Biscuits Welcome Back Shuckers, We Got That

The Biscuits return for the first home series in May, facing a familiar foe in the Biloxi Shuckers. The two teams have already locked up for five games at Riverwalk and five games in Biloxi, fully one-third of games the Biscuits have played are against the Shuckers.

it is BS

Biloxi isn't in our division and we don't host division-rival Birmingham in the first half, so OF COURSE we need to see another five game series against the Biloxi Shuckers.

The upside is that it is a ten game homestand, so we will get a look at the Jacksonville team, currently led by former Biscuit Cade Gotta. But thats later.

SHUCK IT
First the Biscuits have to face the Shuckers, who lead the South Division in large part on the backs of the Biscuits slow start. Brady's Boys have to turn away the Biloxi crew or risk being further mired around the .400W-L mark.

For his part, Brady hasn't appeared happy while watching. The Biscuits skipper has been tossed from two contests, which would put him on pace for somewhere between six and twenty ejections this season.

On the road in Jackson it appeared that catcher Brett Sullivan disagreed with being charged for a mound visit after a sacrifice bunt and was ejected.

This action prompted Brady Williams to continue the discussion and his opinion was also met with the arbiters thumb.

IMO it was a crappy call followed by a bad decision to argue and compounded with a worse move to eject the catcher, leaving Brady little choice but to get tossed as well.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

This is the same team that was here a few short weeks ago, rehabbers from the Brewers have come and gone, so it will be basically the same roster that has won seven of ten games from Montgomery last month.

Jake Hager

Look for former Biscuit Jake Hager, punishing pitchers with a .292 average for the Shuckers.

Be sure to look for Nick Solak, batting .311 and providing excellent defense, Biscuits fans may not get to see Nick for long before he earns a promotion.

We will all get a look at the new guys, Colin Poche and Roel Ramirez. Two new arms for the bullpen, one lefty in Poche comes from the Souza trade, the other has earned a spot after pitching great for the Stone Crabs.

Look for me to be trying to get a picture of the new guys, as well as Matt Krook who has somehow eluded my lens so far this season.

Moats may juggle roles too

The last game of the Generals series was started by Dalton Moats, manager Brady Williams may again look to the bullpen on game five. Doling out about two innings for each relief arm is a common strategy for the Biscuits in the month of May.

The Biscuits look to face their foe head on, with a chance to redeem both their home record and save face from a pair of series losses to the Angry Clams. They will play hard to set the tone at home and put the month of April behind them.


Look for a cool flyover after the anthem on Saturday. The Biscuits have done a great job getting impressive aircraft flyovers lately, this weekends Military Appreciation Night offers a great opportunity for another. It's not technically this series, but its something that has become worth watching!

ROAD WARRIORS
Brady has the team playing well on the road. During that game in Jackson he probably knew how the team has played at Riverwalk this year and really would have liked to put that game of the roadtrip in the W column. Losing that one meant the road record went from one game over to one game under.

At home the 'Skits are just five wins against ten losses so far this year. It resembles a trend that plagued the Montgomery club for several seasons before Brady Williams took the helm. With Montgomery, playing well on the road but having a noticeably bad home record wasn't unusual.

Brady Williams turned that around to become the winningist manager in Montgomery baseball history, marking his 300th victory with Montgomery earlier this year.

BRADY ON ROAD GAMES
A couple seasons ago I asked manager Brady Williams about what causes a club to have a bad home record, pointing out some of our past teams struggles. "Too many distractions" was his first response, "with road games, there's nothing to do but play baseball."

I doubt that is the cause of this teams poor showing at home in April, but I do agree with that logic as applied to some of the past teams home woes. As the downtown grew and more entertainment became available, the teams home record indeed suffered.

 WE GOT THAT

Lowe and Palacios

Some have claimed the Biscuits lack a power bat, but Brandon Lowe enters the homestand tied for the league lead in circuit clouts at six and runs batted in with twenty-one.

Others have complained that the Biscuits strike out too much, but no Montgomery players are in the top twenty in the K category. In fact, only two teams whiff less than the Biscuits, Biloxi and Chattanooga.

As one would expect from a Brady Williams team, Montgomery leads the league in stolen bases.

THIS WEEK IN MONTGOMERY BASEBALL

the real slim sallee

MAY 8 1906 
Pitcher Salee of Birmingham two-hits Montgomery but loses due to his own wildness.

MAY 8 1920 
"Jacksonville Stars Lose to Montgomery"

 - Grey Sox Win Before Large Crowd; Moss is in Fine Form -

Grey Sox Pitcher Jim Moss

In one of the prettiest games played in the city this season the Montgomery Grey Sox team defeated the Jacksonville Stars by the score of 4 to 2, Saturday afternoon before a large crowd. Both Moss and O'Neal pitched good ball, the latter after the third inning had the Grey Sox batters at his mercy.

Moss allowed only six scattered hits and was given almost perfect support by his team mates. Williams was the batting star for the game, his long double with two on bases clinched the contest for the Grey Sox. After the third inning, it was three up and three down for both teams, players on both clubs making several beautiful plays.

The two teams will clash again today, the games starting at 3 o'clock.


MAY 10 1908 

Montgomery and Shreveport play 15 innings to a tie, 3-3

MAY 11 1908 
Montgomery and Shreveport AGAIN play 15 innings to a tie, 1-1