#BullpenLife - A Field Guide to Biscuits Relievers

Watching the Biscuits at home was torturous over the first three weeks. Chilly weather could be to blame for the cold bats and weak play.

If the Skitz can figure out how to post two or three runs in the early innings it won't be a tough task to get back to even in the win column. Everything else is there, good pitching, reliable defense and a knack for plating runs in the late innings.

The Montgomery team has played pretty bad so far, but they look good doing it.

Not just photogenic, though they are, the Biscuits have a good foundation to build on going forward. Perhaps the bad start is just that, a bad start. Lets hope so!
 

REDUS REPLY

Biscuits coach Gary Redus was a member of the Pirates team in that infamous playoff game seven that sent the Braves to the World Series with a Sid Bream slide.

Gary had three hits off of Tom Glavine a couple days earlier and batted .479 that postseason, but was not in the lineup for that fateful contest.

When asked why he wasn't in that game, not even used as a pinch hitter by manager Jim Leyland, Redus replied simply "I don't know".

CLOSE CALL

SEND REINFORCEMENTS!
There will be help for the Skitz, even if we can't yet see the flags over the hill.

Guys like outfielder Jesus Sanchez (.338ba 4hr in 18 games) will arrive, perhaps sooner than later. Shortstop Lucius Fox is hitting .353 and stealing bags. Reliever Roel Ramirez has been nearly unhittable in nine pitching appearances.

Several other Stone Crabs are pitching well or slugging the ball and could get promoted, but touted third baseman Kevin Padlo isn't yet among them. His .236 average is among the Charlotte teams lowest.



TOO THREE LOWE

Brandon Lowe

Players named Lowe could soon complicate Brady Williams lineup cards, Charlotte outfielder Josh Lowe is batting .362 and their first baseman Nate Lowe is flirting with .400 early on. Adding them to the Biscuits current Lowe, second baseman Brandon, would surely confuse everyone.

Truly it can be said that having those three in the lineup together would be a real Lowe point in Montgomery history! (ha-cha-cha-cha I gots a million of em!)

BULLPEN BLISS
This edition of the relief corps is a cut above most April issues. They work quickly, throw strikes and get the job done more often than not. If there isn't a barrage of changes or bouts of severely contagious suck-itis, we could even learn to love these guys. Once we learn who they are.

(l-r) Alaniz, Ott, Wright, Harrison, Karalus, Moats, Krook

That being said, at least one and maybe more of these dudes needs to start browsing a Durham apartment guide. The past few seasons, the reliever throwing the best at the end of April gets a promotion. Last year it was Jose Alvarado who went straight to the big leagues from Montgomery.

So on that note, lets get a look at those relief pitchers in this in-depth edition of #BullpenLife!

#BULLPENLIFE

(l-r) Ott, Wright, Bird, Harrison, Karalus, Krook

LEFTIES - WE GOTS EM

Tall Kyle Bird and sidearming Jordan Harrison have had the longest tenure in Biscuits raiment. Both these southpaws have been getting the ball in the late innings and are co-closers along with right-hander Mike Franco.


BIRD
Kyle Bird is a hard throwing lefty, kind of a country boy at heart and so far the team leader in bubblegum-dart tossing for distance.

K.B. got married in the offseason and also loves the Jaguars, according to the media guide. The Birds are expecting their first baby next month, a little girl, so be sure to give dad a break if he looks a little sleepy come June.



Bird is off to a very nice start, keeping hitters off stride and stranding baserunners. He has a nice pickoff move to first and a quick time to home plate with his fastball, which eliminates the running game.

Kyle locates his fastball well and has minimized his mistakes so far this year, looking much more dominant than in previous seasons.

He is friendly and easy to talk with, you can bet when Jags gameday rolls around, his place is a ton of fun!


HARRISON
Jordan Harrison has a wicked sidearm delivery and a sense of humor that cuts as well as his fastball. A Biscuit since 2015, Jordan is the longest tenured player and should oversee Kangaroo Court very capably.

Texas born, "Harry" was originally chosen by the Mets but refused to sign, getting drafted by Tampa three years later.

Harrison has good movement and last summer seemed to turn the corner in his development, holding opponents batting averages twenty points below his previous career average. He has shown the same so far this year and is likely to earn a promotion for his improved efforts. Until then he is welcome to keep tossing quality relief for the Montgomery bullpen as long as he likes!


OTT  
Also tossing from the south side is Travis Ott.

With a bright red beard and a leg kick over his head, Travis Ott has dazzled local fans with nine K's in six innings.

His leg kick is impressive but he also features a FILTHY slide step delivery with two strikes that crosses the plate before the surprised hitter can get his bat off his shoulder.

Ott told me he had just developed the leg kick last summer.

Last year he was a starter, getting knocked around until a trip to the bullpen and a new leg kick dropped opponents batting average against him from .239 in July to .123 in August.

KROOK-DADDY
If Matt Krook looks like he feels a little out of place in the Biscuits bullpen at times, there could be many reasons.

no photo yet but its kinda like this

Maybe the former Oregon Duck is still recovering from the shock of being traded, or perhaps because he is in his first April with a new organization. Also the California lefty is a long ways from home, having played last summer in San Jose, just a short drive from his home near San Francisco. Culture shock, y'all.

Matt was chosen by the Marlins when first drafted, then later signed with his hometown Giants. However fate was determined that he should play for a team in Florida and he was dealt to the Rays in the Longoria trade.

Its easy to see why the Rays wanted him, Krook-Daddy throws hard and misses bats. A former starter, Matt is about four years removed from TJ surgery and last year moved to the bullpen where he found renewed success.

Matt Krook features four pitches, highlighted by a lively fastball and nice sinker. He especially tough on lefthanded batters. The lanky hurler is a funny and friendly guy to talk to, adding to the chemistry among the relief staff.

Krook is one of the few current Biscuits with their own Wikipedia entry.

MOATS

Dalton Moats brings another port-sided delivery and some great nickname options to the Biscuits bullpen.

Moatsy was a three sport star in highschool and originally chosen by his hometown KC Royals. Instead he chose to go to Delta State University in Ms. and became a legend there, leading the team to conference championship and deep into the the NCAA tourney.

The Moat-monster isn't overwhelming, his heater sits about 90mph, but his command of three pitches make each offering a more effective combination than the sum of their parts. Location is everything for Moats, who is very effective against lefthanders and usually able to keep the ball in the park.

Submit your own Dalton Moats nickname now!


WRIGHT

doing the Wright thing

Austin Wright is a professional and brings all business to the park, every day. A double-A level veteran, Wright bounced around the Phillies and Dbax affiliates, often at double-A and now seeks to hone his craft in the Tampa system.

Wright simply needs to throw strikes, as he doesn't allow many base hits. The Biscuits would like him to figure that out quickly so he can throw quality innings in the first half and mentor the younger guys in the pen.

Austin's early numbers aren't pretty, but lets face it, there haven't been many good nights to pitch for the Biscuits this season. There is plenty of time for him to Wright the ship (ha-cha-cha-cha I told ya!)

RIGHT SIDE RELIEF
we gots them too!

ALANIZ

Reuben Alaniz, currently on the DL with a wrist strain, was throwing well when injured. His eight strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings were stellar, a couple tough luck runs scored bumped his ERA up but hopefully he bounces back quickly.

Reuben, formerly in the Astros and Tigers organizations, comes to Montgomery after signing as a free agent with Tampa. He has bounced around for about eight years, but he is probably better suited to triple-A based on his age and experience level. Once he proves he is healthy he will only need a few good outings to earn a promotion.

Texas native Alaniz throws hard and mixes his pitches well, fooling hitters into swings and misses with good movement as well as simply throwing the ball past them.


FRANCO
Mike Franco returns to the Biscuits bullpen, throwing hard and pitching important innings.

I would like to say more about the friendly righthander, but can't, as I am still waiting for his reply to the questions I sent him back in January (sorry, bro, you get that tablet working yet?haha). I do know he is currently reading Jason Kendall's book. Also a Texas native, he attended Florida International U. and isn't afraid of some good natured ribbing about not replying to his email.

Pitching really well in relief this year, Franco looks in fine form and is seeing plenty of action in important situations. It does not appear that a return to the rotation is in the works.


KARALUS

Reece has been with the team since the meet and greet event, lurking in wait for a roster spot to open that he could vulture. That opportunity came and now he takes the ball in mop-up situations, giving manger Brady Williams a chance to bawl out other players while Reece tries to limit the damage.

Karalus has good life on his fastball and locates well, more importantly he doesn't offer many free passes. He will graduate from mop up duty to middle relief once the team decides to play better and needs less triage pitching.

The Washington native is enjoying his time in Montgomery, curious about local eats and activities. An 8th round choice, Karalus is a relief pitcher all the way, earning kudos for his sinking fastball and abilities in the closers role at Santa Clara.

He is an amateur astronomer and would like to someday experience leaving Earth's atmosphere.

THIS WEEK IN MONTGOMERY BASEBALL

APRIL 24 1976 

Steve Trella

Montgomery pitcher Steve Trella no hits Jacksonville 1-0

APRIL 25, 1966 
Southern League/ Michael D. Kilkenny of the Montgomery Rebels had 5 wild pitches v the Macon Peaches.

APRIL 26 1906 

Ike Durrett

Montgomery manager Ike Durett, in a game at Birmingham, assaults umpire Buckley. This would be a factor two days later, when Durett is refused permission to sit in the dugout during the game and results in a forfeit when Durett refuses to leave.

APRIL 27 1956 
The Rebels host the Augusta Tigers in Sally League play, losing 6-4 in a game that takes a whopping 4:24 to play, finishing at 12:09 am.

APRIL 28 1906 
Montgomery forfeits the game to the Barons after Manager Ike Durett is refused permission to sit in the dugout by the umpire he attacked two days before. Durett will be fined $300 by President Kavanaugh and eventually released by Montgomery due to his behavior issues.

Twofer!

Twofer!

Thats what you get when the last weeks post didn't go through. Technical reasons are my only excuse, though I don't know where the foul up happened.

Anyways, here is an update....

The Biscuits aren't winning ball games.

Manager Brady Williams hasn't even begun to worry, many teams start slow but if the Biscuits don't right the ship it could be a long summer at Riverwalk Stadium.

When the runs have scored, it isn't enough. When they do score enough, its WAY more than needed. Since squeaking out a one run victory on opening day, the Montgomery squad has only won twice, both times by at least six runs. Great for the run differential but not so good on the W-L category!

GAME TIME CHANGED
The game time for Friday, April  27th was moved from 6:35 to Noon, in order to accommodate the expected crowds for the EJI concert at the amphitheater.

Somewhat unusual to see a team give up a big Friday home night game for a nooner. Good bet the picture frame giveaway will be moved to a later date.

THE GRAPE JELLY SERIES

BISCUITS FACE SMOKIES

The Biscuits begin a homestand against the Cubs affiliate this week. While many of the top prospects have been through double-A, the Smokies have more than a few players ranked among the organizations best.

Currently injured is Adbert Alzolay, the Cubs #1 prospect and infielder Gioskar Amaya, ranked tenth.

Among the active guys, Oscar De La Cruz, Thomas Hatch, Mike Rucker and Trevor Clifton are right handed pitching prospects. Shortstop Zack Short (of course) and third baseman Vosler are also among the Cubs best minor leaguers with the Smokies this year.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

So far this year the Smokies have had similar luck as the Biscuits and both teams are looking to turn around their slow starts.

The Biscuits pitching should be good enough to give the Smokies hitters fits, if the Skitz can limit the mistakes in the hitting zone. The bats for both teams have been inconsistent, there is no guessing what this series will bring. Even the pitching matchups are best guess.

GAME ONE
Cabrera v Clifton on Monday, should be a nice pitching matchup.

GAME TWO
Lee v Robinson
Biscuit-fest, tasty specialty biscuits for sale.

GAME THREE
 J.D. Martin v Hatch
Monty Biscuit pillow giveaway

GAME FOUR
Moss v De La Cruz
Mardi Gras Night, Crawfish Boil

GAME FIVE
Lopez v tba
Pink Out the Park, Pink Jersey Auction night

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Many of our fave coaches make their return to the league, some with excellent MLB experience. Doug Drabek is the pitching coach for the Generals and Barons coach Rich Dotson both have excellent major league careers

Over in Jacksonville Randy Ready, Kevin Witt and Storm Davis also bring fine MLB resume's to the coaching staff. The Lookouts Manager Tommie Watkins got into a few games with the Twins and his hitting coach Javier Valentin had some fine big league years as a backup backstop.

So dig through your old baseball cards and start up a conversation, these guys have some great stories!

APRIL16 1944 
The NY Black Yankees face the Baltimore Elite Giants in an exhibition game in Montgomery, pitting two of the most respected negro league teams in baseball against each other.


Giants assistant manager George Scales is a former Montgomery Gray Sox player.
 

APRIL 18 1955 
Pitcher Troy Herriage sparks Montgomery into first place and picked up a win with his six hit complete game against macon.

Herriage also picked up the win in the opening game of the season. Herriage pitched well around four Montgomery errors, stranding 11 Macon runners as the Rebels get 15 hits to win, led by George Toepfer four-for-five.

What Needs Fixin Ain't Always Broken

Not sure why this didnt appear last week when I thought it was posted, but here it is, better late than never!


WHAT NEEDS FIXIN AIN'T ALWAYS BROKEN
It could have been viewed as a rocky start.

Even before the gates were flung wide on Opening Night, a few people were asking about giveaways for T-Shirt Thursday (was it really "every thursday?") and others why facebook might have said gates opened an hour and fifteen minutes before the game (the gates were held until just after five-thirty).

The Human Cannonball didn't show up (he cancelled days earlier), some of the ticket scanners went down as the first patrons started were let in. Fans of the souvenir cup were quickly disappointed to find there wasn't a new issue for their tumbler collection (apparently a crime in six states).  

During the formal pregame ceremony the visiting Biloxi Shuckers made sure their opening lineups were changed at the last minute, causing the player introductions to look extra corny for the second year in a row. The color guard even managed to get the flag caught in the netting behind home plate as they left the field.


Then an amazing thing happened. Two simple words changed everything.

Pitcher Genesis Cabrera dispatched the Shuckers quickly in the top of the first and leadoff hitter Andrew "Squid" Velazquez came to the plate....

He sent the first pitch he saw over the wall to put the home team on top with a leadoff home run. It was Opening Day and the Biscuits were ahead.

Fans cheered and children screamed with joy, hot dogs were eaten and beer consumed. Umpires heard heckles and again the game of baseball is swiftly yielded to those for whom it was truly intended - the young players honing their craft on the diamond and those who came to the ballpark to support them.

Swept away with one swing of the bat in first inning were pregame irritations. As Velazquez popped the seal on a new season, fans slid all those concerns to the back burner. Not gone completely, mind you. But more important matters take precedence. How is the pitching, who is swinging a hot bat, can Brady Williams get the offense started quickly, will the Biscuits make the playoffs again? Can the team finally end its ten year championship drought?


The Biscuits front office is a solid blend of proven veterans, young prospects and league stalwarts - all team players. A good team will figure out pretty fast what adjustments are needed. Some things might need fixin, but hearing the cheer of the Opening Day crowd, there's nothing broken.

GOOD NEW STUFF
COME ON RIDE THE TRAIN!
There is plenty to like about this years Biscuits fan experience. The train ride is only a buck and Parney was quoted on WSFA as saying he might even be convinced to run it after the game one night when we have all had a few!

RECYCLING
The Biscuits have recycling stations around the ballpark. They hand-sort the recyclables and take them to the appropriate local facilities. Good job, Biscuits.

GAMEDAY PROGRAM
Every homestand has a free handout program with some news and info. And at least one seriously brutal typo in the first issue in what I hope to be a continuing joke.

GROUNDS CREW UNIFORMS
Green shirts this year for The Green Team, a neat look for the hardworking guys dragging the field and caring for the grass. Adios Sod Squad, you're now The Green Team!


TENNIS BALL GAME
They put hula hoops on the field and you can buy a bag of numbered tennis balls to throw at them for prizes. Five bucks for a bag of five or six balls and you could win a multitude of prizes, including a set of new tires or a gift card to some very popular local businesses.

RBI MAN
Before the game they announce a home team hitter as the designated RBI man, if he drives in a run a section of fans get chick-fil-A sandwiches.

NEW RADIO STATION
Dang, I forgot my radio, have to check that out at the next series.

FOWL POLE
A home team batter hitting a homer off the foul pole gets everone in the park a free chicken sandwich! Sadly, in over 6oo games I have only see two foul pole hits and one of those was a visitor, so this may be a long shot. Alternative take: We are SO FREAKIN due to see it, that it has to happen soon.

NEW BAR
Pretty snazzy, the bartender now sets up near the newly caged in stairwell. The enclosed bar area is windowed to allow a view though no more seats at the rail to watch the game. Good reviews from both longtime and new patrons at the bar were heard, a nice improvement with new lighting. More importantly, it offers shelter from the weather. With heat and air conditioning, it becomes the only area one can sit in comfort and watch the game on a cheap seat ticket.

NAMES WE KNOW

Jake Hager

A familiar face is in the dugout for the first homestand as Jake Hager returns to Riverwalk, this time to face the Biscuits as a member of the Biloxi Shuckers.


A couple other names Skitz fans will recognize are in the Southern League this year.

Juniel Querecuto is with the Jackson Generals, the former Biscuits utility man was with Montgomery in 2015 and 2016. Q made his big league debut with the Rays that year, his first MLB hit was a triple.


Second baseman Ryan Brett is back in the league with the Barons, listed now as an outfielder. After missing a year to injury, RB is hoping to regain form with the White Sox affiliate. Ryan played 104 games with the Biscuits in 2014, which was the last time the former third rounder was on the field for a hundred games due to various injuries. Brett made his big league debut in 2015 with the Rays.