Category Archives: Keeping Track

Keeping Track

Minor Details: Games of September 20

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SAINTS 6, MUD HENS 3 IN ST. PAUL

Chris Williams hit a three-run homer to put St. Paul up 4-3 in the fourth.

Brooks Lee was 2-for-3 with a home run (his fifth), a walk, two runs, and two RBIs.
Williams hit a three-run homer, his twenty-first.

Simeon Woods Richardson pitched 5.2 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks and striking out four.
Austin Brice pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out one.
Cole Sands struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up one hit.

LOONS 4, KERNELS 2 IN CEDAR RAPIDS (PLAYOFF GAME 2--COMPLETION OF SUSPENDED GAME)

Great Lakes scored two in the sixth to break a 1-1 tie.

Jorel Ortega was 2-for-4 with a walk.
Luke Keaschall was 2-for-4.

Andrew Morris struck out seven in five innings, giving up one run on three hits.
John Klein struck out five in 2.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits.
A. J. Labas pitched a perfect inning, striking out one.

The best-of-three playoff series was tied 1-1.  The next game would decide the league champion.

KERNELS 7, LOONS 6 IN CEDAR RAPIDS (PLAYOFF GAME 3--7 INNINGS)

Emmanuel Rodriguez hit a grand slam in the second to give Cedar Rapids a 5-0 lead.  Great Lakes closed to 5-4 in the top of the fifth, but Cedar Rapids scored two in the bottom of the fifth.  Dalton Rushing hit a two-run homer in the seventh but Great Lakes did not get the tying run on base.

Kala'i Rosario was 2-for-3 with a walk.
Rodriguez hit a grand slam, his third homer of the post-season.

Cedar Rapids had only five hits but drew ten walks.

Cory Lewis pitched 4.2 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks and striking out five.
Gabriel Yanez struck out two in a scoreless inning, giving up two hits.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels win the Midwest League Championship!

TODAY'S TILT

6:37  Toledo at St. Paul (Randy Dobnak, 5-9, 5.31)

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–September 21

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Tom Brown (1860)
Elmer Smith (1892)
Eldon Auker (1910)
Max Butcher (1910)
Joe Haynes (1917)
John McHale (1921)
Jerry Zimmerman (1934)
Jerry Fosnow (1940)
Sudden Sam McDowell (1942)
Aurelio Lopez (1948)
Danny Cox (1959)
Cecil Fielder (1963)
D. J. Dozier (1965)
Jason Christianson (1969)
Scott Spiezio (1972)
Doug Davis (1975)
Jeremy Jeffress (1987)

Joe Haynes played for the Twins franchise while it was in Washington for four years, then coached for three, then was with the team as executive vice-president through 1967, when he passed away from a heart attack.

John McHale was the general manager of the Tigers, the Braves, and the Expos.

 Better known for his football career, William Henry “D. J.” Dozier played in 25 games for the New York Mets in 1992.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–September 21 →

Keeping Track

Minor Details: Games of September 19

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SAINTS 4, MUD HENS 2 IN ST. PAUL

Jair Camargo hit a two-run homer in the second and St. Paul added two in the fifth.  Toledo got both of their runs in the ninth.

Trevor Larnach was 3-for-4.
Nick Gordon was 2-for-3 with a double.
Camargo hit a two-run homer, his twentieth.

Hunter McMahon pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit and two walks.
Austin Schulfer walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning.
Chris Paddack struck out five in three shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk.
Michael Boyle struck out two in a perfect inning.
Brock Stewart walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning.
Jorge Alcala pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit.

GREAT LAKES AT CEDAR RAPIDS (PLAYOFF GAME 2)

The game was suspended after four and a half innings with Great Lakes leading 1-0.  It will be completed today.  If Cedar Rapids comes back to win, the series is over.  If Great Lakes wins, the two teams will play a second game tomorrow to decide the championship.

TODAY'S TILTS

4:30  Great Lakes at Cedar Rapids (completion of suspended game)
Great Lakes at Cedar Rapids (Cory Lewis)*
6:37  Toledo at St. Paul (Simeon Woods Richardson, 6-6, 4.92)

*If necessary

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–September 20

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Chuck Dressen (1894)
Zeke Bonura (1908)
Tom Tresh (1938)
Rich Morales (1943)
Roric Harrison (1946)
Pete Hamm (1947)
Mickey Klutts (1954)
Pat Bangtson (1964)
Jason Bay (1978)
Ian Desmond (1985)
Steve Lombardozzi (1988)

I believe this is the only date on which there are only two players to have been in the big leagues for ten seasons.

Pat Bangtson was drafted by the Twins in 1987 and was in their system through 1991, reaching as high as AAA. He then worked as an assistant coach at Ohio State from 1992-2005, when he became the head coach at the University of Akron through 2011.

We would also like to wish a very happy birthday to the Philosofer's daughter.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–September 20 →

Keeping Track

Minor Details: Where They Stand

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The St. Paul Saints are 37-32, in second place in the International League West, 1.5 games behind Nashville.  They have been eliminated from playoff competition.

The Wichita Wind Surge ended the second half 36-33, in second place in the Texas League North, two games behind Springfield.  They did not qualify for the playoffs.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels won their playoff series against Peoria two games to one.  They lead Great Lakes in the best-of-three League Championship Series one game to none.

TODAY'S TILTS

6:35  Great Lakes at Cedar Rapids (Andrew Morris)
6:37  Toledo at St. Paul (Hunter McMahon, 0-1, 1.93)

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–September 19

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Yank Robinson (1859)
Stuffy McInnis (1890)
Roger Angell (1920)
Epitacio Torres (1921)
Bob Murphy (1924)
Duke Snider (1926)
Bob Turley (1930)
Bill Williams (1930)
Chris Short (1937)
Joe Morgan (1943)
Joe Ferguson (1946)
Masaji Hiramatsu (1947)
Joe Maddon (1954)
Charlie Reliford (1955)
Randy Myers (1962)
Jim Abbott (1967)
Pedro Munoz (1968)
Javier Valentin (1975)
Mike Smith (1977)
Nick Johnson (1978)
Scott Baker (1981)
Danny Valencia (1984)
Gio Gonzalez (1985)
George Springer (1989)
Luke Raley (1994)

Roger Angell wrote several books and essays on baseball.  He is the stepson of author and essayist E. B. White, who was the co-author of "The Elements of Style".

Outfielder Epitacio Torres was a star in the Negro Leagues and the Mexican League in the 1940s and 1950s.  He is a member of the Mexican League Hall of Fame.  Whitey Ford once described him as "the best player I've seen in my career."  He is also the father of major leaguer Hector Torres.

Bob Murphy was a baseball broadcaster from 1954-2003, spending most of that time broadcasting for the New York Mets.

Bill Williams was a National League umpire from 1963-1987.

Masaji Hiramatsu won over two hundred games in Japan, pitching for the Taiyo Whales.

Joe Maddon was interim manger of the Angels in 1996 and 1999, managed Tampa Bay from 2006-14, was the manager of the Chicago Cubs from 2015-2019, and managed the Angels from 2020-2022.

Charlie Reliford was a major league umpire from 1989-2009 and is currently a supervisor of umpires.

George Springer was drafted by Minnesota in the 48th round in 2008, but did not sign.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–September 19 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–September 18

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Heinie Groh (1889)
George Uhle (1898)
Sam Bankhead (1910)
Harvey Haddix (1925)
Lorn Brown (1938)
Dick Dietz (1941)
Ken Brett (1948)
Tony Scott (1951)
Ray Smith (1955)
Ryne Sandberg (1959)
Jeff Bronkey (1965)
Kevin Thompson (1979)
Joe Bisenius (1982)
Taylor Motter (1989)
Juan Minaya (1990)
Beau Burrows (1996)
Marcos Diplan (1996)

Lorn Brown was a baseball broadcaster from 1966-1988, calling games for the Chicago White Sox, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the New York Mets.

Kevin Thompson was drafted by Minnesota in the eighteenth round in 1998, but did not sign.

Joe Bisenius pitched briefly for Philadelphia and Washington.  He is from Sioux City and was somewhat of a local hero when I lived in that area.

We would also like to wish a very happy birthday to nibbish and a very happy anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. Corn.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–September 18 →

Keeping Track

Minor Details: Games of September 17

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CUBS 1, SAINTS 0 IN IOWA

The game's lone run scored on a double play in the second inning.

Brooks Lee was 2-for-4.

David Festa pitched 2.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits and two walks and striking out two.
Brent Headrick retired all ten men he faced, striking out four.
Michael Boyle pitched a perfect inning, striking out one.
Cole Sands struck out two and walked one in a scoreless inning.

ROCKHOUNDS 6, WIND SURGE 4 IN WICHITA

Cameron Masterson hit a three-run homer in the second and Midland never trailed.  Wichita scored all of their runs in the ninth and had the bases loaded when the game ended.

Alex Isola was 2-for-4 with a double.
Jake Rucker was 2-for-4 with a double.
Tanner Schobel was 2-for-4.

Jordan Carr pitched three innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk and striking out one.
Taylor Floyd struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit.
Denny Bentley retired all four men he faced, striking out one.

Wichita ends its season 36-33, in second place in the Texas League North, two games behind Springfield.

KERNELS 10, LOONS 6 IN GREAT LAKES (PLAYOFF GAME 1)

Trailing 6-5, Cedar Rapids scored five runs in the ninth.  Carson McCusker hit a three-run homer to break a 6-6 tie.

McCusker was 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs.
Emmanuel Rodriguez was 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBIs.
Jose Salas hit a home run.

Christian MacLeod pitched 1.1 innings, allowing four runs on three hits and three walks and striking out three.
John Stankiewicz struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk.
Malik Barrington struck out two and walked one in 1.2 scoreless innings.

Cedar Rapids leads the best-of-three series 1-0.

TODAY'S TILTS

No games scheduled.

TUESDAY'S TILTS

6:35  Cedar Rapids (Andrew Morris) at Great Lakes
6:37  Toledo at St. Paul (TBD)

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–September 17

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Ezra Sutton (1850)
Willie Sudhoff (1874)
Frank Schulte (1882)
Sheriff Blake (1899)
Hughie Critz (1900)
Sam Streeter (1900)
Paul Hardy (1910)
Chase Riddle (1925)
Orlando Cepeda (1937)
Bobby Wine (1938)
Thad Bosley (1956)
John Franco (1960)
Dan Haren (1980)
Casey Crosby (1988)
Marcus Semien (1990)
Zack Granite (1992)
Jose Ramirez (1992)
James Marvel (1993)
Jordan Balazovic (1998)

Chase Riddle played in the minors from 1943-1962, managed in the minors from 1951-1962, was a scout from 1963-1978, and was the baseball coach at Troy State University from 1979-1990.

James Marvel was drafted by Minnesota in the thirty-seventh round in 2012, but did not sign.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–September 17 →

Keeping Track

Minor Details: Games of September 15

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CUBS 7, SAINTS 6 IN IOWA

Yonathan Periaza hit a three-run homer in a five-run sixth that gave Iowa a 7-3 lead.  Trevor Larnach hit a three-run homer in the ninth but St. Paul did not get the tying run on base.

Gilberto Celestino was 2-for-3 with a walk.
Larnach was 2-for-5 with a three-run homer (his fifteenth) and two runs.

Blayne Enlow pitched three innings, giving up two runs on five hits and striking out one.
Brock Stewart struck out two in a perfect inning.
Jordan Balazovic pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out one.
Andrew Bechtold pitched a scoreless inning, walking one and striking out one.

WIND SURGE 7, ROCKHOUNDS 0 IN WICHITA

Yoyner Fajardo hit a two-run homer in the third for all the runs Wichita would need.

Fajardo was 3-for-5 with a home run (his ninth), a triple, and four RBIs.
Patrick Winkel was 2-for-3 with a home run (his tenth), a double, and two RBIs.
Will Holland was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Jake Rucker hit a home run, his ninth.

Marco Raya struck out four in four shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk.
Aaron Rozek struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk.
Jorge Alcala struck out four in 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk.
Taylor Floyd retired all five men he faced.

KERNELS 9, CHIEFS 3 IN CEDAR RAPIDS (PLAYOFF GAME THREE)

Cedar Rapids scored four runs in the first inning on two walks and four singles.

Noah Cardenas was 3-for-5 with two RBIs.
Luke Keaschall was 3-for-5 with two RBIs.
Jorel Ortega was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs.

C. J. Culpepper struck out eight in five innings, giving up one run on four hits and a walk.
Mike Paredes struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk.

The Kernels win the playoff series two games to one.  They will now advance to the Midwest League Championship Series against Great Lakes.  That series will begin on September 17.

TODAY'S TILTS

6:08  St. Paul (Patrick Murphy, 6-2, 3.30) at Iowa
7:05  Midland at Wichita (Jaylin Nowlin, 3-1, 3.12)