Archive for the ‘Scrappers’ Category

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers set a new standard for wins in a season with their 49th, the old record was 48.  With their 3-0 victory over State College, the Scrappers clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs.   The Scrappers got outstanding pitching from Brett Brach and Tyler Sturdevant and put up enough offense to claim the win.  

The Scrappers wasted little time getting on the scoreboard and for the second consecutive night tallied in the first inning.  Casey Frawley (pictured, on left) walked with two outs.  Frawley would later score on a Jesus Brito RBI single to give Mahoning Valley a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Ben Carlson (pictured, on right) singled and Chun Chen walked.  Rafael Vera then bunted the two Scrappers into scoring position.  Carlson scored on a wild pitch to make the score 2-0.  Argenis Martinez then bunted for a single with two outs knocking in Chen to cap the scoring at 3-0.

Brett Brach had a good start for Mahoning Valley.  Brach went six innings giving up three hits and walking none.  He also struck out six Spikes batters in lowering his ERA to 2.19 and boosting his record to 5-2 for the season.  Tyler Sturdevant pitched the last three innings and didn’t surrender a hit or a walk in picking up his third save of the year. 

Casey Frawley, who was the designated hitter Saturday,  talked about the importance of going after 50 wins for the year.  “We want to go hard and get this ring.  Tomorrow is a big game, we set a goal as a team to win 50 games at the beginning of the year.  It’s what I heard when I came up here, and it has been stressed more and more as we get closer.”

Travis Fryman commented on the potential to win 50 games also.  “This is something the players really want, 50 is a nice round number and sounds better than 49 to me.  It’s something to shoot for and a great accomplishment for a 76 game season.  I think they really want that, and they have earned it.”  Fryman also confirmed a possible return for Greg Folgia if he can hit and run the bases without pain during batting practice.

The Scrappers wrap up their regular season with their final game scheduled for Sunday at 5:05 against State College.  I will post the playoff schedule and ticket options in a seperate article tomorrow.

On Browns-Steelers promo night, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers played the role of Pittsburgh, and Jamestown got to be Cleveland (at least thats how its been for a few years now).  The Scrappers were not at their sharpest, but were able to come away with a 7-5 victory and tie a franchise record for victories in a season (48).

Greg Pruitt was at Eastwood Field representing the Browns, and Robin Cole was also on hand to represent the Steelers in front of 2,969 fans.  Browns and Steelers highlights were shown on the scoreboard and plenty of fans wore team jerseys of their choosing.  I would guess the crowd was 60-40 Pittsburgh.

                      

The Scrappers wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Argenis Martinez walked, stole third, and scored on a Chun Chen single to put the Scrappers ahead 1-0.

Jamestown answered in the top of the second scoring a run on a long sac fly from Mark Wyatt to tie the score. The Jammers had the bases loaded with nobody out, but starter Vidal Nuno did well to limit the visiting team to a single run.

In the bottom of the fourth, Chun Chen reached on an error, stole second and would score on a Ben Carlson RBI single to put Mahoning Valley up 2-1. Carlson would later score in the inning on a Moises Montero groundout making it 3-1 in favor of the Scrappers.

With one out in the third, Martinez, Jason Kipnis, and Chen all walked. Martinez scored on a passed ball to push the lead to 4-1.

Jamestown would take a 5-4 lead in the sixth inning on a three-run homer off of the bat of Jamestown DH Carlos Paulino.

The Scrappers tied the game at 5 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Martinez singled home Tim Palincsar who walked earlier.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Chen led off and was hit by a pitch. He would score as the next batter, Jesus Brito, tripled to deep right center putting Mahoning Valley back on top 6-5. It didn’t take long for Brito to score as the next batter, Carlson, hit a sac fly to deep right center to extend the Scrapper lead to 7-5, where the scoring would end.

Austin Adams picked up the win for the Scrappers, hoisting his record to 3-1.  Adams relieved Scrapper starter Vidal Nuno who lasted 5 1/3 innings.  Guido Fonseca picked up the save, his 5th,  pitching a perfect 9th inning.

For the Scrappers, it was their fifth game in three days.  Jordan Henry (pictured) talked about the rough three days.  “It’s tough.  I’m not used to doing that. It’s a grind and we have played alot of games all season and we are prepared for that.  We know we just have to go out there and play.”

The Scrappers finish up their regular season with a two-game series against State College with games on Saturday and Sunday.

In the second game of a Mahoning Valley Scrappers – Jamestown Jammers doubleheader, one of the saddest things I have ever witnessed took place.  In the second inning, an unidentified four-year-old was struck in the head with a line drive foul ball.  The sickening thud quieted everything.  The next thing I saw was a father in a state of panic carrying the child from the first row seat just past the home dugout and frantically screaming for help.  An EMT met the father and the child and guided them into a tunnel leading to the lower-level corridor.

Everything was silent.  The game was halted as everyone held their collective breath for well over a minute.  Once play resumed, I heard the sirens of an ambulance.  I ignored the game for a moment to exit the press room and look over the balcony hoping to get an encouraging glimpse of the young child showing movement or sitting up with an ice pack on his head. 

When the EMT’s got the stretcher up the six steps and the boy was carried and gently laid down, I saw nothing to be hopeful for.  The child was motionless, the family was horrified, and anyone who saw what I saw was scared.

After the game ended, I drifted back to the locker room to get some thoughts from Scrappers Manager Travis Fryman.  Upon getting settled, I overheard Fryman relaying a status update to his team.  I could only get bits and pieces of what he was saying, but knew that it could not be good news.

When Fryman came through the curtain, I asked him to relay any information he had.  “The reports I have have not been optimistic.  A four-year-old boy was hit in the head with a line drive.  There are some cranial issues and some spinal issues that are going on here.  Obviously, the young man will need as much family and prayer support as anyone can give him.  I cringe as a dad and as a coach because I see so much of this, but I have never seen a death as a result.  I probably hurt more as a parent and a father right now as I do a baseball manager.”

The ball came off the bat of Scrapper Ben Carlson.  Fryman commented on Carlson, “Ben is one of the most genuine and sincere and caring young men I have had in two years here.  He is a great teammate, loves his teammates.  This is going to sit really heavy on him through the night tonight.”

It is with a tear in my eye and a prayer in my heart that I can only wish the best for the poor kid who was unintentionally hurt.  I will also pray for Ben Carlson who has to be devastated. 

I will continue to update this story as I receive information.

***Update 9/4/09 @ 1 AM  The boy underwent surgery and has since been transported to an undisclosed children’s hospital where he is said to be in an induced coma.

***Update 9/4/09 @ 12:43 PM  The boy hit by the line drive has been identified as Luke Holko.  Holko has since been moved to Akron Children’s Hospital where he remains in an induced coma.  He has undergone surgery for skull fractures and the next few days are critical. 

***Update 9/4/09 @ 10:40 PM  No change on Luke’s status as far as I could find out.  The Youngstown State baseball team is raising money for their own program by doing vending duties since most of the regular vendors have gone back to their colleges.  Every cent they made at tonight’s Scrappers game was donated to Luke’s cause.  It was great to see these young men working hard to raise money.  There is a benefit cookout scheduled to take place at Sam’s Club in Warren, Ohio on Monday, September 7 (Labor Day) from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM.  The money generated from the cookout will be used to help offset medical expenses to the family of Luke Holko.  Scrappy The Dog will be on hand.  The address for Sam’s Club #6327 is 1040 Niles-Cortland Rd., Warren, OH.  I will continue to pass along updates as I get them.

***Status Update 9-5-09 @ 9 AM  Luke Holko’s condition is listed as critical.  His family held a press conference yesterday at Akron Children’s Hospital in which the boy’s mother, Nicole Holko, said she is happy that the community is flooding the family with e-mails, support, and donations.  The family also thanked EMT’s for their quick response at the game.  Luke underwent surgery in Youngstown to lift the fracture and take pressure off of his brain.  On Thursday, Luke was transported to Akron where doctors are waiting for the pressure to decrease before they can determine what the long-term effects of the injury will be.  It could take up to 5 days for the swelling to go down.  More updates to follow.

***Status Update 9-5-09 11:30 PM  Be sure to click on the comments at the bottom of this story, I recently received a comment from a close friend of the family which includes a direct quote from Luke’s father.  They are reading this blog and appreciate the support.  Travis Fryman and Ben Carlson traveled to Akron Children’s Hospital this morning where they spent time with the Holko family.  I talked with Ben Carlson after the game tonight.  I wish all professional athletes could see how they should have acted when they were 21.  Ben is doing better and thanks everyone for the support.  Travis also remarked at how incredibly grateful the Holko family is for the overwhelming support.  More updates as I get them.  Thanks for caring enough to check back.  Anyone who knows I was asked by the local television news media and only provided audio clips as an anonymous media source can explain that I am not following this story to promote my website.  I am merely trying to relay information to those concerned for the well-being of Luke, his family, and Ben.  Being the only media source reporting on the incident the night it happened has strengthened my own concerns for the above mentioned parties. 

***Update 9-7-09 5:15 PM  I attended the fundraiser held at the Warren, Ohio,  Sam’s Club to raise money for Luke in the theme of a Labor Day cookout (pictured).  Scrappy, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers Mascot was on-hand.  Several people were lined up to buy the picnic fare food to which all proceeds were being donated to Luke Holko.  I spoke with event coordinator and Sam’s Club grocery/produce manager Jendi Pregibon.  “The response has been overwhelming.  When we started at ten o’clock we had alot of the family members here.  Luke’s aunt is still here with the others volunteering their time.”

I asked Pregibon how she came to be involved in the project to which she very emotionally replied, “I had my family there [at that particular game] and saw it.  We [Sam’s Club] want to reach out to our community and show them how much we care.

In the first of two games at Eastwood Field, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers cashed in on a decent start by Clayton Cook (pictured) to post a 2-0 victory over the Jamestown Jammers.  Cook worked hard and got himself out of trouble a couple of times during his appearance.

Cook made the most of his start by going 5 innings, while only giving up three hits and a walk. The win improved Cook’s record to 5-3 and lowered his ERA to 2.97. He also struck out six Jammers hitters. Matt Packer pitched the final two innings giving up a hit and striking out two en route to his first save of the year.

Offensively, the Scrappers got an RBI each from Jason Kipnis and Ben Carlson knocking in Tim Palincsar and Jesus Brito respectively.

Both games were shortened to seven innings to make the rare doubleheader fit into a reasonable time frame.

The Scrappers have already clinched the division and are assured a playoff berth for the first time since 2004. The significance of the back-to-back doubleheaders is to jockey for home playoff positioning. The early clinching by the Scrappers was highlighted by a 20-6 August record, best in the league.

Travis Fryman was pleased that Cook was able to get the win despite not having his best stuff.  “Clayton wasn’t sharp today.  His last two or three outings have not been really sharp.  He got out of a jam in the first, he got a double play ball later, he kept us in the ballgame and we got some timely hits and came out okay.”

The field always looks great, the announcements that rip through the PA system are crisp, and why does the umpire always look toward the press box between innings and start waiving his arms?  They are, for the most part, the people you do not see when you attend a Mahoning Valley Scrappers game.  People notice the scoreboard and look to it when they want the information of the game, yet seldom realize the effort put into the finished product.

There are so many people, many multi-tasking, working behind the scenes at a Scrappers game, so I thought I would write a piece saluting them and telling you about their functions.   What I am about to present is a visual scrapbook I have compiled over the past few weeks.

Dave Smith, the GM, is kind of the ringleader.  He moves throughout the park during a game and usually comes into the press box to brag about the Phillies at some point.  He is a busy man and oversees what goes on at every home game.  You can check out a profile I did for him by clicking here.

Marc Means is the voice you hear on the radio or through the speakers at the game.  He is also on the sales and promotions teams and even helps pull the tarp on and off of the field during inclement weather.  You can read his profile by clicking here.

Everyone knows who Travis Fryman is.  Few people know how accomodating and accessible he has been all season.  After every game, he openly answers any questions the media throws his way.  I respected Fryman as a player.  As a manager, Fryman has been well received by the players who know that he ‘gets’ it.  My respect for Fryman has tripled because of who he really is – a family guy with strong ethics who really wants these players to improve in every way.  You can read Fryman’s profile piece by clicking here.

Meet John Brown.  John is a polite guy with a big voice.  He is the PA announcer at Mahoning Valley Scrapper home games.  Brown has the routine down to a science and does a nice job projecting his voice to get a rise out of the crowd.  John also double checks the roster sheets before every game before they are distributed to media personnel.

Meet Craig Antush.  Craig is an interesting guy because he has a couple of pretty unique tasks he performs at the home games.  His primary assignment is to keep the official book.  Sounds easy, huh?  Every questionable play is run back in his mind before he calls out whether it is scored as an error or a hit.  The media, the scoreboard operator, and the PA box all look toward Craig at the same time for the verdict.  In between every half inning, Craig has to call the Minor League Baseball people and give them the results for every at-bat and report substitutions.  In between innings, the umpires wait for Antush to signal that the information has been sent and that it is okay to start playing again.

Antush also throws batting practice for the Scrappers.  One of the most polite  guys you will ever meet, he also is a YSU Baseball Assistant Coach.  You have to respect a guy who doesn’t get worked up when there is pressure, and Craig is that guy.

Meet Scott Hansen.  Scott is in his 8th year as scoreboard operator for the Scrappers.  He also keeps close tabs on what is going on as he has to post balls and strikes on the scoreboard.  Scott is usually the person in the press box who spots a pitcher warming up in the bullpen through his binoculars.  He tells everyone who is entering the game as a new pitcher before everyone else knows.  He also keeps the media room in check by knocking on the glass that seperates the two rooms to inform them how Craig Antush scores a questionable play.  Hansen is a pretzel afficianado and a guy who you can spend hours talking to about anything.

Meet Dan Stricko.  Dan is the head groundskeeper.  I have been to probably 100 or so Scrapper games since the team started playing in Niles in 1999.  I have never seen the field look as immaculate and manicured as it does this year.  Kudos to Mr. Stricko and his staff for working so hard to keep the Kentucky Bluegrass at Eastwood Field looking fresh every single game.  The grounds crew also scrambles after batting practice to get the batting cage put away, line the field, and hose the infield.

Meet the promotions staff.  These are the people who do something every half inning to keep people entertained.  I get a kick out of all the screaming when soap and pizza boxes go flying everywhere.  The things people wouldn’t do for a free T-shirt shot from an airgun.  In the above right picture, Karen Dobbs of Hubbard, Ohio recently played the  ‘Are You Smarter Than An Umpire’ game in which she was a winner.  Dancing, push-ups, bat races, the tickets or the box, and the dispersion of soap and pizza are a treat for the crowd to enjoy.

Meet the vendors.  These guys and girls have my sympathy.  Carrying a metal crate filled with liquid in 80+ degree weather has got to be brutal.  They do it with a pleasant disposition though, I have yet to see a problem between a vendor and a fan at a game in all of my trips to Eastwood Field.  I also pity the vendor who has to sell foam fingers and mini-bats.  They get less action and usually seem somewhat demoralized by the fourth inning.

So there you have it, a salute to those who work hard so you can enjoy the games!  There are many others who also play roles and I apologize for not including every member of this fine organization for their continuous contributions.  People like the parking lot attendees, the ticket takers, the in-house video team, the sound effects team, the cooks, the merchandise associates, and the ushers. 

Congratulations to everyone for playing a key role in the success of baseball in the Mahoning Valley!

 

 

Kyle Smith is enjoying his rookie season.  Drafted 14th by the Cleveland Indians in the 2009 MLB Draft, Smith has already been selected to the NYPL All-Star team.  As of this writing, he is sidelined with a shoulder injury but said he will be re-evaluated early next week and may be able to return to the field by seasons end.  The very best and worst a player could ask for in his first season, being named an all-star and being hurt for a few weeks.

 I caught up with Kyle to discuss the past, future, and present.  He provided some great answers to my questions.

Paneech: What is it like having a birthday on December 25?

Smith: It’s pretty cool.  Everyone always asks as a kid if you get screwed on presents, “Did you get one, did you get two?”, I was fortunate because I didn’t get the short end of the stick, I usually got two presents from everyone.  So it’s kind of a cool feeling to share my birthday with that holiday.

Paneech: Living and growing up in California, tell me the differences you have noticed between home and Youngstown, Ohio.

Smith: It’s really green here [Youngstown] is the first thing I noticed, like all of the trees you see when you are driving.  In California, where I live,  there are more buildings and skyscrapers, and alot more people.  There’s a little bit of a homey feeling here.  Everything is a little bit slower and relaxed.  When I was younger, I went to the beach alot.  My uncle played volleyball on the APV tour so we used to go watch him alot.  My school was actually five minutes from the beach, so I would go there quite a bit growing up.

Paneech: Explain your injury and how it happened.

Smith: It’s a seperated shoulder, I seperated my AC joint.  I got a ground ball, it took a funny hop, I went down to pick it up and I should have just ate it and not thrown it, but I threw and tripped and jammed it [shoulder], all my body weight landed on it.

Paneech: Do you watch alot of baseball and who do you root for?

Smith: Yeah, I do, in fact, I watch a ton of baseball.  I’m a huge Dodgers fan.  My favorite player is Andre Ethier.

Paneech: What do you do with the limited spare time that you have?

Smith: Basically, just try to relax and get off of my feet.  I like to go and hang out by the pool a couple of times a week.  I like to watch movies, I watch a ton of movies.  I’ll go see a movie or watch a movie at home.  My favorite movie of all-times is Fight Club.

Paneech: Have you gotten used to staying with a host family yet?

Smith: Yeah, when I was 12, I played in the Cal Ripken World Series and that was my first host family experience.  This is actually my third experience with a host family.  It’s an uneasy feeling everytime because you are unsure of what you will get, but I have been really fortunate with all of the host families I have had, they have all been outstanding.

Paneech: Who have you gotten to be good friends with on the team?

Smith: Pretty much everybody.  We’re all pretty close.  Lately I have been pretty close with Jason Smit because we are both hurt, but also with Kyle Bellows and Jason Kipnis.

Paneech: Explain the experience of learning under Travis Fryman.

Smith: You can’t ask for a better first-year coach, I have really been spoiled.  He’s a former middle infielder who moved over to third base and I have benefited from him.  He has been in our situation before, so he knows what we are going through as first year players.

Paneech: Why have you selected the number 2?

Smith: My other number was retired.  Number 3 was retired and Timmy [Palincsar] took number 7 and I wanted to keep a single digit, so I selected number 2 because my mom wore that number.

Paneech: How long until we see Kyle Smith back on the field?

Smith: I’m going to take some kind of a treatment that is supposed to help close off my AC joint and test it Saturday.  If that goes well, I should be on the field in the next couple of weeks.

Paneech: Have you taken a liking to any particular restaurants in the area?

Smith:  I like Applebee’s alot.  Although the other day I had my first trip ever to a Steak And Shake and really liked it, we don’t have Steak And Shake back home in California, and it was really good.

One Word Answers

Favorite College Football Team:  USC Trojans 

Favorite Band:  Journey

After A Loss I Feel…  Angry

After A Big Win I Feel… Glorified

Favorite Boxer:  Roy Jones

Best Uniforms In Any Sport: Home Dodgers uniforms 

WWE or TNA?  Ultimate Warrior

Favorite Pitch To Hit: Fastball

Favorite Animal:  Dog

Smith came off as comfortable with his situation.  I sensed a minor bit of sadness due to his injury, but with the year he was having, who wouldn’t be sad.  It was ironic that Kyle declared USC to be his favorite college football team on the Scrappers college football night promotion.  90% of the people wearing a college football shirt were advertising Ohio State.

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers offense showed its potency against Batavia.  The Scrappers scored a season-high eight runs in the third inning and never looked back in defeating the Muckdogs.

Batavia struck first on a three-run blast from Kyle Conley.  They added another run in the second inning to push the lead to 4-0.  At this point in the game things may have seemed dismal with Jason Smit, Kyle Smith, and Kyle Bellows holding clipboards and nursing injuries.

The Scrappers batted around in the third inning.  Jordan Henry (pictured above) singled and stole second base.  Casey Frawley then walked and Jason Kipnis reached on an error to load the bases.  Greg Folgia was hit by a pitch scoring Henry.  Jesus Brito then walked to score Frawley.  Chun Chen struck out but the ball got to the backstop and Kipnis alertly scored from third.  Juan Aponte doubled to score Folgia and Brito and give the Scrappers a 5-4 lead.  Tim Palincsar doubled home two more and scored when Henry had his second hit of the inning, an RBI-double pushing the Scrapper lead to 8-4. 

In the fourth, Rafael Vera got in on the action as he doubled home Folgia and Brito, who both reached base via the free pass, extending the lead to 10-4.

The Muckdogs tried to fight back putting a couple of runs up in the fifth inning and cutting the Scrapper lead to 10-6.

Henry collected his fourth hit of the night, an RBI-single plating Vera who doubled, to pretty much seal the victory for Mahoning Valley.

Henry has been superb, as a leadoff man and as a center fielder, all season long for the Scrappers.  Henry said it felt good to put the eight runs up in the third inning, “It was great, just about everyone scored that inning.  It was good to be that consistent through the lineup.  It’s all part of the game, sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t”.

Manager Travis Fryman was pleased with the situational hitting his team provided, especially in the third inning.  “Our situational hitting has been better.  It’s still not on the level where I think it needs to be, but it has been better.  We did this the other day in Auburn where we had five hits with two outs, it is getting better”.

With the win, Mahoning Valley trimmed their magic number to clinch the division to six.  The magic number decreases by one with each Scrapper victory or second-place Williamsport Crosscutter loss.

The Scrappers finish the series with Batavia on Thursday, Buck Night.  On Friday, Mahoning Valley embarks on their final roadtrip of the season with stops in Jamestown and Williamsport.  It should be noted that Thursday, Friday, and Saturday games will not be broadcast on AM-1390, but can still be picked up on the internet transmission.  Marc Means, as always, will still be calling the games online.

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers played an uncharacteristic game against the Lowell Spinners on Friday night.  The Scrappers gave up four unearned runs and an error contributed to another run later in the game.  Lowell took a 6-3 lead to the ninth and barely held off the obviously frustrated Scrapper team to win the game 6-5 in front of 4, 244 fans on fireworks night.

In the first, Jordan Henry singled and moved to second base when Kyle Smith walked.  After Henry stole his franchise record-tying 15th base of the season, Kyle Bellows drilled a single through the right side which was misplayed by the Spinners RF Alex Hassan, allowing Smith to also score putting the Scrappers up 2-0.

Chris McGuiness cut the lead in half when he homered to RF in the second.  In the third, McGuiness struck again with a two-run double.  During the nightmarish third inning, the Spinners scored four unearned runs to take a 5-2 lead.

Greg Folgia smacked a solo homer in the sixth to cut the lead to 5-3.

In the ninth inning, trailing 6-3,  Jesus Brito and Rafael Vera doubled to cut the lead to 6-5 with one out and runners on second and third.  Unfortunately, the home team was unable to take advantage of a good situation, a problem Manager Travis Fryman has continually addressed as an achiles heel of this years team. 

Preston Guilmet (pictured above, photo courtesy of Nick Mays) dropped to 5-3 on the season.  Guilmet lasted just three innings giving up five runs on four hits.  Only one of the runs, however was earned.  New acquisition Matt Packer pitched three perfect innings of relief and Tyler Sturdevant closed out the game for the Scrappers.  Fryman talked about Guilmet and the start, “He [Guilmet] has been pitching really well for us, he obviously wasn’t that sharp tonight, but you are allowed a bad outing every now and then.”

Fryman also said he was pleased that the team was able to rally in the ninth and put themselves in a position to win despite falling a bit short.

* Kyle Smith left the game in the third inning when he injured himself fielding a ground ball, his status for Saturday is unknown.

* Jason Smit told me after the game that an MRI shows a torn labrum which will end his season.  Smit has still been working on drills that he can participate in, but his live AB’s for the Scrappers are likely finished this season.

* I was happy to see Rafael Vera come through in the ninth inning.  Vera has played so many positions all season and is settling in as the Scrappers go-to utility guy.  “I prepare myself everyday before the game at each position.  If I know I am playing one, I will practice there all day.  If not, I’ll take some time working in the outfield.  I’m getting pretty comfortable playing just about anywhere.  I’m more comfortable in the infield, the outfield is still kind of new to me”, said Vera after the game.

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers have announced that ticket packages for the 2009 New York-Penn League playoffs are now on sale as the Scrappers try to clinch a playoff spot.

With a maximum of 4 potential playoff games, each box seat playoff package is priced at $28 and offers an $8 savings off the regular ticket price by purchasing in advance. Tickets can be purchased at the Eastwood Field Box Office during regular business hours or by calling the ticket office at 330-505-0000. Seating priority will be given based upon the receipt of your order. Fans will receive a refund for any playoff games that are not played or a credit for the 2010 season.

For more information on purchasing tickets, contact the Scrappers Office.

The playoff format is interesting.  The regular season ends on Sept. 6.  If the Scrappers make the playoffs, they would begin a three-game series on Sept 8 at the lowest of the two seeds home field.  The next day is a travel day and the remainder of the series is played at the higher seeds park.  The championship series follows the same format but can only begin when both first round series would end.

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers will be well represented at this year’s NYPL All-Star Game.  The game is going to be played on Tuesday, August 18 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, home of the State College Spikes. 

Travis Fryman and the staff of The Mahoning Valley Scrappers will serve as the coaching staff of the AL All-Star team.  By having the best record in their division, the Scrapper Coaching Staff is automatically named to coach the contest.

Five Scrapper players were named to the team. 

Pitchers Marty Popham, Clayton Cook, and Cory Burns, were all named to the piching staff.  Popham(4-1, 2.33 ERA) and Cook(4-2, 2.06 ERA) have turned in great start after great start all season.  Burns has been stellar in relief with 7 saves and an ERA of 2.00.

CF Jordan Henry is among the league leaders in stolen bases (15), runs (35), and hits (47).  Fryman has referred to Henry as “one of the best contact hitters with two strikes on him”, and maybe the best baserunner he has ever coached.

SS Kyle Smith is as tough of a defensive shortstop you will see at this level.  He is also among the league leaders in hits (47), and has provided spark in the clutch all season.

Tickets to the NYPL All-Star Game can be purchased by calling the State College Spikes Box Office toll-free at (877) 99-SPIKES.  Visit MILB.com for complete rosters for the contest.