The Truth About Big Mo

I would like to start by going back in time a little.....

Back to Evan Longoria driving in a run vs the Mobile BayBears in 2007!
Not a bad start to the video side of the blog, right? Longo already had the batting stroke down and it would not be long before he would be firmly entrenched at the hot corner for Tampa. Now he is a new dad, congrats to evan and jaime on their baby girl!

NOW

AS PROMISED

BIIIIIIIIIIIG MO!!!!!

I recalled this day as being Big Mo's first introduction to the fans, but I seem to be wrong about that. Either way you can hear me muttering at one point something to the effect of "if this thing crashes I am gonna get it on vid". Gladly there was no crash, though it is the only time I have seen a helicopter land at Riverwalk Stadium during a game! Certainly the biggest entrance from the Biscuit mascot to date.

BIG MO

What do we know about Big Mo?
His Bio tells us

The pants will ride up with wear

BIRTHDAY: May 23, 2003
DRAFTED: 1st round, April 2004
JERSEY NUMBER: 04
HEIGHT: Seven Feet
WEIGHT: More than a baker’s dozen
FAVORITE FOOD: Biscuits, of course!
FAVORITE MUSIC: Bring On The Biscuits and Take Me Out to the Ballgame
FAVORITE QUOTE: “Now you tell me, if I have a day off during the baseball season, where do you think I’ll spend it? The ballpark. I still love it. Always have, always will.”
– Harry Caray
ABOUT BIG MO: Big Mo is a fuzzy and fun Biscuit Lovin Beast. Big Mo is one-of-a- kind! Big Mo is responsible for entertaining fans young and old. He’s out at Riverwalk Stadium each and every game. Seven feet of baseball love, hailing from parts unknown, the eighth wonder of the world and the Biscuits’ biggest fan!

So who is the REAL Big Mo???

We will break down the Mascot scouting report later, some of these notes leave the details in the dark. Ah but the best way to learn about wild creatures is to observe them in their natural habitats. So here we see Big Mo in several different situations.

Big Mo on-field attack of Fernando Cortez in 2004

 Big Mo used to be seen on the field between innings horsing around with players. There were incidents. Often. After that first year he didn't go back across the white lines for a long time. I guess someone sent a message and Big Mo got it.

Was Big Mo called to the carpet for his antics?

So now we see "the beast" turning an unblinking eye towards different prey. One a little less able to defend itself. One that wont go crying to the manager or GM.

Would you let a "biscuit loving beast" hold your baby?

Big Mo loves children. From the looks of it, he is about to enjoy this kid in one bite. At the park we have a saying for how to handle Big Mo... "Dont make eye contact".

Uh-oh, I think its spotted us....

If further evidence is needed for the reader to suggest a reason to give a wide berth to the "eighth wonder of the world", I am happy to oblige. Often we are judged by the friends we keep and the circles we travel in, but who is Big Mo hanging out with? See for yourself.....

Who your mother warned you about

As we have seen, Big Mo is a tough character, attacking players, hanging out with the hardened drunks, snatching children from parents arms, hijacking aircraft, accosting fans and players alike.

smiling but nervous

While Big Mo has been trained well enough to do the dances with the Biscuit Bunch, they still feel a need to employ a handler for the creature. Anytime Mo is wandering the stands during the games, there is a staffer or two close by. I suppose its just in case, you never know how a wild carpet covered creature will behave in a crowd under the lights. Perhaps one of those folks with a Biscuits logo on their golf shirt has a cattle prod hidden as a contingency plan should Mo go rogue suddenly.

Big Mo - The Scouting Report

another Big Mo photobomb

Mo is obviously intelligent enough to dress itself, though it cant differentiate between long pants and shorts.  Which it should, since its essentially a bi-pedal Snuffleuphagus - the mopey muppet friend of Big Bird. If you are going to walk on two legs, you probly need pants, unless you are a Warner Bros pig, but thats a different blog entirely.


The Bio says Mo was a first round draft pick in 2004, so that could be a first round MASCOT draft? Which begs the question, who did we pass up for this guy?

2004 olympic mascots

Whatcha drinkin Ronnie?

Big Mo implies his home is at the ballpark, invoking a Harry Caray quote about getting the day off. This should be a big clue, as we all know Harry spent more time in bars than ballparks and hung around with less than savory fellows.

As seen above, Big Mo is not above being seen with known boozers, and even Young Boozer has been known to be seen with Big Mo. If that doesnt say something, I dont know what does. And dont tell me. I dont want to know.

Last of Feb

Last of February!
Pitchers and catchers have reported, the Yanks already have an injury - Granderson - the RedSox are already looking for someone to blame - owner Henry - the Cubs are already trying to trade their veterans - Soriano and Garza - and its not even March yet!

Knows where his bread is buttered

In Biscuits news, the teams rent for the past three months was the lowest ever, which means the team brought in the lowest amount of money since its inception. That just illustrates what I have been saying here in the blog and at the park... the Biscuits need to step it up or lose revenue.

When downtown favorite Boomer T's closes down and the owner says it "just cant compete anymore" with other local businesses it should send the same message to the team. Being the only baseball team in town doesnt mean being the only entertainment. Montgomery people are wise about their dollars and the Biscuits will have to lower prices more than they did last summer or learn the harsh lesson in Montgomery economics.

This is why other Montgomery entertainment venues go bad - they start well by offering competitive prices. After the initial setup they jack prices up. At that point people will stop coming. Its not just baseball, though the Montgomery Rebels felt the pinch when they raised prices and it eventually cost the city its team to poor attendance.

Is the Basket half full or half empty?

Its also Jubilee Cityfest, the recently deceased festival that was the best thing to happen to the city when it started. Of course, when it started it was FREE. Once it got to the point that organizers were paid huge salaries to turn it into a way to harvest local wallet-stuffing the citizens saw and realized it for what it was. The more they tried to herd families into chain link fenced areas and charged more and more to get in, those families stayed away in droves.

Fans make loud statements quietly

We dont truck with ripoff artists or snake oil salesmen. We want a good level of entertainment for our dollar, and if its a value we will gladly pay for it. Some even pay for a double helping. But if we think you have tipped the scales or shortchanged us, we here in Montgomery wont make a fuss. We will just quietly walk away and in most cases, not come back.

Biscuits ownership has fallen into a rut of propping up the team in spring only to abandon the efforts when it gets warm in Lansing. With each new team the owners catering company signs on with, the concessions at home suffer. There may come a day when they need to decide if they are baseball owners or concessionaires.

Sometimes owners can be motivating

Simply put, something has to give, and its not likely going to be the fans with the wallets. As has been shown by the figures upon which the rent is paid, those fans are walking away.

Desmond Jennings vs James Russell

SIGNS OF SPRING

One of the best parts of the winter is watching signings, the highest levels of talent set the market and tend to take their time. If they would go ahead and agree to terms early we wouldnt have so many ballplayers wondering where they will be working. I wonder if this isnt why some guys take jobs in Japan and other countries, the lure of a sure thing has to have its merits. Its a nice option compared to waiting to see if you get a good paying job or a lower level minor league job or even no gig at all.



FORMER BISCUITS

Nowak hitting at home

A couple weeks ago Chris Nowak signed with the Dbax, he led the independent Atlantic league with 34 homers last year. Nowak really knows the strike zone and plays nice defense. He will never steal twenty bags but has sneaky speed when he needs it, especially for a corner infielder. I hope he enjoys working out west!






Reid Brignac was sold to the Rockies for cash, providing insurance and depth off the bench in case of Tulowitzki injury. This will be the first season in a looong time that Reid hasn't been in the same organization as Longo. At one time they were the left side of the future for the Devil Rays.

Reid Brignac wearing Ocho for the Skitz

Derek Dietrich
Mentioned already out of the Marlins camp as a possibility to break camp with the team, Deet hit a solid .271 for us just this past summer and played a very good defense. That being said, he let one or two balls get by that would have really changed the outcome of some big ballgames, but for the Marlins Derek is one good spring training from making the Big Leagues. 

The Marlins love Derek's enthusiasm!

Elliot Johnson was named as the PTBNL and joins the ranks of the "former Biscuits no longer with the Rays". In a related story, I dont have a pic of him as a Biscuit.

Izzy is rehabbing as Jose Lobaton checks his watch

Jason Isringhausen took a job as a pitching coach at an Illinois university. He had stated last year that he was likely to retire, and does so as the former Biscuit with the most major league saves. Four games were the extent of his appearances for Montgomery, four walks, two hits one earned run. No decision for him here but he retires with an even 300 Major League saves!

JAMES SHIELDS

Man, we liked Shields here! Not just for his witty comments, I wish I had access to the recordings of the pregame interviews he did with Jim Tocco - it was a comedy routine if you could cut through his Dizzy Dean-meets-surfer accent. If clubhouse hilarity is worth anything, I am sure Kansas City is getting more than just a boost to the starting rotation!

you can tell its 2004 - no tall sox plus the curved nameplate!

James got here in 2004 for an audition and then spent the majority of 2005 as a Biscuit. He made four starts for us in that inaugural April and was quickly sent back to Bakersfield. As bad as we were that year, I dont think anyone familiar with the team even noticed, you could stump the staff with the question "how many games did James Shields win for the Biscuits in his first season with us?" Answer = None.

2005 was much better for James the Biscuit. He went 7wins and 5 losses, an ERA in great shape with 2.80 and 104 punchouts in 109 innings. He was rewarded with one start for Durham late in the season as the Bulls headed into the playoffs and never came back. By the start of the next June he was in Tampa earning the nickname "Big Game" James. A significant upgrade from the 2004 nickname of "Panty" Shields that he got by losing his first four starts in Double-A.

Coco Crisp learns about James Shields "intangibles"

JAPAN VS HIROSHIMA
I saw the first game of the year already, and it was the same players as the last game I saw - NPB!

The Samurai Japan team was shut out by the Carp in a pre-season matchup highlighting some of my fave players on both teams. Kenta Maeda of the Carp is fun to watch pitching and 3b Shota Dobayashi is on par with any cornerman in the game at any level.

As for the opposition, Samurai Japan is simply awesome in spite of being shut out in what equates to the first spring training game of the year. CF Chono is quick and the protypical leadoff guy. Shinnosuke Abe is the cleanup hitter as well as the respected veteran catcher of Yomiuri Giants fame, fresh from the offseason after celebrating the Giants victory over the rest of the Nippon League. Yoshi Itoi and Sho Nakata also patrol the Samurai outfield, both excellent defenders and smart ballplayers. Up and down the lineup, its all about Japan league allstars and plus defenders.

The pitching staff is a dream machine that just needs to be tuned, and that job falls to the manager, who must have it tough with only a few short weeks to prepare.

A Little Research

A Little Research goes a long way sometimes.

I dont usually cover the Boston Red Sox, as I am not much of a fan of that areas teams as I am closer to home. Plus they get so much coverage anyways.

I found a mention about something I hadnt heard of, so I looked it up.

Mike Napoli will have another MRI on his hips during spring training.

Napoli's hips remain asymptomatic for avascular necrosis, which is what he was diagnosed with during his pre-signing physical. The Red Sox wanting to keep a close eye on the condition, though, so they'll give him another MRI after he ramps up activity. The hip issue isn't expect to be a problem for Napoli during the season.

Source: Scott Lauber on Twitter

Feb 10


Oh, okay.
Wait, what IS "avascular necrosis"?

"Osteonecrosis is bone death caused by poor blood supply to the area. It is most common in the hip and shoulder, but can affect other large joints such as knee, elbow, wrist and ankle." says PubWebHealth.org

Okay. Dead bone, gotcha.
But what causes this, pubwebhealth?

The following can cause osteonecrosis:

• Long-term treatments with steroids
• Excessive alcohol use
• Sickle cell disease
• Radiation therapy
• Gaucher disease
• Decompression sickness from a lot of deep sea diving
• Dislocation or fractures around a joint

Uuuuh, that first one doesnt raise any red flags at all?
So hes either a user or an alcoholic?

I can see how that wouldnt affect him during the upcoming season. Sure. You betcha.

Wil He?

What Surprises Await Next?

Can the Biscuits contend this year, after noone expected any team in the southern league to get anywhere near the Jackson Generals? We put together a nice run in spite of having the best players moved up to Durham when we needed them, and not getting replacements where we could have used them.

If the core of this team comes together like it did, and there are a couple surprises, it could be a great season to be a Biscuits fan!

WIL HE COME?

Among the possible surprises would be the arrival of new prospects. A check of the official website of milb shows they list the Biscuits roster having Wil Myers. That would be a surprise indeed, as Myers hit over 300 at triple-A Omaha. However, it isnt beyond the realm of reality to have him come to the Southern League and play for the Biscuits.

For starters, Myers will be in the minors on opening day, so as to delay his service time which delays his being eligible for salary arbitration in a couple years. Its cheap, its questionable, its maybe not even morally just, but its Tampas method.

Also, the Rays know that Double-A is where you spot issues in development and they love to have players here. Even for a few weeks, just to make sure the guy is able to get himself to the ballpark on time or figure out how to pack for a road trip. Maybe its to scout him out to learn if he snores, but whatever it is they often do it. Just ask Scott Kazmir, who started for the Biscuits for less than six weeks after arriving in a huge trade with the Mets back in 2004.

Kazmir with the Inaugural Biscuits team

Another reason they might want to consider having Myers at Montgomery would be to make sure that .300 average wasn't a product of Pacific Coast League ballparks. The PCL is known to be hitter friendly, batting averages are often higher and pitcher stats suffer from it. Wil split time at Double-A and Triple-A last year, hitting huge 37 homers, putting up over a hundred runs batted in and batting at an excellent .314 clip.

A month in the Southern League would be a nice reassurance that Myers numbers from 2012 were the real deal and that he has developed well past his last full season at Double-A levels when he hit a much more pedestrian .254 with eight homers.

Myers looks confused about it himself

A slow spring training or any sort of physical setback could bring this talented prospect to the capitol city nine, which would seriously boost the lineup for the duration of his presence. More likely, Myers is headed to Durham for the first six weeks of the campaign, but I like to be optomistic!

FEBRUARY STARTS UP

FEB!

Nice, I like feb alot!
Its when pitchers and catchers report!
And when the prospect lists start coming together, the Caribbean Series and all sorts of baseball related activities. It means March Madness is just around the corner and that spring training games are just a few short weeks away. Its a fun time, when we start looking forward to what warmer weather may bring.

FOLLOW UP

Recently in a blog post I touted Johnny Price and his amazing acrobatic baseball work. You are in luck viewers, as I have found the film! Hold onto your hats, prepare to see baseball like you never have before!

Dude is impressive!
Much more of a natural athlete than other clowns, and totally entertaining.
I was reminded of this a couple years ago when the Evan Longoria commercial came out, showing his supernatural reflexes!

Longo is amazing, I have seen his work up close and in person, but I might need a vid of him taking swings and making contact while hanging upside down from his ankles.

I bet he could.... mebbe we can ask him to give it a go sometime and accept the challenge!

LEFT OF LONGO

Reid Brignac was given the dreaded "designated for assignment" tag by the Rays, his career with Tampa likely over. At one time it seemed that he and Evan were destined to be the left side of the Rays infield for the next decade plus, but the quiet middle infielder has struggled to put the ball in play consistently. At this point a change in venue is probably best for all, though Reid could have plenty of good years ahead, although it wont entail playing a few feet to the left of Longo.

Reid Brignac wearing #8 for Montgomery

DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS

Back in April of 2005, the Biscuits held their meet-the-team event. Pure Americana under the roof in front of the ticket office. Some folding chairs were set to face other folding chairs, no risers or elevated stage, just at face level. At that time there was a handful of fans and interested parties, but the players outnumbered the attendees.

As it rained cats and dogs and even some small farm animals, I recall meeting James Shields and telling him "oh yeah it rains like this about three times a week". Pure lies, but it was great to see the look on Shields face as he pondered leading the league in rain-outs!

James Shields working quickly before it rains again

Also on that team, two shy but obviously gifted athletes - Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes. They both appeared nervous to be in a close setting with fans, ready to bolt at the first sign of danger. The irony of Delmon getting a new contract on the same day of Elijahs arrest this offseason was not lost on me. Heres one guy who has just helped his team to the World Series, and the other so out of baseball that another drug bust doesnt even affect his playing time.

The odd part is that while we hear about his legal troubles, I never hear about Dukes being a jerk to random people on the streets. While on the other hand, Delmon is known to be the kind of guy who will make anti-semitic insults to people in a New York hotel before slamming them to the pavement.

Dukes swipe of third as a Biscuit wasnt a felony

Yet its Delmon that gets a share of world series money and a contract with the Phillies -albeit with a six million dollar pay cut. Still, better than a poke in the eye, as my mama would say. Or better even more than Dukes January 22nd drug arrest. Its odd to see two people diverge in such dramatic fashion.

Delmon as a Biscuit in 2005

That being said, I have to point out that its just some pot, people. At least he wasn't injecting heroin into baby seals or mainlining guppies in front of pregnant women. Its not like he threw a bat at an umpire, right?

TALKING STICK

Having a blog is sometimes like holding the talking stick in the dark, you arent sure who is around to hear what you say!

He speaks softly

GONNA BE A HOT TIME IN THE OLD TOWN

I got a phone call returning my message asking/complaining about the start time being moved to 6:30 on Saturday Biscuits games. The reason I was given is to "have the games earlier so more kids can stay to see the fireworks".


Uhm, okay but, how are the kids going to survive the heat? And what about the rest of us, who already border on heatstroke?

"We all hope its not too bad this year" was the team line on how hot it is.


So I checked the facts -
In 2011 The Weather Channel listed Montgomery Alabama as the third hottest city in the USA. 

In the first two weeks of the month of June....
All but three of the record high temps occur in my lifetime.
Only four of those fifteen record high temps are less than triple digits.
The average temp on June 15th is 90 degrees

And then it gets hot, the start of June is often just a tease compared to what comes after, with July being the hottest month in the hottest city of the Southern League.


Also, consider this - summer solstice is June 21st, the sun sets at 7:56.... an hour and twenty minute game would be super fast, but it would be twice as long as the shortest game in minor league history! We might get to see fireworks before it gets dark.

Daytime Fireworks = Impressive!

DONT FORGET THE STOCK ANSWER

Also stated in connection with the early start was to "Make it more 'family friendly'"
Thats a statement I hear often when they dont have a reason, or dont want to share the reason. Its another way of saying "the owner thinks its cheaper" or "the staffers decided it would be cute" or, in this case perhaps "we hope it will keep the drunks away".

I think the early starts will be very effective at letting those who work at the ballpark get off work early on weekends, at the expense of the attendees sitting in the the afternoon sun for thirty more minutes.

Obviously its an idea generated by someone in an air conditioned office. I challenge that person to come and sit with me on those six thirty starts before calling the change a success.

KITTY LEAGUE - A different kind of heat problem

NOT AN ISSUE

Of course, there heat wouldnt be an issue if the team addressed it. Its only because they choose to ignore the fact that high temperatures affect attendance. On one hand they use it as an excuse for not being better at drawing customers the past few years, yet on the other offering no relief whatsoever to the fans who do show up.

The real question for the ownership, are they running a baseball team or a fireworks show? If they want to have baseball they should work harder on that, because at this point they seem to be letting fireworks dictate their operation.

Its a bad trend a team has taken when they start overlooking miserable fans in large numbers, no matter what the reason. Instead of raising prices on concessions to cover slipping profit they should address the real issue, as many other teams in places cooler than our city have done.

FORMER BISCUITS

Congrats to Ryan Garko, who signed with the Colorado Rockies organization. I think he will really enjoy the thin air out west! Hes a great guy who really knows how to hit, plus he is a super positive influence on younger players. Not to mention he has one of the happiest faces in the game today.

TWO OUTTA THREE

 TWO OUTTA THREE AINT BAD

So I predicted two of the three Biscuits coaches this year, Billy Gardner Jr and Ozzie Timmons return along with pitching coach RC Lichtenstein. I suggested recently that they would probably be back with a new pitching coach.

RC is the coach who handles the pitchers, both starting and bullpen. Who is RC Lichtenstein? Baseball Reference dawt-cawm says it succinctly: R.C. Lichtenstein has played, coached and managed in the minors.

RC Lichtenstein - Man of Mystery

Read his page on BR, and you get the overview, the usual litany of stops at lower levels which is a colorful read including Roadrunners, Muddogs and Snappers.

One day at the ballpark I wondered aloud, Who IS RC Lichtenstein? And not in a Pedro Martinez mocking way, in a serious, where exactly is this guy coming from sort of way.

COLORFUL COACHING

 One of our previous pitching coaches, Neil Allen, came with plenty of backstory. He admitted to bizarre behavior in the bigs. Did he wear his NY Yankees and Mets hats to Studio 54 after home games? "If thats all they said I wore, yeah I did that" was his response. Did he uncork wild pitches at the start of every game? "Of course! At first it was just being wild, but being wild makes guys nervous so I kept doing it later" he replied.

This guy probably shouldn't be driving

Neil was a talker, he was a constantly moving and speaking machine. I wondered if he talked in his sleep, or how he managed to brush his teeth in the morning without drowning himself. Neil was a fine pitching coach who really seemed to enjoy the attention and wasnt afraid to tell stories to anyone who would listen. He seemed nice enough, had quit drinking and partying long ago, though he is still just as energetic without additives.

RC Lichtenstein is not that type of guy.

When I wondered aloud, in a non-Pedro way, who RC Lichtenstein was and where he came from, I got out his baseball card and flipped it over. Thats how you learn about a ballplayer, right?

Teddy Ballgame liked fishing

It read as though it had been copied verbatim from Baseball Reference. Nothing more, nothing less. Stops at lower level teams as a coach, his pro ball numbers, everything. We dont know what RC stands for, if he likes to fish or builds model airplanes. I suppose I will have to make it my mission to find out more about the guy this year!







Now, having seen the team with my own eyes, I knew one other thing about RC. He has the cutest kid who runs the bases after every home game. After that, all I can say is that we have a pitching coach who may also be a secret agent spy.

Morris Berg - the original baseball spy

MONTGOMERY - A DANGEROUS GIG FOR A PITCHING COACH

Having now established the possibility of of our current PC being involved in espionage, I offer up the odd fact that he takes the coaching seat given up by Bill Maloney. Bill will always be remembered as the Montgomery coach who was shot, though not killed, during a robbery in the parking lot of the apartment complex he was staying at.

No word on whether he got a nickname out of the deal, "Kevlar Willie" would be my suggestion.

the ever cheeful Bulletproof Bill Maloney

 It was not a tough prediction to say that Maloney would probably be pitching coach in a different city after that experience, but it is tougher to predict where the Rays felt RC Lichtenstein would be most effective. I would think that the good showing the 'Skits had last summer probably helped edge the front office into keeping things the same at the double-A level.

Winter Drags On

Ouch man, tough month. Lost a couple mlb hall of famers as well as a good friend. Its hard when those you have known to always be there suddenly arent. What more can I say, just that they will all be missed in their own ways, each having touched lives with their own special moments.

Sometimes bad times can be good times too
God bless you Jim

WINTER

WINTER
or
THAT TIME OF YEAR WHEN THE CUBS ARE STILL IN CONTENTION

Theo says the Cubs are in it to win it this year. Of course we are still in it, its on January!

Love ya cubbies, but you arent likely to make it out of the cellar, 13 will not be lucky for the Wrigley faithful. It pains me to say so, since I am a Cub fan and have been. My grandfather was born in 1908 so none of the men in my family that I have met remember seeing the North Siders take the pennant.Im ready to see it happen, but I just don't see it in the cards for this year.

1908 Cadillac - brand new when the Cubs last won the World Series

Certainly not with talk that will send Garza away in trade. I think its tough to replace a guy like Matt Garza and the Cubs are a better team with him than without him plus prospect. Its not my usual opinion that we should deal a good pitcher now for a maybe later. I give maybe nows for maybe laters, or not nows for maybe laters. You dont hand off a sure thing for an unsure thing!

I loved seeing Theo say that he wasn't sure about trading Alphonso Soriano because Fonzie has become such a great teammate. Wasn't so long ago that great teammate was telling HOF manager Frank Robinson that he wouldnt move to RF from 2b and intended to hold out from spring training until the Nats let him stay on the infield.

If Soriano has become a great teammate, it must be due to Franks fatherly guidance as Nationals manager. Or Theo is touting intangibles that might be exaggerated or nonexistent. And of those two options I think the latter has happened way more often!

HOF Frank Robinson using his fatherly influence to make Soriano a good teammate

TEN GREAT THINGS ABOUT THE BISCUITS

1 Quality baseball. The level of play is super, teams are stocked with high grade talent
2 The restrooms are always very tidy. If anyplace expects people to come back, this is a must.
3 There is plenty of free parking if you look for it. Consider the walk that saves five bucks a just effort to cover the cost of that first brew.
4 Not a bad seat in the house. Be prepared to duck because all seats are close to being in play!
5 Almost all the food is edible. I am told that is sort of a rarity at Minor League stadiums.
6  Outdoors with no bugs. Whatever they do keeps down the bugs, which is a major victory down here!
7 Great fans. Cliche' yes, but true. The peeps at the park are fun and smart and friendly. They are considerate and outgoing, the girls are cute and the children barely obnoxious at all.
8 Beautiful ballpark by the river. This thing is really nice, there are newer and bigger, but this is a fine spot to catch a game.
9 Cheerful. Seriously, if you are bummed out or just grumpy, it will be tough to not smile back because there are so many happy people around. Even the employees, who are notoriously sullen in other ballparks, are outgoing and cheerful and making sure happiness is being spread around.
10 Its home. No matter if you live here or visit, when you walk in you feel like its your own back yard.


The combination of the above somehow becomes vastly more than the sum of its parts and creates a fabulous environment for a baseball fan. Since it opened in 2004 the ballpark has been a site of happy times and great sports viewing.




ME TIME
Sorry its been a little slow on the updates, I have been totally immersed in reading Charlie Grimms book "Baseball, I Love You" and preparing for the upcoming Rebel Baseball League Winter Meetings - its YooHoo day for me!

Hopefully it wont be that cold this weekend!

BRAVES CARAVAN
Coming this weekend to Academy Sports, the Atlanta Braves Caravan 2013, But they must not like us as much this year, the announced caravan players are Paul Maholm, Cory Gearrin, J.R. Graham, Scott Fletcher, Don Sutton. Other than Sutton, who was here last year, its a pretty sorry group to offer up. Im pretty sure Graham and Gearrin were here last year with the MsBraves. Oh well, at least I can sleep in on saturday!

roster predictions

MONTGOMERY BISCUITS 2013 ROSTER PREDICTED

Every year in January I predict the players that will appear on the roster - the past few years I have had the good fortune to get more right than wrong! Time to check in again....

Its not an exact science, nor a completely occult divination. More a blend of the two and a consideration of what players should advance against what each team needs to fill its positional requirements.

Our team was pretty good last year, and many of the positions are set at the Major league level, as well as in Durham. From that one would guess that we would see several returning players, guys like mahtook and sexton.

Also, a couple guys return from injury will get a chance to play where they left off, if not opening day soon afterwards. Velazquez and Nommensen both lost time to the DL and have an opportunity to show their ability in a fresh campaign.


OF Mahtook
Nommensen
Velazquez
Kiermaier cf
Rogers


INF
1b Sheridan
SS Dietrich 2b-ss
2b Price 2b-3b-of

3b Sexton
util Tinoco 1b-2b-3b-of

C's - tough to predict the rays at this position sometimes
Wendt

Bailey
Albernaz - if not opening day at some point after, the question will be how many times we need him to pitch!


Pitchers - always tough to predict, but could be a bunch of the usual faces
SP Cruz
Thompson
Barnese
Kelly
Riefenhauser
Dyer or Paduch, both were hammered at Durham and could be sent back to AA



RP - the pen had its ups and downs last year, hard to say who fits until spring training
Montgomery -might be the first time the biscuits have had the word "montgomery" appear on their uniforms, could drive up the price at the jersey auction?
Nevarez - is he still with the Rays?
Koronis
Patterson - lefty
Fleming
Geith - lefty

 

Will Alex return or move to Durham & woo triple-A chicks?

I have hopes that the Rays will sign us another Garko type guy to DH and help season our players as well as pad the roster with runs driven in. I think its too much to ask Ryan to come back here, at the very least he deserves to log his at bats in Durham.

Mike Montgomery will open the year at Montgomery, he came over in the deal that sent former-skit James Shields to KC. Should be nice to watch him while he is here, even if that isnt likely to be very long at all. A strong spring training could mean we miss seeing him entirely.

A really bad spring outing from Roberto Hernandez-formerly Fausto Carmona - could mean we get a former big leaguer on the pitching staff, though thats a long shot given how much the Rays pay him. 3.25 million bucks including bonus money for being healthy and using his real name.



Even harder to predict is the Coaching assignments for the Rays organization. Its easy to expect Billy Gardner back, but conventional wisdom says that a double A manager doesnt stay so long in one city. Like the players, he is ready for advancement and likely a little burned out on life in Montgomery. Not that its bad, just that he may be ready to take on new challenges.

A manager change would likely open the door to Jim Morrison or another lower level manager to advance up the coaching ladder. Most have performed their duties well at the levels just below the Biscuits, and would be in line for a promotion. Another choice would be a new hire, though its tough to see that when they have had such a low turnover of coaches in the system.

My guess, Billy and Ozzie Timmons return for one last roundup in Mgm and bring a new pitching coach along. If its not that, then I suspect the Charlotte staff would be brought up to Montgomery.


AROUND BASEBALL

Any day now I expect to learn where some of my fave players will land, though it has been known to happen that it takes until just ahead or even just after the start of spring training. When guys like Craig Albernaz start signing, you know teams have decided on their strategy for the coming season!

Where will Brent "El Trotamundo" Leach pitch this season? After spending last year with the Braves organization he could end up making another run in the far east, a return to Japan would be a good opportunity for both pitcher and organization.

Will Clay Zavada return? The wildman of Streator with the inspirational handlebar moustache has been out of the game since being cut by the Reds last spring. Turning 28 during this season, the former Dbax lefty could be called to leave his ranch long enough for one more roundup.

Where will Matt Fields play? Matty had to take a stab at independent ball until getting an offer from the Royals. He hit .281 with 17 homers and gobbled up High A+ pitching, Im sure he will move up or get another chance elsewhere. Switch hitting 1b guys with good leather and great demeanor are always popular!