The Nuthouse

I promised Will Savage I would title my next blog entry “Lutz from deep” because of an amazing shot I made during a game of H-O-R-S-E last night. Actually, it was a three-letter game, but I don’t know if it’s family friendly. OK, it was N-U-T.

I got caught up in playing N-U-T with Savage, Brooks, Pearson and team trainer Chris Roy. I swished a shot from well beyond the fence that encloses the basketball court. I think I got Brooks a letter with that one. Then Savage and I started endlessly competing in best-of-10 free throw shooting. I think he came out ahead.

This was all well after last night’s game — I went to the postgame get-together to talk to Thunder GM Joel Lomurno about travel plans to Lincoln. On my way out, I drained a jumper and had to keep playing. I ended up shooting for a while — Savage said he couldn’t lose to the beat reporter, and I guess he didn’t. But it was close. He’s 6-foot-4 with a nice-looking shot. What chance did I really have?

Anyway, that wasn’t the point of this blog entry. Some of you may have read the story I wrote on Dustan Mohr that ran in Sunday’s edition. I interviewed him for nearly a half hour in Sioux Falls nine days ago, and I had to leave a lot of good quotes out of the story. Here are some of them:

On reaction to learning he had a cancerous thyroid growth:
Once we found out, it was tough on everybody. Not just me, but my parents (wife Denise’s) parents, everybody involved. But at the same time, we knew what was going on, so we had a game plan on what we had to do to get better. Hopefully that happened.

Coming into this year, it’s been totally different. I’ve had a different perspective as far as… I feel great, I’m having fun. Because last year wasn’t fun for many reasons — being sick, mostly. So I’ve just tried to enjoy every minute of it because this could be my last year playing. Not because I want it to be, because other reasons — not just baseball, but off the field, too.

Once I found out what it was, I just felt like, OK, now what information do I need to get so I can get rid of it. My whole time (in the majors), I was only on the DL once, with a calf injury, and I knew how to get over that. It was a sense of relief, in a weird way, I guess, because it’s like now we know what it is and we know what we have to do. As opposed to not knowing and you don’t know what you’re supposed to do. It was a sense of relief.

On differences between the big leagues and independent ball:
I’ve played at the highest level and I know what I’m capable of. At this level, for me, you have to keep perspective. There’s a lot of things about playing at this level that are a lot different from Triple-A or the big leagues — pitching, defense, umpires, strike zone. That’s just being honest. I’ve actually tried to convey that to other players, especially pitchers. It’s good that you do well in this league and you should feel good about it, but you have to also be realistic that in the upper levels you’re not going to have as big of a strike zone. For hitters, the defenses are going to be much better, so the balls that are hits here aren’t going to be hits at higher levels.

On the realization that he wouldn’t be picked up by a major league organization this season:
I kind of felt fairly early that nothing is probably going to happen like last year. I had been in contact with several teams, and it was always sort of the standard answer: Hey, we’d love to have you, but we just don’t have a spot right now. That’s just code for, we just think what we have is better. And that’s fine. In terms of, did it make it easier to be here or more fun, I don’t know. If I’m being honest, which I try to be always, sometimes it’s hard. That’s the one thing that’s hard about playing in this league. There’s something to be said for knowing that you’re playing for advancement.

It’s just like anybody with a regular job — you want to know there’s an opportunity to be promoted up the ranks and get to the highest place of whatever it is you do. And sometimes feeling like, Hey, I’m doing all this and what’s it really doing? Clearly you play for the team and it’s good for the team, but I think if everybody is honest about it, you want to know that if you do well you have an opportunity to get some recognition for it, to get signed by an organization. So sometimes it’s harder to know that you’re going to be here all year.

On the benefits of having good team chemistry:
The most fun you can have in this game, I think, is when you go out there and win as a team. It’s nice to get your numbers and everything, but in the end if you don’t win there’s a hole there. A piece of the pie is missing. So you feel good about yourself and you can go to parties and tell everybody you hit .300, and it sounds good and it sounds cool, but you’re watching the playoffs like everybody else and wishing you were there.

On the definition of a leader:
Sometimes guys base what they think of you on your numbers, which is totally wrong in my opinion. But they seem to look up to the guys who have great numbers that season, as opposed to the guys who, maybe they don’t have great numbers, but they know what they’re talking about. (In Colorado in 2005), it was uncomfortable and it was different. I got hurt at the beginning of the year and missed six weeks and could never catch up when I got back. I wish it could have worked out differently there, but it didn’t. I’ll always remember that year, even though we weren’t very good, because I learned a lot from a lot of guys.

On the clubhouse atmosphere with Barry Bonds in San Francisco in 2004:
A fluid clubhouse, you have to have it that way. If there are guys that are uneasy about being around other guys for whatever reason, you’re not going to have a successful team. Barry was polarizing to everybody, whether you liked him or not. Everybody wants to talk to him. It’s like the president — you may not like president Obama, but you’re not going to pass up a chance to meet him. You’re not going to say, I don’t want to meet him because I don’t like his policies. Barry was that way. We had a good clubhouse in San Francisco, but everybody knew it was Barry’s clubhouse.

The difference between San Francisco and Minnesota is that it Minnesota it was everybody’s clubhouse. There were the guys that were the team leaders. They would set the standard, but it was for everybody and everybody had fun. You could pick on everybody, and nobody was exempt from a little hazing. A fluid clubhouse is going to be more successful.

On fitting in with this year’s team as opposed to last year’s:
I get along with everybody. We had some people last year, their character probably wasn’t where it needed to be. I don’t need to mention any names — people who were here last year know who those people are. This year, there’s all good guys. Porter’s experienced, Blasi’s experienced, Kelly’s got some experience. The new guys that come into our clubhouse know what is expected.

Of course, that all starts with (manager Kevin Hooper). There are some things that just aren’t going to be tolerated, regardless of how good a player you are or think you are. Everything is run really smooth and everybody has a good understanding of how we’re going to play the game under Hoop as our manager. Regardless of what happens from here on out, it will have been a successful formula.

On being an ex-major league on an independent league team:
I don’t look at it as being the big fish. I enjoy sharing my experiences with (teammates). I don’t go out of my way to tell people things. I don’t go out of my way to say, Hey, I played in the big leagues and this is how you should do it. I don’t do that. If people have questions, they ask. I don’t force myself on anybody. I don’t just go up to people and say, You’re doing this or you’re doing that. For the most part, I just enjoy talking about baseball and, because of how long I played and the places I’ve been, I have a lot of stories to tell. And I’m more than willing to tell them if people ask. But if people don’t ask, I don’t really tell them. I enjoy the fact that I have knowledge, because of where I’ve been, to help them.

Let’s just say that the American Association abandoned roster rules for one season and that teams could sign whatever players were willing to play in the league. And let’s also say that general manager Josh Robertson and whomever next year’s manager will be decided to clean house and bring in a completely new roster. And let’s also say that they asked my input and ended up with 22 ex-Wranglers.

What would that roster look like? Well, it would look like a team of ex-Wranglers, I suppose. It would look, more specifically, like this: DISCLAIMER: I’m killing time in the office, waiting for an e-mail reply and waiting to leave for tonight’s game. I recognize that this blog entry has no meaning whatsoever, but it’s still fun!

Catcher: Adam Donachie (Wranglers 2006-2007)
It’s sad to say, but the catchers who have come up through the Royals system look like, well, a group of players who are suited for independent ball. I went with Donachie because there’s no evidence that Mike Tonis is still alive. Donachie is batting .218 in Double-A with the Orioles.

First base: Craig Brazell (2007)
Brazell started this season with the St. Paul Saints before going back to Japan, where he played last year. He hit a combined 39 homers between Wichita and Omaha in ‘07 and 27 last year in Japan. I’d expect him to hit third in this lineup.

Second base: Jeff Eure (2007)
Well, this is convenient! Eure already plays in the American Association, with St. Paul. He’s batting .265 with five homers. So he’s not very good. But his presence in the league was the basis for coming up with this team in the first place, so he pretty much has to be a part of it.

Third base: Brennan King (2005)
Not to be confused with current Wingnut Brenan Herrera, of course. What other journalist do you know who can say he covered two Bren(n)ans? I feel proud. King currently is in Double-A with the Phillies, but he’s very mediocre even by minor-league standards, so there’s a chance he won’t find an affiliated job next season.

Shortstop: Irving Falu (2005, 2007)
This is another guy who might be tough to snag for an independent team, since Falu is currently in Triple-A. But he’s still in the Royals organization and looks to be on his way to minor-league free agency this season. If nobody else picks him up, why not return to the glory days of Wichita, where he …was well below average.

Left field: Kit Pellow (1997-98)
All this guy does, at every level he’s ever played (except the majors) is hit bombs. He actually has 300 career minor-league homers. On the dot. His M.O. has been to play in the Mexican League before finishing with a team in the American Association (OK, he’s only done that once — last year). So why can’t he play a whole season of independent ball? Last year he hit a combined 40 homers at three stops.

Center field: Mel Stocker (2004-05)
I never would have given Stocker much of a chance to reach the majors, but he actually did, playing in nine games with the Brewers in 2007. He’s never been much of a hitter, but he can really run (298 career steals), and he has decent plate discipline. We need a leadoff guy on this team, so Stocker (who was nicknamed Male Stalker by former Wrangler media relations guru Katie Cook and me) is our guy.

Right field: Tydus Meadows (2002-03)
I wanted to go with Cory Aldridge or Byron Gettis in this spot. But Aldridge is playing very well in Triple-A and figures to have an affiliated job next season, and Gettis hasn’t played since 2005 and I don’t know what happened to him. Meadows gets the job by default, but he has a decent pedigree, with 152 minor-league homers. He was playing with Joliet of the Northern League (where Kash Beauchamp was the hitting coach), but hasn’t played since July 11.

Designated hitter: Josh Pressley (2005)
Sure, he was suspended for performance enhancing drugs back in that magical 2005 season, but he surely learned his lesson. Pressley, who owns more than 100 minor-league homers, hit 30 bombs (with a .354 average) for Somerset of the Atlantic League in 2008. This season, he continues to crush weak pitching, with 14 bombs and 71 RBIs.

Batting order
CF Stocker
SS Falu
1B Brazell
DH Pressley
LF Pellow
3B King
RF Meadows
C Donachie
2B Eure

Starting pitcher: Tyler Lumsden (2006)
Once a big-time prospect in the White Sox organization, Lumsden had no success after coming over in the Mike MacDougal trade, even going 3-13 in Omaha last season. He’s a lefty currently in Triple-A, so he’s likely to find work in an organization. But if teams collectively give up on him next year, there’s a spot for him in Wichita.

Starting pitcher: Kyle Middleton (2004-06)
Even though Middleton pitched in the AA this season with Pensacola, he’s not a strong candidate to return since he’s pitching well in Triple-A with Oakland. The Wingnuts would have loved to pry Middleton from Pensacola earlier this season and I’m sure they would welcome him with open arms if he happens to fall out of favor in Oakland and can’t get picked up by another team.

Starting pitcher: Ryan Baerlocher (2001-05)
This is another guy whose whereabouts are unknown to yours truly. But he pitched as recently as 2007, so I’m sure he could be ready to go by the start of 2010. Baerlocher spent way too much time in Wichita, perhaps not getting the chance to develop into the capable, mid-rotation major league starter he looked to have the potential to be. He finished (or maybe started) 2007 in the Atlantic League.

Starting pitcher: Thad Markray (2005-06)
Markray’s time in Wichita was marred by the death of his young daughter. He looked to have the capability of being a major league reliever at some point, but he was probably never the same after that happened. He’s currently pitching his second season with Shreveport-Bossier in the American Association.

Starting pitcher: Les Walrond (2003)
Walrond seemed like a perfect candidate for this team until I discovered he pitched in the majors last season. Six games for the Phillies, who I imagine gave him a full World Series share for his efforts. But Walrond hasn’t played this season, so I imagine he’s hurt. What better place to prove you’re healthy for 2010 by starting in the city where you pitched (and won!) two games six years ago?

Closer: Ryan Braun (2005-06)
Another ex major-leaguer (35 combined games in 2006 and 2007), Braun dealt with some injuries and is trying to make his way back. He missed all of 2008 and has pitched this season in rookie ball and Class A with the Chicago White Sox. If he returns to Wichita, I hope the mustache he rocked back in 2005 returns, too. Oh, and it’s not THAT Ryan Braun.

What a team, huh? I didn’t do a bench or name relievers — gotta make Robertson do SOME work, you know? But I’ve given him a head start. This was done all in fun and would never actually work, obviously, because of roster rules that necessitate rookies, but this would be a darn good squad. Of course, I doubt any of these players, while they were in Wichita the first time, ever got excited about the opportunity to one day return on the bottom rung.

Hey, it’s time to go to the ballpark! It worked!

That’s a takeoff on the Wayne’s World line where Wayne is trying out the new green screen for the show and it shows him a background of Delaware, and he’s supposed to come up with something to say. He goes with (unenthusiastically), “Hi, I’m in Delaware.” I’m not unenthused about being in South Dakota, though. Mount Rushmore is here (though 333 miles away) and so are the Wingnuts.

Surely the Eagle wouldn’t send me to cover a game in Sioux Falls, right? Surely not. I travled up in a rental Kia Sportage with Jeremy and Asa, two members of the Nuthouse, section 118 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Last year we went to St. Paul, so I suspect we’re just making our way north to south through American Association cities. Next year it’s Sioux City, followed by Lincoln, then Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, etc.

I got about three minutes down the road from my apartment this morning before I realized I’d forgotte. n my cell phone charger. When I went back to retrieve it, I should have also grabbed a sweatshirt. Because it’s not exactly warm up here — it’s windy and the sun isn’t out. But I’m in a (excessively) heated press box, so I can’t complain too much. Except about the excessive heat. And Jeremy and Asa are at Wal-Mart (allegedly) purchasing cheap long-sleeve T-shirts for everybody. We’re good.

We passed the Wingnuts’ bus on the way up here. It’s about a 7 1/2 hour drive from Wichita. We left at 9:05 or so and arrived at 4:35, so the math works out there. The bus didn’t arrive until about 5:40, so the Wingnuts will have to scamper a bit to get ready for this one. When we passed the bus, manager Kevin Hooper was asleep in the front, so I imagine everyone is well-rested.

The field is nice. Very nice. Much nicer than I expected. Actually, I didn’t know what to expect, but I’m very impressed. The dimensions are a little wacky, but the ballpark is clean and it has an intimate setting. It looks new — much newer, much nicer than Lawrence-Dumont. I have no problems with L-D, but this part is just nicer. Grass infield, that helps.

Now, about those dimensions. I’m reading them off the outfield wall here — 312 down the right field line, 330 to straight-away right field, 410 to just right of center, 393 to just left of center, 380 to the left field power alley, 343 to straight-away left, 317 to a little more left, and 313 down the left field line. No dimension posted for the right-field power alley, but it’s probably 360 or so, I’d say. Lots of turns and corners, so it might be difficult for outfielders who aren’t used to it.

Interviewed Joe D’Alessandro for the first time last night and was impressed. Nice kid. He’s younger than me, I can call him “kid.” Not taking the loss of his closer’s role too hard. That’s the kind of guy you want on your team — doesn’t complain, just does what he’s told. Hopefully for the Wingnuts’ sake he reduces those shaky outings, because with his electric fastball he can be a weapon in the postseason.

Better go see what Jeremy and Asa are up to. I’m sure they’re in the parking lot, trying to relate to the Sioux Falls natives. The unlimited mileage on the rental car tells us we should check out Rushmore tomorrow, but the five-hour trip quickly talks us out of it. So tomorrow, or whenever, I’ll have a report on the happening town of Sioux Falls. Talk to you then. Or whenever.

I’m burying the lead here as far as talking about the Wingnuts returning after an 18-day road trip, but that’s OK. I want to talk about something else first, and it’s my blog (whether or not Taylor Eldridge and Paul Suellentrop try to take it over during the NBC), so I can do that.

One of my favorite things is checking the transactions wire of the American Association to see if there are any names I recognize. My assumption is that if I recognize your name as you join the league, then you’re going to be a difference maker. And I recognize a lot of names, so maybe that’s not the best assumption. If I don’t recognize your name, that’s when your team could be in trouble.

Anyway, I’d like to welcome two ex-Indians to the American Association. Jim Brower, who pitched for the Indians for two seasons (1999-2000) and had his most MLB success with the Giants, is now a member of the St. Paul Saints. In fact, Brower led the National League in games pitched, 89 with the Giants in 2004. That year Brower also had an ERA+ of 132. Which is good. Go look up ERA+ if you’re not familiar with the statistic.

But Brower was bad in 2005 then awful in 2oo6 and 2007, when he made his last MLB appearance with the Yankees. Last year he pitched in Triple-A with Cincinnatti, Houston and the Cubs. As far as I know, he hasn’t pitched anywhere this season, but now he’s a Saint and a teammate of former Cleveland farmhand Jason Cooper.

Joining Grand Prairie last week was Lee Gronkiewicz, who never pitched in the majors with Cleveland but had some nice minor-league seasons in the Indians system. Gronkiewicz has one MLB game to his credit, with Toronto in 2007. He has 159 saves in the minors, including 37 with Cleveland’s High-A affiliate in 2003. I’m sure he’ll be the closer for Grand Prairie, and I wonder, with the Wingnuts also picking up a closer, if they were in on Gronk.

Nice segway into the Wingnuts, huh? The closer they picked up, as you may have seen in the newspaper this morning, is Justin Dowdy, formerly of Shreveport-Bossier. He’s a pretty filthy left-hander from what I’ve heard. Definitely what the Wingnuts need, because they have gotten poor production from the back end of the bullpen this season. Got my first look at Dowdy today during pregame, and he’s pretty tatted up. Looks intimidating. So we’ll see. After proclaiming Joe D’Alessandro the next big thing, I’m going to watch my words. But this guy looks more “hit” than “miss” I think.

And how about Kevin Hooper almost activating himself? I think this was actually very, very close to happening, but with the acquisition of Dowdy, the Wingnuts had to clear salary and drop the roster to 21. Since Hooper would have to be on a veteran’s salary, they would have had to let go of two players to add one and the roster would have been at 20. That’s not enough for the playoffs, so I think Hooper and the team made the right decision to keep him in the coaches box. He definitely would have helped, though.

Three-game series starting today with Sioux City. I’m sure the Wignuts are hoping this feels a lot longer than three days, because I doubt another road series seems too inticing after the long road trip from which they just returned. Excited to see them play again, though. It’s been too long.