Stone Crabs repeat as FSL South Champions
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Charlotte Stone Crabs have
only been in the Florida State League for two seasons, but they are
certainly making a habit of finding a way into the Championship Series.
Even the rain could not stop Charlotte’s trek through the postseason.
Following a 2-hour, 16-minute rain delay, Frank De Los Santos answered
the call from the bullpen in the top of the second and hurled 6 2/3
scoreless frames to help guide Charlotte to a decisive 2-1 victory over
the Bradenton Marauders on Thursday.
The stakes were high in Game 3 of the FSL South Division Series, with
both teams facing elimination in the best-of-three set. Neither side was
expecting the long delay which cost both clubs their respective
starting pitchers.
When the skies finally cleared, the offenses went to work breaking the
scoreless tie. Bradenton struck first for a run in their half of the
second inning. Adam Davis pulled a double over the third base bag to
score Eric Fryer and give the Marauders a 1-0 lead.
That advantage would prove to be short-lived as the Stone Crabs answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.
A costly one-out error by second baseman Shelby Ford allowed Charlotte
to load the bases with just one out in the frame. Matt Hall drilled a
single to score Mike Sheridan and tie the game 1-1, but Marauders
reliever Matt McSwain‘s woes would not stop there.
Hall’s single kept the bases loaded for Chris Murrill, who fouled off
pitch after pitch before drawing a bases-loaded walk that put Charlotte
on top 2-1. That would prove to be the eventual winning run.
Working with the lead, De Los Santos (1-0) took over from there. The
lefty pitched through the eighth inning, allowing just four hits and a
walk while striking out a pair in 6 2/3 innings of relief.
Starter Alex Colome was lifted after the lengthy delay. He lasted 1 1/3 innings and was charged with the lone Bradenton run.
McSwain (0-1) surrendered two runs — one earned — on five hits and a
pair of walks over four innings after starter Nathan Adcock was forced
from the game following the delay.
Zach Quate worked a scoreless ninth inning to earn his first save of the
postseason and send his club to the FSL Championship Series for the
second consecutive season.
Timing is everything…
When you consider the length of a baseball season, it really does begin to explain many of the cliches that surround the game.
That “timing is everything” tag-line for this piece in particular
couldn’t ring more true at this stage of the season. Manager Jim
Morrison knows the value of having his team playing their best baseball
in the month of September, and the playoffs in particular.
Trying to get everyone – or as many players as possible – to be hot at
the right time can put a very nice ending to the 140 games played
throughout the state in the summer heat.
In the first half, the Stone Crabs rolled into the final weeks and sewed
up their spot in postseason. The Bradenton Marauders and Palm Beach
Cardinals were also in the mix, but an amazing string of victories in
19-out-of-22 games was how Charlotte finished the first half. Neither
the Cards nor Marauders could keep up that blistering pace.
Charlotte has more than a few men playing their best baseball in the
second half. Shortstop Tim Beckham hit just .212 in the first half, but
is hitting .289 here in the second half. Beckham also leads the club
with 55 RBI’s and 65 runs scored this season.
Stephen Vogt enters the final week with a great chance of securing the
Florida State League batting title. He has been a picture of consistency
all season, and not only leads the FSL with a .333 average, but also a
.489 slugging percentage.
On the pitching side, perhaps no two pitchers in the league have been
hotter in the second half than Matt Moore and Joe Cruz. The lefty Moore
leads all of minor league baseball with 197 strikeouts on the season.
That is the most K’s in a single season by a pitcher in the FSL since
1971. Moore has blazed through the past three months, registering a 1.89
ERA with 128 strikeouts in his last 15 starts.
Cruz just continues to win start after start. He paces the FSL with 12
victories this season thanks to his consistently stellar outings.
Another by-product of all those great starts has been the falling ERA for
Cruz. He was 4-4 with a 4.87 ERA in the first half, but has gone 8-2
with a 1.60 ERA in half number two.
If these men continue to do what they have, and others continue their
seemingly nightly routine of stepping up and finding ways to get the big
hit, get the big strikeout, or make the big play, then Charlotte could
take another trip to the FSL Championship Series.
The biggest thing about old adages, or cliches as it happens in this
case, is that there has usually been some precedent that gave birth to
the saying. While many may apply to how the Stone Crabs wrap up their
2010 season, perhaps none is truer than this:
“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
Vogt: Back and better than ever…
What a difference a year can make. For Stone Crabs
catcher turned super utility man Stephen Vogt, this season has been
light years beyond his frustrating 2009 campaign and has been
highlighted by a run at the Florida State League batting title.
The season opened with Vogt serving as one of three catchers on the
roster and getting an occasional turn in the designated hitter slot. All
that changed when Vogt launched a 17-game hitting streak early in the
season to open eyes throughout the Tampa Bay organization. Ultimately it
lead to the consensus that Vogt’s bat was too valuable not to be in the
starting nine every day, regardless of position.
“It gives me two other ways to get in the lineup,” said Vogt of his time
spent in left field and around the first base bag. “I’ve always enjoyed
being versatile and using my ‘utilitiness’ – that’s a new word,” Vogt
quipped.
When he’s not busy making up new words or treating his teammates to any
of a number of side splitting comedic impressions, Vogt can be found
wearing out opponents to the tune of a .331 batting average. That is
both the highest mark in the league and for any Rays full-season
farmhand.
It was a torn labrum in his right shoulder that cost Vogt the
opportunity to be a part of the Stone Crabs success last season, but all
the hard work on the road to recovery is paying off.
“The doctor said that my arm isn’t going to feel normal again until
Spring 2011, because I didn’t give myself an offseason,” said Vogt. “I
was on a throwing program the whole offseason and [my arm] is just not
used to what it’s going through right now, because I have a new shoulder
basically. There are still some days where it’s not fun and I can still
feel it, but for the most part I feel like I’m better and it’s healed.”
His nice start in April (.308) gave way to a blistering May and June
that catapulted Vogt from occasional catcher to FSL All-Star and valued
middle of the order bat. Vogt hit .404 in 52 May at-bats, and followed
that up with a .365 mark in 85 AB’s during June.
The fact that he can play multiple positions is nothing new, but
receiving the go-ahead from the necessary places in the organization to
get back to doing so was one of the final hurdles for Vogt to clear in
his recovery.
“It’s been nice to finally have the clearance,” Vogt said. “Being
cleared to play any position on any day and not have to wait a couple of
days to recuperate was kind of the last stepping stone coming back from
the injury last year.”
Vogt was around the team last season while he recovered from surgery,
but the opportunity to be a contributing part of this year’s success is
something that is not lost on him this time around.
“Last year, [I got] to see it and feel it, but now getting to be a part
of it and actually helping in the winning effort, I just can’t put it
into words. It’s just phenomenal,” said Vogt.
Wherever he is in the line-up or on the field, one this has come to be expected from Vogt. He is going to hit.
How sweep it is…
It certainly has been one of the odder runs of the season for the Charlotte Stone Crabs of late. While there is not always an explanation for what exactly goes into a losing streak, it seems that the same can be said for winning streaks as well. The odd part seems to that the team has been going from one extremes to the other in the second half.
Coming on the heels of a franchise-high seven-game losing streak, the Stone Crabs pulled off the rare feat of sweeping away the Clearwater Threshers for the second time this season. That marks the first time that the team has ever swept a season series from an opponent, North Division or otherwise.
From day-to-day and game to game, nothing really seems to change with this club. There’s a business as usual approach that lends itself to the making this team resilient. Over the course of a long season, that can come in handy.
Left-hander Matt Moore has really found himself in the season’s second half as well. The lefty was named Florida State League pitcher of the week for the second on Monday July 26. The lefty also found himself tabbed among the hottest prospects according to Baseball America last week yet again.
Put Moore with a trio of righties in Nick Barnese, Joe Cruz and Shane Dyer, and you’ll find that the pitching leaderboards for the FSL are speckled with the names of Stone Crabs pitchers.
Moore has a chance to repeat as the organizational leader in strikeouts, having fanned a Florida State League leading 143 batters as of July 26. Barnese (2.90) and Cruz (3.29) have found their way into the top five pitchers in the league in ERA.
While the success of Moore and Barnese builds upon previous accolades, Cruz has taken a huge step forward from one year ago. The righty has gone 6-2 with a 2.06 ERA over his last ten starts and has already eclipsed his total number of innings worked last season, doing so in two less starts.
The hard-throwing right hander averaged less that five innings per start in 21 outings with the Bowling Green Hot Rods last season, but has turned the corner with the High-A Stone Crabs. He is averaging roughly six innings per start this season. His workhorse rate since June has given the Rays yet another pitcher to have high hopes for in the future.
As the team moves forward and plays out the string this season, much will be expected from the pitching staff that has routinely been among the best in the minor leagues. More of the same from Moore, Barnese and Cruz will go along way toward postseason success.
Till next time,
G-Mc
Second half: Twice as nice?
Baseball is a game that can at times be hard to understand. Yet the root of the game remains simple. Score more runs than the other guys.
The Charlotte Stone Crabs blistered through the first half and were riding on a high that was provided by winning 19 of their last 22 games to earn a spot in the playoffs.
Despite a South Division crown and the best overall record in the Florida State League, a five-game losing streak greeted the Stone Crabs as the second half of the season began. To say those struggles came as a surprise to the team would not be a stretch.
While the best record mantle remains intact, some valuable lessons often times come in the form of adversity.
Luckily, those struggles only spanned about 10 days. By the time July 5 was over and done with, the team had rebounded to post a four-game winning streak. That string of victories helps take the edge off the earlier five-game skid and got the team fighting back toward the .500 mark.
“[In] the first half, the pieces came together right at the very end,” said starter Shane Dyer, “Any team can get hot for 10, 15, 20 games like we did, but at the same time baseball has its way of humbling guys and teams as a whole.”
Truer words may have never been spoken.
You may be wondering what a team that has already clinched a playoff spot has to play for. That would be the home field advantage factor that comes with having the best overall record in the division.
“There’s no reason for us to slow down… we want to win the whole thing,” said Stephen Vogt, whose bat will be relied upon more than ever. “That’s our goal. Nobody likes to lose. Nobody wants to lose. We want to win every night we go out there, and we’re not satisfied unless we’ve given it all we’ve got.”
Roster moves will be inevitable, and come as one of the by-products of winning in the minor leagues. Dynasties are not built on the farm and winning teams are not always afforded the luxury of sticking together.
Henry Wrigley and Josh Satow both earned mid-season promotions to Double-A Montgomery. While those two men go from being Stone Crabs to Biscuits, the Charlotte club may look to see how much mileage they can get out of a few Hot Rods.
Outfielder Chris Murrill hit .292 with a team-high 28 steals for the Rays Low-A affiliate in Bowling Green. As a result, Murrill has traded in his green and gold uniform for Stone Crabs blues and whites.
His footspeed should come as a compliment to fellow base stealer, Isaias Velasquez, and provide some more spark in the line-up, wherever manager Jim Morrison decided to bat him. Making the pieces fit seems to be what the skipper does best.
There’s plenty of baseball left to play, but the 2010 Stone Crabs could be poised to one-up their 2009 predecessors.
News and Notes:
Just because no one has been talking about the Charlotte bullpen lately does not mean there isn’t plenty to say… Closer Zach Quate mows down both right and left-handed hitters, but righties are catching the brunt of his K’s. Quate has registered 40 strikeouts in his right-hand opponents 92 official at-bats… Lefty set-up man Neil Schenk enjoys the same kid of success against his left-hand hitters, punching out over half of them (16 K’s in 31 at-bats)… Shortstop Tim Beckham has been at his best at the plate when his team needs him most, batting .307 with 37 RBI’s in 75 at-bats with runners in scoring position. That’s the most RBI’s w/RISP of any Stone Crabs player in the young club’s history… 22 of Beckham’s 40 RBI’s this season have come from the 5th inning on… Charlotte (38-0) is one of just two teams in the FSL that remains unbeaten when leading after seven innings.
Till next time,
G-Mc
Contact Grant McAuley: broadcast@stonecrabsbaseball.com
Wrigley, Satow make the jump as Second Half begins…
The
first half is in the book and the Charlotte Stone Crabs are heading to
the postseason yet again. Taking wins in 19-of-22 games to close out
the half sealed the deal and earned the club its second trip to the
playoffs in as many years in the league.
Minor league life
is completely different from what you may be accustomed to when it
comes to watching your favorite Major League team. The object down here
is to put up the numbers that will lead to a ticket out. Basically,
the best thing that can happen to a top performer is to get the call
and take their game to the next level. Eventually, and
ideally, a player will earn the grandest promotion of all.
Then the job is staying in the place some call, “The Show.”
Not
to get all “Bull Durham” on you (which is ironically appropriate, given
the Tampa Bay Rays Triple-A affiliate), but a pair of Stone Crabs
stalwarts were rewarded with promotions as the second half opened up.
Left-handed reliever Josh Satow and the versatile Henry Wrigley
received the news this week that they are heading to Double-A
Montgomery. Both were Florida State League All-Stars and both made huge
contributions to Charlotte’s First Half South Division crown. Satow
helped anchor the amazing Stone Crabs bullpen, while Wrigley was the
steady rock of run production.
Wrigley’s departure leaves a hole
in the line-up, but it also creates opportunity for other members of
the squad to step up and fill the void. The once-mohawked slugger set
single-season records with 12 homers and 46 RBI’s in just 68 games with
the Stone Crabs this year. His next challenge is to continue his
career-best year with a strong finish at Double-A.
As Charlotte was finding out the depth and strength of its bullpen, Satow was a key
component to nailing down late inning leads. The southpaw was drafted
out of Arizona State in the 25th Round of the 2008 draft and has found
success at every stop on his way through the Rays system thus far. Last year, it
was by leading the entire organization with 20 saves. This season, it
was a great start in Advanced-A that punched his ticket to Montgomery.
Satow went 4-1 with nine saves and a 1.76 ERA in 22 appearances. His contrasting style made for a dynamic 1-2 punch with righty Zach Quate
when it came to closing games. While Quate will remain to protect late inning leads, the contributions of Satow will certainly be missed in the late
innings.
News and Notes: Charlotte will get former first baseman Matt Fields back from Double-A to take Wrigley’s place, while another past Stone Crab in RHP Rayner Oliveros will take Satow’s spot on the roster… Catcher turned outfielder Stephen Vogt
continues to creep toward qualifying for the FSL batting title. He is
now 30 plate appearances shy… LHP Matt Moore fanned 11-hitters during
a six inning stint against Palm Beach on June 27, tying him for the
most K’s in the FSL with 109… Fellow starter Joe Cruz tossed the
first complete game effort of his career by lasting eight inning in a
losing effort against the Fort Myers Miracle on June 24. It marked the
second straight start that the righty went eight innings… Outfielder
Reid Fronk‘s .413 OBP is the highest of any full-season minor leaguer
in the Tampa Bay Rays system… Fellow OF Isaias Velasquez has stolen
24 bases and is just one shy of the FSL lead.
Speaking of Velasquez. I leave you with this. The latest installment of “This is Stone Crabs Baseball”
Till next time,
G-Mc
Another month nearly in the books…
May was certainly a month of ups and downs for the Stone Crabs club.
The rigors of the road schedule are starting to become a fact of life
again, but there’s little doubt that the Florida State League has the
best travel in all of Minor League Baseball.
It’s hard to complain when the furthest destination seems to be roughly
three hours. Mind you, there is absolutely no place like home. Despite
the rainy weather that bookended the recent home stand, the Stone Crabs
really heated things up offensively.
The team reeled off a six-game winning streak that included the first
four game sweep in franchise history, coming at the expense of the
Brevard County Manatees.
In the midst of quite a few high scoring games, Charlotte and Brevard
County found time to hook up for the longest game in franchise history.
It took over four and a half hours and spanned 15-innings, but the
Stone Crabs loaded the bases and pushed across the winning run in
exciting walk-off fashion.
Greg Sexton and Henry Wrigley both enjoyed five-hit games during the
sweep over the Manatees. Wrigley finished 5-for-5 and fell just a
triple shy of the cycle, while driving in four runs during an 11-8
victory on May 20. Sexton saved his 5-hit performance for the marathon
win two days later, coming into score the winning run after leading off
the bottom of the 15th with his fifth single of the night.
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Matt Joyce joined the team for a rehab
assignment during the home stand. Joyce has shown the stroke that led
the Rays to trade righty starter Edwin Jackson to the Detroit Tigers
for him following the 2008 season. Joyce hit .357 with a homer, three
RBI’s and four runs scored in his first five games with the Stone Crabs.
“It’s been a long frustrating road,” said Joyce after his first game
back. “It’s been hard to stay patient, but I’m very close. Just have to
wait a little longer.”
A strained right elbow forced Joyce to open the season on the 15-day
disabled list and cost him any hopes of making the big club out of
Spring Training. A healthy Joyce hopes to make a quick ascension
through the system and end up with the Rays as soon as possible.
“I tried to come back a little early at the beginning of the season and
it just wasn’t ready,” said Joyce. “So I had a second opinion and they
shut me down for four weeks. Throwing now, it feels a million times
better and I’m really excited about that.”
While Joyce is just stopping through, a pair of Stone Crabs came to the
end of the road in their path to the majors, at least with the Tampa
Bay Rays organization. Reliever Tommy Rafferty and infielder Shawn
Williams each parted ways with the team. Rafferty voluntarily retired
on May 22, while Williams asked for and was granted his release on May
24. I believe I speak for everyone when I say we wish both men the best
with whatever comes next for them.
Contact: broadcast@stonecrabsbaseball.com
“Now we’re startin’ to roll, boys…”
While April offered a look at just how good the Charlotte Stone Crabs
pitching staff could be, May has been an awakening for the offense.
Perhaps a little off stride in the early going, Stone Crabs hitters
have really come on in the month of May. It’s no surprise, however, as
pitchers often enjoy early advantages before the hitters (at any level)
begin to heat up with the weather.
The team’s batting average has shot up markedly, from .254 during 20
contests over the season’s first month to .274 through the first nine
games of May.
Batting averages can take a back seat as long as the run production is
there on a nightly basis, and that has not been an issue in May. The
Stone Crabs are averaging 5.3 runs per game over the first nine
contests this month, which gives the pitching staff a little more room
to breathe.
Charlotte scored 72 runs in 20 April games for an average of 3.6 runs
per game. Even with a league-best ERA of 2.93 during that same time
frame, it was a tall order to grab wins on a nightly basis. That said,
things have a way of finding a middle ground over the course of a long
season.
The versatile Henry Wrigley, who has seen time at first and third base
as well as left and right field, has found himself among the Top 10
hitters in the Florida State League all season. He leads the team with
a .330 batting average, six homers and 20 RBI’s.
Catcher Stephen Vogt has contributed a 10-game hitting streak during
the offensive surge that began in late April. The run production has
helped Charlotte win nine games in which they have trailed at some
point, including eight on the road.
As the offense has found its footing, Vogt underscored the importance
of the timely hits that the Stone Crabs are starting to collect, home
and away, early or late.
“It’s a lot of fun when you score runs late [in games],” said Vogt
after belting his first homer of the year, which proved to be the
eventual winning run against the St. Lucie Mets on April 29.
“It’s the mark of a good team when you can put up runs in the seventh,
eighth and ninth innings. Especially at home, you’ve got to put up
those insurance runs so to speak, and that’s the mark of a good team.”
The top of the order production has been lead by table-setter Isaias
Velasquez, who has also routinely been in the Top 10 in batting average
(.322). The speedy center fielder is chasing the league’s stolen base
crown with 17 steals, just two behind Kevin Mattison of the Jupiter
Hammerheads.
Velasquez was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Indians in 2008
and converted to an outfielder this Spring. He appears to have found an
everyday position in center field after bouncing around the infield for
three seasons.
Contact Grant: broadcast@stonecrabsbaseball.com
(All statistics are current through May 10)
Pitching, pitching, and more pitching…
For the Stone Crabs, like any club, a strong start to
the season always helps to turn the nervous anticipation of the Spring
into quiet confidence as the season unfolds.
After a sizzling start by the pitching staff, Charlotte may be on their
way to developing a reputation around the Florida State League when it
comes to excellence on the mound. And that can do nothing but help the
confidence of the defending South Division champs.
A quick look at the FSL leader board will confirm just how good the
pitching has been through 18 games. The Stone Crabs are pacing the
league with a 2.61 ERA and are tied for the top spot with 164
strikeouts.
Charlotte hurlers have thrown a wet blanket on opposing offenses. They
have allowed just 51 runs on the season, which translates to an average
of 2.83 runs per game for opponents.
Pardon the pun, but it all starts with the rotation. The work by the
starting five has been steady over the season’s first three weeks.
Lefty Frank De Los Santos ran his record to 3-0 with a win over St.
Lucie last Wednesday and has limited opponents to a .217 batting
average (BAA) through his first three starting assignments.
Top prospects Matt Moore and Nick Barnese are leading the rotation
strikeouts with 23 each, ranking them fifth in the league through April
28. Both have turned in the highest single game strikeout performance,
with Barnese punching out eight men against Fort Myers on April 21 and
Moore striking out eight Hammerheads in Jupiter on April 25.
Marquis Fleming has fast staked a claim as one of the most dominant
relievers in all the minor leagues. The righty from Oakland,
California, finds himself tied for the most strikeouts on the team
(with Barnese and Moore – 5th in the league), and he has needed just 12
innings to do it. He is the hardest pitcher to hit against in the FSL
as the opposition has managed a meager three hits in turning in a
miniscule .077 BAA.
“Marquis Fleming has been an absolute pleasant surprise for us,” said
Stone Crabs pitching coach Neil Allen. “We knew what he was capable of
doing. His changeup is really coming along since the season started.
He’s kept us in games, kept hitters off balance and he’s done a heck of
a job for us.”
The tandem of Zach Quate and Josh Satow give the club strong
righty/lefty closing options. Quate, the right-hander in this duo,
figures to get the lion’s share of the save opportunities with his
electric stuff. While their styles differ, Satow has shown himself to
be more than capable of closing games. A year ago the crafty southpaw
lead the entire Tampa Bay Rays organization with 20 saves. They have
combined to convert all five save chances through April 28.
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