The Lansing Lugnuts

7.4.08: Happy Independence Day everyone! I hope that as you read this, you are sitting next to a grill and enjoying one of the many things that makes living in this country so great. Also, make sure to take a minute to remember everything and everyone that it has taken to make America the land of the free. One of the great quotes from a recent movie that has stuck with me came from the original "National Treasure." The main character said, "To high treason, which is what these men who signed the Declaration of Independence were commiting when they signed."

This day is always my favorite of the baseball season. I think it's because this day always brings out things that are truly unique to America (baseball, hot dogs, etc) and is a celebration no matter the political or economic climate. Plus the crowds are always big and enthusiastic, which makes it that much more fun to call a game.

There are two Independence Day games that I will always remember, but for totally different reasons.

The first came in my first year of baseball. I was an intern with my hometown Montgomery Biscuits in 2004, and we were hosting our first-ever July 4th game as it was our inaugural season. Riverwalk Stadium was sold out (standing room only) and sometime around the fourth inning, the center fielder for the Huntsville Stars (who I think was Tony Gwynn Jr. that night) started pointing and running towards the warning track. Of course we are wondering what's going on in the press box. The next thing you know, one of our grouds crew members is in center field, bends down, and grabs a snake! He held it up and took it to the river by the ballpark, but it was by far one of the wildest things I had seen. By the way, the groundskeeper got a standing ovation.

The other game that will always stick out to me is last year's contest at Oldsmobile Park. The stadium was packed as the Lugnuts were taking on (coincedentally) the South Bend Silver Hawks. With the score tied in the 7th inning, fireworks began shooting off in the distance beyond the right field wall as the city began its show. Then in the 8th, with the score still tied, Scott Campbell lined a double into right field that brought the crowd to its feet (with fireworks still going off) as Lansing won 4-3. It was one of coolest things I had seen and reminded of this scene from "The Sandlot."

I also find that the 4th of July is the only game all season where players and staff actually stop to watch fireworks. Sometimes, because we see a lot of fireworks shows during the year, we take them for granted. But this day always has a way of pulling everyone back. I love it!

Anyway, Happy 4th of July! Be safe and come out and see the boys in Lansing for the big homestand!

- Brad

6.23.08: Hello everyone! As I'm sure you all know by now, the Lugnuts are the first-half champions after one of the best races that I can remember in my time in the Midwest League. Everything broke just right for the Lugnuts last Sunday as they got a helping hand from Fort Wayne (thanks Wizards) before busting out an 11-run eighth inning to beat Great Lakes for the championship. It's amazing to think that as often as the Lugnuts have been in the playoffs, this marks their first outright division title in any half since 1999.

So now we begin part two of this year's journey. Many people might think, "There's nothing to play for, so what?" Actually, there's plenty to play for. This team needs just 40 wins this half (easily within reach) to become the all-time winningest club in franchise history. And that is something they are all well aware of. In fact, when you walk into the Lugnuts clubhouse, the number 80 is circled on the board for all to see.

Also, the Lugnuts enter today with the most wins in the league. Lansing has NEVER had the league's best record through an entire season. Remember, if the Lugnuts have the best record in the East at the end of the year, they will be guaranteed home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Personally, I think the Lugnuts will end up with 82 wins. If this team is allowed to stay together, they should be hard to beat the rest of the year. Remember, the Lugnuts have not any losing streak longer than three games all season, which is a terrific mark to say the least.

Other thoughts:

- The All-Star Game was great. The Loons did a terrific job of setting up the event, coordinating it, and providing a lasting memory for the city of Midland.

- A lot of people have asked me how I enjoyed calling the game. I LOVED it. I typically relish a day off during the year, but it was a great chance to do something special, and I enjoyed every second. It was definitely an honor to be chosen to do it (thanks to Brad Golder for that). Plus I got to work with Dave Skoczen, the Voice of the Whitecaps.
He is an outstanding

broadcaster, a true professional,
and a friend. It was very neat to call a game with him, but now I hope that the Lugs get back to the business of beating his Caps. By the way, this is Dave to the right.

- Here is a picture of the All-Stars lining up on the baselines. Very cool!
Also a great view from the press box in Midland.

That's it for today. Thanks everyone!

Brad

6.10.08: Hello Lugnut fans! Well the boys in red and black find themselves in first place by two games as I type this from the West Michigan press box with just six days left in the half. Lansing by far has the inside track to a playoff spot, but to say that anything is set in stone would be jumping the gun. I will say that the two wins on Sunday against Fort Wayne were HUGE! If Lansing had lost even one of those, the division lead would be only one game today.

Looking ahead to these last six and knowing that the magic number to get in the playoffs is four, I think Lansing needs at least three wins. The Lugnuts should be helped out a bit because West Michigan and Fort Wayne play each other in the final weekend of the half. Another thing that I found fascinating was that the Lugnuts are gunning for their first division championship in any half since 1999! It doesn't seem like that because Lansing is a perrenial playoff participant. But who knew!

The one glaring difference that you can see right now with the Lugnuts is the absence of Ross Buckwalter and Alan Farina in the bullpen. Both are right-handers (which Lansing is surprisingly short on) and both can eat up middle innings while shutting down the opponent. When you throw Edgar Estanga, Tim Collins, and Cody Crowell in with them, it makes for a pretty lethal bullpen. Lately the pen has been taxed a bit, but I think that the final week will show their stregnth and I also think that the pen will be the difference in Lansing winning the division or even making the playoffs.

Now on to a couple of random thoughts and a question before I go:

- I haven't done it lately, so here are a few pictures of my view from different press boxes around the league. Below are South Bend (left) and West Michigan (right).

5.22.08: Hi everyone! Well I promised that I would be back this week with a special entry. My friend and loyal Lugnut fan Al, who lives in Florida, wrote me not long ago and asked what a normal day is like on the road and would I mind keeping a diary of a day. So I kept tabs on my day yesterday. Here goes:

9:45 a.m.: Wake-up call. I am very upset at this point as I am not a morning person, but I do love the road because I can usually catch up on some sleep.
10:00 a.m.: Trying to convince myself to get out of bed.
10:15 a.m.: Reluctantly start ironing clothes for the day, turn on my computer, and flip on SportsCenter.
10:20 a.m.: Iron while watching highlights.
10:30 a.m.: Hop in the shower and start to actually wake-up.
10:40 a.m.: Still in the shower, don't want to get out. The hot water feels waaay to good.
10:45 a.m.: Hop out, get dressed, all of that good stuff.
11:00 a.m.: Sit at my computer and check emails, find out what happended around the world and in sports, look for talking points during the game that night.
11:20 a.m.: Work on my game notes for the night and send them over to the other broadcaster so that they get printed for our use and the media.
12:00 p.m.: Off to Wal-Mart! I originally went to pick up a new buttoned down emergency shirt since I forgot my cufflinks. After finding one that fits, as I always do, I get sucked into buying things for $5. Purchased a Marvin Gaye album, and the DVD's for Rocky (the original) and Major League.
12:30 p.m.: Stop at Chipotle for a burrito. It was crushed in a span of 10 minutes. Read the paper as I eat and enjoy some time outside.
1:00 p.m.: Head back to the hotel. Start working on a few work related projects while in my room.
2:00 p.m.: Head to the lobby to wait for the bus. While there, play cards with some of the players and joke around a bit.
2:30 p.m.: Hop on the bus and head to the park.
2:45 p.m.: Arrive at the park and set up my stuff in the radio booth.
3:00 p.m.: Start playing music on my computer while perusing notes and stats for the game. Listening to the new Marvin album, Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam, and some country tunes. There is no rhyme or reason to it. I just love music.
3:45 p.m.: Write down lineups on my scorecard.
3:55 p.m: Talk with the opposing broadcaster for a minute about last night, pitchers, etc.
4:05 p.m.: Head downstairs and take manager the opposing pitching rotation for the next series. Talk a little about the game, life, etc.
4:25 p.m.: Watch a bullpen session as Chi-Hung Cheng works during his side session. This is how I learn the most. Just silently watching and listening as the coaches teach.
4:50 p.m.: Talk to Tom Signore more about what he just taught Chi-Hung. Basically trying to have him put it in easier terms for me so that I can translate it better.
5:00 p.m.: Hang out around the cage and watch BP. Listen to what guys are working on and joke around a little with the guys. Also a great chance to enjoy some sun!
5:45 p.m.: Grab Eric Eiland for the pre-game interview.
5:55 p.m.: Go with Larry (our bus driver) to get some dinner on the concourse, thanks to our friends with the Dragons. I choose a philly cheesesteak, he goes with a burrito filled with jalpeno peppers. He loves hot food.
6:00 p.m.: Head back to the radio booth to eat and do last minute prepartions.
6:30 p.m.: Phone rings. It's the station calling me! Try to make my producer laugh as much as possible for my own amusement.
6:35 p.m.: Play mad-gabs with the video board. (They do that here in Dayton before every game. I love it, but I've yet to go 3-for-3.)
6:50 p.m.: LIVE FROM FIFTH THIRD FIELD, LANSING LUGNUTS BASEBALL IS ON THE AIR!
7:00 p.m. - 10:15 p.m.: Showtime! Call the ballgame. Good back and forth slugfest with the Lugnuts winning
11-8!
10:17 p.m.: Record the Lugnut Minute to air the next morning back in Lansing. Say goodbye to my producer for the night.
10:20 p.m.: Call the TV stations in Lansing to let them know about the game.
10:23 p.m.: Write the game story, post on the website with audio highlights, and send out to the media.
10:50 p.m.: Update the rest of the website with results, information, etc.
11:10 p.m.: Pack up everything and head to the bus. There are usually two buses after a game. One for players, so that they can eat and get back to the hotel earlier. The second for coaches and myself so that we can all finsh our reports and extra work.
11:30 p.m.: Hop into a restaurant and grab a bite to eat with a couple of the coaches.
12:15 a.m.: Retire to my bed to do it again the next day!

So there you have it! A day on the road for me!

I'll be back soon to analyze this big stretch of games for the boys.

- Brad

5.20.08: Good day everyone! Hopefully all is well with you as we roll deeper into May. (Yeah, a month and a half of the season is already gone....please allow me a moment to cry.......................OK) And please allow me to aplogize for my lack of blogging. But there will be two entries this week!!!!

It's been a rather perplexing stretch of baseball for the Lugnuts over the last two or so weeks. There are flashes of brilliance with this team, but there are also those nights where things are going so well. Unfortunately it's been more of the latter over the last few weeks. Now don't get me wrong, the Lugnuts are not playing bad baseball. They just can't seem to get that big hit when needed or a late rally to come back. Besides the rally on Saturday night at West Michigan, Lansing hasn't been catching too many breaks.

I still think that this is a special team and the wins will come. Remember, we said there could be growing pains early on, and I believe that is what we are seeing right now. With the addition of Eric Eiland last week, Lansing now has seven position players that are 19 or younger. It also gives the Lugnuts 5 of the first 88 picks in last year's draft and 8 of the Blue Jays first 10 choices. Yeah, the talent is there, the experience will come. And don't forget, the pitching is stacked right now for Lansing.

The interesting about the Eastern Division this year though is that there isn't a dominant team. Lansing enters tonight's game in Dayton under .500 but just 1 1/2 games out of first place. Staying in the race is crucial for these guys. Whether or not they get in the first half, the experience alone will help in the long run. But don't count them out either. My guess is that one team will get hot and run away with the division, while the other five battle for the

second spot in the first half. It should be fun!

By the way, here is a picture of Fifth Third Ballpark from the press box.

In other Midwest League news:

- If you haven't heard, two Midwest League teams will play the
first ever minor league game at Wrigley Field. Peoria will host Kane County at the friendly confines on Tuesday, July 29th.
Pretty sweet, and yes, I'm a tad jealous.

I wanted to end this entry by answering a question from a loyal Lugnuts fan, Justin:

I'm a dedicated 'Nut and love watching these young players grow. I try to attend at least two of each home series games. I have a dilemma, however. I consider myself to be a darn good heckler. In fact, I often choose to sit just above the opposing team's dugout and, respectfully, taunt them for the good of our team. You might have noticed me before, I'm quite possibly the loudest fan in the park. I think it's only necessary that we as fans attempt to create a challenging environment for opposing teams. Such is the general nature of minor leagues, no? Recently, though, I've switched to the home team side just above the dugout to cheer on our own team and to provide constant support for batters and fielders. Which do the players prefer? Heckling on the opposing side, or cheering from behind them?

From the guys that I have talked to, they like both. By getting on the other team, it creates a pure home field advantage. But I also know of players who thrive on playing in hostile environments and love to hear what crazy things a fan might say. I think it goes like this though. A good heckler should be able to do both in a game, wear out the other team while supporting your guys. The key is to not go over the line, which it sounds like you are doing a great job of. So I say keep it up! Remember, players love performing in front of big, loud crowds.

I'll be back in a day or two with a special blog request from Al in Florida! What is it you ask? Stay tuned!

- BT

4.29.08: Hey Lugnut fans! Well it's been a weird road trip to say the least. For the first time as the Lugnuts broadcaster, I am actually watching a game without being on the air (and I'm writing this entry as the game is taking place). That breaks a personal streak of 305 straight games of being able to call the games for you. I can tell you that we did our absolute best to get on the internet today, but some technical issues have made that impossible. Now, if you are wondering how we got here, let's take a step back to just 48 hours ago....

We were playing at Clinton's Alliant Energy Field against the LumberKings. Before the game, we were told that we would likely be playing at an alternate location for the series against the Quad Cities River Bandits due to flooding around Davenport's Modern Woodmen Park. If you haven't heard or just want to see pictures of it, here's a link.

During the morning on Monday, we were told that we would play an afternoon in Clinton. However, plans had to be shifted quickly, so the schedule broke down to the following:

- Monday: 7:00 pm CDT in Cedar Rapids
- Tuesday: 12:00 noon CDT in Clinton
- Wednesday: 6:00 pm CDT in Iowa City at the University of Iowa

Needless to say, we now know a lot of the roads in the state. I can tell you that the flooding around here is pretty extensive in some areas, as we saw several homes surrounded by water during the drive to Clinton today.

So here I sit in the Clinton radio booth, watching the Lugnuts play the River Bandits. I also need to give a tip of the cap to the staffs of everyone involved for trying to accomodate all of us in these trying times on such short notice. It really has been a true Midwest
League team effort to get these games in.

Before I go, here is a picture of the view from my booth in Clinton. Like I said on the air, it's a neat ballpark that is very reminiscent of the early days of the minors.

UPDATE: I've added a couple of pictures below of the flooiding at the ballpark in Davenport. Thanks to Stefanie Brown of the River Bandits staff for providing these pictures!

4.15.08: Hello loyal Lugnut fans and blog readers! I thought that I would check in with you from Iowa as the road trip begins to wind down. But before we get going, let me take a second to say Happy Jackie Robinson Day! Today marks the 61st anniversary of the day that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers. You might notice that a lot of Major League teams will wear the #42 today in honor of Robinson. He will always be remembered for being a man amongst men, and by the way, he could play a little baseball too! Sometimes I think that is forgotten a little to easily. And for your entertainment, here's a clip of Jackie stealing home in the 1955 World Series.

A couple of other things for you on this gorgeous Wednesday in Burlington:

- Here is installment number two of the press box view segment of the blog. The picture on the left is my look in Cedar Rapids, while the one on the right is what it looks like for me here in Burlington.

4.10.08: Happy first Thirsty Thursday of the year everyone! I thought that I would post a few things for you before we take off for Iowa tomorrow morning. Oh, in case you ever wanted to be a player, think about getting on a bus at 7 a.m., travelling 7 hours, and playing that night. Luckily, Larry is driving so I get to sleep the whole way!

Since I last dropped in, the Lugnuts haven't lost! I'll be completely honest here and say that I did not foresee this out of the gates this year. I thought that it would take a while before the confidence would really begin to show, but this team is quickly proving me wrong, which isn't a bad thing. I still expect some bumps in the road (don't forget, Lansing started 11-1 last year and missed the first half playoffs), but this team has shown flashes of greatness.

The offense has been ON FIRE during the streak, scoring an average of nine runs per game. The most interesting thing to me though is that there has been a different hero every night. It's a very balanced attack where anyone 1 thru 9 can hurt you. The Lugnuts are also able to put a lot more pressure on the opposing pitchers with some great speed on the basepaths. Clayton McCullough is showing an agressive approach to managing, which shows me that he has a lot of confidence in his hitters abilities.

Some other random thoughts for today:

- Manny Rodriguez is on another plane of baseball right now. 13 RBI in the first week. Are you kidding me?! He has been very patient at the plate and his fluid swing allows him to drive the ball all over the field. Not bad for a guy hitting sixth in the lineup.

- If you listened to the broadcast last weekend from Fort Wayne, you heard me mention three things a few times.

1. The chili dinner that the booster club made for the team after Saturday's game. Let me tell you, it was awesome! Terrific food after a nice win always makes the road nicer. Thanks guys! By the way, the picture to right is a shot of me with the club after I devoured about five bowls of chili.

2. The llama show going on behind us at the War Memoria Coliseum. Turns out, it was the Indiana Alapaca Invitational. Needless to say, I was mesmorized by the thought of this, if only because I have never of an Alpaca Invitational.
Here's a link to the official website of the event if you are interested.

3. Kids with horns. OK, the Wizards decided that this year they would start selling plastic trumpets for kids to use during the game. They are loud, they are blue, and did I mention that they are loud? Anyway, here's what they look like. Larry actually took this shot from my radio booth in Fort Wayne. I still think that some enterprising kid needs to blow this thing right into the ear of an opposing player while he is on deck. Talk about getting into someone's head!

- One other thing of note for you before I go. A familiar name to Lugnut fans is now with Toronto. Brian Dopirak, who hit 39 homers in 2004 for Lansing, was signed by the Blue Jays last week. He is starting in Dunedin and already has a homer. Here's a link to his stats page for you to peruse.

That's it for today. Happy homestand everyone and I'll check back in from Iowa!

4.4.08: Well I promised that I would some type of season preview to you, but it had to wait until one game in. I have been swamped with trying to get ready for the year, but now let's reflect on Opening Night, what my first impressions are, and where I think this team will wind up. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that we did get beat by Casper in Round Two of the logo contest. The cinderella lives on I guess.

There is no doubt that the season did not get off to the start that we hoped for last night in Fort Wayne. Lansing really never challenged the Wizards after threatening in the first frame. A lot of that had to do with some very good pitching from the home team, but the Lugnuts seemed to be pressing the entire night. Only one player drew a walk all night (Yohermyn Chavez had two) and the pitching staff, with the notable exception of Edgar Estanga, couldn't find the zone.

The silver lining in all of this though is that it is just game one of 140. This team is going to be extremely exciting to watch grow throughout
the year, but that will also require some growing pains. Remember
(and this can't be overstated), 6 of the 9 players in the starting lineup
last night are 19 years old or younger! Most of the guys that they are playing against are several years older than them and have a lot more experience. I would expect to see the Lugnuts struggle early as it takes
a while to get adjusted to the rigors of playing every day, but look out for this team after about 30-40 games. I still believe this team has by far
and away the most talent in the league. Once it all comes together,
they will be a force.

Other thoughts from Opening Night:

- Moises Sierra and Justin Jackson flat out have cannons! Sierra unleashed a rocket from right field that would have gotten a speedy runner, but he actually threw the ball a bit too far. And Jackson will be able to save a few runs for the pitchers this year over at short.

- This group of players is really a treat to hang around. I've only known them a few days, but all of them are extremely great and personable guys. When you throw in an outgoing coaching staff, it's like a broadcaster's dream come true!

- Chi-Hung Cheng's return to the Midwest League was not what he was looking for last night. His velocity was good, but he is still having problems spotting it on a consistent basis. As soon as he can throw that pitch consistently for strikes, he will be ready to dominate because his curve ball is as sharp as ever.

- The picture above is a view from my booth in the Memorial Stadium press box. We are four stories high here! I'm going to try and take a picture from the press box of each stadium this year so that you can see my view every night! By the way, this is the last year for Memorial Stadium. The Wizards are moving into a new downtown ballpark next year.

That's all for today. I'll be back soon to update you on our progress.

3.18.08: Happy belated St. Patrick's Day everyone and a happy early Easter as well! Only 16 days to go until the season starts! Now, on to the madness.

Last week I wrote about the Lugnuts being involved in Darren Rovell's CNBC Minor League Logo Tournament. Well today, the Lugnuts open Round Two against the Cinderella story #16 seed Casper Ghosts. Casper took down our sister team, the Montgomery Biscuits, in a huge upset. So we are calling for all Lugnuts fans to get out there and vote for your hometown team! We're only one win away from the Sweet 16!

Also, this logo tournament has kind of taken on a life of its own in Minor League Baseball circles, with press releases going out and mascots appealing to fan bases. So needless to say, our staff wants to win. Especially me.

Oh, before we get to some baseball related news, I thought that I would share a story from one of our loyal fans. I'm going to call her "Annie" as to protect her from any shame, but I can promise that she has given me permission to share this with everyone. Her story is told below:

My roommate woke up at 3 in the morning a few nights ago and apparently I was in my bathroom brushing my hair, wearing a bathrobe and flip flops. When she asked me what I was doing I answered-

"I'm getting ready for the game"
"What game?"
"Baseball."
"It's 3:30 in the morning."
"I know, I'm just excited, but I'll go back to bed."

I found that to be pretty funny, mostly because I'm pretty sure that I mumble games and lineups in my sleep.

OK, now for some baseball related news, brought to you as always in quick, bullet style form:

- John Tolisano, a second round draft pick of the Jays last year, is having a nice spring and apparently impressed Jon Gibbons in a game yesterday with the big club. So why do I mention this you might ask? Well it looks as if Tolisano has an excellent chance of starting here in Lansing this year. We won't know for a couple of weeks yet, but I know that I would sure have fun watching him play.

- Casey Janssen's bid to become a starter this year is over. He tore his labrum and will be out for the entire season. Janssen will now be rehabbing and should begin throwing again in four months. It's a tough break for him as I think he would have won the fifth starters job.

- Single game tickets for the Lugnuts go on-sale this Saturday, March 22nd at 10:00 am. Get your tickets early if you don't have a season ticket package.

That's about for today. Stay tuned and I'll update how we did in Round Two!

3.11.08: Another week has passed and we are that much closer to first pitch! Did I mention that I can't wait? Not sure if I made that clear.

OK, for those of you who might be asking yourselves "Why would Brad title this entry March Madness?", let me explain. This morning I was made aware of CNBC's Minor League Logo Tournament, which takes 64 minor league team's logos and asks fans to vote for their favorite. The Lugnuts, a #9 seed, took down the Akron Aeros with 58% of the vote in our first round match-up.

Now here's the interesting part. Lansing will take on the #16 seed Casper Ghosts in round two. Casper upset our sister team, the Montgomery Biscuits, in an opening round stunner. While I would have loved to have had a bragging rights battle with our sister team, Casper presents a real challenge for us. So therefore I am calling on all Lugnuts fans to vote early and often throughout the rest of this tournament! We can take home the title! And yes, I will be posting updates as we go along in the tournament.

And now back to your regulary scheduled baseball information:

- Here's another look-ahead to the Blue Jays season, this time focusing exclusively on the farm system. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but it looks like we could see some major young talent from last year's draft come through Oldsmobile Park this season.

- I talked with Lugnuts athletic trainer Bob Tarpey yesterday for a few minutes. He is doing well and is already looking forward to getting here. He did mention something interesting though in our conversation, and its a pretty common theme coming out of Jays camp.

"There's a lot of really good, young players here," he said.

He sounds excited about the guys in camp and I know that I can't wait to see them here in Lansing. By the way, the Jays minor leaguers start playing spring training games tomorrow. I'll do my best to keep you updated on what's going on down there.

- I thought this piece by Jason Stark was very well done. The story revolves around David Eckstein and Scott Rolen finding a new home in Toronto.

- OK, I typically focus on just Lugnuts related information in this space, but I can't pass this up. Some of you may remember Clayton Kershaw from last season. He is the Dodgers uber-prospect that pitched for Great Lakes and won the Midwest League's "Prospect of the Year" Award. Well he is opening eyes in Major League camp now, showing off the devastating curveball and 97-MPH fastball that makes him so special.

Anyway, here's a clip of him in Spring Training last week. He faced Mike Lowell, J.D. Drew, and Sean Casey. He struck them all out, using just 10 pitches in the inning. The frame was capped off with this devastating curve that had Casey shaking his head. I think the most telling thing is the reaction of the great Vin Scully, who was broadcasting this game. When he is impressed, then you know you've done something special.

That's it for now. I'll be back soon to update you on Round Two of the tournament. Remember to vote!

3.4.08: Well we are officially less than one month away from the first-pitch of the 2008 season. Is anyone else as giddy about this as I am?

True story: I was out with my co-worker Julia and a few other friends having dinner on Saturday night when a college baseball game between UCLA and Bethune-Cookman caught my attention. It was the first time I had actually seen more than a highlight all year, and it almost brought a tear to my eye. Needless to say I was made fun of relentlessly, but who cares? Baseball is near!

As for an update on what's happening in Dundedin, here you go:

- The minor league players that were not invited to Major League camp are scheduled to arrive this week. They should all start playing games in the next two weeks. Spring training is important for the minor league guys too. Not only does it get them ready, but many use it as a chance to impress the Jays and try to push for an assignment at a higher level.

- Travis Snider is off to a good start this spring. He was invited to take part in big league camp, even though he will spend the season in the minors. As of this morning, he was hitting .400 through five games and he is drawing a lot of walks. He has also been getting some solid praise from the Blue Jays' manager Jon Gibbons.

- Speaking of Gibbons, he had some interesting remarks regarding this year's team. It's still going to take a monster year from Toronto to overtake the Red Sox or Yankees, but a LOT of baseball people who are much smarter than me are picking the Blue Jays to give the two teams a solid run this year.

- Minor League Baseball is doing an organizational preview for every Major League club. Today was Toronto's turn. The look-ahead offers insight on prospects, especially those taken in last year's draft.

- Interesting note in the Lansing State Journal today. It appears the Reds have signed their second former Lugnut in the last two weeks. Cory Patterson will join Cincinatti on a minor-league contract.

- Here's a quick update on the MSU baseball team. Their season has started and they are currently on their annual Spring Break trip. If the Spartans can come back from this trip around the .500 mark, then they will really have something to build on. Those aren't cream puffs that they are playing right now.

- One final thought before I go. I talked with our long-time "motorcoach operator" Larry a week or so ago. He is down in Florida right now and actually got a chance to see some of the coaches over dinner. Larry is doing well and is looking forward to another season of driving us around the Midwest. He really never left Michigan though, as a picture of the two of us sits just above my desk. Shockingly, he's not smiling.

OK I'm done for today. Keep dreaming those dreams of baseball and warm weather. I promise it will be here soon!

- BT

2.22.08: Hello all. The first full week of Spring Training is done and we are just 41 days away from Opening Day! There have been a few developments in the last week or so about the Lugnuts and the Blue Jays, so lets get to it.

- If you haven't heard yet, the Crosstown Showdown presented by Auto-Owners Insurance will be aired on the Big Ten Network this season. It's a great chance for fans across America to be able to see a great event right here at Oldsmobile Park.

- Former Lugnut Yuber Rodriguez, who has spent the last three seasons in Lansing, has been signed by the Cincinatti Reds to a minor league contract. Hopefully some new surroundings will help Yuber. It's an understatement to say he struggled here, but he has some legitimate tools that could make him a very good player. Either way, it's a smart gamble for the Reds. Sorry, no link for this one!

- The Blue Jays have done a good job acquiring catching depth over the last few years. 2005 Lugnut Curtis Thigpen should be in the Big Leagues full-time soon, and I wouldn't be surprised to see first round draft pick J.P. Arencibia start in Lansing this season. The one notable exception in the article was Jonathan Jaspe. I know that several members of the Jays system are very high on him, especially if his development behind the plate continues.

- I thought that this article about Travis Snider was very well done. He is genuinely a great guy and I can't wait to see what he does this year. Hopefully the Jays will challenge him and send him to New Hampshire.

That's it for this week. Catch you all soon!

2.15.08: Pitchers and catchers report. I'm not sure that there are four more beautiful words in the English language, but that is the case today as the Blue Jays kick off spring training in Dunedin, Florida. With spring training going on and the month of March coming up, my posts are basically contain a few random thoughts with a bunch of links while we continue to get ready for the season here at the ballpark. It's actually our busiest time of the year with a lot of late nights, but trust me, we love it! So without further ado, here are some things that you might be interested in:

- I read this article earlier this week and found it to be a good read. Blue Jays fans were invited to directly question team management, and the front office guys didn't get off easy.

- A lot of the Blue Jays' hopes in the past few years have been hurt by injuries. Getting B.J. Ryan back for Opening Day would be huge.

- Here's some news on a couple of former Jays' farmhands that spent a good amount of time in Lansing. First, Luke Hetherington was not re-signed by Toronto in the off-season, but he has landed on his feet after signing to play with the Winniped Goldeyes of the independent Northern League. He hit .280 last season in Dunedin.

Meanwhile, Josh Bell is entering his first full season as a Colorado Rockie. His hometown paper in Jackson, Tennessee has a nice article on him and the challenges that are ahead.

- On an unrelated note, I had the chance to talk with MSU head baseball coach David Grewe yesterday. He is one of the more energetic and engaging people that I have had the pleasure to speak to, and he is a perfect fit for building the MSU program. Look out for the Crosstown Shodown presented by Auto-Owners Insurance this year. We could be in for another dandy of a ballgame.

That's about it today. Don't forget about our job fair next week!

2.4.08: Wow! What else can you really say about what happened last night in Glendale, Arizona except Giants 17, Patriots 14. For disclosure purposes, I fully thought that the Pats would destroy New York. I guess that's why I work in baseball. I must say though that the Giants played the exact type of game that they had to in order to win. There was no way that they would beat New England in a shootout, but they had to think that they had a great shot of winning if it was low scoring (which is what happened). This immediately goes down as one of the Top 5 Super Bowls of all-time in my book, which would read like this (please note that I am ranking these on the best "games", not the biggest upset):

5. Super Bowl 36: Patriots 20, Rams 17

This was the game that catapulted the Patriots into the "Team of the Decade" and announced the arrival of Tom Brady. Very competitive from start to finish and had the first ever game-winning field goad to end a Super Bowl.

4. Super Bowl 42: Giants 17, Patriots 14

As stated earlier, terrific game. Would have been higher had the first three quarters not been a total snoozefest.

3. Super Bowl 38: Patriots 32, Panthers 29

The absolute best fourth quarter in Super Bowl history. This game was highly entertaining and had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through.

2. Super Bowl 32: Broncos 31, Packers 24

This game holds a special place with me because I am a huge Denver Broncos fan. However it was also the Super Bowl that changed the annual NFC blowout into a good, close game. Remember, Farve and the Pack had the ball in Denver territory with less than a minute to play. Great back and forth game.

1. Super Bowl 34: Rams 23, Titans 16

What else can you say about this one. Stopped on the one-yard line!!!! Amazing.

I know I left off a couple of other worthy games, most notably Super Bowl 23 when San Francisco upended Cincinnati, but like I said, these are just my opinions. Nothing else of worth.

- Now onto baseball!!!! The 2008 Baseball America Prospect Handbook has arrived at my desk and I couldn't be more excited. It's one of the few publications that I annually look forward to. Former Lugnuts in Toronto's Top 30 prospect list include:

Travis Snider (1), Curtis Thigpen (8), Kyle Ginley (17), Randy Wells (22), Buck Coats (23), Zach Dials (26), Chase Lirette (27), and Anthony Hatch (29).

Most of the highly ranked prospects in Toronto's system according to BA are very young and have yet to reach full-season baseball, so don't be surprised if you see a lot of young talent flow through Lansing in the next couple of years. For a look at an overview of the system, check out this link to BA.

- Here's a very interesting look at what the Jays have to look at in Spring Training. The most interesting part: Casey Janssen possibly moving into the rotation. After last season, he deserves a shot.

- I didn't realize this until the other day when a reporter called me to ask about it, but the Lugnuts have not lost an Opening Day game since 2001. Apparently it is one of the longest streaks in the minors. Now there is one caveat to this streak. In 2003 the Lugs played one-half inning against South Bend before the game was suspended and completed a month later. Lansing lost that game, but actually won it's first "real" game that year. So does the streak continue? Hopefully the report from MILB can answer that question.

- February is Black History Month. I thought that this article about black ballplayers from the games origins was very interesting.

That's about it today. Have a good one everyone!

1.25.08: Well you can tell it's the calm before the baseball storm right now, but at least there are some signings and arbitration issues to mention in order to quench the baseball thirst. (More on those in a minute.) So I thought that instead of focusing solely on baseball this week, we could take a few moments and discuss the big MSU / U of M sports weekend.

One of my favorite things to do during the off-season is to check out as many MSU hockey games that I can. Well I am definitely going to Saturday's game against Michigan at Munn. It really has become my favorite hockey venue and I can't wait to finally experience the two schools square off on the ice. Look for a split this weekend between the two teams, but don't be shocked if either team takes three points.

I'm also going to get a chance to see the hardwood battle between the schools on Sunday. U of M is really playing well on the road right now even though they haven't come up big on the scoreboard. This game should be closer than some people may think, but I'll take MSU to win.

- As for baseball, well we are only a few weeks away from Spring Training! There was some news from Blue Jay land this week, as New Hampshire and Auburn extended their player development contracts with the Jays. Remember, the Lugnuts did this back in November.

- I thought that this was an intriguing signing by the Jays. Rod Barajas was brought in as a backup catcher for the upcoming season. This likely means that former Lugnut Curtis Thigpen will spend another year in Triple-A, even though many thought he had a shot to compete for a big league job in Spring Training.

- The Baseball America College Top 25 is out, and Michigan is ranked #8. It's not often a Big Ten school gets ranked that high, so congratulations blue. It should also be mentioned that MSU just brought in what was ranked the #1 ranked baseball recruiting class in the conference. Looks like the rivalry will extend to the diamond now too!

- For those who just need some sort of baseball fix, try this clip. Roy Hobbs's homer gives me goosebumps every time.

That's about it this week. Talk to you all soon!

1.17.08: Hey everyone. I would say that it was quiet week on the Blue Jays front, but anytime two teams swap starting third baseman, it's not that quiet. If you haven't heard for some reason, the Jays traded Troy Glaus straight up for the Cardinals' Scott Rolen.

This trade is interesting on a couple of fronts. First, it's not really a sure thing for either club. Rolen has had three surgeries on his left shoulder and has missed a lot of action in two of the last three seasons. However, if Rolen can stay healthy, he brings a better glove to the hot corner and has the potential to be a solid .285 / 20/ 85 guy in the lineup.

For the Cardinals, this trade is an automatic win because of the problems that Rolen had with his manager, Tony LaRussa. And with Glaus, they bring a legitimate power threat into the heart of a lineup that desperately needs to give Albert Pujols some more protection. However, Glaus is not near the defender that Rolen can be. Don't forget, Glaus is locked up for a while after signing that big contract with Toronto two years ago.

- In other Blue Jays related news, the minor league coaching staffs are complete. Two former Lugnut managers will join forces together in New Hampshire, as Gary Cathcart (2007) will guide the double-A affiliate this season. He will be joined by his predecessor in Lansing, Ken Joyce (2005-2006).

Also, popular hitting coach Charles Poe has been assigned to short-season Auburn in the same role. I actually saw C-Poe a few weeks ago here in Lansing. He's looking forward to working with some of the younger guys, and I really think that he will be a relaxing influence on the new guys coming out of the draft. He's a laid back guy that the players can easily adapt to.

- Check out this article we wrote about some members of the 2007 Lugnuts in the winter leagues. Interesting to see the numbers that those guys are putting up. You also have to wonder if fatigue is ever an issue, especially for the pitchers.

- The Midwest League All-Star Game is set to take place at Midland's Dow Diamond this June. Dow Corning is the title sponsor for all things all-star this season. The folks at the Loons have also taken an interesting step by splitting the home-run derby and the game itself into two different nights. This all typically happens on the same day, but they have decided to split it up. The Loons are even going to do a radio broadcast of the derby! It should be a fun time and I personally can't wait to get up there for the festivities.

That's about it this week. I'll check in again soon to keep you updated on what's going on. Less than a month until the four greatest words in the English language.....pitchers and catchers report!

1.10.08: Before this entry get's going, let me take a second to say that I hope you all had a great holiday season! I know that I did, and I even got to play some golf. Gotta love Alabama winters!

Well the calendar has turned and we are now just 84 days away from Lugnuts baseball! It doesn't seem like the season is that close sometimes, but you can tell that it's coming. It's always about right now when there's a bit of a buzz around the office and things really get rolling. Besides the season, it is one of my favorite times of the year.

Now on to a bit of housekeeping before we get to baseball news. I have put a link to all of my 2007 blog entries on the right side of the page, so if you would like to check some of those out, feel free to do so. We're going to try and check in about once a week or so this season to keep everyone as informed as possible.

One other thing. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Charlie Montoyo fund. The Biscuits raised over $12,000 for his family and the Triple-A Durham Bulls are doing a similar effort for him. I know that the gifts won't go unappreciated.

OK, on to the baseball:

- It's about time that Goose Gossage got into the Hall of Fame. I have no clue what took so long, but this was a serious no-brainer. Here's a guy who twice saved 30 games when it actually meant something to accomplish that. He also threw more than 100 innings three times out of the bullpen. With all due respect to the closers of today, no one was tougher or better in the late innings than Gossage. Now if the voters would just put in Jim Rice, Andre Dawson, and Jack Morris, then the Hall voting process would be better.

- It's going to be an interesting spring for Lugnut fans monitoring the action in Dunedin. The Blue Jays had five first round picks last year, and it's not a stretch to think that as many as three could end up in Lansing this season. I'll definately be keeping an eye all of them in March to try and get an early feel for a possible roster.

- I'm very glad to see that the River Bandits are back in the Quad Cities. It's one of great old logos in the minors, and they are doing a good job of fusing something old and something new.
That's it for today. Talk to you all soon and GO NUTS!