|
May 11th, 2008 'You
can start to feel it'
The moment must arrive in a natural history museum when the paleontologist has reassembled the bones of some extinct creature to the point where a visitor can look up and say, "Oh yes, that's a stegosaurus." The epiphany also happily exists in construction.
Ken Schnacke, general manager of the Clippers,
now can visit the busy building site on the northwest
corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Neil Avenue
and clearly recognize the rising skeleton of
Huntington Park for what it will become. CASTO SET TO BEGIN REHAB
On Monday, Clippers outfielder Kory Casto will begin playing extended spring training games in Viera, Florida. He has been on the disabled list since fracturing his hamate bone in his right hand on April 9th. The injury occurred on a foul ball in the 10th inning of a 10-4 loss to Durham at Cooper Stadium. Casto immediately left the game with an 0-2 count and Jason Dubois finished the at-bat. Clippers manager Tim Foli said on Saturday that Casto has been taking batting practice and has felt great. "It's exciting. He might be a little rusty when he returns, but he was swinging the bat great." Foli believes that Casto could return in about a week. Casto was batting .267 with 1 HR and 3 RBI in 7 games, he's coming off a disappointing Triple-A debut where he batted just .246 in 2007. Casto was the back-to-back Nationals Minor League Player of the Year in '05 and '06. BROWNLIE TO START MONDAY
Right-hander Bobby Brownlie will start Monday night's series finale at Lehigh Valley. He was 4-0 with a 2.83 ERA in six starts for Harrisburg. The 27 year-old righty is in his first season with the Nationals after pitching in the Cleveland Indians organization last year, posting a 1-2 record and 3.17 ERA in nine games (8 starts) with Double-A Akron. He also pitched for the independent Newark Bears of the Atlantic League. Brownlie was originally selected by the Cubs in the first round (21st overall) of the 2002 draft. Brownlie was a teammate of Jason Bergmann's at Rutgers University. DAVID WALLACE WILL CATCH SUNDAY The newest member of the Columbus roster will see his first action on Sunday. Catcher David Wallace will start and give Javi Herrera a day to rest. Wallace was acquired on Friday in a trade for cash with the Cleveland Indians. This will be his first game of the season after spending the opening month in extended spring training. Wallace, a former quarterback at Vanderbilt University, split last season between Akron and Buffalo. He's known for his defense and not his bat. Wallace is a career .221 hitter in the minors. Wallace threw for 678 yards as a freshman in 1998 at Vandy, the 6th highest freshman total in Commodores history. He split time with Greg Zolman in '98 and Zolman eventually won the starting job. WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Sean Henn pitched in Columbus in 2005 and 2006, totaling 34 games (22 starts). He made his debut in the majors in 2005 with the Yankees and pitched parts of three seasons in the Bronx. Henn was claimed off waivers by the San Diego Padres on Friday. The Padres released veteran outfielder Jim Edmonds to make room on the roster. Henn is 2-6 with a 7.53 ERA in the big leagues. May 10th, 2008 CLUBHOUSE REPORT: TIM FOLI The Clippers Manager discussed Yurendell de Caster's hot streak, injuries, and the platoon at first between Broadway and Dubois. DONTRELLE WILLIS EXPECTED TO PITCH IN COLUMBUS Detroit Tigers Manager Jim Leyland said Friday that Dontrelle Willis will pitch Monday in Charlotte as part of his rehab assignment with Toledo. Assuming that all goes well, he'll take the mound next Saturday at Cooper Stadium against the Clippers. Willis has been on the disabled list since May 2nd with a hyperextended right knee. KNOTTS WILL START FOR PIGS; NO DECISION FOR CLIPPERS Lehigh Valley Manager Dave Huppert announced that right-hander Gary Knotts will start Saturday's game against the Clippers. Knotts replaces Kevin Bierne in the rotation after Bierne was released Thursday. Knotts, 30, is 0-0 with a 5.09 ERA in 13 games. Last season, he was exclusively in the starting rotation for independent Newark (Atlantic League), as well as Reading and Ottawa in the Phillies system. Clippers pitching coach Steve McCatty announced that Collin Balester will start Tuesday's series opener in Rochester and Tyler Clippard is slated for Wednesday. The Clippers have not made a decision on Monday's starter. Both Balester and Clippard pitched Thursday in the doubleheader and the Nationals don't want either to pitch on short rest. CLIPPERS
SLUGGERS ARE CLOSE FRIENDS For the past eight seasons, the careers of Ryan Langerhans and Peter Orr have followed similar paths. Now, they are reunited as the top hitters in the Clippers lineup. Their friendship began in 2001 while playing for the Single-A advanced Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Atlanta Braves organization. It was Orr's first season on the team and Langerhans' second. Both were promoted to Double-A Greenville the following season, and in 2004, they advanced to the Triple-A Richmond Braves. "
It has been great. Ryan is one the earliest friends
that I had in professional baseball and it has
worked out that we have always played on the
same team," Orr said. May 9th, 2008 Catching
duo to spend time on shelf The Nationals placed catchers Johnny Estrada and Paul Lo Duca on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of ulnar neuritis in Estrada's right elbow and Lo Duca's fractured right hand, respectively. The team also recalled catcher Jesus Flores from Triple-A Columbus and activated outfielder Elijah Dukes from the 15-day disabled list. PITCHING PROBABLES: Friday- RHP Jason Bergmann (2-2,
3.68) vs. LHP J.A. Happ (0-4, 2.97) TRANSACTIONS 5/9 - C Jesus Flores recalled
to Washington 5/9 - C David Wallace acquired from Cleveland Indians (trade for cash considerations) NATIONALS PLACE CATCHERS PAUL LO DUCA AND JOHNNY ESTRADA ON DL The Washington Nationals today placed catchers Paul Lo Duca (fracture of fourth metacarpal in right hand) and Johnny Estrada (ulnar neuritis in right elbow) on the 15-Day Disabled List and recalled catcher Jesus Flores from Columbus of the Triple-A International League, as well as recalled from rehab and reinstated outfielder Elijah Dukes from the 15-Day Disabled List. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden made the announcement. CLIPPERS SWEEP WINGS; WINNING STREAK AT SEVEN The Clippers got solid starting pitching from Collin Balester and Tyler Clippard in route to a twin bill sweep on Thursday. The Clippers have now won seven straight, the longest Clippers winning streak since August of 2003. Ray Olmedo homered in the opening game, his second homer in two games. Jason Dobois went deep twice in the night cap. May 8th, 2008 CLIPPERS/RED WINGS RAINED OUT The Clippers will play a doubleheader on Thursday at 11:35am after Wednesday's game was rained out. Heath Totten will start the opener for Rochester after the Twins announced lefty Glen Perkins will start Saturday in the majors. O'Connor
replaces Chico in rotation The Nationals are making a change in their starting rotation, naming left-hander Mike O'Connor to start Saturday night's home game against Florida in place of lefty Matt Chico. Chico will move to the bullpen. "It's not a tryout, one-game type of thing," manager
Manny Acta said. "We want to relieve Matt
from some of the tension he's having. And we
want to give O'Connor a shot. [Chico's] having
some trouble every five days, and he understands
that." May 7th, 2008 CLIPPERS MAILBAG: (5/7) What would you say is the biggest
reason for the Clippers recent success? I'm sure there are several reasons why this team is playing well lately, but I say starting pitching is the biggest reason. Since this winning streak started, Jason Bergmann has delivered 14 innings without an earned run, Tyler Clippard has fired his last 17.2 IP with no earned runs, and Garrett Mock gave up just one run in 6 innings on Tuesday. If Collin Balester gains some consistency, it'll make this a four-deep rotation. The fifth spot is still up for grabs with Shell and Tankersley both struggling there, but the Clippers have managed to score enough runs to overcome it. Also, don't be surprised if newly added Bobby Brownlie gets a chance in the rotation at some point. The Clippers struggled
to close Monday's game without Brian Sanches.
What is his injury? Sanches is on the shelf with a swollen right tricep There is no immediate timetable for his return, but he is still with the club doing rehab exercises. Sanches has been sharing the closer duties with Chris Booker and Charlie Manning. Chris Schroder has also been used in save situations this year, but he is thought to have more of a 7th and 8th inning role. On Monday, Booker walked two batters and Manning entered to get the save. Manning's three saves are a career-high. That was also Chris Booker's first game back off the disabled list (groin) and Tim Foli made it clear that he hasn't lost confidence in Booker. What happened to Bret Boone? Bret was placed on the temporarily inactive list on April 18th. He is at home in southern California and hopes to get an opportunity in the majors soon. He had told reporters he would play in Columbus for about two weeks before making a decision about his future. In addition to looking for another opportunity in the majors, he wanted an evaluation of himself. "I'm not the player that I was five years ago, but I can still compete at a high level." he said before leaving the Clippers. "I don't think I'm a guy that can be a star player, but I can be a good player." Boone is still on the Clippers roster, but has no plans of returning to the minors. CLIPPERS ON NATS XTRA
Look for my Clippers segment on MASN before the Nationals/Astros game on Wednesday night. Johnny Holliday and Ray Knight are the hosts of the Nats television shows before and after each game. May 6th, 2008 CLIPPERS KEEP ROLLING Alex Escobar scored the tying run and drove in the go-ahead tally as the Clippers dumped Rochester 3-1 on Tuesday. Ray Olmedo capped the scoring with a solo homer, his first since July of last season. Columbus has now won five straight for the first time since June 20th-27th, 2006. The Clippers are sitting in second place in the West Division, just 3.5 games behind Toledo. In total, Tim Foli's club has won nine of the last 11. May 6th, 2008 Dukes
making strides toward return Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes
went 0-for-4 on Monday for Triple-A Columbus,
continuing his rehab assignment against the Rochester
Red Wings. "He's working hard in Triple-A," Washington
manager Manny Acta said of Dukes. "He could
be up in a day. It could be two. We don't have
a timetable for him." BOB EVANS FARM REPORT:
The 22 year-old righty is scheduled to make his double-A debut tonight as Harrisburg meets Connecticut. Zimmerman, a June 2007 draft pick was 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA in five games with Potomac. Strong-Arm
Tactics
There was a time when Randy Knorr, the manager of the Class A Potomac Nationals, would dread when his pitchers started a hitter with two consecutive balls. Any batter would know, right then, that a fastball was on its way, and he would likely be able to crush it. "I wanted to pull the guys off the field," Knorr said yesterday. "I was afraid one of the fielders might get hurt." Things have changed, not only at Potomac, but throughout the Washington Nationals' minor league system. Already this season, Knorr has sent three promising pitchers -- Jordan Zimmermann, Cory VanAllen and Zech Zinicola -- on to Class AA Harrisburg. That still leaves him with talented pitchers in his rotation, with more on the way. And that doesn't account for top pitching prospect Collin Balester, who at 21 already is pitching at Class AAA Columbus, a step away from the major league club.
This is the debut edition of the "On Deck" Show which will run before every home series at Cooper Stadium. Click above to watch show! NATS ORGANIZATION IS "RED HOT" The Nationals and Clippers have each won eight of the last ten games and are two of the hottest teams in MLB and the IL. The Harrisburg Senators are in first place in the Eastern League, just like the Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League. May 5th, 2008 TALKIN' BASEBALL WITH TIM FOLI
The Clippers manager talks about the winning streak, recent roster moves, Jesus Flores' struggles, and more. BERGMANN NAMED IL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Columbus right-hander Jason Bergmann got his season turned in the right direction this week with a pair of dominant outings. Bergmann allowed just one unearned run in 14.0 innings, improving his Triple-A record from 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA to 2-2 with a 3.68 ERA. He tossed a gem Tuesday night at Indianapolis, lasting 8.0 innings and surrendering just four hits and two walks while striking out six for his first victory of the season. Back home in Columbus yesterday, Bergmann blanked Lehigh Valley for 6.0 innings, striking out five while allowing three hits and two walks. No other IL hurler could match Bergmann’s numbers this week, as the 6’4” righty finished with a 0.00 ERA in a League-best 14.0 innings. PITCHING PROBABLES: Monday - RHP Steven Shell (1-0,
2.37) vs. RHP Francisco Liriano (0-1, 7.56) Broadway's
Back
First baseman Larry Broadway joins the Columbus Clippers’ team for another year. A fan favorite of last year, Broadway has settled in and is off to a good start this season. While most players were busy preparing for spring training in the off season, Broadway was preparing to graduate from Duke University. The 27-year-old had to drive straight to North Carolina, after the Clippers’ last game of the 2007 season against the Toledo Mud Hens. He got in at 3:00 AM, and had accounting at 8:30 AM that same morning. Broadway had been looking to go back and finish his degree in Sociology and Business, but hadn’t been able to because of how the baseball season and school quarter overlapped. This year, however, Broadway only had to miss one week of classes. TRANSACTIONS 5/3 - RHP Brian Sanches placed on 7 day
disabled list (tricep) BRANDON WATSON
The former Clippers outfielder talks about the record-setting streak of '07, signing with the Phillies, his injured shoulder, and his love for Columbus. MOVES, MOVES, AND MORE MOVES Since April 24th, the Clippers have made ten roster changes involving the pitching staff. That total does not include the position player movement such as Alex Escobar's activation from the DL, releasing Tony Batista, and added Elijah Dukes on rehab. The Clippers have made 43 total transactions (1.3 per day) and are on pace for 204 transactions this season. The team record is 155 set in 2006. Last season, the Clippers made 123 moves and used 38 different pitchers, including 24 starters. SHELL ENTERS ROTATION; TANKERSLEY BACK TO BULLPEN Clippers pitching coach Steve McCatty announced Sunday that Steven Shell will replace Dennis Tankersley in the Clippers rotation. Shell will start on Monday night versus Rochester. Shell is 1-0 with a 2.37 ERA in nine relief appearances this season. He was a starter for his entire career until last season. He made seven starts in 19 total games with Salt Lake of the PCL. Tankersley was 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in two starts after posting a 3.21 ERA in seven games from the bullpen. May 4th, 2008 CLIPPARD CONTINUES TO DOMINATE
After a rough start to the season, Tyler Clippard has officially caught fire. He delivered 6.2 innings of scoreless baseball in the Clippers 3-2 win on Saturday. Remarkably, it was his first win of the season. Clippard has now posted three straight quality starts and has not allowed an earned run in his last 17.2 IP. He has allowed only five hits in his last 54 at-bats against him. Clippard is known for catching lightning in a bottle. In August of 2006, he fired a no-hitter in Trenton with the Yankees Double-A club. It was the first no-hitter in Trenton franchise history. "I felt sort of like that again tonight," he said Saturday when asked about feeling unstoppable in the no-hitter game "I'm not sure how to explain it, but everything was working." NUTS ABOUT THE NATS!
I know you've been waiting and here it is. The online edition of the Washington Nationals new theme song. Let me know what you think! Click here to hear "Nuts about the Nats" THANKS! I received a a letter from Anna Tobin, Executive Director of the Big Brother/Big Sisters of Fairfield County, thanking the Clippers for our participation in the "Bowl for Kids' Sake" fund raising event! Thanks for thinking of the Clippers! May 3rd, 2008 Hanrahan
struggling in Nats' 'pen
Everything looked so promising for Nationals reliever Joel Hanrahan. During Spring Training, he didn't give up a run in nine innings. He also struck out 15 batters and walked only two others. On March 11, Hanrahan
opened some eyes when he struck out eight batters in
three innings against the Braves.
It got to the point where some members of the Nationals'
front office saw Hanrahan as a future closer. TRANSACTIONS 5/3 - RHP Craig Stammen transferred to Potomac COLUMBUS RED BIRDS WEEKEND
Click here to listen to the Red Birds Retrospective For the final season at Cooper Stadium, the Clippers are celebrating seven eras of professional baseball on Mound Street. The first special weekend is underway with a tribute to the Columbus Red Birds. They called Columbus their home from 1932 to 1954 and Clippers Public Address Announcer Rich Hanchette looks back on the "Red Birds Era" in this special presentation! May 2nd, 2008 ELIJAH DUKES REPORTS TO COLUMBUS Tim Foli announced that Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes is expected to join the Clippers for Friday's game against Lehigh Valley. Dukes has been on the disabled list since Opening Day with a strained right hamstring. He was playing in Class A Potomac to begin his assignment and was 3-for-14 with 1 RBI entering Thursday. Dukes was scheduled to be Washington's fourth outfielder this season. Foli indicated that the Nats want Dukes to bat leadoff for six games, playing two in left field, one each in center and right, then two more in left. He joins the Clippers from Potomac because Washington wants him to face more difficult pitching before returning to the majors. ORR AND SANCHES ARE "CLIPPERS OF THE MONTH" Infielder Pete Orr and closer Brian Sanches have been named the players of the month by Washington. Orr batted .303 with 17 RBIs and a league-best seven triples. Sanches was 0-0 with a 1.17 ERA and five saves in 11 games (15.1 IP). Both players will be honored on May 17th as part of a pre-game celebration with Nationwide Insurance. May 1st, 2008 LANGERHANS HITS HIS STRIDE
Ryan Langerhans drove in seven runs in a two-game series in Indianapolis and he continues to fuel the Clippers lineup. He talks about his season so far, waiting for another chance in the majors, and his friendship with fellow teammate Pete Orr. Lo
Duca looks to return on Friday Nationals catcher Paul Lo Duca will play one more Minor League game for Class A Potomac on Thursday and is expected to be activated for Friday's game against the Pirates. Lo Duca was hoping to be activated on Thursday, but general manager Jim Bowden said he wanted Lo Duca to get four more at-bats before coming back to the Major Leagues. TRANSACTIONS 5/1 - INF Tony Batista released PITCHING PROBABLES: Thursday: RHP Garrett Mock (1-0, 4.14)
vs. LHP Brian Mazone (2-3, 3.09) CORDERO HEADED TO NATS DL; NO MOVE ANNOUNCED YET Nationals reliever Chad Cordero will be placed on the disabled with a shoulder injury. Cordero is expected to miss a minimum of one month. General Manager Jim Bowden has not made a decision on whether to promote someone from Columbus or activate a currently disabled Nationals player. One possibility is activating catcher Paul Lo Duca and keeping three catchers on the roster. Wil Nieves has been the best Nats catcher recently and Johnny Estrada's elbow continues to limit his playing time. ESCOBAR CLOSE TO RETURNING Clippers outfielder Alex Escobar says he feels good and is anxious to return to the Columbus lineup. Escobar has been on the disabled list since April 10th with a strained right hamstring. "He's real close" said Tim Foli yesterday. Foli indicated that he's not in a rush to activate Escobar until the Clippers start using the designated hitter against American League affiliates. The DH will return when the Clippers host Rochester on Tuesday. NATIONALS MINOR LEAGUE REPORT (5/1)
|
 |
||||||||
.jpg)
.jpg)
Columbus
Clippers Baseball * 614-462-5250 * info@clippersbaseball.com |