The Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League (MLB 2001)

[Questdog]

Saturday, December 6, 2003

I am at the Winter Meetings and these things are usually just a party for me and a chance to make contacts. I do not usually have any business to attend to. But the GM of the Oakland Oaks has approached me with a trade offer that I am actually interested in! He wants to unload 3B Jeff Galka (34-R) and his $910K salary and does not care much what he gets back.

Trade #48
RF Bill Wilson (31-R) to Oakland for 3B Jeff Galka (34-R).

Wilson can still hit some (.326/.379/.434 at Vancouver(A)), but cannot play D anymore. Galka can still pick it at 3rd, though his range is somewhat limited. He hit 22 HR last year. He is signed through next year. We do not expect him to bounce back to his 2001 form, but if he can match 2003, or come close, that will be great.

[Questdog]

Sunday, December 7, 2003

Houston signed the biggest plum of the 2003 free agent class when they inked SP Brian Nordmann (28-R), formerly of New York, to a 6 year contract for $16.88 million. That average to just over $2.8 million per season. He was 49-25 with a 2.40 ERA in 101 starts over the past three seasons for the Giants He gave up 21 HR last year, but the Astrodome should trim that number.

The Giants, meanwhile, tried to make their own splash, yt signing Nordmann's replacement. They inked SP Bud Fields (27-R), formerly of Los Angeles, to a 6 year contract for $12.72 million. He led the PCL in ERA last season with a 2.06 mark, but only started 29 games and has only started 54 total in the past three years.

[Questdog]

Monday, December 8, 2003

Miami signed RF Artie Hawkins (29-R), formerly of Pittsburgh, to a 7 year contract at $2.16 million per season. He was 2nd in the MVP vote in 2002, but only played 119 games this past season. He is a career .320 hitter with 109 SB and 107 2B and 34 3B.

[Questdog]

Sunday, December 14, 2003

Washington singed 2B Jim Holberton (25-L), formerly of Sacramento, to an 8 year contract for $15.56 million. He was an All-Star and won a Gold Glove in 2001, but has had 2 injury plagued seasons since. He hit 26 HR in 2001 and 30 combined in 2002 and 2003.

[Questdog]

Thursday, December 25, 2003

Dallas unwrapped a new toy in 3B Howard Tanski (28-S), formerly of Baltimore. They signed him to a 3 year contract for $4.96 million, an average of $1.65 million per season. He has hit .232/.319/.384 with 59 HR over the past 2 seasons for the Orioles.

[Questdog]

Saturday, December 27, 2003

The Boston Braves do not seem overly concerned that SP Ellis Collier (29-R) is coming of surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, as they inked the former Solon to a 4 year contract for $6.44 million ($1.61 million average per season). He was 5-8 with a 2.87 ERA in 19 starts last year for Sacramento and 25-20 with a 3.17 ERA in 62 starts in 3 seasons.

[Questdog]

Friday, January 2, 2004

The Denver Bears look to make a run on the home run record this season. They traded 3 middling prospects to Salt Lake City for 1B/3B Jim Jaeger (36-R). He hit .302 with 17 HR and 79 RBI for the Bees last year and has 77 HR over the past 3 seasons. They will install him at 1st base in place if Gold Glove winner Rich Aycock (25-L) and that will give them 5 players in their lineup with the potential to hit 30 HR apiece.

[Questdog]

Monday, January 5, 2004

Time for the B Leagues Draft!

This year, with all the work I spent on the committee that oversaw the freeing of the B & C Leagues from Major League control and the distribution of players, I did not have much time to make a plan of action. I left that to Scouting Director Oscar Cervantes, though I vetoed a few of his ideas.

This draft was pretty slim on talent in general with most of the choice tidbits that should have been in this draft being plucked early last year in the abortive takeover of the B Leagues by the Majors. Especially in the pitching department. SD Cervantes claims that there is not a single Major League prospect in the 80 available pitchers. Indeed, the first pitcher taken in the draft, Gary Spencer (22-R), was selected by Baltimore with the 13th pick of the 3rd round.

I am not excited by any of the players we took. Especially these rotten pitchers. Why did we take such horrible pitchers? Well by the time our pick came up at the end of the 4th round, their was nothing but pitchers left.... One of the crappy pitchers in this batch was named Robin Roberts. Jayson Pemberton immediately becomes the best defensive outfielder in Beaver history, but he cannot hit much....

[Questdog]

Tuesday, January 6, 2004

Oakland signed P Billy Wright (28-L), formerly of Baltimore, to a 4 year contract for $7.36 million ($1.84 million average per season). He was 14-3 with a 2.09 ERA in 35 starts, but can only give you 6 innings a pop if all goes as planned, which is not what I want from a starting pitcher.

[Questdog]

Wednesday, January 14, 2004

Toronto signed the last big contract expected this winter when they inked P Pete Kinser (30-L), formerly of St. Louis to a 6 year contract at $2.14 million per season. He was 17-9 with a 2.02 ERA for the Cardinals last season. He is a 2-time All-Star. In 2002, he led the NL in wins and ERA, but only finished 3rd in the Cy Young voting, which is a travesty of justice. He was 3rd in the voting this season.

[Questdog]

Monday, March 1, 2004

We began our schedule of 30 Spring Training games with a 6 to 2 loss to the San Diego Padres at our Training Complex in Glendale, Arizona. Not a lot of competition for jobs this Spring. We just need to get in shape and avoid the injury bugaboo.

[Questdog]

Thursday, April 1, 2004

We ended our schedule of 30 Spring Training games with a 5 to 3 loss at the Minnesota Twins Training Complex. We suffered 2 major injuries this Spring. 2B A.J. Lee (24-R) hurt his shoulder and is expected to be out until the middle of May. SP Don Marshall (24-L), who was scheduled to spend the season at Vancouver (A), will instead spend it rehabbing from surgery to repair a torn flex tendon in his elbow. The injury is expected to keep him out of action for more than a full calendar year.

We ended up 15-15, 5th among the teams in our division. San Diego was 1st at 19-11 and Oakland and Sacramento brought up the rear at 11-19. The Baltimore Orioles had the best overall record at 22-8 and the aforementioned Oaks and Solons, along with Cincinnati and Philadelphia had the worst records at 11-19. Glenn Snowden (27-R) and Jose Naranjo (30-R) of Hollywood led all players with 8 HR, though Snowden only had a little more than half the AB that Naranjo had.

Next Up: Meet the Beavers!

[Questdog]

Meet the Beavers!

Opening Day starters are highlighted in blue.

Opening Day Roster
Pitchers
Starting Rotation
Frank Flores
24 year old (25 on April 26) right-hander from Caracas, Venezuela. 6' 1" 186 lbs. (+7) $50,000. Arbitration eligible after this season. Selected in the 2nd round of the 2002 B Leagues Draft. 93 MPH over-the-top fastball with a very good curve and changeup. Decent move to first and an average fielder. Below average bunter. A hard worker and a leader in the clubhouse. Led the League in wins last year and finished 3rd in the Cy Young voting. He was the MVP of the PCLCS last year. Was 0-1 with a 1.26 ERA this Spring. 14.1 IP, 9 H, 0 HR, 3 BB 15 SO.
2003 (MLB): 22-6 2.79 ERA 33 GS 229 IP 192 H 12 HR 53 BB 116 SO 2.1/4.6 BB/SO per 9 for Portland
MLB (2 yrs): 35-18 3.09 ERA 66 GS 454.1 IP 391 H 29 HR 117 BB 223 SO 2.3/4.4 BB/SO per 9 for Portland

Bobby Johnson
24 year old (25 on April 20) right-hander from St. Petersburg, Florida. 6' 2" 200 lbs. (+2) $400,000. Arbitration eligible. Acquired in a trade with Seattle in January, 2001. He was the 12th overall pick in that year's B Leagues Draft. 94 MPH over-the-top fastball with a curve, changeup, splitter and circle change. The changeup is his best pitch, but all are very good, except the circle change, which is a work in progress. Not a good move to first. Only a decent a decent bunter. Likable young man. Was 4th in the PCL in fewest HR allowed and 5th in fewest hits. Let's hope his luck is better this year. He deserved better than a 14-11 record. Was 1-1 with a 1.42 ERA this Spring. 12.2 IP, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 BB, 9 SO.
2003 (MLB): 14-11 2.60 ERA 36 GS 246 IP 196 H 7 HR 75 BB 154 SO 2.7/5.6 BB/SO per 9 for Portland
MLB (3 yrs): 42-34 2.96 ERA 106 G 105 GS 740 IP 666 H 40 HR 191 BB 426 SO 2.3/5.2 BB/SO per 9 for Portland

Steve Muir
29 year old right-hander from Ooltewah, Tennessee (a suburb of Chattanooga). 6' 3" 206 lbs. (+2) $1,275,000. Free Agent after this season. An original Beaver. 90 MPH fastball with a good curve and slider. He has a tendency to get more fly balls than grounders. Average bunter. Solid move to first. Won the Gold Glove in 2001. Was as lucky with his 20 wins last year as Bobby Johnson was unlucky with his 14. I tried to trade him this Winter, but there was not much interest. I am hoping he gets off to a good start and we can move him at the Trading Deadline. Otherwise, he will just be gone for no return after this season because he is greedy and will want a lot more money that he is worth. Was 0-2 with a 4.09 ERA this Spring. 11 IP, 16 H, 2 HR, 5 BB, 7 SO.
2003 (MLB): 20-6 3.08 ERA 34 GS 231 IP 197 H 21 HR 53 BB 85 SO 2.1/3.3 BB/SO per 9 for Portland
MLB (3 yrs): 43-34 3.41 ERA 103 GS 677.2 IP 642 H 43 HR 186 BB 327 SO 2.5/4.3 BB/SO per 9 for Portland

Barry Phillips
20 year old right-hander (21 on April 28) from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 6' 2" 182 lbs. $50,000. Minimum. Acquired in a trade with Cleveland in November for Fernando Mexicano. He was the #17 prospect in Baseball last Spring. 98 MPH fastball with a good curve. Also throws a changeup and slider. Scouting Director Oscar Cervantes and his crew project the changeup and curve to become elite level pitches. He keeps the ball low in the zone and gets a lot of ground balls. He is a pretty good fielder, but does not hold runners close to the bag very well. He is very smart. Was 0-0 with a 1.38 ERA this Spring. 13 IP, 7 H, 0 HR, 5 BB, 5 SO.
2003 (MLB): 11-11 4.19 ERA 30 G 27 GS 176 IP 172 H 8 HR 93 BB 93 SO 4.8/4.8 BB/SO per 9 as a rookie for Cleveland
2003 (A): 3-1 1.55 ERA 4 GS 29 IP 19 H 0 HR 12 BB 13 SO 3.7/4.0 BB/SO per 9 for Indianapolis

Bill Woodward
23 year old right-hander from Detroit, Michigan. 5' 10" 178 lbs. (+16) Hope that was muscle! $50,000. Minimum. Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2003 B Leagues Draft. 92 MPH fastball with and excellent changeup, a good slider and forkball and a decent sinker. He gets a lot of ground balls. We still cannot get him to pay attention to runners on base. He is a decent fielder and hit .280 with a home run and 10 RBI and a .660 OPS as a rookie. Was 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA this Spring. 13.1 IP, 13 H, 2 HR, 5 BB, 8 SO.
2003 (MLB): 9-8 4.09 ERA 24 GS 147.1 IP 149 H 15 HR 47 BB 78 SO 2.9/4.8 BB/SO per 9 as a rookie for Portland
2003 (A): 1-2 4.37 ERA 4 GS 22.2 IP 24 H 1 HR 13 BB 20 SO 5.2/7.9 BB/SO per 9 for Vancouver

Bullpen
Ramon Andrade
29 year old right-hander from Brooklyn, New York. 6' 5" 202 lbs. $650,000. Signed through 2006. Signed as a free agent in November. 95 MPH live fastball with a knee-buckling curve. Keeps the ball low and rarely gets taken over the fence. A decent fielder, but not so great at holding runners. Very smart on and off the field. Led the NL in Saves with 44 in 2002. Was 1-0 with 7 SV and a 2.18 ERA this Spring and gave up a home run... 20.2 IP, 11 H, 1 HR, 10 BB, 17 SO.
2003 (MLB): 3-6 2.17 ERA 31 SV 67 G 70.2 IP 56 H 0 HR 39 BB 69 SO 5.0/8.8 BB/SO per 9 for Miami
MLB (3 yrs): 14-18 1.86 ERA 207 G 217.1 IP 156 H 3 HR 105 BB 223 SO 4.3/9.2 BB/SO per 9 for Miami

Victor Alvarez
30 year old left-hander from La Playa, Colombia. 5' 10" 169 lbs. (+1) $325,000. Arbitration. Acquired in a trade with Seattle in January, 2003. 92 MPH fastball with a knee-buckling curve ball. Gets a lot of ground balls. Excellent at holding runners. A poor fielder. A hard worker and enthusiastic teammate. Finished 3rd in the voting for the Fireman Trophy last year. 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA this Spring. 13 IP, 7 H, 0 HR, 4 BB, 13 SO.
2003 (MLB): 8-1 1.78 ERA 7 SV 58 G 70.2 IP 48 H 1 HR 22 BB 73 SO 2.8/9.3 BB/SO per 9 for Portland
MLB (3 yrs): 16-5 2.65 ERA 11 SV 161 G 187 IP 150 H 10 HR 82 BB 224 SO 3.9/10.8 BB/SO per 9 for Seattle (2) and Portland (1)

Rich Larkin
24 year old right-hander from Mobile, Alabama. 6' 7" 213 lbs. (+5) $50,000. Arbitration eligible. Selected in the 4th round of the 2002 B Leagues Draft. 94 MPH over-the-top live fastball with a very good sinker and crappy changeup. Decent move to 1st and a poor fielder. Hard worker and good guy. The fans have taken a liking to him. 0-1 with a 1.69 ERA this Spring. 10.2 IP, 11 H, 0 HR, 3 BB, 11 SO.
2003 (MLB): 2-4 2.32 ERA 12 SV 52 G 73.2 IP 54 H 5 HR 22 BB 90 SO 2.7/11.0 BB/SO per 9 for Portland
MLB (2 yrs): 6-8 2.75 ERA 15 SV 96 G 137.2 IP 110 H 12 HR 50 BB 146 SO 3.3/9.5 BB/SO per 9 for Portland

Denny Jennissen
30 year old right-hander from Sumter, South Carolina. 6' 0" 192 lbs. (-1) $452,000. Free Agent after this season. Acquired in a trade with New York in January, 2003. 97 MPH explosive fastball with a knee-buckling curve. Average move to 1st and a poor fielder. Miss 5 weeks with a hamstring issue last year. Was 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA this Spring. 6.2 IP, 5 H, 0 HR, 3 BB, 7 SO.
2003 (MLB): 4-1 2.30 ERA 4 SV 38 G 58.2 IP 42 H 3 HR 27 BB 60 SO 4.1/9.2 BB/SO per 9 for Portland
2003 (A): 0-0 0.00 ERA 1 G 2 IP 2 H 0 HR 1 BB 2 SO 4.5/9.0 BB/SO per 9 for Vancouver in a rehab assignment
MLB (3 yrs): 14-16 2.53 ERA 34 SV 141 G 15 GS 256 IP 188 H 16 HR 108 BB 252 SO 3.8/8.9 BB/SO per 9 for Baltimore (2) and Portland (1)

Sandy Bastianelli
29 year old right-hander from Hanford, California (30 miles south of Fresno). 6' 4" 197 lbs. $50,000. Minimum. Was acquired in the ill-fated Major League takeover of the B Leagues in the Fall of 2002. 87 MPH 'Hit me, please' fast ball with a very good slider. A poor fielder and does no pay attention to runners on base. Not very bright. He has absolutely nothing to recommend him, except that he keeps getting people out somehow. And we will keep letting him pitch until he quits getting them out. Was 0-1 with a 3.97 ERA this Spring. 11.1 IP, 9 H, 0 HR, 2 BB, 9 SO.
2003 (MLB): 0-0 0.95 ERA 15 G 19 IP 16 H 0 HR 2 BB 16 SO 0.9/7.6 BB/SO per 9 as a rookie for Portland
2003 (A): 0-1 1.02 ERA 12 G 17.2 IP 6 H 0 HR 8 BB 19 SO 4.1/9.7 BB/SO per 9 for Vancouver

Bruce Ancona
24 year old left-hander from Lakewood, Colorado (a suburb of Denver). 6' 4" 204 lbs. $50,000. Minimum. Was acquired in a trade with Houston in June of last year. Was a 4th round pick in the 2003 B Leagues Draft. 92 MPH fastball with a good splitter and curveball. Would be a great pitcher if he could limit the long ball a little better. A mediocre fielder with only a decent move to first for a left-hander. A very hard worker with an easy going personality. He will also start some games for us against teams that are vulnerable to left handed pitching and will be the first option to join the rotation full time if someone gets hurt or Bill Woodward falters. Was 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA this Spring. 18 IP, 13 H, 0 HR, 4 BB, 10 SO.
2003 (MLB): 9-10 3.46 ERA 27 G 21 GS 148.1 IP 153 H 12 HR 35 BB 64 SO 2.1/3.9 BB/SO per 9 as a rookie for Houston (0.3) and Portland (0.7)
2003 (A): 1-1 0.93 ERA 3 GS 19.1 IP 21 H 1 HR 3 BB 12 SO 1.4/5.6 BB/SO Per 9 for Vancouver

Fielders
Catchers
Tim Higbee
21 year old catcher who bats from both sides of the plate and throws right-handed from Shreveport, Louisiana. 6' 2" 194 lbs. (+3) $50,000. Minimum. Acquired in a trade with Sacramento in January, 2003. He was drafted in the 1st round (5th overall) of the 2003 B Leagues Draft. Not a very good catcher yet, but we hope he will get better as he matures. He never will have a very good arm, though. He's a very hard worker and a natural born leader. A slow runner. Still swings at everything he sees and hits very little of it, but we hope he will get better at that, too. He hit .292 with 2 HR and a .799 OPS this Spring.
2003 (MLB): .261/.301/.405 in 444 AB with 14 HR and 58 RBI and 0 SB as a rookie for Portland
2003 (A): .319/.340/.489 in 94 AB with 2 HR and 16 RBI and 0 SB for Vancouver

Rick Mansoor
30 year old catcher who bats and throws right-handed from Ridge Wood Heights, Florida (a suburb of Sarasota). 6' 0" 212 lbs. (-1) $50,000. Arbitration eligible after this season. Acquired in a trade with Houston in January, 2002. Excellent receiver with a below average arm. No speed at all, but will steal a base if the battery is napping. Was great as the backup in 2002, but only hit .185 last year. He did walk quite a bit, though, leading to a .306 OBP. We have no one else to seriously consider to replace him. Hit .324 with 2 HR and a .972 OPS this Spring!
2003 (MLB): .185/.306/.230 in 135 AB with 1 HR and 16 RBI and 0 SB for Portland
MLB (2 yrs): .235/.323/.322 in 255 AB with 4 HR and 30 RBI and 1 SB for Portland

Infielders
Glenn Snowden
27 year old first baseman who bats and throws right-handed from Prestonsburg, Kentucky (a very small coal mining town in the mountains of southeastern Kentucky). 6' 3" 211 lbs. (-1) $1,500,000. Signed through 2012! An Original Beaver. Won the Gold Glove at first base in 2001 and a Silver Bat in 2002 and 2003. A 3-time All-Star and finished 2nd in the MVP voting last season when he won the Batting Title and led the PCL in RBI. Also led the League in HBO with 10 and OBP. A below average runner. A very hard worker and a fan favorite. Hit .409 with 8 HR and an 1.477 OPS this Spring!
2003 (MLB): .363/.433/.609 in 586 AB with 34 HR and 133 RBI and 2 SB for Portland
MLB (3 yrs): .329/.404/.573 in 1760 AB with 107 HR and 359 RBI and 2 SB for Portland

Oscar Trejo
31 year old first baseman who bats and throws right-handed from San Mateo, Venezuela. 6' 2" 218 lbs. (+0) $220,000. Free Agent after this season. Signed as a free agent in March, 2003. Decent fielder with limited range. No speed at all. Last year, he was nearly neck and neck with my pet 3-legged box turtle, but this year, the terrapin won handily. Hard worker and a leader in the clubhouse. Was the PCL Championship Series MVP in 2001. Hit .323 with 2 HR and an .861 OPS this Spring.
2003 (MLB): .250/.318/.412 in 136 AB with 5 HR and 18 RBI and 0 SB for Portland
MLB (3 yrs): .261/.335/.427 in 618 AB with 25 HR and 92 RBI and 0 SB for Los Angeles (2) and Portland (1)

Juan Rojas
25 year old second baseman who bats from both sides of the plate and throws right-handed from Torreon, Mexico. 6' 0" 182 lbs. (+6) $50,000. Arbitration eligible. Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2001 B Leagues Draft. Excellent range and a very quick release. Decent hands and arm. Can play anywhere in the infield and some left field, too. Average runner, but not a very good base stealer and not very smart on the base paths. A crossword puzzler. He was slated for Vancouver (A) this year, but the injury to A.J. Lee has thrust him back into the limelight. Hit .200 with an .480 OPS this Spring. We expected a lot more from him than we have gotten so far.
2003 (MLB): .221/.288/.282 in 348 AB with 4 HR and 31 RBI and 3 SB for Portland
MLB (3 yrs): .222/.284/.278 in 825 AB with 5 HR and 63 RBI and 3 SB for Portland

Jeff Galka
35 year old third baseman who bats and throws right-handed from Whisper Walk, Florida (in Palm Beach County near Boca Raton). 6' 3" 206 lbs. $910,000. Signed through next season. Acquired in a trade with Oakland this February. A very good fielder, though his range is now limited at 35. Can play 1st base. A slow runner and not aggressive on the bases. A stand up guy. Hit .304 with 39 HR and 125 RBI in 2001 for Salt Lake City. Hit .224 with 1 HR and an .657 OPS this Spring.
2003 (MLB): .233/.304/.409 in 596 AB with 22 HR and 80 RBI and 0 SB for Oakland
MLB (3 yrs): .261/.321/.461 in 1825 AB with 88 HR and 294 RBI and 3 SB for Salt Lake City (2) and Oakland (1)

Reid Reddick
26 year old shortstop who bats and throws right-handed from Maplewood, Minnesota (a suburb of St. Paul). 6' 0" 189 lbs. $50,000. Minimum. Acquired in a trade with Dallas in May, 2003. An excellent defender with no superior skills, but very good at everything. No speed and not a threat to steal. Very smart. HIt .172 with 1 HR and a .669 OPS this Spring.
2003 (MLB): .257/.304/.367 in 401 AB with 9 HR and 50 RBI an 0 SB for Dallas (.05) and Portland (0.95)
MLB (3 yrs): .250/.302/.357 in 448 AB with 10 HR and 51 RBI and 0 SB for Dallas (2.05) and Portland (0.95)

Dave Risinger
28 year old shortstop who bats and throws right-handed from Hayesville, Oregon (a suburb of Salem, just 45 miles south of Portland on the I-5). 6' 2" 195 lbs. (+1) $320,000. Arbitration. An original Beaver. Decent range, but a very strong arm with a super quick release and very good hands. Very fast and a good base stealer and very aggressive base runner. A his worst season with the bat in 2003. Hit .242 with a .663 OPS this Spring.
2003 (MLB): .233/.306/.332 in 331 AB with 3 HR and 36 RBI and 17 SB for Portland
MLB (3 yrs): .254/.312/.343 in 1130 AB with 13 HR and 116 RBI and 59 SB for Portland

Outfielders
Kim Springer
23 year old left fielder who bats and throws left-handed from North Westport, Massachusetts (12 miles southwest of Fall River). 6' 5" 200 lbs. (+3) $50,000. Minimum. Selected in the 1st round (5th overall) in the 2002 B Leagues Draft. Once he learns not to swings at everything he can reach, he will be one of the best hitters in baseball. I expect him to have a breakout season this year. Missed two months with a pulled hamstring last year. Adequate fielder and runner, but will steal an occasional base and is a heads up base runner. Does not have the arm to play right and his range is only average and he has a propensity for dropping balls. He is easy to get along with. I tried to trade him this winter (and last), but no one would give me good value for him. We'll try again next winter. Hit .396 with 3 HR and a 1.075 OPS this Spring, but did not draw a walk.
2003 (MLB): .293/.336/.468 in 299 AB with 8 HR and 54 RBI and 9 SB for Portland
2003 (A): .222/.271/.267 in 45 AB with 0 HR and 1 RBI and 1 SB for Vancouver in a rehab assignment
MLB (2 yrs): .283/.326/.439 in 435 AB with 11 HR and 67 RBI and 12 SB for Portland

Brian Mitchell
22 year old (23 on April 9) center fielder who bats and throws left-handed from Detroit, Michigan. 5' 10" 177 lbs. (+5) $50,000. Arbitration eligible. Selected in the 4th round of the 2001 B Leagues draft. Missed 3 months last year with an elbow issue and has missed significant time in each if the last 3 seasons. Good range and a superior arm. Is really a right-fielder, but has the best range of any of our starting outfielders. Very hard worker. Very fast and will steal bases. Good bunter. Hit .308 with 1 HR and a .735 OPS this Spring. Will start versus right-handers.
2003 (MLB): .307/.362/.380 in 313 AB with 2 HR and 24 RBI and 29 SB for Portland
2003 (A): .444/.500/.944 in 9 AB with 0 HR and 1 RBI and 2 SB for Vancouver in a rehab assignment
MLB (3 yrs): .301/.350/.362 in 745 AB with 2 HR and 42 RBI and 48 SB for Portland

Jack Hinckley
28 year old center fielder who bats right-handed and throws left-handed from White Lake Township, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit). 6' 4" 206 lbs. (+3) $220,000. Arbitration. An original Beaver. Decent range and a very good arm and sure hands. Like Mitchell, he is really a right fielder. Very hard worker. Very fast and will steal a base. A good bunter. Hit .222 with a .500 OPS this Spring. Will start versus left-handers.
2003 (MLB): .260/.324/.352 in 331 AB with 2 HR and 26 RBI and 14 SB for Portland
MLB (3 yrs): .267/.324/.352 in 1271 AB with 6 HR and 99 RBI and 62 SB for Portland

Enrique Ramos
25 year old right fielder who bats and throws left-handed from San Francisco de Macoris, the Dominican Republic. 6' 0" 189 lbs. $640,000. Signed through 2011. Acquired in a trade with New York in November. Was the NLCS MVP in 2001. A 2-time All-Star and won a Silver Bat last year in CF and won a Gold Glove in LF in 2001. He was Rookie of the Year in the NL in 2001. He is an adequate right fielder, but will move back to left once we find a good home for Kim Springer. An average runner, but not much of a threat to steal. A quiet, stand up guy. Versus right-handed pitching, his career slash line is .327/.426/.548, but against lefties it is .230/.267/.301. We will let him play early on against lefties, to see if he can figure them out, but may end up platooning him. Hit .244 with 2 HR and a .793 OPS this Spring.
2003 (MLB): .294/.383/.472 in 562 AB with 25 HR and 92 RBI and 3 SB for New York
MLB (3 yrs): .298/.381/.473 in 1764 AB with 70 HR and 278 RBI and 4 SB for New York

Jose Julio
30 year old right fielder who bats and throws right-handed from Caracas, Venezuela. 6' 1" 189 lbs. $52,500. Arbitration eligible. Acquired in a trade with Salt Lake City in December, 2001. Decent range and arm and very sure hands. Not very fast; only has above average speed, but loves to steal bases and is good at it and is excellent on the bases. Would be my every day leadoff hitter if would take a walk every once in a while. Soft spoken gentleman. Hit .167 with a .437 OPS this Spring.
2003 (MLB): .317/.352/.419 in 265 AB with 3 HR and 27 RBI and 24 SB for Portland
2003 (A): .309/.354/.412 in 136 AB with 2 HR and 14 RBI and 9 SB for Vancouver
MLB (3 yrs): .284/.327/.370 in 737 AB with 9 HR and 78 RBI and 55 SB for Salt Lake City (1) and Portland (2)

Jerry Suazo
29 year old outfielder who bats and throws left-handed from Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic. 6' 1" 195 lbs. (+2). $575,000. Signed through next season. Signed as a free agent in December, 2002. A disappointment overall, though he had spurts of being very productive. He will be relegated to the bench this season. Good range and a decent arm and very sure hands. Can play center and will be the first option to start there should Brian Mitchell get hurt again. An average runner, but will rarely steal a base. Good bunter. Very hard worker. Hit .321 (all singles) with a .758 OPS this Spring.
2003 (MLB): .266/.343/.337 in 511 AB with 5 HR and 40 RBI and 1 SB for Portland
MLB (3 yrs): .289/.368/.363 in 1673 AB with 14 HR and 157 RBI and 1 SB for Hollywood (2) and Portland (1)

Disabled List
A.J. Lee
24 year old second baseman who bats and throws right-handed from Fremont, California (on San Francisco Bay). 6' 0" 187 lbs. (+2) $50,000. Arbitration eligible. Acquired in a trade with Baltimore in January, 2003. An excellent fielder who can play anywhere on the diamond, except catcher and center field. Good base runner with the above average speed and will steal a base. Excellent bunter. Was expected to be a backup infielder last year, but ended up being an every day player. Hurt his shoulder in Spring Training and will be out until the 2nd or 3rd week in May, according to Trudy the Trainer. Hit .250 with a .666 OPS this Spring.
2003 (MLB): .290/.353/.378 in 407 AB with 2 HR and 34 RBI and 18 SB for Portland
MLB (2 yrs): .272/.330/.350 in 779 AB with 4 HR and 69 RBI and 23 SB for Baltimore (1) and Portland (1)

Prospects ranked by Baseball America in the top 200:
2B Dave Maynard (#14)
Up from #52
21 year old second baseman who throws and bats right-handed from San Diego, California. 6' 2" 193 lbs. (+1) Rookie. Acquired in a trade with Sacramento in January, 2003. He has superior range, but only a decent arm. Sure hands. Can play short and would be good there, but is playing second because he have better other fellas with stronger arms. He is a fast runner and will steal bases. Gets along well with other players. According to SD Oscar Cervantes, he will never be a home run threat, but that will be the only weakness to his game. Hit 14 triples last season. Hit .231 with a .481 OPS this Spring. Will begin the season at Vancouver (A).
2003 (C): .252/.309/.337 in 587 AB with 2 HR and 52 RBI and 34 SB for Evansville

3B Brent Edwards (#17)
Up from #56
22 year old (23 on April 29) third baseman who bats and throws right-handed from Steilacoom, Washington (a suburb of Tacoma). 6' 3" 188 lbs. (+5) Rookie. Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2003 B Leagues Draft. Has the range to play short, but is awkward around the bag on double plays. Very fast runner and likes to steal bases, but could be better at reading pitchers. A good bunter. Keeps to himself. Should hit for power when he fills out. He is a skinny rail right now. Hit .244 with a .603 OPS this Spring. Will begin the season at Vancouver (A).
2003 (A): .289/.356/.397 in 121 AB with 0 HR and 10 RBI and 3 SB for Vancouver
2003 (B): .296/.369/.369 in 496 AB with 0 HR and 43 RBI and 24 SB for Hartford
2002 (B): .269/.301/.371 in 572 AB with 3 HR and 60 RBI and 22 SB for Birmingham
2001 (B): .265/.304/.322 in 388 AB with 0 HR and 13 RBI and 11 SB for Birmingham

CF Jayson Pemberton (#30)
New draftee
20 year old center fielder who bats and throws right-handed from New Orleans, Louisiana. 6' 3" 190 lbs. Rookie. Selected in the 3rd round of this year's B Leagues Draft. The first true center fielder we have had in the Beavers' organization. Superior range and a decent arm. Fast runner and will steal bases. Very smart. Hit 15 triples between B and C Ball last year. Went 1 for 10 this Spring (.100) with a .200 OPS. Will begin the season at Vancouver (A).
2003 (B): .278/.324/.335 in 331 AB with 0 HR and 29 RBI and 9 SB for Midland
2003 (C): .280/.317/.399 in 296 AB with 1 HR and 19 RBI and 19 SB for Quad Cities
2002 (B): .272/.312/.339 in 224 AB with 0 HR and 18 RBI and 3 SB for Little Rock

SP John Krawczyk (#43)
Up from #153
24 year old (25 on April 17) left-hander from Columbia, Maryland (15 miles southwest of Baltimore). 6' 4" 214 lbs. (+7) Rookie. Acquired in a trade with Houston in January, 2003. He was selected in the 3rd round of the 2003 B Leagues Draft. 94 MPH fastball with a good curve, a mediocre sinker and a crappy changeup. Only a decent move to first, but below average for a left-hander and not a good fielder or bunter. Easy to get along with. He was 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA this Spring. 21.1 IP, 13 H, 2 HR, 5 BB, 12 SO. He will begin the season in Vancouver (A).
2003 (MLB): 0-1 5.40 ERA 1 GS 1.2 IP 5 H 0 HR 2 BB 0 SO 10.8/0.0 BB/SO per 9 for Portland
2003 (A): 8-13 3.86 ERA 25 GS 167.2 IP 166 H 11 HR 55 BB 89 SO 3.0/4.8 BB/SO per 9 for Vancouver
2003 (B): 3-0 1.28 ERA 6 G 5 GS 42.1 IP 28 H 1 HR 15 BB 33 SO 3.2/7.0 BB/SO per 9 for Hartford
2002 (B): 16-10 2.58 ERA 35 GS 254.1 IP 211 H 10 HR 79 BB 198 SO 2.8/7.0 BB/SO per 9 for Fort Wayne
2001 (B): 9-8 3.20 ERA 30 G 22 GS 171.2 IP 163 H 5 HR 75 BB 123 SO 3.9/6.4 BB/SO per 0 for Fort Wayne

SP David Cruz (#44)
New Beaver
23 year old right-hander from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. 6' 7" 207 lbs. Rookie. Acquired in a trade with Philadelphia in November. 90 MPH over-the-top fast ball which is a very hittable pitch, but he also throws a good slider and an excellent changeup. He is working on a curveball and a screwball, too. Might be too much for him to handle, though, as he is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Very good move to 1st, but he is a mediocre fielder as his 6' 7" frame is not very agile. He is an excellent bunter, though. He is coming off surgery for a torn ligament in his elbow and will not be able to throw until the end of May.
2003 (A): 0-0 9.00 ERA 1 GS 1 IP 3 H, 0 HR 1 BB 0 SO 9.0/0.0 BB/SO per 9 for Scranton-Wilkes Barre
2003 (B): 1-1 3.21 ERA 2 GS 14 IP 12 H 1 HR 3 BB 11 SO 1.9/7.1 BB/SO per 9 for Reading
2002 (B): 6-17 4.23 ERA 32 G 29 GS 191.1 IP 205 H 7 HR 70 BB 63 SO 3.3/3/0 BB/SO per 9 for Peoria

3B Bob Elsner (#47)
New Beaver
23 year old third baseman who bats left-handed and throws right-handed from Los Angeles, California. 6' 1" 190 lbs. Rookie. Acquired in a trade with San Antonio in November. He was a 2nd round pick in the 2002 B Leagues Draft. Superb defender with average range. Good speed and likes to steal bases. Very hard worker and a great human being. Only went 1 for 7 (.143) in Spring Training, but his 1 hit knocked in 2 runs. .286 OPS. He'll begin the season at Vancouver (A).
2003 (B): .250/.302/.352 in 661 AB with 10 HR and 67 RBI and 32 SB (3 CS) for Beaumont
2002 (B): .268/.328/.350 in 474 AB with 2 HR and 46 EBI and 24 SB for Modesto
2001 (B): .227/.279/.313 in 339 AB with 3 HR and 29 RBI and 8 SB for Modesto

RF Leon Davis (#176)
New Beaver
22 year old right fielder who bats and throws right-handed from Minot, North Dakota (small city in the middle of nowhere, 50 miles south of the Canadian border). 5' 10" 169 lbs. Rookie. Selected in the first round of this year's B Leagues Draft. Decent range and an arm good enough to play right field, but no stronger. Very sure hands. Can also play 1st base. Vary fast, but not a good base runner and stinks at stealing bases. A very hard worker and a nice guy. Went 0 for 2 with a strikeout in Spring Training.
2003 (B): .311/.344/.443 in 460 AB with 8 HR and 67 RBI and 2 SB for Harrisburg
2003 (C): .333/.454/.458 in 96 AB with 2 HR and 12 RBI and 2 SB for Winston-Salem
2002: (B): .239/.282/.308 in 389 AB with 3 HR and 33 RBI and 2 SB for Macon
2001 (B): .237/.275/.368 in 38 AB with 1 HR and 6 RBI and 0 SB for Macon

Prospects no longer ranked due to service time (or age):
C Tim Higbee (#26)
SP Bill Woodward (#162)

Prospects traded away:
RP Vic Kyzer (#162) to Milwaukee
There are reports that Kyzer has developed a devastating changeup this Spring and will be in the Brewer rotation...

Prospects lost in the freeing of the B and C Leagues:
SS Jose Atoige (#103)
CF John Zutavern (#179)
RP Seung-ook Koo (#186)

Prospects still eligible, but no longer ranked:
None.

Our group of prospects is rated #2 of the 32 teams by Baseball America, up from #17 last season. Cincinnati tops the list. Last year's #1, Dallas, is down to #3 this season. San Diego is at the bottom of the list, the only team with no prospects in the top 100.

Top 25 prospects according to Baseball America:
1: Ray Knowles, LF, Sacramento* (20-L) (A) was #3 with Boston
2: Phil Porter, 1B, Cincinnati* (21-L) (A) was #4 with Brooklyn
3: Sal Cruzado, lf, Kansas City (20-L) (MLB) was #6
4: Eric Daniels, CF, Denver (21-L) (MLB) was #13
5: Gerry Krol, 2B, Dallas (21-R) (A) was #39
6: Steve Simants, CF, Oakland* (21-R) (A) was #34
7: Bob Gaudi, LF, Boston* (20-L) (A) was #30
8: Ed Nazimek, SS, Washington* (20-L) (A) was #32
9: Al Scannella, LF, St. Louis* (21-L) (MLB) was #45
10: Tom Seals, SS, Atlanta (20-L) (A) was #66
11: Bernie Stowe, CF, New York (21-S) (MLB) was #89
12: Paul Boley, SS, Detroit (21-R) (A) was #61
13: Jack Dougan, SP, Baltimore (23-R) (MLB) was unranked
14: Dave Maynard, 2B, Portland (21-R) (A) was #52
15: Mike Burse, SP, Montreal (23-R) (A) was #93
16: Ron Dennis, SS, Pittsburgh (22-R) (MLB) was #42
17: Brent Edwards, 3B, Portland (22-R) (A) was #56
18: Scott Roy, CF, Dallas (23-L) (A) was unranked
19: Lance Lawson, SP, Cincinnati (22-R) (MLB) was unranked
20: Keith Tomson, SS, Philadelphia* (20-L) (MLB) was unranked
21: Vern Hagner, CF, New York (22-R) (A) was #49
22: Bill Tapia, SP, Cincinnati (22-L) (A) was unranked
23: Pete Morgan , LF, San Antonio (20-L) (A) was unranked
24: David Glenn, 3B, Dallas (21-S) (MLB) was #43
25: Miguel Romero, C, Oakland (21-R) (A) was unranked

* - Player drafted this January.

Eligible prospects, no longer in the top 25:
No one. Last year's #2, Antonio Gonzalez, SP, Hollywood (25-L), has not pitched an inning in the Majors, but earned a year of service time on the Disabled List. The Beavers will face him on Opening Day.

Next up: Opening Day!

[Questdog]

Here is the promised updated Park list with Denver in Mile High Stadium. It's factors were significantly reduced from real life to make my life more fun.

Giant Stadium is a clone of Yankee Stadium. Its factors are only based on what it displayed after the renovation of the mid-1970's.

Gilmore Stadium is a clone of Dodger Stadium.

Now all teams play in a park that technically existed during the period 1969 to 1992.

One other change I have made for 2004 is I have calibrated the stats in the B Leagues to look like the stats of the AA leagues in real life, rather than have them use the same modifiers as the Major Leagues are using. I used 1966 as the base because that was a season that had similar stars in the Majors to what we are using and it was before the DH began to be used in the minor leagues. I set our B League stats to be relative to our Major League stats the same as the 1966 AA Leagues were relative to the National League. The Mexican League was not used for this purpose. Only the Eastern League, Texas League and Southern League were used.

[Questdog]

Monday, April 5, 2004

Opening Day!

Once again, we open the season in Los Angeles, but not against the Angels for the first time since I have been a Beaver. We will play the Hollywood Stars, our closest rival for the PCL West division title last year, a two game set. We were 8-6 against them last season and are 16-26 (.381) since 2001, our worst record against any team in the West. They were 10th in the PCL in scoring last season with 640 runs (3.95/G). We ended up 2nd with 760 runs (4.69/G). The Stars were 4th in fewest runs allowed with 631 (3.90/G). We were 1st with 541 (3.34/G). Hollywood lost 2-time All-Star C Steve Bone to free agency and did not make any significant signing of their own. They do have the #2 prospect from 2003, SP Antonio Gonzalez, back from injury and think so much of him that he is starting today.

We will not get to play our Home Opener until the 16th; we are starting the season on a 10 game road trip.

Portland Beavers (98-64 .605 Champions of the PCL last year) at
Hollywood Stars (91-71 .562 7 GB in 2nd place in the PCL West last year)

POR: Frank Flores (24-R 22-6 2.79) PCLCS MVP vs. HOL: Antonio Gonzalez (25-L Major League debut)

Gonzalez was out all last season with an injury, except for 3 starts in A Ball, where he only managed to go 10 innings.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS DEF) Stats from last season
PORTLAND
1: CF Jack Hinckley (28-R .260-331-2-26-.688 72)
2: 2B Juan Rojas (25-S .221-348-4-31-.570 104) 7 2B
3: 3B Jeff Galka (35-R .233-596-22-80-.409 59) 33 2B trade from Oakland
4: 1B Glenn Snowden (27-R .363-586-34-133-1.042 67) 2-time Silver Slugger/3-time All-Star(MVP-01)/Gold Glove(01) 108 R/36 2B
5: C Tim Higbee (21-S .261-444-14-58-.707 50)
6: RF Enrique Ramos (25-L .294-562-25-92-.854 72) 2-time All-Star(02-03)/Silver Slugger(CF)/RoY(01)/Gold Glove(LF-01) 83 BB trade from New York
7: LF Kim Springer (23-L .294-299-8-54-.805 64)
8: SS Reid Reddick (26-R .257-401-9-50-.671 89)
9: P Frank Flores (24-R .229-83-0-7-.530 35) PCLCS MVP 6 2B

HOLLYWOOD
1: RF Fred Rambo (27-L .296-389-5-42-.789 57)
2: 1B Bud Lisk (29-L .243-358-4-35-.643 74)
3: 2B Gus McCollum (32-R .319-608-3-54-.758 63) 30 SB
4: LF Jose Naranjo (30-R .298-620-23-83-.840 77) 3-time All-Star 93 R/31 2B/27 SB
5: 3B Larry Church (29-L .247-531-12-68-.700 56)
6: C Mark Coronato (28-R .181-226-5-33-.548 68) trade from San Diego
7: CF Gwang-sam Jean (32-L .254-410-2-38-.666 80) FA from San Antonio
8: SS Jerry Hatcher (27-R .249-462-8-49-.658 98)
9: P Antonio Gonzalez (25-L Major League debut 27)

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: Gilmore Stadium
Weather: 66 F, Clear Skies, with a 9 MPH wind blowing out to left
Attendance: 36,084

Top of the First:
Jack Hinckley grounds a hit to left and P Antonio Gonzalez is hurt... New Pitcher: Jack Hauber (34-L), who had a 5.14 ERA in 61.1 IP last year split between Montreal and Washington. He was signed as a free agent by the Stars in December. Juan Rojas flies out to deep center. Jeff Galka, in his first AB as a Beaver, grounds out to 2nd and Hinckley moves up. 2 outs. Glenn Snowden grounds out to short...

Bottom of the First:
Fred Rambo swings at a 3-2 pitch and grounds out to 2nd. Bud Lisk lines a hit to center. Gus McCollum doubles over the center fielder's head... Jose Naranjo swings at the first pitch and grounds out to 1st, unassisted, and the runners hold! 2 outs. Larry Church pops out to center!

Bottom of the Second:
Mark Coronato, who hit .181 last year, doubles to left and goes to 3rd on a ground out. Jerry Hatcher grounds out to 1st, unassisted, and Coronato holds! P Jack Hauber grounds out to 2nd!

Top of the Fourth:
Jeff Galka and Glenn Snowden lead off with back to back hits. Tim Higbee lines a hit to right and the bases are loaded with no outs. Enrique Ramos flies out to right and the runners hold... Kim Springer flies out to center and Galka tags up and heads home...Safe! 1 to 0, Beavers! Reid Reddick swings at the first pitch and flies out to left.

Bottom of the Seventh:
With 1 out, Larry Church hits a home run to right center. Tie Game: 1 to 1.

Top of the Eighth:
This old crap pitcher, Jack Hauber, who is shutting us down, is at 83 pitches in relief... Jack Hinckley doubles to left center. They make a pitching change: New Pitcher: Junior Amador (27-R), who had a 1.99 ERA in 40.2 IP as a rookie last year. 53 SO. PH Brian Mitchell (22-L) strikes out on 3 pitches... Juan Rojas could have done that... A wild pitch sends Hinckley to 3rd. Jeff Galka takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4. Glenn Snowden swings at a 3-1pitch and sends it to the seats in right center for a home run!!! 4 to 1, Beavers!

Bottom of the Eighth:
Jerry Hatcher and PH Dave Tennison (30-R), a rookie, who was 7 for 11 last year (.636), lead off with back to back hits. Call to the Bullpen: Victor Alvarez (30-L). Jerry Suazo is in to play right in a double switch. Fred Rambo grounds into a force at 2nd, 4-6, and Hatcher goes to 3rd. Bud Lisk grounds a hit to center and Hatcher scores... 4 to 2, Beavers. Call to the Bullpen: Ramon Andrade (29-R), to make his Beaver debut. Guss McCollum lines one to the left side, but Jeff Galka makes a nice catch! 2 outs. Jose Naranjo pops one to shallow center and 2B Dave Risinger runs it down!!

Top of the Ninth:
New Pitcher: Obie Szczepanek (21-R), making his Major League debut. He strikes out the side in order...

Bottom of the Ninth:
Larry Church grounds out to 1st, 3-1. Mark Coronato strikes out on 3 pitches. Gwang-sam Jean swings at the first pitch and grounds a hit to right. Jerry Hatcher swings at an 0-2 pitch and grounds a hit to left.... The winning run comes to the plate in the form of PH Jorge Govantes (24-R), a rookie who hit .239 with 1 HR in 71 AB last season. He swings at an 0-2 pitch and grounds one down to 1st... Glenn Snowden scoops it and taps his toe on the bag and THIS Ball Game Belongs to the Beavers!

Won - 4 to 2

We had 8 hits and made no errors
Hollywood had 11 hits and made no errors

Frank Flores (W 1-0) went 7+ innings, allowed 2 runs, 8 hits, 1 home run, no walks and struck out 1. At bat, he had a hit.
LHP Victor Alvarez (H 1) got 1 out and allowed 1 hit.
RHP Ramon Andrade (SV 1) went 1.2 scoreless innings, allowed 2 hits and struck out 1.

Antonio Gonzalez, the wunderkind, faced 1 batter and gave us a hit.
LHP Jack Hauber (L 0-1) went 7 innings, gave us 2 runs, 6 hits, 1 walk and struck out 3. 88 pitches in relief.

CF/LF Jack Hinckley had 2 hits with a double and scored a run. 3B Jeff Galka, in his Beaver debut, had a hit and a walk and scored 2 runs. 1B Glenn Snowden had 2 hits with a home run and 3 RBI. RF Enrique Ramos, in his Beaver debut, went 0 for 3 with a walk.

For Hollywood, 1B Bud Lisk had 3 hits and an RBI.

The Stars announced that Antonio Gonzalez had shoulder tendinitis and should be fine by the time he gets off the 15 day Disabled List.

[Questdog]

Tuesday, April 6, 2004

Portland Beavers (1-0 1.000 tied for 1st place in the PCL West) at
Hollywood Stars (0-1 .000 1 GB tied for 7th (last) place in the PCL West)

POR: Bobby Johnson (24-R 14-11 2.60 last year) vs. HOL: Sam Henderson (29-R 19-9 2.83 last year) 2-time All-Star(01-02)

When I told Bobby Johnson, who started Opening Day the last two seasons, that he would not get the assignment this year, he was unhappy, but said, "Well, at least I won't have to face Sam Henderson in my first start."

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS DEF)
PORTLAND
1: CF Brian Mitchell (22-L .000-1-0-0-.000 72)
2: LF Kim Springer (23-L .000-3-0-1-.000 64)
3: RF Enrique Ramos (25-L .000-3-0-0-.250 72) 2-time All-Star(02-03)/Silver Slugger(CF)/RoY(01)/Gold Glove(LF-01)
4: 1B Glenn Snowden (27-R .500-4-1-3-1.750 67) 2-time Silver Slugger/3-time All-Star(MVP-01)/Gold Glove(01)
5: 3B Jeff Galka (35-R .333-3-0-0-.833 59)
6: C Tim Higbee (21-S .250-4-0-0-.500 50)
7: 2B Juan Rojas (25-S .333-3-0-0-.667 104)
8: SS Reid Reddick (26-R .000-3-0-0-.250 89)
9: P Bobby Johnson (24-R Season debut 1)

HOLLYWOOD
1: RF Fred Rambo (27-L .000-4-0-0-.000 57)
2: 1B Bud Lisk (29-L .750-4-0-1-1.500 74)
3: 2B Gus McCollum (32-R .500-4-0-0-1.250 63)
4: LF Jose Naranjo (30-R .000-4-0-0-.00 77) 3-time All-Star
5: 3B Larry Church (29-L .250-4-1-1-1.250 56)
6: C Mark Coronato (28-R .250-4-0-0-.750 68)
7: CF Gwang-sam Jean (32-L .250-4-0-0-.500 80)
8: SS Jerry Hatcher (27-R .500-4-0-0-1.000 98)
9: P Sam Henderson (29-R Season debut 45) 2-time All-Star(01-02)

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: Gilmore Stadium
Weather: 70 F, Clear Skies, with a 7 MPH wind blowing out to left
Attendance: 19,765

Top of the First:
Brian Mitchell grounds a hit to left. He steals 2nd and goes to 3rd when C Mark Coronato throws the ball into center! Kim Springer grounds out to the pitcher and Mitchell holds... Enrique Ramos flies out to left and Mitchell scores without a throw! 1 to 0, Beavers! Glenn Snowden grounds out to 2nd.

Bottom of the First:
Fred Rambo pops out to 3rd. Bud Lisk grounds out to 2nd. Gus McCollum swings at the first pitch and grounds out to 2nd! 1-2-3!

Top of the Third:
P Bobby Johnson grounds a hit to left. Brian Mitchell lines one back to the box, but P Sam Henderson cannot catch it and Mitchell is safe at 1st. They give Henderson an error on the play, which seems a bit harsh. Besides, Mitchell could use a hit! With 1 out, Enrique Ramos grounds into a force at 2nd, 4-6, and P Johnson goes to 3rd. Glenn Snowden grounds out to the pitcher...

Top of the Fourth:
Jeff Galka draws a walk and Tim Higbee grounds a hit up the middle. Juan Rojas grounds out to 2nd and the runners advance. They walk Reid Reddick intentionally to load the bases up with 1 out for P Bobby Johnson. He flies out to deep center and Galka tags up and scores! 2 to 0, Beavers! Brian Mitchell grounds out to short.

Bottom of the Fourth:
Jose Naranjo beats out an infield hit and goes to 2nd on a ground out. He steals 3rd. Mark Coronato takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4. Gwang-sam Jean grounds into a force at 2nd, 4-6, but beats the relay throw to 1st and Naranjo scores. 2 to 1, Beavers. Jerry Hatcher doubles to left center and Jean scores... Tie Game: 2 to 2. P Sam Henderson grounds a hit to center and Hatcher scores and P Henderson ends up on 2nd... 3 to 2, Stars. Fred Rambo lines a hit to right and P Henderson scores without a throw... 4 to 2, Stars. The Bullpen is up. Bud Lisk grounds out to short.

Bottom of the Seventh:
New Pitcher: Victor Alvarez (30-L). Fred Rambo grounds a hit to right. Bud Lisk hits a foul ball down the right field line, but Enrique Ramos drops the ball... Given a second chance, Lisk takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4... P Alvarez, who finished 3rd in the Fireman Trophy voting last season, has now faced 4 batters this season and gotten one out.... Call to the Bullpen: Rich Larkin (24-R). Gus McCollum grounds out to 3rd and the runners advance. We walk Jose Naranjo intentionally to load the bases up with 1 out for Larry Church. He strikes out! Mark Coronato swings at a 3-2 pitch and misses!

Top of the Ninth:
New Pitcher: Javier Fernandez (24-R), their closer, who led the PCL in Saves last year as a rookie (41) and had a 2.19 ERA and only 1 HR allowed in 70 IP. Jeff Galka swings at a 3-2 pitch and flies out to deep right. Tim Higbee swings at the first pitch and grounds out to short... PH Jerry Suazo (29-L) grounds a hit to left. He is the first base runner we have had since the 4th inning. 16 in a row were set down... Reid Reddick swings at a 3-2 pitch and strikes out....

Lost - 4 to 2

We had 5 whole hits (all singles) and made 1 error
Hollywood had 9 hits and made 2 errors

Bobby Johnson (L 0-1) went 6 innings, allowed 4 runs, 8 hits, 2 walks and struck out 1. At bat, he had a hit and a SF.
LHP Victor Alvarez dot not get and out and allowed a hit and a walk.
RHP Rich Larkin went 2 scoreless innings, allowed 1 walk (INT) and struck out 4.

Sam Henderson (W 1-0) went 8 innings, gave us 2 runs (1 earned), 4 hits, 2 walks (1 INT) and struck out 4. At bat, he had 2 hits, scored a run and had an RBI.
RHP Javier Fernandez (SV 1) pitched a scoreless 9th, gave us 1 hit and struck out 1.

3B Jeff Galka had a hit and a walk and scored a run. PH Jerry Suazo had a hit.

For Hollywood, LF Jose Naranjo went 3 for 3 with a walk (INT), stole 2 bases and scored a run.

Around the League: P Vic Kyzer (25-L), the ex-Beaver, pitched a 4 hit CG at Kansas City. He allowed 1 run, no walks and struck out 8. Oh, Vic! Why did you have to pick up those bad habits and make me trade you?

[Questdog]

Thursday, April 8, 2004

We are in San Antonio to play the Missions a 4 game series. They lost a pair of games here to Salt Lake City to open the season by scores of 1 to 0 and 2 to 1. We were 3-5 against them last season and 15-9 since 2001. They were 13th in scoring in the PCL last year with 630 runs (3.89/G). They were 10th in fewest runs allowed with 710 (4.38/G). They were 72-90 and finished 6th in the PCL East. They did not make a lot of noise in the off season. They let 2001 All-Star C Jeff Parrish leave via free agency, but he still is unsigned by anyone and the Missions seem to have no desire to bring him back. They also let 37 year old 3B Tony Sotelo leave as a free agent. He led the team with 25 HR and 83 RBI.

Portland Beavers (1-1 .500 tied for 3rd place in the PCL West) at
San Antonio Missions (0-2 .000 2 GB tied for 6th (last) place in the PCL East)

POR: Steve Muir (29-R 20-6 3.08 last year) Gold Glove(01) vs. SA: Tommy Kessell (35-R 5-17 5.43 last year)

Kessell pitched a no decision against us last year, going 4.2 IP and only giving us 3 hits, but 5 runs (3 earned) and 4 walks.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS DEF)
PORTLAND
1: CF Brian Mitchell (22-L .200-5-0-0-.400 72)
2: LF Kim Springer (23-L .000-7-0-1-.000 64)
3: RF Enrique Ramos (25-L .000-6-0-0-.125 72) 2-time All-Star(02-03)/Silver Slugger(CF)/RoY(01)/Gold Glove(LF-01)
4: 1B Glenn Snowden (27-R .250-8-1-3-.875 67) 2-time Silver Slugger/3-time All-Star(MVP-01)/Gold Glove(01)
5: 3B Jeff Galka (35-R .333-6-0-0-.833 59)
6: C Tim Higbee (21-S .250-8-0-0-.500 50)
7: 2B Juan Rojas (25-S .167-6-0-0-.333 104)
8: SS Reid Reddick (26-R .000-6-0-0-.250 89)
9: P Steve Muir (29-R Season debut 1) Gold Glove(01)

SAN ANTONIO
1: CF Ken Shepherd (28-R .222-9-0-0-.556 79)
2: RF Duane Bailey (29-R .000-6-0-0-.250 92) Gold Glove(01) FA from Salt Lake City
3: LF Sergio Parra (25-S .125-8-0-0-.250 58)
4: 1B Ken Prunner (22-S .000-8-0-0-.000 71)
5: SS Roberto Blanco (27-S .400-5-0-0-.971 89) 2-time Gold Glove
6: 2B Tom Nolte (26-L .000-6-0-0-.143 84)
7: 3B Jerry Portela (25-R .143-7-0-0-.286 85)
8: C Larry Weber (32-R Season debut 53) FA from Boston
9: P Tommy Kessell (35-R Season debut 1)

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: The Skydome
Weather: 70 F, Clear Skies, with a 9 MPH wind blowing in from right
Attendance: 12,693

Top of the First:
Brian Mitchell swings at the first pitch and doubles to right center! But he calls out Trudy the Trainer.... Jerry Suazo is in to run for him and will stay in to play center. Kim Springer strikes out on 3 pitches, the 3rd one being about a foot over his head... Enrique Ramos lines out to left. Glenn Snowden lines a hit to right and Suazo scores without a throw! 1 to 0, Beavers! Jeff Galka swings at the first pitch and grounds out to 2nd.

Bottom of the First:
Ken Shepherd leads off with a walk... Duane Bailey pops out to 1st. Sergio Parra swings at a 3-2 pitch and grounds out to 1st, 3-1, and Shepherd goes to 2nd, where a 2 out single can bring him home...Yes , I am a bit pessimistic... Ken Prunner strikes out!

Top of the Fifth:
Jerry Suazo grounds a hit to right. After Springer and Ramos make outs to bring their cumulative batting total to 0 for 19 on the season, Glenn Snowden hits a home run to left center!! 3 to 0, Beavers!

Top of the Sixth:
Tim Higbee lines a double off the wall in left center. Juan Rojas takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4. Reid Reddick grounds into a 6-4-3 double play and Higbee goes to 3rd... P Steve Muir swings at a 3-2 pitch and flies out to left.

Top of the Seventh:
With 2 outs, Enrique Ramos grounds a hit up the middle, his 1st as a Beaver in his tenth try! Glenn Snowden doubles to left. P Tommy Kessell balks home a run! 4 to 0, Beavers! Jeff Galka takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4. That does it for P Tommy Kessell. New Pitcher: Bob Booker (24-R), making his season debut. He had a 5.84 ERA in 69.1 IP last year as a rookie. Tim Higbee takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4 to load the bases up with 2 outs. Juan Rojas swings at the first pitch and grounds out to 2nd...

Bottom of the Ninth:
P Steve Muir is at 92 pitches. Sergio Parra leads off with a hit. The Bullpen is alerted. With 2 outs, Tom Nolte hits a home run to right center... 4 to 2, Beavers. Jerry Portela lines a hit to right. Call to the Bullpen: Ramon Andrade (29-R). Larry Weber grounds out to short and THIS Ball Game Belongs to the Beavers!

Won - 4 to 2

3 games in the season and 3 scores of 4 to 2.

We had 10 hits and made 1 error
San Antonio had 7 hits and made no errors

Steve Muir (W 1-0) went 8.2 innings, allowed 2 runs, 7 hits, 1 home run, 2 walks and struck out 6.
RHP Ramon Andrade (SV 2) faced 1 batter and got him out.

Tommy Kessell (L 0-1) went 6.2 innings, gave us 4 runs, 10 hits, 1 home run, 3 walks and struck out 5. He balked. At bat, he had a hit.

CF Brian Mitchell went 1 for 1 with a double. PR/CF Jerry Suazo had a hit and a walk and scored 2 runs. RF Enrique Ramos went 1 for 5 with his first hit as a Beaver and scored a run. 1B Glenn Snowden went 4 for 4 with a double and his 2nd home run of the season, drew a walk and had 3 RBI. C Tim Higbee had 2 hits with a double and a walk.

Trudy's report on Brian Mitchell is a thigh muscle strain that should bother him for 3 or 4 days.

[Questdog]

Friday, April 9, 2004

Today is Brian Mitchell's 23rd birthday!

Portland Beavers (2-1 .667 tied for 1st place in the PCL West) at
San Antonio Missions (0-3 .000 3 GB tied for 7th (last) place in the PCL East)

POR: Barry Phillips (20-R 11-11 4.19 last year) Gold Glove vs. SA: Juan Sanchez (29-R 7-17 5.43 last year for Montreal)

Sanchez was signed as a free agent in March. He was with Sacramento in 2001 and 2002. In 2002, he was 1-3 against us, but did not have a bad game in the bunch.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS DEF)
PORTLAND
1: CF Jerry Suazo (29-L .400-5-0-0-.900 71)
2: LF Kim Springer (23-L .000-11-0-1-.077 64)
3: RF Enrique Ramos (25-L .091-11-0-1-.245 72) 2-time All-Star(02-03)/Silver Slugger(CF)/RoY(01)/Gold Glove(LF-01)
4: 1B Glenn Snowden (27-R .500-12-2-6-1.622 67) 2-time Silver Slugger/3-time All-Star(MVP-01)/Gold Glove(01)
5: 3B Jeff Galka (35-R .200-10-0-0-.585 59)
6: C Tim Higbee (21-S .333-12-0-0-.801 50)
7: 2B Juan Rojas (25-S .111-9-0-0-.311 104)
8: SS Reid Reddick (26-R .100-10-0-0-.350 89)
9: P Barry Phillips (20-R Beaver debut 56) Gold Glove

SAN ANTONIO
1: CF Ken Shepherd (28-R .333-12-0-0-.801 79)
2: RF Duane Bailey (29-R .000-10-0-0-.167 92) Gold Glove(01)
3: LF Sergio Parra (25-S .182-11-0-0-.432 58)
4: 1B Ken Prunner (22-S .000-12-0-0-.000 71)
5: C Rick Kertscher (32-R .429-7-1-1-1.571 44)
6: SS Roberto Blanco (27-S .222-9-0-0-.586 89) 2-time Gold Glove
7: 3B Jerry Portela (25-R .182-11-0-0-.364 85)
8: 2B Tom Nolte (26-L .200-10-1-2-.773 84)
9: P Juan Sanchez (29-R Season debut 1)

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: The Skydome
Weather: 82 F, Clear Skies, with a 9 MPH wind blowing out to center
Attendance: 16,359

Top of the First:
Jerry Suazo grounds out to 2nd. Kim Springer grounds out to 2nd. 0 for 12.... Enrique Ramos grounds out to 2nd...

Bottom of the First:
The first pitch delivered as a Beaver by Barry Phillips is grounded up the middle for a hit by Ken Shepherd. He steals 2nd. Duane Bailey strikes out. Sergio Parra flies out to left. Ken Prunner pops out to left!

Top of the Second:
Glenn Snowden lines a hit to center. Jeff Galka takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4. With 1 out, Juan Rojas grounds a hit to center and the bases are loaded. Reid Reddick grounds one to 3rd and they try for the double play, but only get the force at 2nd, 5-4, and Snowden scores! 1 to 0, Beavers! P Barry Phillips swings at the first pitch and lines out to right.

Top of the Fourth:
Jeff Galka leads off by jerking an 0-2 pitch down the left field line for his first home run as a Beaver! 2 to 0, Beavers!

Top of the Sixth:
Enrique Ramos beats out an infield hit and Glenn Snowden lines a single to center. With 1 out, Tim Higbee grounds into a force at 2nd, 3-6, and Ramos goes to 3rd. Juan Ramos grounds out to 1st, unassisted.

Bottom of the Seventh:
Roberto Blanco leads off with a double to left. The Bullpen gets up. But the next three make outs!

Top of the Eighth:
New Pitcher: Larry Hedglin (25-R), who has 2 scoreless innings under his belt this season. Kim Springer and Enrique Ramos lead off with back to back walks. Glenn Snowden grounds into a 4-6-3 double play and Springer goes to 3rd. Jeff Galka strikes out looking...

Top of the Ninth:
Tim Higbee leads off with a double to right center. With 1 out, Reid Reddick hits a home run to left!! 4 to 0, Beavers!

Won - 4 to 0

Barry Phillips with a shutout in his Beaver debut!

We had 8 hits and made no errors
San Antonio had 6 hits and made no errors

Barry Phillips (W 1-0) went 9 shutout innings (CG), allowed 6 hits, 1 walk and struck out 5. 114 pitches. At bat, he had a hit.

Juan Sanchez (L 0-1) went 7 innings, gave us 2 runs, 6 hits, 1 home run, 2 walks and struck out 1.

1B Glenn Snowden had 2 hits and scored a run. 3B Jeff Galka hit his 1st home run as a Beaver and drew a walk. C Tim Higbee hit a double and scored a run. SS Reid Reddick hit his 1st home run of the season and had 3 RBI.

[Questdog]

Saturday, April 10, 2004

Portland Beavers (3-1 .750 tied for 1st place in the PCL West) at
San Antonio Missions (0-4 .000 3 GB in 8th (last) place in the PCL East)

POR: Frank Flores (20-R 1-0 2.57) PCLCS MVP vs. SA: Mitch Bagley (22-R 0-1 0.00) Gold Glove

Flores allowed 2 runs in 7 IP at Hollywood on Opening Day.

Bagley managed to lose on Opening Day without allowing an earned run. He only gave up 4 hits in 8.1 IP, but the Missions lost, 1 to 0. He was 1-0 in 2 starts against us last season, the win being a 6 hit shutout.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS DEF)
PORTLAND
1: CF Jerry Suazo (29-L .222-9-0-0-.586 71)
2: LF Kim Springer (23-L .000-14-0-1-.118 64)
3: RF Enrique Ramos (25-L .143-14-0-1-.378 72) 2-time All-Star(02-03)/Silver Slugger(CF)/RoY(01)/Gold Glove(LF-01)
4: 1B Glenn Snowden (27-R .500-16-2-6-1.467 67) 2-time Silver Slugger/3-time All-Star(MVP-01)/Gold Glove(01)
5: 3B Jeff Galka (35-R .231-13-1-1-.873 59)
6: C Tim Higbee (21-S .313-16-0-0-.790 50)
7: 2B Juan Rojas (25-S .154-13-0-0-.368 104)
8: SS Reid Reddick (26-R .143-14-1-3-.607 89)
9: P Frank Flores (24-R .333-3-0-0-.667 35) PCLCS MVP

SAN ANTONIO
1: CF Ken Shepherd (28-R .375-16-0-0-.849 79)
2: RF Duane Bailey (29-R .000-13-0-0-.188 92) Gold Glove(01)
3: LF Sergio Parra (25-S .133-15-0-0-.321 58)
4: 1B Ken Prunner (22-S .000-16-0-0-.000 71)
5: C Rick Kertscher (32-R .364-11-1-1-1.182 44)
6: SS Roberto Blanco (27-S .308-13-0-0-.785 89) 2-time Gold Glove
7: 3B Jerry Portela (25-R .143-14-0-0-.286 85)
8: 2B Tom Nolte (26-L .231-13-1-2-.747 84)
9: P Mitch Bagley (22-R .000-3-0-0-.000 58) Gold Glove

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: The Skydome
Weather: Roof Closed
Attendance: 16,248

Top of the First:
Jerry Suazo swings at the first pitch and flares a hit to left center. Kim Springer flies out to center. 0 for 15... So far, that breakout season I predicted is not exactly coming to fruition... Enrique Ramos grounds a double down the left field line. Glenn Snowden strikes out looking... Jeff Galka grounds out to the pitcher...

Bottom of the First:
Ken Shepherd lines out to 2nd. Duane Bailey grounds out to short. Sergio Parra takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4. He steals 2nd and goes to 3rd when C Tim Higbee throws the ball into the outfield... Ken Prunner, 0 for 16 on the season, doubles to left center and Parra scores... 1 to 0, Missions. Rick Kertscher flies out to deep center.

Bottom of the Seventh:
With 1 out, Rick Kertscher doubles to right. The Bullpen is up. We walk Roberto Blanco intentionally. Jerry Portela gets beaned to load the bases up with 1 out. Call to the Bullpen: Victor Alvarez (30-L). Tom Nolte grounds into a force at home, 1-2. P Mitch Bagley swings at the first pitch and lines out to center!

Bottom of the Eighth:
Ken Shepherd walks and steals 2nd. Duane Bailey grounds out to the pitcher and Shepherd goes to 3rd. Sergio Parra walks. Call to the Bullpen: Ramon Andrade (29-R). A passed ball scores Shepherd... 2 to 0, Missions. We walk Ken Prunner intentionally.... Rick Kertscher grounds into a 6-4-3 double play!

Top of the Ninth:
P Mitch Bagley is at 99 pitches. PH Brian Mitchell (23-L) swings at a 3-2 pitch and misses. Reid Reddick strikes out... PH Oscar Trejo (31-R) flies out to right...

Lost - 2 to 0

SP Frank Flores' 11 game winning streak comes to an end...

We had 5 whole hits and made 1 error
San Antonio had 4 hits and made 3 errors

Frank Flores (L 1-1) went 6.1 innings, allowed 1 run, 4 hits, 2 walks (1 INT), 2 HBP and struck out 3.
LHP Victor Alvarez went 1 inning, allowed 1 run and 2 walks.
RHP Ramon Andrade got 2 outs and allowed 1 walk (INT).

Mitch Bagley (W 1-1) went 9 shutout innings (CG), gave us 5 hits, 1 walk, 1 HBP and struck out 8. 118 pitches.

RF Enrique Ramos had 2 hits with a double. C Tim Higbee had 2 hits, but also an error and a passed ball.

[Questdog]

Sunday, April 11, 2004

Portland Beavers (3-2 .600 tied for 1st place in the PCL West) at
San Antonio Missions (1-4 .200 3 GB in 8th (last) place in the PCL East)

POR: Bobby Johnson (24-R 0-1 6.00) vs. SA: Preston Rogers (27-R 0-1 1.29)

Johnson gave up 4 runs in 6 IP in his first start of the season to take a loss.

Rogers gave up 2 runs (1 earned) in 7 IP in his first start and that was only enough for a loss. We faced him once last year and he beat us with 2 runs allowed in 7 IP.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS DEF)
PORTLAND
1: CF Jerry Suazo (29-L .231-13-0-0-.564 71)
2: LF Kim Springer (23-L .000-17-0-1-.143 64)
3: RF Enrique Ramos (25-L .222-18-0-1-.563 72) 2-time All-Star(02-03)/Silver Slugger(CF)/RoY(01)/Gold Glove(LF-01)
4: 1B Glenn Snowden (27-R .421-19-2-6-1.266 67) 2-time Silver Slugger/3-time All-Star(MVP-01)/Gold Glove(01)
5: 3B Jeff Galka (35-R .176-17-1-1-.686 59)
6: C Tim Higbee (21-S .350-20-0-0-.831 50)
7: 2B Juan Rojas (25-S .125-16-0-0-.125 104)
8: SS Reid Reddick (26-R .111-18-1-3-.478 89)
9: P Bobby Johnson (24-R 1.000-1-0-1-1.500 1)

SAN ANTONIO
1: CF Ken Shepherd (28-R .368-19-0-0-.850 79)
2: RF Duane Bailey (29-R .000-17-0-0-.150 92) Gold Glove(01)
3: LF Sergio Parra (25-S .118-17-0-0-.368 58)
4: 1B Ken Prunner (22-S .053-19-0-1-.205 71)
5: SS Roberto Blanco (27-S .267-15-0-0-.722 89) 2-time Gold Glove
6: 2B Tom Nolte (26-L .188-16-1-2-.610 84)
7: 3B Jerry Portela (25-R .133-15-0-0-.369 85)
8: C Larry Webber (32-R .000-4-0-0-.000 53)
9: P Preston Rogers (27-R .000-2-0-0-.000 1)

Game Start: 1:05 PM
Ballpark: The Skydome
Weather: 80 F, Clear Skies, with a 9 MPH wind blowing out to center
Attendance: 15,307

Top of the First:
Jerry Suazo takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4. Kim Springer swings at a 3-2 pitch and grounds into a force at 2nd, 4-6. 0 for 18... He steals 2nd. Enrique Ramos flies out to right. Glenn Snowden takes a 3-2 pitch for strike three...

Bottom of the First:
Ken Shepherd swings at a 3-2 pitch and lines a hit to center... Duane Bailey strikes out on 3 pitches. Shepherd tries to steal, but we have a pitchout on and he is out! Sergio Parra doubles to center... Ken Prunner grounds out to the pitcher!

Top of the Second:
Jeff Galka leads off with a walk and Tim Higbee hits a home run to right!! 2 to 0, Beavers!

Top of the Fifth:
Jerry Suazo lines a hit to right. Kim Springer, now 0 for 19, gets his first hit of the year with a triple to left center and Suazo scores! 3 to 0, Beavers! Enrique Ramos pops out to left and Springer holds. Glenn Snowden swings at a 3-2 pitch and lines one deep in the gap in right center, but Ken Shepherd runs it down and Springer trots home. 4 to 0, Beavers!

Bottom of the Fifth:
With 1 out, PH Fran Sawaya (26-R), 0 for 1 on the season, lines a hit to left. With 2 outs, Duane Bailey, 0 for 18 on the season, doubles to left and Sawaya scores. 4 to 1, Beavers.

Top of the Seventh:
On the Hill: Bob Booker (24-R), after a perfect 6th. With 1 out, Jerry Suazo doubles to right. Kim Springer lines a hit to right. Enrique Ramos walks on 4 pitches to load the bases up with 1 out. Glenn Snowden draws a walk to force in a run! 5 to 1, Beavers. Jeff Galka strikes out... Tim Higbee strikes out looking...

Top of the Eighth:
New Pitcher: Ralph Seggebruch (25-R), with 1 scoreless inning so far this season. With 1 out, Reid Reddick grounds a hit to left. PH Brian Mitchell (23-L) lines a hit to right. Jerry Suazo grounds a hit to right and the bases are loaded with 1 out. Kim Sprinter pops out to short... Enrique Ramos grounds a hit to right and Reddick scores! 6 to 1, Beavers! Glenn Snowden takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4 to force in a run! 7 to 1, Beavers! Jeff Galka grounds out to short...

Top of the Ninth:
With 2 outs, Reid Reddick hits a home run to left center! 8 to 1, Beavers!

Won - 8 to 1

We had 12 hits and made 1 error
San Antonio had 7 hits and made no errors

Bobby Johnson (W 1-1) went 7 innings, allowed 1 run, 7 hits, 3 walks and struck out 3. 117 pitches. At bat, he had a hit.
RHP Denny Jennissen, in his season debut, went 2 scoreless innings, allowed 1 walk, 1 HBP and struck out 1.

Preston Rogers (L 0-2) went 5 innings, gave us 4 runs, 5 hits, 1 home run, 3 walks and struck out 8. 109 pitches.

CF Jerry Suazo went 4 for 4 with a double and a walk and scored 2 runs. LF Kim Springer had 2 hits with a triple, scored a run and had an RBI. RF Enrique Ramos had a hit and a walk and an RBI. 1B Glenn Snowden did not have a hit, but walked 3 times and had 3 RBI. C Tim Higbee hit his 1st home run of the season and had 2 RBI. SS Reid Reddick had 2 hits with his 2nd home run and scored twice. PH Brian Mitchell had a hit and scored a run.