Here were are at the start of August and these Biscuits are hot! Again? Yes, again! This club simply refuses to lose and when the weather heats up so does Montgomery's bats.
When the first Montgomery homestand ended fans were concerned this club had an uphill climb but the team we see now is a much different squad than arrived on opening day. This Biscuits team has gotten a lift from the presence of Niko Hulsizer and Reuben Cardenas, whose big bats have been contagious to the other Montgomery hitters.
Catching the hitting bug are guys like Chris Betts, Joey Roach and Jim Haley, all of whom have been able to be much more productive with the extra protection in the lineup. And teams are beginning to see that if ya hang em, the Biscuits will bang em!
Fighting for a playoff spot in a weird situation, Montgomery has been told it needs to have one of the top two winning percentages in the league. Not lead the division, mind you, but to simply be one of the two best in the south. If the rules are changed to create a playoff situation between the top two division teams Biscuits fans will cry foul and riot.
HIT THE SHOWERS, COACH!
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Jamie Nelson shares his opinion
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So far this year we have seen ejections of the pitching coach, hitting coach and manager. Not yet sent to the showers early is coach Gary Redus. Gary is much too cool for that nonsense. Even when he could have gotten tossed early on his anniversary alongside Doc Watson or Jamie Nelson, he was able to remain at his post in case every other coach was forced to take an early exit.
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Pitching Coach Doc Watson and Santa Monty
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REDUS REWARD
Redus wears a wristband that bears his likeness on a cloth patch. He told me he was offering players a wristband as a reward for having a three-hit game that includes a homer.
A tough task but a fantastic perk for a big night at the plate and is reminiscent of the "Stargell Stars" that Pops would hand out for excellence on the Pirates team. Of course, Gary Redus was a Pittsburgh Pirate for five seasons, arriving the same year Willie was inducted into the Hall of Fame, 1988.
Did I mention that Gary Redus is not in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame? He should be.
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Chris Betts walks it off with a homer
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SAVE YOUR KOREAN DOLLARS BOYS, THE KIMCHI WILL RISE AGAIN!
In a pleasant surprise, I am told that the Kimchi will be back next season as the AKEEP game will return for another game. This means being the Montgomery Kimchi will be a thing next year and perhaps even beyond that.
It's a nice way to nod to the Korean community growing in our area and to keep wearing the cool uniforms the guys donned a few weeks ago.
BISCUITS PITCHERS TAKE NUMBERS AWAY
Looking at the Biscuits rotation, I have some great numbers on Kenny Rosenberg... but he's been promoted to Durham. Calvin Faucher is a rarity, a player arriving to Montgomery via mid-season trade, but he's also headed off to the Durham Bulls. There is some fascinating info on Battenfield... but he was traded away in a deadline deal. Someone tell the Rays front office that Montgomery has the lowest winning percentage of any Tampa affiliate and should be getting players instead of losing them!
Speaking of stats... the Montgomery Biscuits website no longer offers fans a chance to look at the individual players stats. The page for "stats and results" offers only game results. Another MLB middle finger in the face of the fans interested enough in their local team to actually look the players season totals up.
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Jack Labosky dealing in a Superhero jersey
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GRAPE JELLY SERIES
Montgomery returns home to face the Tennessee in the Jelly Series to determine the annual bragging rights for which product is better with jam, Biscuits or Smokies.
The top three prospects on the Chicago Cubs list are on the Smokies roster, a club chock full of talent but sporting a sub-.500 record on the season.
Lefty pitcher Brailyn Marquez is the top Cubs prospect, with outfielder Brennan Davis listed second and catcher Miguel Amaya filling the third spot, according the MLB's own prospect hype page.
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Seaver Whalen takes it to the bag
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HEY NEW GUY!
New to the Biscuits is two-way player Tanner Dodson. The relief pitcher/centerfielder has just arrived from Bowling Green and has been used mostly out of the bullpen, though he did get eight games at DH this season. Before this year he was getting time evenly between centerfield and the mound, batting .250 in sixty plate appearances in 2019. Tanner was taken by the Rays in the second supplemental round of the 2018 draft out of UCBerkley after being previously drafted by the Mets in 2015 but went unsigned.
Another new guy, Austin Shenton is breaking into a new league, having come over from Seattle in the trade that sent Diego Castillo to the Mariners. Shenton brings a good average and solid contact to the lineup and like most of the Biscuits hitters, is capable at multiple positions. Listed at third base, first base and left field Austin is most often deployed at the hot corner.
Shenton, a Washington native, may not be thrilled to be dealt away from the club that was likely his "local" MLB team while growing up.
Didn't someone say we should be getting players? Wow, talk about fast service!
BULLPEN LIFE
THIS WEEK IN MONTGOMERY BASEBALL HISTORY
AUGUST 1 1905
Montgomery beats Memphis, 2-1 in 13 innings at home in Montgomery
AUGUST 1 1907
Montgomery and Atlanta play to 1-1 tie in 12 innings.
AUGUST 1 1920
Montgomery, AL
"Grey Sox Walloped Atlanta's Crackers - Local Negro Team Wins Pretty Ball Game Sunday 2 to 1; Mason Hurls Good Ball -
With the best balanced team that the Grey Sox have ever had on the local diamond, and playing a good jam up game behind Mason, the local aggregation won the game from Atlanta yesterday afternoon at South Side park by the small score of two to one.
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Charlie "Two Sides" Wesley
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The pitchers engaged in a pretty battle and both teams played excellent ball. It was one of the best games that the fans have been treated to this season and quite a large number were present. The locals scored the first run in the third inning when Carpenter hit safe and was advanced to third on McGavock's single and scored on a balk by Hamilton.
The second score came in the seventh frame, when McCormick stepped into one for three bases and scored on a wild throw to third by Hamilton. The Black Crackers threatened to score in the fourth but Mason buckled down to the task before him and with three men on bases and no outs he retired the side scoreless. Their only run came in the eighth and was made wholly on account of errors.
Two of the Grey Sox players who have been absent from the line-up for some time were back in the game yesterday. Wesley, better known to the fans as "Two-Sides" was at his old position at second base and Bob McCormick was holding down third. Both played the game as though they had never been absent and it was McCormick's three bagger that gave his team the run that won the game.
The two teams left early this morning for Atlanta, where they will play three games."
Charles "Two Sides" Wesley is listed on most reliable baseball websites as beginning his career in 1921 with the Columbus Buckeyes under Hall of Famer Pop Lloyd. This is obviously erroneous info as we see the Montgomery born Charlie Wesley called the regular second baseman for the 1920 Grey Sox.
AUGUST 3 1906 Montgomery Pitcher Breitenstein shuts out Atlanta on two hits
AUGUST 4 1906 Atlanta pitcher Zeller returns the favor, and shuts out Montgomery on two hits
AUGUST 5 1967 Montgomery wins both ends of a doubleheader against Charlotte to draw within a half game of league-leading Birmingham. Dick Drago and Les Cain were the Rebels pitchers of record, Cain added two hits in the nightcap and went the distance by pitching all nine innings.
AUGUST 6 1920
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Red Cunningham
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Montgomery, AL
"Errors Were Costly For the Grey Sox - Due to costly errors by the Grey Sox the Atlanta Black Crackers won the first game of the series yesterday afternoon at South Side park, 4 to 1.
The Crackers had only one earned run, the other three being the result of errors. Hampton pitched a good game and was given jam-up support. The locals only score came in the third inning when Scales hit for three bases and was scored by Preston. They threatened to upset the dope in the ninth inning but were unable to ever get a run across.
The honors of the game go to Scales, whose heavy hitting was a feature of the game, and to Red Cunningham, who made two sensational stops at first that held the score down.
The teams will play a double-header this afternoon, the first game to begin at 3:30 o'clock."
AUGUST 7 1920
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1906 Advertisment for this doubleheader
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Montgomery, AL
"Black Crackers of Atlanta Win Both - Montgomery Grey Sox Fall Before Hurling of Harris Who Pitched Doubleheader -
The Atlanta Black Crackers won both games of a double header yesterday afternoon from the Grey Sox. The first game 4 to 2, and the second 2 to 1.
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Mason of Montg
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Streeter started the first game for the locals and held the visitors scoreless until the seventh frame when the Crackers got on to his fast ones and scored four runs. Mason relieved Streeter in the eighth and held the Crackers scoreless for the rest of the game. The locals scored two runs in the first inning but were never able to cross the plate after this inning. Harris, who pitched both games for the Black Crackers, was in great form in the 18 innings he allowed only 3 runs.
Mason pitched a good game for the locals in the second game and held the visitors scoreless up until the sixth inning. The locals scored one run in the seventh. These teams have played three games here this week. Atlanta winning all three of them by small scores.
It will be remembered that the locals won five straight games from this team back in July and it seems that the Black Crackers are determined to even up with the Grey Sox. The last game of the series will be played at South Side Park this afternoon."
AUGUST 7, 1969
Pitcher Lerrin H. LaGrew of the Montgomery Rebels had 5 wild pitches v the Birmingham A's.
AUGUST 7, 1972
Pitcher Danny W. Fife of the Montgomery Rebels gave up 5 intentional walks.
AUGUST 8 1906
Southern league Umpire F.F.Rudderham is convicted by jury in Montgomery County Court of using abusive language and fined $50 for cursing at a spectator on May 30th at Montgomery Ball Park.
AUGUST 8 1907
Montgomery is hammered, Starting pitcher Malarky giving up ten runs on 15 hits.
AUGUST 8 1973
Rebels pitcher Dave Lemanczyk no hits Ashville 3-0
AUGUST 9 1920
Montgomery, AL
"Grey Sox Open With New Orleans and Win - Black Pelicans Trounced 6 to 3 Yesterday; Moss Hulred Air tight Ball for Locals -
By hitting the lil pill to all parts of the lot and playing tight on ball behind Moss, the Grey Sox broke their losing streak yesterday afternoon, and won the first game from New Orleans, 6 to 3.
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Grey Sox Carpenter
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The honors of the playing to Red Cunningham, McCormick, and Carpenter, whose heavy hitting was largely responsible for the locals six scores. New Orleans started the scoring of the game with two in the second and one more in the fourth but after this frame Moss tightened and held them scoreless for the remainder of the game. The Grey Sox scored five runs in the sixth inning when Carpenter slammed out a three bagger, with three men on bases and Red Cunningham hit for two bases with two men out another score was added in the seventh frame when Scales walked and scored on McCormick's three bagger.
In spite of the fact that the Grey Sox lost four straight games in the last series, they are still leading the league by a safe margin as the strong Knoxville team, which is second in the standing, was going to Nashville, while the Grey Sox were long to the Black Crackers.
Out of a four game series played with Nashville, the strong Knoxville Giants were able to witness another game which gives the Grey Sox pracically the same lead that they held before the series with Atlanta.
The Grey Sox showed up in old time form Monday afternoon and it looked as though they were trying to take out their Atlanta grudge on the New Orleans team. Every player on the team played a good game and did good work with the stick, and the team showed the old time pep and enthusiasm that was lacking in the Atlanta series."
AUGUST 9 1969
Pitcher John Gregory, former ace reliever, throws no hitter for Rebels.
