Look Back; Look Forward

Durham Bulls Athletic Park, October 19, 2013

Most seasons we do a review of what we liked and what we thought were areas to work on for the DBAP and the Bulls in the season. We put out an invite for further comment and we usually get a few interesting observations.

This year is different because of the renovations going on. To be honest, until the announcement was made I had not noticed that things were getting a bit shabby around the edges. After the announcement, however, we started looking more closely and realized that renovation would be a very good thing. On the other hand, until we see what happens (including cup holders for the front row of the terrace reserved seats!) we'll hold off on comments about facilities. The plans look good, though.

So let’s just talk about what worked well:

• National Anthem singers. When you listen to 60 or 70 performances a year you quickly come to appreciate effort that the Bulls invested in finding performers. We particularly like the choral groups. Also notable were a brass group whose name I missed and an a cappella group called Cognitive Resonance.
• Bull Durham racers. Fun to watch and creative in finding ways for Nuke to lose each race. Hope they come back next year.
• Food Truck events. The only down side of the food trucks was that it gave you a hint of what was possible down in the regular concession area. We hate to miss a moment of baseball, so we had to come very early. Being in right field, if the sun was out, it could be brutal for the vendors, I’d think. We appreciate the difficult balance that has to be made with contractors, etc., but it was a good idea worthy of a couple of repeats next year.
• I’m not big beer drinker, so I appreciated beer in small quantities being available (if not the price). Nice to taste all the varieties available. More always better, of course.
• Bull City Summer was an interesting adjunct to the season. We are looking forward to the book when it becomes available.

What else? Chime in.

News

On the Bulls website

• You can download a stencil to carve a Wool E. Bull pumkin.
• Buy a Governors’ Cup Champions T-shirt (got mine already).
• Take a look at the 2014 schedule (April 3! 166 days … a long, long time).

Players:

• Several 2013 Bulls have declared free agency: Ryan Roberts, Shelley Duncan, Jason Bourgeois and J.D. Martin. The last three made a difference this year. I'll miss them. Nothing precludes the Rays from re-signing, but usually doesn’t happen.
• Out in the Arizona Fall League Mike Montgomery and Merrill Kelly are at work for the Salt River Rafters along with several other Rays prospects we’ve never seen.  

The Durham Bulls in 2013 — Hitters — Part 2

Players in this version of the 2013 hitters’ table are sorted by wOBA. See previous post for the table sorted by games played. The less familiar stats such as weighted on-base average (wOBA) and weighted runs above average (wRAA) are explained at the links. Players with an asterisk are left-handed batters. Data sources are Baseball Reference.com and Fangraphs. Players discussed in order of games played.

Name	Age	G	PA	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	wOBA	wRAA
Hak-Ju Lee*	22	15	57	.422	.536	.600	1.136	.508	8.0
Wil Myers	22	64	289	.286	.356	.520	.876	.387	13.5
Vince Belnome*	25	127	533	.300	.408	.446	.854	.389	25.6
Leslie Anderson*	31	119	494	.292	.372	.459	.832	.375	18.7
Brandon Guyer	27	98	405	.301	.374	.458	.832	.377	15.9
Luke Scott	35	3	14	.333	.429	.333	.762	.338	0.1
Kevin Kiermaier*	23	39	154	.263	.338	.423	.761	.344	2.1
Tim Beckham	23	122	522	.276	.342	.387	.729	.334	3.2
Cole Figueroa*	26	129	533	.286	.361	.367	.727	.337	4.3
Mike Fontenot*	33	120	470	.264	.335	.379	.714	.328	0.6
Jason Bourgeois	31	90	391	.290	.343	.368	.711	.325	-0.3
Juan Apodaca	26	29	97	.238	.333	.357	.690	.323	-0.3
Shelley Duncan	33	90	376	.215	.287	.382	.669	.303	-6.6
Chris Gimenez	30	95	375	.224	.350	.305	.656	.316	-3.0
Rich Thompson*	34	50	217	.249	.325	.312	.638	.300	-4.3
Ryan Roberts	32	37	148	.210	.320	.274	.594	.286	-4.5
Evan Frey*	27	47	148	.230	.329	.262	.591	.286	-4.5
Craig Albernaz	30	33	115	.225	.279	.304	.583	.271	-4.9
Jesus Flores	28	52	189	.178	.212	.244	.456	.211	-16.7

2013 Durham Bulls Hitters

Sorted by wOBA

Jason Bourgeois, besides having the most difficult name to spell correctly, added quite a bit to the team this year and not all of it shows in the stats. First of all, at the beginning of the year he was a speedy outfielder who, along with Rich Thompson, could cover left and center and steal bases (22 on the year). This base running speed made up for Durham’s lack of power throughout the year. He and Thompson helped limit the damage from Wil Myers’ surprising lack of skill in right field in the early part of the season. He got to play in 9 games with the Rays late in the season, but there was no public bid for his services as he passed through waivers on his way back. At 31, he needed perhaps a bit more to earn a call back for 2014. We’ll have to wait and see. Stats.

Shelley Duncan may have had his last hurrah as a baseball player with the Bulls this year. To be honest, we like just about everything about what we have seen from him over the years. But he seems to have lost a step and certainly was not the power hitter this year that he has been in the past. With over 300 major league games under his belt, he surely brought a depth of experience to the clubhouse and his enthusiasm with each win was visible. To get some insights into his approach to the game, take a look at two very fine articles (here and here) from this year’s Bull City Summer. 54 RBI is nothing to sneeze at. The Bulls needed every one they could get this year. At 33 is there a chance that he could be back? Maybe. Stats.

Wil Myers spent the early part of the season with the Bulls, playing in 64 games before moving on. (Note: that was more than Longoria's 38 games in late 2007/early 2008.) We won’t see him in the DBAP in a Bulls uniform again (unless it’s for a rehab assignment and we’d rather not see that happen). We admit that his first month or so was unimpressive when compared to the hype, but then we noticed his RBI numbers, which were substantial even early in the season, much less what he accumulated over his 64 games (57). Early awkwardness in right field smoothed out a bit, but needed work. At the plate he eventually showed all that was promised, hitting one of the longest home runs we’ve ever witnessed and 13 more to go with it. Note that even though he left the team in June, at the end of the season his 14 homers were tied for the team lead (with Anderson). We wish him well. We’ll be able to say we saw him way back when someday. Stats.

Jesus Flores ended up being the Bulls go-to catcher for much of the season. I think it’s fair to say that he would not have gotten quite as much playing time if the Bulls had not needed Gimenez in the outfield. Not much of a bat, but clearly an above average defensive catcher. And that’s what the Bulls needed after Myers departed and Thompson got hurt. Flores has 311 major league games, more than Duncan. So he was yet another veteran in the clubhouse, in his case working with several young pitchers. Honestly, I never paid much attention to him over the year. Maybe I should have. He might be at the bottom of the power heap, but he might be back even with that awful wRAA. Stats.

Rich Thompson had some seriously bad luck this year. First of all he started the season in a slump and then, just as he was coming out of it, he broke his foot and was out for the rest of the year. He was noticed in the stands of the Triple-A championship game and it sure sounded like he is on the verge of retiring. Too bad. One of the keys to the 2013 Bulls was speed. The Bulls stole 137 bases this year, up from just 74 in 2012. Of those 74 in 2012, Rich Thompson accounted for 29 of them. By the time of his injury on June 6, Thompson had picked up 22, and that with a not-very-good OBP of just .325 (not very good for Thompson, that is). At 34, we’ve got to guess that he won’t be back. Too bad. Stats.

Evan Frey was part of the scramble to find an outfielder in June and July. To that end he was helpful. At the plate, not so much. But he did his job. He also spent some time in Montgomery and came back to lend a hand at the end of the season. He’ll need to offer more promise at the plate if he’s to return. Stats.

Kevin Kiermaier was a welcome addition to the Bulls' roster near the end of the season. Needing a center fielder ever since Rich Thompson’s injury, 23 year-old Kiermaier joined the Bulls in late July and clearly had a good time. He’s a fun-to-watch fielder and quick on the base paths (7 stolen bases, 6 triples). He had a terrific combined season at AA and AAA. The best part for Bulls fans is that he is a solid candidate for a full year with the Bulls in 2014. That should be fun. Stats.

Ryan Roberts simply wasn’t much help to the Bulls even though he got a good bit of playing time in his many stays with the team. It’s fair to say, I think, that he came into 2013 assuming he had a shot at being a Rays’ regular, and he did play in 60 games with the Rays this year. But when the Rays needed to move Wil Myers up, it was Roberts who got optioned down. He bounced back up a few days later, hit two home runs, and was optioned back (all this in late June, early July). He then went back up to the Rays for late July/early August, but came back, this time in DFA circumstances, meaning he was off the Rays’ 40-man roster. Roberts had the most major league playing time of any Bull, 510 games over 8 years, but he simply didn’t add much to the team that we could see. Quite likely the highest paid Durham Bull this year ($2.95 million). Did not play, as far as I could tell, in the Bulls’ post-season. Stats.

Craig Albernaz remains one of our favorite ballplayers and he was responsible for our biggest single thrill of the season, his grand slam into the bull back on August 6 against the Rochester Red Wings. Hard to imagine, but catcher Albernaz has spent parts of 5 seasons with the Bulls, although this year was the only time he’s spent all of the season in a Bulls uniform. He is obviously a huge asset to the Rays system. Will he be back? Hard to say. My guess is that they will place him in the location in their system that they are most interested in developing pitchers. Note that he holds an ERA of 0.00 in his 3 games, 3 innings pitched in 2013, a significant improvement over his 2012 pitching performance. He’s reported to have been working on a cutter. Stats.

Juan Apodaca did a decent enough job for the Bulls this year, so we were a bit surprised that he was released in mid-July. At a guess, he was a casualty of the Rays’ apparent confusion over just what to do at the catching position throughout their system. We have to note that not one of the four catchers with the Bulls this year made it into the black on the wRAA stat this year. The one with the highest rating was Apodaca and he got released. Certainly there are a lot of ways of looking at catchers that we fans aren’t going to be able to evaluate. Apodaca came to the Bulls out of independent ball, but we have not been able to find out if he caught on anywhere for the rest of 2013. Stats.

Hak-Ju Lee was injured on April 20 ending what was a spectacular start to the season. The young Mr. Lee was simply doing it all: hitting, stealing bases, and playing a superb short stop. His advanced metrics were pretty (BB/K of 1.22). It would surely have been fun to watch him develop over the year. Because the Rays are being their usual selves and not informing anyone about his status, we can only guess that his surgery went well and that he is rehabbing right now. We can hope so, and we can hope that his recovery is successful enough for him to be with the Bulls next year. Stats.

Luke Scott visited the Bulls on a rehab assignment at the end of the year. Stats.

Rusty Relievers, Brilliant PawSox Defense, Bulls Lose

Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun, N&O, Pawtucket

The last time Rhode Island native Jeff Beliveau was on a pitcher’s mound was an inning back on September 4th. Before that, he hadn’t pitched for the Bulls since August 22. So when he came in after a very fine 7 innings by Jake Odorizzi, I was worried. A single, hit batsman, sac bunt, and two-run single later the Bulls were behind 2-1 and Steve Geltz was in to finish the inning. Too late.

But the Bulls did have their chances and we really do need to credit the Red Sox with a string of very nice defensive plays in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings, mostly by second baseman Brock Holt. His range and glovework was exceptional. In the 8th he was assisted by a rally-killing catch by center fielder Justin Henry.

Have say a bit more about the brilliant job that was done by Odorizzi last night. He struck out the side in the 7th inning to finish out with 7 scoreless innings and a simply dominating performance. I’m guessing he will be on a plane to St. Petersburg very soon to see if he can get in some more time with the Rays before the end of their season.

So here we are. Tonight is the last game to be played in the DBAP this year. Next year the place is going to look different with more than just a fresh coat of paint. If the past is any indication, the team will be different as well. In all likelihood, not more than three or four of these guys will suit up as Durham Bulls next year, so this is the last time you will be able to see them play ball. And they will be playing for the Governors’ Cup. What could be more fun than that?

Outside the game —

• Note for the N&O: it is the Governors' Cup, not the Governor's Cup. See earlier item to understand why.
  Tonight the Bulls have ace J.D. Martin going up against knuckleballer Steven Wright. The PawSox have two knuckleballers on staff. How weird is that? 
• Infielder Ryan Roberts tweaked something in batting practice yesterday and Montgomery Biscuits infielder Shawn O’Malley was activated for his slot. 
• See the table below regarding the current status of the nostalgia races. Will they run for the last time tonight? If so, who will win the 40th running of the Bull Durhams?

Bats Still Slumbering

Season: 83-53; Home Games Remaining: 1; Regular Season Games Left: 8
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Not a great night for the Bulls bats, with the exception of Ryan Roberts’ timely double with the bases-loaded. Roberts had been 0 for All since his return on the 19th (note: he had drawn 5 BBs), so this was a welcome return of his timing. The others will come around, we just need that coming around to happen within a week or so.

Most of the starters have been going deep lately. With the rain down in Norfolk the other day that meant that several relievers have been spending a lot of time spitting sunflower seeds and chatting up fans down there along the right field line. But two got in last night after several days’ rest — C.J. Riefenhauser and Steve Geltz both got two innings in and didn’t allow a run.

The 9th was exciting. Almost … almost … almost …

Outside the game —

• No official word on Jason Bourgeois clearing waivers or how the Bulls will make room for him. Probably some news today.
• Broadcaster Kinas speculated on a playoff starting rotation of Martin, Odorizzi, Kelly, Buschmann and Montgomery. But that was before Rays’ starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson got hammered yesterday in Kansas City. Hellickson has not been looking very good lately which might mean Odorizzi moving up sooner rather than later. The Rays cannot afford to lose many more games.
• Rays Index doesn’t think much of the Bulls oddly-colored semi-camo uniforms. He seems to prefer the blue jerseys with the unreadable numbers on them.
• Nuke failed to win again last night, getting distracted by “The Mayor”. Is he to be skunked this year? Will he have a chance during a playoff game? What about tonight in the last regular season home game? Will he/they be back next year? 

Odorizzi Rules

Season: 83-51; Home Games Remaining: 3

Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Jake Odorizzi looked really, really good last night. 11 Ks, only three hits in 101 pitches. Just brilliant. If he’s in the playoff rotation, the Bulls should be in very good shape. And there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be. There’s the oddity of the double-header coming up in Norfolk this Saturday, but my guess is Montoyo and Allen will find a way to start the playoffs with Odorizzi and Martin.

Meanwhile, even though the Bulls never came close to solving the knuckleball of Norfolk’s Eddie Gamboa, they did what they have been doing all year — take advantage of the situation. All three runs were scored by Bulls who first worked a lead-off walk. In the 2nd inning Vince Belnome walked, got to 2B on a scratch single by Leslie Anderson, to 3B on a throwing error, and scored on a Mike Fontenot single. In the 5th inning it was Fontenot who got the leadoff walk. He stole second, move to 3B on a passed ball, and then scored on a Kevin Kiermaier single. Then in the 6th Ryan Roberts got the leadoff walk, moved to 2B on a wild pitch, and scored on a Shelley Duncan single. Aggressive, heads up baseball. Not one extra base hit. Great fun to watch in the huge crowd.

Outside the game —

• Some tough decisions coming up for the Rays and Bulls. Brandon Guyer is coming off the DL soon (yahoo!) and Jason Bourgeois has been Designated for Assignment and may be coming back (yahoo, again). So what happens? I’ve mentioned the Rays’ “creativity” before. We’ll have to see what happens.
• The Indianapolis Indians clinched the IL West last night and are confirmed to be the team that the Bulls will face a week from this Wednesday. Got your ticket yet?
• OK, this has been bugging me ever since it happened, so let me get it off my chest. The other night when the Bulls won the South Division they dove into the clubhouse to celebrate. They didn’t even wave to the fans, they just ran off the field to celebrate in private. Did they dis us? Sure seemed that way. Did they think they were the only ones who knew they'd won? Or cared? At least Charlie stayed for an interview.

The Bulls Return; Jones Number to be Retired

Thursday, Aug 15, Game 126: Durham Bulls 2; Gwinnett Braves 1
Wrap, Box

Friday, Aug 16, Game 127: Durham Bulls 5; Gwinnett Braves 4
Wrap, Box

Sunday, Aug 17, Game 128: Durham Bulls 8; Charlotte Knights 5 (7 Innings)
Game 129: Durham Bulls 5; Charlotte Knights 1 (7 Innings)
Wrap, Box (1), Box (2)

Monday, Aug 18, Game 130: Durham Bulls 0; Charlotte Knights 1
Wrap, Box,

Season: 80-30; Road Trip: 4-3

When they told me that cell coverage, much less wi-fi, was going to be erratic at this place in the mountains, I didn’t believe them. But you know what? It was erratic and I have to admit that it was nice to be out of touch for a couple of days. Somehow the Bulls mostly did just fine without WDBB watching them, as they edged toward locking up their South Division championship.

Ryan Roberts is back. He’s no longer on the 40-man as the Rays are going through a big round of roster manipulations (that are likely to continue for the next couple of weeks). Brandon Gomes finished his rehab assignment, went back to the Rays, and is now reported to been optioned back to the Bulls. That’s good news for the Bulls, but I doubt he will hang around for the playoffs. Bulls regular, Jason Bourgeois, is still with the Rays, but guessing is that he might return as well, unless he’s out of options (whatever that means).

The Durham Bulls’ Chipper Jones, right, throws to first to turn a double play as Kinston’s Omar Ramirez is out at second during a game played in Durham on May 31, 1992. N&O file photo.

Today is the big Chipper Jones day at the DBAP. Cory Smith at the N&O came up with a great photo and has a nice story on Jones’ time with the Bulls back in 1992.

The Herald-Sun's Steve Wiseman is in Baltimore for some reason and is filing Bulls-related stories. Here's one on Wil Myers' time with the Bulls, with some quotes from fellow 2013 Bulls Chris Archer and Jason Bourgeois.

Nice Nights in Toledo

Wrap, Box,Toledo Blade

Season: 71-41; Trip: 4-2
Wrap, Box, Toledo Blade

The Durham Bulls are an astonishing 30 games over .500 at the end of July. One of the key players in this great run is Leslie Anderson and he was the man last night. He came to bat in the 8th with the score tied, the bases loaded, and one out. He hit a double that scored two runs and won the game.

Infielder Ryan Roberts, who might as well just leave duffel bags with both teams’ equipment guys, went back to St. Petersburg (and played third base for the Rays last night, 0-3, 3 Ks) for a few days when Rays' pitcher Matt Moore went on the DL. Evan Frey, who’d been in Montgomery, came back to the Durham Bulls, played right field and hit two doubles (1 RBI). Good swap, I’d say.

Matt Buschmann has not had a decision in his last three games, although the Bulls won two out of three. Nevertheless, his outing was pretty good. Lueke had another superb outing. This time he went two full innings and 36 pitches (32 for strikes!), and his 14th save.

Outside the game —

• If reports are accurate, Brandon Gomes, who started the season with the Bulls, is with the team on a rehab assignment and will get at least some time on the mound tonight. Not sure if he will still be with the team when the Bulls get back.
• Keeping an ear open for rumors about the injured Ray Alex Cobb. Not telling if his rehab assignment will bring him through the DBAP or not.
• Speaking of rehabs, former Durham Bull B.J. Upton played for the Gwinnett Braves last night. The Bulls play the Braves on Saturday and Sunday. Will B.J. be on the field? Can't tell. He’s not having a good year with Atlanta, so far. Hate to see him break out in the DBAP. He had quite a few big hits in his years with the Bulls.

More Rust

Season: 63-37; Home Stand: 5-2
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

There was a lot not to like about last night’s game. It was slow, almost 4 hours for a 9-inning game. The second inning was just awful, Mike Montgomery served up 3 BBs, two home runs, a double, and a single. The Bulls got an exceptional number of free rides — a season-high 10 walks and 2 hit batsmen by Red Sox pitching (plus two sac flies) — but left 12 runners on base. And it was hot!

But the game had its moments. Shelley Duncan twice came to bat with the bases loaded. The first time he doubled in two runs, the second time he hit a freakish comebacker to the pitcher that led to an inning-ending double play. Tim Beckham pulled off a nifty, behind-second-base grab and throw in the 3rd inning. (Is he major-league ready? Yeah, probably so.) Vince Belnome continued his exceptional on base performance, 2 BBs, single, double. And there was the almost comeback in the 8th. Not enough, but a big try.

Outside the game —

• Ryan Roberts made the most of his visit back with the Rays getting a big hit up in Toronto to help win the game.

And Then There Was Seven

Season: 62-35; Streak: 7-0

Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun

Seven wins in a row. Still the best won-lost recored in all of baseball.

Matt Buschmann looked very, very good. Eight of nine Bulls got at least one hit. Eight of nine Bulls scored a run. The new pitcher had a clean 2K inning. Tim Beckham made a brilliant, you-had-to-be-there-to-see-it play. It didn’t rain. This is fun, fun, fun.

This was a game where blunders didn’t seem to matter. In the 3rd inning Leslie Anderson was inexplicably caught standing between first and second base. Did he misunderstand a signal? Did the batter (Fontenot)? He was the third out and on another day it might have mattered. As it was, the Bulls got four more runs the next inning and never looked back. Mike Fontenot did, however, get thrown out at the plate to end the 5th inning. Not sure that was a smart base running move either.

I’m impressed with Mr. Buschmann. He pitched his first game with the Bulls at the end of May. Since then he’s been in 9 games and picked up 5 wins with a nice ERA of 2.36 (and a WHIP of 1.16). Combine him with his Montgomery Biscuits colleague Merrill Kelly (6 starts, 4 wins, 1.70 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) and you have a partial explanation for the Bulls’ recent success. Best of all, from a fan’s view, neither Buschmann nor Kelly is on the Rays’ 40-man roster. That means we will likely get to see them at work the rest of the season. 

About that pretty play: In the 5th inning Braves catcher Jose Yepez hit a very hard grounder to third baseman Cole Figueroa’s left. Shortstop Tim Beckham moved to back him up. Figueroa got a bit of his glove on the ball and Beckham had to make an off-balance stretch to get to it, turn and make a throw from essentially behind third base. The quickness of the transfer and the strength of Beckham’s  throw to first base was a a good reason to be at the game.

We don't know why Ramon Ramirez is here, but if he keeps having strong innings, we are fine with it.

For all you Moneyball readers/watchers: Who’s got the best On-Base Percentage in the International League? That would be the Bulls’ Vince Belnome, who had a hit, three walks, a RBI, and scored a run last night. His OBP is .448. 

I was wrong (imagine that!) about who would be helping the Bulls while Charlie and Neil are away. According to the Herald-Sun, Dave Myers (hitting coach) is running things with help from Rays pitching coordinator Dick Bosman coaching pitchers and outfield/baserunning coordinator Skeeter Barnes as first base coach. 

Last game before the All-Star break tonight.

Outside the game —

• Here’s hoping that the Bulls can get their bench back over the All-Star break. Jason Bourgeois and Ryan Roberts are slowed down and the Bulls only have 12 position players to begin with. 
• I’m not a Red Sox fan, but their Triple A team will be here right after the break and here’s an interesting article about why the parent club is doing so well this year. Turns out it’s the pitching.
• Nuke still having trouble getting to the finish line.

Drizzly Drama

Season: 60-35; Streak: 5-0
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

In recent days an essential bit of game gear is a rain jacket or umbrella. After a drought a couple of years ago, this year has been near-constant rain varying from light showers to the occasional flood-producing deluge. Local farmers are watching crops rot in the fields.

On the other hand, the Durham Bulls seem to take to the weather like … well, you supply the image. Fans, especially the hydrophobic ones such as myself, tend to check on the tarp status and end up watching the rain from dry seats at home.

Mistake on my part, because, as much fun as it was to watch it on the big screen, it would have been a lot more fun to be there. It was a long haul. Even the broadcasters seemed to lose interest after the Knights’ home run in the top of the 7th put them ahead 4-3, and even more so when Leslie Anderson grounded out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning. Worse, Charlotte picked up another run in the top of the 8th.

In the bottom of the 8th, however, Ryan Roberts interrupted the broadcasters’ nattering on about decades-old baseball trivia with a huge homer over the Bull. Mike Fontenot got on with his fourth hit of the day, was sacrificed to 2B and scored after a wild pitch and scoring error to tie the game.

The bottom of the 9th was classic 2013 Bulls baseball. Vince Belnome got an extra base hit, a triple, to lead off the inning. Shelley Duncan struck out. Leslie Anderson hit a line drive over the head of the drawn in right fielder to bring Belnome in to win the game.

I forget just how young Mike Montgomery is. For that matter, how young most of these guys are: Montgomery, Jake Odorizzi, and C.J. Riefenhauser are all just 23 years old. So, while he wasn’t having an off night, neither did he look all that strong. On the other hand, 96 pitches, not bad.

Outside the game —

• Careful readers of WDBB may recall that some time ago the good folks at PETA took umbrage at the treatment of opossums out in Brasstown, NC. Now it appears that they have taken up the cause of the Rays’ rays in a fish tank down in Tropicana Field. I know, these are just fund-raising gimmicks targeting folks who have never seen a ‘possum or a cownose ray, but still seems a bit silly.

Matchup

The Bulls are now 25 games above .500. At 60-35, they have the best record in the International League. [Note: According to Bulls GM Mike Birling, the Bulls have the best record in professional baseball!] The Braves won their last two games and are in town for three before the break. They are 19 games back of the Bulls. The Bulls lead the IL in batting average and are .001 off the lead (Buffalo Bisons) in OPS. They are second in the league in ERA, 0.05 behind the Indianapolis Indians.

Bulls Back in Town

Season: 59-35; Last 10: 8-2
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Tim Beckham hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot in the 1st inning. Jesus Flores hit his second home run of the season, a three-run shot in the 7th to pretty much close it out. That gave the Bulls their fourth in a row and their eighth win out of the last ten games. They are 9½ games ahead of Norfolk in the IL South Division and tied with the Indianapolis Indians for the best won-loss record in the International League. Pretty darned good.

His last time out, Jake Odorizzi had five good innings out of six, but took a loss. Last night when he fielded a grounder and then threw the ball into center field we were thinking that history might repeat itself. It didn’t. He kept the game in control.

An oddity in the lineup was Chris Gimenez batting in the #4 position. Possibly a gimmick to help him regain his focus. It might have helped just a bit. Gimenez and Anderson were in the outfield again as Ryan Roberts, Brandon Guyer, and Jason Bourgeois were all on the bench with various ailments and ouchies.

Outside the game —

• Catcher Juan Apodaca was taken off the disabled list and released. He had a couple of good moments with the Bulls, but we were always wondering what he had to offer over Craig Albernaz (also on the DL, but likely to come off now).
• Tim Beckham has a nice feature article on him in today’s News & Observer. It appears that the N&O has basically decided to try to do profiles this year rather than regular game coverage, deferring to the Herald-Sun for that. Sort of makes sense. 
• The Herald-Sun is reporting the interim manager of the Bulls during Charlie Montoyo and Neil Allen’s time with the Futures Game will be Bill Evers, very successful manager of the Bulls in their early Triple-A years.

At Last, a Run

Wrap, Box, Gwinnett Daily Post

Season: 56-35; Trip: 1-1
Wrap, Box, Gwinnett Daily Post

Merrill Kelly and Josh Lueke combined to shut out the Braves and the Bulls finally scored a run after being blanked for 18 innings. Oddly enough, they got that run without getting a hit..

Looks like Mr. Kelly is the real thing. Three wins in five starts; an ERA of 2.03 over 31 innings; a WHIP of 1.13. A very nice addition to the rotation.

About that run: The Bulls loaded the bases after Cole Figueroa flied out to begin the 8th. Tim Beckham was hit by a pitch, then stole 2B. Vince Belnome was given an intentional walk, but Ryan Roberts got a walk to load the bases. A pitching change didn't help because Leslie Anderson hit a sac fly to center that scored Beckham for the first Bulls run since the 7th inning against the Tides last Friday.

But it was enough for Bulls' to get a split in their first visit to Georgia. Now they are off to Charlotte.

Outside the game —

• C.J. Riefenhauser will be joining Charlie Montoyo and Neil Allen at this year’s All-Star Futures game. Congratulations!
• Three years ago Dan Johnson hit his 23rd home run and 77th RBI. The Bulls were only 86 games into the season. This year the best power hitting Bull has 11 home runs (Anderson) and most productive Bull has 50 RBI (Belnome). Wil Myers led in both categories before he left, 14 and 57. That may help explain why Bulls fans remember Johnson so fondly.
• Brandon Guyer leads the Bulls in HBP with 12, but consider Shin-Soo Choo of the Reds with 20.

Matchup: Knights vs. Bulls

The Bulls match up well against this year’s Knights. The mismatch between their actual win-loss 41-50 and their Pythagorean Expectation of 43-48 implies a weakness in their relief corps.

Bulls Beat Bulls

Season: 55-34
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Former Bulls Russ Canzler (2011) and Jason Pridie (2007) accounted for a couple of last night’s runs, including one in that ugly, ugly 3rd inning. Jake Odorizzi had very, very good 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th innings. But somehow when he gave up the single at the top of the 3rd for his first runner on base, things went awry. By the time he was back on track four runs were across.

Meanwhile the Tides’ Tsuyoshi Wada was essentially untouchable for most of the first six innings. And when he was touched early his fielders pulled off double plays.

The result? A big crowd saw a decent ball game and a couple of exciting plays (see catcher/left fielder Chris Gimenez’ play below).

Bulls fans got to see Frank De Los Santos back. Except for the Pridie home run, looked OK for his two innings. Ryan Roberts’ gear must’ve shown up. He was at 2B and got the games’ sole RBI for the Bulls.

Outside the game —

• Leslie Anderson reported to be working his way back.
• Two years ago the Bulls were down in Georgia. Alex Torres started and got the win in a rain-shortened 3-1 game. Other familiar names in the box score: Leslie Anderson, Desmond Jennings, and Brandon Guyer.
• Nuke the puppet continues to find interesting ways to lose races.

Fun Fourth

Season: 55-33

Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

The Durham Bulls' All-Stars had an all-star night in front of an all-star crowd, the largest ever to see a Bulls game (11,754). J.D. Martin got his 10th win, Kirby Yates got his 10th save, and Vince Belnome was 1 for 2 with two BBs, an RBI, and scored a run. Plus it seemed like every inning started with a play at first base. 

Martin looked particularly strong, giving up his usual solo home run, but mostly the bases were clear. There was one stretch of 12 hitters who didn’t make it to base. 

Nobody was giving up freebies last night. Bulls pitching did not award a single base on balls and didn’t hit a batter. That’s exactly the kind of pitching we like to see. Crowd was thrilled to see Kirby Yates close it all out with a K. Great night at the park.

Outside the game —

• Even with Evan Frey added to the roster, the Bulls still had absolutely no depth on the bench last night. Leslie Anderson is day-to-day after getting hit in the knee by a pitch in Charlotte Wednesday night. Ryan Roberts is here (but without his gear which was misplaced by the airline). Jason Bougeois is at 65% (according to Kinas). That’s all there is folks.
• Very well-done profile of Durham Bulls star Vince Belnome in today’s News & Observer. Worth a look.
• Last year the Bulls were also in town playing the Tides. A big crowd (11,117) watched the Bulls beat these Norfolk Tides 8-2, but Bulls were 4 games below .500 (they are 22 games above .500 today). Leslie Anderson, Tim Beckham, and Chris Gimenez are the only players from this year’s team who were in the game.

Rain and Rosterification

DBAP, July 2, 3:30 pm

Game 84, July 1, 7 innings
Durham Bulls 1, Columbus Clippers 2

Game 85, July 1, 7 innings
Durham Bulls 5, Columbus Clippers 0

Season: 52-33; Home Stand 2-1
Box (1), Box (2), Herald-Sun

With the sight of the tarp on the field at 3 in the afternoon, might as well take a look at last night and at all the changes in the Bulls roster. Have to mention, however, that it could be Daisuke Matsuzaka pitching  for the Clippers tonight against one of the Bulls new guys, Merrill Kelly. Last time we saw Matuzaka in the DBAP he was on a rehab appearance pitching for the Pawtucket Red Sox, and the Bulls had Hideki Matsui here making a comeback run.

Mike Montgomery got in a “complete” game in his seven innings last night, but none of the Bulls were able to figure out the Clippers’ Danny Salazar. Salazar went 6⅓ innings before he faced any more than the minimum number of hitters. Good pitching and good defense (2 double plays, two very nice throws from the outfield cutting off advancing runners) helped.

In the second game, the Bulls going (yet again) with a committee of pitchers, went much better. Pitching was solid with the crew getting a rare shutout. Only 4 so far this year, the last back on April 29, but only 7 innings.

Shelley Duncan had a particularly impressive night, 2 for 3 and the only RBI in the first game and 3 for 3 with a RBI in the second game. Left field seems to agree with him.

Rosterification and more —

• Alex Colome is back, but it appears the Rays broke him and he may be headed for the DL.
• We have to mention the rare instance of WDBB being more or less right about something when, right after we published our analysis of Bulls pitching, Will Inman was released.
• That helps make sense of the addition of RHP Ramon S. Ramirez to the team. The 31 year-old Ramirez certainly brings a lot of experience to the Bulls, but not quite sure what else. Stats.
• Similarly, the Bulls desperately need an outfielder and in Evan Frey they seem to have acquired a player much like Rich Thompson. His advanced stats are not very promising, but we like speed and that appears to be his strength. We saw him pinch run in the first game and start in center field for the second game. Stats.
• Ryan Roberts hit two home runs for the Rays last night and was optioned back to the Bulls. Hope he brings that bat with him.
• J.D. Martin won the June version of the BCS/RPI award. (Click on the link. Not enough time to explain here.)
• After the deluge, Bull City Summer had a chat with groundsman Scott Strickland.
• Wonder if after all the frog-strangling rains PETA is going to take a second look at that award they gave the DBAP?
• Speaking of food, the Durham Food Truck Fest coming on July 10 is one heck on an idea. May be forced to get out of my seat and take a stroll around the park.

Nice Recovery From a Long Trip

Game 83, June 29, DBAP
Durham Bulls 3, Columbus Clippers 1
Season: 51-32
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Regular Durham Bulls fans know something unusual is happening when catcher Craig Albernaz is in the lineup as the designated hitter. In five seasons as a professional baseball player, this was his first appearance in the DH role. Why? Well, down in St Petersburg Evan Longoria had an ouchie and Ryan Roberts was called up just in case. Charlie Montoyo had only two position players left to choose from, both of them catchers, for the DH slot. Albie got the call.

Meanwhile, Jake Odorizzi started out with four innings of terrific pitching (4 base runners); two more of pretty darn good pitching; and started out the 7th inning looking a bit tired. Josh Lueke came in to complete the 7th and 8th. Kirby Yates closed it out.

This year’s Durham Bulls are good at small ball and it showed in the critical 3rd and 4th innings. Single, double, single in the 3rd put two runs up. Single, stolen base, ground out moving runner to 3B, single bringing him home in the 4th.

Personally, I like that kind of baseball, so it was a good night for me.

To be honest, I expected less and was pleased to see more. The Bulls played a double header on Friday night; got on a bus for an overnight run to Durham, arriving at 8:00 in the morning; and they were on the field for a 7:07 first pitch.

Outside the game —

• We were surprised to hear Juan Sandoval was off to Montgomery in exchange for LHP C.J. Riefenhauser. Don’t know a much about Riefenhauser except that his name in hard to type and he’s got a stunning 0.51 ERA over 53 innings in 20 appearances this year. Stats. Needs AAA time?
• Well, sort of outside the game … The a cappella group Cognitive Resonance, who performed the National Anthem last night, was simply superb, one of the very best we here at WDBB have ever heard. Kudos to them and to the person on the Bulls staff who picked them to perform. Bring ‘em back!
• Former Bull Stephen Vogt got his very first major league hit the other night. For the A’s. A home run. Congratulations! Cool video at Rays Index.
• Check out the photo of Reid Brignac on his new team’s roster (the Colorado Sky Sox)

Figueroa Debuts in Left, and More ...

Season: 47-27; Home Stand: 6-2
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

The last home stand the Durham Bulls went 7-1, this home stand they went 6-2. This is one terrific baseball team. I you haven’t seen them play you’ve missed something.

Last night’s game was, however, a bit different from many in that it was a very low-scoring affair. Overall, the Bulls scored 46 runs over the last 8 games (compared to their opponents’ 28). Even with the one-game anomaly of the 16-3 win last Monday, the Bulls are a hot team. They dominate the South Division, leading Norfolk by 9 games and are playing very good baseball.

Last night was also an interesting look at Matt Buschmann. It was his fifth appearance as a Bull and he did a good job. I worry about him mostly because he sure works hard. It took him 96 pitches for him to get through five innings last night. Compare that to J.D. Martin’s seven inning, 93 pitch performance the other day. On the other hand, he didn’t let a single run score. His ERA over these 22+ innings is a beautiful 1.59 and he’s got a nice low WHIP of 1.19. So it looks like Buschmann and his fellow newcomer Merrill Kelly will help the Bulls get through the second half of the season.

Another positive sign on the pitching front was a solid 3 innings by Juan Sandoval. A couple of short, ugly appearances early in June are messing up his stats, but if he keeps this up, he’s in for a good season.

The Bulls missed a lot of scoring opportunities last night. If they’d lost the game I’m sure we’d be wringing our hands over that. But they didn’t, so we won’t. Vince Belnome's first (of two) double set the stage to be batted in on Shelley Duncan’s single. New guy Ryan Roberts' first hit as a Durham Bull let Brandon Guyer show off his speed as he scored the winning run from first base. By the way, Belnome’s 21 doubles leads the Durham Bulls and he’s #2 in the International League.

Meanwhile, out in left field we saw Cole Figueroa catch a fly ball in the 6th inning in his new role as an outfielder. In his 532 games as a professional ballplayer he has played in the outfield exactly one time (last night, stats). That would be 0.19% of his pro career. Over in right field we had catcher Chris Gimenez. Gimenez has quite a bit of experience moving around without all his catching gear on. He’s played about half of his pro games as a catcher and the rest at 3B, 1B, and the outfield. Nevertheless, without some rosterification this road trip will be a challenge. There are only two regular outfielders on the current roster (Bourgeois and Guyer) and they need rest from time to time. And no other park has a short, Blue Monster-like outfield wall.

Outside the game —

• Catcher Juan Apodaca was moved off the Bulls roster to the Princeton Rays. It was likely to make room for Ryan Roberts. I couldn’t see into the dugout to see if it a real move or if it was just on paper. The Princeton, West Virginia team is Rookie level and has just begun their season. My guess is that Apodaca is still around.

Matchup

The Blue Jays' Triple-A team, the Buffalo Bisons, were in Durham at the end of May. The Bulls swept them 4-0. The team is a poster child for the importance of pitching. As the table shows they aren't all that much worse than the Bulls in hitting, but there’s a big spread in pitching (and much of that apparently in starting pitching). Recently they lost 3 out of 4 to Gwinnett.

Yates! Yates! Yates!

Bark in the Park at the DBAP

Season: 46-27; Home Stand: 5-2
Wrap, Box, Herald-Sun

Kirby Yates came into the game late with every chance of becoming the hero or the goat — and it was a near-run thing which it would be.

The Bulls had every right to feel fairly comfortable at the top of the 8th. They were ahead 3-0 and Jeff Beliveau, who’d been having a decent year, came in after new guy Merrill Kelly’s solid seven innings. But after five batters a run was in, the bases were loaded, and there was only one out. Get out the hook. Bring in the closer.

Yate got a ground out that scored a run and another ground out to end the 8th.

The Bulls were quiet for their 8th and Yates was quickly back on the mound on to start the 9th. He walked the first batter, setting up his second big opportunity to be the goat. The famously fast Bat Billy Hamilton came in to run for the Bats' Felhauer. Hamilton stole second base but Yates K’d the batter. One out. Hamilton stole third base, but Yates K’d the next batter. Two outs. Now Hamilton is dancing, but a weak pop to center fielder Bourgeois and Yates is the hero. Yeah, Yates!

Merrill Kelly got his first AAA win, but I have to say that overall this was not a good night for baseball … other than the dogs, of course. The Bats’ Daniel Corcino had a no-hitter going into the 4th, but also had put 6 runners on base through BBs and a hit batsman. Like so many games this home stand, the game was sloooow. Kelly was deliberate and if not flashy, he nevertheless was getting batters out. Only two offensive plays stood out, Jesus Flores' very timely RBI single in the 4th and Vince Belnome’s game-winning homer in the 5th. What a find Belnome has been.

Outside the game —

• This home stand has allowed us to do a head-to-head statistical matchup of the performance of two catchers as pitchers. With the Louisville Bats we have Corky Miller. Miller has seen action in 3 games in 2013 (6 in his career). His 2013 ERA is 7.71 over 4 ⅔ innings. The Durham Bulls’ Craig Albernaz has appeared in 2 games in 2013 (13 in his career). His 2013 ERA is a stunning 0.00 over 2 innings. Millers specialty is a knuckleball. Albernaz was reportedly working on a cut fastball over the winter, but we weren’t able to getting any feedback on whether he had used it this year. Albernaz clearly has the bragging rights for AAA catchers as pitchers for 2013. There are some trivial differences in career stats, but since this is a Bulls blog, we won’t go into that.
• Infielder Ryan Roberts is reported to be in town and ready to play. Jake Odorizzi is back from a decent outing with the Rays up in Boston and likely to go back into the rotation.