Love for the New Guys, BoneCrusher, Hurling Numbers

I didn't post last week, frankly I didn't want to jinx anything. But its safe to say that the Biscuits magic number is nine to start the week. Any combination of nine Montgomery wins or Jackson losses sends the Biscuits to the second half title, also the Smokies are at nine to be eliminated and give Montgomery a fourth straight postseason berth.

DO IT AT HOME

SHOULD the Biscuits make the postseason, I am under the impression that they would host at least one and up to six games. The game will be held on Friday, then possibly Saturday and Sunday in the first round and again the same in the second round.

As I understand it, the first round would begin in Jackson for the first two games, then move to the second half winners home park for game three, then four and five as needed. The South Division will host the first two games of the Championship Round, with the North Division team getting game three, and games four and five if needed.

That means if the Biscuits make the playoffs as second half winners, they would have a chance to win the League title on their home field and in front of their home fans.

GROW EM UP TOUGH
Earlier this year the team hosted a baseball camp for kids, with players as instructors. I asked one of the players how it went and got an answer I wasn't expecting. "It was crazy, two of the kids got into a fight and at least one came away with a black eye!"

BISCUITS WIN, NICK SOLAK INJURED

Biscuits likely-MVP-to-be Nick Solak left Sundays game after being hit by pitch. He wore an inside fastball on the back of the hand and Biscuit fans had flashbacks to Johnny Field 2015. A broken hamate bone ended Fields' season early and left Montgomery shorthanded in the postseason, resulting in a quick elimination.

After the game Solak told me he felt good about it, that he didn't think it was broken. X-rays Monday will tell the tale. Losing the studly 2B/OF now would be a tough break for the Skitz.

KARALUS INJURY UNUSUAL FOR TRIVIAL REASON
When pitcher Reese Karalus hit the DL last week, the transaction info listed his injury as "oblique" as well as its retroactive date.

 As a regular lurker of the league transactions page, I was surprised to see such a wordy entry.

Usually we see name-date-DL only. This was a luxury tome compared to most roster moves listed, in fact its the only injury related transaction that actually tells us what the injury is - in the entire league in the month of August. But why? Perhaps we shall never know.

LOVE FOR THE NEW GUYS

Fox and Sanchez share a pre-game hug

New guys Lucius Fox and Jesus Sanchez have been a little slow to start hitting but look fine afield.

Fox shows great speed and covers plenty of ground, as well as bringing a cheerful smile to the shortstop position. Absolutely a threat to run when he gets to first base. Fun to watch.

Sanchez has that sound you hear when a power hitter makes contact but we haven't yet seem him really get into a fat pitch yet. In the field, "Soos" gets a good jump on contact and looks to have a strong arm though no runner has challenged it yet. Sanchez has good outfield communication with his centerfielder and just has to figure out Southern League pitchers. It'll happen.

The pair of them make for a nice combination to watch with Fox batting leadoff and Sanchez hitting sixth.

HURLING NUMBERS
 ESPY

Espy

Relief pitcher Yoel Espinal has been throwing a lot more strikes, up to 64.7% of his pitches, compared to just 53.9% last season.

Espy is also throwing fewer pitches to batters, averaging just under 4 per hitter, though pitching coach R.C. Lichtenstein would probably like to see him be still just a little more efficient.

Espinal can easily hit 100+mph but dials it down a notch in order to control his pitches and now sits in the mid-90s.


SAM MAC
Starting pitcher Sam McWilliams has made 14 starts for the Biscuits, half of them have been good and half of them bad.

Sam McWilliams playing in the rain

Its been a challenging season for McWilliams, who started strong but has had a hard time missing bats since spinning eight strong innings of three-hit ball back on July 2nd. Since then hes 1-3 in eight games and allowed 50 hits in 42.1 innings, including eight homers. On the good side, his BABIP is way over his career average, meaning he's given up some lucky hits and should be in line for a return to his regular self soon.

Bonecrusher Broadway

 BONECRUSHER

Mike Broadway - dude, really? Have you looked at this guys numbers? His line with Montgomery shows him with 18 games, 25 innings pitched, 31 strikeouts, just 15 base hits against only eight walks.

And brings the quiet cool of a veteran, one who has pitched big league ball for the Giants and in Japan with the BayStars.

Broadway has one MLB plate appearance with the Giants, and one sacrifice. Baseball Reference tells us his nickname is "Bonecrusher". Mike Broadway also has his own Wikipedia entry.



#BULLPENLIFE

the soft side of Bonecrusher

MONTGOMERY AT RICKWOOD?
I asked Brendan Porter, one of the Skitz head guys, if we were going to see Montgomery in the Rickwood Classic next year, he told me he would check it out and let me know. I have lobbied anyone I could for the Biscuits to take part in the throwback game at Birmingham's Rickwood Field.

Parking lot at Rickwood opening game, 1910

Porter wasn't really up on the schedule for next year and not prepared to say yes or no, but was curious when told that the date the Classic usually held is already scheduled for a Bham-Montgomery game. Our team or it MLB affiliate could refuse the offer, if indeed the Barons want to host it during the Montgomery series. But Porter reassured us "They are usually easy to get along with" and left us with a smile and the hope that next year is the long-awaited Rickwood Classic with the original teams.

This will be one of those things that I have full on emo reaction for - if they do it I will want to hug the front office guys. If they don't I will wail about the lost opportunity, as Montgomery likely heads back to the other division in 2020 and lose games against Bham as a result.


THE MANY TRAVELS OF RICHIE SHAFFER
Remember Richie, studly third base prospect? Whats he been up to?
Well.... Richie is currently with Colorado Springs, but he has taken a circuitous route to get there.

May 24, 2015 Promoted to Durham from Montgomery
August 3, 2015 Promoted to Tampa from Durham
August 17, 2015 Sent back to Durham
Sept 1, 2015 Promoted to Tampa from Durham
March 30, 2016 Sent to Durham
August 3, 2016 Promoted to Tampa
August 11, 2016 Sent to Durham
August 20, 2016 Promoted to Tampa
August 25, 2016 Sent to Durham
Sept 6, 2016 Promoted to Tampa
Nov 2016 Traded to Seattle Mariners
Dec 7, 2016 DFA by Mariners
Dec 14, 2016 Claimed by Philadelphia Phillies
Dec 20, 2016 DFA by Phillies
Dec 23, 2016 Claimed by Cincinnati Reds
Jan 26, 2017 Claimed by Cleveland Indians
Jan 30, 2017 DFA by Indians
Feb 2, 2017 Clear Waivers, sent to Indians triple-A Columbus Clippers
spent 2017 season with Columbus Clippers!!!
Jan 2018 invited to MLB Spring Training with Cleveland Indians
June 6, 2018 Released by Columbus Clippers
July 16, 2018 Signed with Milwaukee Brewers, sent to Biloxi Shuckers
August 14, 2018 Promoted to triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox

Probably leads the league in frequent flyer miles since the start of 2015!

KEEP TALKIN BACK
A comment got my attention, as they always do. But this one sparked a curious search result and in a future post we will revisit what people think happened when Montgomery was rained out at the Rickwood Classic in 2005.

Until then, please keep the comments coming!

PIZZA PARTY!
After the Biscuits fell to the Barons 18-2 on Sunday last, the team hosted a pizza party!

Yeah, nothing says pizza party like losing by 16 runs, right? Still, a few die hard ventured to Saza for the postgame feast. It was an interesting gathering of sweaty fans, polo-topped staffers and freshly showered ballplayers. The restaurant staff outnumbered the patrons before the pizza party folks arrived and the place picked up a little steam.

A server arrived and I told her I was here for the Biscuits pizza party. She said "Oh we have free pizza for you" and left. When she returned she let me know the free pizza was only for players and staff. I asked why no specials for fans that turned out for the pizza party promotion?

just a couple dickheads enjoying Saza pizza!

Soon I was chatting with the manager, Jimmy, a witty charmer and after exchanging cheerful insults offered to give me half off a pizza if I told everyone in my blog I was a dickhead about it. Or that he was a dickhead about it, I am not sure which it was supposed to be. Either way, half off a pizza is worth being called a dickhead!

To be nice, he gave us half off our whole ticket which came to thirty bucks. To be nice back, I tipped them twenty.

He was a great guy, excellent management skills and fun to banter with. Drop in and tell him the dickhead with the blog sent you and see if you can get half off too!

The party was an odd mix of people who see each other every day and never talk to each other, so they didn't talk to each other. Staffers mingled with staffers, players with players and fans with fans. So I don't have any great stories or funny jokes from it, only a good word for the staff and food at Saza who were nice to the fans after a 16 run beatdown.

THIS WEEK IN MONTGOMERY BASEBALL

AUGUST 20 1968 
Montgomery uses five pitchers to beat Birmingham and maintain the league lead. Lefty Jim Foor, just 19, gets his third win in four days as a reliver. The Rebels have won seven straight games and 13 straight against Bham. - also on this date Satchel Paige is announced as a pitcher for the Braves.

Sam Streeter with Chicago

AUGUST 21 1920 
Montgomery, AL
"Birmingham Wins Final From Locals - Grey Sox Infield "Blows" in Fifth Inning, Giving Game to Visitors
 - Taking advantage of error made by the Grey Sox infielders, Birmingham All Stars defeated the local aggregation Saturday afternoon by the score of three to one. The Grey Sox infield "blew up" in the fifth inning and the visitors scored three runs, a lead which the locals were unable to overcome. Solman and Streeter pitched good ball, but the "breaks" of the game were against the local twirler.

The Grey Sox batters hit the ball hard, but the visiting players made almost impossible stops and plays on several drives and this play killed all chances of the locals. In the fifth inning, McCormick made two errors, each being responsible for runs and Williams permitted another to score when he allowed a third strike to get away from him. After this inning the locals settled down and played good ball. The visiting twirler kept his hits well scattered and at no time during the game did he allow them to be bunched.

The two teams will play again this afternoon, the game starting at 3:30 o'clock. Manager Cunningham will probably send Myers to the mound, while Zeige will hurl for Birmingham."


AUGUST 22 1905 
In spite of scoring three runs in the bottom of the 16th inning, kicking/arguing delayed the game at Montgomery and the Umpire Shuster called it on account of darkness, reverting the score to the previous innings 2-2 tie.

AUGUST 22 1920 
Montgomery, AL
"Grey Sox Defeated Birmingham Stars - Negro Teams Play Jam-up Game of Ball Sunday; Locals Won, 6 to 1

Montgomery's Hub McGavock

- By heavy hitting and jam up fielding and taking advantage of the bad breaks made by the Birmingham All-Stars, the Grey Sox won the last game of the series yesterday afternoon at Southside park, 6 to 1, thereby getting the big end of the series, winning two out of the three games played.

The locals soon solved the heretofore puzzling curves of Ziegler and he was driven to the bench in the fourth inning after the locals had made five scores. Juanello who relieved Ziegler held the locals down to one score and pitched a steady game for the visitors.

The locals scored their first two runs in the first frame when McCormick walked, was advanced to second on H. Cunningham's sacrifice and scored on Scales' single. They scored one more in the third when Mason hit for two bases, stole third and scored on a foot of H. Cunningham's scratch to short. They scored two more in the fourth when Preston hit safe and scored on McGavock's hit. McGavock stole third and scored on an error. The locals last score came in the eighth when McCormick hit safe, stole second, stole third and scored on a balk by Juanello. The visitors only score came in the eighth inning on errors but they threatened to score in the sixth but with two men on bases and one out Wesley made a double play unassisted and retired the side.

The locals played a jam-up game, there being only one error marked up against them, Mason pitched a jam up game and deserved a shut out victory but Carpenter apparently wanted to let the visitors make one score and in the eighth he let a ball pass and then walked to recover it and the runner went to third on what should have been an easy out. The Grey Sox will leave this morning for Atlanta, where they will try to even up the defeat handed them by the Black Crackers here a few days ago. Then they will return here Saturday and Sunday for a three game series with Knoxville with a double header billed for next Saturday."

AUGUST 23 1908 

Montgomery manager pro-tem Ed Gremminger, establishes a record in the Southern League with 28 out of 29 possible putouts in a 13 inning game. Both teams pitchers throw one hitters as Mgm wins.

AUGUST 24 1908 
Montgomery Pitcher Frosty Thomas shuts out Memphis on two hits.

AUGUST 25 1906 
Montgomery and Memphis play 13 innings but end in a 1-1 tie

AUGUST 25 1920 
Columbus, GA and Anniston, AL
"Montgomery Grey Sox Play Two Exhibitions - After losing two out of three games this week to Atlanta, Manager Staples of the Grey Sox, split the team yesterday, and sent one team to Anniston and one to Columbus, Georgia. Both teams won shut out victories, the game in Anniston being won by the locals 7 to 0, and the Columbus game 2 to 0. Miles and Williams were the batteries in the Anniston game, and Mason and Preston in the Columbus game."


AUGUST 26 1908 

Jack Lively

Montgomery beats Memphis 1-0 in 15 innings, Jack Lively of Montgomery and Shields of Memphis yield only 5 hits each and both toss complete games.