Summer Suns Series Recap, Fields, Patterson, Pants, My Drag

The Biscuits put together just the homestand they needed over the past five days, facing the Marlins affiliate Jacksonvile. It was a strange series in many ways, bookended by Jared Mortensen and highlighted by the Cuban Biscuit Dayron Varona and Biscuit veteran Cameron Seitzer.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, we will cover the series wrap in abit but first the news....

PATTERSON RELEASED

Patterson

This just in - the Biscuits released fan favorite reliever Jimmy Patterson. On the tenth of the month, though it was just posted yesterday on the league website.

The 26 year old lefty had been on and off the Montgomery roster a few times over the past few seasons. He debuted in 2012 with one appearance for the Skitz, then eased into 17 contests in 2013. By the following year he was ready for a longer leash and appeared in 35 Biscuits games, winning four and losing none.

JP battled injury this summer and hoped to be back on the bump, but will likely have a chance to be scooped up by another team.  Or perhaps resigned by the Rays in one of those weird, occultic roster moves that MLB teams make.

Best of luck, Jimmy!

MATT FIELDS

Matt Fields

Former Biscuit Matt Fields was released by Mobile, also a fave of Biscuits fans from his fine play at first base as well as at the plate. Fields hit 17 Hr and drove in 82 runs over two seasons 2009-10. 

I can't mention Matt without bringing up the game he saved my dates life while I was out of my seat getting nachos and beer. Matt reached over the wall and gloved a foul popup literally inches above her head. Michi-chan had ducked  down but would surely have been hit in the back of the head if not for the reach and timing of the awesome Matt Fields.

Matt is known for his graceful batting style, smooth swing and long home runs. He has power to all fields, no pun intended but certainly accepted. Fields has recently put together an instructional hitting video.

You can also follow Matt on his blog, where he puts some very insightful thoughts out about how players handle challenges and basically teaching us that ballplayers are people. Matt Fields is a good one of both.

It remains to be seen if another team will sign Fields, he could be a candidate for a foreign league - Matt Fields has the most positive attitude and is outgoing and cheerful which are often qualities that I see in american players overseas. Either way, check out the vid if you want to improve your skills and wish Matty the best in whatever adventure he has next!

Now grab a cuppa, sit back and read about the epic series between two longtime rivals. The Biscuits start a crucial ten game road trip against the first place Barons and the tough TnSmokies, so now is a good time to catch up on whats happened over the past week.


BISCUITS WELCOME SUNS
SERIES RECAP
FRIDAY NIGHT FIREWORKS

Luck So Bad, Even The Fans Make Errors
Biscuits lose 7-2

Juego

Mortensen

Suns hitters came in like a lion on Jared Mortensen, the Canadian Biscuit gave up five runs on six hits before being lifted in the sixth inning, but only his North-of-the-Border grit kept him in the game to save the bullpen extra work. The opposition looked to be waiting for a fastball and when they got one, they did not miss.

The Suns second inning began on two well crushed home runs and a ringing single, Mortensen managed to hold the line, he only surrendered one more homerun but was ultimately collared with the L.
Bullpen Report:

Matt "Big Show" Lollis

Garton, Lollis, Markel were the fire brigade and only The Big Show Lollis would emerge unscathed as two more balls would leave the yard off of Jacksonvile bats.

Biscuit runs were sparked by a Dayron Varona triple followed by a Daniel Robertson sac fly and a Jake Bauers double that drove in Varona who scored from first on the hit. Robertson was making his return to Riverwalk after missing about six weeks to a hand injury.

This game was a rather lopsided beatdown and gave Montgomery fans concern, a tough series looked to be on the plate for the next few days.

blurry but still catchable

Morale was low and even I clanked an easy two hop foul ball that hit me right in the glove. Worst play of my life - even the Biscuits radio announcer said on air "Oh man, Shane, you gotta catch that ball!"

GAME TWO
SECOND SATURDAY FIREWORKS
AUTOGRAPH DAY
Biscuits win 8-3

PreGame Event:

Wore my new red Biscuits hat!

Before the game tables were set up in front of the home dugout and fans were allowed to come onto the field in foul territory to meet the players and get picture and autographs. I always take a ball and have the team sign it and if you have any baseball cards, pictures or other gear its a perfect time to have them signed.

Juego
That night, the tables were turned on the Suns, who wore the raw end of an eight to three drubbing. Though the visitors owned a two run lead for most of the game, Montgomery's six run sixth inning and the two insurance runs in the 7th were so dominant that the Suns were stunned into submission.

Austin Pruitt tossed six good innings for the win, allowing just one earned. With only two K's and two walks, he again showed his Maddux-ness by getting eight groundouts to just three outs in the air.

Austin pitched in trouble only once, the fourth inning, when he allowed the bases to fill on back-to-back singles and a walk to open the frame. With none out, a run scored on the bobbled double play attempt. Unfazed by it, the Biscuits hurler promptly got Suns AllStar 3B Zack Cox to hit another ball on the ground, this time to Cameron Seitzer for a nifty 3-6-3 inning ending double play in front of a postcard-worthy sunset sky.

Sappington postgame routine

Bullpen Report: Jeff Ames and Mark Sappington were the firemen in this one. With no save to protect, Ames pitched one inning and had a pair of hits and a walk to work around. We had "Good" Ames when Jeff got a pair of groundouts and picked a runner off without giving up a run.

Awesome goodguy relief pitcher Mark Sappington went two frames, giving up one earned while striking out two men. Then after the game, Sappington stayed to sign more autographs and take pictures with every fan that wanted one. So basically, a normal day in the life of Mark Sappington.

Hitters Report:
Biscuit runs were generated by a six run 6th inning, it began with Tyler Goeddel driving a ball onto the train tracks beyond the left field wall. Patrick Leonard continued the assault with a ringing double that just missed leaving the yard.

Two batters later Cameron Seitzer drove in Leonard *(foreshadowing, see below) chasing the Suns starting pitcher and the scoring did not slow as the Biscuits sent ten men to the plate in the half inning. The next inning was more of the same, two singles and Cameron Seitzer again driving in Leonard and this time Varona along with him.

GAME THREE
Sunday Kids Day
Catch on the Field
Biscuits win 8-2

In my flannel with Strawman

Another hot afternoon so it was a perfect
day to wear a flannel uniform, House of David always so fun in the sun, especially when its 98 degrees!

It might be too hot for the little kids, but us big kids braved the heat and had a great time on Kids Day.


Juego
After toweling off, a ballgame broke out so we stuck around to see it.

SP Guerrieri

Taylor Guerrieri was on the bump for the Skitz and snagged his first double-A victory, using his 76 pitches to stretch five innings. Taylor G punched out a few (3), walked a couple and allowed just two hits.

Perhaps most important was the economy of his offerings. About two thirds of his pitches were strikes and he looked to be saving his best for guys who fell behind in the count. Once he had batters down to two strikes Guerrieri became a dominant aggressor, overmatching hitters with flashes of brilliance using his high-powered fastball or diving slider.

Biscuit hitters:

Cameron Seitzer

Biscuit runs were early and often, taking the lead in the bottom of the first inning on a Tyler Goeddel leadoff homer and never giving it up. Not to be outdone, Johnny Field Jr led off the second inning with a home run of his own. Later in that same second inning the Suns would put two Skitz runners on base ahead of Cameron Seitzer. Result:*(as seen above) Two more RBI and the lead was stretched to four.

And so it goes, the Suns posted a run on a JuneQ error but the Biscuits would answer with single runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth innings. Goeddel drives in another run and scores, Varona drives in a run, Dan Robertson drives in a run on a bases loaded walk.

Bullpen Report: A nice evening of Garton and McPherson pitching in a game well in hand for the home team. Two innings for Garton and McPherson's only run came with two outs on a hit that should have been called an error but wasn't.

MONDAY
KIRSCH-MAS DAY
GUARANTEED FOUL BALL NIGHT
Biscuits win 11-7

On this night we were given many Kirsch-mas gifts, including a pair of four run innings and an opposing pitcher holding an 0-7 record and sporting a 5.98 ERA.

Lhp Chris Kirsch

It looked like a blue Kirsch-mas when the Suns leadoff man Kenny Williams led off the game by rapping a ball off of third baseman Patrick Leonard and turning it into a double. The speedy Williams would score and the Biscuits trailed for the first time two days.


Biscuit hitters:
In the second inning, Jolly Chris Kirsch got a quick double play and the home team went to work. So with two outs in the inning, Biscuit bats woke up and Suns pitcher Scott Lyman fell apart.
 
A pair of singles and a walk to the bottom three hitters in the lineup will drive a pitching coach mad, and after a coaching visit to the mound the Jacksonvile starter walked leadoff man Tyler Goeddel to bring in a run.

The Suns then botched a Patrick Leonard grounder for an error, one that we can only drop into the "Umpire Karma" category, allowing two runs to score. Varona singled to send in another tally and the nightmare continues for the Suns coaching staff as the Skitz sent four more runs home in similar situations - including another "Umpire Karma" moment on a mishandled grounder!


After that, the game settled down and only six more runs would score. You know its a wild game when it settles down to just six more runs scoring!

The Suns would score three runs in the final inning to draw within grand slam. They loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning but Matt Juengel's drive to left field fell short of the warning track and as the ball fell into Johnny Field's glove the dramatic game went into the Biscuits win category.

RP Brad Schrieber

Bullpen Report: Stanek went two innings, gave up a homer that was meaningless at the time. Parker Markel got one inning of work, giving up two hits. Brad Schrieber walked the tightrope in the 9th with an ugly line of three hits and three earned, a pair of walks and no K's in his one inning but did eventually get the job done.

After the game the Jvl Suns pitchers were called back to the dugout where they were given a severe tongue lashing by their pitching coach. It was a very unusual sight, players coming back to the dugout as the last fans straggled out of the park.

They looked dejected and angry. So what do I do? I took a picture! Thats what rivalry is all about.



TUESDAY
ITS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT
WHAT A DRAG
Biscuits win 5-4 in 14 Innings

RHP Faria

Jacob Faria started and pitched well enough to earn the win, but it would be nearly midnight before the decision was handed out.


 The longest game in recent memory had its share of moments, Skeeter Barnes coaching first sent Ozzie Timmons to the bench, Cameron Seitzer getting a start at 3b, the fifth different Biscuits lineup in five games, and so much more.

3B Cameron Seitzer had it all the way

 A back and forth contest through five, the score knotted at four runs apiece and refused to change until well after 11pm. Here are some scorebook oddities from the game:
Both teams had chances to win, every Biscuit had at least one hit.

The top three hitters in the Suns lineup were held to two hits in 17 at bats.

Both teams pitchers combined for a total of 358 pitches.

Bullpen report:
The Win went to Jared Mortensen, who came out of the bullpen to face the team that had bullied him in game one. The Suns went out like a lamb against the Canadian Biscuit - Morty was excellent, as were the rest of the cast who all came out and showed some of their best work of the season. Ames, Sappington, Lollis, Schrieber, Garton and finally Mortensen were deployed and they combined for 9ip, 4hits, one walk and 10 strikeouts. 

ITS A DRAG, BUT I LOVED IT!

In the middle of the sixth inning, I got to drag the infield! This post is too long already, so later I will blog about the experience, but suffice to say it was a total thrill and one of the highlights of the season for me.

Thanks so much to the Biscuits and their grounds crew for letting me help out. Hopefully I brought them a win and can get another trip around the bases during a game sometime!

Biscuit hitters: Catcher O'Conner homered, as did Johnny Field Jr. Patrick Leonard and, who else, Cameron Seitzer added RBI's. Yet the game was won on a Dayron Varona walk off walk with the bases loaded in the 14th, Varona had stranded five runners in his five previous at bats but took a free pass to win the game.

Dayron Varona

BISCUITS UNIFORM TRIVIALS
Has anyone else noticed the Biscuit uniform changing this summer? Its not a drastic difference, but it is a difference just the same.

Boog Powell

Jake Bauers

Its the pants.

No longer are we seeing the Biscuits wearing the white home pants with two color soutache along the outside leg seams.

Instead we are seeing many, but not all, of the Skitz wearing white pants with a thin blue piping along the outside leg seams.

I suspect these are the pants being worn by the Port Charlotte Stone Crabs and players are bringing them when they are called. Basically, that would make them Crabs pants. The problem with that is that Cameron Seitzer has been wearing the blue-piped, and he never played at High-A, so who can say where these come from. The Biscuits have worn the same pants style since their inception in 2004. If the team plans on getting new pants for next year, would they be the two-color soutache Biscuits pants or the blue-piped CrabsPants? Something else?

Not Your Typical Biscuits, '16 Schedule, What To Look For

This years batch of Biscuits is atypical, not what the fans usually see on the field. For one, the team is pretty good at home. Usually the road trips are where the team makes up ground and then plays sub-.500 ball at Riverwalk. Not these guys, they enjoy the Montgomery weather and look forward to games in front of the home fans. Its on the road that these Biscuits suffer.

Its been such a rough trip that it makes it tough to jump into breaking down the numbers and slogging thru the details. So, instead, we will ignore the 3-7 record in the last ten games and focus on the other stuff that fans are mulling.


THE 2016 BISCUITS SCHEDULE

 The Southern league schedule for 2016 is out and Biscuit fans wonder how it looks for us. The logos represent the order that the teams visit Montgomery, so you can tell at a glance which teams arrive.

 APRIL
The season begins on the road, Thursday April 7th at Jackson Generals.
The first homestand begins on a Tuesday, April 12th vs MsBraves, again the Biscuits only host the Braves once, and this is it.

Roadtrip to visit the TnSmokies, which will become a noticeable theme over the summer, to take on the Grape Jelly Series rivals.

Homestanding again to face off against the Jacksonville Suns on April 22nd, this will be the first weekend series of the year. The Biscuits are then roadtripping to Chattanooga thru May 2 versus the Lookouts.

MAY
BIG TEN-GAME HOMESTAND
May begins with a welcome day off ahead of a ten game homestand, the only ten game homestand on the Biscuits schedule for 2016, and its a big one.

On Wednesday, May 4th the Biscuits welcome the BhamBarons then followed by the TnSmokies in a pair of five game sets that could be huge in the standings, facing two division rivals in back to back home series thru Friday, May the 13.

TEN GAME ROADTRIP
A ten-game road trip is the reward, starting May 14. The Biscuits visit Jacksonvile and then get a five game set with the Slagtown Barons that runs through May 23. This could be the perfect setting for a Rickwood Classic of Barons-v-Biscuits!

Home again on May 24 the Biscuits will host the Jackson Generals for five games, the series building into a big weekend of baseball on Friday/Saturday, ripe for promotions.
Then its BACK to Jacksonvile on May 31st for another weeks visit to the Marlins affiliate Suns!



JUNE
The Biscuits return to Montgomery on Sunday June 5th and host Biloxi for a series through the 9th, then get back on board the Biscuit bus to Pensacola for five days, hopefully better than the 2015 trips to the beach.

Upon their return the Skitz play host to the Chatt Lookouts in the last series of the first half, from June 15 thru Sunday, June 19.


The AllStar Game is in Pearl, Miss on June 21st.




SECOND HALF
The Second Half begins like the first, on the road. This time its Biloxi hosting the Biscuits from the 23rd to the 27th. the Skitz return home on the 29th to open a series against Mobile and will end on July 3rd when the Biscuits host their Independence Day celebration.

A ten game roadtrip is scheduled for July 4th thru 13, with stops at MissBraves and Jackson Generals. The grind continues for the Biscuits, coming home on July 14th to face division rival TnSmokies for five games.

After a day off then its back on the road for a return trip to Birmingham for five games before ending month at home, with the Biscuits hosting Pensacola from July 26-30 at Riverwalk.


AUGUST
July ends and August begins at home for the Biscuits, hosting the Jackson Generals from 7/31 thru August 4. The road beckons and the Biscuits answer with a trip to face, who else - the TnSmokies thru the 9th of the month.

Waiting at Riverwalk on August 10th are the BayBears of Mobile, in their second appearance in Montgomery in the second half. Never mind that we didn't host them at all in the first half, we make up for it by hosting them twice in the second half!

Another ride to Chattanooga begins on the 17th, facing the Lookouts for five days before coming back home for an important set against the division rival Barons.

The last road trip of the year begins on August 27th at Mobile and will end the month. September begins the last series of the season, at home against, yes again, the TnSmokies from Sept.1st thru Monday 5th.

BENS BIZ BLOG

I met blogger-king Ben Hill and managed to not make a single reference to Yakkity Sax, which is probably for the best. We have all read Bens blog, he covers minor league promotions and is probably one of the best known baseball related bloggers. He has a nice broad view of the minor leagues and while he probably was trying to interview me I was busy trying to interview him.

When asked, Ben said he felt the Southern league was on par or even just a little ahead of the other double-A leagues in terms of promotions, talent and attendance. He praised the Riverwalk ballpark and facilities, calling us one of the "best promotional teams in the country" in spite of having already met the pig.

Ben felt the next team in the southern league to change cities would be Mobile and agreed that New Orleans was a likely destination. We discussed the fact that the New Orleans team isnt actually IN New Orleans and the problems it brings to move a team there.

Obviously New Orleans will not be thrilled. It would seem an easy switch, double-A Jacksonville gets promoted while triple-A New Orleans steps down, but its tough to see Jacksonville in the Pacific Coast League!

In fact, while everyone has pegged New Orleans for a demotion, Memphis is currently last in the PCL in attendance, both average and cumulative. Over in the International League its low attendance suspects are Syracuse and Gwinnett.

Could there be some serious league-switching to come that would involve Jacksonville and New Orleans? Only time will tell.

 BISCUITS HOME VS SUNS
The Biscuits come home after another unfun road trip looking to right the ship against the Jacksonville Suns.

Yes, it is the Suns -  it can be hard to tell JAX from JXN on the magnet schedule but I checked to be sure and yes it is the Marlins affiliate visiting this week. Of course, we will get them both over the final couple home series!

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

The Suns are next to last in batting average, a category the Biscuits lead the team in. On paper this should be little contest, with Montgomery leading the Suns in just about any prominent stat.

However, look for this to be a hard fought series with several close games. The Suns were a division rival for many years and have always played tough against Montgomery.

Seitzer

Look for Montgomery hitting - Cameron Seitzer has snuck onto the league leaderboard, now hitting over .300.

Look for Home Runs - these two teams lead the league in giving up the longball, with the hot weather making for loose air we could be in store for a slugfest.

Robertson

Be sure to look for Daniel Robertson, playing his first games back at Riverwalk since he broke his hand and needed surgery. The Rays prospect was having a fine season before the injury and will look to lead the charge in the last month of the season.

Look for Jacksonville to challenge Biscuit catchers, particularly Kenny Wilson who leads the Suns with 25 steals.

Pineyro

Look for former Smokies - Starting pitcher Ivan Pineyro, an AllStar, was dealt from the Cubs to the Marlins along with Elliot Soto. Both are now Suns regulars.

Bryce Stowell got his last save for Montgomery on June 29th and was released less than a week later, yet his 8 saves still lead the Biscuits. With the bullpen uncertainties this season, look for Brady Williams to rely on his starting pitchers as much as possible.