Baseball in Fort Wayne

Archive for April, 2009

Michael Watt is back with Fort Wayne after making a spot start against the Fresno Grizzlies for Triple-A Portland yesterday. He didn’t fare so well, lasting just three innings where he gave up four earned runs on six hits, including a home run to Brain Horwitz.

Note: I originally posted this and indicated that Anthony Bass was returning to the TinCaps. Foolish error and my apologies for any confusion. I was typing one thing and thinking about two. Bass was the slated starter for tonight’s game and he was obviously on my mind. Thanks to a BBIFW reader for pointing out my folly.

Stumbled upon a couple items from SanDiego Padres front office folks. Here’s what they say:

Kevin Towers

“The ballpark is absolutely beautiful. It’s probably one of the nicest Class A ballparks in all of baseball. And I really think what it’s going to do for this downtown area as well, we kind of experienced that in 2004 in San Diego,” he said. “It kind of revitalized the downtown area and with the convention center and hopefully eventually the hotel and the condos in the outfield, I think it will bring some life around the ballpark.

“They did it right. From the scoreboard to the playing surface and just listening to the fans talk around here, it sounds like everybody is having a good time and enjoying it. For our ball players, it’s huge. To be able to come to work every day in a place like this makes you want to go out and play. With the type of support, more fans in the stands, it’s great for our young players” [LaMond Pope].

Paul DePodesta

The TinCaps seem to have adjusted well to their new name and new stadium. James Darnell leads the Midwest League with a .541 obp and his overall line is .304/.541/.609. Additionally, Matt Clark, Allan Dykstra, and Blake Tekotte all got it going to some degree this week. The real story in Ft Wayne, though, has been the pitching. Of the 13 pitchers on the staff, seven of them still have an ERA of 0.00, and the team as a whole is sporting a 1.30. Of the starters, Anthony Bass and Stiven Osuna have yet to give up a run in 22 combined innings of work. The bullpen as a unit: 0.89 ERA, 41.2 ip, 20 h, 8 bb, and 50 k’s [It Might Be Dangerous... You Go First].

If you were paying attention to the seasoning opening roadtrip, it would come as no surprise to you that Fort Wayne TinCaps RHP Anthony Bass was named the season’s first Midwest League Pitcher of the Week honors on Monday. 

Bass was the TinCaps’ Opening Day starter April 9th in Lansing, when he worked six shutout innings against the Lugnuts. He allowed three hits and struck out four. Bass then silenced the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ bats on April 15th, going six innings, allowing three hits and striking out six. The Trenton, MI native picked up the win in both starts and has not walked a batter this season [TinCaps.com].

If you are like me, you thought former Fort Wayne Wizard Josh Geer would win the fifth spot in the San Diego Padres rotation coming out of Spring Training. He almost go tthe gig, but got sent down to Triple-A Portland very late. Never the less, it was expected that he’d be on the short list for a callup.

With some injuries in the Padres’ rotation, Geer did indeed get the call-up and started in place of the fairly recently acquired Walter Silva. Over seven innings, he gave up six hits and two runs, only one of them being earned. he struck out four and walked none. Unfortunately, the Padres bullpen gave up three runs after Geer exited, so not only did he not get a win, but the Padres lost to the Phillies as well.

While Geer’s sport on the parent club roster is expected to be short-lived, it does create a pitching vacancy in Portland. The Fort Wayne TinCaps’ Michael Watt got the call to take up Geer’s spot – quite a jump from Low-A to Triple-A.

Watt was a second round pick of the Los Angels Dodgers in 2007 (86th overall). He came to the Padres’ organization last Winter to complete the Greg Maddux trade. In two appearances with the T’Caps, Watt has pitched four perfect innings, boastin a 0.00 ERA while striking out eight.

No corresponding move was made following his promotion. One might wonder if Mat Latos or Jaff Decker are close to joining the TinCaps roster and an announcement will come soon.

There are three undefeated teams in all of Minor League Baseball entering Saturday. The Fort Wayne TinCaps, at a 8-0 are one of them. The TinCaps latest stand saw a comeback win Friday in downtown Fort Wayne. Saturday’s game against the Dayton Dragons  begins at 4:05pm and Sunday’s game starta at 3:05pm. The TinCaps then have Monday off before opening a fourgame series Tuesday against the West Michigan Whitecaps.

“I don’t think anybody could have ever predicted a start like this, but our guys keep on winning,” TinCaps President Mike Nutter said. “The crowds at Parkview Field have been electric and we hope our fans continue to rally around this team.”

On Saturday morning, many seats were still available for the weekend. Fans are encouraged to get their first look at the state-of-the-art facility, with seats in the All-Star sections as close as 45 feet away from home plate, the $8 Reserved seats down the baselines, Home Run Porch seating which is prime real estate for catching TinCaps home runs and the already-famous TreeTops section featuring all-you-can-eat food and all-youcan-drink soda.

Fort Wayne native Kyle Day is one of the Dragons’ key players. A Snider High School graduate, Day rewrote the Panthers’ record book and went on to play at Michigan State University. He was drafted last year by the Cincinnati Reds in the 12th round.

Thursday night’s home opener game was a sellout, with 8,208 fans in attendance for the TinCaps’ 7-0 victory. It was the largest crowd ever to attend a game since professional baseball returned to Fort Wayne in 1993.

Fans can order tickets online at TinCaps.com, by phone at (260) 482-6400 or in person at the Parkview Field Box office.

Here are some shots I took at the park. Hopefully I can post more and write a bit tomorrow.

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The final game at Memorial Stadium saw local standout, Jarrod Parker take the mound. It was one of the few times that a local product played on the field (Rob Bowen being the only other I know of, but I think there was one or two others). As Parkview Field is christened, it will be done with a local standout on the roster of the visiting Dayton Dragons.

Kyle Day grew up in Fort Wayne. A Snider High School product, he was a three-year letter winner. In his senior season, he hit .510 with eight home runs, seven triples and 12 doubles and 49 runs batted in. When he graduated, he was the school’s career and single-season record holder in all four of those categories.

He took his college game to Michigan State, where he took on catching duties and quickly provided massive offense with the bat. As a freshman, he started all 56 games, splitting time between catcher, outfield and DH. He ranked sixth on the team and 30th in the Big Ten with a .315 batting average while pacing the team (fifth in the Big Ten) with 52 runs. As a sophomore, he started 50 games, where he batted .295 with 16 extra-base hits and a team-leading 33 walks. He also led team with a .438 on-base percentage and was second in stolen bases with 14.

He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 19th round (577th overall) following the 2007 season, but returned to Michigan State for his Junior year. That year, he appeared in 53 games, where he hit .320 with 56 hits, 41 runs, eight doubles, nine home runs, 48 runs batted in and 39 walks.

In the 2008 player draft, Day was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 12th round with the 359th pick. He signed and joined the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer (rookie) League. In 31 games, he hit .268 with 30 hits, a home run and 11 RBI’s.

He started 2009 with the Red’s Midwest League affiliate, the Dayton Dragons. Through Wednesday, he had appeared in four games. He’s hitting .333 with a double and two triples.

Dayton, here’s my plea: KYLE DAY TO LEAD OFF!

At 3-foot-2, it may seem unlikely that Fort Wayne native, Dave Flood would try out for an independant baseball team. But the York (PA) Revolution’s “experiment” is more than a novelty a la Bill Veeck’s infamous plating of 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel in 1951.

The York Revolution roster also includes former Fort Wayne Wizard, Kennard Jones. Flood also has had careers as a radio personality and a stand up comic.

Growing up in Fort Wayne, Ind., Flood had to adjust to life as the only little person in his family. His brother stands 6-foot-1, he said. His father encouraged him to do things himself. So if he wanted a drink, he had to learn how to step on the refrigerator’s crisper drawer to reach the drinks on the top shelf.

“Just call me Dave,” he said. “I’m not little, I’m short. There’s a difference.”

Good luck Dave!

No matter what you think of the team name, the Fort Wayne TinCaps are making news in so many ways right now. After sweeping a three game series against the Lansing Lugnuts and as they finished a second three game sweep – this time against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – the TinCaps were hosting a press conference to announce that all of the TinCaps’ home games will be broadcast on Comcast.

According to a TinCaps’ news release:

… a new partnership with Comcast that will enable all 70 of the team’s games played this season at Parkview Field to be carried live on Comcast’s digital cable lineup throughout most of Indiana.  This unique agreement marks the first time a Class A baseball team has delivered all of its home games to a live TV viewing audience, and the TinCaps will be one of only two Minor League Baseball teams to show each of its home games live throughout the season.  The live games will be available exclusively to Comcast Digital Cable customers on channel 81.
 
In addition to offering TinCaps home games live, Comcast will also have access to original team content and On Demand highlight packages that digital cable customers will be able to view whenever it’s convenient for them, with the ability to pause, fast forward and rewind selections.

The partnership will allow the TinCaps to also create a high-quality video product in the ballpark.  To do so, the TinCaps will use five broadcast quality cameras and a fully integrated video production room with editing and replay capabilities.  Long-time television broadcast personality, Kent Hormann, will call play-by-play and Dan atson will provide color commentary.  Watson, will also be the radio voice for the TinCaps’ road games

WHAT: The Fort Wayne TinCaps and Comcast will make an exciting announcement at Parkview Field in downtown Fort Wayne.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 15th, 2009; 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Parkview Field – enter through TinCaps Administrative Office entrance, off Ewing Street – will be directed to press conference location

WHO: Jason Freier, CEO of Hardball Capital will be on hand to announce the exciting elements of this new partnership as well as answer questions from the media.