Suns Series, Beer App, #BullpenLife, History

This week the Biscuits baked the Suns in a barnburner series - the finale was an old fashioned shootout. Both managers emptied their guns, tossing every reliever in the pen into the fray. It ended up 11-10 with Montgomery taking the game and the series.

Adames hits gamewinner

Willy Adames hit the gamewinning hr with two outs in the bottom of the 9th as catcher Jake DePew warmed up to pitch in possible extra innings. What did Willy hit? "A changeup" Willy told me, after he ran the bases and was doused by two coolers of icewater.

Bauers hero interview postgame 4/12

Of course, it wasn't just him this series. There were huge batting performances by guys like Johnny Field, Jake Bauers and Granden Goetzman. There was a different hero every night, the series victory was a complete team effort.

Johnny Field bashed a grand slam to put the 'Skitz ahead

Absolutely exciting baseball in each game, a hard fought series by two long time rival teams. Scoring a combined 67 runs, the Biscuits and Suns slugged it out all weekend long.

Jared Mortensen started twice vs Suns

TEAM NOTES
The series was bookended by Jared Mortensen starts, the knuckleballer pitched well twice on short notice as Chris Kirsch was a late scratch from the Sunday afternoon tilt. Hopefully its just one missed start.

A league-wide day off will help everyone on the team recover after that big series.

Starting pitcher Chi-wei Hu was sent back to Montgomery after one start at Durham to fill for Snell getting a start for Tampa when Erasmo had to be used in relief.

In other news, I got to drag the infield twice on Tuesday. The Biscuits made several comebacks to help me keep my streak - the team is undefeated when I make it onto the field during the game! Pics to come, you know I will have to brag on that, right?

NEW APP BRINGS BEER?
MiLB sent me an email pushing their new app. Not the one that updates scores, this one does other stuff - help buy tickets (don't need), share photos (doing it here) volunteer for on-field promotions (not doing it anywhere) and ORDER BEER DELIVERED TO YOUR SEAT (Whaaaa???)

I do not yet know if the Biscuits are part of this glorious new Minor League Baseball app, but by God you can bet I will find out!

This is one of the best ideas for big fans who don't want to miss a pitch, a total moneymaker.  I would expect it has a list of food and drink items that would be charged to a credit card and an easy no-brainer to skip the lines at the concession stand.

What do fans want?

Bring it on, Biscuits!

BACK ON THE BISCUIT BUS!

Next up is a five game set, where else but Tennessee, this time vs Chattanooga.

The Lookouts are the team that knocked Montgomery out of the playoffs last fall and went on to win the league flag. The Lookouts aren't quite as loaded this year, having graduated most of their prospects to Minnesota.

Currently the Mountainmen are 8w-12L which drops them to fourth in the division.

The Lookouts always play tough against the Biscuits and hope to improve on their .500 W-L% at home this year. Montgomery is trying to keep pace with the Generals, who are one game ahead of the Biscuits as the next series starts.

LOTS OF ACTION FROM SUNS SERIES
There was a lot going on during the homestand vs Jacksonville. Much of it involved the officials.

Several arguments resulted in ejections for the Suns skipper who was tossed in back-to-back games.

JT Riddle looks on as Mgr Dave "Ice" Berg is tossed for the second day in a row

 

Mgr Brady Williams was close to getting tossed for questioning the umpires.

One of the more contentious umpire decisions came on this pickoff attempt at second base.

 

 

While that runner was called safe and the call went against Montgomery, neither side was ever really happy with how the calls were affecting the games. Both managers were less than thrilled and made sure the umps knew it.

The two teams fought hard, the loss of the final game and the series was tough on the Suns who were so close to taking both with the bases loaded in the top of the 9th inning of the final game.

After a strikeout ended the Suns threat and Adames homer ended the game, Shoemaker was inconsolable about leaving the bases full.

So what did I do?

I took a picture!

#BULLPENLIFE

STICK OUT IN A CROWD
"You're conspicuous, even in a crowd" Biscuits announcer Jim Tocco once told me - shortly after calling me out on the radio for a foul ball I didn't make the easy play on. I'm not sure how folks recognize me, but I think its great.

I always enjoy having folks catch me at the game and talk a bit. Everyone has great ideas and often a nice tidbit of info on the team or their fave player.

A few people told me they have family that played in town in the past and shared their info. I absolutely love it. I hope to put together a well-researched post that tributes them, their stories are really fantastic and deserve to be told. Too many of these treasured memories have slipped away already.

I had someone mention they had issues posting comments, I will look into it and you can email me at DrMiraculous at Knology-dot-net.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Long games and umpire issues were big factors in this weeks Biscuits-Suns matchup, as well as in the history lesson!

APRIL 26 1906 

Ike Durrett

Montgomery manager Ike Durrett, in a game at Bham, physically assaults umpire Buckley.

This would be a factor two days later, when Durrett is refused permission to sit in the dugout during the game but refuses to leave.

APRIL 27 1956
The Rebels host the Augusta Tigers in Sally League play, losing 6-4 in a game that takes 4:24 to play, finishing at 12:09 am

APRIL 28 1906 
Montgomery forfeits to Birmingham after manager Ike Durrett is refused permission to sit in the dugout by the umpire he attacked two days before.

Ike Durrett will be fined $300 by President Kavanaugh and eventually released by Montgomery.


Durrett would be out of baseball after two more part-time seasons in lower level baseball. Baseball reference gives conflicting info, listing different numbers for his batting games and fielding games. Seeing as its tough to get 100+ games in by the end of April, Ike more likely was only able to tolerate just eight games at the helm in 1906.


Curtis may have been secured, but he hasn't got any stats listed for Montgomery in 1906. He is shown with ten games in Atlanta and 127 appearances for Grand Rapids that season, as an outfielder.


As for the umpire, W.J. Buckley, it was not the first time he had a player or manager jump him.

From September 8 1905