BayBear Beat

BayBear Beat on Twitter

2009-05-29T10:24:00.002-05:00

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I'm Back

2008-05-27T11:23:00.002-05:00

It's been over two years since I've successfully posted here, but indeed the BayBears are still a team, and I am still a blogger. Not as active as before, but still, I remain a blogger for the BayBears. I haven't been able to post because of college, but now that I am back home in Mobile consistently for the first time in two and a half years, I should be able to post more often, and the quality of the posts should be higher as well.

There have been several changes to the team and organization as a whole, including a new Major League afiliate in the Arizona Diamondbacks, a new manager, and a new website (still not up to par, but a huge improvement).

Maybe it's me, since I haven't seen more than three professional baseball games in the past two years, but the BayBears staff has made some great improvements to the franchise. Merchandise is better, promotions are more professional, and get this: they don't play intro music for the other team anymore! I went into the gift shop to buy tickets last week, and the staff was very kind and warm-hearted. They even gave me the heads up on upgrading to Stadium Club tickets before the game (something I never knew you could do in 11 years of baseball at the Hank).

The Southern League remains the premiere Double-A collection of talent, and in the past few years has seen talent such as Prince Fielder (Huntsville Stars), James Loney (Jacksonville Suns), Justin Upton (Mobile BayBears), and recently Clayton Kershaw (Jacksonville Suns), all successfully making their mark in the big leagues. The talent has been, is, and will be some of the best in all of the minor leagues.

This blog certainly won't be what it used to be, but it will certainly be a place for commentary on the Mobile BayBears and Southern League that you can't get anywhere else. Stay tuned for more thoughout the season...

Cindo de Mayo

2006-07-27T11:30:00.000-05:00

So I went to the BayBears game Tuesday night to find out that not only was it raining, it was "Cinco de Mayo" night. Walking into the stadium, I received a plastic bag containing about five packets of mayonnaise. Mayo. Worst promotion ever. They did give out some latin themed Mardi Gras beads and those were nice. I ended up buying one of the $2 burritos that was no larger than a cigar. Asinine. But at least we won, and Colt Morton had a couple homers, so I'm not complaining.

Can You Feel It...Hot! Hot! Hot!

2006-07-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

The BayBears have now won 6 in a row. They just finished off a sweep of the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx here at home and make their way up to Birmingham for a series against the 12-13 Barons beginning tonight. What has led to the recent surge or power? I really couldn't tell you. But I do think that the Bears have done a much better job of actually executing when it really counts. Like Matt Lauderdale's 12th inning hit to win it. Interesting stat: the BayBears are undefeated without George Kottaras so far.

A Correction

2006-07-15T15:40:00.000-05:00

I hate the BayBears promotions staff. They can't get anything right. Tonight was scheduled to be Plunger Giveaway, BUT, low and behold, it is now baseball giveaway. Cliche? Yes. I mean come on, who really cares about a promo baseball? I don't. I was actually planning to go to tonight's game to witness a truely unique giveaway item. Not anymore.

Weekend Series

2006-07-14T09:37:00.000-05:00

It's been quite a series so far including a 12 inning win on Wednesday against the Diamond Jaxx. The Bears won last night 3-1 with help from Dale Thayer as he picked up his 16th save of the season. Mobile will play West Tenn through Sunday so get out to the ballpark. Saturday night is Plunger Giveaway Night. I will most likely be there so keep an eye out and say hello.

Kottaras Raises Eyebrows at Futures Game

2006-07-09T22:06:00.000-05:00

George Kottaras can do it all, folks. He's all that and a plate of Greek cuisine. Today in the MLB All-Star Futures Game G-Kott hit a two-bagger and blasted a 2-run home run for the World team. Ladies and gentlemen, we have our new catcher for the Padres. Well, not yet. Kottaras has been promoted to AAA Portland. This is huge for any Padres fan. George Kottaras has just shown us all that he can and will perform on a big league level on a big league stage. Look for Kottaras on the 2007 Opening Day lineup card.

On a personal note, I will be getting a gum graft tomorrow morning which means I'm not sure if I will be able to post on the Beat for the next few days. The SL All-Star Game is tomorrow so keep an eye out for that and of course all of the MLB All-Star events.

Mother Nature's Independence Day

2006-07-06T12:35:00.000-05:00

Mother Nature had it's way with the BayBears on Independence Day and caused them to lose in a rain shortened game of only 5 innings. Last night's game was postponed due to the wet stuff and will be made up today as part of a DH. I was at the July 3 home game and boy what a crowd. Over 5,600 fans packed the stadium for a very very disappointing loss in 10 innings. On his final strike, former Bear Corey Smith laced out a single that eventually led to the Barons knotting up the score and winning it in the 10th. It was as big a meltdown as I had ever seen. It capped off a wacky series that included a would-be walk off HR for the BayBears that was contested and overturned. After this series in Mississippi, four BayBears will head to Montgomery for the Southern League All-Star Game which will be played on July 11. Feel free to comment, I know people read this, so your feedback (on anything really) is wanted and appreciated.

BayBears in MLB All-Star Lineup

2006-07-03T15:22:00.000-05:00

For the second year in a row, there will be two former BayBears in the Major League All-Star Game lineup. Making his second appearance in the past two years is Jason Bay, and making his All-Star debut is Texas Ranger Gary Matthews Jr. Matthews has developed into one of the great center fielders in the game. Does anyone remember his unbelieveable catch he made with the Cubs when the ball bounced out of his glove and he barehanded it full extension--ALL while sliding on his back? In my opinion, the best baseball catch of all time. Jake Peavy is the only other BayBear that has made it to the mid-summer classic.

The BayBears finish up a five game set tonight against Birmingham. A win gets Mobile a series win. Jack Cassell will be on the mound for the BayBears. Fireworks to follow the game.

Southern League All-Stars Announced

2006-06-29T11:50:00.000-05:00

Four BayBears have made the list of the best players in the Southern League. Unlike last year, these players are actually deserving of the spots. You might remember last year when Mobile hosted the game that many BayBears were hardly deserving of the honor. This year, they got it right. The 2006 SL All-Star BayBears are:

Luis Cruz
George Kottaras
Drew Macias
Jared Wells

Jared Wells will of course not be there as he has been promoted but will be replaced by Sean Thompson, another deserving candidate. More coverage on the All-Star game as it gets closer.

Affiliate Switch In The Works?

2006-06-25T22:04:00.000-05:00

It's looking less and less likely that the San Diego Padres will be the major league affiliate of the BayBears next season. Kevin Towers, SD GM, has expressed interest in moving the Padres affiliate to the Texas League. Mobile BayBears GM Bill Shanahan is not allowed to comment on the issue until August due to MiLB rules. If the Padres were to leave the BayBears, it would end a strong 10 year affiliation that has seen over 60 players from Mobile go to play for San Diego, including Mobile native Jake Peavy. Speculation on who would replace the Padres? The Cubs maybe? The Double-A affiliate for the Cubbies is the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, a team that has struggled severely in the attendance department. Through 38 openings this year, the Jaxx have averaged only 1,494 fans per game (last in the Southern League). Another reason why the Cubs may move their AA team to the Port City is personal ties. According to FOX10 news here in Mobile, a top Jaxx official (can't remember exactly which one) graduated from Spring Hill College right here in the city. I really wouldn't mind having the Chicago as our MLB team. There are die hard Cubs fans all over the country who love tracking future stars and prospects. The stadiums match, too. We will have to wait until late in the season to find out if the switch is made; and if so, what team it is to.

BayBears Drop The F-Bomb

2006-06-22T15:00:00.000-05:00

The BayBears went off the deep end Wednesday afternoon against the Huntsville Stars, beating them 15-0. Roger Deago picked up the win in a stellar outing allowing no runs over 7 innings. Matt Lauderdale and Drew Macias drove in 4 runs each while Juan ciriaco went 4-6. Mobile is now first place in the division at 2-1.

BayBears Luis Cruz and George Kottaras were selected to the 2006 All-Star Futures Game Roster. They will be the only players from the Padres farm system to appear in the game. Congrats to Cruz and G-Kott.

A New Beginning

2006-06-19T16:36:00.000-05:00

Second half of the SL starts tonight, which means that the records for all teams are 0-0 and we can forget about the ugly first half Mobile had. Gary Jones has mentioned several times that with the exception of the series with league-killers Jacksonville, the BayBears have been playing quite well. But have they? Keep in mind that they have played without Cesar Carrillo (who was promoted) for much of the season. The BayBears started out the year with a .409 record through April. They have only two losing streaks 5 games or longer; most of their losses come after wins in a win/loss pattern. In May, the team was 13-29, and in the last month Mobile has a winning record of .411. Has anything really changed? It seems like it, the players play with more energy and urgency, but the numbers don't back it up. The only way you can really change and improve "the numbers" is to win. A good start would be to take a series which begins tonight against Huntsville, the only other team with a worse record than Mobile in the first half.

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No Offense In Montgomery

2006-06-16T23:32:00.000-05:00

The Biscuits have been hot and fresh out of the oven in the past series against the BayBears. Montgomery shut out Mobile for the second time in four games Friday night 1-0. The BayBears managed only 5 hits off Montgomery pitching, led by starter Jim Magrane. Mobile starter John Hudgins got the loss dropping him to 3-3. The two teams will meet again Saturday to wrap up the first half of the Southern League schedule.

Jacksonville Loses Bid For Record
The Jacksonville Suns finally lost Friday night, ending their winning streak at 15, one shy of the Southern League record. The Suns had a one-run lead going into the bottom of the 8th when Mississippi exploded for 6 runs. Jax came back to score one more run, but in the end, the Braves finished off the Suns 11-7. The Suns (48-21) have overwhelmingly clinched the SL Southern Division 1st Half title, giving them a spot in the playoffs.

My Rant About What Needs To Be Done

2006-06-14T11:12:00.000-05:00

Many things have to be updated. Scoreboard definitely. Someone in the Press-Register Sports Soud-Off yesterday actually complained about it. The video board is truely embarrasing. Last time I went to a game, however, it did seem like they replaced a bunch of the missing number pixel lights. He is also right when he says that they don't follow through on their promotions. Example: Last year on Mayor Dow bobblehead night they wouldn't give me a bobblehead, even though the promotion clearly stated "first 1000 fans." They told me that you had to be 18 (voting age) to get one, while I was still 17 at the time. Well just about all my frustration over everything I disliked about the BayBears came out then and there. I pitched a fit for about 30 minutes and one of the BayBear staff finally decided to just give me one. I will never forget that. Mobile has some of the worst promotions/PR people I have ever seen. Who cares about coming to the park to get a plunger? (not even kidding) A new logo and/or a new name would benefit the team. The colors are outdated (navy blue and red) and the logo they came up with 2 years ago (the MB Mobile one) has just about been scrapped as they mostly wear the Old English M hats now. It may seem a bit out there, but I would like to see the name changed back to BaySharks or just Sharks like the 1994-95 TX-LA League team with the colors changed to orange and green. This would no doubt put some originality back into this organization. The park is not clean. That is a fact. Take a look at every single seat in the upper deck. The green color of the seats are fading into a light white color, which looks disgusting. The concourse smells like a bathroom (no joke), and there are puddles of water just about everywhere you turn. The landscaping in Gaslight Park is going downhill as well. More developments for evey fan (not just qualified ticket holders) should be looked into for down the first base side on the field level (which is the BayBears side). Countless improvements to the third base side have been made including the Beach and the Pepsi Pavilion. This might be a tough task, but with a little EFFORT and an open mind, the Mobile staff can make the BayBears a whole lot better and make it a place where families and sports fanatics alike can come and enjoy a game and want to come back.

Ellis Suspended

2006-06-13T22:42:00.000-05:00

Jonathan Ellis was suspended 50 games today for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He didn't make the trip up to montgomery for tonight's game (obviously) and is reportedly now invited to Jason Grimsley's BBQ this Sunday.

Speaking of tonight's game, we lost. Big. 7-0. Only 3 hits for Mobile. Sean Thompson got the loss, giving up 8 hits and 6 ER, dropping his record to 1-6 with a 4.15 ERA. Suprisingly, the BayBears aren't the worst team in the league even though they do tie for the most wins. The crappiest team in the Southern League is the Huntsville Stars at 23-40 (.365).

Kottaras Is Klutch

2006-06-11T11:26:00.000-05:00

Instead of talking about the loss last night, I'm going to talk about the Friday game, which was way better. I actually went to Friday's game. It was quite a thriller. The thrill began in the bottom of the 8th when the Bears were down 5-3 and had two men on. Luis Cruz delivered a 2-out RBI to get us within one. The Smokies brought in reliever Chris Kinsey to face George Kottaras. Big. Mistake. G-Kott laced a double that almost cleared the left-center fence to drive in Cruz and Juan Ciriaco. The place exploded with cheers as the BayBears gained the lead 6-5. Tennessee threatened in the bottom of the 9th with two men on after a double and an intentional BB, but Dale Thayer struck out pinch hitter (and birthday boy) Danny Richar to end the game and earn the 11th save of the season for him. I asked Jared Wells where he hoped to be at the end of the season after the game. Only a few words came from his mouth. "San Diego, hopefully." The way things are going for him, that may be a possibility.

Why has Neal McCready been writing the BayBears column in the Press-Register lately? I can't stand reading this guy's ... "writing." If you want a good example of his "writing," check this out. Disgraceful. At least it's a little better than those "staff reports" that are no more than 30 words long.

Jones Wins 1000; Team Keeps Him There

2006-06-09T13:09:00.000-05:00

Gary Jones won his 1000th game as a manager Wednesday night, as the BayBears defeated the Smokies. To keep the celebration going, the team decided to lose last night to keep Jonesey at an even number. Tonight the two teams battle it out in the hump game of a five game set. 7:05. I'll try to be there.

Busy x 1000

2006-06-06T23:46:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates over the past several days. I have been up at Auburn for the University's Camp War Eagle Orientation Session. I will be a freshman in the fall majoring in Architecture (which means almost zero free time). Anyways, CWE was fun for the most part. I learned so much in such a short period of time. I also registered for classes. I'm really really tired.

Back to baseball. The BayBears got swept by the Jacksonville Suns in a five game set in FL. Mobile returns home tomorrow night to play Tennessee.Gary Jones still stuck on win 999.

Special thanks to John for the kind words in the last post.

Jones, Meaux Promoted

2006-06-02T18:10:00.000-05:00

Outfielder Kennard Jones (of Blue Bunny commercial fame) and pitcher Ryan Meaux have been promoted to Portland. I don't know what else to say.

John Hudgins is a Beast

2006-05-31T22:14:00.000-05:00

Well, I think the title of this post explains it all. Tonight's game was headed by another outstanding peformance by John Hudgins, who pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out six and walking one. He and Geoff Jones, who earned his first save, combined for the 2-hitter. The BayBears have won three straight series against three difficult teams. Mobile has won 5 of 6 and 10 0f their last 14. What has made the difference? Good pitching and clutch hitting. Manager Gary Jones has said it time and time again that clutch hits are necessary to success. Exhibit A: Juan Ciriaco's 9th inning game winning RBI (see "On A Roll?"). John Hudgins may have replaced Cesar Carrillo as Mobile's 1-2 punch on the mound (along with Jared Wells). Speaking of Carrillo, he has been placed on the DL in Triple-A Portland with a strained right forearm. I think a get well card is in order.

On A Roll?

2006-05-29T20:16:00.000-05:00

Stephen Smitherman hit his third HR with the BayBears in only 7 games to lead Mobile over B'ham on Memorial Day. Starter Jared Wells pitched nicely, giving up only one run in 7 innings of work. He got the no decision and Geoff Jones picked up the win after Juan Ciriaco got the game winning hit in the bottom of the 9th. The BayBears have won two straight series (against two formidable opponents--West Tenn and Montgomery) and have won four straight games. Today's game featured the Bears in their "turn back the clock" jerseys which looked strikingly like just a plain oversized away jersey. The 1947 Mobile Bears jerseys they wore last year were dope, this year was bleh. Anyways, hopefully this winning thing can keep going. I miiiiight be at the game tomorrow night. We'll see. I've been uber busy lately. Go BayBears...

Hudgins Shines, Part Deux

2006-05-26T23:32:00.000-05:00

BayBears won against the Biscuits tonight behind another great outing by John Hudgins. Well, that is, "great outing" if you don't count the 6 walks given up. Besides that, Hudgins was super-duper giving up only 3 hits and 1 earned run in 5 innings. He got the W to improve to 2-0. Kottaras took over DH duties (Montgomery is AA affiliate of the D-Rays) while Matt Lauderdale caught for Mobile. G-Kott went 2-3 with 2 BB, a double, and a ribeye. Luis Cruz added 2 delicious ribeyes to increase his total to 28 for the year. Overall, a good win in front of over 4,000. The series against the Biscuits ends tomorrow night at 7:05.

I thought I was going to go to the game Saturday but that's not looking so good now so I'll try to catch Sunday's 6:05 start or celebrate Memorial Day with a Turn Back The Clock game at 2:05pm. Gotta love those day games.

Burn the Biscuits

2006-05-25T23:37:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday night, Jared Wells stunned everyone by allowing only 3 hits over 7 innings of work as he led the BayBears over the Biscuits 8-0. Tonight, the Bears lost 3-zip to Montgomery. I'll get the stats up when I get them. Burn the Biscuits weekend (yes, I made that up) continues through Sunday. If someone makes a sign that says "Burn the Biscuits" at Saturday night's game, I will come give you a hug.

According to Fox 10 (WALA) here in Mobile, the BayBears bullpen loves American Idol. I had a feeling that's why they weren't out there in right field last night! Actually, this is a story that the WALA crew did...pretty good in my opinion. I wish they had the video. For such a crappy station with even worse writing, I've gotta admit Fox 10 has some of the best BayBears coverage around (maybe because they're only a hop skip and jump away from the Hank). They actually talk about the team and what's been going on. WPMI 15 (oddly channel 11) has good coverage, with the occasional interview with Jonesey. If you watch WKRG 5 for sports, you're already just plain dumb.

Peavy Sets Record

2006-05-23T11:10:00.000-05:00

Last night, former BayBear and native Mobilian Jake Peavy set a new Padre record for strikeouts in a game with 16. Peavy pitched 7 innings and got the loss (mainly due to lack of run support!!).

The BayBears finished up their series in West Tenn Sunday winning 3 of 5 and begin a 10-game homestand tonight against the division leading Montgomery Biscuits. Tonight's promotion: Super Hero Night, dress up as your favorite super hero and get in free.

Lack of updates over the last few days due to a little thing I like to call high school graduation. I'm always looking for other people to contribute to the site, so let me know if you're interested.

Carrillo Promoted to AAA

2006-05-19T22:38:00.000-05:00

Cesar Carrillo, the #1 Padres Minor League Prospect, has been promoted to Triple-A Portland. The pitcher was promoted after starting only 9 games this year in Mobile. So far this season he is 1-3 with a 3.02 ERA, giving up only 45 hits in 50.2 innings. Best of luck to Cesar Carrillo.

A Good Night To Be A Thompson

2006-05-19T09:50:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night was a good night to have the last name Thompson -- regardless of the first name. BayBear alum Mike Thompson made his major league debut, starting against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. Mike had a great outing, striking out the side in the bottom of the 1st and gave up a respectable 4 runs (3 earned) in 5.0 innings of work. Another Thompson-Sean Thompson- pitched 7 scoreless innings for the BayBears and picked up his first win of the season. First baseman Michael Johnson led the BayBears going 4-5 hitting 2 dingers. Mobile beat West Tenn 8-0. Unfortuantely, however, the BayBears were unable to win last night in extras to the Jaxx. Ryan Meaux had two errors in the 10th to essentially hand West Tenn the win. Gary Cates sac-ed out to end the game. Jared Wells will come back from the DL tonight and pitch for Mobile.

Mike Thompson To Make MLB Debut

2006-05-17T17:32:00.000-05:00

Former BayBear Mike Thompson has made it to the bigs. The pitcher will start tonight for the Padres as they face the Arizona Diamondbacks. With Portland (AAA) this year, Thompson has a stunning 5-0 record with a 3.70 ERA giving up only 35 hits in 41.1 innings.

Bears Win Up And Down Battle 11-10

2006-05-16T19:26:00.000-05:00

Roger Deago got out to a ROCKY start today. And when I say ROCKY, I mean Rocky Mtn ROCKY, not Appalacian Mtn ROCKY. Anyways, Roger was so ROCKY, I can't even put all of the bad stats into one sentence. So here are Deago's stats for today's game:

21 batters faced
3.0 IP, 7 R, 6 ER
6 H
FIVE WALKS!
1 HR

The BayBears were trailing 8-2 coming into the bottom of the 7th. Then something happened. A miracle? Maybe. Mobile exploded for 6 runs, which were helped out by 2 2-out errors by Tony Abreu. In the next inning, Luis Cruz knocked in the go-ahead run and Michael Johnson, in his first game back from the DL, made the score 11-8 with a key hit. On the game, Johnson went 2-2 with 3 RBI. The game wasn't over though. BayBear closer Dale Thayer gave up a 2-run shot to Anthony Ragliani. Oops. But Thayer redeemed himself getting the final outs for Mobile, earning the win. After the game, I mentioned the Blue Bunny commercial to Kennard Jones. He laughed and gave a quick "Thanks" and "Take care." Such a class act.

John Hudgins Shines; Jones Commercial

2006-05-15T16:28:00.000-05:00

In his first start with Mobile, pitcher John Hudgins took a no-no into the 6th and eventually got the win as the Bears won 6-2 Sunday night. George Kottaras led the BayBears going 3-3 with a walk, 2 runs, and a 2-bagger. Drew Macias also scored 2 runs and knocked in 3. Game 4 of the 5 game series is tonight. I'll be at tomorrow's 11:35am game.

Jones Makes Appearance in Commercial
BayBears CF Kennard Jones and manager Gary Jones both make an apprearance in a recent Blue Bunny ice cream commercial. The ad is local to the Mobile metro area, but you can view it at the official BayBears site. It's probably one of the funniest commercials I have ever seen. Kennard's acting is priceless.

See you all at tomorrow's game...

Roster Moves; BayBears Lose; Kottaras Interview

2006-05-13T13:04:00.001-05:00

Roster Moves
The Padres recently aquired RHP John Hudgins and 1B Vince Sinisi from the Rangers. In exchange, former BayBear and highly respected prospect Freddy Guzman was dealt along with Cesar Rojas to Texas. Hudgins and Sinisi will both report to Mobile. P Ryan Meaux was sent down from AAA Portland to Mobile.

BayBears Lose 6-0
Mobile lost ... again on Friday night. Suns pitcher Danny Muegge held the Bears to five hits over seven scoreless innings. Bears starter Sean Thompson gave up four runs and seven hits over 4 2/3 innings to drop to (0-3). I'm pretty sure it's about time to send him back down and send up somebody from Lake Elsinore like Michael Ekstrom.

Kottaras Interview
There is a great interview of BayBear George kottaras up on the Baseball America site. Kottaras talks about his learning experiences, plate discipline, and a little about G-Kott's love of Greek cuisine. The interview can be found here.

P-Mac Called Up

2006-05-12T20:59:00.001-05:00

BREAKING NEWS: Former BayBear McAnuly Called Up to Replace Bowen

Thats right folks, P-Mac is going back to San Diego. In today's Padres game, catcher Rob Bowen injured his hand when a bat came back and hit him on his hand. He was immediately placed on the 15-day DL after it was determined that he suffered a partially dislocated thumb on his catching hand. First baseman Paul McAnuly, who played with the BayBears and enjoyed a 7 game stint with the Padres last year, will be taking Bowen's place on the roster. With the Beavers this year, McAnulty is batting .278 with 8 HR, 19 RBI, and an impressive .972 OPS.

In other transaction news, pitcher Dewon Brazelton was demoted to Triple-A Portland after Thursday's lackluster outing in which he failed to record an out in relief of Jake Peavy.

Baseball Sudoku

2006-05-12T10:46:00.000-05:00

I just got back inside from checking the mail, in which I saw one of the greatest things ever. On the cover of the current issue of, ESPN Magazine it reads,"Baseball Sudoku." It's a new book released by the sports and entertainment giant. I was instantly captivated when I saw the headline. I love to play sudoku, and now with the baseball version, it is even better. Instead of filling the boxes with the numbers 1-9, you fill them with baseball positions, P-RF. Apparently, the book is only 10 bucks. You know, uh, graduation is coming up for me ... so, yea.

We FINALLY won last night! WAHOO! JOY! RAPTURE! Back at home tonight against the Suns.

My Take On Delmon Young

2006-05-10T21:40:00.000-05:00

I'll only talk for a second seeing as I have been extremely busy.

Delmon Young's suspension was recently set to 50 games by the International League. Having the suspension set at 50 games to me equates it to a first time positive steroid test. Asinine. Think about it: what else could you do on the field of play that would be worse than throwing your bat at an umpire? Not much. 70+ games and I'm satisfied.

24-Inning Game

2006-05-08T18:51:00.000-05:00

Another dissappionting loss last night. We now have 20 losses (already). I don't want to talk about it.

In former BayBear news: Wiki Gonzalez, a catcher with Mobile in 1998, drove in the winning run this past weekend in a New Orleans Zephyr uniform. This was no ordinary GW hit, the RBI ended a 24 inning game that was played over two nights. Amazing.

In Southern League news: Birmingham Barons manager Chris Cron was forced to bench his team from last Saturday night's game after several heated words, including 3 (THREE!) bench-clearing brawls. Sheesh guys.

Heartbreaking Loss

2006-05-06T14:04:00.000-05:00

The Bears were starting to heat up, but last night they lost in a heartbreaker. They scored 3 in the top of the 8th to tie the game at 7. After an 82 minute rain delay, Kevin Randel knocked in the winning run after the BayBears plunked B.J. Garbe and gave up a single and an intentional walk. Carolina went on to win 8-7/ The BayBears were led by Brett Dowdy who went 2-4 with 2 RBI. Juan Ciriaco had 2 hits and 2 runs scored. Starter Jose Oyervidez (3.23) went 4.0 innings giving up 1 run on 4 hits and 3 walks. Mobile now has the worst record in the Southern League at 10-18 (.357), 6.5 games back of the Montgomery Biscuits.

On the other hand, the Padres are still undefeated in May. All-Star voting has begun. Let's get Barfield there.

Rainout

2006-05-02T16:02:00.000-05:00

Sunday's game was rained out, partly because the BayBears staff is too weak to pull the tarp over the infield. Kennard Jones had to help the effort, but in the end it didn't matter. It was raining too hard anyway. 10 game roadtrip starts today. Bleh. I hate the new 5-game series crap.

BayBear Beat is now listed on the AL.com list of blogs. Woohoo.

And um, there is a simple way to contribute to BayBear Beat. Feel free to comment. Please. It's easy.

Delmon Young Suspension

2006-04-30T15:50:00.000-05:00

I knew something like this would happen. Delmon Young, one of the top prospects in all of baseball, finally imploded last week; throwing his bat at the home plate umpire after being called out in the first inning of an International League game. He has been suspended indefinitely by the IL. I completely agree with severity of the suspension (for probably the first time ever). The IL and baseball in general are sending players a strong message: do this, and you're toast. Delmon played for AA Montgomery last year. He is a complete jerk; I tried to get his autograph and he completely ignored me. For what it's worth, he doesn't do interviews either. Delmon Young finally has a taste of reality.

BayBears Win Slugfest

2006-04-27T17:02:00.000-05:00

Just when I think that the BayBears' bats are on a break, they go OFF for 12 runs and 11 hits as they romp the Mississippi Braves 12-3. Drew Macias had 5 RBI while Adam Bourassa went 2-3 with 2 RBI. Roger Deago picked up his third win of the year to lift his record to 3-0. He gave up only 4 hits and one unearned run over 6 innings. Carrillo makes the start tonight.In what was a close race in the Southern League Southern Division, the Bears still find themselves 5.0 games back of Montgomery with an 8-13 record.

An Ugly Night In H'ville

2006-04-26T16:24:00.000-05:00

Last night was not a good night as the BayBears lost again to the Stars in Huntsville 9-5. Mobile had a 4-0 lead after the 2nd, but couldn't capitalize and made many mistakes down the stretch. In the 8th, the Bears gave up 7 runs, 5 hits, and 5 walks as 12 Stars made plate appearances in the inning. Rosales gave up 2 ER and 2 walks as he only pitched to two batters. BayBear relievers as a whole allowed 6 hits, 7 runs, 5 walks, and only one strikeout. It was definitely an ugly night. Attendance for the matchup was less than 1,000.

Hopefully the BayBears can stop the bleeding tonight as we face the Mississippi Braves at 7:05pm.

Carrillo Shines

2006-04-22T23:16:00.000-05:00

I just don't know what else to say about Cesar Carrillo. The man just keeps going and going. [Insert bunny joke here] Tonight against the Huntsville Stars he went 7.0 innings allowing no runs and only 3 hits. Leo Rosales and Geoff Jones pitched the 8th and 9th to complete the shutout, 4-0. Steve Baker, just two days after his birthday, went 3-5 with a double. George Kottaras got his 3rd HR of the season in the 4th off H'ville pitcher Villanueva. Carrillo also added some offense with an RBI of his own. Da Bears have a doubleheader tomorrow against the Stars beginning at 1:05.

2006 Promotions

2006-04-22T16:15:00.000-05:00

The game last night that was supposed to happen was postponed because of rain. It will be made up Sunday as part of a doubleheader beginning at 1pm.

On to the topic of promotions. Last year they were nonexistent. There would be nights when the game was the only promotion--this happened quite often. This year is much different. As far as I can tell, according to the BayBears schedule, there is at least some type of promotion slated for every home game. There have already been three fireworks nights (opening weekend), a Mardi Gras night, and College night. Now, I haven't been to either "theme" night, so I don't know how much they get into the promotion, but at least they're trying! Here is a list of some of the more bizarre and unique promotions of the 2006 season:

5/14/06----Mother's Day Celebration/Pink Jersey Night [They had a breast cancer awareness night last year at the Hank where they wore these pink jerseys. It was for a great cause, as the jerseys were auctioned off and all proceeds were donated to breast cancer awareness. However, on that night I heard an opposing player say "I've seen some ugly jerseys in my day, but that's gotta take the cake."]

5/26/06----Fireworks/Tribute to 80's Music Night [I am already there.]

5/31/06----Old Cop Show Night

6/9/06----Fireworks/Disco Mania

6/19/06----Redneck Night

7/12/06----Big Hair 80's Night [I've got the fro ready to go]

8/7/06----Awful Night [???]

8/26/06----10 Year All-Star Poster Giveaway

And here we go...the granddaddy of all 2006 Mobile BayBears promotions....
7/15/06----Plunger Giveaway (1st 1000 fans 14+)

See you at the Hank.

Kottras?

2006-04-20T21:00:00.000-05:00

The BayBears are on fire tonight. Ciriaco just hit a HR to make it 6-1 in the 7th. The Bears pitching staff has given up only 2 hits so far.

Here is the picture of George Kottaras's profile on the rinky-dink scoreboard:

(They are missing an "A" in between the T and R)
In the first game of the season, George's jersey was even misspelled. In a different way! The back of his jersey read "Kottares"

Another Loss To Chat-town

2006-04-19T15:03:00.000-05:00

We lost. Again. Today's game was fun to watch, though, especially because it was a day game. The bats didn't get going until late in the game and the Bears were down 3-5 in the bottom of the 9th. We got one in but Kennard Jones was stranded in scoring position when we flied out to end the game with a score of 5-4 in favor of the Lookouts.

Kottaras hit a jack and was kind enough to sign some autographs after the game. His name remains spelled incorrectly as "Kottras" on the scoreboard. Last game of the series is tomorrow night, then the BayBears are in Huntsville until next Wednesday when they come home to take on Jarrod Saltalamacchia and the Mississippi Braves.

Week In Review: 4/7-4/14

2006-04-14T21:45:00.000-05:00

Through 8 games this season, the Bears are now an even .500 at 4-4. The mediocre record is certainly indicative of the great play so far this year. Prospects have been living up to their expectations. Jared Wells is already 2-0 with a microscopic 0.84 ERA (no, thats not a typo), 12 K, and 2 BB in 10.2 innings. I saw him pitch at the Friday game against Carolina and he was lights out. Jose Oyervidez hasn't even given up a run this season in 11.2 innings. Carrillo has yet to get a decision but has pitched well with an ERA under 3. Basham and Thompson, the other 2/5 of the rotation, have not been as productive. Thompson is 0-1 giving up 5 runs in 3 innings. George Kottaras has lived up to his #2 Padres prospect expectations; batting .318 in 7 games with 3 double-baggers. Brett Bonvechio leads the team with 13 total bases and has the BayBears' only home run this season.

The Bears continue their series in Mississippi through Saturday and return to the Hank Sunday to begin a five game set against the Chattanooga Lookouts. Day game on Wednesday; I'll definitely be there.

2006 BayBears Season Preview

2006-04-06T16:46:00.000-05:00

The last 2 seasons for the BayBears have been very different. In 2004, the Bears shared a championsip due to a Hurricane and ended up with a record of 73-67. The following year, Mobile ended the season with a 58-80 record. Much of the season last year was spent rebuilding; sending guys up from Class A Lake Elsinore. At the end of the season, fans got a glimpse of the future.

Jared Wells, George Kottaras, and Cesar Carrillo all played with Mobile towards the end of the season in 2005. Cesar Carrillo was recently rated the #1 Prospect in the Padres farm system. Last year he split time between Lake Elsinore and Mobile going 5-2 in 12 starts with a 4.95 ERA and 64 Ks. Mobile will also be home to the #2 Padres prospect in 2006. George Kottaras spent about a month in Mobile last year batting .287 in 29 games. Another pitching prospect here in Mobile is Jared Wells. Wells was 11-3 in Lake Elsinore last year before being promoted to Mobile where he was 2-5. Jared is rated as the #7 prospect in the Padres organization. Others in the pitching rotation include Jose Oyervidez and Sean Thompson. BayBear fans should be on the lookout for Fernando Valenzuela Jr, son of the great Dodger pitcher, as he makes his debut with Mobile. Valenzuela batted an impressive .296 last year with the Storm. Other position players include Michael Johnson who hit 21 HR in 2005 and Brett Bonvechio who hit 19 HR in the 2005 campaign.

The BayBears are loaded with prospects this year. Players from Lake Elsinore have made their way to Mobile. Could the BayBears be the "Jacksonville" of 2006? Only time will tell.

Braves Spring Training

2006-04-05T16:46:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are some pictures from the Atlanta Braves Spring Training game I attended last Wednesday.

Pretty good seats, eh?

Mets Manager Willie Randolph agruing a strike call. Paul LoDuca was thrown out of the game right before...come on, it's Spring Training

Ryan Langerhans with a hit

Tom Glavine

Braves ST/Meet the BayBears

2006-04-02T19:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I am back from Disney. It was incredible...soooooo much fun. Splash Mtn and Space Mtn are my faves (I didn't do Big Thunder). I also saw the Braves play the Mets in a Spring Training matchup. We had lawn seats and fortunately got there a couple hours before gametime to snag some of the best seats in the house in my opinion. It was a great game. We left in the 7th with the Braves leading 2-1, right after LoDuca got thrown out. I've got great pictures from the game that I will try to post later.

In today's Mobile Register, er, Press-Register, There is a great full page "Meet the BayBears" section. A lot of returns, and a lot of promising rising stars, like Fernando Valenzuela Jr. Opening night is Thursday at the Hank. I'll be at the Friday game.

Girardeau Released/Org Preview

2006-03-25T22:47:00.000-06:00

This past week, Clark Girardeau was released by the Padres. Clark was 3-9 with a 7.13 ERA last year with Lake Elsinore, after a decent 2004. I recently talked to Clark at the University of South Alabama Alumni Game. He told me about the treatment he has had to undergo to rehab his arm. Clark, a graduate of Mobile's Murphy High School, is a classy kind of guy. I'd like to wish him all the best in the future.

MiLB.com has released it's 2006 Padres Organizational Preview. You can find it here. Of course, Cesar Carrillo is one of their top five players in the system. If you have not had a chance to go out to the Hank and see him yet, you must! Carrillo has electric stuff; I was at his AA debut and he was sick (In a good way). He'll be with the Pads by midseason no doubt. Don't pass up the opportunity to see such a special player. More on him and other prospects that will be with the BayBears this year in the season preview coming soon....

Later this week, I will be in Disney World. Yes, I will be going to a Spring Training game. Braves vs Mets on Wednesday.

13 days until BayBears Opening Night....

Welcome

2006-03-03T13:34:00.000-06:00

Welcome to BayBear Beat, a blog about the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, the Mobile BayBears. I will be writing about the games, players, and other things from the team as well as the world of baseball. Opening Night for the BayBears is Thursday April 9 at Hank Aaron Stadium against the Carolina Mudcats.