stop being the Oaks?

As a member of the Visalia Ranch Hands formerly the Visalia Oaks Booster club I can tell you that supposedly sometime last year the management did a survey asking for names for a new team to go with the new (upgraded) stadium. SUPPOSEDLY, the Rawhide won out.

But hey, I never got surveyed! Doesn’t my opinion count? I am a life-time fan of Visalia Baseball! Oh, well we are NOW the Rawhide and the colors match the D-Backs so I am happy.

Too bad, AJ Hinch was here the other day and a week later off goes Jarrod Parker to Moblie (AA). Oh, well I thought he might stay longer to help the team make the play-offs this year.

Also, Billy Spottiswood temporary promotion to AAA Reno was just for one game. He was dropped off on Sunday Night in Fresno while the Rawhide came home from Modesto on the bus. Reno was in town to play the Fresno Grizzlies. Spotty (as he is known) pitched well two the first two batters he faced and then got lit up. But, what do you expect from a Single A pitcher making his first appearance in AAA. Spotty, will be fine and is now back in Visalia. I sure hope he isn’t shell shocked from his outing in AAA. Lastly, it was nice to see some Visalia players at the Fresno Grizzlies game to support Spotty.

Fight on Rawhide. And I am OUT!

I would be glad to keep you all updated on the Rawhide this year. I just stumbled on this website and it is great to see that there are so many D-Backs fan that love the Baby-Backs as well as the Big Leaguers.

As for Evan (Frey) and Mark (Hallberg) the booster club has an adopt a player program that helps guys on the team get familiar with the area, provide a meal or just give them a ride if they need it. All too often guys come to the team with no car or are sent to the team without the bare necessities. That is where we come in. Last year we went to a lot of away games (Modesto, Stockton, San Jose, Bakersfield) so if the guys ever needed anything we would make sure the got it. They are great kids and I hope they both make it to the show. Mark was MVP of the Hawaiian League this Winter and Evan played in the Arizona Fall League (which I don’t have to tell you is a huge honor for a guy that only played high A ball).

I will keep you updated on the roster and the players as often as I can.

Peace.

The Rawhide bullpen let the game tonight slip through their fingers. This is becoming a ridiculous theme throughout the D-Backs organization. What is up with the Bullpens?

Tom Gordon melts down in his first appearance in Milwaukee. Jon Rauch can’t get anybody out. And we let Juan Cruz go because of a contract dispute. I know revenue is down but, can we buy a solid reliever?

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Well, back to the Rawhide Game last night. Spotty (Spottiswood) fresh off his AAA outing on Monday with the Reno Aces blew it against the Ports. Spotty relieved Bryan Henry in the 9th, he already has 3 saves on the year.

Henry pitched 2 and 1/3 of an inning and only gave up 1 run. Spotty came in and immediately gave up a solo shot to Matthew Spencer. The next better Todd Johnson doubled to center. Spotty then struck out the next hitter. Spotty then induced a ground ball to second, which moved the runner to third. I thought he was going to get out of inning unscathed. Then he allows Dante Love to single up the middle and Johnson scored game over!

The big highlight was Ollie Linton who just keeps kicking butt in the leadoff position. He has 21 hits in 19 games so far this season. He is a great table setter for the Rawhide. If you like Mark Grace’s philosophy of: Get’m On, Get’m Over and Get’m In, then this is the guy you want leading off the inning. I love small ball! I would like to see him learn how to read pitchers a little better because he has great speed and is a threat to steal (4 steals in 11 attempts).

The Rawhide return home for a weekend series with the Lancaster Jethawks. It looks like the weather might rain out Saturday and Sunday’s game. I will keep you up to date as it weekend progresses.

Rope, throw, and brand ’em –RAWHIDE!

Because of a rainout on Friday today was a double-header. Lancaster Jethawks (Houston Astro’s) were in town to face our Rawhide.

Player of the Day: Ollie Linton continued his tear through the Cal League. He went 4 for 6 combined on the day with a double and 3 RBI’s. Ollie’s Dad was in the stands from LA to watch his son be the star of the day. The only down side was Ollie was caught stealing in the bottom of the 1st of the first game. He still needs to learn how to read pitchers better because he got a late jump. (Brett Butler needs to work with this kid, send him to AAA-Reno).

Game 1: Newly added Pitcher Christian Beltre started the first game and pitched well through three innings. He allowed one run in the first and one in the 3rd. He threw a couple of wild pitches in the first but then settled down. Another bright spot was that the Rawhide pounded out 12 hits in the game.

Game 2: Taylor Harbin was the star of this game driving in 3 runs this his towering Homerun to Left (It was about 12 feet above the fence, what a shot). Harbin finished the day 2 for 3. Spotty relieved Layne and pitched two scoreless innings to get the win. Dietz earned his 5th save of the year.

Roll Rawhide

He voluntarily retired on April 6th. I guess he felt he was done with baseball. I had a solid bat and showed promise.

With the call up of Bryan Augenstein from Double AA to start against the Reds on Wednesday the Visalia Rawhide sent Wes Roemer (3-1, 2.05 ERA with Visalia) to Mobile to take his place.

FYI – Baybear Fans Roemer shaves his head and needs a cheering section called the “Roemer’s Domers!” He is a great kid with a live fastball. However, sometimes he gets flustered on the mound. He has done a lot of growing up this year and I think he is ready for this move.

Also added to the Teams Roster lately has been SP Trevor Harden (from South Bend) and OF Daniel Rodriguez (from Yakima). Rodriguez will fill-in for Greg Thomson while he is on the DL for a wrist injury.

Ollie Linton was, “Player of the Home Stand” for last home stand.

Nothing else for now. Will keep you up to date.

Trevor Harden made his Single High A debut this afternoon. His first inning of work was something to watch. He damn near let the game get away in the first with two wild pitches with runners on. But, after some help from his defense he settled down and pitched great for 5 more innings only giving up a solo-shot homerun in the 6th. He showed unusual mental toughness on the mound.

It was just too bad that the Rawhide couldn’t really get anything going, with their 4 hits. To Craig Clark’s (San Jose Giants Pitcher) credit he dazzled us through 6 innings only giving up 3 hits and striking out 9.

Catcher Jhoan Pimentel also made his Single High A debut going 1 for 2 at the plate.

Transaction Note: Catcher Sean Coughlin was transferred to Mobile yesterday. For those fans in Mobile be prepared to watch this guy give up stolen base after stolen base because he has terrible footwork behind the dish.

It seems that the Hot Topic around the Diamondbacks Entire System has been “Bullpens.”

In Visalia it has been no different. I have seen the “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” side of this bullpen that sometimes I have to do a double-take to make sure I am not watching the D-Backs ’pen on TV.

Take for instance this past Sunday. SP Patrick McAnaney goes out and throws 5 innings and only give up one earned run. Then he turns it over the game over to the pen and RP Bryan Henry relieves him and gives up 4 runs in 2/3’s of an inning.

Luckily, the Rawhide rally to tie the game and then win the game in the 10th with a homerun and a triple.

An interesting Stat thus far has been the fact that the arms in the bullpen have given up 71 Earned Runs in approximately 188 innings pitched.

This is an average of 2.6 EARNED RUNS PER INNING!

Wow, now there is a tale of the tape. With all this the Rawhide are still in first place.

Roll Rawhide!

See this is why you should never post late at night. Thanks for catching my error.