Debut Column

My first attempt at a column over at SportsBubbler.com has been posted. A new column will be posted every Friday.

When reading the opening, it may help to have this in the background...


Of course, there is nothing like finding some errors in the copy after it has been posted. So to be fair to the Dayton Daily News, here are my typos.

That changed in September when the Rattlers and the Milwaukee Brewers since a four year player development contract.

That should be...

That changed in September when the Rattlers and the Milwaukee Brewers signed a four year player development contract.

Then:

The production crew has been getting the been turning the old public address booth into a modern control room, placing camera cables, and doing various other production crew duties.

Geez, how much caffeine did I not have in my system when I wrote this? Should be...

The production crew has been turning the old public address booth into a modern control room, placing camera cables, and doing various other production crew duties.

And the premise about the whole roster not being known and released until Monday? Let me just say stay tuned!

Oops

What is wrong with this opening from an article in the Dayton Daily News regarding the announcement that the Dragons will be televising 15 games this season?

There are more than 120 minor-league baseball teams above the Class A level. Last season, only nine televised some of their games.

The new Class AAA Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Pa.) team broadcast all 72 home games, and will do the same this season as one of its sponsors is a cable company. Class AA Reading did 23. Quad Cities in the Midwest League televised four. The Dayton Dragons were the only other low Class A team to televise, and the Dragons did 15 games.

Here...let me re-re-write that...

There are more than 120 minor-league baseball teams above the Class A level. Last season, only ten televised some of their games.

The new Class AAA Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Pa.) team broadcast all 72 home games, and will do the same this season as one of its sponsors is a cable company. Class AA Reading did 23. Quad Cities in the Midwest League televised four. The Dayton Dragons and the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were the only other low Class A teams to televise. The Dragons did 15 games. The Timber Rattlers had eight games broadcast on Time Warner Cable Sports 32 last year. TWC 32 has scheduled 10 games for broadcast in 2009.

There. Fixed.

From USA Today

Catching up on the backlog of stories. USA Today had a story on the job ahead of new Seattle General Manager Jack Zduriencik. There are names of former Rattlers sprinkled throughout the story.

Where the Mariners stand at each position:

Catcher

The Mariners signed Kenji Johjima to a three-year, $24 million contract extension last spring, and he struggled badly in 2008. The Mariners' depth could necessitate the move of Jeff Clement to another position such as first base or DH.

First base

The Mariners aren't sure whether Bryan LaHair can cut it. He batted .250 with three homers and 10 RBI last season in 45 games after being called up July 18. He is not your prototypical power-hitting first baseman, though, hitting 12 homers in a full season in 2007 at Class AAA Tacoma (Wash.).

Starters

The Mariners' rotation, which had no pitcher winning more than nine games in 2008, is in transition. The Mariners would like to open the year with hard-throwing right-hander Brandon Morrow and Australian left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith. But there isn't enough room as long as Erik Bedard, Jarrod Washburn and Carlos Silva are around.

Bullpen

The bullpen could take a hit if Morrow and Rowland-Smith move into the rotation. The Mariners must hope that Sean Green and Mark Lowe improve after their second-half struggles. The Mariners didn't have a left-hander step up after the trade of Arthur Rhodes in July.

Closer

J.J. Putz blew eight saves in 2008, tying him for the most in the AL. He blew two saves in 42 opportunities the previous season.

Then, there is the prospect section. But, first this quote:

"We haven't been quite as aggressive as we have been in the past," says Greg Hunter, the Mariners' director of player development. "We try to place guys in a spot where they have a chance to succeed. When they outperform their league, we promote them."

Pretty much all of the prospects named are former Rattlers. Rob Johnson, Matt Tuiasosopo, Michael Saunders, Carlos Triunfel, Phillippe Aumont, Shawn Kelley, Mike Wilson, Greg Halman, and Michael Pineda are all mentioned. Click through on the link for the article and scroll to the bottom for the writeup on the prospects.

Then, there is a careless mistake from a national publication in the 2008 Minor League wrapup section. See if you can spot it.

Class AAA: Tacoma (Wash.) Rainiers, 80-64, second place in Pacific Coast League Pacific North.

•Class AA: West Tenn (Jackson, Tenn.) Diamond Jaxx, 70-68, won Southern League North first-half title, lost in first round of playoffs.

•High-A: High Desert (Adelanto, Calif.) Mavericks, 58-82, fifth place in California League South.

•Low-A: Clinton (Iowa) LumberKings, 78-59, won Midwest League Western Division's first-half title, lost in first round of playoffs.

•Short-season: Everett (Wash.) AquaSox, 32-44, fourth place in Northwest League West.

•Rookie: AZL Mariners (Peoria, Ariz.), 21-35, eighth place in Arizona League.

•Rookie: Pulaski (Va.) Mariners, 40-27, first place in Appalachian League East, lost in league championship round.

Put the answer in the comments.

I wasn't going to say anything.

I was going to let this pass. But, this headline from the pros at MiLB.com has been bugging me and I really need to say something.

Dragons' Montano slays Kernels

In the book of headline cliches I keep near me at all times, Dragons do not slay. Dragons roast, toast, claw, or burn. Dragons are slain.

For example, in 2002, Greg Dobbs hit an extra-inning home run at Dayton. Acceptable headline:

Dobbs slays Dragons.

Now, in 2004, Michael Cox hit a grand slam in Cedar Rapids to help the team to a win. Unacceptable headline:

Cox slays Kernels.

Does anybody really slay a nibblet of corn? What size broadsword do you need for that?

Johnny Cueto tossed a rain-shortened no-hitter against the Rattlers a few years ago.

Cueto slays Rattlers. No. Cueto lays waste to Rattlers. Yes.

Look at this painting by Raphael of St. George and the Dragon.




Who is doing the slaying? Not the Dragon.

Not to say that Dragons can't slay something. They are near unstoppabe killing machines and if you really wanted to use another word for what Dragons can do, I guess slay would be acceptable. But, in the mythological context of my headline cliche book and in my world, Bandits Steal, Rattlers Strike, Hawks Swoop, Kernels Pop, Bees Sting, LumberKings Crown, Cougars Maul, Chiefs Extinguish, Snappers Bite, Wizards Cast a Spell, Whitecaps Crash, Loons Laugh, Lugnuts Turn, and Dragons get slain.

Just something I've been thinking about.