We Got A Man For That, Biscuits Lurking

Another post about the Biscuits good road numbers vs their bad home record?

Nah, we have been over that before. Five wins and ten losses at home in the second half is terrible, thirteen wins and five losses on the road is awesome.

Skipper Brady Williams probably isn't that concerned about it with over a month left in the season. "Just win series" he has told me, "and things take care of themselves."

The club has shown that it can win series and is in a good position going into the final pennant push. Have faith, Skitz fanz!

BISCUITS LURKING
The Biscuits have some solid hitters in the lineup, several are pretending to be in a slump but its just a ploy to lull opposing teams into a false sense of superiority. At the right time, the Montgomery batters will pounce on unsuspecting pitchers and seize the day.


 Here are a few of those likely to break out in the final stretch.

Brosseau playing first base

Mike Brosseau has found his power stroke, slugging over .800 since the start of June. Mike makes himself more valuable by getting time at multiple positions.

Brossy is particularly reliable with a runner on first and clutch in extra inning at-bats. Mike hits okay at home but is best on the road, enjoying a .275 average in away games.

The glove never slumps tho, Mike Brosseau is a capable defender at any position between the chalk lines.



David Rodriguez - who is this guy?

David Rodriguez

The Venezuelan catcher came out of Charlotte and has spent plenty of time behind the dish for the Biscuits since the end of May.

His current .220's average is a ruse, David is a career .250s hitter and has raked a .261 average so far in July. Rodriguez has good doubles power and has shown solid skills behind the plate. 


Peter Maris - hit .300 in June and then .200 in July. Scuffling a bit as he adjusts to double-A pitching, Maris is a .275 hitter on the road and is ripe to go on a tear at the plate. Provided he can force his way into the lineup every day!

Nate Lukes - this guy is a sneaky beast in right field. When opposing hitters loop a single into right field and take a peek to see if they can stretch it to a double I have started yelling "GO FOR IT!". Very few go for it.

Nathan Lukes has a cannon arm in the outfield and word has got around that you don't run on Lukes.

Nathan Lukes in right field

At the plate Nate has stepped up, batting .285 with a .750 OPS, both nice improvements to his numbers from last year. He has cut down on the strikeouts and taken more walks as well as swiping seven bases already. Lukes is another one that could be on the cusp of a big finish.

WE GOT A MAN FOR THAT

Thomas Milone
aka "We got a man for that"
The crack of the bat, a fly ball soars in an arc across the Riverwalk outfield as a lone white shirt streaks across the green grass and fans predict the orbs final destination.

We got a man for that - Milone

Them: "That ones gone!"

Them: "Oh, its a homerun!"

Them: "Whoa, thats crushed!"

Us: "We got a man for that..."

And the sphere settles in the glove of the man aforementioned.

His name is Thomas Milone and he is perhaps the best outfielder not named Kiermaier the Biscuits have had. He isn't as fast as Braxton Lee, though he draws  those comparisons due to the vast amount of sod that he prevents baseballs from landing on.

Milone is a nice guy, as friendly as any on the club, but opposing hitters dislike him intensely. I know this from the words they say as they walk away after watching him nonchalantly toss a ball back to the infield that the hitter was sure would become a souvenir, or at least a two base hit.

During the last series, Milone was patrolling centerfield as usual when a daisycutter rolling towards him hopped over his glove, not stopping until it hit the wall. The batter circled the bases for a little-league homerun and Milone was charged with the Error.

It was just his second miscue in over seventy games this year, but one fan called for him to be benched after such a boneheaded play. What have you done for us lately, Tommy? haha 

#BULLPENLIFE

On Pitching
I guess I am a pitching fan, baseball highlight shows are a horror movie that just show pitcher mistakes with no reference to the situation, glorifying hitters.

For a pitching fan, there is lots to like about what the Biscuits have cooking.
Welcoming a sixth starter in Brock Burke pushes Brandon Lawson to the bullpen and gives Brady Williams another option for relief.

NEW GUY: BROCK BURKE

Brock Burke

Burke, a Colorado native, is off to a fast start with Montgomery. In his first two games he picked up a win and a no decision while striking out fifteen over ten innings.

Lefthanded, Burke was drafted by the Rays in the third round of 2014 and should fit nicely in among the Biscuits rotation of impressive lefties.

Burke can be overpowering on the mound, able to provide swing and miss stuff as well as good velocity. Occasionally Brock will fall victim to giving free passes but usually manages to keep the ball in the ballpark and induce a ground ball.

Burke is just the second Colorado native to be a Biscuit - can you name the other? 

 LAWSON
Righthander Brandon Lawson had a nice 3.81 ERA as a starter in five games for Montgomery and could work his way back into the rotation later. Lawson had trouble missing bats at times, allowing a few too many hits. The Festus, Montana native didn't give up a homer in any of his five starts. He has allowed three homers in five appearances as a reliever.

CABRERA

Lefty starter Genesis Cabrera has been mostly excellent with the Biscuits this year, anchoring the rotation and ranking second in the league in strikeouts with 115. However he leads the league in bases on balls with 57 and sports a rather un-sexy 4.20 ERA and average 6-6 record.

The numbers aren't all flattering but Cabrera has pitched better than his stats and could be in for a big finish.

THE OPENER
The Biscuits have been using Dalton Moats as an opening act, starting games and then giving way to another pitcher - usually Genesis Cabrera.

It has had mixed success in the case of Moats numbers. As a starting pitcher, Dalton strikes more out and walks fewer hitters but also gives up more base hits.  In his last start, Brady may have simply waited one batter too long to bring in Cabrera, leaving Moats hanging a pitch and hurting those stats.

I like the concept but the jury is still out on how it helps the home team, I am not sure Genesis Cabrera is the kind of pitcher who needs an opening act!


BENTON IS BACK

Pitcher Benton Moss returned from the DL, he had lost most of two fingernails and had to let them heal. Moss had made nine starts before the injury and now looks to build on his 3-4 record. The bewhiskered righthander from North Carolina was a sixth round choice in 2015 and provides valuable innings to the rotation.



DR. MARTIN & Mr. HYDE
Early in the year during a J.D. Martin start, the knuckleballer was taking his time pushing flutterballs past opposing hitters when a fan sitting near me said "Oh, man, how slow can he be? How many more starts is this guy gonna make?" So I tried to buck him up with "About twenty or so."

Knuckleball pitchers take their time to get hitters anxious to swing the bat. It makes for a good way to induce bad at bats.

Indeed the veteran moundsman Martin has made 24 starts to this point and has eaten over 100 innings while keeping the Biscuits in the game more often than his 7-9 record would indicate.

Yet the J.D. Martin we see at home games is nothing like the pitcher he is on the road.

At Riverwalk he is winless in nine games with seven losses. Opposing hitters tee off on him at a .326 clip, he strikes out five men per nine innings and walks about the same.

In ten road starts, and two relief appearances, he has been dominant with seven wins against just two defeats. Martin strikes out a few more on the road, walks significantly fewer hitters and has much more success with opposing batters hitting just .246 against him, a full 80 points lower.

FAN REACTION
Last weeks post had a long piece on Mike Kilkenny, a brief preview of the Braves visit, a big pile of Montgomery history and a couple paragraphs on the attendance slacking. It garnered a couple comments, always a cool thing as comments are super helpful to tell me what you like and I view it as kind of a reward to get! haha

However one of the comments, now removed, decried "Fake News" and contested my statement that concession prices had gone up.

This pains me, as truth and honesty are coin of the realm here, if you want spin or propaganda you know where to find such.

The information in question came to me via fans at the park who said that they thought prices had been raised on some items. Since I get the same six things (beer - corndog - chicken tenders - supernachos -icee - ice cream) I don't notice changes on other things. I mentioned it because it was something I heard more than once.

When someone felt it was questionable, I checked it out. Prices have not changed at the Biscuits concession stands, as far as I can tell. Fans just feel  like they have.

One of the good things about writing a blog, mistakes happen and its not mission critical for anyone. I am certainly not afraid to make mistakes, it is an important part of the learning process. At least, it is for me.

However the context of my original statement was, and is, more about public perception and how it affects attendance. F'rexample...

Last Thursday I picked up two "Thirsty Thursday" beers at two bucks each. Walking away with two fistfuls of brew, a perfect stranger literally yelled at me "Those beers ain't worth two dollars! Those cups are smaller than they used to be!"

Of course I know these are the same cups that have been sold for two dollars at every thursday Biscuits game since they threw open the doors. But that guy knew what a two dollar beer looked like, and that wasn't it.

Obviously dude had been there before and knew what he was expecting. And that wasn't it. Perhaps it was back in '04 or '05 or 2012 or whenever. But it wasn't now. Simply put, fans expect a little more from their two dollar beers than they used to.

Lou, Parney, Porter, Trible and crew are doing everything right, but its tough to turn attendance numbers around with the public perception being what it is.

THIS WEEK IN MONTGOMERY BASEBALL HISTORY

JULY 27th 1967 
The Montgomery Rebels defeat Bham for sixth straight win, taking first place in the league with a doubleheader sweep 2-0 and 5-1. Rebels pitchers Bob Reed and John Gregory both pitch complete games. Reed allows four hits in the opening game and Gregory gives up just three base hits while striking out seven


JULY 28 1909 

Montgomery pitcher Lively throws a no-hitter against Little Rock, walking none, but one man reaches via error to break the perfect game.


JULY 29 1920 
Knoxville, TN
"Gray Sox Win One, Lose Two - Knoxville, Tennessee, August 6.

- The Knoxville Giants lost their first game in a three game series, but managed to annex the following two from the Montgomery Grey Sox. There was plenty of pep in all three games. The Dixie Jazz Band furnished the music. These victories placed Knoxville in first place and Montgomery in second.

 Steel Arm Dickey, with 25 straight victories to his credit, suffered his first defeat of the season. His failure to field a bunt, his wild throw to first and a dropped fly ball by Fielder Bosby, all in the first game, gave the Sox a 3-run lead. It looked as though the giants might win with the bases full, but Mason tightened. That was in the first game. July 31 Dickey came back and made good defeating the visitors."


JULY 29 1972
Montgomery hosts the Southern League AllStar game, a Bucky Dent homer wins it in dramatic style at Paterson Field. Back then the team with the best record in the league took on the players voted as AllStars.

Biscuits v Braves,The Unusual Kilkenny, A Big Week in History!

A minor tech issue has kept me from posting as often as I like lately, so hopefully we are past that now.

The Biscuits are now tied for first place in the North Division, a three way split with the Smokies and Barons also getting a share. There is a lot of baseball left to play and Montgomery has as good a chance as any, plus a history of strong second half finishes.



SLACKING AT THE GATE

Man its tough to bring folks to the ballpark in Montgomery. Under the new ownership, the team has done everything it can to stem the tide of people not showing up.

While the attendance numbers officially show that the Biscuits average 3500 a night, it is tough to sell a team that has a losing record at home and plays at a park nicknamed "The Oven".

The Skitz might not bring in 30K attendees this year, a notable benchmark for minor league teams at this level. Fans have noticed concession prices rising since opening day and other corners being cut, leaving us to wonder what direction the new ownership will take after their first full season of new ideas.

WELCOME BRAVES

The team that Montgomery could have had if we had waited a season or two, the Mississippi Braves, arrive for a visit. Looking at the roster there are a couple prospects but their top guy was recently promoted to triple-A in Touki Toussaint.

Now boasting four guys listed on MLB Pipeline, three pitchers and an outfielder, the Ms.Braves are a five hundred team capable of being a tough opponent or an easy mark - depending on how their pitching holds up.

Kyle Wright, Bryse Wilson are the right handed pitching prospects and Ricardo Sanchez is a lefty, the Braves strength is in its hurlers and the Biscuit hitters will be challenged at the dish by these top guys. Beyond that, there are some good arms but nobody with eye-popping numbers.

Pitcher Kyle Wright is from Huntsville. His 96 strikeouts in 94 innings so far this year are among the league leaders.

On the batting side, Travis Demeritte in the outfield is a utilityman who saw time in the Australian Baseball League in 2015 and is at double-A for the second season. Shortstop Luis Valenzuela is among the batting leaders with a .284 average.
 

#BULLPENLIFE

RIP KILKENNY

Former Rebels pitcher Mike Kilkenny passed away late last month at the age of 73. To say he was a lefthander with an unusual story is putting it mildly.

Mike Kilkenny spent five seasons in the bigs with Detroit, the Padres (briefly), Oakland (very briefly) and Cleveland, pitching in 139 games. He finished with a 23-18 win loss record in the majors.


Mike was with Montgomery for three seasons, starting in 1966 and thru 1968 he logged 178 strikeouts in 189 innings for the Rebels. He won ten and lost seven while putting up a stellar 2.95 ERA for Montgomery in those three years.

Kilkenny is also known for setting the Southern League record for wild pitches in an inning with five. In his defense he said that the ballpark in Macon was next to a foundry and the blast furnace ash was so thick the catcher couldn't see. He was also coming off an injury to his finger that kept him from pitching early that '66 season and affected his control.

Control was an issue for the reliever again in '67 though he mowed down Southern League hitters at one strikeout per inning pitched. In '68 he really figured it out and was given a midseason promotion to triple-A and earned World Series Champion cufflinks for being in spring camp with the Tigers that year.

He would spend the next five years in the majors, making his MLB debut on his birthday in April of 1969, against the New York Yankees.


In 1972 Kilkenny would be traded three times in a month and played for four different clubs after a clubhouse shouting match with manager Billy Martin got him dealt from the Tigers. On the back of Kilkenny's 1972 Topps card is a trivia question "How many pitchers have pitched for four teams in one season?"


While with Montgomery, Kilkenny once sent Governor Wallace a postcard telling the Gov that the pitcher had left him a couple free tickets for the game. Governor Wallace showed up and went down to the bullpen and waived to the young lefthander with a shout of thanks before leaving in the seventh inning.

The curious lefty also built an odd friendship with J. Edgar Hoover, meeting him once and later sending Hoover a suit that looked like the one J. Edgar was wearing when they met. Afterwards they would often meet for lunch when the schedule allowed a trip to Washington or Baltimore.

After baseball, Kilkenny spent time as a racehorse owner and ran a golf pro shop, among other things.

THIS WEEK IN MONTGOMERY BASEBALL HISTORY

JULY 16 1904 
At LittleRock, in a freak injury to end all freak injuries, Montgomery Pitcher Duke Carter falls from a third story window while sleepwalking at the Capital Hotel and is badly injured. Obviously, it would be some time before Carter recovers, but he survives and eventually returns to pitching.

JULY 16 1920 
Montgomery, AL
"Local Negro Team Splits Double Bill - The Grey Sox and the New Orleans team split a double header yesterday at Southside park. The first game was close, with both pitchers going good. The locals scored two runs in the first inning. Then the visitors scored three in the third, but the locals tied the score in the fifth and the visitors were unable to overtake the lead.

1920 Montgomery Grey Sox

The locals scored two more in the sixth and won the game 5 to 3. Williams and Mason were successful in getting two long safe hits and the entire hitting of the team showed some improvement over the last two or three games.

The second game was won by the visitors, 3 to 1, and was a much prettier and faster game than the first. This was a pretty pitchers' battle between Jim Moss and Marfoot, but the visitors gave their pitcher better support. The visitors scored in the first and again in the fourth and fifth. The locals scored their lone run in the third and staged a rally in the seventh with two out that looked sure for winner. With two out and two on bases in the seventh, Williams came to the bat and everybody was sure that he would break the game up, but he was thrown out on a little grounder to second.

The teams will play a double header this afternoon at 3:45."



JULY 18 1970 
The Montgomery Rebels take first place in league, beating Mobile in both end of a doubleheader by the same 1-0 score. Jim Foor pitched a three hitter in the first game, outdueling Mobiles four hitter. Marty Barski doubled and then scored on a wild pitch.

In game two, Steve Cushmore struck out seven and gave up just five hits. John Young scored the games only run in unearned fashion when he walked, stole second and raced home on throwing errors by the catcher and centerfielder.

Another doubleheader follows the next day vs Mobile.


JULY 19 1906 
Montgomery Pitcher Ted Breitenstein shuts out Shreveport on 2 hits.

JULY 19 1907 
Montgomery bashes out 16 hits against Memphis pitcher Suggs but only plates six.

JULY 20 1968 
Pitcher Jim Brown of Rebels No-Hits Hornets at Charlotte.

JULY 22 1920 
Montgomery, AL
Grey Sox Defeat Chicago Black Sox

Sam Streeter

GAME NOTES: Montgomery, AL
"Montgomery Sox Swamp Chicagoans - The Chicago Black Sox colored baseball club team was easily defeated Thursday afternoon by the Montgomery Gray Sox team by the score of 15 to 1.

The visiting team putting up a miserable exhibition of the national pastime. Streeter, for the Grey Sox, was a puzzle to the Chicago players, and after the first inning he had his opponents at his mercy.

Kemp, who started for Chicago, was easy pickings for the locals, and Smith, who succeeded him, could not check the assault. Williams, Scales, "Red" Cunningham and Herman Cunningham carried off the batting honors for the day, the quartet had little trouble in hitting the ball, when hits meant runs.

Streeter established a record on the local field when he pitched twenty consecutive balls for strikes, without having a ball called by the umpire. The Chicagoans came to the city highly rated, and are leading the league in the National league for colored clubs, but their performance Thursday was the poorest seen on the loacl field this season. Nashville opens a three-game series here this afternoon."



JULY 22, 1966 - 
The Animals, Hermans Hermits and others play at the State Coliseum in a huge moment for local music.

JULY 22 1967 
Tigers Prospect Southpaw Les Cain throws No Hitter for Montgomery Rebels, and its mentioned on his rookie card!