Heels On The Field: A Baseball Blog

Guest Blogging On The Field: Steph Diorio Pinch Hits

My buddy Steph, who covers the Baltimore Orioles and Stanford baseball for Aerys Sports, agreed to contribute to HHOTF a few weeks ago and I'm happy to bring that to you now.

On Monday (5/9/11), I was in Binghamton watching my B-Mets take on the New Britain Rock Cats. A personal favorite player of mine, New Britain's Chris Cates, was having a great day, with two walks and a hit in there. I was thrilled, even though the team I actually wanted to win was, well, not winning.

That's when I heard it. "Stick to the horses!" someone yelled as Cates took his place at shortstop. At first my friends and I were a little perplexed, but I picked up on it pretty quickly - they were heckling Cates because of his height.

"You're up past your bedtime!" yelled another fan from the other side of NYSEG Stadium. "Goodbye, Shorty!" shouted a ten-year-old girl after the one at-bat Cates did not reach base in. I shrunk down in my seat and kept quiet, although I was seething on the inside.

Cates and I are both 5'2". As a kid, I was made fun of for a bunch of things, my height being one of many (I had a miserable time with my peers growing up, but that's another story entirely). Hearing a bunch of fans' prejudices towards Cates just because he was shorter than them broke my heart. Clearly he was doing something right if he made it to AA ball. And hey, it wasn't like those fans had made it to AA ball. They weren't even playing.

It made me think of the larger issue at hand here. Fans and commentators alike are absolutely astounded at the contributions players like Dustin Pedroia, Sam Fuld and David Eckstein can make. They're all tiny by baseball player standards. The fact that people are still skeptical of players who are smaller than average is kind of depressing, given that I thought we'd moved past silly prejudices like height. Obviously these players are in the Majors. They can handle themselves. They're good. Pedroia was even league MVP. And yet these questions remain, with countless coaches rejecting kids because they're "too short to play baseball."

Can we just make it stop already? A baseball player is a baseball player. He - or she, because girls play baseball too - doesn't have to look like anyone in particular. He or she can be tall, short, thin, or have some extra pounds, have any skin tone and heritage, and be whoever he or she wants to be on and off the field. There's no reason why anyone shouldn't be able to play baseball.

And hey, Cates is a pretty darn good shortstop. Even if he does look like me when he stands next to other players.

Steph Diorio is a writer for Aerys Sports, where she covers the Orioles, Stanford baseball, and the MLB Draft. She hates heightism and is very much an advocate of short baseball players.

Steph Diorio
Aerys Sports Orioles Correspondent and Chief Stanford Baseball Writer
http://aeryssports.com/charm-city-yakyuu/
http://aeryssports.com/nine-shot-first/
http://1863-project-art.tumblr.com/ 

Phillies Pitcher Scott Mathieson Talks About Going Back To Lehigh

Scott Mathieson knows how the business of baseball works.

He's done his best to keep a positive attitude through every obstacle and, on Friday, he faced another difficult moment. He was going back to the Phillies Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. He'd pitched three innings for the Phillies, giving up five hits, and allowed no runs. Then he was heading back to Lehigh where he's spent parts of two seasons.

"I expected when [Jose] Contreras came off that someone would have to get sent down, but I was a little disappointed that it was this early," he said Friday afternoon.

This time around, Mathieson took the times he was actually needed in stride.

"I didn't get to throw too much, that's always tough. I felt good getting in last night, getting two innings. I felt a lot better with those two innings. Hopefully my command was a bit better and hopefully they saw something, that they feel I can help them out down the road."

Not throwing a lot wasn't something he let bother him. He stays true to the process of preparation.

"It never helps not throwing a lot. But I try to get game-ready in the bullpen and I feel like you're still throwing. I try to stay sharp."

When he gets back to pitch for the Iron Pigs and takes the ball, there are things Mathieson needs to work on and he knows it.

"I'm definitely going to just keep working on my off-speed pitches, And try to get guys out. I started feeling a lot better with my fastball yesterday and hopefully I can just build on that. I got some angle on the ball. I was able to elevate the ball and get on a few guys and create some angle and that's the biggest thing as a pitcher, especially a fastball pitcher."

Mathieson remains optimistic, despite this latest detour back to the minors. He has a lot more to prove and he's ready. Still, taking the drive back to join his teammates in Lehigh is a let down.

"The motivation is always to get to the big leagues. I love to pitch. And I get to pitch a lot more in Lehigh. But I'd definitely rather be with the Phillies right now."

Former Yankees Minor Leauger Justin Snyder Chooses To Look Ahead With St. Paul Saints

Nothing prepared Justin Snyder for the news.

"Yes. Very much so," Snyder responded when asked if he was shocked when the Yankees released him. "I had no idea."

Just days before camp broke, the Yankees informed the twenty-five-year-old infielder that he would not be going back to Double-A Trenton, where he'd played all of 2009 and most of 2010, and he would not make the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre roster, where he'd played two games in 2010.

During a spring training in which he waited for at-bats and did his best with whatever chance he was given to play, he said he never saw it coming.

"I had no clue. They took me into a room and...bam."

Snyder's role at Trenton cannot be overstated. He was able to help the team in a number of ways on the field. They could've asked him to do anything and he'd either done it or was willing to. The Yankees drafted him in 2007 in the 21st round and in his career with them he played 229 games at second, 59 at third, 58 games at shorstop, and several games at first base and the entire outfield.

But at Trenton he was used where he's best, at second, and off the field, in the clubhouse, he was a presence. Players who keep their teammates going no matter what and are capable of helping the team in any situation are invaluable. That's him.

After his brief stint at Triple-A he was sent back to Trenton and remained upbeat. He acknowledged he was only there to fill a roster spot, but he expressed how much he liked being around guys who seemed more professional, more ready to play. He wanted to be there.

While in Tampa we spoke about his desire to start the season there. "It wouldn't bother me," he'd said.

When it all came down and the Yankees let him go, he went home and pondered his next move. He thought he knew what to do and then, as time went on, he changed his tune.

"When my agent first came to me about signing with an independent team and I said no. I didn't know how the whole process worked. But after a month no one called. So I decided I'd rather stay in shape and keep playing in case someone calls."

On May 15th Snyder arrived to play for the Minnesota Saint Paul Saints of the American Association, where he expects to split time between second and third.

His decision to take the Saints offer is one he feels was best for him.

"It's good. I get to get back in the swing of things. I was bored out of my mind at home."

In five games he's hitting .333 with seven hits, two RBI, and two walks.

This wasn't his plan, but for a player with his mentality, not playing was worse. Not being on a baseball field trying to make something happen didn't work for him.

"It doesn't matter as long as I'm playing. I'm still here and involved in baseball. Here I can show what I'm capable of in case someone is looking."

In 2009 at Double-A Trenton Justin Snyder hit .195, knocking in 29 runs and 51 base hits. In 2010 he finished the season hitting .333, 66 hits, 28 RBI, and 44 BB.

 

 

Baseball Digest April Minor League Awards, Five Players To Watch

Five players to watch for May includes the Nationals Bryce Harper and an inclusion of the Phillies Matt Rizzotti for 'My Eye On', which insures there's always a player I've seen in person. Nothing compares to that, not even video.

Here's a link for the PTW:

http://t.co/HytcyTO

And in case you missed it, here are my selections for top players through April:

http://t.co/0nyDrka

Always feel free to comment on my choices. Either to agree or disagree!

Dellin Betances Post-Game Quotes For Sunday

Betances: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 6 SO After today's start he lowers his ERA to 0.76. Tim Norton picked up the win, in which the Trenton Thunder defeated the Binghamton Mets 3-2 on a walkoff triple by LF Austin Krum.

Here are Betances quotes about his shaky, but successful start.

"I gotta get better with that. If I want to move up, I definitely have to command my fastball and all my other pitches. That's something I'm going to work on until the next game."

"The last couple of games I walked too many guys. I'm just trying to do too much when there's runners on."

[Betances worked quickly and economically through the first two innings, but began to get his pitch count up and had trouble with control after that. This is his response when asked about that] "I have to work on my delivery and try to be more consistent. Other than that, I felt good from the wind up, it's just one of those things I've got to fix."

 

 

Wally Backman Talks Binghamton Mets Offense

On recently promoted catcher Salomon Manriquez: "He's played everyday. He's a little older, a veteran guy. He's a good offensive player, but just in the two games he's caught, you can see the veteran part of it and the leadership."

LIneup: "The offense overall has struggled. We haven't been consistent at all. The only consistent guys we've had all years are [Josh] Satin and [Mike] Fisher. And the only other one you can add to that is Allan Dystra." [Fisher was transferred to Triple-A Buffalo and catcher Manriquez moved to Binghamton]

Approaching Betances: "We try to have 'em all have the approach that you hit off a fastball. But that hasn't been the case all the time. But that will be our approach. We know he's a quality pitcher and his secondary stuff is stuff he strikes people out with and you don't want to get to that. We'll try to attack him, hopefully, early in the count."

Agressive vs. Patient: "today is a day we want them to be aggressive. He's going to try to get ahead with his fastball. If we can attack him the way we want to, it will force him to throw his secondary pitches more often. You keep yourself in the fastball count that way. So if we're doing what we're supposed to do we'll keep ourselves in those counts."

 

An Open Letter To Trenton Thunder Manager Tony Franklin

In looking back at the last three years I've spent with the Trenton Thunder, one thing stands out. The way you treat the media that visits your office everyday is both rare and outstanding. There is a sense we're part of the team, I believe I speak for everyone when I say that we all feel that when you answer each one of our questions you're making us feel our question was the most important, your answers are always thoughtful, interesting, and often with a dose of humor. You seem to truly understand the job we're trying to do. That's not every manager.

I've spoken only once, last night, about a very difficult incident with a player at the end of the 2010 season. I don't think I ever properly thanked you for what you did for me and, in turn, did for every woman in the industry. I don't know if you know how meaningful and powerful a statement you made. You have been nothing but supportive and protective of me. As a woman, and usually the only one in the clubhouse, knowing you are behind that door has led me to feeling at ease whenever I'm in there. But it's led me to feel that way no matter where I am in baseball. You let me know I deserved respect.

I know that's a similar sentiment every writer feels in seeing you everyday. Your gracious smile, easy humor, and way of explaining things so generously and with such passion makes our job a lot easier.

Hearing you're not well, I reacted not as a professional, nor did my colleagues Mike Ashmore or Josh Norris, but as a friend we were concerned for.

It would be too difficult to say directly how much you've meant to me in my career. I'll do it here, hope you see it, but if not, I want everyone to know what a tremendous man sits in the managerial chair at One Thunder Road.

Mets Ike Davis Reflects On Minors And Making Adjustments

Ike Davis Reflects On His First Year In Pro-Ball, Minor League Life

[Davis had to cut the interview short for BP, but I want to note that he graciously offered to continue the interview afterward. I didn't have time to do that, but here is what we were able to talk about.]

It hasn't been so long since Ike Davis rode the bus.

Sure, major league players hop on a bus here and there, but they don't live on one. Minor league players spend a great deal of their time on one and the twenty-four-year-old first baseman for the New York Mets appreciates how far he's already come.

“It was tough. Not a lot of off-days and a lot of bus rides. It's a grind,” Davis said before a Mets-Phillies game in Philadelphia. “You're not getting a lot of money, so it's tough. But it's also fun. You develop a lot of good relationships.”

In April of 2010, Davis was called up from Triple-A Buffalo where he'd played in just ten games for the Bisons and hitting .364. He'd set a franchise record for most home runs by a rookie with eleven, making projections that he could hit 20-30 home runs a season seem pretty accurate. He finished the season setting more Mets rookie records in walks (72) and extra bases (53) . What he remembers best is not so much he had to do on the field, but what he needed to learn off of it.

“[You're learning] how to play major league baseball, the travel, what to do what not to do. How to act. It's the same game no matter where you are, it's just the little things outside of baseball is what you learn the first year.”

Davis spent just two full seasons in the minors, but he made the most of it. In 2009 he was named the Mets Organizational Player of the Year. Between Class-A Brooklyn, Adv.-A St. Lucie, Double-A Binghamton, and Buffalo, he hit .288 with 92 RBI, 22 home runs, and a .467 SLG percentage.

While he quickly took to major league pitching, he noticed an immediate difference and knew what he had to do to succeed.

“The difference is [pitchers] knew where you were hitting and where you weren't hitting a lot faster than in the minor leagues. So one series you're hitting fastballs really well. But then within two games, they're not throwing you any of that. They're trying to find another pitch you're not hitting. In those two games they might find you're not hitting the changeup really well, they'll switch over and start throwing you changeups. If you don't make that adjustment they'll continue to do that until you do.”

2011 Spring Training was a very different experience. He knew where he was going to be to start the regular season and it allowed him to focus on preparation.

“I'd never had a starting role, a major league job, out of spring training. It gave me the freedom to just work on my game instead of trying to impress everybody and maybe open eyes to make the team. It was more about just getting ready for the season.”

Davis began the season with nine RBI in the first ten games, setting yet another Mets record. For all the team's struggles, Davis is a brilliant bright spot for the Metropolitans.

 

 

 

 

 

Trenton Thunder Stunner Defines Team

Trenton, New Jersey - It was a game the Thunder played without their manager and one Tony Franklin could be proud of.

After Mark Cohoon took a no-hitter into the fifth, the Binghamton Mets bullpen destructed and in their wake gave up seven runs in the seventh inning. The Thunder would go on to win it by a score of 7-4.

Prior to the game, Franklin was taken to the hospital for an undisclosed reason. Coach Justin Pope was given the lineup just minutes before the game and told he would stand in for Franklin.

The Mets had control of the game early on, with Cohoon working quickly and no-hitting the Thunder through five. The Mets would find out that the Thunder are a team unafraid of a challenge.

"Early on we were putting some good swings on some pitches, but they were just going right to guys," said Pope. "And then finally in that seventh inning things started going our way. Ray Kruml put down a really good bunt and beat it out."

"Then Jose Pirella came up, first and second no outs and we were tied up four and I just felt he should swing the bat there, because the momentum was in our corner. Guys were swinging the bat really well, so I'm like, I'm going to let him swing."

Pirella worked a walk, but catcher and top Yankees prospect Austin Romine, who was DH, stepped to the plate. In the six-pitch at-bat he smacked a slider up in the zone to right field and made it 6-4.

"Great at-bat by Romine, great knock to come up with two RBI right there. Huge," Pope said. "He can be as good as he wants to. It's just a matter of wanting to get better and staying on an even keel. He's real close to getting where he wants to be."

Franklin has long talked about the important of patience and consistency. On Thursday night, the Thunder used a mix of smart hitting, aggression, and patience to win the game.

Tim Norton was on the hill in the ninth to put a cap on it.

"I usually come in the seventh or eighth, to me, that's the same as coming in the ninth, so I treated it just the same as I would always," Norton said. "The hitters I faced I don't think I ever faced before. I was just trying to get a feel for what they're swings were like. And I don't think I'd worked with [Catcher Jose] Gil in about three years."

A lot of the unexpected and playing under difficult circumstances did not sway the baby bombers and it would be hard to sum it up any better than acting manager Pope did.

"Hell of a game."

Notes: Josh Schmidt was the winning pitcher, pitching 2.2 innings, allowing no hits and two walks. Brandon Sage got tagged for the loss surrendering four earned runs. Bradley Suttle had an RBI, with Romine and Krum collecting two.

Update: via Thunder beat writer Mike Ashmore, Tony Franklin suffered chest pains last night and was then taken to the hospital. He's now home resting.

Post-Game Quotes: Trenton Thunder Catcher Austin Romine

The Trenton Thunder stunned the Binghamton Mets with a 7-4 win, after Mark Cohoon threw a no-hitter through five. Catcher Austin Romine went 2-4 with 2 RBI and spoke after the game.

"Walks kill. You can never count this team out. This team is a big inning team. And I think hitting is contagious. Give a lot of credit to [Ray] Kruml there getting it started. That first hit is hard to get when you have a guy throwing like that [Mark Cohoon]."

Romine's at-bat in which he knocked in two runs to make it 6-4.

"They brought that guy in to get the walk. Bases loaded, no outs, I'm just trying to get a hit. Whether it's on the ground or in the air, I was just trying to get the run in. I stayed with my approach and try to do too much by pulling the ball or hitting a home run or anything. He threw a fastball away and I was lucky to get good wood on it."