Can't Change Even If I Wanted To, Biscuits Find New Homes

 

NOBODY KNOWS..

People ask what I have been up to and its easier to answer "same old same old" than to explain how I am mapping each known location for organized baseball games in Montgomery pre-WW1. 

Hopefully soon I will have some exciting news on the history front, stay tuned!

 

CANT CHANGE IF I WANTED TO

I was hoping to revamp the blog but found that the blogspot tools have been adjusted so drastically since the page was first built that it requires a complete reset just to adjust the font color! So instead of choosing a lame template or going back to square one for design we will just have to stick with the current format. 

THEY GOT THE FEVER AND IT AINT GOOD

Going over the history files in preparations for writing the early chapters in the book on Montgomery baseball history we find a serious problem plagued early teams - yellow fever shuts down entire cities and prevents teams from travel. 

Repeated bouts of illness in cities across the south, including central Alabama, has people hiding in their homes for months on end. Sales of fresh fruit and leafy vegetables are part of the quarantine efforts as well as restrictions on travel and at some points Montgomery simply shutters its rail station and allow no trains to stop.

 

 

ASU CONTACTED

In my efforts to add new teams and history to our diet, I have contacted the Alabama State folks about their baseball club. I explained my blog and what I can bring and hopefully they appreciate the effort and we can work to include the Hornets on the blog. Since ASU stems from the 1800's era Normal School and hosted Negro League games as early as the 1890s, I have high hopes we can work together to expand the understanding ASU baseball holds in the Montgomery sports scene.

 

 WHEN DO WE KNOW BISCUITS SKIPPER?

The Biscuits are almost always among the last to announce their coaching staff and thats no different this year. While I predicted a new hand filling out the Montgomery lineup this year, there is really no telling if Ensberg will return or, if not, who will take his place at the helm.

 

 HARRY THE HAT WALKER

Walker managed Clemente

Recently had a good friend message me about Harry Walker, yes he was schooled on the sandlots of Montgomery. Developed through youth baseball leagues and scouted by major league clubs, Harry The Hat was son of the original Dixie Walker and younger brother of the other Dixie Walker. 

Harry was an All-Star player and later became a MLB manager for clubs like the Cardinals, Astros and Pirates. He was popular as well as controversial and his contributions to baseball are wide and varied. But he has roots on the local ballfields of Montgomery.

EX-BISCUITS GET NEW HOMES

I can't keep track of all the offseason moves involving former Montgomery players but I did notice a new, among them:

Nathan Witt signed with the Blue Jays

Brent Honeywell joined the Padres

Robbie Tenerowicz joined the Mariners

The A's picked up Austin Pruitt

The Nationals signed Joel Peguero "No Peggy! No Peggy!" Peggy once cost a guy a cycle by picking up a ball hit into the bullpen!

Garrett Whitlet hooked on with the Phillies

Joe McCarthy signed with the Rangers

The Brewers picked up Tobias Myers

Jim Haley was signed by the Phillies

New Year New Post - Back In Bizness!

 

Its been a long time since our last blog. New year means new post and while we aren't always happy to see the old year end its nice to have a fresh start. This year I hope to spend some time covering the Biscuits and maybe expand into a new area - we have been invited to check out Alabama State University's baseball club.

 

So it looks like the blog is back in bizness, tho with less info for plagiarists to rifle. HMU if you are interested in learning more about Montgomery baseball and its long history, I am available for speaking engagements and consultation. 

In an almost-related note, I am open to adding co-writers and creators who would be interested in helping maintain a steady flow of content on all levels of the game in our area. I am available on twitter at DrMiraculous, feel free to reach out!

WHATS UP BISCUITS?

Time for some honesty here. 

It's been difficult for local fans to support the Biscuits team for many, many reasons, among them the constantly shifting MLB affiliations among minor league teams. Now that affiliations are ten year deals, fans have a little longer to figure out what big league club opposing teams are tied to. However now its on the minor league owners to kowtow to Rob Manfred & Co. demands to update ballparks, often in impossible situations. Which is to be expected when you make covert pacts with corporate pirates who lurk behind the curtain of anti-trust exemptions and non-disclosure agreements.

Look for Montgomery to make various required changes that put MLB first and push fans farther from the game while hyping them as improvements. Updates around the park like new umpires rooms and expanded locker room areas for expanded staff are probably neeeded. But they also mean less room for patron amenities and increased separation from the game and players, added at the expense of city coffers and local owners who will be forced to increase fees and prices across the ballpark to compensate. 

When the net goes up, YOU pay for it!

That being said, the current ownership in Montgomery is uniquely suited to handle adversity, be it competing sporting events, challenging marketing environs or even MLB mandated construction. 

Maybe they don't knock it out of the park every time but the Biscuits usually get the job done at a level local fans appreciate and the front office has earned back some respect as the team tries to repair its local image after the previous owners burned many bridges before selling.

 
Biscuit fans will have to wait to see what the team chooses to work with, around, and against as we move forward.

 

LEFTOVERS

Biscuits hurler Josh Roberson: in four seasons has pitched for eleven different teams!

Andrew Gross is one of three blue gloves on the team. I asked how he came to choose his game leather and he told me a great story about umpire finding dirt on his glove and confiscating it on suspicion of using a foreign substance. That left Andrew, a 39th round pick, without a glove to use! 

Andrew reached to to his agent who in turn contacted a smaller company who offered a twice-a-year deal to keep the sidearm hurler supplied in game gear. That company, JL Gloves, makes pro gloves for players at many levels in a family-run business. I had a chance to ask their representative about Andrew Gross' standout blue glove and how visible it is. "Not everyone makes as bold a statement as Andrew, but we are happy to accommodate his choice and it looks great!" That it does, my friends, that it does!

The Biscuits have been using a new system for tracking game data. 

PREDICTING THE SKITZ 2023 EDITION

These just don't get any easier, do they? With Durham skipper and our "Biscuit of the Decade" for the teens Brady Williams getting promoted to Tampa's base coach box, will Morgan Ensberg take over filling out the Bulls lineup card? If not, will he keep his apartment in Montgomery this summer? So many questions, so until we have answers... let us have predictions!

 

MGR Wuarner Rincones

Pitching Coach Jim Paduch

 

1B Dillon Paulson

2B Ronny Simon

3B Tanner Murray

SS Alika Williams

C Logan Driscoll

RF Diego Infante

CF Mason Auer

LF Hariberto Hernandez

Tyler Frank UT

Eric Ostberg C

Kyle Manzardo 1B

Matt Dyer C/UT

Abiezel Ramirez UT

PITCHERS

John Doxakis

Mason Montgomery

Patrick Wickander

Anthony Molina

Nathan Wiles 

Logan Workman

Ben Brecht

Joe LaSorsa

Zack Trageton

Andrew Gross

Graeme "Yukon Cornelius" Stinson

Franklin Dacosta 

Kyle Whitten

Cameron Leonard