GetAway Day Blog - July 8 2014

Ah getaway day, when a team knows it has a bus ride on the back end of a tuesday night game. Already players, coaches, managers, broadcasters and fans are looking around to see - who do we play next, when do we come back, where are we in the standings?

Questions, questions, questions spill from the mind of the fan today - questions that can only be answered in time. Until then we can only blog about it.


YA NEVER KNOW WHO
you will see at the park - this weekend we had the league prexie and the Braves GM at the games.

The league prez got away from me this time, I wasn't aware she was there until after the 8th inning and she was fully protected in a secure bunker suite where it was tough to lob pointed questions. But you wont get away so easy next time!

Frank Wren is there a little less on business, his son Kyle is on the double-A Braves squad. He was in the crowd on a good night, he got to see Kyle steal home, which has to make a dad proud at any level.

LOHMAN INJURED
Braves 1b Seth Lohman fouled a ball off his thumb, breaking it. He was wearing a splint Monday and said a DL trip was forthcoming. The Braves will deploy Barret Kleinkenecht at first base for the time being.

Lohman breaks thumb on Sunday

THE "ROUND ABOUT" WAY
As a questionable call was made by the umpires, Braves manager Aaron Holbert runs out to argue. On the skippers way there, the Braves shortstop waves him off, admitting there isnt a chance for the call to be overturned. Mgr. Holbert never stops jogging and veers around the pitchers mound and heads back to the dugout.

I told first base coach Ozzie Timmons thats whats called a circular argument!

MAKE IT OFFICIAL ALREADY!

With the league brass in town, I figured it was a good sign for our AllStar game next year. I asked and was told that an announcement could come after the 2015 Southern League schedule comes out. That should be in the next ten days or so, and it would likely coincide with the Biscuits announcement.

|RAMSEY DEALT
Matt Ramsey is traded to Miami for Dominican prospects, now we will face one of our own best relievers when the Jacksonville Suns come to town in a few weeks.

RP Stowell

So who do we get to fill that spot?
Your guess is as good as mine - could be another look at Kevin Brandt. He was here and pitched in a few games that went badly. Ryan Garton has good stats for promotion, Marcus Jensen has a great ERA but gives up alot of hits.

Demotion from Durham is also an option, guys struggling or having crappy numbers there could be sent to the GumpSkitz for an ego boost.

This list of Bull-Shits could include reliever Doug Mathis, starting pitchers Nate Karns or Enny Romero, all of whom are having bad seasons at triple-A.

Or perhaps the roster is being left with a hole open. ready to fill if/when the Rays make a deal. 

WHATS COMING UP
 One more home game left with the Braves then its off to Pensacola for a week.... where I hope we sweep their obnoxious fans into the bay. The Wahoos are a middle of the pack team, unfortunately the Biscuits are bottom feeders.




We are last in Batting Average, hits, RBI's, Runs Scored, and next to last in OPS. Simply put, we have trouble hitting the ball and scoring runs. Not sure we need deep Saber-metrics to make that analysis.

 NO SWEET RETURN
When the Biscuits return home they will face the Jackson Generals of the North Division. Loaded with prospects, Dj Peterson, Victor Sanchez, Tyler Pike, Ketel Marte, Julio Morban, Patrick Kivlehan, Neon Leon Landry, this team can be fun to watch. Not so fun to play against, but we should enjoy seeing the prospects.

STORMY WEATHERS
Did you know Casey Weathers, former big league pitcher, is on the roster at Port Charlotte? Me neither! The numbers aint great, but hes been pitching for the StoneCrabs since the middle of June. Just another Vandy alum in the Rays minor league chain!

July 9, 1906 
Southern Association/ At Montgomery, AL
Birmingham Barons 7, Montgomery Senators 0. 

Kaiser Wilhelm

Irving K. Wilhelm of the Barons pitched a perfect game, the first in Birmingham franchise history.

"Kaiser" Wilhem still holds the minor league record for consecutive scoreless innings - a staggering total of 72 innings without allowing a run.

In a freaky turn, Wilhelms streak was unknown until it was threatened in 2004 by a minor leaguer who pitched 54 straight scoreless. At that point it was thought Wilhelm had a streak of just 53, but a check of the records showed that three innings were missing and the record hadn't actually fallen.

Later it was realized that Wilhelm was promoted to the major leagues during the streak, when he returned to the minors he tossed another 13 innings before being scored on to total 72 innings without allowing a run.

I find it amazing that a guy who played his last game in 1921 can come back and retake his pitching record from a kid in the next century! Now THATS tough old school baseball!

JULY 9 1920 
Montgomery, AL
"Grey Sox Will Play Birmingham Stars -
The Montgomery Grey Sox and the Birmingham All Stars will clash this afternoon at 4 o'clock in the first game of a three game series.

Sam Streeter

The Grey Sox are in fine shape having had a two days rest after taking four straight games from the Atlanta team and they state that they are ready to hand the Birmingham aggregation the same dose.

The Grey Sox have in the last few weeks showed some great improvement and have showed several times their ability to come out of a tight place, and the team in general has been improving with the stick. Since the signing of Mason the team now has four strong pitchers in Myles, Mason, Streeter and Young.

There will be games today, Saturday and Sunday and these games should prove very interesting for the fans. All three of these games will start at 4 o'clock."