I'm hoping Joba will be back soon, Phil will be lights-out and Matsui will give the offense a big boost. They really need to win like every series from here on out, sweep weak teams and pound the living hell out of the Red Sox and Rays in the remaining games they have against them. Oh, and can we call Melancon up, yet? Our pen obviously needs a little help, right now.

Doable, but not probable. Start praying to the Baseball Gods.

(I still want Girardi, Thompson and Long fired)

The current facility is old.  Parking is awful.  But it's still baseball and it's fun.  The Red Soxs want Lee County to build a Little Green Monster by 2012 so they will stay.

The problem I have is that with the current economy in Lee County it seems a little heartless to ask for so much.  Lee County Florida is ranked as one of the top foreclosure counties in the entire country.  The housing market has crashed and the building industry is half of what it was a couple years ago.  The loss in revenue from taxes and impact fees has caused the county and the cities to cut funding to social services and schools while also putting some much needed road construction and repair on hold. I understand that Professional Sports bring in a lot of money and the Sox are surely pay dirt when it comes to that.  However, that is seasonal money.  Does it really create year round jobs?  How many visiting fans are going to decide to relocate to Lee County because of coming down for a game?

I love baseball.  I enjoy going to games.  I actually have two fantasy teams.  This is nothing against the Sox.  This one just has me stumped on what to think of the county's possible direction to spend a lot of money by 2012 that it doesn't really have.  Money that will take away from some very needed bandages to get the residents of the county through to the other side of their apparent economic downturn.  Kudos for thinking outside of the box trying to tie it into the University but we're still talking about a lot of dough.  Sound off...I'd love to hear your take on too much green for a little green monster. 

 

Green Monster headed for Lee County?

Last updated on: 7/8/2008 6:41:40 PM by Grant Lodes

From NBC-2.com Fort Myers, FL 

http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readleearticle.asp?articleid=20263&z=14

FORT MYERS: Fenway Park could be getting a smaller, younger sibling.

Today Lee County Parks and Recreation Director John Yarbrough said the Red Sox have made it clear they want their Spring Training Home to look a lot more like their regular season home by 2012.

With Sarasota looking to lure the World Champs out of Lee County, Yarbrough said he’s recommending the County begin a formal RFP process. The request for proposal means developers will submit formal proposals for the new spring training facility.

Boston brass has already indicated they’ve outgrown City of Palms Park. Red Sox leaders have also said they’d like their practice/minor league facility and their main stadium to be in one location.

Currently, City of Palms Park and their other practice fields are about two miles apart on Edison Avenue. The next big question is where would Fenway Jr. be built?

Lee County Deputy County Manager Bill Hammond told NBC2 yesterday that a new park or renovation of City of Palms Park on that Edison Avenue site would mean buying up residential lots to make room for the new structures.

Another option that seems to have teeth is to partner with FGCU to build a multi-purpose facility in south Lee County. FGCU President Wilson Bradshaw told NBC2 recently that the Eagles would love to have football in a decade.

Bradshaw and Hammond have seemed open to the idea of a joint facility that could accommodate a football stadium and a new Red Sox home.

The Sox would need between 90 - 100 acres for their facilities.

Jess didn't go with me this time.  When we got back, she went home to Texas.  She said something about going to Marble Falls to visit friends, then down to some little town in south Texas to meet Chandler's family.  I don't like talking about her business, but I guess things are going pretty well for them.  I caught em holding hands more than once during the trip, but I just ignored it.  She's a big girl, and he's a big boy - big enough to realize that if he screws around with my sister, there will be repurcussions.

So, I'm here in Orlando, spending time alone at Disney.  It's fun and all, but it's kinda lonely riding Splash Mountain by yourself.  I've always had Jess there with me, so it's hard getting used to the fact that she's going to eventually get married and do her own thing.  I guess I need to do that, but with baseball being my top priority, I can't even imagine looking for love or even a girlfriend.

I'll be packing my stuff and heading for Spring Training soon.  Thankfully our Spring Training is here in Florida, so it's not that far of a drive, but with gas prices being what they are, even I can't afford to drive that far in and out every day.  This year will be interesting.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to be in AAA.  I don't even know if there's a chance that I'll make the big leagues - frankly I'd hope not.  But, I'll trust Luebke - he's the boss.  I had a good debut season, much better than I would have hoped, but let's see how i do against much better competition.  I've heard that the difference between AA pitchers and AAA pitchers is vast.  I hope so - AA was actually almost too easy.  I'm ready for a challenge.

Jess and I will both be in AAA this year, so inevitably our teams are going to play each other.  That'll be interesting, to say the least.  Hold up, let me look it up....yep, her team is actually coming here for the opening series of the season, starting April 4.  I love ya sis, but we're gonna whip yalls butts.

That's all I've got.  I'll write again soon.

*  So the Cubs leave the Friendly Confines and head South to play the Astros.  The Astros are 12-4 in May.  They typically don't play this well until their annual August/September surge.  I never speak too optimistically about the Cubs, but I feel like the Cubs are going to go into Houston and expose these guys as pretenders.  If the Cubs lose this series, I will never publicly speak optimistically about the Cubs again. 

*  Jim Edmonds will most likely start all three games in Houston, as the Cubs will face three lefties.  This means they avoid Roy Oswalt.  I am real interested in what Edmonds can do for the Cubs with some consistent playing time. 

*  Daryle Ward was placed on the DL and Micah Hoffpauir was brought up from Triple A Iowa.  Hoffpauir had a great Spring Training, but sat out the first month of the season with an injury.  In 9 games, he is batting .324 with 3 HR and 12 RBI's.  He made an appearance in yesterdays game and was struckout.  Hoffpauir is no spring chicken.  He's 28 years old and has been plagued with injuries.  Perhaps the Cubs are showcasing him for a potential trade.   I'm not sure there's much guaranteed playing time for a first baseman with a team that has Derek Lee.

Jim Edmonds became the newest member of the Chicago Cubs Wednesday, inking a $290,000 contract for the remainder of the season. Edmonds' Cubs salary is a prorated portion of the league-mininum $390,000. The outfielder was due to make $8 million this season, which will be paid by his former team, the San Diego Padres, according to an Associated Press report.

The four-time All-Star was cut by the Padres last Friday after getting off to a slow start while recovering from a calf injury he suffered during Spring Training. Edmonds began the year on the disabled list, but was activated on April 5. The Padres cut Edmonds after he was only able to hit .178 with a .265 on base percentage in 26 games this season.

Edmonds, who turns 38 on June 27, broke into the big leagues with the California Angles on Sept. 9, 1993. The 6-1, 190-pound outfielder stayed with the franchise, now known as the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim, for another six seasons, before he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals prior to the 2000 season.

Edmonds stayed with the Cardinals for eight seasons, and was a member of the 2006 team that won the World Series. Three of Edmonds' four All-Start appearances while he was a member of the Cardinals.

Last season, Edmonds hit .252 in 117 games for the Cardinals, with an OBP of .325.

The addition of Edmonds, who is a career .286 hitter with a .377 OBP, effectively ends the Felix Pie experiment for the time being. Pie was optioned to Triple-A Iowa Wednesday to make room for the outfielder.

Cubs fans had huge expectations for Pie going into the season, but the left-handed center fielder disappointed in the early-going, hitting a meager .222 with a .286 OBP through 30 games.

The left-handed Edmonds will split time in center field with righty Reed Johnson, who is hitting .256 with a .343 OBP in 36 games while Pie tries to find his swing in Triple-A.

Edmonds saw a lot of Wrigley Field as a member of the Cardinals, and the outfielder found some success at the Friendly Confines, hitting .254 with a .378 OBP in 65 games at the corner of Clark and Addison. Edmonds has more home runs (17) at Wrigley than at any other park where he has been an opponent.

Although some questioned the acquisition of the aging Edmonds, it's a calculated risk with little downside since Edmonds isn't even making the league-minimum.

Best case, Edmonds finds his stride this season, Johnson continues to surprise, and the Cubs have one decent right-handed center fielder for the rest of the season (Johnson) and one decent left-handed center fielder (Edmonds) for the rest of the season, who can each be counted on for averages of .250-.275 and OBPs of .325-.350.

Worst case, Edmonds never recovers fully from his injury, it's clear that there isn't much left in his 38-year-old tank, and the Cubs are out only about $300,000. If that happens, the Cubs could recall Pie and try the Johnson-Pie combination again. After all, the Cubs were 24-16 with that combination in the lineup before Edmonds was signed.

Image credit: http://ap.google.com/media/ALeqM5jjvLp5DgTbaXYVSAmbOB-Am-KoUg?size=s

A terrible peace that comes with fury,

Everything stills watching my perfect form.

Contact is made making the scene blurry.

Completing the stroke leaves my racket still,

My pulse races waiting for a return.

I rush at the net going for a kill,      

Wind rustles my hair as my muscles burn,

The point won brings a feeling less than joy.

No time for emotion in a tight match.

Racket in hand, I set out to destroy,

Destroy I did, victory I snatched.

            Sweet victory does not mean everything.

            I play not for wins, but for feeling.

spring training...here i come.

Sunday is traditionally reserved for biking and we set off for the trails. With the sunlight glinting through the trees we picked up some excellent trails around Whiting Bay. The kind of morning you can really enjoy. Tree felling soon brought us back to earth with a bump. Almost literally. Stuck in woods trying to pick your way over felled trees only leads to frustration and scratched legs. After half-an-hour of this accompanied by Alun’s winging we emerged and pushed on to Clauchlin’s Point. Here we enjoyed a blast for home down this cliff side path, always wary of the sheer drop to the Atlantic on our left hand side. Bliss. It was time for a well-earned beer (or two).

...there is an old baseball term called 'giving away an at bat', which basically means losing your focus. this can happen late in a lopsided game when you've had a rough night at the plate, or it can just be a simple break of concentration. either way, the fact that 'doing everything with a purpose' was something of a mantra on saturday is a great sign. if something as simple as longtoss is taken seriously, you can bet that there won't be many at bats 'given away' this summer...

While doing some work in the radio booth this afternoon, I saw manager Kash Beauchamp running drills on pop flies. After one of the outfielders caught one, I could hear Kash shouting something along the lines of, 'call for it'. The interesting thing was that the outfielder actually did call for the ball, but Kash wanted to make sure he had called loud enough so that the rest of the fielders could hear, thus preventing a collision, which are all too common on popups

...you have to be excited by this attitude from the coaching staff. it is obvious that kash wants to make sure the 'little things' are done perfectly, which is a major trademark of a winning ballclub. these are the types of things that players might find tedious, but payoff big time in the longrun. who knows, maybe there will be a situation during a crucial game in august in which three players converge on a short flyball. someone will take charge, and the play will be made, and we'll think back to this practice...

Minor league baseball is much more organized than minor league hockey in the sense that there is no crossover of affiliated or independent teams in any particular league. The CHL, for example, has a handful of teams with NHL affiliations. As a result, many of their players are under NHL contracts and are not controlled by the CHL franchise. The American Association and its fellow independent baseball leagues are under no such restrictions. This puts every team on the same playing field at the beginning of the year. No manager in independent baseball gets "free recruiting".

The thing that independent newcomers need to understand is that the majority of players in indy ball, especially in the American Association, have come from Major League organizations. Some people have even asked questions such as, 'are these going to be amateur players?'. My favorite was a post on a message board in which someone proclaimed the Wingnuts to be a 'step above high school'.

Out of the half-dozen or so independent leagues, the American Association is probably second in terms of talent level. The league's talent is comparable to Double-A, which happens to be the same level the Wranglers had played at. Now, you probably won't find the next Albert Pujols or Alex Rodriguez among the independent ranks. But you will find guys that are hungry and willing to do anything to get back to the next level. This means teams play to win every single night, no questions asked. Again, most of these players have been as high as Triple-A. Wichita already features two former big leaguers in Kevin Hooper and Dustan Mohr. And just to broaden your view of independent baseball success stories, here are several names you might recognize that have used independent ball to further their careers:

JD Drew

Darryl Strawberry

Kevin Millar

Luke Hochevar

Max Scherzer

Rickey Henderson

Affiliated minor league baseball is meant for developing players for the Major Leagues. Teams have millions of dollars invested in first round draft picks and will make sure that those picks get their at bats and get their innings pitched, even if it means giving up a win here or there. There is nothing wrong with this. And this is certainly not meant to be a critique of how affiliated teams are managed. After all, they are called "farm" teams for a reason. The point is that the Wingnuts will be focused on winning. Sure, it was fun to see high-profile prospects like Johnny Damon, Carlos Beltran, and Alex Gordon come through Wichita. It was even more satisfying to see them plow through Omaha and eventually to Kansas City. But this summer Wichita baseball fans will be introduced to a brand of professional baseball where everyone from the manager, to the players, and all the way down to the grounds crew wants to see the Wingnuts bring home a championship.

...i get the sense that most of wichita is coming around to the wingnuts, which is great to hear. there is definitely a buzz in town, especially now that opening night is a week from wednesday. there are still some people who are either hesitant or simply bitter over what the wranglers ownership did by moving the team away. hopefully these people jump on board with everyone else, and truthfully i believe they eventually will. the heavy competition for roster spots, combined with the fiery nature of Kash Beauchamp, combined with some dynamite on-field entertainment should make for a fun summer...

...and with the arrival of the team, baseball has officially returned to wichita. i was able to catch most of saturday's practice, and it is clear that everyone is hungry to start playing. the team looks very good, which also means that the cuts that have to be made in the coming week will not be easy. this is definitely a good problem to have, as many independent teams are scrambling to fill those last two or three roster spots. as we get closer and closer to opening day, i'll start posting season preview information as well as some essentials about independent baseball...

Adam Gladstone has worked in the Atlantic League to the point where nothing surprises him anymore.

So what about Tyler Von Schell's decision to end his one-week retirement and rejoin the Revolution this season?

"Nothing catches me off guard with these guys," Gladstone said. "I didn't expect it, but it was a pleasant surprise."

Von Schell, a former San Francisco Giants' prospect, called Gladstone late last week and told him after dealing with some personal issues he was ready to join York in Lakeland, Fla. for spring training. Since his arrival, manager Chris Hoiles has worked Von Schell into two exhibitions off the bench and he has responded. Von Schell ripped a base hit in Sunday's 4-2 loss to Long Island and got another hit in York's 5-5 tie with Camden on Monday afternoon.

The right-handed slugger launched a career-high 24 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A last season and he should further complicate the Revolution's defensive alignment. But having too many guys at a few positions is never a bad thing in the Atlantic League. History tells us that an injury or affiliated signing is right around the corner.

Roster expansion unlikely: According to Gladstone, he doesn't think that Atlantic League teams will carry 27 or 28 players to start the season -- a possibility that was first reported by Jason Guarente of the New Era over at Barnstormin. The idea was initially brought up by Atlantic League executive director Joe Klein and its purpose would be to give teams more time to evaluate talent.

On the surface, the idea could possibly hurt the Revolution more than other teams in the league. York now has 25 players in camp -- ordinarily the league maximum -- and would have to do a bit of scrambling to get two or three new faces with the team before the season-opener in Camden, N.J. on Friday. Other teams such as Camden already have 27 players in spring camp with plans to make cuts before the season-opener.

But Gladstone said the proposal doesn't have much chance of becoming a reality.

"I wouldn't necessarily say it would be a scramble, because you've got guys who you've talked to and we could decide to bring in other guys out there who warrant the opportunity," Gladstone said. "But it's a moot point. I don't think it will happen."

Thurman pitches well: Gladstone said Corey Thurman pitched three innings today in the exhibition against Camden and the coaching staff was impressed with his outing even though he allowed a home run.

Thurman reached the majors as a reliever with Toronto, but he said he prefers starting.

"Starting is a preference for me because you have those four days (in between starts) to work hard and get your work in," Thurman said recently. "As a reliever, you have to be a little more subdued because you don't know when you're going to pitch."

Sherrill an independent success story: This Baltimore Sun story discusses new Baltimore Orioles' closer George Sherrill and his long journey to the major leagues from the Northern and Frontier League. Sherrill -- a guy who has drawn some laughs from his teammates for the straight brim on his cap -- was 250 pounds years ago and threw 88 to 90 mph. But he dropped the weight and now throws in the mid-90s.

Sherrill spent 4 1/2 years in independent leagues and like many independent league guys he had to work odd jobs in the offseason to pay his bills. That's certainly not the case anymore. Sherrill is also 6-for-6 in save opportunities so far this year despite a 6.14 ERA.

Matt Dryer didn't know what to expect from the fans of York when he first suited up for the York Revolution last season.

But it didn't take long for Dryer to discover that Yorkers are his type of people. And the town feels the same way about him.

Now, Dryer returns to the Revs as arguably the team's most popular player. He earned the respect and admiration of fans last year for his hustle and easy-going attitude while his rock star-like status in town grew by the day. By the way, he has a new wrinkle to his act this season. Dryer grew his hair down to his shoulders over the offseason.

The University of Miami product took some time in spring training last week to tell Dispatch photographer Bill Kalina and myself about his tattoos. The stories are pretty interesting.

Also, Dryer is off to a pretty good start offensively in spring training. Despite recovering from offseason labrum surgery on his throwing shoulder, Dryer has had at least a hit and scored a run in all four of the Revs' spring training games.

After you check out the Dryer video, check Sunday's post on new infielder Kenny Perez. Also, kudos to Bill Kalina for the fine editing job on the video.

But Perez has shown glimpses of why he could be one of the most crucial players for the York Revolution this season. He's crushed two home runs this spring and could provide an element of power from the infield positions that was lacking on York's team last year.

Perez's second home run of the spring came in the Revs' 4-2 loss to Long Island on Sunday afternoon -- the first blemish in the loss column on York's all-time spring training record (7-1-1).

Perez has played at Triple-A for the last three seasons -- a year apiece with Boston, Arizona and the Chicago White Sox -- so it would not be surprising at all to see the Miami native signed quickly if he gets off to a hot start in the Atlantic League. His age (26) is working in his favor and his versatility is one of his strengths.

Perez can play any infield position -- including first base -- and has also learned the corner outfield spots the last two years.

"I started playing the outfield the last two years and to me, that's pretty easy coming from the infield," Perez said. "I came in as a shortstop, and that's cake for me, but third and second are coming along and a little bit of first."

Perez has hit seventh in the Revs' order and with the way others are swinging the bat in front of him, chances are that's likely where he'll remain to start the year. But Perez definitely has the skills to hit higher in the order if needed. He hit .270 at Triple-A Charlotte last season, so we can expect a nice increase from that number when he's faced with Atlantic League pitching.

But his defensive skills might be his most important asset on manager Chris Hoiles' club this year. He has played a solid third base during the spring and could move over to shortstop if Keoni De Renne struggles there -- although De Renne made a couple of very nice plays at short in spring camp.

Perez is also a switch-hitter, something he picked up during his freshman year of high school.

"It's another weapon you can have, and it took awhile for me to get used to it," Perez said. "I just started from the beginning. It's weird, and I have more power from the right side (his natural side), but for me it's easier than switching to the left side."

I consider Perez an upgrade over Rayner Bautista -- essentially the player Perez is replacing this year. Bautista was underrated for most of his time with York and was a great doubles hitter, but it's clear that Perez has the pop that Bautista never seemed to find.

Perez should also rebound from his slow start to post a pretty nice batting average. He could compete with De Renne for the highest average on the team, based on what I've seen so far.

*Photo by Dispatch photographer Bill Kalina.

York and the Blue Crabs played to a 12-12 tie at the TigerTown complex in Lakeland, Fla., on Saturday. The tie sent the Revs' all-time record in spring training contests to 7-0-1.

Travis Ezi led off the game with a triple -- his second in as many days -- and came around to score on an RBI groundout by Keoni De Rene (right). From there, the Revs' offense went berserk in the second inning. York put a six spot on the board, with the main damage done by De Renne's three-run bomb.

Wayne Franklin started again for York and struggled for the second straight outing in 2 1/3 innings, giving up five earned runs on seven hits. He also walked five for the second straight start, which might be an indication that Franklin is just taking a little bit of time to get things together this spring.

Newcomer Landon Jacobsen replaced Franklin and was also pounded in his 2 2/3 innings. He served up seven earned runs and gave up five hits and three walks. Matt Trent came on for a scoreless inning, Dan Foli blanked Southern Maryland for two innings and Jason Olson didn't allow a run in his one frame.

Matt Dryer had another solid game, going 2-for-2 with two doubles. Apparently, as Dryer said before camp started, his shoulder issues do not effect his hitting. Matt Padgett also launched his first home run in a Revolution uniform and Jason Aspito broke out of a mini-slump with two hits. Luis Taveras and backup catcher Kevin Kotch also had two hits.

York teed off against former teammate Jeff Farnsworth, who started for Southern Maryland and gave up five earned runs in three innings. Check out today's box score below, courtesy of WSBA broadcaster Darrell Henry:

Travis Ezi 1-3, 3B, R
Keoni De Renne 1-5, HR, 4RBI
Matt Esquivel 3-5, R
Matt Padgett 1-4, HR, RBI, 3R, BB
Matt Dryer 2-2, 2 2Bs, RBI, R
Jason Aspito 2-4, 2B, 2RBI, 2R, BB
Kenny Perez 0-5, R
Luis Taveras 2-3, 2RBI, R
Jose Enrique Cruz 1-3, RBI, BB
Kazunori Tanaka 0-2, RBI, SB
Kevin Kotch 2-3, R
Sandy Aracena 0-2

Wayne Franklin 2.1 IP, 5R, 5ER, 7H, 5BB, 2K
Landon Jacobsen 2.2 IP, 7R, 7ER, 5H, 3BB, 2K
Matt Trent 1.0 IP, 0R, 0ER, 0H, 0BB, 1K
Dan Foli 2.0 IP, 0R, 0ER, 1H, 1BB, 1K
Jason Olson 1.0 IP, 0R, 0ER, 1H, 0BB, 1K

*Photo by Dispatch photographer Bill Kalina.

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Corey Thurman admits it. Sometimes when he's out on the mound, he gets so fired up that he feels like a bull in a china shop.

Who can blame him? This is the same guy who used to crack heads on the high school football gridiron playing in Texas. He was even recruited by Texas A & M, Louisiana Tech and Tennessee before deciding to pursue baseball. He has a size 15 shoe. And the Revs' roster lists him at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds. Wait, this just in: that's just the weight below the waste. Thurman looks more like a chiseled 250.

So it's this man that the York Revolution will depend on as one of the rocks of the 2008 starting rotation. And from all signs so far, Thurman appears to be more than up to the task.

Plus, he's a pretty smart guy. He knew even at 17 years old that a future in baseball was much brighter than one in football.

"Being in Texas, football is king. You get recruited and I was a linebacker, but as much as I like to crack heads the longevity just wasn’t there," Thurman said. "You can play into your 40s in baseball and you can’t do that in football -- unless you’re Warren Moon, you know? The average life of a football player is five years. In baseball, if you get to that (top) level, you’re going to be able to play for awhile."

Thurman was a Rule 5 selection by the Toronto Blue Jays after spending 1996 to 2001 with Kansas City. It turned out to be a great move, however. Thurman reached the big leagues with Toronto in 2002 and pitched in 43 games while posting a 4.37 ERA. But the next year, the number of appearances went down to six as he dealt with his first bout of arm trouble.

It got to the point where the Augusta, Ga. native couldn't even play catch. That's when he had rotator cuff surgery in '04.

"I tried to rehab without having surgery and it just got worse," Thurman said. "The shoulder is one of those things I needed to get fixed. I felt I couldn’t do what I wanted to do on the mound without having something done."

Now, Thurman is in camp with York and it seems like he knows just about every person there. I'm talking about coaches, players on the other Atlantic League teams, even the guys who water down the field. So it appears Thurman will be one of the more relaxed and talkative guys on the team.

He's also trying to figure out everyone's nickname. With four Matts on the roster (Matt Trent, Matt Dryer, Matt Padgett and Matt Esquivel), that's not a bad idea. Corey goes by "Thurm" or "Big Thurm." I think manager Chris Hoiles will be using the latter.

"He is one big boy," the Revs' skipper said.

Revs improve spring training win streak to 7: Now this is what the Atlantic League is supposed to look like. York pounded out 15 hits on the way to beating rival Lancaster 15-8 on Friday at Mickey Cochrane Field.

Kenny Perez hit a grand slam, Keoni De Renne had three hits including a triple and Travis Ezi was 2-for-6 with a three-bagger of his own. Matt Esquivel, Matt Dryer and Kaz Tanaka also added two hits apiece.

The Revs scored six runs in the first and third, and the only blemish of the day was some shaky pitching. Pete Munro was lit up for five earned runs in his two innings and Corey Thurman gave up three earned runs despite earning the win in two frames. The rest of the pitching looked decent, with Aaron Rakers, Nick McCurdy, Reid Price and Dave Veres all making appearances without giving up a run.

See today's box below, courtesy of WSBA broadcaster Darrell Henry:

Travis Ezi 2-6, 3B, 2R, 2RBI, SB
Keoni De Renne 3-3, 3B, 3RBI, 2R, SB
Matt Esquivel 2-4, 2B, 2RBI, R
Matt Padgett 1-3, RBI, R
Matt Dryer 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2R
Jason Aspito 0-4, BB, R
Kenny Perez 1-4, HR, 4RBI, 2R
Sandy Aracena 1-2, 2B, 2R
Kaz Tanaka 2-4, 2RBI, 2R
Jose Enrique Cruz 0-2, BB
Kevin Kotch 0-2
Luis Taveras 1-2, 2B

Pete Munro 2.0IP, 5R, 5ER, 5H, 2BB, 3K
Corey Thurman (W) 2.0IP, 3R, 3ER, 3H, BB, 2K
Aaron Rakers 2.0IP, 0R, 2H, 0BB, 3K
Nick McCurdy 1.0IP, 0R, 0H, 0BB, 0K
Reid Price 1.0IP, 0R, 1H, 0BB, 3K
Dave Veres 1.0IP, 0R, 1H, 0BB, 1K

*Photo by Dispatch photographer Bill Kalina.

The Revs improved to 6-0 all-time with a 12-5 exhibition win over Bridgeport at Mickey Cochrane Field on Thursday. Leadoff man Traivs Ezi provided the highlight of the day, launching a long fly ball off the base of the left field wall and motoring around the bases for a three-run, inside-the-park homer.

Wayne Franklin (pictured above) started for York and struggled in his two innings. The southpaw walked five batters and threw close to 70 pitches while trying to find the right release point. But it's still early in spring camp, and the rest of York's pitching staff provided plenty of reason for optimism. Landon Jacobsen and Aaron Myette both fired two solid innings, with Jason Olson, Matt Trent and Dan Foli all going one inning each.

Trent was maybe the most impressive Revolution pitcher to take the hill. The right-hander hit 89 mph on the radar gun with his fastball and has a devastating breaking ball.

"You know what, for the first day, they kept the ball down, especially with two strikes," Hoiles said. "You know, to me that’s the biggest thing. Some of them were trying to find their release point and that’s what all these games down here are for. All in all, they threw the ball well."

Matt Dryer went 2-for-3 in the game after showing up 15 minutes late for batting practice. He was hit by a pitch in his left elbow, which chased him from the game for the day. But the injury is not considered serious, despite Dryer's claim that he is "out for the season."

Matt Padgett went 3-for-5 out of the cleanup spot and catcher Luis Taveras also looked in great shape -- doubling twice, with one two-bagger to each outfield gap. Keoni De Renne also added two hits.

Tempers flared late in the game when Bridgeport pitchers Jeff Sparks and Joe Williams both took the mound using unique deliveries. Both men stand on the rubber, like they're pitching from the windup, but use short strides while throwing over the top -- basically simulating the stretch without the added stress on your hips.

The home plate umpire had numerous discussions on where Sparks and Williams could stand, and Sparks was encouraged by the Revolution dugout to hurry the exhibition along. He responded with an invitation for any player with a problem to meet him on the mound to settle things physically.

"I’ve never seen it. I don’t know what they were doing, I really have no idea," Hoiles said. "I want to find out the ruling if they both make the team because I don’t know what the ruling would be. I really don’t."

Ezi also added a single to left field in the game and stole second base on the very next pitch. If the Baltimore native can get on base enough this year, he could present a number of problems for the opposition.

“I’m excited (to be back with York) and I’ll take it the same way that I did my first time here,” said Ezi, who played in the Nicaragua winter league this offseason. “I’m going to work hard and run hard. I’m getting here early and I love baseball. Regardless of which team I’m with, you’re going to see me work hard.”

I forgot to bring a scorebook to the game today, but good friend and WSBA broadcaster Darrell Henry was good enough to provide the Revolution's box score today. Here it is:

Box Score:
Travis Ezi 2-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR, SB
Keoni De Renne 2-6, R, 2 RBI, SB
Matt Esquivel 3-6, R, RBI, 2B
Matt Padgett 3-5, R, 3 RBI, 2B
Matt Dryer 2-3, R, HBP
Jason Aspito 0-2, BB, R
Kenny Perez 0-5, BB
Luis Taveras 2-3, R, 2 RBI, 2 2B
Jose Enrique Cruz 2-4, 4 R, 2 BB
Sub - Kevin Kotch 0-2
Sub - Kazunori Tanaka 0-2
Sub - Sandy Aracena 0-3

Wayne Franklin 2.0 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 H, 5 BB, 4 K
Landon Jacobsen (W) 2.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 K
Aaron Myette 2.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 K
Jason Olson 1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K
Matt Trent 1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K
Dan Foli 1.0 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K

*Franklin photo by Dispatch photographer Bill Kalina.

The man who started the first game in York Revolution history didn't know if he wanted to remain a starter in 2008. He thought his best chance to return to the big leagues was as a reliever. But in his heart, he knew that he wanted to start.

So after telling Adam Gladstone, the Revolution's director of baseball operations, he wanted to try to close games this summer, Franklin changed his mind. About a month after signing with the Revs, he decided to return to York's starting rotation.

Give Gladstone credit, too, for this move. He did a bit of research on Franklin's behalf, trying to discern whether a starting or relief role would be the best avenue to an affiliated deal. Gladstone found that it didn't quite matter either way -- you're either good enough or not. So now Franklin will add a much-needed lefty to the Revs' rotation.

"If a team called looking for a reliever, I was afraid they wouldn’t want me," Franklin said after York's second workout of the spring on Wednesday. "I thought they would want someone to throw every day. I guess a month after I talked about closing, I knew in my heart I’ve always wanted to be a starter. So I contacted Adam and asked him, 'What do you think about me being a starter?'"

Franklin's decision gives York a pretty formidable starting rotation if he continues pitching the way he ended last season. The former Milwaukee Brewer could also be aided by the fact that he's more fresh this spring. For the first time, he didn't go through a month of spring training prior to the start of a season.

The Delaware native also talked with me a bit about his views on the current Revs' roster. He saw what York's team looked like on paper at the outset of 2007, and he thinks the collection of talent the club has assembled this year is better.

"It seems like as a whole there’s better talent here," Franklin said. "Chris (Hoiles) and I were talking about it, and it’s always a double-edged sword, because you have a good team but then you start losing guys."

Franklin will start Thursday's exhibition with Bridgeport and don't read too much into that. He'll only throw two innings at max, most likely. He'll be followed by the five pitcher who threw on Tuesday in York's first workout: Matt Trent, Landon Jacobsen, Aaron Myette, Jason Olson and Dan Foli.

But Veres is also out to set a a positive example for the factory worker contemplating that knee replacement. Or the retired gym teacher wondering whether he'll still be able to jog every morning with a new hip.

Veres has been there, and he knows that undergoing hip replacement surgery is not the end of the world. Heck, the operation completely changed his life for the better.

Veres, 41, had his left hip replaced a few years ago just so that he could walk without pain and play with his four children. Then he started to throw a bit again, which led to some action in city ball near his home in Denver. A tryout with the Colorado Rockies followed, but Veres hurt his elbow and was shut down for most of last season.

Now, he's been told he needs to prove that he can stay healthy -- which might as well be the Alma mater of pitchers in the Atlantic league. Veres is a new member of the York Revolution's bullpen and the right-hander threw his first live batting practice session on Wednesday afternoon, mixing in an array of fastballs and splitters.

The 10-year major league veteran didn't pitch with any pain, and he's hoping a couple months of strong performances will pave the road back to affiliated ball.

"The technology has come so far and going in I was scared to death," Veres said of his hip replacement. "But if someone sees I’m pitching on it now, obviously there’s no restriction on it. The every-day worker can do everything they want to do. It’s nice for the guys contemplating the surgery."

Veres is a strong candidate for the Revolution's closer spot. He has 95 career saves in the big leagues and said he thrives on late-inning appearances. Also, with Wayne Franklin moving back to the rotation, it appears Veres' biggest competition for the job will be Nick McCurdy and Aaron Rakers.

"Closing is the best job, if you ask me," Veres said. "I love doing it. It’s unbelievable, but I want to pitch too. I was closing in Fresno when I was rehabbing (previously), and I had 12 or 13 saves, but I pitched once a week. I need to get healthy and get back on the field."

There is also another Revolution connection to hip replacement surgery. Manager Chris Hoiles had his left hip replaced and the injury was one that ultimately ended his career. Hoiles said he still experiences some soreness when he throws batting practice, so considering that, it makes Veres comeback even more impressive.

"He’s in really good shape," Hoiles said. "I think he's three years removed from surgery and he looks in great condition and great health. Hopefully he can start out really well for us and get back to where he wants to go."

This and that: Hoiles acknowledged that Keoni De Renne will start the season at shortstop, with Kenny Perez playing third and Jose Enrique Cruz at second. This means that Matt Padgett will probably be used at first, and Kaz Tanaka might find himself as the fourth outfielder. Jason Aspito will likely need to be in the lineup to bring more power... Wayne Franklin will start the Revs' first scrimmage of spring training against Bridgeport on Thursday. Dan Foli, Landon Jacobsen, Aaron Myette, Matt Trent and Jason Olson will also be available. They are the same players who pitched live batting practice on Tuesday... Hoiles also said he's leaning toward batting Travis Ezi in the leadoff spot. Ezi really took off last year after his assignment to the Road Warriors. Hoiles said he would think about the rest of York's lineup this evening.

*Photos by Dispatch photographer Bill Kalina.

The Major League Baseball regular season is back in swing after a long winter of waiting and then into Spring Training of boringness.  The regular season brings more of an experience and not as much of watching paint dry for a month and half.  Although Spring Training offers a fresh start to the players who hadn't done anything all winter, I feel that Spring Training games do not need to shown on the television wasting time for great shows on ESPN such as First and Ten or Around the Horn.  With all the new packages that cable providers offer, I feel as though the games should be offered on only the purchased packages. The idea of Spring Training is great although it offers just more time for players to get hurt, just like the Bowl Championship Series NCAA system, which needs to be dropped, but that's another story.  Newly loaded teams like the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Dodgers hope to make a splash in their already tough divisions.
            As a member of Red Sox Nation I hope annually that the Yankees fail miserably and the Sox do well.  I feel this will be the case this season as the Yankees headed by new manger Joe Girardi, will finish third behind the first place Sox and the surprise second, the Baltimore Orioles.  Finishing behind the Yanks will be the Blue Jays and as usual, the Tampa Bay Rays.  The AL Central will be won by the Cleveland Indians who went home disappointed after a blown lead in the ALCS to the Red Sox.  The newly reloaded Tigers will finish second and the White Sox third and the Twins finishing just slightly behind them.  As usual, the Royals will have a disappointing season although they will finish better than their 68 win season last year.  Moving to the west, the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim with new players such as Torii Hunter will help them win their division.  Following will be the Athletics, Mariners, and Rangers respectively.  This season the wild-card team will be from the central division in the Tigers due to the struggles of the east teams and the seemingly constant downfall of the AL West.
            The National League hasn't had great seasons in general but this season will be the year where that all comes to a close with the magnificent Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers under new manager Joe Torre.  In the east, the Mets will reign over the division following the pick up of Johan Santana and their complete collapse to the Philadelphia last season.  The Nationals will be a surprise of the year finishing second and winning the wild card.  Following them will be the Braves, Philly, and the Marlins.  The strength of the NL is in the central and the standings will be a little surprising.  The young Brewers will finish first with Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder as their power sources.  Finishing behind them is the St Louis, Chicago, Houston, Pittsburg and Cincinnati.  In the completely changed National League West from last season, they became the strongest conference in the NL.  Two teams from that division made the playoffs, one to the World Series, and a third team would have made it if not for the extra game having to be played to determine who made it in.  This season the Dodgers will be resilient and come back from last years disappointing year.  Followed by them will be the Rockies, Padres, Diamondbacks and Giants respectively.
            The new season in spring will bring its surprise teams and of course the no doubters but will of course bring all the satisfaction of baseball season back to the hearts of many Americans.

Sunday was intended to be a day on the bike trails. A day I was looking forward to, as it was my first opportunity to ‘play’ on my new bike. Little did I know that this bike was to become a source of much amusement for my simple-minded teammates. I would like to state, once and for all, for the record, that it is not a ladies bike. The snow had stopped falling but there was at least four inches lying on the ground. Blue skies provided the perfect backdrop for a slippy blast around the woods of Boat of Garten and into Aviemore. A good day was completed by a (compulsory) visit to the Mountain Café for a late lunch.

It was so wet that even Mark didn’t want to have lunch at the top. Instead we decided to get back to the cars and eat in relative comfort. Much to our annoyance we enjoyed lunch in the sun baked car park. Not normally a complaint you will hear from me, but after more than three hour of walking in the rain I felt rather annoyed. The day had changed into a beautiful spring afternoon and we had completed our objective for the day. Our final hope was that we would not experience a similar situation the following week on the Maggie’s Monster Bike and Hike Challenge.