ashbury

Source: Cape Cod League

Had a great time Saturday night watching the Falmouth Commodores host the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. If you're there for beer, you'll be disappointed, as there ain't any. But if you're there for baseball, you'll enjoy it. The local populace seems keen to support their team, and the small stands were full, plus lots of people in lawn chairs down the base lines. Very intimate setting - for instance you walk through the visitors' bullpen area to make your way to the impromptu seating in foul ground in left field, and could probably bug a college prospect to sign something for you if that's your thing. The game was very crisply played. I didn't bring a scoresheet, so this will have to be mostly from memory as to the highlights. Baby faced Brady Singer (UofFL) impressed with good stuff that induced weak, if any, contact. And he showed good poise in wriggling out of a jam caused by a lucky opposite field double down the line; all in all, he justified the Blue Jays picking him with the 56th overall choice last year, though they failed to sign him. The home team held on to a 1-0 lead into the seventh, on a long home run by Oregon State's Trevor Larnach. But Y-D broke through with a run against John Sparks (Austin Peay). Fireballer Brac Warren shut down Y-D in the eighth, but weakened in the ninth, and righty sidearm reliever Stephen Villnes (UKansas) was put into a tough spot by his manager when brought in to face a good lefty. Two runs ended up scoring and Warren took the loss, a bit unfairly. I was totally impressed by the crowd during the slow final inning or two. There was normal background conversation, but a large percentage were paying attention to the game, and it wasn't just the pro scouts. No piped in music, or sound effect, no dizzy bat or mascot races between innings (though two mascots were milling around amongst the fans to keep the children occupied), just straight up baseball on the field. And this, in a reputed pitchers' league, where you can't count on offensive fireworks to keep the crowd focused on the field. It's priced right, too. Free admission, though there is a donations jar if you feel like throwing a few bucks in. Concessions are available, hot dogs and burgers on a grill behind the stands, and so forth. Did I mention no beer? Me likey. Probably will take Ashburydavid to a game in a different league locale, when he comes to visit later this summer. Here endeth the road trip report.

Thaaaaaat's a jinxin'.

It helps to like baseball, and not just wins.

Got to get an early start tomorrow, so I guess I will miss the dramatic comeback by the home team. Root them on for me

I don't know much Spanish, but it looked like "no no no no no no no".

You listening, Circus Boy?

Watch, and learn.

I didn't notice it when he was drafted, but Buxton has an old face relative to his actual years. With the helmet on, he could pass for 35. The facial hair adds to it, of course. But Kepler can grow his scrawny beard all he wants, and he still looks like Der Kid. And Sano's face just look like an infant's to me.

To his left, to his right, shots right at him, high popups... not so much. But his one polished skill at third is a good'un. I'll stick my neck out, with no inside knowledge at all, and say that he's a bit scared of the ball. On the slow rollers, with no risk of a bad hop, he's fearless, and good.

Small world.

It looks just like a line drive in the box score.

That's the play Sano can make, time after time! Great one.

The only excuse I can think of is that it's Plouffe on third, with that gimpy leg or whatever. The bunt lets him trot in to the plate, as opposed (say) to having to go full-bore and slide into home on a fly ball.

My point, if indeed I really have any, is that this 40-man roster seems like it's constructed in a way to make in-season moves fairly difficult. It's normal to have some guys out of minor league options, and if they have problems you may have to just live with it. We've got too many of those. The off-season is about thinking these possibilities through, and trading off the assets that are problematic, before it becomes a crisis and you just have to discard those assets.

ZUKE oh never mind

Glad Grossman swung away. I was just about to snark that playing for one run will clearly be enough with our ace on the mound.

Good jorb.

With Rougned in the lineup I'd ordinarily say to stay tuned and you might see something, but I'm not sure any of our Twins have sufficient moxie to irk the young man in any way.

For the life of me I can't understand why we aren't attracting more young fans to our nightly laff fest.

Where is everyone? C'mon, we've got:

I need a bit of time to think this one through.

Rogers, I suppose. Not too many of the pitchers have minor league options. Maybe you're ready to part ways with Jepsen; I guess TR keeps hoping he rebounds enough to palm off on someone else. If the manager is insistent on keeping all those pitchers handy, there isn't a position player who can be sent down, is there?

So Ole goes to the doctor, and says, ya gotta help me, Doc, I caught Tom Yones Syndrome from da Cheef....