Hemstitching: Rhymes, Beckham, Wrigley, and More ...

• Will Rhymes, who played in 46 games with the Bulls last year, has signed with the Washington Nationals. We liked watching him play the game.
• Tim Beckham, who was with the Bulls almost all of last year except for his 50-game suspension, has been moved to the Rays’ 40-man roster. Also on the 40-man is much-talked-about infielder Hak-Ju Lee, who has not yet made it to Durham.
• Henry Wrigley became a free agent over a month ago, but haven’t heard anything since then.
• Rich Thompson, on the other hand, is back in the fold. Hoorah! Along with Rich, veteran infielder Mike Fontenot signed a minor league deal. Fontenot played mostly with the Phillies last year with a few games in Lehigh Valley. (Stats)
• In addition to Thompson and Fontenot, the Rays have also signed RHP Matt Buschmann, who spent most of 2012 in Montgomery, but did have two starts with the Bulls. And they have signed one of my favorites from 2012, Shawn O’Malley. 
• Two others, RHP Will Inman and IB Nick Weglarz are new to the Rays and, if they show up, will be new to the Bulls. Inman, however, pitched for Pawtucket last year and we’ve probably seen him.
• Former Durham Bull Jonny Gomes seems to think that his time in Durham will help him in left field in Fenway.

When he was a prospect in the Tampa organization and playing at Triple-A Durham, Gomes says he imagined himself one day playing left field for the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The left field wall at the Bulls’ ballpark in Durham has similarities to the Green Monster and it was then when he began to learn how to handle the complexities of the position.

          Yeah, that really helped former Bull Carl Crawford ...

The Bull(s) in Winter

I’m not very good at chasing down the various winter leagues (and they haven’t all started yet). On the other hand, Jim Donten over at Rays Prospects is. So you probably want to add it to your RSS feed just to keep up. From Jim you learn that Tim Beckham is playing in the Arizona Fall League, Henry Wrigley is in Venezuela, and Alex Torres is also in Venezuela.

The Durham Bulls in 2012 — The Hitters: Part I

Thirty-two different ballplayers came to bat in a Durham Bulls uniform this year. Some quite a few times (Leslie Anderson, 482 times), some hardly at all (Matt Joyce, 3 times). That compares to 25 last year, 27 in 2010, and 25 in 2009. So this year was well above normal.

Players are listed in order of number of games played. The “slash line” is Batting Average/On-Base Percentage/Slugging.

An asterisk (*) after a player’s name indicates he bats left-handed, a # sign indicates he is a switch hitter. A distinct oddity to this year’s Bulls is that 8 of the top 12 batted left-handed and one switch hit.

The Top 12 (50+ games)

Jesus Feliciano* (33) was in his first season with the Bulls and had a decent year.

• He played in the most games of any Durham Bull (125) and was #2 in plate appearances.  His line of .270/.312/.326 and 46 RBI helped. An unimpressive Weighted On-Base Average  (wOBA) of .294 and a Weighted Runs Above Average  (wRAA) of -11.5 does not auger well for his future in a Rays system that loves to crunch numbers. 
• On the other hand, it sure seemed to me that if anyone came through for the Bulls this year, it was Feliciano. He’s got time with several different AAA teams and played 54 games with the Mets in 2010. My guess is that he and his agent will be working on another minor league contract with invitation to spring training next year, but not with the Rays.
• Stats.

Leslie Anderson* (30) had a career year with the Bulls. For reasons known only to the Rays front office, it was not good enough to push someone off the 40-man and give him a place on the Rays bench at the end of the year.

• Anderson led the Bulls in plate appearances with 482 (116 games). His line of .309/.355/.450 led the Bulls and very nearly won him the International League batting title. He was also led the Bulls in RBI with 56. His wOBA of .355 was an improvement over 2011’s but below Rich Thompson’s .371. He was also one of very few with a positive wRAA (11.2). The loose end with Anderson is what position should he play? This year he had 24 games at 1B, 49 in the outfield, and 43 as DH.
• What we don’t know much about is his contract with the Rays. Does he have another year or not? We don’t know if he will be looking a minor league free agency this year. He was passed through waivers last year, probably because no other team wanted to pick up his contract (after his defection). This year he showed his worth as a ballplayer. Given the folks that the Rays invited last year (see below), seems to me that Mr. Anderson deserves a shot next spring.
• Stats. Story.

Reid Brignac* (26) was not a name I expected to be third on this list, but here he is at 99 games and 400 plate appearances.

• His line .228/.321/.347 with 46 RBI is not too impressive. His wOBA of .308 and negative wRAA (-5.6) are simply not very good numbers. And yet, from a fan’s perspective, he was a valuable Durham Bull this year. Unlike their parent club, the Bulls defense held up pretty well and that was, in my opinion, helped both by Brignac’s play and by his apparent mentorship of young Tim Beckham.
• At this writing, Mr. Brignac is back up with the Rays where he has made an appearance late in 5 games and has had 3 AB (0-3). Seems to me that the Rays have completely lost confidence in their starting shortstop of 2010 and 2011. You have to think that he’ll be looking for a new home this winter. And that might be good for both parties. But I like watching him play baseball. I’ll miss him if he goes.
• Stats.

Stephen Vogt* (27) had a slow start, including some time with the Rays, but seemed to be on track by the end of the year.

• He played in 94 games with 396 plate appearances. He had a decent slash line of .272/.350/.424 with 43 RBIs. His wOBA of .350 is above average and his wRAA was a valuable 7.4. 
• The puzzle he had to face each day was sorting out which glove he was going to use. He played catcher in 37 games, 1B in 16 games, and was in the outfield for 53 games. How much of this was necessity on Montoyo’s part (the Rays never bothered to look for outfielders to play in Durham this year) and how much was dictated by the Rays, we’ll never know. Certainly the hints are that the Rays regard Vogt as a second string player. He was called up to the Rays for September and has made brief appearances in four games (4 PA, 2 BB). He has not yet had a hit as a major leaguer. Vogt was one of the players caught up in the turmoil of the Rays’ early season injuries. I’d love to see him back. More than that I’d like to see him have some success with the Rays this month.
• Stats.

Henry Wrigley (25) had a solid season, playing 32 games with the Montgomery Biscuits before coming up and playing 94 games with the Bulls (380 PA). He’s also the first right-handed batter on this list.

• His numbers are pretty good: .285/.324/.472 with 52 RBI. And his wOBA of .350 and wRAA of +7.4 is a match with Vogt’s. Although he put in a few games in the outfield (6), he played mostly 1B (53 games) and as DH (31 games). The Bulls had some confusion around the first base position this year (9 different players there), so it’s hard to tell. From a distance (I sit over near third base), I’d say that he’s a solid, but not great, first baseman. If he could just get a chance to settle in there on a regular basis, he might turn out to be a real asset to the Rays system.
• My guess is that Mr. Wrigley has a good shot at coming out of spring training with a place on the Rays’ 40-man. If he spends the winter working on his 1B footwork, he might go places.
• Stats.

Cole Figueroa* (25) had 25 games with the Biscuits and 88 with the Bulls (347 PA). He just might be the most interesting of this year’s Bulls as far as the future is concerned.

• Numbers: .286/.344/.386 with 42 RBI. His wOBA was .330 and wRAA barely in the positive range (+1.3). So nothing special there. Nor is his speed all that great (Spd, 4.2). I just liked watching him play. He split time between 3B and 2B this year and my bet is that he’ll be back next year. One of the positive signs for the 2013 Bulls.
• Stats.

Matt Mangini* (26) played in 82 games with 329 PAs. From the stands he struck me as a very solid young ballplayer.

• Mangini’s numbers, .273/.337/.373, 32 RBI, were OK. His wOBA of .326 was average and his wRAA was neutral (0.0). He was part of a very large crew of ballplayers from outside the Rays system who signed contracts with invitations to spring training this year, but, it seemed to me, got pushed out as Rays players finally started getting healthy.
• Mr. Mangini was released by the Bulls in August and went to play for Mobile (the Diamondbacks franchise in the AA Southern League). He helped that team win a championship.
• Stats.

Tim Beckham (22) started off the year by blowing a hole in the Bulls’ lineup when he drew a 50-game suspension. He came back to play in 72 games (323 plate appearances) and learn something about a new position, second base.

• Beckham’s numbers are not particularly impressive overall, .256/.325/.361 with 28 RBI. The advanced metrics aren’t much better, wOBA of .317 and a wRAA of -2.2. Beckham came up through the system as a shortstop and that’s all he’d played until this year. His fielding percentage was better at 2B than SS, so maybe that’s his future.
• The Rays are going to undoubtedly give this young man every possible chance to succeed. But I have to say that, other than being a right-handed bat in a lineup full of lefties, he did not add much to the Bulls this year. Maybe next year? We can hope.
• Stats.

Chris Gimenez (29) got ensnared in the Rays injury turmoil early this year and, although I’m sure he didn’t mind, spent a good bit of time (34 games so far) at the beginning and end of the season with the parent team. As a Bull he got in to 71 games (301 plate appearances). He was one of my favorite players this year for a lot of reasons. Too bad he didn’t spend more time with the Bulls.

• His line of .310/.389/.483 was one of the best on the team. His 49 RBI computes out to a stunning 100 or so if he'd been with the Bulls an entire season. His OPS of .871 was far ahead of any of the regulars on the team. His other metrics were similarly impressive. He had a wOBA of .382 and a team best wRAA of 13.3.
• Although mostly he played at catcher, he did get to run around the outfield some (20 games). Unlike most of the September call-ups, he’s getting some playing time this September. So far he’s been in 10 games and has hit .353 with 2 RBI. Would I like to see him back with the Bulls? You bet. But I’ve got to think he’s got a shot at bigger things now. I hope so.
• Stats.

Jeff Salazar* (31) played in 68 games (234 plate appearances) but was released in mid-July.

• Salazar had some moments, but he was never able to put together a solid stretch in his time with the Bulls. On his departure he was at .216/.287/.327 with 22 RBI. His wOBA was only .284 and his wRAA was -7.7. 
• To some extent he was yet another victim of the previously mentioned Rays signing of a bunch of players just before spring training. When they didn’t make the Rays they ended up in Durham and, especially in the first several weeks, they never jelled. Salazar was not alone. I’ve not heard if he caught on anywhere else. If a reader has, add a comment and I’ll correct it here.
• Stats

Sean O’Malley# (24) played in 67 games (247 plate appearances) and finished out the season with the Montgomery Biscuits (35 more games). I like this guy.

• OK, his numbers aren’t very good. He was at .245/.304/.310 with only 18 RBIs. And his wOBA was just .294 and, even worse, his wRAA was -6.1. But, what can I say? He was really fun to watch. He did steal 11 bases and only got caught once. That was second to Rich Thompson’s 22 in a similar period. He was essentially pushed back to Montgomery in the post-All Star roster turmoil.
• O’Malley is a fan’s kind of ballplayer. Works hard. Runs like the wind. Seems to be having fun. Now if he can just start hitting a bit better.
• Stats

Rich Thompson* (33) rounds out the top 12. He played in 63 games (282 PA) and made quite a splash with the Bulls.

• I was surprised going through my notes that the trade of Kyle Hudson for Rich Thompson happened back in mid-May. The Rays needed an outfielder and Thompson was apparently made available by the Phillies. Thompson was a fan favorite with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs and is becoming one with the Bulls. He went directly to the Rays and didn’t show up in Durham until early June. He brought some badly needed speed to the team. In his 63 games he stole 22 bases and only got caught 5 times. He was part of the September call-up crew. So far he’s done a bit of pinch-running/base stealing and is 1 for 4 at bat.
• Thompson’s numbers are among the best on the Bulls: .311/.369/.436. His wOBA was a fine .371 and his wRAA was +9.9. He had the highest Spd number (8.4) on the team. The only other player even close was Shawn O’Malley at 7.3. 
• Stats

Note: Primary statistics sources are Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.

7 in the 8th

Season: 59-67; Trip: 2-4; Bulls v. Clippers: 4-2; Standings

Box, Wrap, Columbus Dispatch, Clippers’ Wrap

I had a meeting in downtown Raleigh last night and since 620 coverage there is basically awful (why is it that one of the most important media guys on the east coast and baseball team owner can't arrange for a radio signal that goes more than about 5 miles?), it wasn’t until late in the 6th inning that I could get the score,. The Clippers were up 6-2. Remembering that I’d heralded the arrival of Cesar Ramos as a new starting pitcher, I started a lead paragraph retracting that assertion.

Got home. Bulls now down 7-2. Parked the car. Went inside. Fired up the computer and gameday and audio stream, just in time to hear Kinas call Chris Gimenez’ second home run of his 5 RBI night with Stephen Vogt and Henry Wrigley on base. Since Wrigley had doubled in Rich Thompson earlier, it was Clippers 7, Bulls 6! Brooks Conrad walked and the Clippers brought in former Bull and former Tampa Bay Ray Dan Wheeler. Will Rhymes hit a home run, just his 4th of the year, and the Bulls go up 8-7. Rich Thompson, in his second at bat, singled in a run later, much later, to make it 9-7. Twelve Bulls came to plate in the inning and that would be enough.

This year’s Bulls have not been much of a come-from-behind team. But last night was different. I count myself lucky to have happened to listen to it. Congrats to Josh Leuke on getting credit for the win, Adam Liberatore for the hold, and Dane De La Rosa for his 15th save.

Chris Gimenez is hitting .335 with an OPS of .932. His two 2-home run games recently has surely been noticed down in St. Petersburg. He should be playing down there in September.

Outside the game —

• Guess I need to mention that the Tampa Bay Rays gave up a perfect game to Seattle’s Felix Hernandez yesterday. Only 23 perfect games have been thrown in major league history — three of them against the Rays/Devil Rays. 
• DRaysBay speculates that the Rays might wait until September to bring Jeff Niemann onto the lineup. He’ll have to be somewhere. Perhaps in Durham?
• The local Kia dealer is having a meet the team event on August 25th.

Bang! Bang!

Season: 57-63; Home Stand: 5-3; Bulls v. Clippers: 2-2

Home Games Left: 11; Standings

Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun

The Bulls had some fun last night. Good idea before this morning's early wakeup and trip to Toledo, Ohio.

Everyone got a hit and almost everyone scored a run in the biggest game the Bulls have had in a long time. Notable was Chris Gimenez’s two home runs (5 RBI), Brooks Conrad's homer announcing his return to the lineup, a Henry Wrigley homer, and Nevin Ashley returning to the lineup with a triple. Speaking of triples, Rich Thompson had his 7th on the year. Thompson just gets on base a lot and with his speed, if he gets a chance he’ll get to third base.

It was a nice end to a pretty good home stand, 5-3. Matt Torra gave up his usual home run(s), but both with no runners on base and they made little difference. Certainly not with the kind of run support he was being given.

Outside the Game —

• Henry Wrigley and Alex Colome were named the Rays Minor Leaguers of the Month for July. Congratulations!
• What would happen if a pitcher could throw the ball really, really hard? You wouldn’t want to be at bat (or be the pitcher for that matter).
• A look at the hitters in the Rays system is over at Rays Prospects. Cole Figueroa, Henry Wrigley, and Nevin Ashley show up fairly well except on the “speed” metric (but we knew that).

Matchup: The Toledo Mud Hens

The Bulls split a 4-game home series with the second-most famous team in minor league baseball, the Toledo Mud Hens, in the middle of June. They are not having a good year, even worse than the Bulls.

Torra Leads the Bulls

Evan Longoria tries to dodge an inside pitch on Saturday. Didn't.
Photo courtesy of Orin Day

Season: 55-60; Home Stand: 3-0; Bulls v. Braves: 10-8
Home Games Left: 16; Standings
Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun

Matt Torra has brought a lot to the Bulls this year and we should acknowledge that. He doesn’t have a stunning ERA (but his 4.26 is the second best among the starters). He has pitched the most innings (118), tied for starting the most games (19), and accumulated the most wins (9). He was just fine last night, letting one run squeak across in the 1st and another in the 3rd. His unfortunate tendency to give up home runs was not in evidence although a few long balls went really long.

Meanwhile the Bulls scratched out three runs in the 2nd inning and that would be enough.

I can’t bring myself to overlook a bad call in the 5th. After a brilliant 12 pitch at bat at the top of the 5th, Rich Thompson singled to right field. According to the ump, he was then picked off. Thompson steals a lot of bases and he knows how to read pitchers. Certainly I am no one pontificate on the balk rule, but I’d say the opinions of everyone in the crowd were with Rich.

Rich Thompson is "helped" off the field by hitting coach Dave Myers while Charlie Montoyo reviews some of the finer points of the rules of baseball with umpire
(photo courtesy Orin Day)

Before that there was Stephen Vogt’s double followed by an “overslide” of second base in the 4th. Mr. Vogt’s a pretty big guy. Once he gets up to speed he sometimes finds it hard to stop. Ump had fun calling the play. I’m sure the folks in the dugout had fun calling the play as well.

A big play in the 6th, when Matt Mangini (playing third base for the first time in quite a while) pegged a ball over the head of Henry Wrigley at first, Wrigley chased it down and threw out the Brave who was  trying to go from first to home. Good hustle that made a difference.

Four wins in a row is a big deal for the Bulls. Congratulations guys.

Meanwhile a great ballplayer is not playing great baseball. Evan Longoria went 0-4, but did get on base when he was hit by a pitch. Otherwise, a K and two popups. At first base after the hbp, perhaps as professional courtesy, Gwinnett did not hold him on.

Outside the game —

• I believe that I’ve failed to report that the Bull is alive and well and smokin’ and blinkin’ and helping us celebrate these last three wins.
• Alexander Torres has been put on the disabled list. 

Nice bunch of photos here by Bulls fan (and Duke women’s basketball expert) Orin Day. Thanks Orin!

Wool E. Bull checks out the 9,000+ fans at the DBAP on Saturday night
 (Photo by Orin Day)

Longoria in a lighter moment August 3
(photo by Orin Day)

Grounds crew show how it's done in Durham, Saturday night
(photo by Orin Day)

August, the 40-Man, and the Durham Bulls

Today is the first day of August and minor leaguers’ thoughts turn to … September call-ups. To that end here’s a bit of a primer on how that might work. As careful readers know I am far from expert on these matters, so if I make a mistake, please jump in and help fix it.

We’ll begin with the 40-man roster of the Rays ...

Wait a minute. Before that let’s make sure we all understand and agree on just what that all this roster stuff means. Before a player can step on the field in a major league game he has to be on the team's 25-man “active roster”. However, before a player can be on the 25-man roster, he has to be on the 40-man roster. Thus, the 40-man functions as sort of a gateway to playing in the big leagues.

Players who are on the 15-day disabled list have to stay on the 40-man; players on the 60-day disabled list do not.

Most of the ballplayers who are on the 40-man but not on the 25-man active roster play for the Durham Bulls. Only three ballplayers are on the Rays 40-man but not with the Bulls. They are all young pitchers. Two are down with the Charlotte Sand Crabs (A) (RHPs Wilking Rodriguez and Albert Suarez) and one with the Montgomery Biscuits (AA), RHP Alex Colome. I don’t know why that is. Maybe a reader can jump in an explain it for me and I’ll add it in. [Note 1]

With the Bulls we’ve got (as of today) five pitchers and six position players who are on the Rays 40-man.

The pitchers have been going back and forth all year (Josh Lueke went up yesterday):

• Chris Archer
• Dane De La Rosa
• Brandon Gomes
• Cesar Ramos
• Alexander Torres

The position players, on the other hand, have stayed with the Bulls after arrival. The one exception to that is infielder Will Rhymes who started with the Bulls, went up, and came back. The rest started with the Rays and came to the Bulls after the season started. One, Brooks Conrad, is on his way.

• Chris Gimenez
• Stephen Vogt
• Reid Brignac
• Brooks Conrad
• Will Rhymes
• Rich Thompson

If you’ve been doing your addition (25+11+3) and wondering why it doesn’t work out, it’s because the Rays only have 39 players on their 40-man roster at the moment. At a guess that’s because they want to hold a spot for the day Evan Longoria comes off the 60-day DL. [Ooops! See Note 2]

Why should we Bulls fans care? Well, in September the Rays can “expand” the active roster to include all the guys on the 40-man. That is, they can call up everyone if they want to. In previous years we Bulls fans watched this closely because the Bulls were in contention and we didn’t want the Rays to rip off anyone needed for the playoffs. This year that’s not going to matter all that much. The last regular season game is September 3rd and the Bulls playoff prospects are nil.

All those guys listed above have a shot at spending September with the Rays (and making big league bucks, a month's worth of the $480k minimum is more than most would make in the rest of the year).

What about the rest of the team? They can only get a September call up if someone is taken off the Rays 40-man roster and that can only happen in one of two ways: a player goes on the 60-day DL or a player on the list is “designated for assignment” or released outright. If we’ve got a favorite player whom we think should spend some time with the Rays this September, and he’s not already on the 40-man, then somebody currently on the list has to go.

As it happens, I’ve got two players I think should spend some time with the Rays and who aren’t on the 40-man: Henry Wrigley and Leslie Anderson. I’ll try to make a case for them over the month, but first I wanted to make sure we all knew who was ahead of them in line. It’s not just the folks currently playing for the Rays, it’s all the folks on the 40-man.

They (and others such as Tim Beckham) will spend August making their case. Others will be playing for a Winter League job. Others will be working for an invitation to spring training next year (not necessarily with the Rays). Others will be serving out their last days as professional ballplayers.

Note 1: If you are not afraid of brain cramps, read this article on the Rule 5 draft. These players who were drafted at a very young age are being protected from that draft (at least for now). Thanks to Doug Milhoan of Rays Prospects for this info.


Note 2: Can't count. Luke Scott is on the 15-day DL. He stays on the 40-man. The Rays have 40 men on their 40-man.

Tough Loss

Season: 51-60; Road Trip: 3-4; Bulls v. Tides: 6-7; Standings
Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun

A walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th is a tough way to lose a game. But the Bulls parent club, the Tampa Bay Rays, one-upped them by losing in the bottom of the 15th out in Oakland.

The Bulls looked to have the game in hand when they scored four runs in the top of the 2nd. Unfortunately, the Tides came back with five runs. After that the game mostly stabilized itself. The Bulls went ahead in the top of the 7th, but several pitching moves in the bottom of the inning didn’t work,  and the Tides tied the game. Otherwise, the Bulls might have made it through.

In the 10th Leslie Anderson pinch-hit for Evan Longoria, was hit by pitch, and later thrown out at the plate. Here’s hoping his hand is OK. He’s having a great season and I’d hate to see him miss any time. DHing Longoria struck out twice, but singled in one of the runs and drew a walk.

In one of his more unusual moves, Montoyo put Jesus Feliciano in to pinch hit for Henry Wrigley after Anderson was hit by pitch in the 10th. Feliciano did manage to get the sacrifice bunt down (after two strikes) and move Anderson to second, but in the end the move didn’t pan out.

In the end, Romulo Sanchez came off the DL and into the game. Got a ground out and a fly out and then gave up a home run. Tough loss.

If you’re into grinding your teeth, please note that the Bulls have outhit the Tides in the last two games, 15-10 and 13-12, and lost both games.

Outside the game —

• As mentioned, Romulo Sanchez came off the disabled list yesterday. 
• Pitcher Bryan Augenstein went on the disabled list. He had a very long stretch on the DL at the beginning of the season. Let’s hope this is a short one.
• Rays blogger Tommy Rancel thinks the Rays may be looking to convert Cesar Ramos back into a starting pitcher.

Being By a Bay is Better

Season: 51-58; Road Trip: 3-2; Bulls v. Tides: 6-5; Standings

Box, Wrap

For those interested in numerical anomalies we must note that the Bulls began this road trip by allowing their opponent to score 8 runs per game for three games in a row. Fortunately for the Bulls, the Bulls scored more than 8 runs in the first two games (10-8 and 16-8). Not so fortunate was the third game when the Bulls only scored one run (1-8) and really not so fortunate for the fourth game when the streak was broken in a 1-13 blowout down in Gwinnett.

After a trek across the Carolinas, the Bulls scored 8 runs for themselves over in Harbor Park, and the pitching achieved a rare shutout (only 7 shutouts in 109 games).

Chris Archer continued his comeback from his muscle strain. Talk about being cautious: 17 pitches on July 7 (date twinge was noted), 41 pitches on July 22, and 60 pitches in 4 innings last night (July 28). I was not able to listen, but the stats look very good, only 1 hit, 1 walk, and 3 Ks.

I guess I need to quit calling Frank De Los Santos a new guy. He has become a bright light in the bullpen. When he came up from Montgomery on June 22 he was handled as if he were going to be a lefty specialist. Possibly making a virtue of necessity, he’s been having mostly longer outings recently, picking up two holds and two wins in his last five outings. He’s up to 14 appearances, 17 innings, a 1.38 FIP, and an ERA of 1.58. Here’s hoping he stays healthy to the end.

Rich Thompson had a terrific night at bat: 4 hits, 2 RBI, 1 runs scored. Henry Wrigley continued on his tear going 2-4, with a sac fly and a RBI. No 

Outside the Game —

• Rich Thompson got some love from the N&O this morning
• With his single and double last night, Henry Wrigley moves into some interesting company among fellow Rays prospects.
• The mystery of Brandon Allen’s trip to the inactive list has been solved. Apparently he is off to Japan. Too bad. I thought he showed a lot of potential to help the Bulls this year, even if there’s a crowd at first base.
• I missed the last couple of games, thank goodness. Has anyone heard what the story is on Matt Mangini? Last time seen in a game on 10 days ago, he’s been on the inactive list since.

Four Pitcher Shut Out

Adam Liberatore

Season: 48-56; Home Stand: 5-3; Bulls v. Red Wings: 6-2; Standings
Home Stands Remaining: 3; Home Games Remaining: 19
Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun, Indy Week

This was one of the most fun-to-watch Bulls games of the year. Were there mistakes? You bet. But there were also a couple of brilliant defensive plays, decent pitching, a timely home run by a fellow just back to the team, and a win against one of the best pitchers in minor leagues. Just plain fun.  Oh, and the Bull is partially back in service.

After starter Matt Torra called in sick, Charlie Montoyo had to go with an all-reliever approach to the game. He kept with his disciplined approach to his lineup, however, sitting out Reid Brignac, Brandon Allen, Leslie Anderson, and Sam Fuld (or maybe Fuld’s gone back to Tampa Bay).

First of all, of course, was the obligatory rain delay, this time just half an hour. The tarp crew has earned they pay this week. Ooops! They don’t get paid for pulling the tarp? How fair is that?

Montoyo started with Ryan Reid, who’d done a 20-pitch inning on Sunday night. Reid gave up two doubles and a walk, but they all ended up standing on the bases. Meanwhile back-to-back doubles by Tim Beckham and Jesus Feliciano in the 2nd inning put the Bulls up 1-0. Nevin Ashley, starting as catcher with catcher Chris Gimenez in left field and catcher Stephen Vogt at first base, had his first at bat as a Bull since April 27th in the bottom of the 2nd. He flew out to left, but it was great to see him back in the game.

For the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings it was Josh Lueke’s turn. He got past a few messy moments, including his own throwing error in the 4th (where Ashley backed up first base and ran the loose ball down almost to the bullpen — I said it was a fun game to watch). He struck out four and stranded one more. He was also supported by a spectacular running, diving stretched-out catch by Rich Thompson in right for the second out in the 5th. Beautiful, beautiful play. Meanwhile Rochester’s Liam Hendriks was showing his stuff, including two strike outs looking to end the 5th.

New guy Adam Liberatore came out for the 6th and 7th and had an ugly stretch after giving up a leadoff single followed by a K. He threw seven straight balls before putting strike across and then getting the second out on a liner to centerfield and then a K with runners on second and third. He didn’t have any problems in the 7th at all. Meanwhile in the Bulls 6th Henry Wrigley drew a walk in the 7th, moved to third on a Vogt double and came home on a wild pitch. Vogt moved to third on that same wild pitch and came home on what should have been a sac fly by Cole Figueroa, but the ump blew the call. The baseball gods made it right in the 7th when Nevin Ashley hit a two-run home run off the Rochester reliever.

The 8th and 9th were Dane De La Rosa’s turn and, although he made it exciting, we fans were rewarded with a spectacular Rhymes to Beckham to Vogt double play to end the game. Beckham seemed to leap straight up into the air to avoid the incoming baserunner while making a perfect throw to first. Pretty, pretty, pretty.

OK, this year’s Bulls may not be the best team in the league, but every now and then we get to see an exciting game. That’s why we go, isn’t it?

Outside the game —

• The Bull was smokin’ but he wasn’t blinkin’. Guess it takes some special circuitry to make the lights work (or maybe special bulbs?)
• The story on the grass is, essentially, what would you do if it was 105° for a couple of days in a row? And you just had to lie there and take it? You’d turn brown and die wouldn’t you? All to be made well while the Bulls are on their trek to Lawrenceville and Norfolk.
• Rays Index does some interesting number-crunching regarding the Ichiro trade. Did the Yankees just waste a couple million more dollars? Will anyone notice?

After the Rain, Part 2

Season: 46-55; Home Stand: 3-2; Bulls v. Red Wings: 4-1; Standings

Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun

Will Rhymes returned to the Bulls in style. Batting leadoff on the second pitch of the game he hit a home run. Welcome back!

The inning continued with a double by Henry Wrigley (have I pointed out what a great season he’s having?) and another home run by catcher Stephen Vogt. When the rains came at the end of the 5th inning we could reasonably hope that the game was over with the Bulls ahead 4 to 1. But noooo, the umps were better weathermen than that (and the DBAP folks probably wanted to do their fireworks thing). That meant that after a 45 minute delay, even though the Bulls added two more runs in the 7th, when Bryan Augenstein had an uncharacteristically tough time in the 8th, the lead got down to just 6-3 and I was worried. 

Enter Dane De La Rosa who gave up a double and a single to start the 9th. With runners on first and second, Tim Beckham playing second base made a spectacular play on a foul ball that was near the bullpen pitching mound for the first out, but a run scored. De La Rosa gave up a single, but struck out the next batter. Runners on first and second, tying run at the plate. A long fly ball to left field and rehabbing Sam Fuld with his back right against the Blue Monster made the catch to end the game.

Other game high points were Brandon Gomes coming back after the rain delay (he made two pitches before the deluge) for two solid innings; Frank De Los Santos doing his left specialist thing for the last out K in the 8th (with runners on first and second); pitching and good defense stranding 14 Red Wing runners.

Outside the game

• A careful reader has pointed out an error that I need to correct. A few days ago I complained that the local media was not digging in sufficiently on Chris Archer’s  physical situation and on Brandon Gomes’ poor performance on returning from the Rays. Well, in fact the Herald-Sun had reported on that situation. Not only that, I had even put up a link to the article! I can’t say something dumb like that won’t happen again. But I can say that if it does I will try to fix it.
• Speaking of Chris Archer, he is supposed to start tonight. His last time on the mound of the DBAP was June 8th (he’s had three minor league and two major league starts since then, he just hasn’t been here). He was only up for an inning in his last start down Gwinnett on July 7, so I’m looking forward to seeing him here.
• One reason to want to see Archer now is all the speculation afoot regarding the Rays these days. If the Rays do make a move, you have to think that Archer will be part of the equation.

Time for a Break

Box, Wrap

Chris Archer left after one inning and Bryan Augenstein was pressed into service. He essentially took one for the team by going 66 pitches — he has rarely gone much over 20 per outing — but coughing up three runs in the 5th. Nevertheless, the game was essentially lost on bad luck. A long ball drifted fair instead of foul in the bottom of the 8th and that was enough.

Season: 43-49; Trip: 1-2; Bulls v. Braves: 5-6; Standings

Box, Wrap, Gwinnett Daily Post

Let’s call this a game where the Durham Bulls showed their character. This was the last game before a three-day break, the only real break in the entire season, only 3,000 folks in the stands, 91°, and your starting pitcher blew up in the first inning giving up 5 runs on 6 hits. So what you could do is take it easy, get through the afternoon, and hit the road. 

They didn’t. They scored three runs in the 2nd inning on a Reid Brignac home run. Unfortunately, Lance Pendleton’s awful day wasn’t over and he gave up three runs in the 3rd. Braves 8, Bulls 3. Now maybe time to coast, but they didn't. In the 5th the Bulls pick up four runs on home runs by Rich Thompson, Henry Wrigley and Chris Gimenez. Braves 8, Bulls 7. The Bulls are getting close and the game is dragging on when the Braves get two runs in the 6th and one in the 7th. Braves 11, Bulls 7. Time to wrap it up, you’d think. But, no. Top of the 9th the Bulls get two more runs to bring it to 11-9 and the tying run comes to the plate with two outs. He (Brignac) struck out.

But the Bulls gave the Braves’ fans a thrill and made them work for their win. If there was a bit of “what the Hell, go for it,” in their swings, why not? It almost worked.

Outside the game —

• Chris Archer’s departure after the 1st inning of Saturday’s game is reported to be cautionary resulting from a tightness in his left oblique. But he is going to get a couple of extra days off as the Bulls are going to use the All-Star break to reset the rotation.
• Stephen Vogt was name the top Ray's minor leaguer for the month of June. Congratulations!
• BurGi over at Rays Prospects has an updated analysis of pitchers in the Rays system. Terrific work. Note the discussion of Alex Torres in the comments.

Celebrate!

Season: 42-46; Home Stand: 1-0; Bulls v. Tides: 5-4; Standings
Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun, Indy-Week

A couple of days ago Reid Brignac went 0-5 with every single ball he hit going to the opponent’s first baseman. Last night when he came up in the 2nd inning with runners on first and third and did it again, I thought he might be in for another game of the same. I was wrong. What he did after that was pop a single, an RBI double to the right field wall, and a three-run homer over the Blue Monster (and raise his average to .232). Great night for him and for a bunch of other Bulls.

A huge crowd on hand, mostly waiting for the city fireworks show. While they waited we got to see some terrific baseball. Jim Paduch came back from his horrible outing last week to give up only the homer in the 2nd inning. Otherwise, he kept the Tides guessing for five innings. Cesar Ramos is reported to be on orders to be “stretched out”. Meaning, I guess, that he throws the ball a bit more than usual. He stayed for 2 innings and got the win when Brignac doubled home Leslie Anderson in the 6th. Dane De La Rosa got through two innings on 17 pitches. That’s efficiency.

Meanwhile, Tim Beckham continues to assert himself at bat with a home run to begin the game.

Rehabber Matt Joyce started in right field, but left after three at-bats. He was caught stealing after a walk. Not quite sure why he tried. The Tides’ Berken is famous for not letting folks steal on him. He was also in his major leaguer’s batting helmet. Those guys really don’t like the helmets required everywhere else.

Henry Wrigley continues to hit very, very well — two singles and a double.

Two nice double plays, 6-4-3 and a 1-6-3 that preceded the final K to end the game added to the fun of the game.

Outside the game —

• Minor league trivia: The Bulls last played the Tides on May 27th, in Norfolk. From that game only four Bulls players and four Tides players were in last night’s starting lineup.
• Tonight is the last game at the DBAP until June 16th
• The N&O has a nice story on Chris Archer's major league debut. 

Brandon Allen Shows His Stuff

Season: 35-42; Home Stand: 2-0; Bulls v. Bisons: 2-0; Standings

Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun

By the time the first three Bulls hitters in the 1st inning were done, the Bulls were ahead 3-0. They never looked back. Jeff Salazar hit a lead-off home run (his 5th, and he had a terrific night in the field). Catcher Stephen Vogt hit a single. Henry Wrigley hit his 6th homer (and collected his 21st and 22nd RBI). A good start and it got better. 

Brandon Allen has some huge career stats which makes me wonder why he wasn’t claimed by another team when he was DFA’d (probably some aspect to the rule that I don’t understand). True, he was having a rough start up in Tampa and started slow with the Bulls as well. But look at him now! Two home runs (his first with the Bulls) and 4 RBI last night. Since his first game early in the month he has put up a batting average of .416 and a stellar OPS of 1.098. Plus he’s been playing a lot of outfield (Tampa Bays’ call?) instead of his usual first base. Glad to have him on the team.

Jim Paduch is certainly a workhorse. He threw 104 pitches last night and kept the Bisons to just one run (and that was unearned). That’s two very solid outings in a row. Here’s hoping he can keep it up.

Tim Beckham started at shortstop with Reid Brignac at second. Beckham did OK at the plate, 1 for 4, and threw one away for his first error since returning. 

This was the first four-homer game for the Bulls this year. 

Romulo Sanchez faced two batters in the 8th inning, walked them both, and left the game. The Herald-Sun is reporting “shoulder tightness.” That’s the second pitcher in three days who has left the game with a problem (Bryan Augenstein left Thursday’s Rochester game early). With Torres being called up, the Bulls may have some serious problems (or more serious than usual) in the pitching department. All the more important for the hitters to keep at it.

Outside the game

• With Beckham’s return, the Bulls had an unusually strong bench: Gimenez, Anderson, Thompson, and O’Malley were sitting out the game.
• See last night’s post regarding Alex Torres and Matt Buschmann.
• Some early versions of this year’s Bulls schedule had Monday’s start time at 1:00pm. That’s changed. It will be 12:05 to accommodate MLB telecast. 

Chart

South Division Standings

There have been some surprising changes in the International League South Division in the five days since we last looked at this chart. The Bulls have won 4 out of 5, the Gwinnett Braves have fallen off the face of the earth; Charlotte is stalled; and Norfolk is on a run. Interesting times.

Nice Win; Tough Loss

Box, Wrap, Rochester Democrat

Season: 32-42; Trip: 4-3; Bulls v. Red Wings: 2-1; Standings

Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun, Rochester Democrat

These last games have been great baseball for the Durham Bulls. Yes, they lost last night in the bottom of the 9th, but look at all those hits — 16 hits on Monday, 14 on Tuesday, 15 last night. We, of course, must give some credit to Red Wings pitching; nevertheless, I sure wish I’d been able to see the Bulls at work.

Among other highlights, Reid Brignac climbed up above the Mendoza line on Tuesday and stayed there yesterday. Leslie Anderson had an outage last night, but remains the top hitter in the IL. Chris Gimenez got his first home run of the season. Stephen Vogt got one hit to go with his season-best 4-hit night on Tuesday. Shawn O’Malley got an RBI as a pinch-hitter! Brandon Allen’s hitting well, Henry Wrigley’s doing OK, Matt Mangini’s looking good. 

Is it a turnaround for the team? Well, no, because pitching is still the heart of the game and the Bulls' starters are trouble there. But for the first time this year, the hitters are making a difference. And that makes for fun baseball.

Have to point out that the two runs scored against Brandon Gomes last night are the first runs he’s allowed since the 21st of May and that the run on that date was the only run he’s allowed this entire season! Bad luck and a good eye by Rochester’s Wilkin Ramirez made the difference in the game.

Outside the game

• The kerfuffle over Rays reliever Joel Peralta’s pine tarred glove will affect the Bulls. Assuming he’s suspended, we can expect the Rays to call up a reliever to fill in. Unless I misunderstand the rules (probable) Brandon Gomes has to stay here for a while before he can be called back. That leaves Dane De La Rosa, Alex Torres, and Josh Lueke available without messing with the Rays 40-man.
• Rich Thompson hasn’t left the bench yet.
• Chris Archer did just fine in his debut. He looked terrific, but suffered some bad luck in the first inning when former Bulls Johnson and Rodriguez botched a play. He went on to strike out 7 Nationals and did not allow a run after the first inning.
• BurGi over at Rays Prospects has updated his analysis of pitchers in the Rays system. Nice work.
• I have to admit that it sort of creeps me out to see folks measure luck, but that's what's out there over at Rays Index. Interesting analysis of Rays hitting this year. Hard to bring that kind of analysis into minor league ball, but not too different from what Chris D did for us a while back.

Nice Good-Bye

Season: 20-29; Home Stand: 5-5; Bulls vs. Tides: 2-4; Standings
Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun

So, you’re a Bulls fan. The score is tied at the bottom of the 10th. Brandon Gomes has already pitched two superb innings. But things really don’t look all that great for the Bulls in the 10th. After Henry Wrigley (.262) leading off, the next players coming to bat in the inning are Hideki Matsui (.121), Jose Lobaton (.000!), Juan Miranda (.186), and Reid Brignac (.141). That is not a promising array of hitters. Probably a good idea to keep Jhonny Nunez warming up.

But, who said the gods of baseball don’t have a sense of humor? Wrigley grounds out, but then Matsui hits a single (Feliciano comes in to run for him). As Jose Lobaton is striking out (still .000), Jesus Feliciano is stealing second base. Juan Miranda hits a single, sliding into first base, and Feliciano moves to third base. Miranda gets to second on indifference and Brignac hits a perfect, up-the-middle line drive.

Outside the game

• Lots of folks think that Matsui won’t be back and I’m guessing they are right. But for now his entourage is hitting the road for Norfolk, Indianapolis, and Louisville.
• Am I the only one who is mildly irritated by Jose Lobaton not wearing stockings? Doesn't that amount to him thumbing his nose at the Bulls and their uniform policy? And Bulls fans for that matter? I know, he's a major leaguer down on rehab, but why not try to fit in with the rest of the team? We liked him as a Bull. Now I'm not so sure I like him as a Ray.
• Looks like former, and until yesterday likely future, Durham Bull Brandon Guyer is out for the season.
• As various Rays get healthy, some speculation on who’s going to be leaving the team for Durham. See commentary RaysIndex and DRaysBay.
• A Rays blogger checks in from Afghanistan.

Take a Break

Season: 19-28; Home Stand: 4-4; Bulls vs. Knights: 4-7; Standings
Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun

After today’s game the Bulls get Wednesday off. They finish the home stand against the Norfolk Tides with games on Thursday and Friday.

 They don’t play Charlotte again until July 12. No way to tell if they’ll have to face the Knights’ Terry Doyle again. They shouldn’t. He should be in the majors by then, unless today was a fluke. Doyle looked really good and the Bulls (other than Leslie Anderson) just flailed at the ball.

Jim Paduch seems to be an up and down kind of guy. He did just fine in his last start but he was tentative today. It didn’t help that he gave up two runs in the first inning and it was immediately clear that Doyle was having a good day. And Paduch did give up two runs all by himself with a throwing error and a wild pitch, a walk, and two singles. Ugly inning.

Jose Lobaton was behind the plate and seemed comfortable there. Not so much at bat, 0-4. With Lobaton in the game it gave the Bulls the very weird bench of Brignac, Acosta, Albernaz, and Salazar.

Lobaton wasn’t alone going 0-4: So did Hideki Matsui, Henry Wrigley, Juan Miranda, and Shawn O’Malley.


Bryan Augenstein, who hasn't been seen since early April, had two very nice innings. Josh Lueke is back from Tampa Bay and gave up a run.

Outside the game

• BurGi has updated his hitting stats for the Rays system.

Chart of the Day

Bulls ERAs

The Bulls' team ERA is showing a modest downward trend, but the team ERA really doesn't compare well with the International League's overall ERA of 3.72. 

A Simple Game

Box, Herald-Sun

Season: 18-27; Home Stand: 3-3; Bulls vs. Knights: 3-7; Standings
Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun

Regarding Saturday’s game: Former Bull Alex Cobb went to St. Pete and won a game for Tampa Bay; Montgomery Biscuit Shane Dyer came to Durham and did not.

But let’s talk about Sunday ...

Three home runs, terrific pitching, a 6-0 shutout. This really is a simple game isn’t it?

When Matt Torra took a couple of his warm-up pitches from the stretch I have to admit that I was worried. But it seemed justified. In the first two innings he pitched exactly four pitches from a full windup. However, at the end of those two innings the Knights had not scored a run and had left three runners on base. After that, for the first time since his great game against Louisville on April 30, the 2011 edition of Matt Torra was in the DBAP. Welcome back!

Then John Gaub got his first real test of the season. Gaub has been used for extremely short relief so far this year. Last night he was in there for three full innings and earned a save (again demonstrating I don’t understand the rules. How do you earn a save in a 6-0 shutout?)

Meanwhile infielder Cole Figueroa got his first home run with the Durham Bulls, new catcher Mayo Acosta got his first home run with the Durham Bulls, and Leslie Anderson got his third. As the Herald Sun’s Steve Wiseman wrote:

Sunday felt like old times for the Durham Bulls and their fans at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Other RBI were recorded by Henry Wrigley on a double and a Hedeki Matsui sacrifice fly.

About Hideki Matsui:

First, let me say what a great pleasure it is to have him and his entourage at the DBAP. I don’t think we’ll see its like again. And I don’t think we’ll see a player quite like Matsui here again either. What he is showing us, however, is the tiny differences the years bring to even the greatest talent. He may be only 5% less than the player he once was, but that is a difference. So far he is 3 for 31 in 6 games (.143/,174/.190). He has hit two balls with authority and both were caught. There’s an elegance and smoothness to all his play, but my guess is that it’s a notch below last year, and well below his prime.

For example, he was on first with a single when Henry Wrigley hit his double in the 3rd inning. His run from first to home to score did not have a hitch and his slide was perfect. He wasn’t some lumbering, knee-broken catcher. On the other hand, with even a slightly better throw from centerfield that hadn’t pulled the catcher up the line, he would have been caught.

The chatter is that he may be heading for the Rays as soon as this weekend. Looking at it from the perspective of a Bulls fan, he may be filling the stands, but he’s not helping the Bulls win games. Sorry to say that. He appears to be a great gentleman and a great ballplayer and maybe he just needs to work on his timing more. I hope so.

Outside the game

• Former Bull, switch-hitting catcher Jose Lobaton is rehabbing with the Montgomery Biscuits. He’s appeared in four games so far. In normal times he might be coming through Durham. But yet another catcher left the game early in Tampa Bay last night (Stephen Vogt put on the gear), so he might just head for the Rays when he’s ready. Too bad. I like watching Lobaton play.
• Bulls RHP Bryan Augenstein is off the disabled list. Bryan who? you may ask. That would be understandable. Augenstein pitched one game for the Bulls back on April 7. Did pretty well, but went on the DL. Jhonny Nunez has been “reassigned to Hudson Valley.” Note to new readers: the Hudson Valley Renegades is a real baseball team in the Rays system. However, what this means is that Nunez may be hanging out with the Bulls, but he can’t pitch until he gets assigned back to Durham. In other words, the Bulls are gaming the system. More power to them.
• If I’m reading the plots correctly Dian Van Deren came off the Parkway and made in almost to Pilot Mountain in one day! On foot! I know it was sort of downhill, but, Wow!

You're Welcome!

Season: 17-26; Home Stand: 2-2; vs Red Sox: 2-6; Standings
Box, Wrap, Herald-Sun, PawSox Wrap

My inbox is full this morning with emails thanking me for hexing Pawtucket shortstop Jose Inglesias. (Well, maybe not full ... ) Regular readers will recall that I wrote about him yesterday:

...Pawtucket shortstop Jose Inglesias [is a reason to come to the park]. If you’ve ever had one of those deep philosophical discussions about whether a shortstop needs a quick release or a strong arm (as if there’s a distinction), Inglesias is a poster-child for the quick release school. The ball simply doesn’t stay in his glove. It simply ends up flowing towards first base. Pretty to watch.

The gods of baseball saw that and struck back in the 8th Inning.

The Bulls were behind 2-5 and Hedeki Matsui grounded out to first. Henry Wrigley reached because Inglesias threw the ball past first base. Jeff Salazar doubled, moving Wrigley to third. Inglesias bobbled Cole Figueroa’s grounder, Wrigley scored (3-5) and Figueroa made it to first. Juan Miranda pinch hit for Craig Albernaz and drew a walk. Bases loaded. The real hero of the night (he went 4 for 5) Jesus Feliciano hit a triple and cleared the bases. Matt Mangini struck out, but the Bulls were ahead and Brandon Gomes came in to close it out. (Note to Tampa Bay — Please leave Gomes with us for a while. His ERA is still 0.00 and it's so nice to know the Bulls always have a shot if he's around.)

Two in a row says a lot about the Bulls and they gave the huge crowd a real thrill.

On the other hand, Chris Archer was a mess. In addition to the 7 hits and 4 walks, he was charged with three wild pitches (one of them letting a run score) and he hit a batter. Yes, he got 9 Ks, but he was simply lucky that the seven guys left on base weren’t able to get in. And it took him 106 pitches to get through just 4⅔ innings.

He can thank Hideki Matsui for preventing at least one run. Matsui was on the field for the first time, in left, and made a perfect throw to the plate on a runner who’d tagged up.

Have to mention Craig Albernaz. He seemed to be having a really tough time behind the plate last night, at least with Chris Archer and Jhonny Nunez. Lots of balls in the dirt. Lots of trips to the mound. Communications problems?

A win, and a pretty one at that. Before a full house. Great. The Bulls will not play Pawtucket again this year unless they meet in the playoffs.

Outside the game

• Doug Milhoan over at Rays Prospects has noticed that within the Rays system they have 25 players on the DL, rehab assignment, or the restricted list. That’s enough for a team. So he’s put one together. Actually looks pretty good.
• Ultra runner Diane Van Deren made it through the Linville Gorge/Wilson Creek area hitting some rough weather, but is now past Boone running the Mountain to Sea Trail. They seem to have the GPS tracking working this morning. Try the terrain view on the map and zoom in. Amazing.

Chart of the Day

Southern Division Teams, Games Above/Below .500

Charlotte comes to town today. The Bulls are 2-5 against Charlotte so far this year.