Archive for July, 2011

Columbus Clippers (AAA) RHP Jeanmar Gomez is starting for the Scrappers on Wednesday, July 13 at Eastwood Field.  Gomez also has four appearances with the Cleveland Indians this season.

Gomez has 14 starts in Columbus this season, going 9-3 with an ERA of 2.40. In his four appearances with Cleveland in 2011, he is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA. Gomez and the Scrappers take on the Connecticut Tigers, Class A Affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, Wednesday, July 13 at 7:05 p.m.

The Youngstown State Women’s Basketball Team will hold a golf outing on August 27.  The event will be held at Knoll Run Golf Course in Coitsville and you can sign a team up for the four-person scramble.  The event is guaranteed fun with Bob Boldon and staff participating.  They are a top notch group of people and are really working hard to turn the basketball team into a winner.

The $75 entry fee (per person) will cover breakfast, 18 holes of golf, riding cart, refreshments, lunch, dinner, and prizes.  There will also be a Chinese auction with many chances to win some great prizes.  Raffle tickets will be sold throughout the day with winners announced for those prizes during the dinner.  Paying $15 for just the dinner is an option for those who dislike the links.

(Above photo courtesy of YSUSports.com)

You can sponsor a hole for $100.  If you are interested in more information about anything pertaining to the outing, contact John Cullen, Director of Women’s Basketball Operations at (330) 986-6265 or e-mail jlcullen@ysu.edu.

The event registration starts at 7:30 a.m. the day of the scramble with a shotgun start to follow at 9 a.m.

Kelly Pavlik will get into the ring in his hometown on August 6.  Pavlik (37-2, 32 KO) will square off against Darryl Cunningham (23-2) in the feature match on the Covelli Centre card.  The Ghost, in shape and of sharp mind these days, is really buckling down getting ready for the fight.

Tickets for the event will be on sale Friday, July 15 at 10 a.m.  You can purchase tickets from the Covelli Centre Box Office or through Ticketmaster .  Tickets will start at $152 for Ringside, $102 for VIP Seating, $52 for Gold Seating, and $27 for Silver Seating.

According to Jack Loew, Dannie Williams will also be on the card and Anthony Pietrantonio may get the call as well.  Details of the complete card will be posted once I get them.

Pavlik will use the fight to sharpen up before signing a major deal with Top Rank to face Lucian Bute, probably in Montreal, probably in November.

** Above photo, courtesy of Team Pavlik.

The WWE Superstars are making Youngstown a regular stop on their tour lately.  An announcement has been made by the WWE and The Covelli Centre to promote the Saturday night, September 17 event.  Tickets go on Saturday, July 16, at 10 a.m.  You can purchase tickets for the special RAW and Smackdown combination show at the Covelli Centre Box Office or through Ticketmaster .

Tickets are $60, $45, $35, $25, and as inexpensive as $15.

Scheduled to appear on the card are WWE Superstars: John Cena, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, The Miz, The Big Show, Alberto Del Rio, Sin Cara, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Wade Barrett, Evan Bourne, Daniel Bryan, The WWE Divas, and more!

The card will start at 7:30.  Another big time score in Youngstown at The Covelli Centre!

The Jolly Roger has broken out.  For the first time since 1992, the Pittsburgh Pirates are assured of having a winning record heading into the All-Star Break.  Ironically, the last time the Pirates compiled a winning season was the same year, 1992.  Here we stand in 2011 watching an assembly of young talent get better each week.

Clint Hurdle has done a great job managing a group of what is primarily, youngsters with gold “P’s” on their hats.  Having Joel Hanrahan named to the All-Star team is great, and he has earned the right with his perfect save conversion (26 saves in 26 chances) record in 2011.

Kevin Correia belongs too.  The former Padres retread has been exceptional when the baseball world had him marked down and nobody was buying.  Correia is at the top of the NL Leaders in wins.  He belongs.

Any doubt that Andrew McCutchen belongs?  Cutch has been swinging a mean stick (batting .407 in July) since his recent passing over and he homered again on Friday to hammer home his point.  An argument can be made that with 57 RBI that Neil Walker could have been playing in the showcase.

The unique factor that seems to drive the Pirates is that someone new is stepping up to take a turn being the hero.  Mike McKenry and Alex Presley are the two newest Pirates to don the cape and be huge in recent Pirate wins.

The enthusiasm at PNC has been spectacular all season and there are no signs of the rush screeching now.  This team is playing well enough to compete for a playoff spot.

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers have enjoyed winning the majority of the one-run games they have played so far this year.  Heading into Friday, the Scrappers were 4-3 in those close games.  The Scrappers were also 9-4 at home on the season.  The statistic that wasn’t positive was the extra-innings record, which sat at 1-2.  The Scrappers changed that when Jerrud Sabourin, who had been flashing glove all season, came through with the bat to give the Scrappers a dramatic 4-3 win in 10 innings.

Sabourin reflected on his heroics.  “It felt great to be able to help the team.  My average is not as high as some of the guys, so the other team figures they can throw fastballs by me, so it kind of worked to my advantage and I am very happy with the results.”

Scrapper Skipper, David Wallace, discussed Sabourin’s progress after the game.  “Jerrud has been very good for us the last couple of weeks.  he got off to a little bit of a rough start, but has really been stinging the ball lately.  He has not had as much success as he deserves because he has been hitting a lot of balls hard, but right at people.”

Williamsport put the first run on the scoreboard in their first at-bat. Kyrell Hudson walked on four pitches.  Patrick Murray then singled in Hudson with two outs to give the Crosscutters the 1-0 lead.

Mahoning Valley tallied a run to tie the game in the third.  Cody Elliott reached on an error, stole second, moved to third on a fielders choice, and marched home on a Mike Nesseth wild pitch.  Jake Lowery (above) made it a 2-1 Scrappers lead by starting the fourth inning with his fourth home run of the season.

The Crosscutters added a run in the fifth inning to tie the game.  Kelly Dugan‘s sacrifice fly plated Bob Stumpo.  In the very next inning, Williamsport took a 3-2 lead when Asche singled home Harold Martinez from second base.

The Scrapper bats went numb, and hitless, after Lowery’s homer in the fourth inning until Todd Hankins started the home half of the seventh inning with a single.  Jerrud Sabourin (below) ripped a double into the right-cnter gap to tie the game.  Sabourin was mowed down trying to score from third.  Bryson Myles walked and stole second. When Stumpo, the Crosscutters catcher, fired the ball to second and it leaked out, Sabourin broke for home but Williamsport executed a good throw and tag to force the out.

Scrappers relief pitcher Nate Striz entered the tie game in the eighth. Striz kept the Crosscutters scoreless the rest of the game to earn the win.  The home team threatened in the bottom of the eighth.  Alex Lavisky drew a leadoff walk.  KC Serna was inserted to pinch run for Lavisky and trotted to second on a wild pitch.   Serna got to third on a Jordan Smith single, but was erased on a grounder hit to third by John Barr.  Smith and Barr moved up a base on Bryan Morgado‘s wild pitch.  Hankins was walked to load the bases.  Sabourin and Elliott then struck out to let Morgado off of the hook.

Credit the Scrappers for hustling.  If the 2011 version of this team has a dynamic, so far, it has to be hustle.  They run every ground ball out, they are on second base while a fly out they just hit is being caught, and, most obvious, they can steal some bases.  David Wallace said that his guys would play with respect for the game, and in 2011, he has not been a liar yet.

In the bottom of the tenth, Smith and Barr received one out walks. Sabourin, who tied the game, then struck out with an out and the bases loaded in the eighth,  was the hero with a single driving home Smith in the tenth.  Sabourin, who was 2-4 on the night, displayed some great clutch hitting during a very entertaining and competitive baseball game.

“It was a satisfying win for us tonight”, remarked Wallace.  “It is fun to win those types of games. I like the wins that we can kind of coast through because it is not as stressful.  Winning like this tonight with the good crowd into it, guys coming up in big situations and coming through, all make it a very satisfying win for us.”

The Scrappers head to the road for three more with these Crosscutters in Williamsport starting tomorrow before having a day off on Tuesday and returning to Eastwood Field on Wednesday for a three-game home stand against Connecticut.

On Superhero night at Eastwood Field, Jordan Smith did his best Spiderman by flashing some good webbing at third.  Bryson Myles and KC Serna played the role of Flash with their blinding speed on the basepaths, and Williamsport represented The Legion of Doom. In fictitious circles, good [Mahoning Valley] triumphed over evil [Williamsport] as the Scrappers posted a 8-2 win at home in front of 4,629 fans.

The Scrappers struck early for three first-inning runs off of Williamsport starter, Adam Morgan.  Bryson Myles led off the game with a single and advanced to second on a groundout.  Jake Lowery reached on an error setting the stage for red-hot Jordan Smith.  Smith (below) responded by doubling to get Myles home giving the Scrappers a 1-0 lead.  John Barr then singled to knock in Lowery and Smith to increase the first-inning lead to 3-0.

The Crosscutters responded in the third scoring two of their own when Kelly Dugan and Taylor Black raced home on Maikel Franco‘s double.  Scrapper starter, Joseph Colon, was able to buckle down and escape further harm in the inning.  All-in-all, Colon pitched a good game going five innings, giving up five hits, and exiting with a two-run lead.

Mahoning Valley got a run back in the bottom of the fifth.  Cody Elliott singled to left, moved to second on a wild pitch and kept running when the catcher’s throw sailed into center field.  KC Serna singled to left to drive home Elliott and put the Scrappers ahead 4-2.

The Scrappers bullpen did well to preserve the lead.  Enosil Tejeda, who started the sixth inning for the Scrappers threw three scoreless innings and looked very sharp.  Will Krasne pitched the ninth in a non-save situation for the Scrappers.

In the eighth, Todd Hankins hit a broken bat slow-roller down the third base line.  Serna came in from third and Smith was able to score from second when the Crosscutters third baseman, Harold Martinez, threw the ball past the first baseman.  With runners on second and third, Williamsport reliever Austin Wright uncorked a wild pitch.  Barr scored easily from third, but more impressively, Hankins sprinted all the way around from second and scored to make it 8-2 in favor of the Scrappers.

” We played a good, clean, defensive game tonight.  We have been kicking it around a little bit lately,” remarked David Wallace after the win.  “We grabbed the momentum and kept it tonight.  Our guys showed a lot of heart tonight by going hard and running everything out. It is exactly what we want to see and we are happy they are a part of this organization, it is exactly what we want to see.”

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers front office has some very hard-working people.  The public perception of an employee for a minor league baseball team is usually distorted.  Popular to contrary belief, the employees do not sit and watch nine innings while yawning and looking at their watches.  Matt Thompson is the Director of Corporate Sales for the Scrappers.  He sells to businesses, handles the luxury box suites, and pretty much has the attitude to do whatever it takes.  I recently spoke with Thompson about his job and the Scrappers.

Paneech: How long have you been with the Scrappers organization?

Thompson: I started as an intern in 2004.  I spent 2005 in West Virginia working for our old ownership opening a brand new stadium.  I came back and was promoted to full-time employment in 2006.

Paneech: As Director of Corporate Sales, what are your duties?

Thompson: Primarily, my job is to sell sponsorships, billboards, video board spots, and pretty much promoting — they are not all me, but do fall into what I do.  I also handle the picnic garden and manage the staff that takes care of the people in the suites.  There is a lot involved with the suites and I stress to my staff that they need to smile and have fun, but to make sure that the clients are taken care of and are enjoying themselves.  We want them to really use our venue as a way to improve their businesses.

Paneech: Is this grueling work or is it just fun?

Thompson: I learned as an intern that it really is work.  I stress for everything to be perfect and to put our best foot forward to make it a more enjoyable job.  A lot of times it is relaxed, and sometimes it gets hectic.  I do come to work at a baseball field, so even on the days when it is tough to get out of bed, there has not been one time that I have dreaded the thought of going to work.  If I didn’t enjoy this as much as I still do, I don’t think I would be here.

Paneech: What is the biggest problem you ever had with the suites and keeping those folks happy?

Thompson: I don’t know if you could call it a “major” problem, but once in a great while, a suite order gets by unnoticed.  The food is an important element of being in the suites, and when a group orders higher-end catering, like some steak tips and an order gets displaced, they may end up with hot dogs, and that’s not a great thing.  It does not happen very often, so we try to label everything and pay close attention to details to ensure accuracy.

Thompson is one of the people who goes out of his way to not only make sure the customers are taken care of, but also makes sure his staff has what they need.  I have seen him help pull the tarp, he is an asset to his employers!

The Youngstown State Football Alumni Club will hold their annual Debra L. Hinkle Football Alumni Bocce Tournament on Sunday, July 10 at Cassese’s MVR in Youngstown. The tournament starts at 12:30 p.m. with a social hour starting at 11:30 a.m. A buffet dinner will be served at 4 p.m. For more information contact the Penguin Club at (330) 941-2351. The deadline for registration is June 30.

The price to participate for an individual is $55 for non-members and $50 for members of the Football Alumni Group. For couples, the price is $100 for non-members and $95 for members.

Each participant will receive a t-shirt commemorating the annual tournament. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team, which are assigned or can be submitted prior to the event. All proceeds from the event benefit the Football Alumni Club’s mission to support the YSU Football Program.

A 2011-12 membership for the Football Alumni Group is also available for a cost of $50.

The YSU Football Alumni Club Bocce Tournament is sponsored in part by Cassese’s MVR and MS Consultants, Inc.

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers experienced their first three-game losing streak of the season.  Williamsport rolled into town and handed the Scrappers a 5-2 setback.  Situational hitting was not the forte of the home team as they struggled to get hits at key moments of the game and the bullpen faltered for the third straight game.

In the bottom of the first inning, Jake Lowery gave the Scrappers a 1-0 lead when he crushed a pitch over the right field wall.  The home run was Lowery’s third of the season, leading the team.  The fourth round draft pick out of James Madison recently traveled to Texas to receive the Johnny Bench Award last week.

The Crosscutters roared back  in the top of the second with one swing of the bat from Patrick Murray who homered to deep left to tie the game at a run apiece.  Williamsport would get another run in the top of the fifth off of Scrappers starter Mason Radeke.  Maikel Franco doubled home Francisco Diaz to give the Crosscutters a 2-1 lead.

Jordan Smith (above) made it a tie game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning when he hit a single to center that scored Bryson Myles from third base with two outs.  Myles reached base on a single and maneuvered his way around to third base with his usual chaos-raising aggressiveness.

A seemingly controversial ground rule double by Cody Asche gave Williamsport a 3-2 lead in eighth.  Asche hit a blooper off of reliever Tony Dischler down the right field line that looked like it dropped foul and then hopped the fence after it deflected off of Scrappers LF John Barr.  Scrappers Manager, David Wallace, came out to discuss the series of events with the home plate umpire, but nothing changed and Williamsport was ahead.

“I wasn’t really disputing the call, I just wanted to be clear on the ruling”, commented the friendly Wallace.  “That ball hit off of Barr’s glove and did land fair and then bounce out, and by rule, that is a double, he had it right. I’m not planning on getting thrown out, I think some guys here have a pool on it. I’m not scared to get thrown out, and these umpires are out here learning on the job just like the rest of us.”

Dischler took the tough loss in relief for Mahoning Valley.  Juary Gomez picked up the win for Williamsport.  Ramon Cespedes gave up two runs in relief for the Scrappers in the ninth.  Ryan Duke pitched the ninth inning to notch the save for the Crosscutters.

The Crosscutters and Scrappers will get it on again Thursday at Eastwood Field.  This is the first “Buck Night” of the season, and a very large crowd is expected.  Friday is the finale of the three game series and the fans will be treated to a great display of fireworks when the game ends.