A couple from MiLB.com

One of the rotating pieces on the MiLB.com media wall last night was a big picture of Chris Tillman ('07). He was making his Triple-A debut for the Norfolk Tides. He did pretty well. Don't believe me? Here's the headline: Tillman unhittable in Triple-A debut

Orioles top pitching prospect Chris Tillman struck out five over four no-hit innings in his Triple-A debut as the visiting Norfolk Tides beat the Charlotte Knights, 7-0, on Monday at Knights Stadium.

...

Tillman wasn't overpowering -- he walked three and hit a batter -- but he certainly got the job done in his first taste of the International League. He labored a bit, throwing 71 pitches, and did not induce a single ground ball in the outing.

The right-hander, two days shy of his 21st birthday, threw 41 strikes and got seven pop-ups along with his five strikeouts. He struck out the first two batters he faced before walking Bryan Myrow in the first.

Also over at MiLB.com, they have excerpts from the movie Sugar. That link should launch media player. But, if it doesn't...head over to the MiLB.com website, scroll down, and click on the Multimedia Tab. It the link should still be there. It was as of 7:55am.

Some Sugar

Sugar is the name of a movie that was filmed in various Midwest League Stadiums last season.

It gets a story at MiLB.com.

With the notable exception of "Bull Durham," very few baseball movies have dealt specifically with the experience of playing in the Minor Leagues. Fewer still have attempted to portray what it is like to be a Latin American competing in the United States for the first time.

This makes "Sugar" far from an ordinary baseball movie. The film, which opens in New York and Los Angeles on April 3 and nationwide on April 24, tells the story of Dominican pitcher Miguel Santos as he journeys to the United States in order to play his first professional season. After Spring Training, the 19-year-old is assigned to the Bridgeport Swing (in reality, the Swing of the Quad Cities, who have since changed their name to the River Bandits).

It goes without saying that Bridgeport, Iowa is a long way from San Pedro De Macoris. This extreme cultural transition lies at the heart of "Sugar," and it accounts for much of the film's narrative momentum and emotional resonance.

Want to see the trailer? I thought so...


Did you get a glimpse of the Timber Rattler uniform? I wonder if it gets a credit on the imdb.com page for the movie.

It has been mentioned before that former Burlington Bees radio announcer Randy Wehofer is in the movie as...well, it's not a stretch.

Wehofer, who plays the role of Jack Jeffries in the film. Jeffries is -- surprise -- a broadcaster.

"If I'm unconvincing in this role, then it's not just my acting career that's at stake. I'm going to be have to rethink my whole career," said Wehofer.

Wehofer is featured throughout the film, as his play-by-play narration often serves as an effective way to introduce the scene in question. As much as he enjoyed the experience, it certainly wasn't something he ever expected to happen.

"I got a random call from Ryan and Anna early in the 2007 season, because they wanted to do research on what was just an idea at that point," recalled Wehofer. "I invited them to Burlington and helped them facilitate interviews for the next three days. The players they talked to were always cooperative. They would tell them their stories, and answer all their questions.

"On their last day in town, Ryan and Anna came up to the booth to thank me for the help, and I said 'Hey, if you need a radio guy for the movie, let me know.' I was just being flip, but Anna said, 'We'll keep that in mind.'"

Ben Hill catches up with Randy for an post over at Ben's Biz Blog.

Wehofer's dedication to his role was so extreme that he spent the last decade preparing for it. He logged nine seasons as the broadcaster for the Midwest League's Burlington Bees before moving on to the Iowa Cubs prior to the 2008 campaign. In perhaps the greatest coup in Ben's Biz Blog history, I was able to land an exclusive interview with Wehofer.

So, without further ado, a glimpse into the mind of one of Iowa's most buzzed-about actors:

Ben's Biz: You bring a method actor's intensity to your role as play-by-play announcer Jack Jeffries. Did this make you difficult to deal with on the set? Any Christian Bale-style freakouts?

Randy Wehofer: Working in minor league baseball for 10 years, I've grown very accustomed to a specialized and pampered lifestyle and while on set, I demanded that things worked exactly like a real game. I was especially pleased when the guy who played the visiting manager changed his lineup five minutes before shooting the scene and didn't tell anyone so we could scramble in the press box to figure out who was coming to the plate. When we shot the road scenes, they were sure to bring me a cold hot dog in the fourth inning when I couldn't possibly have time to eat it or enjoy it. I really appreciated the way the crew went out of its way to keep me in my comfort zone.

Randy makes all members of the Midwest League Announcers Alumni Association proud. Well, I would guess. I'm not a member because I'm still in the Midwest League.

Sugar opens April 24.

One time co-owner of the New York Knights is gone

Earlier this week, actor Robert Prosky died.

Robert Prosky, 77, a character actor with hundreds of film, TV and stage credits whose roles included an avuncular sergeant on the NBC police drama "Hill Street Blues" and a desperate real estate salesman in David Mamet's play "Glengarry Glen Ross," has died.

He played Sgt. Stan Jablonsky on Hill Street Blues. But -- in my world -- he was best known as The Judge, the co-owner of the New York Knights.

Here is how he introduced himself to Roy Hobbs in the movie:

Please pardon the absence of light. You see, as a youngster I was frightened of the dark and I used to wake up sobbing in it as if it was water...and I was drowning in it.

As you will observe, I have disciplined myself against that fear that now I much prefer a dark room.

With no college football this Saturday, I'll have to pop that movie in the LaserDisc at the trailer.

This has bugged me for 20 years....

The trip home from Great Lakes included, as usual, some movies. Major League was popped into the DVD player.

Okay, they get to the final game against the Yankees.

Forget the fact that the Yankees should have walked Taylor to bring up Dorn with the potential for an inning ending double play that would have sent the game into extra innings. That's just dramatic license and I'll let that slide.

No, what's bugging me is Taylor coming up in the ninth inning correct?

The Indians order in that final game would have been:

Hayes (CF)
Taylor (C)
Dorn (3B)
Cerrano (RF)
Jones (LF)
Smith (2B)
Williams (DH)
Mehring (1B)
Almost (SS)

Harris (SP)

I can't recall off the top of my head 5-9 batters in the Indian lineup. So, I made up some names.

In the bottom of the seventh, Taylor makes the second out of the inning, with the Tribe trailing 2-0. Dorn gets his basehit and Cerrano follows with his homer. Here it is in Spanish:



Now, let's assume that Jones makes the final out of the seventh.

Almost has to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning. So, Smith and Williams would make the first two outs and Mehring (of course) would make the last out -- preferably at flailing away at a particularly nasty changeup to have the Indians go down in order in the bottom of the eighth.

Almost -- I know his name is said, but I can't recall it now so he gets the name Almost because he -- almost hits the game winning homer to lead off the bottom of the ninth but is out on a spectacular catch in the right field corner. That leaves Hayes to get the infield single, steal second and score on the following play by Taylor..



I guess it works, but I need to get this straight in my head. Maybe the whole game needs to be reconstructed. Looks like I need to go to the videotape. Stay tuned.

I've been meaning to puzzle out if the end of The Natural makes baseball sense as far as the order goes, too.