Twenty Great Biscuits Moments, Willie Mays All Stars, Offseason News

Ensberg at Rickwood Classic

We start with a bang as the Montgomery Biscuits stand a strong chance of getting a new manager for next season. Current skipper Mo Ensberg, along with current Durham Bulls manager Michael Johns, have both interviewed for the Tampa Rays open first base coaching position. While the Rays are yet to interview "outside candidates" its been the practice of the Tampa brass to promote from within the organization more often than not. 

Even if Ensberg isn't selected as the Rays new 1B coach, he would likely be given a promotion to Durham if the gig falls to Johns. 

 

TIMMONS RETURN TO TAMPA?

Ozzie Timmons

Could former Biscuits coach and ex-Rays 1B coach Ozzie Timmons be among the "outside candidates"? A Tampa native, the likeable Timmons would be an easy hire for the cost-conscious Rays. And it could be the one factor that would send Ensberg back to manage the Biscuits in 2024.

If I had to guess now, I would put Wuarner Rincones at the top of the list for 2024 Biscuits manager.

 

VOGHT NEW SKIPPER IN CLEVELAND

In other news former Biscuits backstop Stephen Vogt was named manager of the Cleveland Naps. V becomes the third Skitz alum to helm a major league club, behind Charlie Montoyo and Rocco Baldelli. Long-time Biscuits fans may recall Vogt as the Montgomery catcher in 2011, batting a strong .301 with 13 homers.  

Baldelli

Baldelli, currently field manager of the Twins, was the first Biscuit with facial hair, as a rehabbing major leaguer he was not restricted by the Rays minor league dress code and took advantage of it to cultivate what was then a very rare set of Biscuit whiskers.

 

 

TRAVEL BACK IN TIME WITH ME

The Montgomery Baseball History Conference is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, May 18th. 

A time machine usually limited to researchers and historians, this year the conference opens its doors wide to new topics and will allow casual fans a view at the past. With a focus on baseball in our city, we will host a wealth of dignitaries to offer presentations as well as tours of the old ballparks of Montgomery. Speakers will include former Major League players with ties to Montgomery as well as noted authors and researchers, along with displays of memorabilia by local collectors and a new baseball themed exhibit from the collections of the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

TWENTY SEASONS 

Is this gonna be the twentieth season already? Wow! Here is my list of twenty random great Riverwalk Stadium moments, rare feats, glorious victories and stunning scenes in no particular order. These are mine, what are yours? Let me know what I missed in the comments!

Man, this place was good!

 TWENTY GREAT MOMENTS

Billy Gardner melts down on umpire 2007

He did wear out this umpire back in 2007, who really kicked the call badly and deserved every ounce of it after an awful series of questionable calls went against both teams. The clip went viral and the blog took off.

 Heres the original video, volume up for swearing!

Brady Williams repeatedly melts down on umpires 2014-2018.

Many Southern League umps fell victim to Brady's tirades, which I consider some of the finest exhibitions of a manager being ejected ever seen in this fair city. As ejections go, Brady is on par with Earl Weaver, bringing the energy of Billy Martin and the volume of vintage Van Halen. 

Fans could not have been more entertained if that band played behind Brady as he went thru the various classic moves, kicking dirt, burying home plate, emptying the bat rack onto the field and simply shouting his opinion vociferously. And he was usually right.

A master showman and baseball wizard, Brady Williams was my choice for Biscuit of the decade 2010-2019 for his Brady-Ball style of play and brilliant knowledge of the inside game.

Evan Longoria homerun in 2006 lifts Montgomery to first title in thirty years.

2006 Longoria

Truly Montgomery fans did not know how good they had it when Longo smacked that late inning go-ahead homer. Taking a second title in Huntsville the following season to go back-to-back was a special feat, made even more glowing in light of what is now nearly a twenty year pennant drought.

2007 Biscuits

 Biscuits defeat Rays in 2016 Exhibition Game

SRO at Rays v Biscuits

So rare in the modern era to have a parent club face its affiliate, even more so when the little guys pull off the victory. Only a handful of Montgomery clubs can lay claim to an MLB scalp, but the guys in butter pants did just that in 2016 when the Rays visited and fell victim to their own farmhands. 

A full house was on hand and many Tampa players were former Biscuits, such as pitcher Chris Archer, who was felled by his former team. A few of the players who appeared on the Rays squad would later join the Biscuits, such as catcher Justin O'Conner, who took over behind the plate for the Tampa team late in the contest.

Rays line up for Riverwalk exhib

 Victor Mateo No-Hitter in 2013.

Simply the best game to watch in stadium history. A warm evening late in the summer as the Biscuits played out the string of an otherwise meaningless campaign was the perfect recipe for magic to happen. 

Mateo mobbed by Biscuits after No-No

And happen it did, on that final Saturday of the season, in a feat that has yet to be duplicated at Riverwalk.

Mateo gets a hug from catcher Casali for his no-no

Six walks in one game by Joey "Blanco Suave" Rickard 2015

Rickard walks six times

Dude took six walks in one single game! You could tell who in the stands was filling out their scorecard, as a handful of exuberant fans startled other nearby patrons who didn't know what the fuss was about over an eighth inning base on balls. "Rare as hens teeth" is the simple answer. Rickard even got a special Topps Heritage card commemorating the unusual feat!

 

 Isenia Sleeps on the Field

Catcher Chairon Isenia knocked unconscious on a dramatic play at home plate in 2004. Later he was fined in kangaroo court for "sleeping on the job," Isena was the first injury at Riverwalk to silence the crowd. 

 

GREAT PITCHING PERFORMANCES

Biscuits Price

Jaime Schultz posts single season Biscuits strikeout record in 2015 with 168 K's.

Chris Mason and his fast windup and pink hair ca. 2004. that earned him league Pitcher of the Year honors

David Price 7w 0L in 2008 was simply unstoppable and well on his way to making his MLB debut later that year.

TOP HITTERS AND FIELDERS

Omar Luna won the 2012 batting title but the team had an embarrassing postseason performance.

Willy Adames in 2016 doing everything right with a smile on his face was reason enough to go to the park.

Adames having fun

Brett Sullivan over three seasons posted 123 RBIs and swiped 43 bags while batting .275 and being shuffled from catcher to outfielder. His 2019 numbers .280avg/10hr/21sb were stellar as he was a team leader and fan favorite.

Brett Sullivan

KNIFED BY AN ANNIE

2018's team had amazing players and many memorable moments but I will always recall it as the time a pretty young lady I hadn't ever met before practically knifed me for outbidding her on her guys jersey during an in-stadium auction. You bet I backed down! 

 

UmpCamp 2016 was an unbelievably informative and uniquely exciting experience!

 

He reads the blog

Meeting Hall of Famers 

Greg Maddux and Ryne Sandberg visited Riverwalk as Cubs coaches. Hearing Sandberg tell me "oh I've heard of you" was the compliment of the decade!

 

 

Kershaw warms at Riverwalk

Clayton Kershaw 

The future HOF'er made two appearances at Riverwalk, one at the tail end of 2007 and another in 2008. It was a pleasure to stand by the wall next to the catcher warming him up in the bullpen and hear the sound of young Clayton's breaking pitches rip through the air with the sound of a buzzsaw.

Host of the 2008 & 2015 Southern League AllStar Games 

Biscuits Snell started 2015 ASG

These games brought huge names and big crowds to Riverwalk. In the ASG at Riverwalk in 2006, the first Montgomery had hosted since 1972, future star Joey Votto and MLB veteran Craig Brazell competed in the Homerun Derby final round, thrilling the crowd when hometown hero Brazell took the crown. 

The second ASG in Montgomery in 2015 saw Blake Snell start for the hometown crowd against a lineup featuring Sano, Buxton, Vogelbach and others.

 

The Dancing Biscuit 

 

WILLIE MAYS BRINGS "THE GREATEST TEAM EVER" TO MONTGOMERYS PATERSON FIELD

So our recent history has a nice gem... or two! 

 

October 20th was the anniversary of the Willie Mays All-Stars visit to Paterson Field in 1955, which I have written of before. 

Many have said that the '55 Mays All-Stars are the best team ever put together, with a core of MLB's finest black players. Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Don Newcomb, Larry Doby, Hank Thompson, Monte Irvin and many other great stars filled the lineups of both teams in the barnstorming exhibitions.

 

1955 Willie Mays Negro All-Stars

 Legends were sprung from that tour, including Mays hitting one of the longest homeruns in Atlanta history at old Ponce De Leon Park.

HOWEVER - THEY COME BACK!

Thats not the only trip Mays makes with his All-Stars to Montgomery. The tour came back in 1956 and featured a loaded All Star team of Mays, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson and Elston Howard. The teams faced off at Paterson Field as the MLB All Stars defeated the Negro American League All Star contingent in a nice contest.

Much later, in 1962, Mays is denied permission to hold a barnstorming tour for 1962, sadly signaling the end of true barnstorming baseball teams.