GAMEDAY - TUESDAY - JUNE 30TH

Here are the Game Notes for today's series-opener with Edmonton. Copy and paste the link.

http://www.goldenbaseball.com/Files/F532/GAME NOTES19.doc

CHICO LINEUP
1. Dale Swinford SS
2. Dan Luyben 2B
3. Rich Janeway DH
4. Bryan Silverman C
5. Truan Mehl CF
6. Blake Gailen RF
7. Ryan Brown 1B
8. Darrick Hale LF
9. Jonny Ash 3B
SP - Donald Brandt (3-0, 2.12 ERA)

EDMONTON LINEUP
1. Marcus Nettles LF
2. Max Poulin SS
3. Darryl Brinkley RF
4. Norm Hutchins 1B
5. Joey Gomes DH
6. Jorge Cortes CF
7. Chad Ehrnsberger 3B
8. Aaron Hornastaj 2B
9. Matt Ceriani C
SP - Kris Honel (2-3, 3.04 ERA)

SUNDAY - GETAWAY LINEUP

UPDATE!!! - Game appears headed for an after 7pm start. 6:42 p.m. and we don't have both teams on the field or a starting pitcher warming up. Just one interview with Cadaret tonight...imagine we'll hit the air 6:55pm'ish

CHICO LINEUP
1. Dale Swinford SS
2. Dan Luyben 2B
3. Rich Janeway DH
4. Bryan Silverman RF
5. Truan Mehl LF
6. Jason Crosland 1B
7. Blake Gailen CF
8. BJ Underkofler C
9. Jonny Ash 3B
SP - Jo Matumoto (2-2, 5.14 ERA)

YUMA LINEUP
1. Rivadeneira SS
2. Gomez 2B
3. Rodriguez 1B
4. Villalobos 3B
5. Castro DH
6. Pupo LF
7. Avila CF
8. Hernandez RF
9. Mosquera C
SP - Julio Santiago

SATURDAY LINEUPS

CHICO LINEUP
1.Dale Swinford SS
2.Dan Luyben 2B
3.Truan Mehl CF
4.Gabriel Riley DH
5.Bryan Silverman C
6.Jason Crosland 1B
7.Blake Gailen RF
8.Darrick Hale LF
9.Jonny Ash 3B
SP - Evan White

H-H-H-heat...and a MJ Memory

Holy smokes! Literally! It's inching up towards 110 degrees here in Yuma this afternoon. For the third day in a row, everyone has been shuttered up in their hotels room, drapes drawn and air-conditioning blasting. I don't see how the Outlaws took batting practice yesterday around the 5pm hour. Way too warm. Maybe all this desert heat will make Chico feel that much more tolerable. We'll have to wait and see.

If you listened last night, you heard we played Michael Jackson music during our inning breaks. Of course, this is also the third day in a row I've sat in my room and watched all the music videos and documentaries they are playing of the man. However morbidly or selfishly it may sound, we all can say we were in Los Angeles the day the unexpected happened. Team bus rolling through LA between the 7 and 8 hours in the morning.

But...besides being a huge fan, Michael Jackson taught me a great broadcasting lesson. The only time I ever got into hot water in my career was by making a MJ joke that people reacted to in fits. It was going past midnight (puck didn't drop until 9:30 pm), in the third period of a San Diego State-Northern Arizona University hockey game that was 12-2 in favor of the good guys, and I made an MJ joke as we talked about Southern California. A tsunami of emails followed, not to me, but to all reaches of authority at the university (President, Athletic Director, School of Communications honcho, and on and on).

Now, the remark/joke was probably uncalled for. But, I believe to this day it wasn't amazingly offensive of provocative. And I can guarantee, much more off-color things were said during the afternoon shows on our student radio station. But the reaction was an example of how people responded to all things Michael Jackson, both positive and negative.

I learned a valuable lesson. No matter how many hours you're on the air doing sports, people aren't there for your morning-show style commentary. They're tuning in for the baseball, or for the hockey. I was suspended until they couldn't find anyone to do the women's basketball game later that week, and I was reinstated with a valuable lesson learned and I've been a better broadcaster since that day forth.

And now since the unexpected has happened with Michael, I think everyone can appreciate the talent he displayed as an entertainer and put his spectacle of a personal life to the side a little bit. The Jackson 5 Motown recording "I Want You Back" is one of greatest three minutes of recorded history. The performance from an 11 year old Michael absolutely frames the future the musical prodigy would create. Further, "Billie Jean" more so than any other MJ single is an absolute ballpark music staple.

My older siblings were huge Michael Jackson fans. They used to play the spooky laughing part at the end of "Thriller" to make me cry scared when I was young. We also all watched the "Captain EO" movie together at Disney World long ago. My brother John got an opportunity to meet Michael when the King of Pop made an appearance at John's air station in Japan a few years back. My brother was very looking forward to going to England later this year to visit my sister and take in an MJ concert in London.

Unfortunately, none of that will happen. But, Michael has both taught me a valuable lesson as a broadcaster and also given me and the entire world catalogues of pure pop gold to remember him by from here on out. R.I.P - The Gloved One.

12:50 to Yuma

Hey folks!! We've arrived in the southwestern desert city of Yuma plenty in advance for Friday night's series-opener. Yuma is recognized as the Sunniest City in North America by the Guiness Book of World Records. Overall, it was a good trip. On our fourth long-trip on the bus, I certainly am sleeping easier. I must've been out for one six-hour stretch from 2am to 8am. Woke up as we were pulling into our regular stopping spot in Palm Springs. I didn't sleep 4 hours total, round-trip on that first trip to Tucson. The trip is a lot shorter when you're dreaming.

Was a good trip. Kangaroo Court for the first time this year (absolutely in-house, no questions). Only two movies. That should show how much we're all getting accustomed to sleeping in our seats. Two action flicks (boooooo). I prefer something funny as we roll along into the night in the middle of nowhere, although, the kidnap thriller "Taken" wasn't too bad on a 5 inch screen from six feet away. Evan White was named pitcher of the week right before we left, so that was a topic on the bus. And back to back wins to get us out on the road was beneficial as well.

Being back in Yuma is exciting for me and a few others on the bus. I met Greg Cadaret and BJ Underkofler here in Yuma at this past February's 2009 Arizona Winter League. Greg Cadaret was the manager of the San Luis Atleticos, who played in San Luis, Arizona...a small town right across the border from a rather large San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico (300,000 population). You could very literally see the border-fence between the US and Mexico beyond the outfield fence. Underkofler was the primary catcher on Cadaret's Atleticos squad that won their division, reached the playoffs, and got ousted by fellow AWL'er Mikael Ryder.

I worked for the league as official scorer and website author. I wrote a blog back then for the AWL and you can find it at: http://theawl.blogspot.com/ The Desert Sun Stadium complex itself is a great place, the former home of the San Diego Padres spring-training. Meaning, back in the 70's, a whole lot of amazing Major Leaguers spent time in the very clubhouse we'll use. Willie Mays is the first name that comes to mind. It'll be nice to see Mike Marshall and the rest of the Yuma front office staff I worked with, and sit at my old desk...the first desk I ever occupied working for professional baseball.

So here we are...I've got a host family to catch up with (Bob and Susan Lauer), and the weather is forecasted as a high temperature no lower than 106 over the weekend. It's hot out there right now. Sitting in a hotel room watching television in the afternoon has never been a better idea. I expect to butcher some of the Colombian names on the Scorpions roster this weekend, so apologies in advance. And no crowd microphone as well. They have the Yuma press box sealed air-tight so we can enjoy the air-conditioning. And look for some Arizona Winter League memories to be posted up here on the blog from Cadaret, Underkofler and Ryder. I think we all left town about three and a half months ago thinking if we didn't return soon, it'd be too quickly. But here we are, and we'll now recognize how much more pleasant Yuma was in February and also how much fun we all had during the 2009 Arizona Winter League.

Tuesday game story (trouble with host website)

Outlaws 15 Flyers 6

W - Kevin Altman (1-4) L - David Cross (1-1)

The Outlaws strike early with a 7 run third inning, and then put the game away for good with a 6 run fifth inning.

As the long nine game homestand draws near its end, the Outlaws erupted tonight with a huge offensive output, hanging 15 runs on Orange County for the second time this season.

The Outlaws did the bulk of their damage in just two innings. Trailing 2-0 going into the home half of the 3rd inning, the Outlaws first 8 batters reached base safely, beginning the seven run onslaught. Two walks in the inning forced runs home, and Gabriel Riley picked up two RBI on a single as well. Before all was said and done, 10 Outlaws would bat in the inning and Orange County starter David Cross would be knocked from the game.

The ballgame would tighten up in the middle innings. A two-run Robert Fick home-run made the score 7-5 at the midway point, but the Outlaws offense came to life again in the latter half of the inning. Scoring six more runs, augmented by two home-runs, the Outlaws would deliver a knockout punch and leave the inning with a 13-5 lead. Gabriel Riley had a two-run homer to push his RBI total on the night to four, and Jonny Ash hit a solo shot, his second of the year.

Kevin Altman pitched seven strong innings and got his first victory of the season. Blake Cull and Mikael Ryder each pitched an inning of relief to close out the ballgame.

The Outlaws are now 15-12 on the season and pick up a game in the North Division standings as Calgary lost tonight at home to Victoria. The Outlaws will face-off with Orange County a final time tomorrow with the series victor still in question. 7:05 pm start, as Donald Brandt goes to the mound for his second start of the year for the Outlaws. He'll be countered by Adam Johnson for Orange County.

TUESDAY LINEUP

CHICO LINEUP
1. Dale Swinford SS
2. Dan Luyben 2B
3. Rich Janeway CF
4. Bryan Silverman C
5. Truan Mehl LF
6. Blake Gailen RF
7. Gabriel Riley DH
8. Jason Crosland 1B
9. Jonny Ash 3B
SP - Kevin Altman (0-4, 7.85 ERA)

ORANGE COUNTY LINEUP
1. Damian Jackson SS
2. Nick Guerra 2B
3. Robert Fick 1B
4. Julian Benavidez 3B
5. Juan Senreiso RF
6. Travis Becktel CF
7. Jimmy Rohan DH
8. Frank LoNigro C
9. Steve Boggs LF
SP - David Cross (1-0, 3.60 ERA)

FATHER'S DAY BROADCAST

UPDATE:
CHICO LINEUPS
1. Jonny Ash SS
2. Dan Luyben 2B
3. Rich Janeway CF
4. Jason Crosland DH
5. Truan Mehl LF
6. Ryan Brown 1B
7. Darrick Hale 3B
8. B.J. Underkofler C
9. Blake Gailen RF
SP - Evan White (3-1, 4.50)

LONG BEACH LINEUPS
1. Brandon Howard CF
2. Omar Bramasco SS
3. Casey Garrison LF
4. Chad Miller 3B
5. Daryl Jones 1B
6. J.J. Sherrill
7. Matt Edgecombe RF
8. David Ramirez C
9. Steve Young 2B
SP - Scott Lonergan (2-2, 7.23 ERA)

LOOK FOR THE BROADCAST AT 5:35 PM ...

Happy Father's Day out there to all you listeners. Hope all the Dad's can find some time to relax and reflect today. It's great that the holiday is always a work-day in baseball. Always some fun at the old ballyard to celebrate the day.

Here's what the Father's Day Broadcast is going to consist of:
Special Manager's Minute with Greg Cadaret
New Father's Day themed Voicers from all the players and coaches
Special Interview With my Dad
Email reads from you folks listening, Dad's get priority...

We'll start a little earlier than usual..5:35 p.m. is the tentative start time..I'll update the blog with exact time...

Fun On TV!

Hey everybody...Had lots of fun working with the Comcast folks and having a monitor in the booth. I have not reviewed the first broadcast one frame. Fred Kirchubel and his crew from Yuba City are great people to work with, and it's an unexpected opportunity I've found here in Chico.

Let me know if you saw any of the first game on Comcast at home. I'm real excited to sit down and watch the footage now that I've done two games. Hopefully some DVD copies in the future can be distributed for keepsakes.

This leaves me real excited for the final TV game. It'll be a great game, the July 1st night when Chico native Aaron Rogers returns home for an honorary Outlaws game. I'll put some ideas together, and for our final TV broadcast, we'll look to get interviews with Greg Cadaret and Aaron White.

And I'm in the midst of planning a special Father's Day broadcast tomorrow with some feature interviews and montages. Early 6:05 first pitch tomorrow, and hopefully an expanded pre-game beginning at 5:40 sharp

Holy Cow!

UPDATE We have another game where Comcast is here and we'll be simulcasting on the broadcast. The Comcast folks surprised me, didn't think they were coming back until July 1. I'll ask all the questions about when we can get DVD's. RADIO BROADCAST WON'T START UNTIL 6:45...join TV at 6:55ish....

CHICO LINEUP
1. Dale Swinford SS
2. Jonny Ash 2B
3. Rich Janeway CF
4. Bryan Silverman C
5. Truan Mehl LF
6. Jason Crosland 3B
7. Ryan Brown 1B
8. Gabriel Riley DH
9. Blake Gailen RF
SP - Michael Martin (2-1, 7.08 ERA)

LONG BEACH LINEUP
1. Brandon Howard SS
2. Omar Bramasco SS
3. Casey Garrison LF
4. Chad Miller 3B
5. Daryl Jones 1B
6. J.J. Sherrill DH
7. Matt Edgecombe RF
8. Andy Bouchie C
9. Steve Young 2B
SP - Ben Fox (1-0, 4.37 ERA)


What a game last night! A walk-off win is just the tonic for putting two double-digit losses in the rear-view mirror. Our first matchup with Long Beach, and Ryan Brown, a former Armada fleet-member himself gets the game winning base-knock.

Got to meet Jose Lima yesterday. What a character. He was a lot bigger than I thought he would be. I asked him if we would like to sing the national anthem on Sunday. Lima has sung the anthem this season on a few occasions and he said..."only if we win the series"...So...it's kind of a catch-22. I think even on our way to sweeping the Armada, the good-natured showman Lima will oblige us all.

Also, got to talk with Garry Templeton. Worked with him down at the Arizona Winter League this past February. He and Greg Cadaret had a thirty-minute chat during batting practice, and even our clubhouse guy, Lonny, mentioned how friendly Garry was when he got to the ballpark.



So...my overall feeling is that last night's win is going to be a good energy boost for everyone on this long home-stand. It did wonders for all of our here in the front office. Here's to keeping it going! And here's a nice picture of Nettleton Stadium from the sky. Shows a good representation of the big trees I'm always talking about and how the big one down the rightfield line (on the left of the picture) casts shadows across the infield.. The railroad tracks can also be seen in the very bottom left corner of the picture. A great place for baseball!

Friday Line-Ups

CHICO LINEUP
1. Dale Swinford SS
2. Dan Luyben 2B
3. Rich Janeway CF
4. Bryan Silverman C
5. Truan Mehl LF
6. Ryan Brown 1B
7. Blake Gailen RF
8. Gabriel Riley DH
9. Jonny Ash 3B
SP - Donald Brandt (2-0, 1.08 ERA)

LONG BEACH LINEUP
1. Josh Womack CF
2. Omar Bramasco SS
3. Casey Garrison LF
4. Chad Miller 3B
5. Daryl Jones 1B
6. J.J. Sherrill
7. Matt Edgecombe DH
8. Andy Bouchie C
9. Steve Young 2B
SP - Hideki Irabu (2-0, 2.25 ERA)

THURSDAY LINE-UPS

It's hot here....holy cow...96 degrees here in the middle of the afternoon with no breeze to speak of. Outlaws on the field taking BP, Tucson just showed up (4:30 p.m.)...Rubber-match in the series, Outlaws trying to improve on their 6-3 mark against Tucson and their 7-4 mark at home...

CHICO LINEUP
1. Dale Swinford SS
2. Dan Luyben 2B
3. Rich Janeway CF
4. Ryan Brown 1B
5. Bryan Silverman C
6. Truan Mehl LF
7. Blake Gailen RF
8. Jason Crosland DH
9. Jonny Ash 3B
SP - Kevin Altman (0-3, 6.75 ERA)

TUCSON LINEUP
1. Skip Adams 2B
2. Lino Garcia LF
3. Dustin Yount 1B
4. Jim Rushford DH
5. Curt Miaso RF
6. Lyndon Poole CF
7. Luis Apodaca 3B
8. Dylan Parzyk
9. Ryan Priddy SS
SP - Cibney Bello (0-0, 10.80 ERA)

WEDNESDAY LINE-UPS

CHICO LINEUP
1. Dale Swinford SS
2. Dan Luyben 2B
3. Bryan Silverman C
4. Rich Janeway CF
5. Truan Mehl LF
6. Jason Crosland 1B
7. Blake Gailen RF
8. Gabriel Riley DH
9. Jonny Ash 3B
SP - Jo Matumoto (2-1, 3.51 ERA)

TUCSON LINEUP
1. Skip Adams 2B
2. Lyndon Poole CF
3. Lino Garcia LF
4. Jim Rushford 1B
5. Andre Marshall DH
6. Curt Miaso RF
7. Mayobanex Santana 3B
8. Dylan Parzyk C
9. Ryan Priddy SS
SP - Jason Jacome (0-1, 4.91 ERA)

England's Newest Cubs Fan

Here is my niece, six-month old Noora, sporting her new Chicago Cubs gear. My mom, Grandmama, went over to visit my sister in Manchester, England for the week, and she took along this onezie I bought way back in April for my niece. Being below .500, the Cubs need all the magic they can get, and with the newest and youngest Cubs fan in England pictured here...it's time for the magic to start!

Miss you and love you Emilee!

P.S.: It looks like she's thinking pretty hard about how the lineup could get changed up, who to acquire at the trade deadline, and which kids from the farm system might deserve a shot!

Withdrawl...

It's been three whole days without baseball, and we have another 24 hours ahead of us on Monday with nothing. Didn't realize how much I'd find myself at a loss. Went out to today's scheduled practice and shagged fly balls during BP. Brushing up on my Andre Dawson skills last showcased as a high-school right-fielder who batted .200. I was like Juan Pierre, never struck out, rather made too many outs with weak contact.

Feels good to be at home. With a long homestand ahead of us, I can launder my bus-blanket and sleep on a bed. Got to watch my Cubbies on WGN today. They won in walk-off fashion, which was thrilling. Even on TV, Wrigley Field looks like the most beautiful scene of life that could, to this day, be plucked out of the 40's or 50's if you didn't know better. My mom is off to visit my sister and her grand-daughter in Manchester, England. Stowed in her luggae is a Chicago Cubs onezie (sp?) I picked up in the spring. Once my niece gets that Cubbie gear on, the team's fortunes will decidedly turn north!

Went antiquing in Paradise, CA yesterday(told you I was missing being at the yard!). Appropriately, trying to find something nostalgic for my father for the big holiday. What a nice little hamlet up the ridge. Also browsed a couple used bookstores. There isn't anything better in the world than a used bookstore. I trudged a long ways when we were in Tucson to visit the fabulous chain of Bookman's that is throughout Arizona. Found a nice 99cent Carl Sandburg book that I must have half-a-dozen copies of yesterday in Paradise and had to buy it. With my work as an English student at Northern Arizona University, I am a researched expert on Illinois' most famous poet. Any Carl Sandburg inquiries, you send them my way, deal?

What else? Weather here in Chico is nice. Not as warm as it was in the middle of May, go figure. The nine game homestand is going to be a marathon. Lots of exciting promotions and lots of work everyday for nine in a row between the office and the booth.

Not too much else to pass along. Phil Jackson's best work was done with my Bulls, of course. In these economic times, who really cares about the PGA and the U.S. Open, where numero 54 gets a check for $40,000 week in and week out? College World Series? Too much PING! if you ask me. And yes...glad you asked...Carl Sandburg is an incredibly revered lyricist who brought to life both the rise of Chicago (as in, skyscarpers in the '20's) and the solid, sentimental heart of the prairie Midwest.................Here's his boyhood home in Galesburg, Illinois...kept as a state historic site.

The prairie's quiet...
stooping stalks of wheat and maize,
silent after the sunlight's wind-breath fades,
another stand passes without fallen rain,
and as a June night meters with crickets song,
the man with hands worked sits with a gaze,
upon the shine of eyes in his loves moonlight look again...
Clear skies above and a million wishin' stars...
Wishing a rain and his heart to not be far...
Central Illinois evening,
there, then, and now...


Me, not Sandburg.......

LINEUPS AND INTERNET PROBLEM

Hey folks. Having trouble getting my Ethernet to connect here in the booth. Am working on a wireless connection right now, but don't know how that'll mesh once I start streaming audio away from my computer. We might be looking at some outages tonight, hopefully not. In that case, if anyone does experience an outage, email me ASAP and I'll be able to try and reconnect. Or hopefully my Media Encoder will prompt me.

Alas..the lineups

CHICO LINEUP
1. Dale Swinford S
2. Dan Luyben 2B
3. Bryan Silverman C
4. Rich Janeway CF
5. Jason Crosland 1B
6. Truan Mehl LF
7. Gabriel Riley DH
8. Blake Gailen RF
9. Jonny Ash 3B
SP - Jo Matumoto (1-1, 3.28 ERA)

TUCSON LINEUP
1. Skip Adams 2B
2. Lino Garcia LF
3. Dustin Yount 1B
4. Andre Marshall CF
5. Jim Rushford DH
6. Mayobanex Santana 3B
7. Curt Miaso RF
8. Luis Apodaca C
9. Franklin Gonzalez SS
SP - Jason Jacome

Getaway Day in Tucson

Ask and ye' shall recieve. Here is our bus in the parking lot at Hi Corbett. We've had the same bus and same driver, Art, for every trip thus far. Art has been out on the road since he took us to St. George, so he's switching off in LA tomorrow morning and going home after two weeks out on the road.

And here's the comfortable clubhouse at Hi Corbett. Big league...

Bee-yoo-ti-fulllll............

CHICO LINEUP

1. Jonny Ash 2B

2. Dan Luyben DH

3. Rich Janeway CF

4. Bryan Silverman C

5. Ryan Brown 1B

6. Truan Mehl LF

7. Jason Crosland 3B

8. Blake Gailen RF

9. Darrick Hale SS

SP - Andrew Alvarado (0-0, 6.96 ERA)

TUCSON LINEUP

1. Skip Adams 2B

2. Lino Garcia LF

3. Dustin Yount 1B

4. Andre Marshall CF

5. Jim Rushford DH

6. Mayobanex Santana 3B

7. Curt Miaso RF

8. Luis Apodaca C

9. Franklin Gonzalez

SP - Lorenzo Barcelo (3-0, 0.46 ERA)

TUESDAY LINE-UPS

UPDATE! Outlaws win a thriller, 8-6! Michael Martin gets the win, going five innings, Donald Brandt pitches three scoreless innings for a hold, and Ben Shockey gets the save in a thrilling ninth inning!! Truan Mehl goes 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI, and Blake Gailen goes 3-for-4 with 2 RBI as well. The Outlaws get their 10th win of the season, improving to 10-7 and 4-1 against Tucson on the season.


Here are the lineups for the series-opener in Tucson. It's overcast, and a quick rain shower sprinkled the guys while they were taking batting practice.

CHICO LINEUPS
1. Dale Swinford SS
2. Dan Luyben 2B
3. Rich Janeway CF
4. Bryan Silverman C
5. Truan Mehl LF
6. Ryan Brown 1B
7. Blake Gailen RF
8. Darrick Hale 3B
9. Jonny Ash DH
SP - Michael Martin (1-1, 5.96 ERA)

TUCSON LINEUPS
1. Skip Adams 2B
2. Curt Miason RF
3. Lino Garcia LF
4. Dustin Yount 1B
5. Jim Rushford DH
6. Andre Marshall CF
7. Mayobanex Santana 3B
8. Luis Apodaca C
9. Franklin Gonzalez SS
SP - Dan Knox (1-0, 0.82 ERA)

Back In The Old Pueblo

Hey folks...after a long bus trip, Art pulled us all into the Riverpark Inn right about 3 p.m. this afternoon. After leaving at 11 p.m. last night, that makes the trip....(forget math!)....um...lemme see....16 hours!

Whew! Lots of movies and a few quick catnaps, but everyone is enjoying have an off-day for our travel. Tomorrow we'll get right back to it, making our second and final trip to Hi Corbett to face off with the Toros.

The bus went out to the mall this evening for anyone with enough energy to find a meal and browse some shops.

Send me some more questions you want to hear asked during the pre-game interviews by players and coaches alike. Get a couple good ones over the weekend from you folks, so I'll spend some extra time in the Manager's office tomorrow.

Did I mention I love Tucson?

Saturday Lineups

CHICO LINEUP
1. Jonny Ash SS
2. Dan Luyben 2B
3. Jason Crosland 3B
4. Rich Janeway CF
5. Bryan Silverman C
6. Gabriel Riley DH
7. Truan Mehl LF
8. Ryan Brown 1B
9. Blake Gailen RF
SP - Evan White (2-0, 3.38 ERA)

VICTORIA LINEUP
1. Chris Van Rossum CF
2. Wilver Perez 2B
3. Sergio Pedroza RF
4. Brian Rios DH
5. Josh Arhart C
6. Jamar Hill LF
7. Carlos Duncan 3B
8. Brett Flowers 1B
9. Bret LeVier SS
SP - Austin Bibens-Dirkx (1-0, 5.06 ERA)

excerpt from game notes....
MISSOURI MOJO!: Dan Luyben and Gabriel Riley both tallied two hits and their first home-runs of the season last night, and what they further have in common is being California natives who ended up in the Show-Me State to play college ball. Luyben attended Avila University, which is in the greater Kansas City area. Riley played at Missouri Valley College in the city of Marshall (population 12,000). The two players couldn’t remember if they had played against each other collegiately. B.J. Underkofler as well played college ball in Missouri. The Montana native played at William Woods University in the historic city of Fulton. Winston Churchill, accompanied by Missouri native Harry S. Truman, made his famous “Sinews of Peace” speech in Fulton in 1946.

STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Evan White (2-0) vs Austin Bibens-Dirkx (1-0)
Evan White will be making his third start on the mound for the Outlaws this season. All of his starts have come at home, as the Corning, CA native is reaping the benefits of an off-season trade that brought him in from Yuma. In his last outing against Calgary, White went 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits while striking out 6. White will look to be the only Outlaws starter to win their first three starts of the year. White brings an impressive 3.38 ERA into action as well.

Austin Bibens-Dirkx will be making his second start of the season. Bibens-Dirkx struck out 9 men in 5.1 innings pitched to get the victory in his only appearance against Orange County on Tuesday night. Bibens-Dirkx is an Oregon native, and spent three years in the Seattle Mariners organization after being a 16th round draft pick in 2006, pitching in the California League last season with the High Desert Franchise.

Good to be Back...Good to be Back...

Hey hey hey...I enjoy being on the road, my meal money and nice hotel rooms and etc., but the way the Outlaws are playing at home, they're making it a lot of fun to be here in Northern California.

My Missouri boys came through last night. Dan Luyben (Avila University - Kansas City) and Gabriel Riley (Missouri Valley - Marshall) both hit home runs and raked out multiple hits. Truan Mehl, from the Kansas side of Kansas City, keeps his season-long hitting streak alive by legging out an infield single.

An exciting game. And the weather was amazing. We were delayed by some rain, and got some rain during the game as well, but all in all, the cooling down was nice. We've now seen rain everywhere we've been...Tucson, St. George and Chico. This is what I thought the weather would be like all summer in Northern California. I'm a geography freak, so I am ashamed I'm didn't know better, seeing as how Chico is in the basement of the valley. Some chances for rain in the forecast tonight, but it's not going to deter the home-side, and the temperatures have stayed nice and cool as well.

Had our difficulties last night, with the internet playing hide-'n-seek with me, effectively putting me in a bad mood. Didn't have any interviews either due to the confusion in the booth. We'll get back to the normal routine tonight.

Talk to you then! Here's a picture of the dugout from the exhibition game a few weeks back, and we do have my copy of the statistics posted to the website (under the Short Takes news items)...

Internet Problems

UPDATE : GAME TIME WILL BE CLOSER TO 7:30 PM...AIR TIME, 7:20 PM

UPDATE: GAME TIME, 7:15 PM...Tarp is still on the field. Won't have any pre-game interviews tonight...


Hey folks...coming to you late today, as we had some problems getting my internet up and going. But...here we are. The bad news is that the tarp is out on the field. We might have a later than usual start tonight and battle rain all night long.

Here is the Chico lineup, and I'll let you know ASAP about game time and when the tarp comes off...

CHICO LINEUP
1. Dale Swinford SS
2. Dan Luyben 2B
3. Jason Crosland 3B
4. Rich Janeway CF
5. Bryan Silverman C
6. Ryan Brown 1B
7. Truan Mehl LF
8. Gabriel Riley DH
9. Blake Gailen RF
SP - Jo Matumoto (0-1, 5.40 ERA)

VICTORIA LINEUP
1. Chris Van Rossum CF
2. Wilver Perez 2B
3. Sergio Pedroza RF
4. Brian Rios 3B
5. Josh Arhart C
6. Jamar Hill LF
7. Carlos Duncan DH
8. Kyle Nichols 1B
9. Bret LeVier SS
SP - Travis Wade

GETAWAY DAY LINEUPS

CHICO LINEUP (8-4, L2)
1. Dale Swinford SS
2. Jonny Ash 2B
3. Jason Crosland 3B
4. Rich Janeway CF
5. Bryan Silverman C
6. Truan Mehl LF
7. Blake Gailen RF
8. Ryan Brown 1B
9. Darrick Hale DH
SP - Andrew Alvarado (RHP, 0-0, 7.50 ERA)

ST GEORGE LINEUP
1. Ryan Stevenson CF
2. Ruddy Yan LF
3. Alexis Gomez RF
4. Cody Nowlin DH
5. A.J. Valentine 1B
6. Henry Calderon 3B
7. D.J. Dixon C
8. Brad Netzel SS
9. Yosvany Almario 2B
SP - Eric Van Slyke (RHP, 1-1, 5.65 ERA)

Tuesday Line-Ups

CHICO LINEUP (8-3, L1)

1. Dale Swinford SS

2. Dan Luyben 2B

3. Jason Crosland 1B

4. Rich Janeway CF

5. Bryan Silverman RF

6. Gabriel Riley DH

7. Darrick Hale LF

8. B.J. Underkofler C

9. Jonny Ash 3B

SP - Michael Martin (RHP 1-0, 5.56 ERA)

ST. GEORGE LINEUP (8-3, W1)

1. Ryan Stevenson CF

2. Ruddy Yan LF

3. Alexis Gomez RF

4. Angel Sanchez DH

5. A.J. Valentine 1B

6. Henry Calderon 3B

7. Jose Rodriguez C

8. Brad Netzel SS

9. Juan Serrano 2B

SP - Luis Gonzalez (LHP, 1-1)

Inaugural Power Rankings

Nine Up, Nine Down…

Time for the inaugural Joe Rauschenberger Golden Baseball League power rankings. I’ve seen our squad, plus three other GBL teams, and as the season gets longer the tooth, I’ll see everyone. The idea for the first set of rankings came a few days ago, and were changed by tonight’s result in St. George…so let’s get to it..

#1 - St. George RoadRunners – 8-3, 1st place in South Division - With the ballpark they play in, offense will be paramount for the RoadRunners. With Alexis Gomez in the lineup belting home-runs at will, the St. George club is set-up offensively. Ryan Stevenson, a 2008 GBL all-star, sets the table, and veterans Henry Calderon and Jose Rodriguez will complement the potent offense that occurs at Bruce Hurst Field. Other than the series-opening victory over our Outlaws, what really puts the RoadRunners over the top is their bullpen. With three former major-league talents (Brito, Darensburg, Fortunato), the RoadRunners will be able to hold leads by amassing strikeouts in the late-innings.

#2 - Chico Outlaws – 8-3, 1st place in North Division – With new manager Greg Cadaret at the helm, and a strong performance from the bullpen early, the Outlaws rank amongst the best teams in the GBL early-on. Not to mention the tough bus-trips the team has made. Taking the early season series against Calgary puts them ahead of the Vipers for now, as the teams don’t meet again until the first series after the All-Star Break. Truan Mehl has hit safely in all 11 games, and second-year GBL’er Bryan Silverman solidifies this team not only with his bat, but his play behind the plate. Power-hitters Ryan Brown and Jason Crosland haven’t quite gotten into their groove, and expecting they will, the ceiling is high for the Outlaws. Cadaret will continue to demand and receive quality innings from his pitching staff, and with a fervent fanbase, the Outlaws seem poised to return to their 2007 GBL Championship form.

#3 - Calgary Vipers – 8-3, 2nd place in North Division - After dropping an important three-game set in Chico recently, the Vipers are securely set at third-place in these power rankings. With a veteran roster, the Vipers will be able to handle the rigorous travel from north of the border, and the bats and strikes will come at crunch-time. Drew Miller remains one of the league’s top talents, and Mark Okano continues to emerge as a consistent offensive contributor. With eleven pitchers on staff, manager Morgan Burkhardt has the luxury to mix and match his matchups in the late-innings, and the Vipers have proven early on in the season they are an offensive power to be reckoned with.

#4 - Long Beach Armada – 5-5, 2nd place in South Division - Bolstered by their Major League pitching talent, the Armada have plenty of potential to sneak back into the Southern Division race. Jose Lima has had two great outings, and Hideki Irabu is primed to begin contributing as the team returns home from a long Canadian road-trip. They will wait for their home-opener for another week, but that will prove an advantage as they will play more often as the home team.

#5 - Edmonton Capitals – 6-5, 3rd place in North Division - As the North Division projects as a tight race between its top two teams, the Capitals get a nod over Tucson at #5 as the acquisition of Daryl Brinkley puts a premiere independent league bat into their lineup. With a new ownership group, fresh re-branding, and a quality stadium, the Capitals are on the up-and-up all-around this season.

#6 - Tucson Toros – 3-4, 3rd place in South Division - The Toros are off to a slow start, but begin the first three weeks of the season with all home dates. This hurts their ranking, as they will pay for this long homestand, playing on the road a lot as the season begins its wear and tear. However, the Toros are a very strong organization all-around in the GBL, and former Major League manager Tim Johnson is going to demand performance. If they can get on a hot-streak at home, the Toros will be set themselves up for some success once they hit the road.

#7 - Victoria Seals – 2-8, 3rd place in North Division - The Seals, in their inaugural season, are heading home after opening on the road, and hoping to settle into some comfortability at Royal Athletic Park. Veteran GBL manager Darrell Evans knows what it takes to win in this league, and will oversee a team trying to get off the mat. The first two weeks of the season, plus a spring-training a 1,000 miles from home was the “get to know you” period, and I expect this team to begin winning some games.

#8 - Yuma Scorpions – 2-6, 4th in South Division - Opening with seven games against our the team atop our first power rankings was a tough draw. Not to mention the translation of Colombia to Southwestern Arizona. This team of Colombians should begin to show truer colors as they acclimate to Yuma and get their legs under them.

# 9 - Orange County Flyers – 0-6, 5th in South Division - In last place by default. Without a win, the defending 2008 GBL champions are off to a slow start, to say the least. With two former Major Leaguers in the starting lineups, everyone expected more. Gary Carter’s move to the Atlantic League could be more of an issue than expected. The Flyers, like the Armada, are forced to open the season with a long road-trip, and once they settle into mid-June, the Flyers will enjoy heavy home dates and look to make up ground.

Weather Delay

I AM WRONG!! (not the first time) THEY ARE BACK ON THE FIELD, ALTMAN TAKING WARM-UP PITCHES....BASEBALL SOON, IF NOT ALREADY...CHECK THE STREAM, IT'S GOING AGAIN...


It's tied, 5 to 5, at the beginning of the 5th inning. LIGHTNING DELAY...


Here are some pics of the park. First, the thunderstorm out over the outfield fence that slowly crept closer and more threatening to the ballpark. The rain has picked up and the lightning continues, so I believer we'll have a lengthy delay here. It won't be, "let's hit the field in 10 minutes and get going again". This will be 45 minutes to an hour at least before we see more action. So....I'm going to cut off the broadcast soon....and bring it back on when the game resumes...

MONDAY LINEUPS

UPDATE! UPDATE!! They tell me start time is closer to 7:15 p.m. than it is 7:05 p.m. Pre-game show will begin at 6:55 p.m. with opening "I Can See It Now" by Oasis at 6:50 p.m.

CHICO LINEUP

1. Dale Swinford SS

2. Dan Luyben 2B

3. Rich Janeway CF

4. Bryan Silverman C

5. Truan Mehl LF

6. Jason Crosland DH

7. Ryan Brown 1B

8. Blake Gailen RF

9. Jonny Ash 3B

SP - Kevin Altman (0-1, 5.84 in 2 starts)

ST. GEORGE LINEUP

1. Ryan Stevenson CF

2. Ruddy Yan LF

3. Alexis Gomez RF

4. Angel Sanchez DH

5. AJ Valentine 1B

6. Henry Calderon 3B

7. Jose Rodriguez C

8. Brad Netzel SS

9. Juan Serrano 2B

SP - Mac Nelson (2-0 5.53 ERA in 2 starts)

Bus Arrives In Southern Utah

Art drives the team for a second road-trip in a row, and we roll into St. George, Utah about thirty minutes before noontime. We lost an hour, moving into the Mountain Time Zone. So, be forewarned, our game will get going at 6 p.m. tonight back there in Chico.

It was a long trip. Didn't have too many stops. One at a rest stop at 3 a.m. outside Bakersfield, and one at a gas station in Baker, CA a few hours outside of Las Vegas. Rolled through Vegas around 8 a.m, light traffic, but nothing too bad. Made sure I was awake to watch all the casinos roll by. I've been to Vegas a zillion times, but it's always amazing to see these hotel skyscrapers dominating a huge, barren desert valley. The construction at the big City Center project (south of Bellagio) seems to be nearing completion, as a few of the buildings looked completely done.

But here we are in St. George. Been here once before. Made a visit with an Uncle while we were in Las Vegas, he was looking for retirement properties. The hotel is really nice. I'm getting used to this being on the road business. It's warm here. Going to be in the 90's the three days we're here. Looking forward to it....don't have much time to catch some zzzz's before the 3:45 p.m. bus to the stadium.