Anti-Bullying is a very important issue, and we have most recently teamed up with BlueShield of Northeastern New York to create an anti-bullying workbook that is handed out to children at the stadium and on our many visits to local schools, libraries, etc.

We have expanded upon the workbook to create an anti-bullying mascot skit and were asked to perform it in front of the children at School 14 in Troy. Both the workbook and the skit are designed to help children understand what bullying is and how to properly treat others.

Following the skit, we made sure the children recited the “ValleyCats Peace Pledge” below:

I pledge to respect people even if they are different than me.
I will stand up and speak out against bullying.
I will show other kindness and eliminate hurtful behavior.
I will help others, be a friend, and include everyone despite our differences.
I pledge to be a part of the ValleyCats team, and strike out bullying!

Here is a video of the entire skit featuring Sammy Baseball, SouthPaw, Rowdy, Ribbie and Spiedie the Chicken:

If you would like more information on how to get the ValleyCats to perform their anti-bullying skit for your school or organization, contact Michelle Skinner at 629-2287 Ext. 15.

First, we hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! The calendar is turning over into December, and the holiday season is here. It truly is “the most wonderful time of the year.” Well, maybe second to the months of June-September.

We’ve been pretty busy around the front office, making sure we get out into the community & interact with our fans. On Black Friday, Ketchup, Mustard & Relish were located right next to Johnny Rockets in Crossgates Mall handing out 2013 schedules.

SouthPaw strolled through the mall and posed for pictures with some fans. Well, those who weren’t in a rush to get to the next store.

He even stopped by other areas that caught his interest.

This past Wednesday we visited School 14 in Troy to perform our brand new anti-bullying skit. Next week we will unveil the performance, so stay tuned to ‘Cats Corner for that.

This morning, some of us cooked breakfast at the Ronald McDonald House in Albany. It’s something we truly enjoy to do each year.

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Now that our 2013 schedule has been released, we are working on finalizing the dates for our fireworks. We’ll have our new 2013 calendars just in time for our holiday party here at the office. Here’s a sneak peek at the cover:

There will be many different ways to get your hands on one of them. We’ll keep you posted.

Next week is the Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville, TN, and while the major league side of the business is busy discussing trades, the minor leagues will be focused on trade shows, seminars, networking and a whole lot more.

For in-depth coverage of the minor league baseball portion of the meetings, Ben’s Biz Blog is a great place to read daily updates.

Our General Manager Rick Murphy, Assistant GM Matt Callahan, Fan Development Manager Michelle Skinner and Account Executive Michael Johnson are all attending the meetings. We’ll recap their trip once they return.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out our starting lineup of great ValleyCats gift ideas, make sure you do before December 19. Leading off is our Mystery Gift Card Mini-Plan Package. With the purchase of a 2013 six game mini-plan package now through the 19th, you will receive a mystery gift card ranging in amounts from $5 to $25. Click here to view the starting lineup>>

The air has turned brisk, the days are getting shorter and we are already starting to hear Christmas music on the radio. That can only mean one thing. The season of giving is upon us. Thanksgiving is next week and we should all be grateful for everything we have in life, while also helping those in need. Which is the theme of this week’s blog post.

When Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast at the end of October, the destruction that followed was unfathomable. The northeast is not used to these types of storms. We’ve seen what hurricanes can do in Florida, New Orleans and Louisiana, and what earthquakes can do in California, but this one hit home.

Our area was spared for the most part, but our friends only a few hours south of us were left with their homes and businesses destroyed, loved ones lost and a tremendous recovery effort ahead of them.

Many of our front office staff members have friends and family in parts of New York City, Long Island and New Jersey, or have vacationed there growing up. Each year our team visits the Brooklyn Cyclones in Coney Island and the Staten Island Yankees. Both areas that were hit hard from Sandy.

Like so many others, we felt a need to help in any way possible. First we sent down generators, extension chords and gasoline along with the Hudson Valley Renegades, to the homes of our friends who were in need.

Then we asked the Capital Region community to donate clothes and supplies that we would take down to Coney Island. Our community came through in the clutch! We filled almost half of our box office in three days, loaded it all in a van and headed down to assist with the recovery effort.

Here’s the van all loaded up and ready to go:

The drive down wasn’t too bad, but once we arrived in Coney Island, we witnessed first hand what a natural disaster can do. We pulled into the parking lot at MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones, where FEMA and the Red Cross were stationed. Lines of people waited for hot food and warm clothes.

The volunteers handing out clothing and supplies were thrilled to see us arrive, and about ten people helped us unload the van and sort the items to be given out to the lines of people waiting. Once an item was placed on the table, it wasn’t more than 30 seconds before it was taken.

After the van was unloaded, we parked and took a walk around MCU Park and the boardwalk. Many of the sights we saw, have been featured all over the internet and television.

We proceeded to Tom’s Restaurant on the boardwalk to first eat lunch and then sign in to help volunteer. We were assigned to a deli located about three blocks from the boardwalk to help clear the back courtyard of the store from all the debris and ruined food/supplies from the shelves.

Obviously it was a huge mess, and something that would take weeks to clean up, but we did our best to clear out a whole section.

The National Guard has units stationed throughout the area, and at this time they were heading to a residential apartment building.

As we finished up at the deli, Pablo (the owner) thanked us for our work and we headed back to the van. One thing that was a common theme throughout the visit was the overall sense of neighbors helping neighbors. As we walked through the streets, churches were handing out clothes and hot food, groups of people were cleaning out stores and houses, and everyone was in good spirits with a “we’re in this together” attitude. The trip was extremely rewarding and we were just glad to be able to do what we can for an area in desperate need of the help.

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Now we take you on a journey from New York, to a place halfway across the world: Hyderabad, India.

Dan Carubia, one of our ushers and a long time employee, is a board member of the Friends of Christ in India organization, and he made a trip to a less-fortunate area of Hyderabad.

Dan visited the “School of Wheels,” which is a school bus that comes to the area every day for two hours to provide food & drinks and teach the children English.

Before Dan left, we gave him a box full of ValleyCats hats to hand out to the children. How about that, ValleyCats fans in India!

Dan standing in the middle behind the group of children:

He then stopped at a youth hostile, and handed out hats there also.

Next time your at the stadium this upcoming summer, be sure to say hello to Dan and ask him about his trip.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Today we are headed down to Coney Island in Brooklyn to bring all of the items donated by members of the Capital Region community to those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

The amount of donations we received in just three days is unbelievable! It shows just how great members of the Capital Region community are, and how much they want to help their neighbors to the south.

Check out this cargo van full of donations!!

We are honored to be transporting all of the items, and will also be volunteering our time as part of Coneyrecovers.org (#ConeyRecovers).

Coney Island is home to our New York-Penn League friends & neighbors, the Brooklyn Cyclones. A FEMA mobile command unit has been stationed in their parking lot since the storm ended.

We are excited to be heading down & can’t wait to help out! Some of the best help can come through cash donations. ConeyRecovers has set up a fund to helping Coney Island recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy.  They are accepting cash contributions to help Coney residents, businesses, and community groups in their time of need.  100 percent of these funds will go to storm relief and recovery efforts.

Click here for more information on how you can help.

It’s time to take a break from the Presidential election and focus on our 2012 ValleyCats Mayors Race! We want YOU to vote for your favorite Mayors Race of 2012! We’ve narrowed it down to five, now we need your help deciding the winner!

One lucky voter will win four tickets to a 2013 ValleyCats game as well as a team autographed baseball!

Watch the video below, which is broken up into five different races. Then vote for your favorite in the poll box under the video.

Fill out the form below to be eligible to win four tickets to a 2013 ValleyCats game as well as a team autographed baseball!

On Sunday 10/28, members of the Capital Region baseball community gathered together to celebrate the history of baseball in this area while inducting a new class into the Capital District Baseball Hall of Fame.

The event was held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy. The room was decorated with memorabilia, photos & jerseys.

24 were inducted, seven of which are deceased. The list includes Baltimore Orioles prospect and Troy native Joe Mahoney, former minor leaguer/scout/New York State Governor Mario Cuomo, former Albany-Colonie Diamond Dog/Adirondack Lumberjack/current UAlbany baseball head coach Jon “Bam Bam” Mueller, long-time Capital District umpire Brendan Ryan, scouts John Stewart and John Stokoe, among many others.

Mahoney couldn’t make the induction ceremony because he had to fly back to Baltimore ahead of Hurricane Sandy, but his father and sister graciously accepted the award on his behalf.

Former Governor Mario Cuomo couldn’t attend either, but he did send a nice letter thanking the nomination committee as well as congratulating all of the inductees. His son/current NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo also sent a letter congratulating the inductees.

Here is a photo of the former Governor, Mario Cuomo as a member of the St. Johns University baseball team:

The night was filled with storytelling and tears from memories of the past. It perfectly exemplified how baseball is such a tight-knit community where friendships are formed, and last forever.

It also proves that the Capital District has such a long history with the game of baseball. From the Troy Haymakers and Albany Senators, to the Albany-Colonie Yankees and Tri-City ValleyCats.

On this night, our President/Principal Owner Bill Gladstone was honored with the Johnny Evers Community Contributor Award. Bill was also unable to attend due to the storm, but sent a letter of thanks that was read by Master of Ceremonies Rodger Wyland. ValleyCats General Manager Rick Murphy graciously accepted the award on his behalf.

The final inductee of the night was UAlbany baseball head coach Jon “Bam Bam” Mueller. A native of Stillwater, Mueller played professionally in the minor leagues from 1994-2000 in the Northeast and Northern Leagues with the Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs, Adirondack Lumberjacks and Marshall (Minn.) Mallards.

His speech provided the most entertainment of the evening and stirred up many laughs from the over 300 in attendance.

Overall, it was a special event and a very interesting evening. None of it would have been possible if it were not for the efforts of Rene LeRoux, the Executive Director of the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame. Rene puts in countless hours doing research on possible candidates, as well as planning the induction ceremony.

Here are a few more photos from the event:

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Last week we also had our annual Front Office Golf Open at the Stadium Golf Course in Schenectady. The venue was a perfect tie-in, as the grounds used to be home to McNearney Stadium and the Schenectady Blue Jays.

Here is a photo of the old stadium and the 1947 team, hanging on the wall inside the clubhouse:

As well as the certificate of membership into the Eastern League:

As for the golf, the office was split up into four teams, playing a scramble format. It was a tight competition, as the winning team won by just one stroke (-3).

The winning team consisted of Client Service Assistants Scott Hildreth and Greg Dietz, GM Rick Murphy and Media/Production Manager Chris Chenes.

Here’s a group shot from just off of the 18th tee:

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Last, but certainly not least, we are all aware of the devastation that Hurricane Sandy caused to our friends downstate. One of the hardest hit areas was Coney Island in Brooklyn.

The homes of some front office staffers from the Cyclones were severely damaged, so the Hudson Valley Renegades organized a group of volunteers to go down and help them out.

We assisted by sending a truck full of extra generators, air blowers, extension chords and gasoline down to the Renegades to take with them to Brooklyn.

The New York-Penn League is a tight community, and although our teams may be rivals on the field, our front office teams are very close off the field. Our thoughts are with all those effected, and we hope for a speedy recovery.

The entire ValleyCats family is excited about this Sunday, as Bill Gladstone, our President/Principal Owner will be honored with the Johnny Evers Community Contributor Award at the Capital District Baseball Hall of Fame induction dinner in Troy.

The award is presented to a person who has made a significant contribution to the community and the game of baseball. We pride ourselves as an organization for being active members of the Capital Region community and couldn’t be more thrilled for Bill.

For those of you who aren’t too familiar with Bill’s background, he is an extremely active member of the baseball community. He is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Board of Directors, serves as chairman of the Board’s Development Committee and is a member of the Board’s Finance Committee.

He is also a member of Minor League Baseball’s Board of Trustees, is the Chairman of the Minor League Baseball Finance Committee, a member of the Governance and Structure Committee and the PBA Committee.

Bill also serves the New York-Penn League as a director and as a member of its executive committee.

He plays an active role in the ValleyCats continued relationship with the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, which brings artifacts from it’s museum to “The Joe” each season.

Bill is not only the President of the club, but one of it’s biggest fans. He is at almost every single home game sitting in the same seats behind homeplate. He often gets up to buy an ice cream for him and his wife Millie, while also mingling with fans to talk about the team. The performance of the team is very important to Bill, and will not be shy in letting you know about it.

With the new Houston Astros ownership/leadership group, we are all very excited about the continued success of the ValleyCats. Astros GM Jeff Luhnow has put a staff into place that looks to have very successful draft classes, which was evident with the success of the 2012 tea. Despite losing in the final game of the Championship Series, the ’12 ‘Cats won a franchise best 51 games.

Bill grew up a Brooklyn Dodgers fan and has amassed a huge collection of baseball art & memorabilia. This weekend he will add another piece to his collection, and we are all very proud to have him as our President.

For more more information on the Capital District Baseball Hall of Fame, and a list of 2012 inductees, visit their website at www.cdbaseball.com.

The Community Grounds Crew, presented by BlueShield of Northeastern New York, visited McQuade Park in the Village of Coxsackie on Monday to help re-build the pitchers mound. The height was raised to spec and the table was re-built with a new foundation of clay bricks. A brand new four-sided rubber was installed to replace the old step down and new infield mix was used to grade out the rest of the mound.

Here are some before & after photos:

Before:

During:

After:

As the weather gets colder, it’s important to keep your mound and plate areas covered with tarps. This will help keep the moisture in and prevent the clay surfaces from cracking.

The Community Grounds Crew looks forward to another great season in 2013!
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On a side note, one of our great helpers around the office, Billy from the Rensselaer County ARC, spent his last day with us on Tuesday. GM Rick Murphy took some time to play him in his favorite game, checkers.

Billy was victorious and therefore took home the “b-e-l-t” as he calls it. Thanks again for all of the help Billy!

As mentioned on our recent posts, last week we held our annual strategic planning meetings to review the 2012 season and brainstorm for 2013.

During this two day session, we went over the 2012 promotional schedule and gave our input on the good, the bad and the ugly. We discussed what should be done again and what should be scrapped. We also came up with a number of new ideas, some our own and some that were brought back from the Minor League Baseball Promotional Seminar.

Here are some ideas/topics that were discussed:

• Arts at the ballpark
• 90′s Night
• Oktoberfest/German Night
• Faith Night
• 1K Beer Run
• A specific movie theme night
• Visits from former MLB players
• Bobbleheads
• Giveaway items
• In-game entertainment/promotions
• Video ideas
• Yearbooks/Gameday programs
• Additional picnic areas
• Suite design
• Merchandise
• Game worn jersey auctions
• Mini-plans

Now we’re looking for input from our fans. What would you like to see done at “The Joe” in 2013? What didn’t you like from last year? What bobbleheads/giveaways/promotions should we do? Music requests? Any and all input will be greatly appreciated!

You can either comment below, post on our Facebook page, tweet @ValleyCats, e-mail info@tcvalleycats.com , or call us at 518-629-2287. We’d love to hear from you!

The ValleyCats were honored by the Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce at the Van Rensselaer Awards Dinner in late September. The ‘Cats were recognized for their contributions to the Capital Region community as the recipient of the Van Rensselaer Small Business Award.

This was a tremendous honor for our organization as they were joined by CAP COM Federal Credit Union and Neil Golub, Executive Chairman of the Board for the Golub Corporation, who also received awards for their commitment to improving the quality of life in the region.

Below are a few more photos from the event. Additional photos may be found at the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce Facebook page by clicking here.

Community outreach was also a topic of discussion at the MiLB Promo Seminar in Reno as ‘Cats AGM, Matt Callahan, moderated a round table discussion about the importance of MiLB teams remaining active in their communities. Callahan shared details about the team (and BlueShield’s) Community Grounds Crew which was also a key to the ‘Cats Van Rensselaer Award.

The view from the seminar hotel looks out across Reno, the famous Golden Nugget Casino, and the mountains.

Each morning, attendees were welcomed to a Trade Show Breakfast with exhibitors displaying software solutions, promotional items, mascot costumes, and entertainment acts. This is a smaller scale than the Baseball Winter Meetings but still offers a good chance to learn about some of the new items/technology available to the industry.

Every club in Reno was asked to share their best promotion or theme night as part of the “Around the Horn” segment. This always produces some interesting ideas such as “Salute to Bacon Night” and a helicopter candy drop . . . some promotions are easier to implement than others.

The seminar also included smaller presentations by team executives or panels and clubs nominated for promotional awards had the opportunity to state their case prior to the winners being selected on Thursday morning.

The Reno Aces, Triple A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, were the host club and proudly showcased their ballpark with a reception for their peers on Thursday night. Aces Ballpark is a 6,500 fixed-seat stadium that was completed in 2009. Located in downtown Reno, the stadium is flanked by an active railroad and the beautiful Truckee River . . . both visible from the park’s 360 degree walkway.

Downtown buildings and mountains help frame the ballpark, which has several unique picnic areas , including this patio located above the wall in left field.

. . . and a sunken Dugout Club section located directly behind homeplate.

The Freight House District was added adjacent to suite level as “Phase II” in 2010. This area boasts several unique bars that are even open to the public on non-game days. MiLB Execs were treated to food, drinks, and entertainment in this area which was one of the social highlights of week.

Overall, the MiLB Promotional Seminar is an outstanding learning opportunity that allows clubs to discuss best practices as well as promotions or themes that fans may enjoy in their individual markets. It’s also a great chance to catch up with colleagues and friends following the MiLB season.

Speaking of promotions…that was a big topic of discussion at the ValleyCats annual strategic planning meetings last week. Tomorrow’s post will outline some new ideas discussed, and we’ll be asking for input on what you would like to see happen at “The Joe” in 2013!

It’s been exactly one month since the 2012 regular season came to a close, and over three weeks since the ‘Cats lost in the final game of the NYPL championship series to the Hudson Valley Renegades.

There were many great moments throughout the season. One of them occurred on the road in Brooklyn when ‘Cats MVP first baseman Jesse Wierzbicki came through in the clutch during the top of the 11th inning. Wierzbicki belted a two-run go-ahead homer to give the ‘Cats the victory.

There was something else very significant about that homer. It completed the cycle for Wierzbicki, becoming the first in ValleyCats history to accomplish that feat.

That game has been nominated for Game of the Year by MiLB.com’s MiLBY Awards. Click here to vote now>>

We’ve also learned that Assistant General Manager Matt Callahan has been honored with this year’s  Sam Nader Male Executive/Staff Member of the Year Award by the New York-Penn League. Congratulations Matt!

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“So what do you guys do now?”

It’s a recurring question that all of us in the front office begin to hear at the completion of each season. The last few weeks has been a time to regroup, re-energize and decompress from the daily grind of the season. It’s nice to be back on a regular work schedule.

Our staff is currently working on putting together seasonal reviews known as “POP’s” or “Proof of Performance’s for our 2012 partners. We will meet with them and go over what they liked or may want to change in 2013.

GM Rick Murphy & Assistant GM Matt Callahan spent this past week in Reno, NV for the Minor League Baseball Promotional Seminar. It is known as “the stomping grounds for many of the most creative minds.” The three day Seminar allows professionals from all across the sports industry to come together to share and exchange ideas on topics ranging from sales to marketing to stadium operations, amongst many others.

Rick & Matt will bring back plenty of ideas that we will all be able to discuss during our own Strategic Planning meetings next week at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy. During this time our entire front office staff will sit down and discuss finances, food and beverage, community & media relations, stadium operations, marketing strategy, promotions and much more. Each department will report on the successes and shortcomings from this past season, and brainstorm for 2013.

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The month of October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and a few weeks ago, ValleyCats representative Chris Dawson presented the Women’s Health Center at Samaritan Hospital with a check for $2,628. That is total amount raised from our pink jersey auction held during our Breast Cancer Awareness Day in July.

Meanwhile, improvements to the stadium’s concourse are underway. Although you wouldn’t be able to tell, the stadium is approaching 12 years old. We pride ourselves on having a clean and safe environment for our fans, and these renovations stick with that philosophy.

Crews have removed old concrete from our concourse, which is being replaced with a new level surface.

While improvements are being made, our stadium operations and food & beverage crews have been busy taking down all signage, packing up the kids zone, cleaning the suites, food kiosks and concession stands, and winterizing everything for storage.

The Hudson Valley Community College baseball program has also taken over use of the facility, and is conducting fall tryouts.

Hanging on the bulletin board in the clubhouse:

Media Relations Manager Chris Chenes has been cleaning the press box, and stumbled across a bunch of old Major League Baseball Media Guides.

Stay tuned early next week for photos from the Minor League Baseball Promotional Seminar!

Thank you to all the ValleyCats fans who created great memories at “The Joe” in 2012! It was another record breaking season in terms of attendance, and the team put up the most wins in franchise history with 51. None of it would have been possible without the great support from YOU the fans, the best fans in Minor League Baseball!

We have tons of offseason activities planned and will share them with you throughout the upcoming months. Thanks again for another great season of fun and excitement at “The Joe!”

Video thank you message from the 2012 ValleyCats front office, players, and staff:

by: Evan Valenti (@EvanValenti)

So it all comes down to this. This will be the last game of the season, regardless of what happens. The New York-Penn League playoffs have been fantastic all the way around. It’s a shame that someone has to walk out of Dutchess Stadium a loser, but that’s why they play the game. Both teams have fought hard all season long (it’s why they are here), and I do not expect anything else in game three.

Tidbits from today:

1.) Hitting Coach Mark Bailey was talking to a lot of the players about his experience as the Houston Astros’ bullpen coach in 2005. The Astros made the World Series in 2005, but it was not easy. After the memorable Chris Burke home run in the bottom of the 18th inning against the Atlanta Braves, the ‘Stros took on the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS. Most of you will remember that series for the towering home run Albert Pujols hit off of Brad Lidge in game two. Bailey talked about how dejected the plane ride to St. Louis was after that game. Everyone was down. But they remained calm and rattled off three wins in the next four games to get to the World Series. The motto for today: Stay calm, have fun.

2.) Besides being an outstanding hitter, Preston Tucker also knows how to play the guitar. He has been playing an axe since eighth grade. Favorite type of guitar? Ibanez. He owns a few of them.

3.) Aaron West last night was sensational. He was perfect through five innings, kept the fastball down and got a lot of swing and misses on the slider. It was arguably his best start of the season, which is extremely impressive considering how much he has pitched this year college and pro-ball combined.

4.) For all of the Yankee fans that read this blog, the ValleyCats fans in attendance will be doing the “roll call” when the ‘Cats first take the field. For those that do not know what I am talking about, the fans are going to chant every single fielder’s name until they are acknowledged by that particular player. Click here to see what I am talking about.

Batting practice hero: Jean Batista. Really swung the bat well. He hit a couple of monster home runs and a ton of screaming line drives.

Tonight’s Lineup:

Sclafani – SS

Elkins – 2B

Wierzbicki – 1B

Cokinos – DH

Heineman – C

Tucker – RF

McKinney – LF

King – CF

Johnson – 3B

SP – Joe Bircher (LHP)

#VamosGatos!

 

by: Evan Valenti (@EvanValenti)

Welcome to “The Dutch”, home of the Hudson Valley Renegades! I don’t know about you guys, but between the last two games I think I have cut a few years off my life span. Talk about drama. Game three might have been the most incredible baseball game I have ever seen live. Four ties and five lead changes? That’s pure madness. And as for last night, what a way to shut down “The Joe” for the 2012 season (there will be other events held there, but that was the last ValleyCats game in Troy this year). Tri-City picked one heck of a night to register their first walk-off win.

But enough of that. Here are the tidbits from today:

1.) It has become glaringly evident that ‘Cats first baseman Jesse Wierzbicki is the unofficial captain of this team. Him and Stubby Clapp are attached at the hip. Clapp asked Wierzbicki yesterday whether the team should leave for Fishkill right after the game or wait until the next day. Without hesitation Jesse said the next day. It gave the ValleyCats a chance to sleep in their own beds. Jesse is one of the “veterans” on the team. This is his second year of professional baseball.

2.) For those of you that were not listening to the game or following our Twitter page (@ValleyCats), Vincent Velasquez made his first appearance in over a month last night and was sensational with the exception of one pitch. The second-round draft pick had a lively fastball (93-95 mph), which he kept down in the zone, a good change-up, and featured a sweeping slider. I asked a couple guys about the right-hander’s return. All responded with some form of: “It was great to see him out there battling again.”

3.) I asked a couple of guys over the past couple of days how they “enjoy” playing in cold weather. It has been chilly the past two nights from “The Joe”, with the temperature hovering around 50 degrees after the sun goes down. Elkins told me it’s frustrating because it could end up ruining the most important part of a baseball player’s body: the hands. Cold weather can numb your hands on the field, making it almost impossible to grip the baseball right. Plus, when you break your bat in the cold it sends a stinging jolt through both arms, and that feelings tends to linger for a while.

4.) I want to wish a Happy Birthday to Stubby Clapp’s son, Cooper!

Batting Practice Hero: Jesse Wierzbicki. He hit a 400+ ft. home run to dead center off Stubby. That’s impressive.

Pictured below: Last night’s hero, Preston Tucker.

 

 

Here is tonight’s starting lineup:

Sclafani – SS

Elkins – 2B

Tucker – RF

Wierzbicki – 1B

Heineman – C

Cokinos – DH

Gulbransen – LF

King – CF

Dineen – 3B

RHP – Aaron West

Oh, and one more thing…

 

On a day of reflection upon the  September 11th attacks, 11 years to the day, the ValleyCats provided a bright spot, as they collected their first walk-off win of the season, edging out the Hudson Valley Renegades in Game One of the championship series 5-4.

Photos: