Running For Home

Game 141: Durham Bulls 4, Knights 1
Season: 81-60
Games Left in Season: 3
Wrap, Box, Indy Week

This has been a remarkable run. On the 23rd of August the Bulls were 13 games above .500 and four games behind Gwinnett in the International League’s South Division. Now, twelve games later, the Bulls are 21 games above .500 (the best of the year) and lead Gwinnett by two games. We’ve won 10 or our last 12 games and are very close to winning the division. Extraordinary!

Now they’re coming home after sweeping the Charlotte Knights, closing it out with a very nice 4-1 win last night behind yet another sterling performance by Jeremy Hellickson — he hasn’t let a run score in his last two games. Charlie Montoyo let the new arrival from Montgomery, Heath Rollins get his second taste of AAA ball in the 8th inning last night, but after his first pitch went over the wall, didn’t let him stay too long before bringing in Winston Abreu to close it out.

What to look for in this Norfolk series — rotation experimentation. We’ve only got two starters, Jason Cromer and Jeremy Hellickson, so just how do you go ready for a playoff series? Montoyo could choose to keep Cromer out until Wednesday or pitch him in his normal rotation on Monday afternoon, which would bring Jason up for the fourth game of the first round of the playoffs. My guess is that it depends mostly on how Jason deals with days off. For some guys too many is just as bad as too few. Jeremy’s normal rotation brings him up for the first game of the playoffs. So we’re good there.

I’d expect Charlie to use these three games to take very close looks at Raynor Oliveros, Paul Phillips and Heath Rollins.

The rest of the lineup really looks great. Desmond Jennings fell off his remarkable streak last night, going 0-5 after going 7-7. Nevertheless, Rashad Eldridge and Sean Rodriguez seem to be fitting in. Matt Joyce should be recovered from his foot injury. Chris Richard is banging the ball well. Justin? Continuing his feast or famine problems at the plate. Has not been his year, but we all know he’s capable of making a real difference these last two weeks.

World Cup

Team USA 7, Canada 4 (exhibition)
Indy Week

Jon Weber played left field and went 1-3 with a walk and a RBI.

Durham Bulls Clinch Post-Season Spot; Jennings Sets Record

Game 140: Durham Bulls 14, Charlotte Knights 3
Season: 80-60
Games Left in Season: 4; Home Games: 3
Wrap, Box, Indy Week

In a game of superlatives played in Fort Mill, South Carolina, the headline emerges from Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Syracuse Chiefs lost to Lehigh Valley. With the Bulls’ win in Fort Mill we now have a lock on a playoff spot as either the Southern Division champs or as the Wild Card team. So, next Wednesday, at the DBAP, first game of the first round.

Desmond Jennings kept up with his hot hitting, this time setting a Durham Bulls AAA record of 7 hits in 7 at-bats. Really hard to do in a 9-inning game. Really hard to do, period. Six singles and a double, three RBIs and he scored four runs. In fact, the top of the order did much of the damage since Rashad Eldridge, playing right field in place of injured Matt Joyce, was 4-6 with a walk and two RBIs. The Bulls as a team had 17 hits and drew 12 walks against a Charlotte team that has simply been decimated by September call ups and World Cup team assignments. Further, the White Sox have wanted to keep their AA and A teams in contention, so some of the players last night were true rookies getting their first experience at pitching to AAA hitters or facing AAA pitchers.

But I don’t want to take anything away from Calvin Medlock. A superb game in a spot start situation. He was touched for a home run in the 1st and the 3rd (Charlotte’s only runs), but went 4 ⅔ and struck out 9. Joe Bateman got the win and Dale Thayer pitched the 9th.

Norfolk beat Gwinnett last night, so we’re two games ahead of the Braves in the Southern Division with four games left to play. Things are looking pretty good.

Team USA 6, Canada 4 (exhibition)
Indy Week, Box

Jon Weber played left field and went 1-3 with a walk. Jason Childers pitched a scoreless inning.

Eldridge Back; Brignac Gone; Nelson Clears Waivers

According to Stacy Long, Rashad Eldridge is coming to the Bulls from the Biscuits. Rashad was with us earlier in the year and did quite well: .301/.356/.370. An outfielder, it looks to me he might fill a hole if Joyce gets called up. Sorry for Montgomery’s loss, but a positive for us.

According to Marc Tompkin, Reid Brignac is on his way to Tampa Bay and Joe Nelson passed through waivers and accepted an assignment to Durham.

If new infielder Sean Rodriguez stays more than a couple of days, and if his hitting is still in the shape it was in when he left Salt Lake, we should be OK in the infield. Maybe better than OK.

Even though what we really need is starting pitching, and even though Nelson hasn’t shown us much yet, maybe Charlie and X. know something we don’t. We can hope.

That’s Better

Game 139: Bulls 9, Knights 0
Season: 79-60
Games Left in Season: 5; Home Games: 3
Wrap, Box, Indy Week

For all my complaining about the Rays, it pales in comparison to what the White Sox have done to Charlotte over the last couple of days. I guess we should be thankful (but I won’t be).

Charlie Montoyo had some interesting things to say in his interview with Neal Solondz. He thinks the season should end on September 1.

Nevertheless, I don’t want to take anything away from my favorite left-handed Bulls pitcher (What’s that our only left-handed pitcher? OK, in that case simply my favorite Bulls pitcher), Jason Cromer. Terrific night for Jason. Six innings, 5 hits (all singles), two walks, two strikeouts, no runs. His ERA went down to 2.33. Followed in the 7th and 8th by Julio DePaula, who didn’t let any runs in, and in the 9th by Winston Abreu, who struck out the side.

The new guy, Desmond Jennings, and the veteran, Chris Richard led the offense. Jennings showed why he was named MVP of the Southern League almost a month after he was gone: Two walks, one hit by pitch, a triple, a home run, two stolen bases, three runs scored, and 2 RBIs. Chris Richard went 4-5, with a homer and three singles, and 4 RBIs.

Norfolk did us a favor by beating the Braves 8-1, so we’ve back up into sole possession of first place in the South Division. I’ve also noted DRR’s comments regarding how there’s an advantage to being the wild-card team as opposed to the division champs, and I agree. On the other hand, I’d really like a t-shirt that would tout three years in a row (plus Gov’s cup, of course).

World Cup

Mike Potter covered Team USA’s media day. Thanks, Mike. The best link I’ve found so far regarding the world cup is here. I still haven’t found any sportswriter-type stories on the Cup. If anyone else does, let me know.

Durham Bulls 2.0

Game 138: Bulls 2, Braves 10
Season: 78-60
Games Left in Season: 6; Home Games: 3
Box

Again, I will commend to you other accounts of last night’s game. If you are feeling a bit down and just want to get it over with, then this might suit you. If you’re deeply into pain and suffering, or deeply depressed and in need of something to push you over the edge, this might be more to your liking.

I don’t know where the Bulls’ heads were last night, but it sure wasn’t at the DBAP. I will note that the 32nd and 33rd pitchers of the year were on the mound.

I’d rather take a stab at understanding the 2.0 version of the Durham Bulls. Please keep in mind my most recent post regarding the interest that the Rays have in our fortunes. To wit: none, zero, nada. Suck it up, Durham. We want these guys up here so they can see how the big leaguers lose a playoff race.

(OK. Take a breath, C. ... Better?)

Players on the 40-man roster of Tampa Bay are marked with an asterisk. They are much more subject to call up in the next couple of days, but have not, so far as I know, been called yet.

Pitchers:

With the Wade Davis call up and Nelson DFA, here’s what’s left:

• Jason Cromer
• Jeremy Hellickson
• Rayner Oliveros
• Heath Rollins
• Paul Phillips
• Dale Thayer *
• Joe Bateman
• Julio DePaula
• Winston Abreu
• Calvin Medlock

First impressions of the new guys from Montgomery (Oliveros, Rollins, and Phillips) are pretty good. We’re about two short of what we need for the next several games and Thayer could get called up at any moment (the Rays used 8 pitchers in a real fiasco last night). Montgomery’s season lasts just as long as ours, but maybe someone could be pulled up for the playoffs. I suppose that Joe Nelson could actually show back up, depending on contracts, agents, other ML teams, etc. I’m assuming Carlos Hernandez and Mitch Talbot are not part of the picture.

Catchers:

• John Jaso *
• Craig Albernaz
• Michel Hernandez

We can go back to carrying three catchers now. I don’t see Jaso going up unless Riggans goes on the DL again.

Infielders:

• Reid Brignac *
• Joe Dillon
• Elliot Johnson *
• Henry Mateo
• Ray Olmedo
• Chris Richard
• Sean Rodriguez *

Tampa folks are so high on Rodriguez I gotta figure he’ll go up there after only a few days here. Reid and Elliott? Don’t know. Hard to guess. But in any case we are not in desperate shape for infielders.

Outfielders:

• Justin Ruggiano *
• Desmond Jennings
• Matt Joyce *

Pretty sure that Matt Joyce will be getting a call up. Doubt that Justin will. We’ve got a problem here, but Johnson has played some outfield and Montgomery has a couple of good guys available for the playoffs.

So where do we stand overall? Here’s my answer — It’s in the hands of Charlie Montoyo. Seems to me the talent is there (sure, need some pitching and at least one outfielder), but orchestrating the talent we have and keeping things sorted out in the clubhouse is what will make the difference. Norfolk and Charlotte have been stirred up as well. X. has his work cut out for him working with the new pitchers (as do Jaso and Michel Hernandez). But building a team, well the old hands (Chris Richard, Justin Ruggiano, Joe Dillon, Henry Mateo, Ray Olmedo) are going to have to step in and help keep on top of things.

In the end, it seems like we’re in pretty good shape. It could have been worse. It could get worse given Tampa Bay’s attitude. But at this moment, we’re OK.

Just no more games like last night.

Joe Maddon, the Rays, and the IL Playoffs

Every now and then something comes along to jolt me out of my little fantasy world in which I think that the folks down in that jukebox between the beach and the bay actually know we’ve got a great team here and maybe they care something about how our season’s going. This comes along from a Bill Chastain item on the Rays website.

Maddon said more players will be called up at the end of the week and next week. But the Rays won’t be leaving players at Durham just to help the Bulls in the International League playoffs.

“We’re not going to leave people there we want here,” Maddon said.

Nice to know what Joe Maddon really thinks about the Bulls and the Governor’s Cup.

Auf Wiedersehen Jon & Jason

Game 137: Bulls 6, Braves 8
Season: 78-59
Games Left in Season: 7; Home Games: 4
Box

I’ll leave last night’s game to the wrap, the Herald-Sun, and Adam Sobsey. What I want to write about today is the contributions of Jon Weber and Jason Childers to the 2009 Durham Bulls. Without them we wouldn’t be where we are today — on the verge of a division championship and heading towards the playoffs. Thank you.

Jon Weber

The numbers are simply superb. He played in 117 games this year. I don’t recall him missing a day with an injury. He’s the only .300 batter on the team (.302). His OBP was .382, his OPS was .879. He leads the International League with 46 doubles (and likely to hold that lead since the next in line has 36) and in extra base hits. Those are his numbers, and those numbers were clearly good enough, in my opinion, for him to get a shot with the Rays this year. I’ve written about that more than once this year.

More than that, even a fan can notice that he seems to be a man with a sense of humor and good spirit. He’s certainly put up with a good bit from this blog regarding his bat-throwing tendencies. (In that regard, I have it on good authority that all the partners and associates of Farfaleaux, Foghart, & Bloviate, L.L.C. join me in wishing Jon all possible success and genuinely regret missing the opportunity of filming Jon tossing a bat in Fenway Park.)

He has remarked that he’s looking to play in Japan next year and if that doesn’t happen he hopes he will be back in Durham. Here’s hoping that he gets his wish.

Jason Childers

Back on April 19th, the very first game of this season, Jason made the first of his team-leading 55 appearances for the Bulls this year. He has done a bit of everything from middle relief to closing, accumulating 9 wins, 6 losses, 9 holds, and 5 saves. I like his Opponent’s On Base Percentage, a nice low .310. His 61 strikeouts to 23 walks isn’t anything to sneeze at either. As a fan the great thing about Jason is that I don’t flinch when I see him come into the game. If we’ve got a lead, I don’t think he’s going to let it get away. If we don’t have the lead, he’ll give us a chance to get back in the game. He’s done that all year. We’re going to miss him these next two weeks.

Jon and Jason are off to the wilds of Cary, NC to tune up for the World Cup of Baseball. If there’s a major sporting event that’s gotten less coverage I don’t know what it could be (think about that…). Here at WDBB we’ll do our best to keep an eye on them as they travel off to Regensburg, Germany for the first round game on September 10th against Venezuela. Or maybe I’ll get over to Cary to watch them play Team Canada on 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th.

If there were ever two men who represent what American baseball is all about, Jon Weber and Jason Childers are those guys. They work hard, play hard, respect the game, and have fun. What more could you ask for in men who are representing our country and the game we all love?