury to Willy Aybar. He's made the most of this opportunity, batting .278 with 22 HR and 71 RBI, before a wrist injury sidelined him in early August.

He joined fellow former Renegade Hamilton on the American League All-Star team, and is still among the top Rookie of the Year candidates, despite missing close to a month with the aforementioned injury. Wrist injuries are always cause for concern, of course, but he's expected back within the next couple of weeks, and his ability to return to his pre-injury productiveness remains one of the keys to the Rays run to the post-season. Assuming the injury has no impact on his future, the sky appears to be the limit for Longoria's career.

Up From the Valley (Part 2)

In the second installment of this series, I'm profiling three players who came up through the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization. They're all fairly established players who appear to have reached their major league ceilings.

The third, and final, installment will include a few potential future stars, who may be on their way to being considered the most successful players to pass through Hudson Valley.

Toby Hall (1997)
Toby Hall was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 1995, after playing junior college ball, but did not sign, opting instead to play at UNLV. Two years later, he was drafted and signed by Tampa Bay. He played 1997 for Hudson Valley, and began climbing the organization's ladder from there, until reaching the majors briefly in 2000.

Two years later, he became the Devil Rays regular catcher, a role he filled for 4+ years, before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the deal that brought Dioner Navarro to Tampa. In the off-season following the 2006 season, he signed with the Chicago White Sox and has been the backup to A.J. Pierzynski since.

His statistics are far from overwhelming, but in his time as Tampa Bay's starting catcher, he was an above average major league backstop, solid behind the plate and not a weak spot in the lineup. His career totals include a .263 batting average, with 45 home runs and 267 RBI in 2313 at bats. It seems as if his future is as a backup catcher, but his opportunity to be a starter again may not have completely passed him by just yet.

Dan Wheeler (1997)
Dan Wheeler was drafted by the Devil Rays in 1996, but did not sign until the following May. He played at Hudson Valley in 1997 and worked his way up through the system, as a starting pitcher, until reaching the majors in 1999. The next three seasons, he saw very limited major league action (70 IP total) while shuttling back and forth between Tampa Bay and the minors.

Wheeler was released by Tampa Bay in the off-season following 2001, but picked up by the Atlanta Braves. However, he spent the entire 2002 season at Richmond, Atlanta's AAA affiliate, and was subsequently released again.

The New York Mets signed him after his release by Atlanta, converting him to a reliever, and he spent most of the 2003 and 2004 seasons in the majors, before a late season trade to the Houston Astros. He enjoyed his most successful seasons as a mainstay in Houston's bullpen in 2005 (73 IP, 2.21 ERA, 3 Sv) and 2006 (71 IP, 2.52 ERA, 9 Sv). After struggling in 2007, Houston traded him back to Tampa Bay, where he's enjoyed a resurgence this year (52 IP, 2.61 ERA, 4 Sv).

Now in his 9th major league season, Wheeler has developed into a dependable setup reliever and his career numbers are solid, as he's posted a 3.93 ERA in 458 IP, with 404 strikeouts and 29 saves.

Jorge Cantu (1999)
Jorge Cantu was signed by the Devil Rays as an amateur free agent in 1998, at the age of 16. He played at Hudson Valley the following year, then steadily rose through the system, and was called up to the major leagues during the 2004 season. He batted .301 in 173 at bats, and the following season became a full-time player for Tampa Bay, due to the retirement of Roberto Alomar, playing significant time at both second base and third base.

Cantu quickly became a star in that first full season in the majors. He batted .286, with 28 HR and 117 RBI, and even received one 10th place vote in the MVP balloting. In 2006, he began the season as the everyday second baseman, but slumped to .249, with 14 HR and 62 RBI.

He failed to make the opening day roster in 2007, and was subsequently traded in mid-season to the Cincinnati Reds, where he was given minimal playing time before being released in the off-season. He was picked up by the Florida Marlins, and has enjoyed a return to form in 2008, batting .282 with 21 HR and 68 RBI, as the surprising Marlins contend in the NL East.

At age 26, and in his fifth season in the majors, Cantu appears to have a bright future. Whether he'll fully realize the potential that was on display in his 2004 season remains to be seen, but his career numbers of .276, 66 HR, 277 RBI and 220 runs indicate that he should enjoy a productive career for years to come.

Up From the Valley (Part 1)

My Dad has been a season ticket holder of the Hudson Valley Renegades almost since their inception. Actually, he attended the first game ever, and most every game in their inaugural season of 1994, but didn't purchase season tickets until the following year. He keeps score of every game he attends, and frequently verifies his scoring decisions versus the box score in the following day's Poughkeepsie Journal. Yes, he's almost as ridiculous a baseball nut as I am, and maybe even more fanatical in certain ways.

The Renegades actually relocated from Erie, Pennsylvania to Dutchess Stadium in Wappingers Falls, New York for the 1994 season, but as far as I'm concerned, their history began in that first year in Dutchess County. They were originally the Texas Rangers' Class A short-season affiliate, until the 1996 season, when they became a shared team between the Rangers and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Since 1997, though, they've been strictly the property of Tampa Bay.

As I was visiting my Dad last weekend, I came up with the idea to create a list of the ten most successful major league players who came through Hudson Valley. Now, we all know that the Devil Rays (or the Rays, as they're currently known) have had some tremendous young players come through their farm system. Unfortunately, because short-season A-ball is such a low level, most of them have skipped the Valley. Players who were drafted by the Rays, but never played for the Renegades, include Aubrey Huff, Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli, B.J. Upton, Delmon Young, and Elijah Dukes.

I'm going to do this in three parts, profiling 3-4 players in each installment. I'll present the list in chronological order, with the first part representing the Texas era, while the second and third parts will be exclusive to players drafted by Tampa Bay. In parentheses next to each player's name is the year he was in Hudson Valley.

Scott Podsednik (1995)
Scott Podsednik was drafted by the Rangers in 1994, playing for their Gulf Coast affiliate that year and Hudson Valley the next, before being traded to the Florida Marlins. After playing two seasons in the Marlins organization, he was re-acquired by Texas, where he spent three more minor league seasons before being signed, as a free agent, by the Seattle Mariners. He made his major league debut for the Mariners in 2001, but didn't really make a splash until 2003, when he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting after being claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Podsednik lead the majors in stolen bases with 70 in 2004, before the Brewers traded him to the Chicago White Sox. In 2005, he became the first former Renegade to play for a World Series champion. After four full seasons as a solid everyday left fielder and leadoff hitter from 2003 to 2006, Scott's playing time has dropped off considerably over the last two years. He is currently a reserve outfielder, although on the disabled list, for the Colorado Rockies.

In parts of eight major league seasons, Podsednik has batted .272, with 404 runs scored and 234 stolen bases, the latter two numbers leading all former Renegades. He made the American League All-Star team in 2005 and finished 12th in the MVP voting that year. He remains, at least for now, possibly the most successful Major League position player in Hudson Valley Renegades history.

Ryan Dempster (1995)
Ryan Dempster was drafted by the Rangers in 1995, and pitched only one game for Hudson Valley that year, after spending a little time with Texas' Gulf Coast affiliate. He was promoted to Charleston the following season, before being traded to the Marlins. He made his major league debut with Florida in 1998, and had his best season as a starting pitcher in 2000, going 14-10, with a 3.66 ERA in 226 innings. He went 15-12 the following year, but his ERA ballooned to 4.94, and in 2002, the Marlins shipped him to Cincinnati.

His career appeared to be nearing an end at just 26, when the Reds released him while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, following the 2003 season. He signed with the Chicago Cubs in the off-season, who converted him to the bullpen following his return from surgery in late 2004. The transition was a successful one, as he recorded 33 saves to go with a 3.13 ERA the following year. But, after two sub-par seasons, during which he struggled to hold onto the closer's role, the Cubs switched him back to the rotation for the start of the 2008 season.

That turned out to be another wise move, as he's parlayed the switch into an all-star game appearance this year, and is an integral part of a strong Cubs staff that has the team in first place in the NL Central. He currently has a 12-5 record with a 2.93 ERA, and 133 strikeouts in 150 innings pitched. His career marks of 71 wins and 87 saves are tops among Renegades alumni.

Craig Monroe (1996)
Craig Monroe was drafted by the Rangers in 1995 and spent only part of the 1996 season in Hudson Valley, before being promoted to Charleston. He spent the next four seasons climbing Texas' minor league ladder before making his major league debut in 2001. After only 52 major league at bats, Texas released him and he was picked up by Detroit in the off-season.

Monroe enjoyed four solid seasons as a mostly everyday outfielder for the Tigers from 2003 to 2006, hitting at least 18 home runs and driving in at least 70 runs in each, and playing in the World Series in 2006. 2007 saw a drop-off in performance, then a trade to the Chicago Cubs. He was picked up by Minnesota in the off-season, but was released by the Twins this past week. Having cleared waivers, he is currently unemployed, but should find his way back to the majors after the September 1 roster expansions. He currently leads all ex-Renegades in major league home runs (112) and RBI (417).