Baseball in Fort Wayne

Posts Tagged ‘Midwest League’

Here are some of the pics I snapped during last week’s festivities.

[Show as slideshow]

Yes indeed, it’s All-Star Week in Fort Wayne. It’s a time when the best of the best in the Midwest (League that is) who hasn’t been promoted or sidelined will come to the Summit City to show off their home run hitting talents on Monday before displaying their skills on the field come Tuesday.

And while the TinCaps didn’t quite dominate the first half like they did last year – they in fact didn’t even get a post season berth and now must come through in the second half if they are to defend their crown – the fan support at Parkview Field has been tremendous. As a thank-you, the team will offering $1 soft drinks and beers at Parkview Field concession stands during Monday’s festivities.

5:05-6:45: Player autographs

6:30: Little League Home Run Derby

7:30: MWL Skills Challenge

8:15: MWL Home Run Derby

Post-event: Fireworks!

On the West, two first-rounders from last year’s draft, Cedar Rapids OF Mike Trout and Clinton INF Nick Franklin, will slug it out in the Home Run Derby. They’ll likely to be joined by Quad Cities infielder Matt Adams and Wisconsin outfielder Khris Davis. Davis has already launched an estimated 425-foot missile to center field earlier this month during a game at Parkview Field.

From the East, the Loons’ Jerry Sands (with a league-best 18 home runs) will be joined by Fort Wayne infielder Nate Freiman is expected to hit at his home ballpark. South Bend infielder Matt Davidson and Dayton infielder Henry Rodriguez will likely make up the other half of the contingent.

The Midwest League sluggers will be joined by 2010 Garrett High School grad Spencer Burns, who won the TinCaps’ Hometown Hitters competition.

TinCaps’ infielder Jeudy Valdez and right-hander Miles Mikolas were added to the Midwest League All-Star roster Tuesday, bringing the host city of Fort Wayne’s total All-Star representatives to six.

The additions are thanks to the promotion of Lansing’s Mark Sobolewski and an injury to Lake County’s Trey Haley.

Valdez, 21, is in his second season in the Midwest League. He’s batting .251 with a team-leading seven home runs and 15 stolen bases. His best game at the plate this year came May 26 vs. Great Lakes when he clubbed a pair of homers, including a grand slam, to finish with six RBI.

Mikolas, 21, has been one of the most reliable relievers on the staff, going 2-1 with a 1.55 ERA. A seventh-round selection in last year’s draft out of Nova Southeastern University, Mikolas had a 26- inning stretch without allowing an earned run this year.

Valdez and Mikolas join TinCaps infielder Nate Freiman, outfielder Danny Payne and righties Jerry Sullivan and Nick Schumacher on the Eastern Division All-Star roster.

The Fort Wayne TinCaps are hosting the 2010 Midwest League All- Star Game, with festivities taking place in Fort Wayne on June 21st and 22nd. The top prospects in the Midwest League will be showcased. Both East and West divisions will field teams of 35 players – or a total of 70 top prospects from the league’s sixteen teams.

The East will be the home team and led by Fort Wayne’s coaching staff. That division includes the Dayton Dragons, Great Lakes Loons, Lansing Lugnuts, West Michigan Whitecaps, South Bend Silver Hawks, and Fort Wayne TinCaps as well as league new-comers, the Lake County Captains and Bowling Green Hot Rods.

The Western Division will be managed by Burlington’s coaching staff and will be made up with players from the Burlington Bees, Clinton Lumberkings, Cedar Rapids Kernels, Quad Cities River Bandits, Peoria Chiefs, Beloit Snappers, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, and Kane County Cougars.

This is the first Midwest League All-Star Game in Fort Wayne since 1994, when it was played at Memorial Stadium. The 2010 edition will also include a Monday night (June 21st) Skills Competition and Home Run Derby, which will consist of four players from each division as well as a local participant, Fort Wayne’s Hometown Hitter.

The evening of the Home Run Derby will be preceded by an autograph session by All-Star Game participants as well as an exhibition home run derby featuring members from area Little Leagues. Participants in the Little League Home Run Derby will be 12 years of age or younger and special fencing will be erected for this portion of the event. The evening’s events will culminate in a spectacular fireworks display.

Tuesday afternoon will feature an All-Star Game Fan Fest at the Grand Wayne Center,which is free to the public starting at noon and going through 3PM. The Fan Fest will provide access to players for autographs and also include interactive games, inflatables, and kids activities.

For on-field entertainment during the game, Fort Wayne has partnered with the best entertainment in Minor League Baseball, including the ZOOperstars, BirdZerk, Myron Noodleman, and Breakin’ BBoy McCoy. Fireworks will also conclude the night’s festivities.

I’ve got my tickets and can’t wait to enjoy the festivities!

Press Coverage:

• TinCaps To Host All-Star Game At Parkview Field (INC)
• TinCaps release MWL All-Star details (News-Sentinel)
• Fort Wayne to Host Baseball All-Star Game (NEIRP)
• Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars and Thousands Expected In Downtown Fort Wayne (INC)
• Area youth to join top hitters (News-Sentinel)
• Home run derby gives local flair to festivities (Journal Gazette)
• All-Star lineup: Baseball, fan faves, fireworks (News-Sentinel)

A cool - okay, COLD - Opening Night at Parkview Field

Yes, a very cold Opening Night for the TinCaps at Parkview Field as they welcomed the Bowling Green HotRods to the MidWest League. A rather rude welcome at the hands of a 7-2 beating I might add. I snapped this pano pic from the outfield just before heading out. I’ll try to get a gallery posted as soon as possible.

The Fort Wayne TinCpas have captured thier first MidWest League championship in the franchise’s history. Congrats on an amazing season.

Parkview Field to play ESPN Radio 1380AM broadcast

While the TinCaps travel to Burlington, Iowa fans in Fort Wayne have the chance to follow the team on ESPN Radio 1380AM as Dan Watson describes the championship action.

The Fort Wayne TinCaps will be extending Parkview Field’s normal hours to allow fans the opportunity to listen to the game together at the ballpark.

Parkview Field will be open to the public each of the remaining games of the 2009 Midwest League Championship Series, beginning Thursday night. A limited concessions menu will be available for fans to enjoy during the broadcast. There will be no cost for admission. Fans are encouraged to enter through the ballpark’s south gate at the corner of Brackenridge and Ewing.

REMAINING CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES SCHEDULE
Thursday, September 17 @ 7:30pm (EST) – Game #3
Friday, September 18 @ 7:30pm (EST) – Game #4 (if necessary)
Saturday, September 19 @ 7:30pm (EST) – Game #5 (if necessary

The Fort Wayne TinCaps finished the regular season on Monday with a record of 94-46, the best record in all of Minor League baseball and the best season in the Midwest League in 22 years. The last time a team won 94 games in the MWL was in 1987 when the Springfield (Illinois) Cardinals went 94-46.

A key player on the Springfield team was Bien Figueroa, father of TinCaps INF Cole Figueroa.

In another odd twist, Springfield did not win the playoff championship in 1987; that went to the Kenosha Twins, who went on to become the Fort Wayne Wizards, now known as the TinCaps.

The TinCaps’ 94-46 season is the best in all of Minor League Baseball since the 2003 Lake County Captains (Class-A Cleveland Indians). The Captains featured future Major Leaguers including RHP Fausto Carmona, OFs Ben Francisco and Michael Aubrey. Also on the Lake County roster was Clayton McCullough, now manager of the Midwest League’s Lansing Lugnuts (Class-A Toronto Blue Jays).

Fort Wayne won both the first-half and second-half Eastern Division championships and open a best-of-three series against the South Bend Silver Hawks (Class-A Arizona Diamondbacks) Wednesday at 6:30pm at South Bend’s Coveleski Stadium.

The next game at Parkview Field is scheduled for Thursday at 7:05pm. If necessary, a winner-take-all Game three would be played on Friday at Parkview Field at 7:05pm.

The winner of the Fort Wayne-South Bend series will take on the winner of the Great Lakes-West Michigan series beginning Saturday, September 12th.

Fort Wayne clinched its first playoff berth since 2006 by winning the first-half Eastern Division championship, going 45-25 before the All-Star break. The 45 wins in a half were a franchise record until the TinCaps won 49 games on their way to a second-half championship.

The Fort Wayne TinCaps dream season at Parkview Field continued Saturday as the team won its 80th game of the year, breaking the franchise record with 21 regular-season games left to play. The previous record of 79 was set in 1998 when the club was an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.

The TinCaps set a franchise record for wins in a half-season earlier this year, when they went 45-25 in the first half. They have continued a sensational pace in the second half despite promotions of several key players.

“The depth of this team has been unbelievable all year,” TinCaps president Mike Nutter said. “They play with a lot of hustle and every player has worked incredibly hard to improve themselves. That’s a testament to the coaching staff and the San Diego Padres’ organization. We’re proud of the season these guys have had so far and we’re looking forward to even more memories in the playoffs.”

Several more records are expected to go by the wayside in the coming days. With Saturday’s victory, manager Doug Dascenzo is four shy of setting the franchise record for wins by a manager. Randy Ready, now the San Diego Padres’ hitting coach, won 209 games during his three-year stint, 2004-06.

The TinCaps are also closing in on the franchise attendance record. With Saturday night’s sellout crowd of 8,375, the TinCaps’ season attendance at Parkview Field reached 315,970. That is just short of the record total of 318,506, set with the franchise’s inaugural season of 1993.

Saturday night’s crowd was the second-largest in Parkview Field history. The TinCaps have sold out six of their last 11 home games.

Parkview Field will also play host at least one Midwest League playoff game on September 10th at 7:05pm against an undetermined opponent. The TinCaps qualified for the post-season with a firsthalf Eastern Division championship.