Miscellaneous Pearls of Wisdom

Following a hard drive crash, I've been reconstructing my online life.  I had been operating under the blissful assumption that the backups I had so lovingly and painstakingly run on my external hard drive would save my bacon.  If only.  So I've been sifting through other reservoirs of data to get back what I can. The hard way.  The iPhone totally rocks for that.  Turns out some of the silly stuff I'd put in Facebook also came in handy.  Hopefully Keith, my pretty expensive, but could be a lot worse, computer wizard will be able to work miracles and get something useful off my kaput hard drive for just enough dinero to keep him and Mr. PTown happy. 

Anyway...  I found this little diddy on my Facebook Profile and thought it might make for an entertaining post this drizzly (yeah!) Hot Stove Season Saturday...

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Pearls of Wisdom from Will Rogers:

1. Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.

2. Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.

3. There are 2 theories to arguing with a woman ... neither works.

4. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

5. Always drink upstream from the herd.

6. If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

7. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket (and to make sure backups to your external hard drive are running successfully).

8. There are three kinds of men:

•   The ones that learn by reading.
•   The few who learn by observation.
•   The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence.

 9. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

10. If you're riding' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.

11. Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back.

Will, as it turns out, was a baseball fan and is the origin of the phrase "get lost kid". The clever Orioles fans gave it a new spin to dis American League All Star Team Manager Cito Gaston's snub of O's pitchers in the 1993 All Star Game played in Baltimore. Dontcha just love Wikipedia?

The Most Pearlacious Pearls of 2008

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2008 completely rocked.
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The 707 area code's Boys Of Summer and some of their amigos had a pretty entertaining year.  I dove through the Pearls of Wisdom treasure trove for the best stories of '08 and have strung those lustrous accomplishments together for you to reflect upon this New Year's Eve.  Here are ten gems, and some bonus links, I'm raising my celebratory glass of bubbly to as we ring in 2009...
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#10

Tampa Bay Ray Jason Bartlett steals a base
and wins free Tacos For The People
relieving the financial pressure of PTownJr's 5000 calorie diet for a few hours.  Barty had a premonition about the whole thing and dressed ALCS MVP Matt Garza (area code 209) as a taco during rookie hazing last summer.

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#9

Inaugural Pearls Of Wisdom Create-A-Caption contestants
get a little crazy after the Rays eliminate the White Sox
with their 100th win of 2008...

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#8

Jonny Gomes completes the Zero To Hero metamorphosis
with his own World Series Blog and gets all dressed up to meet The President.

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#7

Eric Bruntlett, another PTown Area Pro,
is the hero of World Series Game 3...
a game I would otherwise like to forget... along with the horrendous Game 1 fielding of the Rays fans sitting in my seat thanks to ZipCode Profiling.

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#6

Bud Selig Tunes Into The Wrong Weather Channel
ensuring that no one will EVER forget Game 5 of the 2008 World Series. Not even the extraordinary Kenyan fans that I hope Tex is trying to save with that cushy contract of his.

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#5

Konrad Schmidt wins the Peals Of Wisdom Batting Title with a .329 average at High A Visalia 
Konrad also earned kudos for his stylin' horsehoe-and-patch mustache combo on Josh Collmenter Mustache Awareness Night. This celebration was born of the great Josh Collmenter/Jason Giambi "Separated At Birth" debate.  Which, tragically, you may have missed during Konrad's promotion from Single A to High A.

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#4

RHP Chad Fillinger reaches on a fielder's choice
in his first career at bat
The Jackhammers were short handed and the pitchers were pressed into offensive action on July 22nd. Who did Chad force at second? PTown's Joey Gomes...   who earned Northern League Player of the Week honors a bit later. Sadly, there is no photographic evidence of Chad's historic at bat, but the entire PTownFan(mily) witnessed it over dinner via internet radio. So we'll celebrate the strength of Chad's belief that one day he would toe into the batter's box... and get paid for it...  with a high school yearbook photo.

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#3

Tommy Everidge has a career year,
earning AA Midland Rockhounds MVP.
He also took home the MiLB's award for Best AA Single Game Performance of 2008 with a 10 RBI (!!!!) game in May. Tommy had an awesome season and it would be so much more awesome to see him sporting the green and gold in '09. Come on Billy Beane. $ell $some Ticket$ in the 707. 

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#2

Brandon Morrow flirts with history,
nearly notching a No-No in his first MLB start.
After the best debut in Mariner's history on September 5th vs. the Yankees, Brandon almost did it again in front of the home town crowd at McAfee Coliseum. Following the trade of closer JJ Putz, the Mariners haven't decided whether to keep Brandon in the rotation or slide him into the closer role. Brandon stepped in for an injured Putz mid-season and was nearly flawless. Tough decision for Seattle and The Pearls will have an ear to the ground.

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#1

The Rays win the 2008 American League Pennant. 
I can't believe I cried over a baseball game. But hey, so did the entire state of Massachusetts.  The Rays storybook season did not end with a World Series Ring, but there wasn't a single loser on the field at the end of Game 5 in Philly. Only winners.
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It's hard to imagine the guys can Rep The 707 any better in 2009. All that... and then some... from one Area Code.

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Awesome.

GOOGLE-ATOR PEARLS

Things are a little slow on the beisbol front with only one PTown Pro slugging it out in the Caribbean this winter. And it's an off day for Los Gigantes so I dredged up some fill for the mornin' Cup O' Jo.

The Pearls' pre-cursor was a morning email to followers of the Gomes Brothers and Derrick White. The trio played winter ball for the Mexicali Aguilas in 2005. El-Clipos were painstakingly cut from on-line Mexican newspapers and pasted into Google Translator. This budding artificial intelligence technology produced Google-ators in various degrees of hilarity. As we countdown the days to the Puerto Rican League Playoffs and MLB Spring Training, let's revisit the Top 10 Google-ators of 2005. And a few bonus tracks.

With much fanfare and Gasolina music playing in the background ...

Google-ator Pearl #10:

"With big drums and subjects of gossip the director announced that Jonny Gomes would arrive the 8 from November and nothing, soon put of date the 22 of November and everything followed equal, with total hermetism in the offices of the Club..."

The Aguilas were happy to have Jonny back in 2005.  He was the MVP of the entire Caribbean Series the previous winter.   But "total hermetism in the offices of the Club".  Wow.  Manny doesn't get that.

This Google-ator received a 2005 Honorable Mention in the category of Best Drama:

"After the seven defeats in row, the Eagles will look for to avoid another desplumadero...In one of their worse losing gusts of wind in all their history, with seven, the Eagles have remained single in the cellar when falling per 10-2 before the Cañeros of the Mochis, last night in desolate a Stage of the Sport City."

Regular Readers might find this Google-ator Glossary useful:

Gust Of Wind: streak
Desplumadero: a tragic, plumage plucking loss of the Mexicali Aguilas (Eagles)
Right Patrol Craft: Right Fielder
Central Gardener: Center Fielder
Prescribed Chocolates: Strikeouts
Matched Cardboards: Tied game
Power Station: Center Field
Horsearmour Of The Central Garden: Center Field Wall
Cattles: Wins
Quadrangular one: Home Run
Tomateros: Weak Sour Cherries, a team in Mexico's Winter League, the MLP
Horseradish Tree Francisco: Ben Francisco, a player in the MLP

CUP O' JO RETURNS TO THE PEARLS OF WISDOM

The Pearls of Wisdom follows the daily pursuit of America's Game  in the MLB, MiLB, and Indy Leagues by Petaluma area pros.  It starts with the trade and promotion chatter of the Hot Stove Season. If we conjur up enough mojo, a pearlacious peak may be reached with a World Series berth in October. The Baseball Gods delivered in 2008 as The Pearls revelled in the glory of an American League Pennant and a World Series berth for PTown boy Jonny Gomes and his Tampa Bay Rays... and a World Series Win for Santa Rosa's Eric Bruntlett, a Philadelphia Philly.

And so it begins again... the hot stove is simmering and The Pearls has an ear to the ground for winter chatter about the PTown Area Boys of Summer.

Sonoma's Tommy Everidge is busting the lumber and flashing the leather in winter league action for Puerto Rico's Los Gigantes de Carolina. The Pearls daily Cup O' Jo will keep you posted on Tommy's season in the Caribbean as he tries to break through to Triple A in the Oakland A's Ogranization this spring.

A little background on winter ball in the Caribbean. Leagues in Mexico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico form The Caribbean Leagues who play a championship tournament in January to cap off the season.  This year, it will be held in Mexicali, Mexico, just a few hundred yards over the border from San Diego. Three games into the season, Tommy Everidge's Carolina Gigantes are on top of the Puerto Rican League standings and PTownFan thinks a road trip is in order if they make it to Mexicali.  That's a little like calling Tampa Bay for a World Series berth in April of 2008, but you gotta believe.  Viva Las Gigantes!

The Puerto Rican league nearly went kaput at the end of the 2006 season.  Low attendance and shrinking profits forced a year off in 2007 for restructuring with the help of Major League Baseball. A peak at a few of the league rosters reveals some big names from Major League and farm club teams and good opening day attendance.  The Carolina Gigantes were the 2005 and 2006 Champions and play in Roberto Clemente Stadium.  You can bet they're fired up to keep the streak alive.

Tommy has done well, batting .300 going 1 for 3, 2 for 3 and 0-4 in the first three games as the Gigantes first baseman.  And only one K.  He's picking up where he left off mashing for the Midland Rockhounds during the 2008 season. 

Tommy is always one of most popular Pros at Petaluma's annual Camp For A Cure.  We missed him at yesterday's Camp but the signed baseballs he sent were a big hit in the Silent Auction.  The 5th Annual Camp was a hit once again with Brandon Morrow and Jonny Gomes headlining the All Star Coaching Staff.  And, once again, a lot of good was done by hundreds of NorCal families rallying to find a cure for Cancer and Lupus.  Here's hoping that our little camp turns the tide for more Most Valuable Persons like Baseball Betty.

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?

LABOR DAY CUP O' JO

Happy Labor Day. We've reached the symbolic end of summer and most of the boys are headed home after today's MiLB season finale. A few have made the playoffs. More on that below.

JOEY GOMES - OF, Joliet Jackhammers, Northern League - IND
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CHAD FILLINGER - P, Joliet Jackhammers, Northern League - IND
The Winnipeg Goldeyes ended the Jackhammer's season with an 8-4 thud last night. The Hammer's most consistent hitters did their thing last night including Joey who was 1-5 with a single, ending the season with a .303 average.

This year, Joey scored 60 runs, hit 18 doubles, 14 home runs, and 55 RBIs in 105 hits over 346 at bats in 93 games. He stole 6 bases in 6 attempts. Joey had 56 Ks and 2 errors on the season. He slugged .477 with a .393 On Base Percentage. He split the season between RF and DH.

Chad did not pitch in the Hammers' final game, but became the team's most consistent reliever after joining them mid-season with an OPPAVG of .286. Chad ended the year with a 4-5 record, one save, and a 3.4 ERA over 30 games. He pitched 47.2 innings giving up 7 HR and 18 earned runs in 52 hits. He walked 16 and struck out 54.

LOUIS OTT (DH/INF Detroit Tigers Organization - Lakeland Flying Tigers, A)
The Flying Tigers ended the season with a 7-1 win over Clearwater. 0-4 with two Ks in the 9-3 loss to Clearwater. Chad left the team brass with a great impression, going 3-5 with two runs scored, a double, and 2 RBIs in his final game of 2008. That effort boosted his average to .255. Louis played a number of positions this season with the majority at 3B, DH and the outfield. He ended the season with 2 HR, 3 triples, and 10 doubles in 82 hits over 322 ABs in 93 games. He scored 42 runs and drove in 29 RBIs. He drew 46 walks and struck out 76 times, and stole five bases in 19 attempts. A .349 OBP, .323 SLG and .672 OPS round out his hitting stats. Lou had 9 fielding errors. Lou also had a successful stint at AA Erie. He was called up to sub for an injured player and saw more playing time than expected.

TOMMY EVERIDGE (1B, Oakland A's Organization - Midland Rockhounds, AA)
The Hounds are getting it done with another win over Frisco last night, recapturing the Division lead. Tommy was 0-3 with a walk in the 3-2 win.

Midland must win tonight to make the playoffs. Frisco won the first half and Midland can only make it with sole ownership of the 2nd half Division Title. A loss tonight would leave Midland tied with Frisco for the Division Championship, but both Frisco and San Antonio hold the tie-breaker (head to head total sesaon record) edge over Midland so the Hounds fate is in their own hands. Gametime is 7pm Central. Following a Midland win tonight, the best 3-5 playoff series will open on Wednesday in Frisco. The remnants of Hurricane Gustav seem to be headed straight for Dallas, so playoff weather could be touch and go.

KONRAD SCHMIDT (C, Arizona Diamondbacks Organization - Visalia Oaks, High A)
1 for 6 with an RBI single in the 9th to tie the game and send it to extra innings. A pitcher's duel ensued before Visalia gave up a walk off home run in the 14th handing Stockton a 6-5 win. Konrad's average is .336 going into the final game of the season tonight. Visalia needed to take the Stockton series to keep their playoff hopes alive, but they've dropped the first two and their season ends tonight.

JONNY GOMES (DH/OF, Tampa Bay Rays Organization - Durham Bulls, AAA)
1-5 with a single, two runs scored, and two Ks in last night's 10-2 thrashing of the Charlotte Knights. Jonny reached on an error in the 4th and later scored. .252 avg. The Bulls finish up the regular season at noon today in Charlotte and begin their playoff drive in Louisville on Friday.

The Rays made some roster moves yesterday designed to give them maximum flexibility in the MLB pennant race while leaving the Bulls strong for their own playoff drive. Tampa Bay opted to recall speedy Durham outfielder Fernando Perez last night, making him eligible for post-season play. Perez has pretty good offensive stats with a .288 average, 43 stolen bases and 11 triples in Durham this season. His defense and speed give him the edge and make him a better fit as a late inning replacement off the bench. Jonny may join the Rays when the Bulls' championship season is over and would be eligible for the playoffs if called upon to replace an injured player.

Speaking of the Rays... they just keep winning. Their sweep of the O's combined with another Cubs loss puts Tampa Bay back on top of the MLB standings. Pinch me. They're still the best team in baseball. And now... it's September! Woo-freakin-hoo! I wish Mr. PTownFan was as excited about this as I am. A quick trip to Florida for a playoff game would just be awesome.

BRANDON MORROW (P, Seattle Mariners)
Brandon got the win last night in a 5-1 victory over Portland. He gave us just one hit and 3 walks in 6 innings pitched and struck out 5, lowering his ERA to 5.01. He's scheduled to pitch against New York at Safeco Field next week per Seattle Skipper, Jim Riggleman. The Rainiers wrap up the regular season tonight.

8-27 CUP O' JO

JOEY GOMES - OF, Joliet Jackhammers, Northern League - IND
Joliet's playoff hopes are fading fast with an 8-0 grilling by the Kansas City T-Bones last night. Joey was 1 for 3 with a single, a walk and a K. .301 average. The Jackhammers managed 7 hits, but couldn't push one across. KC only needs one more win to clinch a playoff berth. Some burly dude named Calvin Pickering edged Joey for Player of the Week honors. IMHO, the guys in the league office seem overly impressed with the guy's 4 home runs last week. Hrrrumph.

CHAD FILLINGER - P, Joliet Jackhammers, Northern League - IND
Chad relieved starter Aaron Trolia who pitched 4 shutout innings before giving up 5 runs in the 5th. Chad pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out one and walking two. 3.68 YTD ERA.

LOUIS OTT (DH/INF Detroit Tigers Organization - Lakeland Flying Tigers, A)
0-4 with a run scored, a walk and 2Ks in Lakeland's 7-5 win over Fort Myers last night. .263 average. Lakeland is 13.5 games out with a week to go.

TOMMY EVERIDGE (1B, Oakland A's Organization - Midland Rockhounds, AA)
Four hard hit balls landed in San Antonio Missions' gloves last night in an 0-4 loss to Midland with no other groovy stats to pick up the "0". Here's the deal. The hounds either need to win the 2nd half or edge San Antonio for the best overall season record to make the playoffs. Midland is a game back of Frisco who also won the 1st half. They're a game and a half ahead of San Antonio in terms of the overall season record. The next two days are muy importante. Oh yeah... Midland plays Frisco for the last two games of the season so it ain't gonna get any easier. Let's go Midland!

KONRAD SCHMIDT (C, Arizona Diamondbacks Organization - Visalia Oaks, High A)
The Oaks had the night off to rest up after that whomping of Stockton Monday night.

8-25: Woo-dee-hoo! 5 for 5. Visalia pummelled Stockton last night 13-4. Konrad was just a HR short of the cycle, with 3 singles, a double (11), and his first striple at High A. That slugfest boosted his average to .336. Visalia is probably out of the playoff picture, but this article has a nice interview with Konrad and outlines the Oak's playoff chances.

JONNY GOMES (DH/OF, Tampa Bay Rays Organization - Durham Bulls, AAA)
The Bulls finally got to don the swim goggles and pop the champagne. Officially, they clinched early in the evening when the Norfolk game was rained out in a game that would not be made up. Ceremoniously, they clinched with a Dan Johnson solo homer in the bottom of the 8th, giving Durham a 3-2 win over the Indianapolis Indians. The night after hitting a walk off single, Jonny was 1-3 with a walk, a K and a .237 avg.

BRANDON MORROW (P, Seattle Mariners)
Brandon had another start in Tacoma last night. It coulda gone better but he showed once again that he can go 4+ innings without his arm falling off. He pictched consistently in the low-mid 90's last night and lit up the gun a 96 a few times. The not-so-pretty line went like this: 4.2 innings pitched, 6 earned runs on 5 hits (2HR), 3BB and 3K. That's an 11.57 ERA, but hey, he's new at this. He threw 79 pitches; 47 for strikes. Brandon did get the loss... to Sacramento. A powerhouse. Tacoma is 5 games back of Salt Lake with 6 games to go. 2 more against Sacramento then 4 at home vs. last place Portland. They've got a shot. I've seen several reports today that Brandon is slated to start against the Yankees on September 5th so it appears his transition to starting pitcher will continue in Seattle next month.

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Be sure to read yesterday's post and chime in on either of the two topics at the end. Or maybe sound off on Tommy's Beard-thing (Sunday 8-23). PTownFan is hoping to make the Pearls more interactive. Soon, only The Rays will still be smacking the ball around and I don't suppose too many of you follow them quite as passionately as I do. We've gotta find some other things to bla-bla-blog about ;-)

8-25 CUP O' JO

Sheesh... the Baseball Gods did not give our boys any love this weekend. They were a combined 3 for 33. Thats a .090 average. No shiny, lustrous pearls in that stat. Let's go boys. Most of you are either tuning up for a pennant race or gunning for a wild card spot. We gotta see your best stuff. Find the gaps. Patient at bats. Throw nasty strikes. Make some headlines. Let's do this thing.

JOEY GOMES - OF, Joliet Jackhammers, Northern League - IND
Rough weekend for Joliet as they dropped two games to Gary and remain 3 games out of the playoff race with only 6 games to go. They have today off then face Kansas City for a three games which will likely determine which of the two teams' season will end on Sunday. Joey was 0-5 on Saturday in an extra inning loss and 0-3 yesterday in a 5-1. So we won't dwell on the details ;-) but his avg is still .300.

CHAD FILLINGER - P, Joliet Jackhammers, Northern League - IND
Did not pitch this weekend.
8-22-08 vs Gary: Chad entered the game with a two run lead in the 7th. He struggled in the 7th, loading the bases and walking in a run. The 8th was better and Chad ended up with two innings pitched, a hit, an earned run, 2 walks, 3 Ks and a 3.83 YTD ERA. What sounded like control problems on this end of the broadcast may have been something more as Chad was tossed in the 8th for arguing balls and strikes with the man in blue. Gary's Manager, Vacaville native Greg Tagert was tossed for the the same reason in the 6th. Maybe Blue needs Wichita's bat ring binoculars.

LOUIS OTT (DH/INF Detroit Tigers Organization - Lakeland Flying Tigers, A)
Did not play in Saturday's 6-2 loss to Dunedin. Yesterday, was 0-4 at DH in a 3-2 loss to Dunedin. Batting .263. Lakeland has been sinking in the standings and are now 4 games out of 2nd place with a week to go.

TOMMY EVERIDGE (1B, Oakland A's Organization - Midland Rockhounds, AA)
The Hounds lost two games to Division Leading Frisco this weekend and slipped two games back after jumping to the top of the Division briefly last week. The good news is that they're still 2.5 games up up on the San Antonio Missions in the wild card race. Frisco won the first half, so if they hold on to win the second half, the wild card (best overall record) will decide whether Midland or San Antonio goes to the playoffs. The Hounds and the Missions go head to head this week so Midland's got to play some of that awesome ball they dazzled us with a few weeks ago.

Tommy was 2 for 4 with two singles, knocking in the only run in Saturday's 10-1 loss. He notched his 110th RBI of the season in that effort. He went 0 for 4 in Sunday's 9-3 loss. His average is now .279.

Now for some good news... Tommy's rocking the leader board in the Texas League. He leads the league in RBIs by a margin of 19 (101), is 4th in home runs (21) and runs scored (85), and 5th in hits (139). If Midland doesn't make the playoffs, gotta wonder if the AAA RiverCats might add him to the roster as a hot hitting reserve during the AAA playoffs as they did last year.

KONRAD SCHMIDT (C, Arizona Diamondbacks Organization - Visalia Oaks, High A)
8-23 vs Stockton: 0 for 4 at catcher in 7-5 win. .309 avg. Did not play in Sunday's 7-5 loss to Stockton. The Oaks are 7-3 in their last 10 and in 4th place. If San Jose repeats as Division Champs for the second half, Visalia could nab the wild card spot if they sweep Stockton this week. Let's go Visalia. Git 'er done!

STEPHEN PEARSON (1B, American Assn-Wichita Wingnuts, IND)
The Wichita Wingnuts finished their season witha 10-5 loss to Lincoln on Saturday. Steve was 0-2 with a sac fly RBI in the finale. The Nuts finished in 4th place, 12 games out.

JONNY GOMES (DH/OF, Tampa Bay Rays Organization - Durham Bulls, AAA)
The Bulls continue to make their playoff status more dramatic than necessary with two more losses this weekend. To the last place team in another division. Not the best way to tune up for a pennant race. The Bulls magic number is 2 games. C'mon boys, let's do it with wins, OK?

8-23-08 vs Indianapolis: Jonny was 0 for 3 with 2 Ks in the 6-3 loss.
8-24-08 vs Indianapolis: 1 for 4 with a two out RBI single and a K in the 10-6 loss.

BRANDON MORROW (P, Seattle Mariners)
Mariner Chatter: Brandon is scheduled to pitch in Tacoma on 8-31, the day before the rosters expand. His 72 pitch 10 K outing on Thursday has Seattle fans smiling. Throwing in a 5 day rotation, he could get two more starts in Tacoma before the September callups with the second of those starts falling on 8-31. If he continues to do well, September would give him enough time for 4-5 starts. 4 innings in AAA probably translates to 3+ in the majors due to the quality of hitters who can keep an at bat against a young power pitcher alive with patient at bats and foul balls on 3-2 counts. It would sure be exciting to have a Major League starter at Camp For A Cure this year. Gotta believe.

8-21-08: Brandon pitched 4.2 innings giving up two hits, two earned runs and striking out 10 batters before being relieved. His pitch limit is now north of 70. The game was suspended in the 7th inning due to a power outage in Portland. Brandon got his ERA down to 3.86 as he continues to stretch out his appearances and transition to a starting role. Hopefully in time for September call ups.

The Amazing Rays...
...got sucker punched yesterday. I'm glad I was at work and didn't have to watch that replay for 2 hours. The highlight reel last night was bad enough. Per-what's-his-name-ski is a schmuck and I can't believe all the Men In Blue couldn't get that call right. That's twice in a week! I hear Riggo didn't make an earlier play at the plate that would have prevented the extra inning debacle so I won't say the blown call cost the game. But sheesh. I've seen "the worst call ever" twice in one week! Disturbing trend. Let's get it right Blue. They've played too well for you to mess it up. Every game counts at this point. A 4.5 game lead over Boston might seem like a comfy cushion to you, but we Rays fan-atics prefer multiples of 5.

8-21 CUP O' JO

Time for some serious catch-up! The vacation is over, my parents' anniversary party has been celebrated and the back to school paperwork is complete. I am gonna sit here at the computer and not even touch that new iPhone until the Pearls are up to date. No matter how sweetly it chirps at me. Trust me. iPhones are not productivity boosters.

OK... I'm a big fan of John Jackson at the Argus Courier, but he gave all the props to our town's past football greats in his column today. To compensate for that extreme oversight, I will give the PTown baseball boys an extra special dose of love in The Pearls. And expect an errata from JJ in the paper next week ;-)

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE LAST 10 DAYS:

Joey Gomes is gunning for the playoffs, batting .750 in the last 5 games. He earned Player Of The Game honors from the local radio station each of those nights. His hot streak includes a walk off single, a 3-3 night, and 2 run home runs on two consecutive nights. The radio guy yacked about it for 5 minutes, saying it was the longest shot in recent years . Love that! Gotta think Joey is almost a lock for Player Of The Week honors for the second time this month. Last weekend, the Skipper called several guys out for "mailin' it in" on a team just a few games out of contention. Wally delivered the Tough Love and Joey picked 'em back up on their way out of his office. The Hammers have played much better ball the last few days. A playoff berth will take all they've got with only 10 more games to make up a 3 game deficit.

Tommy Everidge still tearing it up. He's hitting .279 and the Rockhounds have overtaken Frisco for the Division lead with a 5 game win streak.

Konrad Schmidt still hitting north of .300. Wait til you see his split vs. RHP. Woo!

**********

JOEY GOMES - OF, Joliet Jackhammers, Northern League - IND
As of 8-20-08 Joey is batting .301 with 92 hits, 18 doubles, 13 home runs, 51 RBIs and 6 stolen bases. His OBP is .394.

8-20 v. Gary Railcats:
2-3 with an RBI single and a walk in a 13-3 loss. Joliet(38-48) is 4 and 6 in their last 10 with a 1 game losing streak. They are 17 games back and 8 games ahead of Diamond Jim Gentle and his cellar dwellers.

Hammer Chatter:
Last Sunday the Jackhammers raised $23,000 in a St. Baldricks Foundation Children's Cancer Event. Six big hearted Hammers shaved their heads in support of the effort. No surprise that Joey was one of them.


CHAD FILLINGER - P, Joliet Jackhammers, Northern League - IND
As of 8-20-08: Chad's record is 4-5 with a 3.79 ERA in 40.1 innings pitched.

8-19 vs Winnipeg Goldeyes:
Chad picked up his 4th win as Joliet swept the two game series. He entered the game in the 7th inning with Joliet down 4-3 and pitched two scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk and fanning 3. Chad has the lowest ERA on the team and has been their most consistent reliever since joining the team mid-season. Chad still has all his hair. And a full beard =)


LOUIS OTT (DH/INF Detroit Tigers Organization - Lakeland Flying Tigers, A):
Stats as of 8-20: Lou is batting .267 with 76 hits, 12 extra base hits, 24 RBI, 5 stolen bases and a .690 OPS.

8-20 vs. Fort Myers:
Lou's been playing well. Yesterday he was 1 for 4 with an RBI single, a sac bunt, a run scored, 2 Ks and a fielding error at 2B in the Tigers' 9-7 win. Lakeland has fallen from second to 4th place place, 13 games back of Dundin and .5 games out of third. Lakeland (27-30) has gone 4 and 6 in their last 10, with a one game win streak.

TOMMY EVERIDGE (1B, Oakland A's Organization - Midland Rockhounds, AA):
8-20 vs. Corpus Christi:
Coming off Texas League Player of the Week honors for the second time this season, Tommy's hot streak continues. His average is up to .279 and Midland has overtaken Frisco for the Southern Division lead. Last night he was an uncharacteristic 0 for 3, but still managed two runs with a walk and two Ks. Midland has another win streak going, taking 5 in a row with yesterday's win. The team is 8-2 in their last 10 and have a one game lead at with a 36-22 record.

Rockhoud Chatter: Two of Tommy's teammates are pitching for Team USA in Bejing. Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson have each pitched several innings and are gearing up for the medal round which begins Friday as Team USA faces Cuba. Cuba edged the US by one run playing under new extra inning rules last week: Recap of USA's 5-4 loss to Cuba.

KONRAD SCHMIDT (C, Arizona Diamondbacks Organization - Visalia Oaks, High A):
8-20 vs High Desert:
Konrad is still pounding out the hits with several 2/4 games during the last 10 days. He continues to be especially effective against right handed pitching, batting .350 with an .838 OPS against righty hurlers. Visalia (59-69) has fallen off as of late. They're in 4th place, 9.5 games back, 3 games out of 3rd place and fighting to stay ahead of the cellar dwellers. Yesterday Konrad was 2-4 with a single, his 7th double of the season, and an RBI. He's hitting .315.

STEPHEN PEARSON (1B, American Assn-Wichita Wingnuts, IND):
8-20 vs Sioux Falls:
Stephen's average (.267) is way off the .300 + he was hitting just a few weeks ago, but he had a great game last night against Sioux Falls hitting 2 for 5 with and RBI, 3 runs scored and his 16th double of the season. The Wingnuts are tied for last place with St. Paul, ten games out.

JONNY GOMES (DH/OF, Tampa Bay Rays Organization - Durham Bulls, AAA):
Jonny got off to a scary good start in Durham, but lately has been hittin' 'em right to people, batting only .171 in his last 10 games with 12 Ks in 41 ABs. Interestingly enough, his average against RHP is almost .100 higher than against LHP. The Rays used him exclusively against lefties this season. The Bulls seemed close to clinching their division a week ago, but cooled off quite a bit, narrowing their lead to 6.5 games. Yesterday Jonny was 1 for 5 with a double as Durham shut out Louisville 5-0. Through 5 innings tonight, Jonny is 1 for 2 with another double.

BRANDON MORROW (P, Seattle Mariners):
Brandon was also optioned to AAA a few weeks ago. The Mariners are transitioning him to a starting role. Since he hasn't pitched more than 2 innings the entire season, they will gradually stretch him out in Tacoma and hope to have him back as a starter for the last several weeks of the season. Initially he has a 35 pitch limit that will be gradually increased and he'll be in a 5 day rotation. The cautious approach is underscored by this week's news that the Yankee's phenom, Joba Chamberlain, also transitioning from reliever to starter, is on the DL with shoulder tendonitis. He has an 0-1 record and a 5.63 ERA. I'll do some digging and give you the scoop on that tomorrow.

PTOWN's UP AND COMERS:

DJ GENTILE (OF, Mat-Su Miners (Palmer, AK), Alaska Baseball League, Amateur):

A tip of the hat to DJ for his outstanding play in the National Baseball Conference World Series. DJ led the starters on the team with a .375 average and excellent "D".

***

Whew... all caught up. But I couldn't help myself. I was all over that iPhone ;-) It's a needy little thing.

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!