S.I. PICKS WRONG FISH

Tampa Bay Rays Skipper, Joe Maddon, was robbed.  As the morning Cup O' Jo was brewing, Sports Illustrated feted Michael Phelps as the S.I. Sportsman of The Year.  The dude with the paparazzi perfect pecs and abs brings the bling.  Predictable.  Phelps has been a slippery little guy right from the start.

David Chalk (Bugs and Cranks), The Ultimate Devil Rays fan, saw it coming.  He made a compelling case for Maddon in his "Your Sportsmen Ain't S#!t" series.  Never has a fan gone so far in Jo Jo's defense. Feel the love Joe.

"Who Knew?"

"...And when did they know it?"   The interesting question posed by Mike and Mike on this morning's show as baseball fans boned up on one of the game's new rules allowing for the suspension of tied World Series games.  Tell you what.  This fan had no clue that the Rays weren't playing for their baseball lives in the top of the 6th. Apparently, Carlos Pena also thought it was do or die time with 2 outs, BJ Upton on second and the Phillie's leading 2-1.  So he did.  Pena laced a ball through to center just out of Rollins reach, and BJ navigated the inch deep pools surrounding third base well enough to beat the throw home and tie the game at two.

As the world drew a collective breath, the tarps finally went on the field. By the time the umpiring crew deemed the field unplayable, the rain was coming down in half frozen sheets on a 39 degree night. Drenched players were in Flaps Down mode in their new Elmer Fudd caps. And there was no end in sight. For what it's worth, I think MLB got this one right.  Try to get the game in and do the right thing when the field becomes an icerink.

It seems that the tied game triggered the new rule, but MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said he would have invoked an indefinite rain delay to ensure all 9 innings were played.  Apparently this issue was discussed at length with both teams prior to Game 3 which started 90 minutes late due to weather. For whatever reason, the teams kept that info under their hats and the players were unaware last night.  It explains why Joe Maddon wasn't feeling the excrutiating pain of Kazmir's 6th walk quite as keenly as the rest of us. He knew it would be a 9 inning game.  And it may have put a charge in Pena's bat and the run they needed to stay in this thing.

The suspended game is set to resume in the bottom of the 6th tonight at 8pm EDT but the forecast calls for more rain.  If necessary, the game will be completed tomorrow. Or whenever it clears up in Philly.  A Rays win brings the Series back to The Trop. She and her lovely teflon roof are suddenly the talk of the town in soggy Philadelphia.

Longo also returned to the productive part of the lineup last night. He drove in Carlos Pena to put the Rays on the board in the top of the 4th.  Pena had doubled off the top of the wall in right, the ball barely escaping the webbing of Werth's to the delight of Rays fans from coast to coast. The boys are back.  In the nick of time.

Pena and Longoria somehow navigated the most bizarre and frustrating strike zone configuration the Rays have encountered all year.  For a birds eye view of what Home Plate Umpire Larry Kellogg saw, fast forward this YouTube to the 32 second mark. 

And speaking of birds eye views, let's wrap up this post with a time warp. Remember Dave Winfield's Fowl Ball?  God Bless Billy Martin in his front row seat: http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2003/10/29/2003-10-29_fowl_ball__dave_winfield__bi.html

Rays Gearing Up For A Game Of Inches?

Pre-Game Pearls for tonight's must maintain momentum m-m-m-game. 

• Jonesin' for the Rays Walk Up Music during this road trip? There's a playlist at the bottom of the post ;-)
• BJ bounced back from a disappointing Game One, driving in what proved to be the winning run in the 4th.  The fielding tools of fans in Section 120 went untested in Game Two.
• But, Melvin Upton, you hustle your booty down the line every time. It's a game of inches and that inch might mean earn a World Series Ring.  Just ask Rocco. Almost punched out and drew a huge walk in a moment of umpire indecision.  Almost safe at home in a massive collision.  And how 'bout that beautiful double play catch/pick off combo catching Jason Werth too far off first base.  Game of inches. You never know when Werth is gonna serve up another bobble-drop on a routine play in right. Game of inches BJ. If Rocco can run like he might not see another World Series, so can you.  No style points for gliding on the basepaths. Especially the first 90 feet.
• Wicked weather predicted in Philly today.  Sounds like the worst might blow through by 9pm.  Or maybe not.  Could be a long night on the east coast.
• A rainout tonight might also muck up the Rays rotation.  Rays Index does a great job breaking that down. (http://www.raysindex.com/2008/10/world-series-rotation-rainout-could.html)
• Santa Rosa's Eric Bruntlett had his 15 minutes of fame getting the Phillies on the board with a solo pinch hit home run in Game Two. That'll be enough Eric. You don't need to be a hero to get an invite to Camp For A Cure.  
• Taylor Swift sings the National Anthem tonight.  Barely better than Tampa Bay's Back Street Boys.  Not by much. And I'm a country fan.
• Jonny Gomes the Spin Doctor.  All miked up for Game Three after his now famous flesh pressing with Obama.  The chatter that made it through was a spin on a Maddon quote last week. And it flopped. 
• Speaking of Joe Maddon, he was named Manager of the Year.  Amen. Exactly right. Here's a neat little tour of the Skipper's office courtesy of ESPN's Jim Caple.
  
  
  
• The Mad Australian, Grant Balfour is back on track. Pena and Longo need to ride that wave. The team whose bats wake up first might just win this thing.  The Phillies' are capable of much better than 1-28 with Runners In Scoring Position. 
• Jonesin for the Rays Walk Up Music? 

Pros Rally For A Good Cause At Camp For A Cure

The debate over ALCS Game 5 bullpen management continued to rage at PTownJr's baseball game today. EV-eryone had an opinion. Concensus: huge screwup. I have a feeling Game 6 will bring an (even more) intolerable night of TBS commentary. Those guys are gonna be all over Maddon like a Craig Sager suit.

Joe, just play your game. Make and adjustment and move on.

Speaking of kids and baseball, the 5th Annual Camp For A Cure is coming up.

This is such a neat thing. I hope someday it catches on in
other towns.

Camp For a Cure is a youth baseball camp held each fall that raises funds for The American Cancer Society and Lupus Foundation of America. The camp is staffed by Northern California baseball players (both amateur and professional), pro scouts and high school coaches who donate their time to maximize the camp's potential. Since its 2004 inception, Camp For A Cure has raised nearly $40,000 for cancer and lupus research.

The 5th annual camp will be held Saturday, November 8st at the Casa Grande High School Baseball complex. (Rescheduled from November 1st due to a major rainstorm.) There will be a silent auction from 8-noon and an autograph signing session throughout the day.

The All-Star Coaching Staff will be headlined by Petaluma’s own Jonny Gomes of the American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays. (Take a minute to read that out loud. It's pretty awesome.) Brandon Morrow, starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners will also be there along with other Petaluma area pros including Joey Gomes and Chad Fillinger of the Joliet Jackhammers, Tommy Everidge who had a tremendous year with the Midland Rockhounds (Oakland A's organization) and Louis Ott (Detroit Tigers Organization). See the Camp For A Cure website for a complete list of the 2008 Coaching Staff.

Campers pay a requested donation of $50 to attend camp, which includes a Camp T-Shirt and wristband if they register by October 20th. Registration forms are available on the Camp Website, the Athletic Edge Fall Ball Snack Shack on Saturdays and Sundays (Petaluma National Little League field on Kenilworth Drive adjacent to the Fairgrounds) and at the Athletic Edge Batting Cages (260 Water Street, Suite F, Petaluma).

A BBQ and Silent Auction during Camp bring athletes and the community together to battle these diseases. Families are invited to enjoy the BBQ and auction while players hone their skills at Camp. Gloves, bats and other signed memorabilia donated by players, scouts, and coaches were among the most popular sports items in past years. Restaurant certificates, movie passes, and merchandise donated by local merchants kept other auction goers in the bidding.

I'm the Camp's Silent Auction Skipper. If you would like to donate a Silent Auction item, perhaps in honor of a loved one that has battled cancer or lupus, please email me at TanyaSullivan@comcast.net .

The Camp For A Cure Story…

Three area coaches founded Camp For A Cure in 2004.

Paul Maytorena, Dan Leslie, and Gregg Adams were inspired by family members and close friends battling cancer and Lupus. They saw an opportunity to use a life long love of the game to fight back against these tragic diseases. Peers and pros rallied around the idea of a premiere youth baseball camp staffed by volunteers of the highest caliber. Kids signed up by the hundreds to learn from the best baseball talent in the region including Petaluma's own MLB star, Jonny Gomes who lost his high school coach to cancer.

The Team "Takes One" For The Trop

There's a dome in St. Pete called The Trop.

Protecting fans from the almighty raindrop.

Her future is murky,

Her rings a bit quirky,

But for the Rays, she's a hell of of Backstop.

Weird winds blowing through Fenway last night.  Did you notice how Boston's bombs were being sucked in the general direction of Florida? Along with critical throws from the hand of Longoria and Gross? It's as if some force greater than baseball was determined to see a Game 6 played there.

Like a jilted lover watching the object of her affection slip into the warm embrace of an older woman, The Trop girded her loins. Graciously hosting legions of Red Sox loving bandwagoners has made her a tough broad. And street smart.  The Rays were annointed AL East Champions deep within the bowels of Comerica Park and their ALDS victory was celebrated at U.S. Cellular Field. She'd had a taste of playoff bubbly when the Rays clinched a playoff spot in September and she wanted more.  Having studied the long odds against back to back League Championships and knowing her days may be numbered, The Trop reversed her almighty blowers and pulled the series back to St. Pete.

Sportswriters will quibble over Maddon's bullpen management and credit Francona's genius in putting Papelbon on the mound in the 7th inning, but The Trop knows her boys play better with an edge.  She roughed 'em up a little last night. Not just to bring the party home, but to put the team in the right frame of mind for The World Series.  Oh, and she's really sorry about wasting a K-K-K-K-K-K-K-Kazmir gem, but she knows what's best for you.

Don't let her down boys. She and her rings have your back.  Show her the love.

PRays The Lord And Pass The Advil!

The Rays deserved a celebraytion.

And they got one. Which might explain why the B Team took the field in the final game of the Twin series yesterday at The Trop. Sonny pitched another great game but didn't have the customary and ultra reliable infield to back him up. Longo was the only regular infielder and his aim was a bit off yesterday. At the end of the day in front of another sell-out crowd, the Rays came up short in a 1-4 loss to Minnesota. No action for the hometown boy. That swing is sure gonna be rusty if he ever gets a chance to air it out. The Magic Number clicker is still stuck on 6 with a Red Sox win yesterday.

Photo Steve Nesius (AP)

The drive for the AL East begins today as the Magic Bus rolls to Baltimore.

The last week of the regular season will feature rookie starters on the mound. David Price gets the ball tonight. Mitch Talbott tomorrow night. Garza, who threw on a quick turnaround last week, gets a rest until Saturday. Meanwhile, Percy's back is still in knots and he'll have a second set of epidural injections Tuesday and be available to pitch on Thursday. If things go well. He pitched an inning in relief on back to back days this weekend and wiggled through them with only a slight bit of drama. Joe's got some mighty heavy closer dice to roll in about a week. Percy better level with him to keep the 9=8 equation in balance. If the math on the t-shirts is new to you, it's been Joe Maddon's mantra all season. That's 9 players playing hard for 9 months = 8 teams that play on. Hey, it's worked so far :-)

Post-Season Roster Prognostications.

Carl Crawford's hand is still not cleared to swing a bat. He may be available this week as a defensive replacement or to pinch run. A reinjured tendon could be career ending. He didn't have a career year and may not be able to pick up where he left off. Rocco Baldelli is a great story and we love him, but he seems to need several days between partial games to recover. When this roster is whittled back down to 25 players for the playoff run it will be a tough call between two guys who could be out for the season, or worse, with one wrong move... or a few healthy guys who can be personally credited with the single game or two that will probably decide the AL East. Ruggiano, Perez, Gomes, Johnson, Baldelli, and Crawford. Oohhh-eee. Tough call.

Rays Playoff Bubbly In Bubble Wrap One More Night

PTownJr's Back To School Night topped the priority list last night. However, I managed to follow the ebb and flow of the Rays/Twins game on my most awesome and completely indispensable iPhone. Lot's of flow early. Followed by an ugly ebb. Really, it was more of a victory sucking vortex that swallowed the Rays 8-6 lead in the 9th.

Blowing a late lead has been a mighty rare occurrence this season so let's break it down with the return of The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly.

You owe it to yourself to cue the music for this one. Just click that play button on the right:

THE GOOD:

• A five run first!
• Three long balls for Long-o.
• Pena and Navi went yard.
• Pena and Longo went yard back to back, the 8th B2B set for the Rays this year.
• Some fine defensive plays... or so I hear. The iPhone MLB dudes were pre-occupied with the highly offensive top of the 9th.
• The home debut of David Price, the 1st overall draft pick of the 2007 draft. King David went 2/3 of an inning in relief of a somewhat shaky Shields. Coming in with one out and two on, he K'd two tough lefties after giving up a 2 run single.
• Percy pitched a scoreless 8th! !!!!! !!!!! !
• The Rays could clinch a wildcard spot tonight with a win. But only if the White Sox, Jays and Yankees all lose. I hope all 18 eyeballs are on the game and not the scoreboard tonight.

THE BAD:

• A crowd of only 17,298. People! What gives out there? Are all the Back To School Nights in Florida on September 17th? I don't think so!
• Those three long balls of Longo's tied Jonny's Team Record for most home runs in a game vs. KC in July, 2005. C'mon Evan. You're a stud, but is nothing sacred? You already have my vote for Rookie of the Year without raiding the trophy case.
• The dart board Joe is using to pick the Closer Du Jour needs some grease. Or fairy dust. Or something.

THE UGLY:

• The Twins scored 5 in the top of the 9th sparked by some local kid named Span playing in front of the hometown crowd for the first time.
• Delmon Young was among those that piled on. (Remember him? The Skipper got on him for not running out an infield hit last year so he declared a sick day and got himself traded... for Bartlett and Garza. Neener neener.)
• The Twins used a slug bunt to inflict more damange. Gardenshire credited head coach Paul Maytorena of the Casa Grande High School Gauchos for that move. Thanks Paul. You got some 'splainin to do. From now on, you're limited to one copy of the playbook.

Last But Not Least:

The Pearls have become pretty Rays centric of late, but we need to send some love to Brandon Morrow. His latest outing wasn't so pretty so we won't dwell on it, but just want to send the good vibes to a good kid who has pledged more memorabilia for the silent auction at our 2008 Camp For A Cure. More news on Camp coming soon.

Just like hitting bottle caps with sticks... Sox Meatloafed in 90th Win

"We were joking around in the dugout before he hit the home run," Pena said. "A popular game in the Dominican Republic is to hit the bottlecaps with the sticks. So I'm like, 'Hey man, Willy's played a lot of bottlecaps with sticks. It's a good matchup here."

That was Carlos Pena's reaction to Joe Maddon's light bending lineup card last night. Tim Wakefield has owned The Trop and lefty DH Cliff Floyd was just 1-11 against the knuckleballer. So why not try something new? Joe's solution... use untested switch hitter Willie Aybar's right handed bat against the softball server. Something about the bat path of his swing path from that side of the plate. Uh huh. Willie went yard in his first at bat and put the Rays up 3-2. They never looked back. Gross, Perez and Longo flicked a few bottlecaps before Francona pulled the plug and began the bullpen emptying procession of Sox relievers.

Meanwhile, Ortiz hit two home runs off Garza who held his ground but didn't dazzle last night. With a cushy but not comfortable 8-3 lead in the 5th and Ortiz coming to the plate a third time, Maddon went to the pen with a one-run mindset. Garza needed only one more out to be credited with the win, but in the other quote of the evening, Maddon later said:

""It isn't about Garza's won-loss record," Maddon said. "It's about the Rays' won-loss record."

We'll need that kind of thinking a lot during the next 45 or so days.

No bottlecaps for Jonny in the Rays 10-3 win last night. But I'm sure he's having the time of his life. The Rays Meatloafed the Sox again taking 2 of 3 and reduced their magic numbers to 10 for the AL East Championship and 4 for a wild card berth. They host the Twins in a four game series that begins tonight and finish the season with a 7 game road trip in Baltimore and Detroit. Let's hope a two game lead over the Sox is enough.

The Rays have now blown through all but the most Pollyanna-ish expecations, notching their 90th win. 95 is within reach. Whoda (really) thunk it?

Deja vu all over again!

Photo: St. Petersburg Times

Last night had to be the sweetest win ever! Again. The Rays regained sole possession of the AL East lead and could clinch a wildcard berth as soon as Friday. The Magic Number(s) are 12 (AL East Title) and 6 (Wild Card). Rays fans, tonight's game is huge. Find a rally cap and a Sports Bar.

No ABs for PTown's pro last night, but plenty of other pretty pearls.

• Sonny was sonsational. He may be on the bubble for the starting rotation with Price now up. And major trade bait once the season is over. I hope the PTBs decide to "dance with the one that brought ya". 13 consecutive innings vs. Josh Beckett without an earned run. John Romano (St. Pete Times) says Sonnanstine Has The Right Stuff For The Rays. I couldn't agree more.
• Josh Beckett took a no-no into the 5th and a 2 hitter into the 7th last night. At that point it hit me. I didn't have my lucky Rays cap on. I won it making Player of The Game Picks in the TBSNRadio510 Forum. A quick sprint to the closet worked. Swear to God... I put the thing on and 30 seconds later, Pena went yard and we had a 1-1 tie.
• The Rays mojo is full of that kind of supernatural touchy feely stuff . It all started with Joe Maddon's comment about "good face". It's been a love/hate relationship with Joe's hunches ever since, but lately... well... check the standings.
• The latest lucky charm is the fauxhawk mohawk. I credit Jonny with planting the seed for that one. His current hairdo started two years ago with a curly hawk with a long tail that one sportswriter said looked more like the rear end of a donkey or something to that effect. Next day it was gone. All of it. Maybe he can grow a faux in the next 12 days.
• Navarro cemented the momentum shift with a H-U-G-E gun down of Jacoby Elsbury at 2B in the 8th.
• Hard to believe for all the clutch hitting he's done this season, but Navi had his first walk off of 2008 last night. Bartlett hit a bloop single to lead off the 9th and get the winning run aboard. Pena drew a walk, moving Bartlett into scoring position. Longo K'd and Floyd took a slider square on the recently repaired right knee to load 'em up and make it seem even easier for Navi. Senior Septiembre drilled Masterson's 2-2 fastball to hop the wall and man love broke out all across America.

I envy those fans who win tickets to a game and a chat with their favorite player. If it were me, I honestly don't know how I could pick just one from this team. Every single one of these guys has contributed. They've picked each other up. They've played unfamiliar positions without complaint. They've handled the rare but necessary attitude adjustments with extraordinary class. Usually player to player without headlines. I hope the Rays set aside convention and pick 25 + MVPs at the end of this incredible season.

There is more riding on tonight's game than just a series win, or sole possession of 1st place in the AL East. It's about momentum, and tie breakers, should the Rays and Sox have equally strong finishes.

Grab a rally cap Rays fans. Hop on board The Magic Bus.

7/29 CUP O' JO

MEET PTOWN's PROS: Click Here

Recapping yesterday's action:

JOEY GOMES (DH, Joliet Jackhammers, Northern League IND):
7-28: Day off for Joliet. They face Schaumburg tonight.
7-27: Joliet almost had the league leading Fargo birds in hand again yesterday, but the Redhawks forced one of the longest games in League history, and came away with a walkoff win in 15 innings. After each team knocked in their first run during the 5th inning, the score remained tied at 1 apiece through 13 frames. Each club scored again in the 14th, but Fargo plated two on a walk off home run in the 15th... 5 hours and 48 minutes after the opening pitch. Joey, 0-6, put it in play every time but couldn't find a gap yesterday. .279 avg. Joliet (32-30) has won 5 of their last 10.

Jackhammer rubble: Sunday night's game might have been a different outcome if the Jackhammers most dependable bat, Doc Brooks, had not been tossed in the 11th. The guy is a great hitter, but is going to establish a new saber stat for playoff jeopardizing ejections and suspensions. With second - fourth place flip flopping on a daily basis, every win makes a difference.

CHAD FILLINGER - P, Joliet Jackhammers, Northern League - IND:
7-28: Day off for Joliet. They face Schaumburg tonight.
7-27: Pitched two scoreless innings for Joliet allowing 3 hits and striking out 2. 2.45 ERA.

LOUIS OTT (DH/INF Detroit Tigers Organization - Lakeland Flying Tigers, A):
LOUIS TRANSFERRED TO BACK TO CLASS A LAKELAND FLYING TIGERS ON 7-26-08 AFTER SUCCESSFUL STINT WITH AA ERIE BATTING .238
7/28: 2 for 4 with two singles and two K's in Lakeland's 5-6 loss to Tampa. .261 Avg.
Lakeland is in second place, 5 games back of Dunedin.

TOMMY EVERIDGE (1B, Oakland A's Organization - Midland Rockhounds, AA):
7-28: Tommy continued this week's offensive explosion with a 3 for 6 day as the Rockhounds swept Corpus Christi 11-2. He blasted his 19th HR, a two out two run shot, hit an RBI double, scored 3 runs, and saw his share of defensive action at 3B. .265 avg. Recap The Rockhounds are 6-4 in their last ten with a four game win streak, 4 games back of Division Leader, Frisco who they face in a three game series that begins tonight.

KONRAD SCHMIDT (C, Arizona Diamondbacks Organization - Visalia Oaks, High A):
PROMOTED TO CLASS A ADVANCED VISALIA OAKS 7-11-08
7-28: Night off for the Oaks.
7-27: 1 for 3 at catcher with a single in the Oaks' 0-5 loss to Rancho Cucamonga. .375 avg. The Oaks are 3-7 in their last 10 with a 2 game losing streak and 6 games back of Division leading Modesto.

Oaks Chatter: Konrad's former teammate, South Bend Silverhawk Josh Collmento is a finalist in the Mustaches in the Minors contest. He became the team's runaway favorite when Konrad and his horseshoe-and-patch combo were promoted to Visalia. No word on how well Konrad did with Visalia fans, but you can catch a glimpse in this MiLB slideshow featuring The Konrad Kombo.

STEPHEN PEARSON (1B, American Assn-Wichita Wingnuts, IND):
7-28: 0 for 3 playing LF in an 5-8 loss to Sioux City as the Wingnuts continue to lose ground in the Division. He did steal a base and score a run. 288 Avg. Wichita is in the cellar, 4-6 in their last ten with a 2 game losing streak, 5 games behind Lincoln, the Northern Division leader.

JONNY GOMES (DH, Tampa Bay Rays):
7-28: 0-1 as a pinch hitter with a fly to right last night as the Rays dropped the opener to Toronto. The Rays offense just couldn't get it done. Again. Fortunately, the Red Sox and Yankees both lost so Tampa Bay was able to maintain their razor thin lead in the AL East.

Rays Chatter: Two days before the deadline, the Rays rumor mill is eerily quiet. There just aren't many guys in play that meet the Rays needs without an exhorbitant price tag, but as the offense continues to stuggle, the natives are growing restless. And the Bandwagoners are going nuts.

BRANDON MORROW (P, Seattle Mariners):
7-28: Save number 10 for Brandon as the Mariners edged the Rangers 7-5 in Texas. Brandon allowed no runs, one hit and a walk and notched one strikeout in the four batters he faced. 1.51 ERA.

PTOWN's UP AND COMERS:

DJ GENTILE (OF, Mat-Su Miners (Palmer, AK), Alaska Baseball League, Amateur):
7-28: Night off for the Miners.
7-27: 1-3 with an RBI triple and a fly out playing RF as the Minors beat the Anchorage Bucs 7-2. As of 7-26, DJ is still leading the team by a 50 point margin with a .329 avg, .519 slugging avg, and .386 on base avg.

PETALUMA VALLEY LITTLE LEAGUE 12 Y.O. ALL-STAR TEAM
Petaluma Valley won the elimination game last night and it's a whole new season! Petaluma and Pleasanton each have one loss and play for the Northern California Division Championship tonight at 5:30 in Alameda. The winner will advance to the Regional Championship in San Bernardino... just one stop from Williamsport, PA. The forwarded email I received described a very close and exciting game full of dramatic long balls, great defense and well executed small ball.

Here's the game story from the Tri-Valley Herald newspaper in Pleasanton: http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_10027686?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com

An extraordinary picture by D. Ross Cameron of the Oakland Tribune showing two Petaluma players going over the fence to try to rob Pleasanton of a home run in the top of the 6th: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drosscameron/2712085623/in/set-72157601382747382/ Alameda's lead off hitter drove a long ball that hit the top of the fence and bounced straight up. Two Petaluma OFs went for the ball and both hit the fence hard, nearly going over. One of the Valley fielders actually caught the ball, but couldn't hold onto it as he fought to stay in the park. What a great effort by both players and what a shot by the photographer!Bring home that flag tonight Petaluma!

7-17 CUP O' JO

MEET PTOWN's PROS: Click Here

Recapping yesterday's action:

JOEY GOMES (DH, Joliet Jackhammers, Northern League IND):
7/16: 0 for 3 with a walk and a K as the Jackhammers go 1 game above .500 with a 6-3 win over the Schaumburg Flyers. .253 Avg. 6-5 in their last 10 with a 2 game win streak. Per the usual custom in this Chicagoland rivalry, the Flyers' manager was serving a suspension for bumping an umpire earlier in the week. Diamond Jim Gentile, the Schaumberg hitting coach and distant cousin of Casa Grande baseball Coach Ralph "F.E." Gentile was the acting Manager. Diamond Jim was tossed late in the game last night leaving the Flyers' Mascot/pitching coach to finish out the game as Manager.

CHAD FILLINGER - P, Joliet Jackhammers, Northern League - IND:
7/16: Another good night for Chad (3-0) who pitched 1.1 scoreless innings with 2 hits, 2 Ks and a 2.55 ERA.

LOUIS OTT (DH/INF Detroit Tigers Organization - Erie Seawolves, AA):
LOUIS PROMOTED TO THE AA EERIE SEAWOLVES ON 7-9-08

7/15 - 16: All Star Break in the Eastern League. The Seawolves pick it up again on the 17th in Akron.
7-14: 0 for 3 at DH with a ground out and 2 K's in a 1-2 loss to Altonna. .167 Avg. Recap

Erie is 2-8 in their last 10 with a 2 game losing streak.

TOMMY EVERIDGE (1B, Oakland A's Organization - Midland Rockhounds, AA):

7-16: 2 for 3 with two doubles and a walk in Midland's 4-7 loss to Corpus Christi. .261 Avg. Recap

Midland is 5-5 in their last 10 with a 1 game losing streak.

KONRAD SCHMIDT (C, Arizona Diamondbacks Organization - Visalia Oaks, High A): PROMOTED TO CLASS A ADVANCED VISALIA OAKS 7-11-08

7-16: Did not play in Visalia's 1-4 loss to Stockton.
7-14: 2 for 4 at catcher with two singles, a RBI, one run scored, and two fly outs in a 4-6 loss to Bakersfield. .364 Avg. Recap

Visalia is 6-4 in their last 10 with a 1 game losing streak.

STEPHEN PEARSON (1B, American Assn-Wichita Wingnuts, IND):
7-15: 1 for 3 with a triple and a sac hit in the Wingnuts 5-3 win over Forth Worth. .298 avg.
7-16: 0 for 3 with three Ks as Wichita came up on the short end of a 2-10 game with Fort Worth. .291 avg.

EBay Bidding on the famed jersey worn by the Wingnuts Manager Kash Beaucamp during his sensational and nationally televised temper tantrums last week is now up to $56.55. Perhaps if he'd toss in the "binoculars" they could raise some serious coin...
The video courtesy of the Associated Press.
The story by John Marshall of the Chicago Tribune.

Wichita is 4-6 in their last ten with a 1 game losing streak.

JONNY GOMES (DH, Tampa Bay Rays):
All Star Break for the Rays. They pick it up again on Friday, opening a three game home series with Toronto, followed by 3 more at home with Oakland. The Rays have excelled at home so perhaps fan support will help them reverse the skid and get back on track after a 7 game losing streak. Sunday's loss was especially tough as the Rays relinquished first place in the AL East to the Red Sox.

BRANDON MORROW (P, Seattle Mariners):
All Star Break for the Mariners who play the newly rekindled Indians at home when they pick it up again on Friday.

7-13: Brandon bounced back from Saturday's blown save, facing the same two out batter that hit a walk off the night before. This time he entered the game with a one run lead, he struck out Buck for the second out and worked De Jesus to a full count before enticing a fly out to end it and notch his 9th save. The win avoided a sweep by the Royals. ERA now stands at 1.76. Seattle is 4-6 in their last 10 games with a 1 game win streak. Gameday Recap

PTOWN's UP AND COMERS:

DJ GENTILE (OF, Mat-Su Miners (Palmer, AK), Alaska Baseball League, Amateur):
7-16: 1 for 3 with a single and two fly outs in a 3 hit 0-3 loss to the Goldpanners. DJ is leading the team with a .302 avg.

Gotta tell you, finding and deciphering the Mat-Su stats is about a 25 click process so PTownFan isn't always sure she has the latest. Sorry DJ and faithful followers.

PTOWN LITTLE LEAGUE ALL-STAR TEAMS
Click here for great photographs by Nina Zhito, Argus Courier

11/12 Year Olds (Major/Little Leauge All Stars) - District 35 Final:
District 35 Champs, Petaluma Valley Little League, continue on the Road To Williamsport for the Little League World Series. Next stop: the Section I Tourney in Woodland beginning tonight. Good luck PVLL!