Inside Pitch

Columbus wins Triple-A title again

With a week to go in the MLB regular season, we can finally put a wrap on 2011 for the minor leagues.

The Columbus Clippers did the honors Tuesday night, posting an 8-3 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers in the Triple-A National Championship Game at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque. It's the second straight title in the IL/PCL showdown for the Clippers -- and do I really need to remind you they're the Cleveland affiliate?

Columbus won last year's game over Tacoma, 12-6, in Oklahoma City. Oddly enough, the Clippers overcame 3-0 deficits in both contests. Columbus and Sacramento (2007-2008) are the only teams to win the game in consecutive years since it began in 2006.

I still hate the one-game idea, but it's better than nothing and it gets the season over so players can go on to an MLB call. Back when the Bisons played the Triple-A World Series (losing in 1998 to New Orleans in Las Vegas), it was a best-of-five affair. I'd love to see this go at least best-of-three but logistics are tough.

After five years in Oklahoma City, the game is now going to move around. Albuquerque hosted this year and the 2012 game is in Durham. After that, it's likely to alternate between the leagues. Would imagine the Bisons might throw their hat in the ring for it some year (the IL's next host role available is 2014).

One big plus: They got it on national television again, albeit on Versus when it used to be on ESPN/ESPN2 and probably should sneak on to MLB Network.

One negative: The name. Triple-A National Championship Game? Yawn. When it was in Oklahoma City, it was called the "Bricktown Showdown" because of the Bricktown region of town and the fact it was at Bricktown Ballpark. It was catchy but people outside that city didn't know what that meant either. Maybe they should just go with "Triple-A Showdown."

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

IL Items for the Labor Day season finales

Happy Labor Day and while you might be celebrating the unofficial end of summer, the International League is marking the official end of its season. Today is the final day of play in the regular season and here are some of the storylines:

---The Bisons finish their campaign with a 1 p.m. game at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. After splitting Sunday night's doubleheader (with the second game cut short by rain), the Bisons are 61-81. They have thus lost 80 games in a season for the second time in three years with the New York Mets -- but just the third time in its 27 years of modern-era Triple-A ball. Not a good reflection for the Amazins.

---As for Scranton, today will be its final game in PNC Field. The ballpark will be bulldozed and completely rebuilt in time for 2013. Yes, 2013. That means the Yankees are going to spend 2012 barnstorming. A decision on that will be announced by Sept. 20. (An aside: The forecast is not good at all for today. Sunday night, in fact, might have been the end of the season for the Herd and Baby Yankees. (1:30 p.m. update: The game began on time under cloudy skies).

---Pawtucket (North), Durham (South) and Columbus (West) have clinched division titles. Lehigh Valley and Gwinnett enter the final day still battling for the wild-card. Lehigh Valley wiped out a 4-1 deficit Sunday night to post a 7-4 win at Syracuse and can take the first playoff spot in its four-year history with a win today at Syracuse. If the IronPigs lose and Gwinnett beats Charlotte, the teams will stage a one-game playoff Tuesday in Allentown, Pa.

---Rochester's 4-3 loss at Pawtucket was its 90th of the season -- the most in the minors -- and gave the Wings back-to-back 90-loss campaigns for the first time since 1903-04.

---Indianapolis won at Louisville, 5-3, to improve to 76-67 and will just miss the playoffs after an horrendous start to the season that saw the Indians open 1-8 and finish April 7-17. Indy had winning records in every other month; the Tribe just ran out of time.

---The playoffs are scheduled to start Wednesday but the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee could have a huge impact on that calendar. Starting with the potential playoff Tuesday night at Lehigh Valley.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

Around the horn: Mets, Meals, mound magic

Lots of tasks cluttering my mind that include (gasp) a Bills column for Friday's paper. I'll have some thoughts on free agency, especially how Darcy Regier simply has a much easier road than Buddy Nix at this point in time. But there's never "out of time" when it comes to baseball and I've got a few thoughts here:

---Wish the Mets could have gotten more help for the '12 Bisons in exchange for Carlos Beltran. That said, the word is that Zach Wheeler is a solid pitching prospect and GM Sandy Alderson said today they went for one high-ceiling prospect (Wheeler was the No. 6 pick in 2009), rather than a package of three-lower prospects. Maybe he sneaks to Buffalo in the second half of next year. We'll see. 

---Wonder what, if anything, the Yankees do this week for pitching. Especially since Phil Hughes couldn't even beat the 17-loss-in-a-row Mariners in yet another game that showed the Yankees could use Felix Hernandez.

---How about a suspension when umpires make an obvious mistake? Can't think of any candidates offhand .... Can you, Jerry Meals?

---I love this MLB.com collection of calls on the Meals video from both teams' crews. ROOT Sports Pittsburgh's Greg Brown -- the former Bisons and Bills announcer -- goes utterly ballistic around 27 seconds. Classic.

---What a crazy couple of days in Syracuse. Columbus pitcher Justin Germano tossed just the fifth perfect game in IL history Tuesday over the Syracuse Chiefs but the Chiefs nearly got revenge Wednesday as Brad Peacock took a no-hittter into the eighth before a Beau Mills double broke him off. That was the only Columbus hit in a 2-0 Syracuse win. Crazy year in the Cuse. Ex-Bison Michael Aubrey had a four-homer game in June against Durham and now a perfect game.

---Courtesy of the Clippers, here's the final out of the perfecto and the clubhouse scene as Germano comes off the field.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

 

Syracuse in town for a two-game series

---The Bisons, currently 6-2 on this 10-game homestand, take on Syracuse in a two-game series tonight and Sunday afternoon. Buffalo is an even 23-23 at Coca-Cola Field this season. Here is the starting lineup for tonight's game:

Luis Figueroa, ss
Michael Fisher, 3b
Nick Evans, rf
Val Pascucci, 1b
Jason Botts, lf
Mike Nickeas, c
Luis Hernandez, 2b
Jesus Feliciano, cf
Mark Cohoon, p

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Schwinden makes 15th start of the season

---The last time Chris Schwinden took the mound he retired 17 consecutive batters in a victory over Norfolk. The IL All-Star is also making his staff high 15th start on the year. Here is the starting lineup for tonight's game:

Luis Figueroa, ss
Michael Fisher, 3b
Nick Evans, lf
Val Pascucci, 1b
Jesus Feliciano, cf
Luis Hernandez, 2b
Bubba Bell, rf
Raul Chavez, c
Chris Schwinden, p

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

The Sandberg Game

For all Ryne Sandberg accomplished during his Hall of Fame baseball career, June 23, 1984 stands out as the day he became a household name.

In a nationally televised game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs second baseman had a performance for the ages. He went 5-for-6 with two home runs and seven RBIs in a 12-11 victory in 11 innings. Sandberg hit a solo homer to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth inning and added a game-tying, two-run shot in the 10th. Both homers came off relief pitcher Bruce Sutter, who was the dominant closer of that era.

That game brought a lot of national attention not only to Sandberg but also to the Cubs, who emerged as contenders and advanced to the postseason for the first time in 39 years. Sandberg went on to win his only National League MVP award. He also began an amazing streak of 10 straight All-star game appearances and nine straight Gold Gloves. Not bad for a guy who played his first full season at second base in 1984.

"It was a one-game thing that elevated my thought of what I was as a player, more of an impact-type of a guy, a game-winning type of a player,'' said Sandberg, manager of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, who beat the host Buffalo Bisons, 6-3, Tuesday in the first game of a four-game series.

"It was my third year in the Major Leagues at the time,'' he said. "I was only 24 years old. It really catapulted me to an MVP season and it also got the Cubs as a national draw. It was a great year. But June 23, which also happens to be my number, it also got me jumped ahead of [L.A. Dodger] Steve Sax as far as me going to the first of my 10 straight All-Star games. I was second place in the voting before that game and within four or five days after that, the game being the Saturday game of the week, I got a lot more votes and started my first All-star game in San Francisco.''

---Allen Wilson   

Sandberg talks baseball

Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg held court with members of the local media at Coca-Cola Field Tuesday before the start of a four-game series between the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs and Buffalo Bisons.

Sandberg is in his first season managing the Iron Pigs, and he has them in first place in the International League's North Division. That's an impressive feat for a franchise that has been an IL laughingstock since the former Ottawa Lynx relocated to Allentown, Pa., in 2008. The Iron Pigs started 0-11 in their first year and never spent a day above .500 in the three seasons before Sandberg's arrival.

It's hardly a coincidence. Sandberg was the Pacific Coast League's Manager of the Year in 2010 with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs and has won at every other minor league level.

He credits the Philadelphia Phillies for stocking the Lehigh Valley roster with veteran talent, but he deserves credit for making good use of that talent.

“Out of spring training and early in April it was my job to form a team and get them playing together as a group,’’ said Sandberg, who has seen 10 players promoted to the parent club. “It’s a good group to come to the ballpark every day, so I enjoy that and getting in our work. With their talent and with the work that we put in, the wins have been the side effect of all that.’’

However, he was passed over by the Chicago Cubs' managerial job last offseason. It was a stunning snub considering his greatest seasons came with the Cubs, who made him one of four players to have his jersey retired.

Sandberg could have returned to Iowa, but chose to leave the Cubs organization to manage for the Phillies organization, where his 16-year career began in 1978.

"There was a sense of disappointment, but that’s baseball,'' said the 10-time All-Star, nine-time Golden Glove winner, seven-time Silver Slugger recipient and 1984 National League MVP. "The next thing is what do I do now? The Phillies called me right away to see what my plans were. They got good recommendations about what I did in the Minor Leagues, so they offered me this job. I thought it was a great situation to come back here and wear this uniform and help out the Phillies at the Minor League level. I still have a goal of being a part of a World Series, so if I can do it in this capacity that would be ideal. I really enjoy where I’m at.''

For more on Sandberg's playing and managing career, check out my column in Wednesday's Buffalo News.

---Allen Wilson

 

Bisons begin four-game set with Clippers

It's Star Wars Night at Coca-Cola Field, as the Herd takes on the Columbus Clippers in the first game of a four-game series. The Bisons are wearing special Star Wars themed uniforms which will be auctioned off following the game. The Bisons are 1-3 so far on its current homestand after Friday night's loss to Indianapolis. Here is the starting lineup for tonight's game:

Luis Figueroa, ss
Michael Fisher, 3b
Fernando Martinez, rf
Val Pascucci, 1b
Zach Lutz, dh
Jesus Feliciano, cf
Luis Hernandez, 2b
Jason Botts, lf
Raul Chavez, c
Chris Schwinden, p

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Bisons close out series with Indians

---Tonight's game is the final matchup between the Bisons and the Indians this season, with Indy taking the season series with five wins. Here is the Bisons starting lineup for tonight's game:

Michael Fisher, 2b
Luis Hernandez, ss
Valentino Pascucci, 1b
Fernando Martinez, rf
Zach Lutz, 3b
Jason Botts, lf
Mike Nickeas, c
Jesus Feliciano, cf
Mark Cohoon, p

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Bisons back home for eight

An eight-game homestand starts in just about a half hour at the downtown ballpark as the Buffalo Bisons are back home. They'll kick off a four-game set with the Indianapolis Indians at 7:05 p.m. It's perfect baseball weather here at Coca-Cola Field, with just a gentle breeze and temperatures in the 70s.

For the Bisons, right-hander Josh Stinson will oppose southpaw Justin Wilson on the mound. Stinson is 3-4 with a 5.04 earned-run average. The Bisons wrapped up a 3-5 road trip last night and are 26-33 on the season, 11 games out in the International League North.

Stinson, who has won his last two decisions, will look to help reverse that tonight against the Indians. He's 3-1 with a 2.40 ERA at home this year.

At the plate, Valentino Pascucci has driven in 29 runs for the Herd since May 10, leading the IL. Pascucci is hitting .317 with eight doubles, five homers and 12 runs during that 26-game stretch. He has a team-high 34 RBIs.

Here is Buffalo's posted lineup for tonight:

Luis Figueroa, SS

Michael Fisher, 3B

Lucas Duda, LF

Pascucci, 1B

Fernando Martinez, RF

Kirk Nieuwenhuis, CF

Luis Hernandez, 2B

Raul Chavez, C

Stinson, P

---Jay Skurski

http://twitter.com/jayskurski