Posts Tagged ‘Mahoning Valley Scrappers’

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers announced today that former Cleveland Indians player and manager, Mike Hargrove, will be the keynote speaker at the New York-Penn League All-Star Luncheon presented by PNC Bank on August 14 at the Magnuson Grand Hotel in Warren, Ohio.

Hargrove played twelve seasons in the Major Leagues with the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres. After retiring, Hargrove went on to manage the Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners.

Luncheon tickets are available for $35 by contacting the Scrappers front office. All Star Game tickets are also available starting at just $10.

For more information, contact the Scrappers front office at (330) 505-0000.

 

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are excited to host a special day game, presented by Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley, on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at Eastwood Field between the Youngstown State University Penguins and the University of Pittsburgh. Gates will open at 10:30 am with first pitch at 11:00 am .

The Scrappers have an affordable package available for area schools. The cost of the school package is only $5.00 per student and includes a game ticket, lunch and an educational curriculum.

The Scrappers are taking reservations and encourage groups to sign up early to guarantee seating. The deadline for groups is Friday, April 13, 2012. Should you not be a part of a school group, individual game tickets will be available for $5.00 each.

For more information, contact the Scrappers Front Office at (330) 505-0000.

Every once in the while, something with a national flavor comes to the Mahoning Valley.  This year, sports fans will have the opportunity to catch the New York Penn League All-Star Game, which will be held at Eastwood Field.

The game will be played for the first time in the Mahoning Valley Scrappers team history on Tuesday, August 14, 2012.  The general public will have its first chance to purchase All-Star Game tickets beginning Monday, January 23, 2012 at 8:30 am.

Tickets will be available at the Eastwood Field Box Office, online at www.mvscrappers.com or by calling 330-505-0000. Ticket prices range from $10 to $18.

All-Star event tickets will also be available for Monday, August 13 for the All-Star Valley Gala and for the All-Star Luncheon and Post-Game Party on Tuesday, August 14.

Lisa Neeld has been a busy woman lately.  She has stacked her appearances, started filming a reality show for television, continues to sell barbecue sauce, and is a full-time mother.  I became enamored with Neeld when I asked her ten baseball questions at a Scrappers game.  She played along, the good sport that she is, and had fun with a segment that many Playboy models would scoff away from.  A year later, I followed that up with ten boxing questions.  Same playful Lisa, same comical approach, same demeanor.

Neeld is excited about her new reality show, simply called Lisa Neeld: VIP Style.  The show airs at 6:30 in the morning on the WB Network every Thursday.  It is commercial-free and the interview which I conducted will be featured on one of the upcoming episodes, so set your DVR, it is fun to watch.

Having never interviewed a Playboy model before, I was cautious, but brought my highest line of questioning.  Lisa, as always, was very accommodating and honest.  I have a lot of respect for her because of the way she is going about life without the stereotypical priss label. All too many times, albeit an athlete or a musician with some level of fame, certain media outlets are snubbed because a celebrity feels too “big” to be a part of anything less than TMZ or a major publication.

Paneech: Tell me about the reality show.

Neeld: I was doing small reality clips for 93.3, The Wolf, and all of a sudden we got with some friends who would film and edit.  My producer, Mike Kolovich, signed on with us to do it.  It airs every Thursday morning at 6:30 on the CW Network.  It showcases the lifestyle I lead with all of the different roles in comparison to businesswomen and moms.  Things that people don’t necessarily think of associating with me.

Paneech: You were in Playboy.  How does that work with two children?  Is that something you will have to tell them?

Neeld: My children already know.  My first issue came out in 2008 and then I was on the cover in 2010.  When the first issue came out, my son was ten.  We didn’t let him see the magazine, but we did tell him.  I would rather he hear about it from me rather than kids at school who may have heard it from their parents.  I didn’t want to put him in a bad light because I was proud of it.  Playboy is very classy and to be chosen by them, and later land a cover is honorable, but I would never want my children to think that I did something wrong. My daughter is only eight, and when she is old enough, she will know from me.  My children know everything that I do and there is nothing to hide.

Paneech: How about other family members?  Did they chastise you because of your decision?

Neeld: Actually, I have no family.  My mom passed away five years ago.  She raised me as a single parent and I have not had to deal with that issue.  She would have been proud of me.  The whole time I was growing up, she had me in dance line, pageantry, dancing lessons, and modeling.  She would have been very proud and it is sad that she is not able to see the things that I have accomplished like this show.

Paneech: How much charity work do you do?  Also, do you feel obligated to do charitable work, or is it something you enjoy?

Neeld: I have a personal charity that I work with.  I work with Someplace Safe, a charity that works toward the awareness and prevention of domestic violence, which is pretty important to me.  I always try to arrange something that will benefit them.  We have had bowling nights, a blizzard thing at Dairy Queen, sold cut-out hearts, and many other things.  I feel it is a charity which is often overlooked because victims are afraid to speak up.

Paneech: Lets talk about Hugh Hefner.  This guy is like 90 years old, lands beautiful 21 year-old girlfriends, is loaded, and seems unhappy.  At the same time, he seems humble and grounded.  What have your experiences around him been like?

Neeld: I have met him several times at the Playboy Mansion and he is very down to earth.  He is a nice and sweet guy and actually cares about the younger girls.  There are a lot of girls who come through that have had issues or problems and he is actually there offering his support and helping them.  He is an all-around great guy.  I feel like he sometimes gets a bad rap, but he is an amazing person.

Paneech: You seem busier these days than you were two years ago.  Do you have any spare time?

Neeld: I hang out with my children.  We kind of like to stay at home.  I am always out so much and I am not the best cook in the world, I’m not going to lie, so we prefer to hang out and enjoy our time together.  Personally, when I have spare time, I like to run.  I like to work out, box, run – it’s not hyper it’s high energy (laughs).  I would probably want to go to a spa, I guess.  Well actually, the perfect night to me is just staying at home and watching TV.  I don’t have to be “dolled up”, worrying about appearances, so it is nice to just chill out.  I like a good movie, but I am not into the price of popcorn though.

Paneech: A lot of models who have posed for Playboy have been approached to appear in adult movies.  Have you been bothered for that yet?

Neeld: Yeah…  Yeah, I was contacted about a year ago by a competitor of Playboy to do a shoot and we declined.  If it is something I am asked to do that I feel I would be embarrassed telling my son about, then I will not do it.  I won’t cross a line that would potentially put my child in an embarrassing situation.  If people opt to do that stuff, than that is their option, but I will not cross that line.  It is one thing to do appearances and have fun, but nothing too risque.

Paneech: What is with the barbecue sauce?  How did that start and how are sales?

Neeld: The barbecue sauce came about when my friend Guy Hughes, of Guy’s Barbecue, had all of his products lined up at a press conference.  I picked up one of the bottles and jokingly said, ‘Why don’t you make me a sauce and put my name on it.  I can call it Saucy Housewife’.  Next thing you know, we have attorneys checking copyright facts and it wasn’t taken, so a month later it is in production at Summer Garden on McClurg Road and going into a production run of 1,200 cases or some crazy amount.  The Scrappers made it the exclusive barbecue sauce of the stadium and they made pulled pork this season for the first time.  The label on it shows a little too much cleavage so we couldn’t market it at family grocery-type stores.

Paneech: When does all of this get tiring?

Neeld: Never.  I have my days when I want to stay home in my sweatpants and cuddle up with my kids.  However, it is my job.  There are days when I am sure you don’t want to go to work and do your job.  I love what I do and I appreciate people’s support and I never take that for granted.  No matter how many times, or which venue, I get excited that people are making the effort to come and see me, it is pretty flattering.

Paneech: You have barbecue sauce, security, a reality show, a career you love, but the one thing you don’t seem to have is an agent.

Neeld: At this point, I do not have an agent.  I have contacts in California who handle some of the bigger publications and things like that.  I pretty much handle everything else on my own, not necessarily by choice, but because there is too much of the legwork that I have already taken care of and it is just easier for me to handle it myself rather than explaining everything to a third person.  The third person can easily get things twisted.  As long as I can continue to handle it myself, I will.

Paneech: Tomorrow is a school day, your kids will probably be in school.  How will you spend your day?

Neeld: We start off at six.  My son gets his bus at seven, and my daughter goes by eight, so I am in ‘mommy’ role until then.  After that, I immediately get with my trainer and we will run.  Some days it is five miles, other days ten.  The way I look at it, it is job maintenance plus you always feel better after that anyway.  After that, I go right into making business calls and doing some networking.  It is not a typical day because things always change.

Paneech: If I rub this cup of lemonade you are drinking and a genie comes out and says you can have any three wishes, what would they be?

Neeld: Firstly, I would always wish that my children are safe and that nothing bad will happen to them.  Secondly, I would wish to remain happy, not knowing what that will entail over the next couple of years.  Third, I would say I want to be able to adjust to anything. No matter what happens, I would also want a Jeep for my friend, a red Jeep.

Neeld will be coming to a function you may be attending soon, make an effort to meet her, she is definitely not who you would think, in a good way.

Having a heart and being a wrestling fan are seldom linked.  On Sunday August 28, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers had it all.  Luke Holko, pictured above with his parents (Chad and Nicole), was in attendance.  Luke was hit by a foul ball a couple of seasons ago and has been battling back ferociously ever since.

The Scrappers held a mystery ball sale where people could buy a baseball for $20.  Each bag contained a baseball signed by a different person and the proceeds were donated to the Holko’s.  I bought a bag, not caring who signed the ball, because I believe in the cause.  After opening the bag, I pulled out a Jason Donald signed ball.  The bag sold after mine contained an Al Kaline ball and many people got some great memorabilia through the event.

I talked briefly with Chad and Nicole, who were also busy showing off their new daughter, and learned that Luke is still making progress in the right direction.  Luke himself smiled a few times and seemed to be having plenty of fun at the game.  He also threw out a pretty good first pitch before the game started.

Before Luke through out his pitch, a video of Ben Carlson was played on the videoboard addressing the honoree. “Luke, I really wanted to be there with you today but I was unable to come.  I hope you are having fun and I will see you soon.  I love you”, said Carlson.

There was wrestling after the game, to which Chad claimed Luke is taking a liking to.  Luke got to meet Mick Foley, Al Snow, and Jimmy Hart, as well as Scrapper season ticket holder, the Necro Butcher.

Jordan Taylor and staff rolled a strike with the whole wrestling thing, but to me, the exclamation point was seeing a happy Luke Holko being a kid and having fun.

Jake Lowery went 3-for-5 with a home run and three runs batted in and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers defeated the Williamsport Crosscutters, 8-3, in the last home game of the 2011 campaign.

The win ended the Scrappers three-game losing streak.

Lowery singled in a run in the first inning to put the Scrappers ahead 1-0. In the third, he hit a two-run home run off reliever Casey Barnes to make it 3-0. Barnes relieved Williamsport starter Mike Nesseth, who pitched 2.1 innings. The Scrappers added a run later in the inning on Jerrud Sabourin’s single.

Mahoning Valley scored two in the sixth and two in the seventh. Lowery’s single in the seventh was his third hit of the night.

The Crosscutters scored a run in the eighth but were held scoreless in the ninth.

Danny Jimenez pitched six innings and allowed two runs. He picked up the win to improve to 4-3. Nesseth took the loss to fall to 3-6.

The Scrappers begin a three-game series on the road against the Jamestown Jammers on Friday night at 7:05 pm.

On what has become an annual gathering at Eastwood Field, Baseball Brawl, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers rose to the challenge and body slammed the Jamestown Jammers.  The opportunistic Scrappers racked up nine hits and outscored the Jammers 9-2 in front of a great Sunday crowd of 3,550.

Jamestown got on the scoreboard in their first at-bat.  Elvis Araujo (below) made his first start for Mahoning Valley.  Araujo was 9-1 at Arizona before being promoted by the Scrappers.  Eddie Rodriguez drove home a pair of runners with a two-out single.

Mahoning Valley took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the inning.  Francisco Lindor, the #1 Draft Pick of the Cleveland Indians, made his professional debut Sunday.  The 17-year old prospect got his first hit, an infield bleeder that was good for a single.  Jake Lowery then doubled and Jordan Smith walked to load the bases.  Todd Hankins doubled home Linder and Lowery to tie the game.  Alex Lavisky grounded out to third but got an RBI when Smith trotted home for a 3-2 Scrappers lead.

Mahoning Valley added two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-2 lead.  Lavisky singled and would score from first on a Jerrud Sabourin triple.  John Barr knocked in Sabourin from third with a clean single to give the Scrappers the three-run lead.

Will Krasne picked up the win in relief of Araujo, who threw four complete innings before exiting.  Krasne was relieved by Drew Rucinski and Ramon Cespedes. Thomas Peale took the loss for the Jammers, giving up  5 runs in five innings.

The Scrappers added two more runs in the seventh to take a 7-2 lead.  Bryson Myles walked and Tony Wolters singled.  Lowery plated Myles with a single and Hankins hit a sac fly to bring in the hustling Wolters from third.

Lindor (above) went 1-3 in his pro debut.  The highly-touted youngster played confidently and may have been trying to do too much, but was focused during his five innings.

The Scrappers added insurance in the bottom of the eighth. Cody Elliott was hit by a pitch and Sabourin walked.  John Barr doubled home Elliott on a bloop double that found a home just inside the right field line.  Then the wild pitching exhibit took place when Jamestown reliever, Blake Brewer, walked a couple and hit another to give the Scrappers a 9-2 lead

Jordan Taylor is in his first season as the General Manager of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.  The very quiet and reserved Taylor is someone I have gotten to know better over the past three years.  If intelligence counts for anything, he is winning big.  Probably one of the smartest minds I have met in the world of sports, Taylor has done a great job in his rookie season at the helm.  I recently spoke with him about everything from his love of professional wrestling to trusting those working around him.

Paneech: Year one, first shot at being the head honcho, how are things going so far?

Taylor: It has been going real well so far.  The team is playing well and things have been falling into place in my first year.

Paneech: You worked under Dave Smith for a few years, and those are big shoes to fill.  What kind of experience did you get as Assistant General Manager?

Taylor: Dave was here when I got hired a little over ten years ago.  I learned under him for ten seasons as I worked my way up the ranks.  It was great to learn from someone who is a real professional in this industry.  He was very good in letting me in on the runnings of the business over the last few years.  That kind of activity really prepared me for where I am now.

Paneech: What has been the biggest challenge in managing people?

Taylor: It is about being able to manage such a diverse group of people.  We currently have nine full-time people on staff, and then we bring in 30 interns and over 100 game day employees.  It is a challenge managing all of the different personalities that are brought in.  I am pretty even-tempered, so I can tolerate and handle many of the situations that arise.  It has been pretty smooth so far.

Paneech: It seems like you and the other nine full-time employees are a very close-knit group.  Describe how cohesively you all function as a unit.

Taylor: I think we have the best staff in the New York-Penn League. In terms of years of experience from the top down, most of the front office personnel have been here for a long time.  Everybody likes each other, and that is important, because this is not a normal work environment.  Over the Summers, we have spent more time with each other than we have with our families.  This becomes your family for the Summer and you get very close and care about each other.

Paneech: The season ends in September and starts back up in June, what do you do in the time in between seasons?

Taylor: It is busier in the off-season for some than it is during the season.  In September, we get the stadium ready to be shut down.  After that is done we start focusing on the next season.  We start selling season tickets, mini-plans, groups, promotions, and really getting everything moving.  It is not the same hours as we put in during the season, but we are working hard to make sure when the season eventually starts, that we are ready for everything.  People take time off in October and September.

Paneech: How has the support been from the Cleveland Indians?

Taylor:  Our relationship with the Indians has been very strong and I feel very comfortable working with them. Working with this coaching staff has also been great this season.  I couldn’t ask for a better manager than David Wallace and his coaching staff.  They make things easier for me and have been very accommodating.

Paneech: Like myself, you enjoy professional wrestling.  How do you set that kind of promotion up?

Taylor: The system is kind of two-tiered.  When we bring a wrestler in for just an autograph signing, we will go through a promoter who specializes in minor league sports and used to work for the WWE.  He recommends a group of four or five wrestlers that would be accessible to us and we pick who we think will generate the most interest.  The second phase is the actual post-game wrestling card.  It is more involved.  We work with a promotion that does events all over the country based out of Ohio.  He [promoter] has a lot of contacts of current and former stars.  He will give us a list and we offer suggestions.  In this case, Mick Foley coming this year is a real step up.  The last show had Scott Steiner, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine.  This year we were not only able to get Foley, but also Jimmy Hart and Al Snow.

Paneech: Who is your all-time favorite wrestler?

Taylor: I have two.  Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels are my all-time favorites.  Both of them are really good with cutting promos and have good matches in the ring.  I also like ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin.

Paneech: What would you be doing if not this?

Taylor: The sports industry is something I wanted to get into at a very young age.  I would still be involved with sports at some capacity.  I could see myself teaching and coaching baseball or basketball.  If I wasn’t doing this, that would have been the way I would have gone.

Paneech: How tricky is it to balance family entertainment from kid-related promotions?  You go from dollar beers and Lisa Neeld to Boy Scout Night.

Taylor: We try to offer something for everybody.  The Thursday dollar beer night promotion has a younger adult demographic.  That’s great, but those who drink hang out in the picnic area and that kind of leaves the rest of the stadium for everyone else.   It keeps the crowd a little compartmentalized.  You have to remember, there are dollar tickets, pop, and hot dogs, so we can draw families to the same game.  We also have mascot nights and giveaway nights, but our biggest demo is geared toward families, parents and kids, or grandparents and grandchildren.  It is a great family atmosphere.

One Word Answers

Favorite Movie: Bull Durham.

Favorite Non-Sports Movie: Animal House.

Best Subject In College: American History.

Fast Food Order: Chipotle – Burrito with chicken rice and all of the salsas.

Favorite Meal: Dinner because even when I am here, my wife is nice enough to cook for me.

Favorite TV Show: The Office.

Favorite Music: Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.

Favorite Cartoon Character: Bart Simpson.

Player You Got Closest To: Kevin Kouzmanoff.

Biggest Phobia: Flying.

Worst Habit:  (laughs)  I can sleep a lot.

Who Is Next If You Go? Honestly?  I would be confident with about six people that are on staff right now.  I’m not ducking the question, but any number of people can take over.

“My hope is that we can continue the level of success that has been laid out here.  We want to always continue the tradition of providing the area great entertainment on and off of the field.  I am fortunate because I get to come to a baseball field to work.” –  Jordan Taylor

The 2012 New York Penn League All-Star Game will be head at Eastwood Field.  The game will take place sometime in mid-August once the NYPL sets its official schedules in the Fall of 2011.

The format of the game is the same as the Major League Baseball level, pitting a team of American League All-Stars against a team of National League All-Stars.  This will mark the first time that the All-Star game will be played in the greater Youngstown-Warren area.

Managers, trainers, players, and scouts have all ranted about the facilities.  Last season Asdrubal Cabrera did a rehab stint in Niles and was very complimentary of the park, saying it was ‘a beautiful place to play’.  This is really a nice coupe for the Scrappers.  Congratulations Jordan Taylor and staff on the great news!

For more information, please contact the Mahoning Valley Scrappers front offices at (330) 505-0000.

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers welcomed a tough Brooklyn Cyclones team to Eastwood Field.  Unfortunately for the Scrappers, they came out on the wrong side of a 10-6 verdict.  The Scrappers were hurt by some very good Brooklyn hitting in the early innings and never gained enough footing in the loss, surrendering four of the runs on wild pitches that went to the backstop.

In the first inning, the Scrappers raced out to a 1-0 lead.  Bryson Myles and Tony Wolters hit identical singles up the middle.  Coach David Wallace, always a risk taker on the bags, pulled off a double steal.  Jake Lowery then hit a fielders choice that got Wolters home for the early lead, which marked the only time the Scrappers would be ahead.

Brooklyn rebounded and rattled off six unanswered runs and took a 6-1 lead by the time they were done batting in the sixth.  The Cyclones got two of the runs when runners on third base advanced home on wild pitches.  Richard Lucas had the big shot in the fifth with a two-run double.  Brooklyn would also score their eighth run on a wild pitch.

The Scrappers clawed back into the game in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Alex Lavisky had a two-run double that broke the offensive struggles for the home team.  Todd Hankins also knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly.  Brooklyn avoided further damage and held a 6-4 lead going into the last third of the game.

The fun stuff started happening in the sixth inning.  Celebrating my birthday at Eastwood Field doesn’t bother me one bit, in fact, I welcome the atmosphere. Scott Hansen, someone who I can call a friend, runs the line portion of the scoreboard and knew it was my birthday.  Hansen told the people doing the birthday stuff and they put Paneech from Paneech dot com on the scoreboard, wishing me a Happy Birthday.  Hansen and I always buy $5 worth of 50/50 tickets every home game.  Going into Friday, we were 0-114.  We happened to hit.  1-115.  Rob Schmidt was sick of saying my name.

Scrappers starter Mason Radeke only went two innings throwing just under 50 pitches.  Harold Guerrero took the loss in relief.  Nate Striz uncorked four wild pitches and didn’t finish the eighth inning.  Will Krasne relieved Striz to finish things up for Mahoning Valley.

Brooklyn got a decent start out of Carlos Vazquez, who picked up the win for the Cyclones.  Frank Viola, a World Series MVP for the Twins in 1987, is the Cyclones pitching coach.

Hankins (above) finished the game 1-3 with two RBI’s and a stolen base.  Tony Wolters chipped in with a pair of hits, as did Bryson Myles and Lavisky.  Jerrud Sabourin also collected a pair of knocks for the Scrappers.

The Scrappers (32-23) and Cyclones (31-24) go at it again for two more games on Saturday and Sunday.  On Monday, the league takes two days off for the annual All-Star Break.  The All-Star Game will be played in Lowell, home of the Spinners.  Wolters and Myles join Jordan Smith and Danny Jimenez as NY Penn League All-Stars.

“I was really happy with Bryson Myles tonight”, said Wallace.  “He continues to find ways to get on base and has had some really good at-bats.  I am also happy with Jerrud Sabourin, he had a couple of big hits but worked deep into the count a couple of times and put the bat on the ball.”