Craig Hamilton's Mostly Minor League Baseball

Red Sox should push AA C.J. Chatham to AAA Pawsox

2019-07-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

I think it's about time we push SS AA C.J. Chatham currently playing for the Portland Sea Dogs up to the #Pawsox #AAA.

This is not to replace the phenomenal Boston's SS X. Bogaerts, but to strenghten professional ball in New England. It is smart to have AA Portland, AAA Pawtucket, MLB Boston, and A- Lowell, because it keeps the money in New England.

Based upon stats, especially because Chatham's batting at Portland, he and his batting AVG is at about .300. Anytime someone is batting at about .300 at AA or AAA, chances are that they can be bumped up to a higher level.

Chatham should do better than Mike Miller currently a Pawsox player.

Maybe trade Miller. His AVG is about .260, such that he is probably get to play MLB on a less competative team, like Baltimore.

Unless something amazing happens Miller won't be good enough to play on on any of the best ball teams.

Might as well see if Miller can stand up to the level of C.J. Chatham's performance at Portland.

Jay Groome: Just Another Red Sox Hail Mary Hopeful

2019-01-21T11:34:00.000-08:00

I fail to understand why SoxProspects.com rates Jay Groome so highly. Why? because he is 20yrs old to play for Greenville, a Sox A Level Farm Team, and his body is already falling apart. In 2017 Groom suffered a forearm strain, and in 2018 he needed Tommy John surgery. Really this guy is a number our #3 prospect? 2yrs of back to back injuries and nothing to show...

Masslive.com has this to relate about him:
2017: Single-A Lowell and Single-A Greenville this season, posting a 3-9 record with a 5.69 ERA.

mlb.com/news/ has this to relate about him:
2018: Did not pitch at all due to injury.

Everyone seems to think Jay Groome has a lot of potential and that he has not been set back to start in the 2019 season, but I’m just not understanding it. I need some numbers on this guy to think highly of him.

I bet critics will understand it if he pops another arm injury, especially if they try to bring him up to the Portland Sea Dogs this season. Why delight in a 3-9 record? Why delight in a 5.69 ERA? My prediction is that Groome will most likely end up as a baseball nobody. An average starting pitcher AAA at best. Maybe I'm wrong because he is rated currently as the No. 85 overall prospect in baseball ( http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2018?list=prospects ).

Devers and Chavis Make a Team at 3rd Base

2018-12-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

I expect what we will see next season is more depth for our 3rd base players.

Rookie Rafael Devers was spotty. Looks like the Sox are going to hold on to him, which is a fantastic decision, because when he is good: He is really good. For example, over his 1st season, he did when he pulled a terrible batting average up to a better than average one. That meant his season ending batting was extraordinary. However, the Sox are smartly preparing 3rd basemen prospects at the top of their prospects, especially our ~ #1 prospect:

Michael Chavis
3B/1B, Pawtucket 40 23 2014
1st .298 .381 .538 9
Added to the 40-man roster on 11/20

I doubt Devers will be dropped, or that Chavis is intended to fully take his place. That would be a huge mistake (Devers was 20yrs old last season)! That is so much stress that I would probably wet my pants if I were him. Likewise, when he is good, he has been really good, but also when he was in a slump, he has been really bad. If he slumps again, then send him to Pawtucket, and let Chavis play, but keep both of them on the 40 man.

AAA Sox: Pawtucket to Worcester

2018-08-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

This move came as quite a surprise when I came across it yesterday. I always considered that Cape Cod fans were among the most common at Pawtucket. I think they might lose a lot of Cape Cod fans if they move. I hope that they thought about this ahead of time. Worcester definitely deserves an AAA team though. I wonder if Portland or Lowell might move to McCoy Stadium or if someone will turn it into a concert venue. What the heck is up with Providence though? They need a team too...likewise, I did some number crunching on Connecticut, and I bet someone could start a major league franchise there as well. Maybe we'll get some fans from Brockton at Worcester.

How About 4 World Series a Year?

2018-03-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

I suggest that the MLB should have 4 World series a year. It might seem like an outlandish claim, but I think it would not only work, but that it would be ideal. As intended for each of the seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter there would be a World Series. Why 4 as opposed to just the usual 1 world series that is in place now? - It would add to the excitement of the game for 3 reasons:

Having seasonal World Series schedules would metaphorically hit the reset button for a current MLB season. There might not be as much disparity in league standings.

The current World Series is a very well established institution, and it adds to the feel of dimensions to the game. This is why a regular season game does not have the pull of a World Series game. In a World Series game, people all around the planet are tuning in. It would be a financial risk to have 4: But, maybe baseball would attract an even greater world wide audience.

As a fan of the Red Sox, I’d like to get away from the game schedules, and see more series with National League teams. A 4 World Series a year schedule could make that possible.

Pitches Drawn Per At Bat - Important Overlooked Stat - Edited

2017-04-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

There is one stat I feel is very important that to my knowledge is not specifically recorded, and that is how many average pitches a player or even a team draws per at bat.

Why not keep track of fowls drawn beyond 2 strikes, as in a player has 3 balls, 2 strikes, and something like 5 fowls? And, in addition each number of pitches drawn per at bat, drawn pitches, especially fowl balls could be kept for individuals for each at bat per game, as in; this player, so and so, has drawn 15 extra pitches this game, X amount were balls, Y amount were fouls.

My idea for this comes from childhood, where I can remember Wade Boggs fouling as many pitches as he pleased before getting the ball he wanted to hit.

Why is this so important? It places a huge strain on the pitching staff off the other team, making them dig deeper into their bullpen, which gives serious help to defeating a team in a 3 or 4 game series.

TV Baseball for Kids

2016-08-07T15:01:00.001-07:00

I would like to see more interleague play, especially at the MLB and AAA level, and more children friendly game starts.

I see that doubleheaders are the way to get more games that could get this job done.

To make things easier, perhaps have one game that is 7 innings, and another that is 9 innings. And, to prevent burnout - increase team size.

Ballgame series would mainly consist of 4 games, made up of 2 nine inning games, and 2 seven inning games, played over 2 days, at the same venue.

The greatest benefit I see that could come out of this change would be that children could watch the earlier game, and be in bed on time for their schoolwork the next day.

Make MiLB TV More Competitive

2016-08-05T17:26:00.001-07:00

To whom it may concern,

I am a fan of the Boston Red Sox farm teams. I find that Portland is in last place, while Salem and Lowell are doing better. Why then is Portland broadcast so much when they are a losing team? To see more competitive ball, I think you guys should be offering streaming games from Salem and/or Lowell?

Winning is good for the spirit.

2ndly I appreciate that there has been so much coverage of Greenville.

Thanks,

Craig Hamilton

New MLB Baseball Team for New England

2016-03-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

If an entrepreneur of the capitalist class has the money, there is room for another major league ball club, and stadium, for fans near I-395 Connecticut where it meets up with route 6, in eastern CT, near Killingly. There is a great potential for the success of such a team because the stadium could be built on cheaper land, because it would not be from a city, and yet this land is surrounded by cities in 3 states.

This theoretical team from New England should draw fans from RI, CT, and MA.

The other criteria is that I tried to keep driving time to an hour or less, but not always, such as in the case of Springfield, MA and just because it is one of the largest in New England. No city made this list that would take more than a 1hr 30min drive. Although people will almost certain do that, especially if they can take a bus. Personally, when I was in high school I’d drive from Cape Cod to Vermont and back to go skiing, that is a round trip of 9hrs, so there might be a few.

This study was done with the idea that protects the Boston Red Sox, as well as
New York's teams - specifically the Yankees, and the Mets. This would be another
New England team, as opposed to a city team. To illustrate, the ride from the
new stadium is fairly far though a straight shot from Plymouth, MA, but the
distance to Fenway is far closer. Therefore, Plymouth is not counted to draw any
fans. Also, there is the case of the city of Springfield, MA, because it is both
too far from Fenway, and too far away from Killingly, CT. In addition, if the
new team won a title, it could attract a huge chunk of Red Sox fan base.

[pop.] is "population"

[CT] is Connecticut

[Conn] is Connecticut

[MA] is Massachusetts

[RI] is Rhode Island

Worcester, MA	Warwick, RI	Bristol, CT	East Providence, RI
pop. 184,000	pop. 83,000	pop. 60,000	45min drive
45min drive	45min drive	1hr and 30min drive
			Attleboro, MA
Providence, RI	Cranston, RI	Mancester, CT	1hr drive
pop. 178,000	pop. 80,000	pop. 58,000
45min drive	45min drive	1hr drive	Southington, CT
			1hr and 30min drive
Springfield, MA	New Britain, CT	Taunton, MA
pop. 153,000	pop. 73,000	pop. 56,000	Woonsocket, RI
1hr and 30min drive	1hr and 15min drive	1hr drive	45min drive

Hartford, CT	Pawtucket, MA	Chicopee, MA	Leominster, MA
pop. 125,000	pop. 71,000	55,000	1hr drive
1hr and 15min drive	45min drive	1hr 30min drive
			Westfield, MA
Waterbury, Conn	West Hartford, CT	West Haven, CT	1hr 30min drive
pop. 115,000	pop. 63,000	pop. 56,000
1hr and 30min drive	1hr and 15min drive	1hr and 30min drive	Norwich, CT
			45min drive
New Bedford, MA	Hamden, Conn	East Hartford, CT
pop 95,000	pop. 61,000	pop. 51,000	Fitchburg, MA
1hr and 15min drive	1hr and 30min drive	1hr drive	1hr and 15min

Fall River, MA	Meriden, CT	Middletown, CT	Groton, CT
pop. 89,000	pop. 61,000	1hr and 15min drive	45 min
1hr drive	1hr and 30min drive
			Holyoke, MA
			1hr and 30min

oops, I forgot New Haven, CT ~ 1hr and 30min pop. 130,000
not too mention a few from Boston's suburbs might go. Boston,
itself is an 1hr and 45 drive, so just imagine that the Boston suburbs
are less than 1hr and 45min.

Others:

Connecticut small but close towns/cities: Mansfield, Windham, New London, Farmington, Newington, South Windsor, Windsor

Massachusetts small but close towns/cities: Sturbridge, Glouster, North Attleborough

Rhode Island small but close towns/cities: Johnston, West Warick, Coventry, North Providence

This study was done with the idea that protects the Boston Red Sox, as well as New York's teams - specifically the Yankees, and the Mets. This would be another New England team, as opposed to a city team. To illustrate, the ride from the new stadium is fairly far though a straight shot, but the distance to Fenway is far closer. Therefore, Plymouth and many other Boston Red Sox cities were not counted on to draw any fans.

Pitching: Who Gets the Win?

2015-05-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

Too many times I have seen a starting pitcher pitch awesome over roughly 6 innings, while losing the lead in the 7^th inning, such that he isn’t credited with the game win.

Often, this is a matter of a coach failing to pull his starting pitcher in time, such that it is a team communication error. The fault is incorrectly blamed on the pitcher and not the coach.

We need to have real criteria with respect to who gets the victory decision.

There should be minimal mystery. In a game, the pitcher who pitches the most innings, on the winning team, should get the win. This is only reasonable because the fundamental reason why most pitchers are pulled is because they are allowing runs. This would place the emphasis on the number of scoreless innings, or innings with minimal runs scored.

Baseball and Crossed Eye to Hand Dominance

2015-05-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

According to this link, I was able to discover that be because my son Alex has crossed dominance, he may have an advantage at baseball.

By having crossed dominance I mean that while he is left handed, he is right eyed. The linked article defines exactly what that means, but what I mean by crossed in Alex's case is that he is right eye dominant and left hand dominant.

The other version of crossed is in the case that the left eye dominant, and right hand dominant.

The study in the link shows that by far most baseball players are crossed or something they call cyclopean.

He is only 7yrs old, such that now the next thing to do is get him to have a level swing! However, hopefully this will help!

Providence Baseball: MiLB RedSox or MLB Team?

2015-05-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

I still support making a Connecticut MLB team, but the question is whether or not Providence, RI could successfully host a MLB.

Let’s examine Providence Rhode Island to see if it should be made host a Major League baseball team, as opposed to the new AAA Boston Red Sox farm team.

By the numbers – available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_population_in_New_England:

Providence RI is highly populated at 178,042 although Boston is about 3.5 times as populous. Boston is easily the most populated city in New England. Of course this is not the whole story because fans may commute to ball parks.

Providence's population is ranked 3rd in New England. However, this is not the entire story, as Providence is near several highly populated cities.

This is a list of cities by population located within 1hr and hence driving distance and not only that but also likely to commute to Providence. For example, Providence is also a 1hr drive from Boston, but no reasonable person would expect Bostonians to attend Providence games.

1. Worcester, MA ranked at 2nd most populated in New England at 182,544.

2. Providence, RI ranked at 3rd most populated in New England at 178,042 (as mentioned above.)

3. New Bedford, MA: ranked 13th most populated in New England at 95,072.

4. Brockton MA: ranked at 14th most populated in New England at 93,810.

5. Fall River, MA: ranked at 17th most populated in New England at 88,857.

6. Warwick, RI: ranked 21st most populated in New England at 82,672.

7. Cranston, RI: ranked 23rd most populated in New England at 80,387.

8. Pawtucket, RI: ranked 27th most populated in New England at 71,148. KEEP IN MIND THAT PAWTUCKET HAS ALREADY BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT SUPPORTING an AAA farm team!!!

It is such that, the metropolitan area of Providence, which is representative of the expected fan base clocks in at 1,609,367 people, 38th in the country according to this page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Metropolitan_Statistical_Areas

That means that if Providence were to have an MLB team, it would pool from the 2nd smallest fan base in all of Major Leagues. Only Milwaukee would have a smaller population size. If you ask me, then though it is close, Providence should be a no go for MLB, but if the new owner's do good business, it should easily be successful at the AAA level.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Baseball_Bugs/population

Be Suspicious Muscle Building Promises That Work

2014-11-14T08:14:00.001-08:00

!

I am highly suspicious of these sorts of products. I won’t deny their power to morph regular peoples’ bodies into mega-muscle machines. However, I am skeptical about the long term effects. These products aren’t creating natural looking bodies. Granted, there is an obesity epidemic in 1st world nations. However, I must question if men are really intended to look like this.
If having one of these supposed ideal bodies is healthy, how do we explain this:

"One-Third Of WrestleMania VI Competitors Now Dead"

That's 1 in every 3 wrestlers in only 14 years!!

Boston Sox and Secrets to Better MLB Teams – Surrounded With Baseball League Fanatics

2014-04-27T15:49:00.003-07:00

The city of Boston is closely surrounded with Boston Red Sox minor league affiliated teams. North, West, and South are covered, and to the East is the Atlantic Ocean. We’ve got 3 of the 4 directions covered. That is about as well covered as is possible. And, we have been winning. I believe that a part of that winning has to do with the expansive area that may call the Boston Red Sox their home team.

Boston has a lot going for it, especially what I am calling the secret to winning at baseball, meaning creating loyal baseball fans at high density. Though technically not a really big city; Boston population density is found in the metropolitan coastal areas. This is a part of developing the attention of the metropolitan Boston area, making for crazy crazed baseball fans.

To the southwest, of course we have the Pawtucket Red Sox who are affiliated with the Boston Red Sox, playing at the AAA level. The Pawtucket Red Sox seem to do no wrong, winning their division probably more frequently than any other team.

I can’t stress enough that Cape Cod, southeast of Boston, is home to the Cape Cod Baseball League, which although not directly Boston Red Sox affiliated, this area makes for a strong attention for the pros. Cape League fans are also usually Boston Red Sox fans. The Red Sox grow young fans at these games, where it is often possible to win tickets to Boston Red Sox games. In fact, what actually got me hooked on Pawtucket was winning a raffle prize of seats at McCoy Stadium, while at a Cape Cod Baseball League game.

Moving on, we have to the north of Boston the Boston Red Sox affiliated Portland Sea Dogs who play at AA level in the small city of Portland Maine. Thus, we draw the attention to the Boston Sox through offering a place to see Boston related baseball games. Here to the north.

Last and least, to the northwest we have the Boston Red Sox affiliated Lowell Spinners, of Lowell, MA, playing at the Short Season A Level in the New York-Penn League, albeit this is the weakest connection though it should not be overlooked.

So, there it is! The secret has been revealed. It is to create baseball culture within a high population density city, metropolitan and suburbs areas.

It is scarcely believable years’ back that the Red Sox could win a world series, and Boston is winning regularly now from a the prospective of a Curse of the Bambino years’ fan. Not every year, but comparatively the Red Sox have been winning a lot. It was only a matter of time before this fan network was built.

MLB Connecticut Team: Can Someone in All Creation Tell Me Why on Earth Such a Team Does Not Exist?

2014-03-28T13:57:00.004-07:00

Capitalism relies on the idea that people will want to have money to spend in order to make more money. For some reason Connecticut has no Major League Baseball team, and yet they are far from the New York Yankees, and the Mets, as well as from the Boston Red Sox. I have no explanation for this, and I am completely baffled. I would have figured that by now some investor would have broken ground for a baseball stadium in Connecticut.

I am completely aware that many teams are experiencing financial difficulties, but I am pretty sure that Connecticut is fairing the weather of the financial turmoil of our nation better than most states. The exaction of a Connecticut team remains a mystery to me.

Where should they put the team? I would say in rural Connecticut between cities so that there could be a draw from multiple cities from Connecticut, as this state in some ways often seems like an extension of NYC though there are breaks in the population density. Putting the stadium in rural Connecticut is good for another reason, and that is that the land is most likely to be cheaper there than in the small cities located along I-95.

We could expect to see some draw from places like Providence Rhode Island, which is already a haven for minor league teams such as the Pawtucket Red Sox, and the hockey team the Providence Bruins. This idea may even draw some fans away from mega-teams like the Boston Red Sox, the NYC Yankees, and Mets although I expect that this may also fortify folks’ interest in sports in these areas.

This Connecticut MLB idea also relies on that not all people are willing to put in any effort to see a minor league game mostly because some people are stuck up and nothing less than the major leagues will due. Fielding a team for Connecticut would certainly fill this niche, and probably do wonders Connecticut’s local economy.

Top 10 Reasons Why the Minor Leagues Are Better than the Major Leagues

2013-07-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

1. You can see the team at the game.

2. You can afford to go to more than 1 game a season.

3. The crowd is smaller. You might even make friends with a fellow fan at games.

4. Drives to cities to see the major leagues are stressful.

5. You might be able to afford to get something to eat at the game.

6. Drives to local fields aren’t as long or as expensive.

7. Minor league players are just as likely to be good role models for the kids.

8. Minor league sports’ has the potential to boost/expand the economy by creating jobs.

9. You aren’t putting as much pressure on your kids that they have to be the best in the world or they are a failure.

10. By cheering minor league teams you are giving future pro players the emotional support they need.

Spring Is A Go – A Poem

2013-03-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

Spring is a go

Sing as we plow with our hoe

Scattering seeds of life

For back break harvest strife

Baseball games are ah playin’

My mood is a’ liftin,’ I am just sayin’

And, in all that we do

Spring has sprung through and through

Collegiate Sports Majors Instead of Traditional Majors Where One Also Plays Sports

2012-08-19T11:26:00.001-07:00

I understand that some people prefer to play sports in addition to their major, and I am not knocking that. What I am seeking is for universities to recognize collegiate level sports as a major, such that graduation from such a program results in say a Bachelors Degree in Baseball.

Let’s face it, African Americans often find school difficult, but it seems to everyone that there are other ways of measuring intelligence other than IQ, and even the various standard assessments that I am aware of today. For example, one person might be calculating the mathematical way to hit a 3 pointer in a basket ball game, while someone else might be entirely able to put the ball in the bucket and get the job done. In that way, including sports as majors will no doubt help the Africa American community.

My radical suggestion would be to make collegiate sports to be a major. For example, majoring in sports would mean that someone could choose basketball or baseball or even football as a major. This is as opposed to traditional majors, such as biology, French, and engineering.

There are several reasons for this, but one of the greatest is my hope to inspire young athletes at the grade school to pursue health and wellness for a lifetime. The problem is that America is getting fat, and that much needs to change or else there will be consequences to our poor eating habits.

The evidence is out there that putting sports on the television does not help folks, but I would beg to disagree. Those polled were probably adults. When I was in elementary school, nearly every kid playing squirts wanted to be a professional ball player. And, though while we should not have delusions of grandeur that we are better than we really are, I believe that professional sports inspires youngsters to exercise. That much is good for our bodies, and I believe that will translate into a strong America.

One of the major faults of America is that we need to focus more on sports more at the minor league level. Our minor leaguers should be an inspiration for our youth. I am lucky to live on Cape Cod where we have the Cape Cod Baseball League, CCBL, which is really at about the AA level. When our local kids watch these players, many of which are headed for the big league, I indeed feel that it is inspirational to the youth, especially since so many kids can’t afford to attend major league sports. The minor leagues are very affordable for almost anyone. Likewise, I feel that broadening the scope of professional sports to include enough teams such that it would make sense for a student to attend College primarily for the aspect of achieving a degree in sports is beneficial to America.

Cotuit Kettleers Alumni: Rico Noel of Coastal Carolina and His Career

2012-06-23T22:33:00.001-07:00

I am primarily a Bourne Braves fan. It has been that since Alex has been born that I haven’t been able to see the Kettleers much because the field isn’t really friendly to kids under 5. Alex is 4 now, and yesterday, especially since when Bourne played Cotuit, some of the older boys were nice to Alex, so we decided to return the favor and attend a game. At the game I picked up the “Yearbook 2012,” which cost $5. We didn’t stay for the whole game because Alex said that he was hot, and I could see that he was starting to get a sunburn.

In recent years, Cotuit hasn’t been able to fair that well. I think that is partially because their home field, Lowell Park, does not have lights. This causes Cotuit to tie many games where a tie is only worth 1 point and a victory is worth 2, if I remember correctly. Having a few more victories could possibly result in the appearance of Cotuit fielding a better team, especially since it is difficult for many fans to get to the game early to cheer on the Kettleers. Games often, like the one I attended, often start at 5:00, which is exceptionally early for those who are employed to attend a game. I was not surprised to see that by 7:00 the amount of people occupying the bleachers seemed to have more than doubled. However, by then Cotuit was down 0-5, and the Orleans Firebirds were looking strong. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Firebirds win the series this year.

From 1961 – 2011 Cotuit has been fielding a team in the Cape League. For fun, I figured that I would check out if any of their players had recently posted an all time notable performance batting. Not to my surprise, the last Kettleer to achieve a record, was in 2009, and it was Rico Noel. Rico Noel stole 26 bases, but still that is nowhere near the record of 48 for the CCBL.

In 2011, Rico Noel A played level ball with the Fort Wayne Padres, the TinCaps of the Midwest League, where he improved his stats from previously playing for the Lake Elsinore Padres, called the Storm, an A advanced level team.

Fort Wayne's stadium size:

Capacity	6,516 (Fixed seats) 8,100 (Total)

Lake Elsinore's Stadium Size:

Capacity	6,066 permanent stadium seats

June 23, 2012: Alex Gets a CCBL T-Shirt and Wears It Proudly

2012-06-23T22:09:00.004-07:00

For our family, and for so many families funds are limited. I portioned out our money so that we would have $3 to donate for each upcoming game. I know that it is less than the suggested donation, but June we had overspent, such that we could only afford $3 a game and then maybe some concessions. This meant that we had to save in order to get Alex a Cape League t-shirt, which I might add: He is proudly wearing it now as we are listening to the Boston Red Sox on 96.3. That is to get this one we had to break open the piggy bank.

Alex is a really good looking kid. He is very social and very popular among folks in our town. In that way, he makes for an excellent advertisement. If people in the town of Sandwich see Alex wearing CCBL apparel or Bourne Braves apparel, then it is highly likely that they also might go to a game, even if it may not be the Bourne Braves themselves who gain more attendance. For example, we know people that might attend a Falmouth or a Cotuit game as a result of this promotion.

Think of it this way, everything that you buy generally carries with it a label. As someone using a product that has that label, you are representing that business, and hopefully trying to increase the amount of business or donations that business gets.

I, myself, have a CCBL t-shirt, and I often wear it specifically so that I might strike up a conversation that might make someone want to go to game. In fact, that is exactly what happened the other day when I met someone in Buzzards Bay that when I said I was going to a Bourne Braves game. The person I met mentioned that he might go see the Wareham Gatemen. Often times most people that go to games donate $5 or more. Just think, through representing the CCBL by wearing a t-shirt I helped proliferate the league. Yes, possibly only $5 was made in this instance, but it is also possible that he went with a friend or friends that made donations and bought products, and may continue to do so in the future. That is how the word is spread. Before you know it $100 is made to support athletics.

Alex also has a Bourne Braves hat and it looks really good. Whoever designed the hats for the Bourne Braves really deserves a compliment! Alex was given his Bourne Braves hat when he was 3, as a gift. He didn’t buy it himself. However, this year, now that he is 4, I am trying to teach Alex the value of a dollar. Meghan said that our friends the Broder’s where recently able to buy a shirt at a Braves game that was on clearance. I was hoping for the same, seeing as how our funds were so limited. However, breaking open the piggy bank, we have found we could give Alex enough to get a t-shirt 6/23/2012.

Unfortunately, the game was called when we were in the lead, and we hopefully we will win the makeup game scheduled for Monday at 6:00.

I have said it many times, and I’ll say it again. In the Psalms, King David deplores those that accept free gifts, and while the CCBL is by donation only, to me what that really means is that we are on the honors system. It is up to us to see that the CCBL can happen, such that I am grateful to all contributors, primarily because it is a great cause. As I said, anytime one attends something such as a game, there should be some exchange of money, even if the game does not have vendors and there is no charge for attending. Good people appreciate the honors system, but those that take advantage to free gifts usually end up finding out that they are not really in fact free, such that commerce is beneficial.

I was surprised that when we saw American Legion Post 188 at Doran Park there was no way to make a donation. We had set aside $3, which isn’t much, but it is better than nothing. The closest thing we made to a donation, where the drinks we brought with us, that I had purchased earlier on Friday 6/22/2012 for $0.20 a piece. However, the drinks were bought specifically for the purpose of the game, and if you believe that one blessing begets another until it comes back to you, then by buying drinks for the game, we did something good!

Sometimes we have gone to games at the Henry T. Wing School, which has a concession stand. For a few bucks you can buy a soda, some food, and help fund sports at grade school. I am not sure if this is available at the high school. As far as I remember, it wasn’t. However, there is a new sports complex in the works, and hopefully buying concessions will be one way we can support athletics, whether it is at the grade school level on up through collegiate, and even the AAA level.

Minor Leagues: Older Sports Players Often Inspire the Youth To Exercise and To Play a Sport

2012-06-23T22:06:00.001-07:00

I have heard it said that most people that go to games don’t play, such that it was argued that professional sports don’t do much. Rubbish!

I would bet that if you asked any of the high school and college students that attend Cape League games whether or not they have played sports; the answer is almost certainly a definite yes. So, while the elderly might not be pulling out their baseball gloves and tossing the ball around because of the Cape Cod Baseball League, the fact is that these college students are huge role models for young sports players.

In fact, I can remember all the way back to when I was taking a baseball clinic at the Mass Maritime Academy, where we were to get some training from Cape League players. To us, the youth that played baseball, getting lessons from Cape Leaguers was a dream.

The fact is that boys and girls should see players at all levels of play. To see a team play that is better than you is often inspiring. The other day we saw American Legion Post 188 play Orleans. This level of play is made up of high school and college players. Alex, my 4 year old son, being just 4 probably isn’t going to notice much of a difference between these levels of play. However, just as I can hope that he might one day aspire to play in the Cape League, or at the Collegiate level, I can bring him to games where high school players play. These sorts of things are very inspiring, especially for the youth. And, likewise, if we are to become more physically fit as a nation, chances are that we won’t inspire too many 30 year olds to pick up soccer that did not play in high school. The fact is, they have already been inspired by varsity teams, and teams like the Crusaders. However, grade school players, then possibly we have a better chance at becoming more physically fit as a nation.

25 Bourne Braves Alumni Drafted 2012: Draft in Order with Franchise and Bourne Year(s)

2012-06-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

1. Travis Jankowski – San Diego 2010-11 Won Division 2010
2. Mason Melotakis – Minnesota 2011
3. Alex Wood – Atlanta  2011
4. Peter O’Brien – New York (AL) 2010 Won Division
5. RJ Alvarez – Los Angeles (AL) 2010-11 Won Division 2010
6. Patrick Cantwell – Texas 2011
7. Josh Conway  - Chicago (NL) 2011
8. Josh Elander – Atlanta  2010-11 Won Division 2010
9. Kevin Brady – Philadelphia 2010 Won Division
10. Zach Wright – Los Angeles (AL) 2011
11. Michael Morin – Los Angeles (AL)2010 Won Division
12. Devin Travis – Detroit  2010 Won Division
13. Dario Pizzano – Seattle  2012
14. Scott Oberg – Colorado  2009 Won Division, Cape League Champions
15. Tommy Coyle – Tampa Bay  2011-12
16. DJ Hicks – Minnesota  2011
17. Slade Smith – Detroit  2011
18. Kevin Brandt – Tampa Bay 2011
19. Patrick Blair – Houston  2011
20. Jason Coats – Chicago (AL) 2010-11 Won Division
21. RC Orlan – Washington  2010-11 Won Division
22. Chris Pickering – San Francisco 2011
23. Garrett Cannizaro – Yankees  2011
24. Kyle Farmer – New York (AL) 2011
25. Michael Dimock – Houston 2009-10 Won Division 2009-10, Champs 2009

Minor and Major League Division Leaders: Former Bourne Braves Eating Up the Competition

2012-06-20T17:41:00.001-07:00

Note 1: Please note, the 2012 CCBL season starts shortly after the draft, such that the 2011 Bourne Braves players aren’t listed as playing on division leading teams below, especially as the MiLB season is in progress at the time of the draft.

Note 2: The records of teams are posted. For example, that Pawtucket is 45 – 27 means that they have 45 wins and 27 loses.

Note 3: The minor league records are as of 6/20/2012 noon.

Note 4: Not all minor league seasons are in progress, especially at the lower levels, as several of these leagues have only just started play, such that their records are omitted.

1. MLB American League Leaders

a. East – Yankees 41 – 26

b. Central – Cleveland 35 – 32

· Chris Ray, Bourne Braves Alumni 2002

c. West – Texas 42 – 27

· Mitch Moreland, Bourne Braves Alumni 2006-07

· Greg Reynolds, Bourne Braves Alumni 2004

2. MLB National League Leaders

a. East – Washington 38 – 27

· Mark DeRosa, Bourne Braves Alumni 1995

b. Central – Cincinnati 38 – 29

c. West – LA Dodgers 42 – 26

· Jerry Hairston, Bourne Braves Alumni 1996 (5^th in CCBL Division)

3. AAA – International League Leaders

a. International League North – Pawtucket 45 – 27

b. International League South – Charlotte 42-31

c. International League West – Indianapolis 42 -29

4. AAA – Pacific Coast League Leaders

a. Pacific Coast League American North – Omaha 45 – 27

b. Pacific Coast League American Southern – Oklahoma City (Houston Astros) 42 – 29

· Mickey Storey, Bourne Braves Alumni 2006-07 (5^th and 1^st CCBL in Division)

c. Pacific Coast League Pacific Northern – Reno 44 – 28

d. Pacific Coast League Pacific Southern – Fresno 45 -26

5. AAA – Mexican League Leaders

a. Mexican League Norte – Monterrey 45 -32

b. Mexican League Sur – Quintana Roo

6. Eastern League AA Leaders

a. Eastern League Eastern Division – Trenton (Yankees) 40-28

b. Eastern League Western Division – Akron (Cleveland Indians) 44 – 25

· Bryce Stowell, Bourne Braves Alumni 2008 (3^rd in CCBL Division)

· Jordan Henry, Bourn Braves Alumni 2008 (3^rd in CCBL Division)

7. Southern League AA Leaders

a. Southern League North 1^st Half – Jackson (Mariners) 42 – 28

b. Southern League South 1^st Half – Mobile (Arizona Diamondbacks) 40 – 30

· Kevin Munson, Bourne Braves Alumni 2009 (1^st in CCBL Division, Cape Cod League Championship)

8. Texas League AA Leaders

a. Texas League North 1^st Half – Tulsa (Rockies) 40 – 30

b. Texas League South 1^st Half – Frisco (Rangers) 41 -29

· Justin Grimm, Bourne Braves Alumni 2008 (3^rd in CCBL Division)

9. California League A Leaders

a. California League North 1^st Half – Bakersfield (Reds) 41 – 29

b. California League South 1^st Half – High Desert (Mariners) 37 – 33

· Stefan Romero, Bourne Braves Alumni 2009 (1^st in CCBL Division, Cape Cod League Championship)

10. Carolina League A Leaders

a. Carolina League North 1^st Half – Lynchburg (Atlanta Braves) 39 – 31

· Nick Ahmed, Bourne Braves Alumni 2010 (1^st in CCBL Division)

b. Carolina League Southern 1^st Half – Winston-Salem (Chicago White Sox) 44 – 25

· Nick McCully Bourne Braves Alumni 2008 (3^rd in CCBL Division)

11. Florida State League A Leaders

a. Florida State League North 1^st Half – Dunedin (Blue Jays) 42 – 24

b. Florida State League South 1^st Half – St. Lucie (Mets) 48 – 19

12. Midwest League A Leaders

a. Midwest League Eastern 1^st Half – Lansing (Blue Jays) 47 – 22

b. Midwest League Western 1^st Half – Wisconsin (Brewers) 44 – 25

13. South Atlantic League Leaders A

a. South Atlantic League Northern 1^st Half – Greensboro (Marlins) 46 -24

b. South Atlantic League Southern 1^st Half – Asheville (Rockies) 47 – 23

14. New York-Penn League (A-) – season just underway

a. McNamara Division

b. Pinckney Division

c. Stedler Division

15. Northwest League (A-) – season just underway

a. East Division

b. West Division

16. Appalachian League (Rookie) – season just underway

a. East Division

b. West Division

17. Pioneer League (Rookie) – season just underway

a. North Division

b. South Division

18. Gulf Coast League (Rookie)

Bourne Braves 2011 and 2012: Ryan Eades as of June 19th, 2012

2012-06-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

In 2011 Ryan Eades was a tremendous player for the Bourne Braves. Over 33 innings, his Earned Run Average was sensational, less than 1.00. Those two facts there should establish that Ryan Eades has a future in baseball and that he will be a force to be reckoned with at higher levels of play. Eades is currently spend another year playing for Bourne, where he is listed at the team's website as being on the roster. http://www.bournebraves.org/bourne-braves-roster.html

The following are his relevant achievements:

Awards/Achievements:

2012 1st Team All-SEC

2012 CBHoF Pitcher of the Year Watch List

2011 Cape Cod League Pitcher of the Year

2011 Cape Cod League All-Star

2011 Named the #5 Prospect in the CCBL by Perfect Game

2011 1st Team PG Summer Collegiate League All-American

2010 Drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 19th round. MLB June Amateur Draft from Northshore HS (Slidell, LA).

I am looking forward to another year of getting to see him play in the CCBL for my favorite team!

Bourne Braves Alumni 2011: R.J. Alvarez Update as of 6_18_2012

2012-06-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

When R.J. Alvarez played for Bourne, the Braves pitching staff was particularly gifted. He lead the team in saves despite the mostly weak batting performance of the 2011 Bourne Braves of the CCBL, which is the Premier League for collegiate play during the summer. Though we finished 3^rd in our division, which has 5 teams, this was probably not due to failures on the parts of pitchers. The fact is, 2011 was a year where the Braves’ batters weren’t getting enough hits or runs, especially late in the season, as Braves manager Harvey Shapiro commented. That said, Alvarez led the team in saves, proving that he has what it takes to remain composed, especially as fans typically get rowdier towards the end of the game. Alvarez was a relief pitcher, and if you know or have heard anything about being a relief pitcher, then it is that being a relief pitcher is anything but relief, especially when your team is in a hitting slump!

At the time of publication of the yearly update of Bourne Braves Media Guide playing professional ball, R.J. Alvarez is was not listed as of April 2012. However, that much is to be expected, since for this media guide it is nearly impossible to get the 2012 Media Guide printed in time for the player’s drafted from 2011 teams, such that there are no players from the 2011 team listed.

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4421369 says that R.J. Alvarez current team is

Cedar Rapids, IA - The Cedar Rapids Kernels (MWL)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedar_Rapids_Kernels

The Cedar Rapids Kernels are a Class A minor league baseball team based in Iowa. It is affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and plays in the Midwest League.

R.J. Alvarez will have the opportunity to play at a stadium that seats 5,300 this year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Memorial_Stadium_(Cedar_Rapids)

For more on the Kernels check out:

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ros&cid=492&stn=true&sid=t492

So far he’s pitched 3 innings and allowed only 1 hit, such that it is possible that he will be the leading relief pitcher on the team. Good luck stopping him!

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&cid=492&stn=true&sid=t492