Senators Fans Unite

He Gave it His Best Shot – Willie Fordham (1927-2010)

2010-08-23T13:59:00.011-04:00

The baseball world lost a great ambassador to the game as Negro League legend Willie Fordham passed away yesterday (8/22/2010)

Fordham, was a member of the 1952 Eastern League Harrisburg Senators and the Negro League Harrisburg Giants from 1953-1955, an accomplished author, and motivational speaker. He had the tools to make it in the Major Leagues and almost did (try out with the Dodgers in 1952) but his color held him back. I recently asked Willie how he wanted people to remember his playing days, he said “I played with and against the best players to play the game” and he followed that up by saying “I ALWAYS gave it my best shot”.

My condolences go out to Willie’s family and friends.

He inspired countless people over the years to find the best within themselves and to never give up.

Willie’s legacy will live on through his books, family, friends and those he inspired over the years.

Negro League Remembrance night will not be the same without you.

Services will be held on Saturday 8/28/2010 at 11 AM in Harrisburg (I will provide more details tomorrow).

EDIT: Services will take place Saturday at the Camp Curtin Memorial Mitchell United Methodist Church, 2221 N. Sixth St., Harrisburg. Viewing will be from 9 to 11 a.m., with the service to follow immediately afterward.

Book Review: I Gave It My Best Shot By Willie Fordham

Harrisburg Living Legacy: Willie Fordham

Mode Weekly: Willie Fordham

Penn Live: Susquehanna Township native, former Negro League standout Willie Fordham dies at 83

York Daily Record: Willie Fordham, 83, remembered for Negro League career

Examiner.com: Willie Fordham Negro League Pitcher Dies at 83 (1927-2010)

I'm Back.....

2010-05-28T20:54:00.003-04:00

I'm Back, well kind of. This site will remain inactive but I just opened my own photography website: Will Bentzel Photography.

I just started the site today so it might be a little while before it's really up and running. It will feature a sports images, non-sports images, a photo-blog, links to some of my favorite photographers, and some of my publised work.

So stop over, visit often and hopefully you will enjoy the images.

Thanks
Will

Final Post

2009-12-31T23:59:00.003-05:00

The time has come to shut down Senators Fans Unite. I’ve been debating about ‘pulling the plug’ since April 09. Countless times I’ve wrote similar posts to this that never saw the light of day. Simply put, there is not enough time in a day for me alone to continue researching and writing articles, trying to poke around for information, taking and editing images (for both this site, MiLB and others), and posting articles. This does not include spending time with my wife and kids’; working my 8:30-5 job and life’s many other challenges.

First and foremost I want to thank my wonderful wife and kids for having patients and understanding while I devoted long hours to make SFU possible.

I want to send a special thank you to my good friends Bob and Jane for their help and continued support since I was a young kid running around collecting autographs at Senators games.

Thank you to the Senators front office for allowing me the opportunity to cover the team, the grounds crew for keeping things entertaining in the 3rd base ‘cubby’, and Steve Eddy for all the valuable information you shared with me.

Last but not least, I want to thank all the visitors of this site over the past two years. I hope you enjoyed the information, articles and photos I shared with you. It’s been a lot of fun trying to keep you updated on all the latest info regarding the Senators.

Plans are to expand and grow in my role as a photographer. I will still be around Metro Bank Park, as well as other stadiums, serving as a photographer for MLB Advanced Media. You will still be able to see my work at MLB.com, MiLB.com and various other places. My email box will still be open, so keep in touch.

Thank you and best wishes,
Will Bentzel

Q&A with Zech Zinicola

2009-12-30T18:36:00.005-05:00

Senators Fans Unite: How is the off season going?
Zech Zinicola: My off season has been going very well, trying to just stay low and visit some friends and family. Nothing too crazy.

SFU:The Blue Jays recently selected you in the Rule 5 Draft. What are your thoughts on going to Toronto and the opportunities offered to you as a Rule 5 pick?
ZZ: I can't express to you the excitement I had seeing my name come up in the rule 5 draft when I was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays. It's a great opportunity and I'm ready for the challenge.

SFU:Have you had any conversations with the Jays? If so, what did they say and did they list any expectations they have of you going in to spring training?
ZZ: Dana Brown was the first member of the Blue Jays that I spoke to and he just wanted to say congrats and to make sure I come in to spring training in great shape and ready to compete for a job.

SFU:In 09 you were “lights-out” with the Senators, but after a promotion to Syracuse you struggled a little bit. Dana Brown, former Nationals director of amateur scouting turned special assistant to Blue Jays general manager, is quoted as saying "I think what it was, he had inconsistent command mixed in with a little bad luck," Brown said. "But stuff-wise, he's up to 96 with a plus slider. I think once he can get the command, get the ball down a little bit, I think he's going to have a chance to take off." What are your thoughts on Brown’s assesment of why you struggled in Triple-A?
ZZ: I know my numbers in Syracuse were not flattering but I felt like I took tremendous strides as a player and I feel I'm ready to make the next jump in my career as a ball player. My strikeout to walk ratio was the best it's ever been in my career and if you take away a couple outings I think it would be a different story.

SFU:After playing parts of 4 seasons in Harrisburg, Senators fans are sad to see you leave the Nationals organization. Do you have anything you want to say to them?
ZZ: The fans in Harrisburg have always been very supportive to the team and to myself, I'm gonna miss that place but I will never forget it. I think the renovations they made this year were spectacular - and after the second part of the renovations are complete the city of Harrisburg will have one of the best places to enjoy a ball game in all of minor league baseball. I would just like to say thanks to all the families who allow us ball players stay in their home while we are away from ours. Without them a lot of guys like me would never have a chance to fulfill our dreams of making it to the show.

Thank you to Zech for taking time during the holidays to answer a few questions. Good luck in Toronto.

Toronto Picks Zinicola In Rule 5 Draft

2009-12-10T10:39:00.004-05:00

The Jays took righty Zech Zinicola from the Nationals in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 Draft.

According to Baseball America “Players selected must remain on the selecting team's 25-man major league roster throughout the next season or be offered back to the team from which they were drafted (for $25,000).”

For complete coverage of the Rule 5 Draft please visit: Rule 5 Draft

For additional details on Toronto's selection of Zinicola please visit: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091210&content_id=7792160&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor&partnerId=rss_tor

Senators Announce 2010 Coaching Staff

2009-12-04T16:27:00.001-05:00

The Harrisburg Senators and Washington Nationals announced today that Randy Knorr is the new manager of the Senators. Knorr replaces John Stearns who had been the Sens manager the past two seasons. He becomes the 15th different manager for the Sens since 1987. He leads a staff familiar to Sens fans as Troy Gingrich, Randy Tomlin, and Atsushi Toriida all return for 2010.

For more information please visit:Senators Announce 2010 Coaching Staff

MARK BUTLER NAMED TO THE CAL RIPKEN, SR. FOUNDATION, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2009-12-04T13:06:00.005-05:00

Here is a news release from the Central Penn Business Journal:

The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation today announced that the non-profit organization has added MARK BUTLER of Carlisle, Pa.to its 30-member board of directors. The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation helps to build character and teach critical life lessons to at-risk youth, through the use of baseball and softball-themed programs in America’s most distressed communities.

For more information please visit: Central Penn Business

Nationals Top 10 Prospects by Baseball America

2009-11-17T11:31:00.005-05:00

Last week Baseball America released their list of the 2010 Nationals Top 10 Prospects. Included is my review of the top 10, who should have been in the top 10 and who from the top 10 might start the 2010 season in Harrisburg. Also included is BA's ranking of the Nat's players with the "Top Tools" and the Nat's Projected lineup for the 2013 season.

Nationals Top 10 Prospects
1.) Stephen Strasburg (RHP)
2.) Derek Norris (C)
3.) Drew Storen (RHP) *
4.) Ian Desmond (SS) *
5.) Danny Espinosa (SS)
6.) Chris Marrero (1B) *
7.) Jeff Kobernus (2B)
8.) Justin Maxwell (OF) *
9.) Michael Burgess (OF)
10.) Destin Hood (OF)
*-Played for Senators

No real surprise that Strasburg tops the list. Norris had a decent 09 season with low-A Hagerstown batting .286 with 23 HR’s and 84 RBI’s. Storen’s rise through the minors is reminisant of Zinicola’s 2006 season; both ended up near the top of BA prospect list, noted as have the best slider in the system and pegged as the Nat’s closer of the future; looking forward to see how Storen responds in 2010.

Two surprises in the top 10 for me are Jeff Kobernus and Justin Maxwell. Kobernus was selected in the 2nd round of the 2009 draft and has only played 10 games at short-season Vermont. Baseball America called him "athletic," "projectable" and "one of the most versatile players in the nation" but with only a few games under his belt I think he is ranked to high. In my opinion Maxwell is a serviceable 4th outfielder who has been injured to often and has not rebound very well (production wise) from his 2008 injury to be ranked 8th. I like Maxwell and Kobernus but with pitching prospects like Josh Wilkie, Aaron Thompson, or Brad Myers.

Who from the Top 10 do I think will start the 2010season in Harrisburg? I’m going out on a limb and saying that Strasburg should start the season in Harrisburg; just image opening day in the new stadium and Strasburg on the mound. After spending the entire 09 season at High-A Potomac, Danny Espinosa should be the Sens starting SS/2B; currently batting .329 in the AFL. Marrero is hitting .338 with 3 HR’s and 18 RBI’s in the AFL but only played in 23 games with Harrisburg last season. My guess is he will return to Harrisburg in 2010. Burgess played the entire 09 season at Potomac but struggled hitting, probably should return to Potomac to work on his approach at the plate with a possible mid-season promotion to Harrisburg

Here is the Rest of Baseball America’s projections.

Best Tools
Best hitter for average: Derek Norris
Best Power Hitter: Derek Norris
Best Strike-Zone Discipline: Derek Norris
Fastest Baserunner: Roger Bernadina*
Best Athlete: Justin Maxwell *
Best FastBall: Stephen Strasburg
Best Curveball: Stephen Strasburg
Best Slider: Drew Storen*
Best Changeup: Josh Wilkie *
Best Control: Stephen Strasburg
Best Defensive Catcher: Sandy Leon
Best Defensive Infielder: Danny Espinosa
Best Infield Arm: Ian Desmond *
Best Defensive Outfielder: Roger Bernadina*
Best Outfield Arm: Michael Burgess
*-Played for Senators

Projected 2013 Lineup
Catcher: Derek Norris
First Base: Chris Marrero *
Second Base: Danny Espinosa
Third Base: Ryan Zimmerman *
Shortstop: Ian Desmond *
LF: Josh Willingham
CF: Nyjer Morgan
RF: Adam Dunn
#1 Starter: Stephen Strasburg
#2 Starter: Jordan Zimmermann *
#3 Starter: Ross Detwiler *
#4 Starter: John Lannan *
#5 Starter: Collin Balester *
Closer: Drew Storen *
*-Played for Senators

Senators Release 2010 Schedule

2009-11-09T18:23:00.004-05:00

The Harrisburg Senators release the full 2010 Schedule today.
To view and print the schedule please visit: Senators 2010 Schedule

Knorr to manage at Double-A Harrisburg

2009-11-05T08:56:00.001-05:00

From the Nationals homepage Knorr to manage at Double-A Harrisburg:

After having conversations with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and interim manager Jim Riggleman, Randy Knorr has decided to become the manager of Double-A Harrisburg, replacing John Stearns.

Knorr spent last season as the team's bullpen coach, but Rizzo and Riggleman told him his future was as a manager.

Knorr said if he had to do it all over again, he would have been more vocal when it came to the pitching staff and have tried his best to convince Josh Bard and Wil Nieves that catching was more important than hitting.

"I love managing," Knorr said. "It's a new job. I want to be on the bench."

Knorr has a history of success in the Minor Leagues. In 2008, he guided Class A Potomac to a 79-61 record en route to the Carolina League championship.

The Nationals have not announced who will replace Knorr as the bullpen coach.

In other news, Rick Schu will replace Ralph Dickenson as the Nationals' hitting coordinator. Best known as an infielder with the Phillies, Schu was a hitting coach with the D-backs for almost two seasons.

Senators announce Mini-Plans

2009-10-29T15:17:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lack of updates. My computer has been ready to die for the past month or so, which makes providing updates a challenge. Good news is I have a new computer on the way. Hopefully next week it will be up and running.

I haven’t been to the stadium since the final home game on Sept 3 so I’m getting a little curious as to what the Phase 2 construction looks like. Maybe I’ll make a trip over in a coming weeks.

Anyway, here is the latest announcement from the Senators:

The Harrisburg Senators today announce that they have placed two mini-plans on sale. The plans are the Weekender Plan and Saturday Plan. The Weekender Plan includes 35 games while the Saturday Plan has 13 games. These two plans, along with full-season tickets, also include the 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game to be held at Metro Bank Park on July 14th.

The Weekender Plan includes every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Opening Night and the All-Star Game. Fans will receive their same seat to each of the 34 games during the regular season and the 2010 All-Star Game. Every Friday night game this season is a Fireworks Friday and this season, there are additional Firework shows on selected Saturday nights and two Sunday nights.

The Senators are offering a 10% discount off the price of the plan with a $50 deposit placed by December 1st. If the deposit is made by November 15th, fans receive a Senators cap. Monthly payment plans make box seats even more affordable for the best games on the best nights of the week. With maximum savings, dugout box seats are just $10.28 per game instead of the $12.50 paid at the gate the night of the game.

The Saturday Plan includes all 11 Saturday night games, Opening Night, and the 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game. Saturday plan holders also receive their same seat to each of their 12 regular season games and the All-Star Game.

The Saturday plan is only $99 with a $25 deposit placed by December 1st. In addition, for just $21 more dollars, you can get a box seat right down on the field!
With Phase II of the renovation to Metro Bank Park currently underway, the only way to guarantee a ticket for the historic 2010 Home Opener and 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game is purchasing a mini-plan, or a full-season ticket.

New Websites; AFL Updates

2009-09-25T11:03:00.004-04:00

MLB.com launched a new website this week to follow each major league team’s affiliates (this is a greatly expanded version of ‘Affiliate Round Up’ offered by MLB and MiLB during the 2009 season). The Nationals affiliate site can be accessed via Nationals Affiliate's

Arizona Fall League (AFL)
MLB.com is reporting that the Pirates Minor League field coordinator, and former Harrisburg Senator, Jeff Banister will be coaching the Scottsdale Scorpions this season. The Scorpions will be comprised of players from Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants.

Washington Natioanls players will be apart of the Phoenix Desert Dogs who will be coached by Gary Cathcart. Cathcart was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1984 and played four seasons in the Yankees organization. Cathcart has served as a coach at college and professional level since 2002, most recently in 08 & 09 with New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

The Phoenix roster is a combination of prospects from the Oakland A's, the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals. ‘The Desert Dogs will be aiming for their sixth straight AFL title, a run difficult to explain considering that not only do the personnel change every year, but so do the organizations feeding each AFL roster.’

The Nationals are scheduled to send the following players:
RHP Jeff Mandel
RHP Drew Storen
RHP Stephen Strasburg
RHP Josh Wilkie
C Derek Norris
SS Danny Espinosa
1B Chris Marrero

Note: Also appearing on the Desert Dogs roster is former Senator Josh Perrault (now with the Baltimore Orioles).

Opening Day for the AFL is October 13, 2009. You can follow the AFL season on MLB’s AFL Page; entire Winter League coverage is available at MLB Winter League

2010 Home Schedule *EDIT**

2009-09-23T13:47:00.005-04:00

The Senators 2010 HOME schedule has been released.

The season begins April 8th on the road with 7 games on the road.

The opening of the redesigned Metro Bank Park is set for April 15 as the Senators battle the New Britain Rock Cats in a 4-game series.

Start Times: Sunday start times have changed to 1 PM (was 2 PM during the 2009 season). There will be 3 games starting at 10:30 AM (4/21, 5/4 & 5/20) and 3 games starting at 12 PM (6/23, 7/21 & 8/11). All other home games are scheduled to start at 7 PM.

Moving: The San Francisco Giants Double-A affiliate has moved from Connecticut to Richmond and they are scheduled to make 2 trips to Metro Bank Park (5/7-5/9 & 7/5-7/8).

All-Star: As many of you know, Harrisburg will be hosting the 2010 EL All-Star Game which is scheduled for July 14th.

Home Games by month:
April 8, May 20, June 12, July 14, and August 17.

I will updated this post later this evening to include the schedule. The full (home/away) schedule will be posted as soon as its made available.

Click Here to view the schedule

Catching Up

2009-09-18T10:04:00.004-04:00

Just got back from a much needed vacation at the beach; to bad it rained pretty much the whole time. Alot has happened while I was gone. Most of you probably know this stuff by now but for those that do not I’m going to get you caught up.

9/7/09 - The Nationals have decided to promote pitchers Ross Detwiler, Marco Estrada, Logan Kensing and Zack Segovia and shortstop Ian Desmond to the big leagues.

Ian Desmond has appeared in 5 games for the Nationals and has continued hitting like he has all season, 10 hits in 20 AB (.500) , 4 doubles and a HR. Here is a link to a recent article on Ian.

9/8/09 - The Washington Nationals named catcher Derek Norris as their Minor League Player of the Year and righthander Brad Meyers as their Minor League Pitcher of the Year (Press Release).

The 24-year-old Meyers was promoted to Harrisburg on July 7th and went 5-1 with a 2.25 ERA (12 ER/48.0 IP) and a 3.9/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (43 K/11 BB) in nine starts for the Senators. He went a combined 11-3 with a 1.72 ERA in 24 games (23 starts) with Harrisburg of the Double-A Eastern League and Potomac of the Single-A Carolina League. Meyers' 1.72 ERA led all full-season minor league pitchers. He allowed two earned runs or less 20 of 23 starts (87%) this season.

9/12/09 – Geoff Morrow gave his review of the Senators 2009 season and he looks into his ‘crystal ball’ and issues grades for “player’s (future) potential value”.

9/17/09 – A email was sent by the Senators noting that Phase II demolition is well underway. Seating behind home plate is being removed, left field seating areas to include the bleachers and box seats has been removed, reserved seating above the visiting team dugout has been removed and the roof and box seats behind home plate are being removed.

The demolition and removal of the stands and buildings that are due to come down should be completed by the end of next week.

CBS 21 News visited Metro Bank Park to check out the demolition progress (they have video footage of the demo and ‘throwback’ footage from 1987 on their site).

Not sure when I will get-out to photograph the construction but I’m sure I will make a visit at some point soon. I still have a ton of game photos and vacation photos to edit. I hope everyone is enjoying the ‘off season’.

Trahan to the Yankees

2009-09-03T13:26:00.004-04:00

SIOUX CITY, IA – The Sioux City Explorers announced today that The New York Yankee’s have purchased the contract of Explorers RHP David Trahan. Trahan will report to the Yankee’s Double A affiliate in Trenton, NJ, a member of the Eastern League to finish the 2009 season.

Trahan, 28, joined the X’s on June 7th and appeared in (35) games and complied a 6-5 record with an astonishing 2.35 ERA in 59.0 innings of work. In his (35) appearances, Trahan struck out 72 batters and allowed only 26 walks while holding opponents to a .235 batting average against.

Trahan was drafted in the 11th round by the Montreal Expos in the 2004 draft and spent (4) seasons in the Expos/Nationals organization before pitching for the Kansas City T-Bones of the Northern League in 2008, where he had a record of 2-3, while recording 20 saves in 34.2 innings of work.

“I am very excited that David is getting this opportunity, as we have had several clubs contact us during the season about him and I was really surprised he was not taken prior to now based on the interest we received,” comments field manager Les Lancaster. “The Yankee’s are getting a quality individual with a great work ethic and plus arm.”

With Trahan’s signing by the New York Yankee’s, the Sioux City Explorers have now had three players contracts purchased by an affiliated organization this season (Griffin Bailey –New York Yankees, Justin Toole - Cleveland Indians)

Frustrating Season.....

2009-08-27T10:29:00.007-04:00

*This article has some baseball but is mostly focused on my life outside baseball.

I remember back in March/April of this year thinking that the 09 season was going to be a great one. I was looking forward to making 30-40 trips to City Island to watch the Senators; as well as trips to Hagerstown, Frederick, Reading and Williamsport. I had driving directions mapped out to each ‘away’ stadium, schedules tagged with dates I planned on traveling and the camera bag ready to go. But that all changed…..

Early on every trip I had planned there was about a 70% chance of thunderstorms (not good for the camera) or it was already rained out. Weather in Harrisburg basically sucked this year (overcast or raining) on game days. Overcast is typically okay for photography BUT overcast or heavy clouds at 7 PM is not good, there are many technical reason but I won’t get into that. There were some good days but they were few and far between at least in my opinion.

My wife and I are State Employees. My job required that I work extra hours during the budget negotiations starting in June. Due to the ongoing budget negotiations July and part of August were particularly difficult as there was no state budget so we were not getting paid.

At some point in July I started to experience health issues. I was in the Emergency Room and had several test done but they found nothing. Follow up with my family doctor were pointless. There was some concern about my heart (I was born with a heart problem), so I followed up with my cardiologist and all tests came back fine.

By mid-August everything was looking good, our pay was starting to get caught up and I was starting to physically feel better. Another positive is we were able to refinance our house (saved almost 2 percentage points and went from a 30-year fixed to a 15-year fixed). Because our closing fell at a good time our first payment will not be due until October. Things were starting to look up……

Well that was until this past Saturday (8/22) morning when we received a call from Target thanking my wife for opening a Target charge card, which she did not do. Needless to say the past few days have been a mess as we come to find out that someone stole my wife’s identity and took it upon themselves to open countless charge cards and potentially purchased a car in the surrounding states. During this ordeal I’ve been extremely surprised at the efforts, or lack thereof, of law enforcement officials at every level.

Just incase you ever have the unfortunate pleasure of being a victim of identity theft I want you to know in most cases nobody is there to help you. The victim is left to “play detective” and research everything. Your local police department is responsible for investigating the entire case and unless they ask for help from the State Police or the FBI your case is probably going to be closed with NO investigation. Our local police had the audacity to laugh it off and said the person will probably never be caught and they don’t have the resources to investigate a case all over the state.

The point is, people DO NOT care until it happens to them.

Go To: milb multimedia and select 8/24: Photos of the Week to view all of the photos of the week

Zimmermann Done for Year

2009-08-13T16:01:00.003-04:00

The Nationals Journal is reporting that Washington starting pitcher and '08 Senators alumni, Jordan Zimmermann, is done for the season. He will have Tommy John surgery next Wednesday.

Here's what Rizzo said about matters:
"The MRI films were looked at for a third time by Dr. Yocum," Rizzo said. "He confirms what the other two doctors have said, and we are scheduling a surgery by Dr. Yocum next Wednesday. Jordan will arrive in California on Tuesday. He'll have the surgery on Wednesday. And if all goes well he'll leave on Thursday."

And after that?
"He will rehab throughout the course of the rest of the season in D.C. with us. And then to be determined after that."

8/11: Player Moves

2009-08-12T08:49:00.003-04:00

From the Harrisburg Senators Press Release:Over the past two days, the Harrisburg Senators have been busy with player moves. OF Ricardo Nanita has been activated from the disabled list and RHP Drew Storen has been promoted from Potomac to Harrisburg. Both players were on the bus this morning. To make room for these two players, RHP Clint Everts was promoted to AAA Syracuse and INF Greg Veloz was sent to Potomac.

Nanita had played 18 games with the Sens before going on the disabled list on June 25th. He is batting .296 with 2 hr and 8 rbi this season. Veloz was acquired by the Nationals from the NY Mets last week in exchange for Anderson Hernandez. Veloz played in four games over the weekend at Trenton going 0 x 10. He had never played about “A” ball before.

Everts is a former number one draft choice of the Montreal Expos. In 20 appearances with the Senators this year, his first time at AA, he was 3-1 with 4 saves and a 1.53 era in 29.1 innings. He is now going to AAA for the first time.

Storen was the Nats second pick (10th overall) in the 2009 draft. He started his professional career with Hagerstown, appearing in 11 games and going 0-1 with a 3.68era. He struck out 26 and walked none in 14.2 innings. With Potomac, he appeared in 7 games going 1-0 with 2 saves in 10 innings of work. He struck out 11 and walked 2.

With these moves the Senators roster stands at 24 active with no one on the DL.

Melo ('07) Joins Whitewings

2009-08-09T10:22:00.003-04:00

United League (independent baseball) Baseball’s Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings announced today that they have signed former San Francisco Giants second baseman Juan Melo.

The 32-year old native of Bani, Dominican Republic, played in 11 games for the Giants in 2000, going 1-for-13 (.077) with one RBI. He received the call-up after hitting .295 with 26 doubles, six triples, 12 home runs , 50 RBI and 58 runs scored in 123 games as a shortstop and second baseman for AAA Fresno (Pacific League).

Melo was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Diego Padres in 1993. He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1999 for Isabel Giron, who pitched in three games for the WhiteWings in 2007.

He reached AAA for the first time in 1997 and stayed there until getting his call-up the Majors. Melo returned to AAA Fresno in 2001 and 2002 before going to the Mexican and Northern leagues in 2003. He also played in the Northeast League and Atlantic league before returning to the Pacific Coast League in 2005. He spent 2007 with AA Harrisburg (Eastern League), Fargo-Moorhead (Northern League) and St. George (Golden League). He played for St. George last year, going 18-for 63 (.286) in 15 games with one home run and 11 RBI.

Melo is a career .285 hitter in 1,570 minor league games with 132 home runs and 773 RBI. He has experience at all four infield positions.

Veloz Joins Senators

2009-08-08T15:11:00.002-04:00

From the Harrisburg Senators Press Release:

The Harrisburg Senators announce today that Infielder Greg Veloz has joined the team. He was recently acquired by the Washington Nationals for INF Anderson Hernandez.

Veloz had been at St. Lucie, the NY Mets high-A affiliate. He was batting .232 in 91 games with 2 hr and 19 rbi and 18 sb. His first season was in 2006 with the DSL Mets. Prior to this season, he had a lifetime .254 batting average in 327 games. He led the Appalachian League in triples (9) in 2007.

Castro & Baez Suspended....

2009-08-07T09:23:00.005-04:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that two Washington Nationals Minor League players, outfielder Edgardo Baez and shortstop Ofilio Castro (pictured above), have received 50-game suspensions after each tested positive for an amphetamine, a performance-enhancing substance, in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Francisco Plasencia joins the Senators from Potomac, to take the spot of Baez, where he was batting .291 with 10hr and 48rbi in 91 games. No one was named as a replacement for Castro yet (chances are Michael Martinez will be promoted).

Source: MiLB

Senators Announce 2010 Ticket Pricing

2009-08-03T18:57:00.003-04:00

The Harrisburg Senators announce today their new 2010 season and individual game ticket prices. Back in December, the City of Harrisburg and Harrisburg Senators announced a two-phase renovation to Metro Bank Park. The first phase was completed in May of this year with the second phase beginning at the conclusion of the Senators home schedule this year.

The 2010 version of Metro Bank Park will feature completely new seating behind home plate from dugout to dugout with new individual seats the same as installed in the outfield during phase one of the stadium renovation. The aluminum bleacher seating along the left field foul line will be removed with present box seats down the left field line being replaced by individual seats. The red box seats along the first base line are also slated to be replaced with the wider individual seats.

The specific ticket pricing is as follows:

Dugout Box Seats: $750 per seat for the entire season or $12.50 per seat per game. These seats are brand new for the 2010 season. With prepay discounts, the season ticket pricing drops to $675 or $9.50 per seat. Current season ticket holders have opportunities for even deeper discounts.

Field Box Seats: $650 per seat for the entire season or $11.00 per seat per game. These include the current red box seats down the right and left field lines, which will be replaced by new seating. With prepay discounts, season ticket pricing drops to $585 or $8.24 per seat.

Reserve: $500 per seat for the entire season or $9 per seat per game. These include the new 2009 outfield seating in left and right field and the new individual seats in the main seating structure between the dugouts. With prepay discounts, season ticket holders can pay as low as $6.34 per seat.

General Admission: $325 per seat for the entire season or $6 per game for adults or $4 a game for children. These seats are located down the right field line in what are currently reserve seats in the 200 sections.

“We considered many, many seating and pricing options,” stated Senators President Kevin Kulp. “We felt it was very important that our prices remain as close as possible to our current pricing. Our field box, reserve and general admission tickets are only going up $1 at the box office with patrons receiving a much more comfortable seat plus they be able to take advantage of all the other conveniences and amenities associated with what’s basically going to be a new ballpark.”

Each full-season ticket purchased will also receive a free ticket to the 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game scheduled for July 14, 2010 at Metro Bank Park. All season ticket holders will also receive a free ticket to any post-season games the Senators are involved in at the conclusion of the 2010 season.

Harrisburg to Host 2010 EL All Star Game

2009-07-24T14:39:00.011-04:00

The rumors, speculation, and waiting are over. The Harrisburg Senators along with Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed announced today that the Senators will host the 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game.

Buzz about the Senators possibily hosting the 2010 All-Star game has circled Metro Bank Park (and Commerce Bank Park before that) since the Senators released plans to renovate the stadium last season. Senators GM Randy Whitaker said “We’re very excited about the opportunity to host the All Star game for 2010, especially as it coincides with the completion of the Metro Bank Park renovations next year. The game is an iconic highlight of any baseball season and will be the centerpiece of what promises to be a fantastic year for the Senators.”

This announcement is exciting news for many local establishments. Eastern League fans will make the journey to Harrisburg, so local business could also see a boost from the Senators hosting the All-Star game. When fans and players aren’t participating in the All-Star festivities they will probably be site seeing around the city, eating at local restaurants, staying at local hotels, and shopping in the community.

Over 7,000 fans were in attendance for the 2009 All-Star game hosted by the Trenton Thunder. The game was own by EL South All-Stars (which the Senators are a part of) 5-3 (box score).

Whitaker says “The entire staff has been hard at work planning the events that will take place and we are confident that the 2010 Eastern League All Star game will be a memorable one for everyone - from the fans and players to the entire region.”

Specific details surrounding the 2010 All-Star game will be posted here when the become available.

Official Senators Press Release regarding the All-Star game:
2010 EL All Star Game

Return to the StadiumUpdated with Photos*

2009-07-22T10:44:00.006-04:00

Weather this season has been not favorable to photographers; not to mention the 7 PM start times (dont' see that changing considering attendance has increased this season). Ongoing state budget negotiations and other work issues have limited my trips to the park this season. After a few weeks away from Metro Bank Park I made my way back last night to see the Senators face-off against Bowie (Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles). With all the player moves since last weeks all-star break I wanted to check out the ‘new’ look Senators.

I know this is a Senators site but in all honesty my primary reason for attending the game was to see Baysox starting pitcher Brian Matusz (2008 1st round Draft Pick, 4th overall). Scouting reports on him are overall pretty positive but some people have issues with his delivery and command of his low-to-mid 90’s fastball; his delivery was pretty average but he didn’t show any command issues with his fastball last night. Only mistake he made was hanging an off-speed pitch that was drilled off the scoreboard in left field by Senators SS Freddie Bynum.

Scouts say he has 4 pitches in his arsenal, an above average fastball and changeup to go along with outstanding curve and slider. One thing I noticed is he works fast. He takes only a few warm up pitches before the inning starts and he is ready to go. During the inning, when he receives the ball back from the catcher he is ready to fire the ball back in. He knows what he wants to throw and usually has no problems locating his pitch. Fielders tend to ‘get the night off’ when he pitches.

So far this season Matusz, 22, has a combined record of 10-2 with a 2.06 ERA with Frederick (4-2, 2.16) and Bowie (6-0, 1.88). He pitched 105 innings and struck out 114 batters. Opposing hitters have a trifling .212 average vs. Matusz so far. He has earned Pitcher of the Week honors twice this season.

Two of Matusz's six starts for Bowie have been against the Senators (7/7 and 7/21). In those two starts he combined for 15 IP, 1 run and 15 strike outs. The game on 7/7 he 1 hit the Senators in 8 IP.

His days in Bowie are numbered. I highly expect him to be promoted very soon, with a possible call up to Baltimore in September. Predicting a pitchers long-term future is always difficult but I see him as a 1 or 2 starting pitcher at the MLB level.

PS - Photos will be posted in the next few days.

Senators Offer State Employees Discount Tickets

2009-07-21T09:13:00.001-04:00

From the Harrisburg Senators:

Recognizing the current state budget issues, the Senators are offering all state employees deeply reduced $1 tickets to Tuesday and Wednesday night’s games against the Bowie Baysox (Baltimore Orioles). Game time is 7:00pm for both games with gates opening at 6:00pm.

All the state employees have to do is show their state employment ID at the box office to receive the discount. The GA ticket allows fans to sit in the new outfield seats or simply hang out on the Capital BlueCross boardwalk

“These are tough times for the state employees. If coming out to the ballpark with their families for a few hours can help in some small way, then that would be great,” said Kevin Kulp, Senators president.

Tickets are available online at senatorsbaseball.com or by calling 231-4444. Tickets are also available at the Little Red Box Office built by Home in Hand located across from the stables on the Walnut Street Bridge landing. For the most current information about the Senators including their roster, please visit the Senators online.