Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a day for remembering fallen soldiers and men and women in the armed forces serving our country. Several baseball players have served in the military over the years. Two of them who were killed in action were Eddie Grant and Elmer Gedeon. Eddie Grant played for the Phillies, Reds, and Giants in the early 1910s. He enlisted in the Army and was killed in Friance in 1918. Elmer Gedeon played for the Washington Senators for five games in 1939 and was then drafted into the Army. He was killed in France in 1944.
Current RoughRiders first baseman Chris McGuiness went to college at The Citadel, a military school in South Carolina. While going to school there, he was a normal cadet. There is no service time required after graduation although some people go there for the military training.
Courtesy: Josh Frasier, Texas Rangers
Many teams plan special uniforms or special events in honor of Memorial Day. The Texas Rangers are wearing ball caps with camouflage inside the letter T for their game against the Seattle Mariners. The Myrtle Beach Pelicans will be wearing red, white, and blue jerseys with stars and stripes on them for their game against the Potomac Nationals.
Courtesy: Jimmy Reyes, Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Other Rangers’ affiliates playing today are the Hickory Crawdads that will take on the Delmarva Shorebirds and the Round Rock Express that will play the Nashville Sounds while the RoughRiders will play the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in the series finale today.
The RoughRiders would like to thank all of the servicemen and women and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice protecting our country.
Written by: Jarah Wright
May Madness
The minor league season may be in full swing, but for college baseball end of season tournament time is in full swing.
To get to the dance you need to win your league tourney or get an at-large berth. Obviously, every team would prefer the former, but let’s face it, it’s not easy. Just ask any number of ‘Riders, since many have played in these tournaments before.
Since some will be following their alma maters this weekend, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at the college careers of a couple of RoughRiders.
Courtesy of Texas A&M
Barret Loux (Texas A&M)
Prior to giving Texas League hitters headaches, Loux tied up Big 12 hitters as a member of the Aggies. As a junior in College Station, Loux led the Big 12 in strikeouts (136) and was a finalist for the USA Golden Spikes Award (Given to the top amateur baseball player in the country).
Currently No. 8 in USA Today’s Top 25 poll, the Aggies were eliminated in two games at the Big 12 tournament, losing back-to-back games to Missouri and the University of Kansas. As a top 10 team, A&M doesn’t need to be concerned about their NCAA tournament chances. However the team’s less than stellar performance in Oklahoma City could affect who they see at regionals.
Justin Grimm (Georgia)
Grimm played his college baseball “between the hedges,” as a three year member of the Georgia Bulldogs. In 2008, Justin even had the chance to visit college baseball’s most hallowed grounds, when UGA advanced to the College World Series Finals, and ended the year with a number two national ranking.
This season has been a bit of a different story, as the ‘Dawgs were eliminated from the SEC Tournament Wednesday afternoon, falling to Auburn 3-2. The good news? The SEC is the premier baseball conference in all of Division I, where sweeping a conference series almost never happen. The bad news is that at (31-26), Georgia will need an at-large berth to qualify for the NCAA tourney.
Courtesy of Stephen Slade, University of Connecticut
Mike Olt (UConn)
While he gets plenty of attention as one of the Rangers top farmhands, it’s easy to forget that Mike is still the “Sultan of Stoors.” So where does the nickname come from?
Well, in three seasons, Mike set the all-time home record for the University of Connecticut (44 homers). He also hit .318 during his junior year. The Huskies could have used him Saturday, as Mike’s old club was knocked out of the Big East Tournament by South Florida. While this means UConn’s season is over, give the team credit for knocking off Louisville, considered the favorite to take the league crown.
Chris McGuiness (The Citadel)
If you’re a baseball purist, you might be spending the weekend down in Greenville, South Carolina where the Southern Conference baseball championships are taking place. If you’re not though, don’t worry we won’t think any less of you.
However, the next time you’re at Dr Pepper Ballpark you can impress your friends by telling them that ‘Riders first baseman Chris McGuiness played for a So-Con school. Over a three year career with the Citadel, McGuiness pitched and played first base, while at the plate, he led the nation in walks during his junior year. Sadly there will be no magical run to Omaha for this bunch of Bulldogs. After an opening round win, the Citadel lost an elimination game to Elon Friday night.
Written by: Geoff Arnold
Baseball And Bacon
Six degrees of Kevin Bacon is a popular party game where people try to link themselves to the Hollywood star. During a brainstorming session, the idea came up and all of us started laughing. We never realized that we would find not one, but four links to the Frisco RoughRiders. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Circle of Bacon.
The first chain begins with none other than Kevin Bacon. He was in A Few Good Men with Tom Cruise, which is a great movie by the way and it has a baseball tie-in because Cruise’s character loves playing baseball. Back to the chain, Tom Cruise was in Interview With A Vampire with Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt was in Moneyball with Brent Jennings who was portraying Ron Washington. Ron Washington is the manager of the Texas Rangers, which is the parent club of the Frisco RoughRiders completing chain one.
The second chain begins much like the first. Kevin Bacon was in A Few Good Men with Tom Cruise who was in Interview With A Vampire with Brad Pitt. The chain changes because Brad Pitt played Billy Beane. Billy Beane played for the Jackson Mets, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets that were part of the Texas League, from 1982 to 1984. The Jackson Mets moved to Binghamton and joined the Eastern League in 1991. The Houston Astros took over the Double-A franchise renaming it the Jackson Generals, where the team remained until 1999. Nolan Ryan and his group took over and moved the Generals to Round Rock eventually becoming the Round Rock Express where they claimed the Texas League title in 2000. The owners of the Round Rock Express acquired the Triple-A franchise in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and moved that club to Round Rock. The Double-A version of the Round Rock Express moved to Corpus Christi eventually becoming the Corpus Christi Hooks who compete against the RoughRiders in the Texas League.
Through Corpus Christi we can complete the third chain all the way back to the original source, Kevin Bacon. Hooks’ broadcaster Matt Hicks was an extra in Major League which starred Charlie Sheen. Charlie Sheen was in The Three Musketeers with Kiefer Sutherland. Kiefer Sutherland was in Flatliners with Kevin Bacon completing the circle of bacon.
Lastly, we decided to have a little fun and make another connection to the RoughRiders family. Kevin Bacon was in A Few Good Men with Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise was in Rain Man with Dustin Hoffman. Dustin Hoffman was in American Buffalo directed by Michael Corrente who shot the movie in his hometown of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Pawtucket is the home of the Pawtucket Red Sox. The lead broadcaster for the Red Sox is none other than former RoughRiders’ broadcaster Aaron Goldsmith.
These chains explain how everyone in the world quite possibly could be connected to Kevin Bacon. Are you?
Written by: Jarah Wright
Graphics by: Alex Yocum-Beeman
All-’Riders Team: Right Field
2012 marks the RoughRiders’ 10th season as a franchise, all as the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate. Since 2003, there have been hundreds of talented players come through Dr Pepper Ballpark, but some have stood out more than others. With the help of Michael Damman, the RoughRiders’ Director of Statistical Research, we’ve come up with the All-’Riders Team: the best player at each position in franchise history. Today we continue with the RoughRiders all-time best right fielder
After being taken with the 19th overall pick of the 2005 draft out of Stanford, John Mayberry Jr. made his full season minor league debut in 2006 with the class-A Clinton Lumberkings. Mayberry hit .268 with 51 extra base hits and 77 RBI in 126 games. Mayberry moved up to the class-A advanced, Bakersfield Blaze, in 2007 where he hit .230 with 32 extra base hits in 63 games.
Mayberry was promoted then to Frisco, where he finished the season with a .241 average and 24 extra base hits in 69 games. In his first game with Frisco, Mayberry went 1 for 4 with a double and RBI. With Frisco, Mayberry batted .293 with runners in scoring position and .318 with runners in scoring position and 2 outs.
The 6 foot 6, 225 pound outfielder spent 21 games in Frisco to open up the 2008 season before being promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City. He finished the minor league season by hitting a cumulative .264 with 38 doubles, 7 triples, and 20 home runs. Mayberry drove in 71 runs and scored 65.
Mayberry was traded during the offseason to the Philadelphia Phillies for outfielder Greg Golson. Mayberry spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons with the Phillies’ Triple-A club, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
On May 23, 2009, John made his major league debut with the Philadelphia Phillies. He went 2 for 3 with a double, home run, and 3 RBI in a 5-4 loss to the New York Yankees. Mayberry has been used mostly as a backup outfielder and platoon corner outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies to date. For his major league career, Mayberry is a .294 career hitter with an .890 OPS against left handed pitching. Last season he had a career high 296 plate appearances. He hit .273 with 33 extra base hits and 49 RBI for the 102 win Philadelphia Phillies.
Next Up: Designated Hitter
A Record Breaking Start
With nine wins and no losses in nine consecutive starts, Barret Loux has started the season with a perfect record that leads all of professional baseball. Loux is the new RoughRiders record holder for most wins in as many starts. He is also currently tied with former RoughRiders Justin Miller (2011) and Luis Mendoza (2007) for the most consecutive decisions. Loux said he’s been lucky so far to have so many wins.
“The guys have given us a chance to win with the run support and worked hard,” Loux said. “Sometimes there’s tons of runs and sometimes they drop out but that’s baseball.”
When asked if he feels any pressure pitching with such a good record, Loux laughed and said no. He added he does have goals when he steps on the mound but his main focus is pitching his best. Some ballplayers have superstitions when they have a run of good luck but Loux said it’s not for him.
“I do a little bit of the same thing,” Loux said. “I have a set routine that I stick to but I have no superstitions. No lucky socks.”
Breakdown of a 9-0 record
April 7 at Springfield: 5 innings pitched, 6 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts Frisco wins 6-1
April 13 vs Springfield: 5.2 innings pitched, 8 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts Frisco wins 8-6
April 19 at Corpus Christi: 5 innings pitched, 1 hit, 0 runs, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts Frisco wins 10-0
April 24 vs San Antonio: 6 innings pitched, 6 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts Frisco wins 7-2
April 29 vs Corpus Christi: 6 innings pitched, 6 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts Frisco wins 10-3
May 4 at San Antonio: 5 innings pitched, 4 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts Frisco wins 9-3
May 10 at Corpus Christi: 5.1 innings pitched, 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts Frisco wins 10-2
May 15 at Midland: 5.1 innings pitched, 6 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts Frisco wins 5-4
May 20 vs San Antonio: 7 innings pitched, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts Frisco wins 2-1
Written by Jarah Wright
Photo Credit: Alex Yocum-Beeman
Interview with Zach Zaneski
Zach Zaneski has been one of the ‘Riders best hitters in the month of May. Frisco’s radio broadcaster Alex Vispoli had a chance to talk with the catcher about everything from his recent hot hitting to his college major, Marine Affairs.
Alex: You look like you’re swinging the bat as well as you have all year, do you feel comfortable up there?
Zach: I’ve just been working with harty and have been trying to iron things out and get better. You know that’s the name of the game, it’s always a work in progress and I’m just trying to get better at everything I’m doing. Never be satisfied or ok with what’s going on. I’ve been swinging it better and hopefully I can just keep improving.
Alex: Is it just the process you credit with getting you where you’re at right now?
Zach: Yea, sticking to my routine and getting here and doing early work. Working on some mechanical issues that I had and really just getting back to basics and focusing on seeing the baseball.
Alex: You’re not playing every single day, but it seems like you’re playing a little more than you were over the first couple weeks of the season and I’m sure that has helped too, to get adjusted to the jump in pitching at this level.
Zach: The more at bats the better, but it’s always good to play more. I’m just trying to take advantage of every opportunity that I have.
Alex: It’s not a situation that you’re not used to because last year you and Vinny DiFazio split time. So that part of the adjustment is something that you haven’t had to make.
Zach: Right last year, me and Vinny went every other day, so we knew today we’re playing and tomorrow we’re not. We played a lot of games and got a pretty good amount of at bats. I’m used to that, and it’s really whatever Bue is throwing at me, I’m ready for.
Alex: As a catcher and being your first year at this level, do you try to pick the brain at all of Jose? He’s been here for a year, this is his second year of Double-A. He has the experience at this level. Is there anything that you can glean from him or that he can share regarding how you call a game, receive, or footwork, etc.?
Zach: We were taught by Hector Ortiz, our catching coordinator, a lot of the same things as far as our footwork, receiving, and blocking, so we work together on that. But, it’s more about our relationship with our pitchers and knowing their strengths and weaknesses, and personalities. Also establishing relationships with them, so that when we get into the game we know what is going on and know what their strengths are and can get the most out of them.
Alex: How daunting is it at the beginning of the season to know that over the course of the year you have to catch in the neighborhood of probably 25 to 30 different pitchers, some of whom you may have caught in Spring Training, last year, or possibly haven’t at all? While knowing that you have to know the ins and outs as quickly as you can.
Zach: Sometimes it’s tough, but I just relate it back to Spring Training when I played one game and Koji Uehara came in and I had never caught him, even in a bullpen before. He doesn’t speak much English, so just the communication piece was tough. But we worked through it, and it’s a learning experience. I learned something from that, so every guy is different and you just have to get to know every guy.
Alex: Fans always wonder, how do you even communicate with a guy who doesn’t speak much English?
Zach: Well there’s definitely some boundaries there and when you go out and talk with somebody like that. There isn’t much you can say outside of “it’s ok, calm down” and hope he understands. You just want to make sure he knows the signs and you’re both ok on the signs. When you’re catching someone new like that you don’t have the relationship with them and it can make it difficult to understand what their best pitch is and their out pitch. It’s difficult at times.
Alex: Yesterday’s ball game, there was a lot going on there in the ninth inning. You have runners on second and third with nobody out and a two run lead. It looks like the game is at least going to be tied. When you have the meeting out there with the entire infield and Bue, what is the manager saying in that situation? Is he laying out where the throws are going out and every scenario you have to worry about?
Zach: It was great, he came out and said “Ok, we’re going to walk this guy and we’re going to get a groundball from the next guy, double play in the middle.” And it just so happened, we walked the guy, and first pitch was a sinker, and we got the groundball and double play and that was it, so it was pretty fun!
Alex: Not saying it’s all luck there to call that, but Steve Buechele has been around a few ball games and when he says something like that, it probably hones in that our manager really knows his stuff.
Zach: Absolutely, we have confidence in him and we’re playing for him every day, as well as ourselves. We believe him, believe the things he says, and when he talks, everybody listens. He’s a natural leader and we’re having fun playing for him.
Alex: You went undrafted out ofRhode Island. A lot of catchers will get picked up after a draft to help out with a lot of the new pitchers and maybe keep them on for half a season. But, you have managed to not only stick around, but you were an all-star in the Carolina League last year and you’re getting significant playing time in Double-A. Do you ever take a step back and say “wow this has been an amazing ride that I’ve been given here?”
Zach: Yea, that’s natural and you know I would sit around a fire with my mom and dad and we’d talk about it. It is, it’s been a fun crazy ride. But at the same time, I’m always searching for more and expecting more for myself. Even when I didn’t get drafted, I always knew that I could play. I’ve always played with a chip on my shoulder because of that. I think that it’s only helped me keep getting better in this game and hopefully I can take that all the way to the big leagues.
Alex: Growing up in easternConnecticut, you were a Boston Red Sox fan as you were raised. I would imagine that one of your role models growing up was Jason Varitek. Is that one player that you grew up trying to emulate?
Zach: Oh absolutely, Varitek was unbelievable. Just the blue collar type of player he was. He’s a grinder, he played every day. He didn’t care if he was hurt or got hurt, he was playing. He’s a mentally tough player and those are all of the attribute you want in a good catcher. Hopefully I can just have some of those attributes.
Alex: You’re one of the few players that has a college degree. Not every player has one at this point, sometimes they will go back after their playing career. But, you went to the University of Rhode Island and got a degree in Marine Affairs. That caught my eye because it’s not your typical degree. Explain a little bit about what that entailed.
Zach: Well, it’s like Ocean Management or Ocean Policy. Some people go into Marine Law. But it’s a pretty broad major and you can go into a lot of things from there. Some people go into Marine Biology, Aqua Culture, Coast Guard, or DEP, which is Department of Environmental Protection. I lived on the water my whole life in Waterford, had a boat and always went fishing and surfing. I love the ocean, so it caught my eye. It was cheaper tuition too, because none of the colleges in Connecticut offered that major, so it helped out as far as the money goes. It was a no-brainer to be honest with you.
Alex: Was there anything after your baseball career, whenever it’s going to be, that would keep you interested in and go in to something in that field?
Zach: Sure, I’d love to be a recreational fisherman the rest of my life and just go fishing with my dad all the time. But, I don’t know, I don’t think that I will ever go down that road. I may, but who knows when the time comes, that maybe that chapter will open.
Alex: So, you’re a bit of a fisherman, what is the most impressive catch that you’ve had in your fishing career as an amateur?
Zach: A couple of them actually. My dad and I went shark fishing on our boat a couple years ago and got a couple of big blue sharks. We actually had two of them on at once and next thing you know our 21 foot boat starts getting pulled by the sharks, so that was pretty crazy. Another one is we went 110 miles offshore and caught four yellow fin tuna and a couple albacore tuna.
Alex: Get you out on this, game three, tonight 76ers and Celtics, who you got?
Zach: Celtics all the way. I think they’re going to win the series and move on to the next round. But, you never know, the 76ers are good too.
Alex: That’s Boston homer and RoughRiders catcher Zach Zaneski. Congratulations on the game yesterday and thanks a lot for the time.
Zach: Thanks, a lot.
Myrtle Beach Throws No-Hitter, as Two Other Rangers’ Affiliates Flirt
What a span of four days it was for the Texas Rangers organization. In a matter of days, three different minor league teams for the Texas Rangers flirted with a no-hitter. Only one, however, came away with it. On Saturday, when the Frisco RoughRiders were four outs short of their first no-hitter of the season, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans completed theirs against the Wilmington Blue Rocks in a 3-0 victory.
If I had given you two pitching lines of their previous starts before the most recent one, the prediction for a no-hitter from Myrtle Beach probably would have been Cody Buckel (5 IP 2 H 1 R 4 BB 7 K) over Nick Tepesch (4.2 IP 13 H 7 R 2 BB 6 K). But baseball can be a funny game some times.
Tepesch (2-3 4.06 ERA) started the game for Myrtle Beach on the road in Wilmington and he was as good as he’s ever been. The right handed pitcher retired the first eleven batters he faced and later had a span of nine consecutive retired. In all, Tepesch pitched 7 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts and four walks. His nine strikeouts were a season high and one short of matching his career best, ten strikeouts.
The most trouble that Nick got himself into was in the 8th inning when he walked Roman Hernandez and Kevin David to open the inning. He got the third batter, Juan Graterol, to strikeout. Tepesch was then pulled and Jimmy Reyes was brought in to replace him. Reyes ended the threat by getting Alex McClure to ground into a double play.
Jimmy Reyes pitched the ninth inning as well. The southpaw got Whit Merrifield to pop out to shortstop Edwin Garcia and Geulin Beltre to strikeout. At which point the Wilmington Blue Rocks play-by-play announcer, John Sadak, had this call:
http://soundcloud.com/johnsadak/5-19-vs-mb-no-hitter-final-out
The Pelicans pitchers got all of the support they needed from Brett Nicholas, who went 1 for 2 with a double, two RBI, and two walks. Tomas Telis also went 3 for 4 in the game with two doubles and scored two of the three runs.
Frisco was attempting to become the second Ranger’s affiliate with a no-hitter on the day, but came up just short. Chad Bell made his first start of the year for Frisco and pitched four innings of no-hit ball. Carlos Pimentel came in for his fifth relief appearance of the season and pitched three effectively wild innings without allowing a hit. After retiring the first two hitters, reliever Corey Young gave up a double to Jeudy Valdez in the eighth inning. Young finished the inning and Joseph Ortiz came in to pitch the ninth in Frisco’s 13-0, 2-hit bruising of the San Antonio Missions.
Like Frisco, the Hickory Crawdads also came within four outs of a no-hitter on Monday as the team gave up one hit, a home run, in a 5-1 seven inning victory over the Kannapolis Intimidators in game one of a double header. Hickory had a no-hitter through 5 2/3 innings before Mark Haddow homered with two outs in the 6th inning. Luke Jackson started the game for Hickory and gave up the one hit over 6 2/3 innings with three walks and nine strikeouts.
Baseball players go through cycles and when things are clicking for them, special things can happen. This past weekend was almost a very special one for three affiliates of the Texas Rangers.
For Myrtle Beach, however, the very special moment happened.
Written By: Michael Damman
Robbie Erlin Interview, May 20, 2012
Former RoughRiders pitcher Robbie Erlin started 2011 with High-A Myrtle Beach. He was promoted to Frisco. During his time with the ‘Riders he posted five wins and two losses with a 4.32 ERA, striking out 61 in 66.2 innings of work. Midway through the season he was traded to the San Antonio Missions. We interviewed him before the game yesterday to see how this season is going.
Shot by Michael Damman and Jarah Wright
Interview with Chris McGuiness
Chris McGuiness talks to Frisco broadcaster Alex Vispoli about the intricacies of hitting, the difference in pitching, and how military school has helped him in professional baseball.
Vispoli: We’re joined by the first baseman for the RoughRiders, Chris McGuiness, who drove in a run with a double (Monday) night. Chris, you drove it in against a lefty who throws pretty hard. You’re a left-handed batter. That was a heck of a job considering he had not given up a hit all year.
McGuiness: Yeah. He’s one of those guys, you know, he’s got two good pitches, a fastball and a slider and both are good pitches. He’s kind of one of those guys you got to pick a pitch and maybe pick a side of the plate you think you can handle and put your money in that spot and if he throws it there you can’t miss it. Luckily, I was looking for something out over the plate and he threw there and I was able to get the barrel on it so it worked out good for me.
Vispoli: You don’t have a ton of success against lefties this year but you have picked your spots. You hit a home run off of Robbie Erlin, your old teammate.
McGuiness: Yeah. I’ve always been like that. I didn’t hit off lefties much in college so, you know, it’s one of those things, hit or miss. It’s different but lefty starters are one thing but guys out of the pen specialize in getting left-handed hitters out and San Antonio has a few of them. Corpus does too so it makes it kind of tough but then you only see them one time so it’s kind of a hit or miss thing but it’s part of the game and that’s their job to get us out.
Vispoli: Your approach when facing a lefty, I was talking to Jason Hart that really any left-handed batter when he faces a lefty, he really has to go middle away. Is that what you try to do?
McGuiness: Yeah, generally that’s the typical approach. You have some guys that come in from San Antonio or whatnot that don’t throw very hard, that throw more breaking balls per say so you might change your approach a little bit there but being a left-handed pitcher in college, I knew how I pitched left-handed batters and I’d throw a fastball away or a breaking ball so those are the kind of the two things that I hone in on and depending what his better pitch is, you pick one and sit on the other.
Vispoli: Chris, (Monday) night’s ballgame, it was an entertaining one. I guess you could say something about it but it was a bizarre ninth inning. Tell me about everything that you saw from your perspective. You’re standing right there near the first base umpire when he threw Profar out of the game. What was the chatter going on as far as you can tell us?
McGuiness: It all started with the missed bunt play where it was pretty clear to me and, you know, most people in the stands that the guy went to bunt. Profar thought the same thing too and he was chirping at Alex over there a little bit and from my understanding, it was all in Spanish of course, Profar was chirping. Alex told him he’d heard enough and then G-Rod got in the middle and said hey, you know leave him alone. I’ll take care of him. Alex said alright. Profar kept chirping, he said so he thought he heard Profar say more stuff so he tossed Profar. It was the second time when we’ve had guys chirping back to them where he thought he heard stuff so I’m sure he was a little aggravated but it’s a tight situation. Everybody’s on pins and needles at that point in the game and it’s one of those things that happen and you got to move on with it.
Vispoli: Tough for either team to lose a ballgame like that. I know it looked like there was light at the end of the tunnel there in the ninth inning. You get ahead 0-2, bases loaded, two outs, and just can’t get it to go your way.
McGuiness: Yeah. You know that game up in the, I think it was the bottom of the top of the ninth that had a right-handed reliever in and I got in a good hitter’s count. I thought, you know, I hit a ball that could have went either way. If that gets through up the middle, that’s one run and we got guys at first and second with one out so it completely changes the face of the ballgame but that’s baseball and we catch a break with the guy getting picked off of second base so we thought we were back in the driver’s seat but you know we had a guy on the mound that we wanted out there that can, he’s another left-handed specialist and they got a left-handed hitter and (Shane Peterson) hit a good pitch to left field that drove in the run so you know, he deserved that.
Vispoli: When you hit a line drive like you did in the ninth inning and it settles in the pitcher’s glove like that, you know there’s some satisfaction in being able to hit the ball hard in that situation but also the frustration of having it go to the exact wrong spot. What are you feeling in that spot?
McGuiness: It’s just mixed. It happened so quick but I don’t know if, I’m sure every hitter feels that but I feel like finding gloves so much out on the field that it’s frustrating but you kind of get used to it. You know, it’s part of the game. They say it all evens out so maybe I’ll get a hit here or there or get one to bleed in but it would’ve been nice to have that one fall for sure last night.
Vispoli: That said you still have done a nice job raising your average around .250 or so based on where it was a couple of weeks ago and you seem to be settling into a pretty good spot here in the Texas League. Describe what the difference in pitching that you’ve seen has been like versus 2011 in the Carolina League.
McGuiness: Everything last year was a whirlwind. Being hurt, guys in High-A are still good, you know, so you take me being hurt, them being on their game, those are kind of the same as they are here. You know it’s a step up in competition. I feel like everybody here throws 95 so if you don’t throw 95, you got to have good secondary stuff and then they do throw 95 and have good secondary stuff. There’s been maybe one or two days that we face guys who are like oh, this is a guy you got to really get your hits in because you don’t see guys like this too often in Double-A but those are normally the guys you come back to the dugout 0-4 and mad at yourself about more than the other guys. It’s tough but you get thrown in that situation all the time, you start to get acclimated to it a little bit more. I feel a little bit more comfortable so I feel good at the plate, not overmatched. It’s just getting to pitch the ball when they do and going up there and trying to have a good at-bat every day and stick to your approach and let the balls fall where they lay.
Vispoli: I want to ask you a little bit about your college background. You went to The Citadel which is the military school in South Carolina. For folks that don’t know, how did you end up going to The Citadel?
McGuiness: I had a lot of buddies go there the year before that so I knew a lot of the guys on the team. I grew up playing ball with the head coach’s son Freddie Jordan and his son Kyle and we played ball together. I knew I had a good relationship with all the coaches. The Southeast, on the East coast more so, even throughout the United States still has a good reputation. They got a really good degree and if you wear that ring, it opens up some doors so that all weighed into it. Money was a big factor of it. You know, my parents also have to worry about money and stuff but to have that much money thrown at you and you have to take out student loans and stuff like that and would it be a loan that the pros definitely outweigh the cons. I’ve gone there and I don’t regret it. It was a good experience. I learned a lot there.
Vispoli: What military school commitments do you have at that school, if any?
McGuiness: After we’re done, you don’t have to serve. As far as at school, you know, you’re a regular cadet. I woke up at 7:11 every morning. We had a 7:15 formation. It gives me four minutes to get ready which they didn’t like it too much because I didn’t look very good in my uniform but, you know, it’s kind of clear, athletes who go there for athletics and other guys go there for the military instruction stuff so we had to march to breakfast, lunch. We had to march to class my freshman year wearing our uniform every day so it was, you know, the five o’clock runs and all that stuff. It was pretty tough but it’s nothing you can’t do. It’s just you have to be tough, more so mentally tough than physically tough.
Vispoli: Did that sort of experience help prepare you for professional ball where it really is a self-starter thing? You come to the ballpark and there is a regimented program for you to do but in terms of off-season work and everything that goes into the time that you spend building your game outside of the ballpark, does that sort of discipline that gets built into you at The Citadel help you in professional ranks?
McGuiness: Yeah, absolutely. The days just melted together. A Monday was the same as a Saturday. It felt like you got up every day and did the same kinds of stuff, get up, breakfast, class, weight-lifting, practice, eat, do homework, and go to bed. Minor league ball is kind of the same thing. You get to the park and you have a routine that you do every day. You come in. You play. You eat dinner. You go back to sleep and you wake up and do it all over again and that’s basically what the off-season is for me. I lift Monday through Friday around the same time. I hit around the same time so that structure, getting into a routine and sticking to it and finding out what works for you. I have definitely benefitted from being at The Citadel. It was a good fit.
Vispoli: Chris, congratulations on the good game last night. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out in your guys’ favor but go out there and get them today. Thanks for the time.
McGuiness: Thanks.
Interview with Jared Prince
Frisco broadcaster Alex Vispoli talked to RoughRiders outfielder Jared Prince about the beginning of this season, Brad Hawpe as a mentor, growing up in Washington, and the secret to making diving catches.
Vispoli: We’re joined by outfielder Jared Prince who homered in Sunday’s game [May 13} against the Corpus Christi Hooks. Jared, first of all congratulations. I know that home run didn’t come at a key spot in the game but sometimes, it’s difficult to keep your concentration late in games like that when the team is down but you managed to do it.
Prince: Yeah you know in that situation, this team, we’re always fighting so any way we can get something going. We didn’t end up doing it but any way you can get something going to come out, even getting some momentum coming into [Monday] helps out.
Vispoli: It almost feels like a loss in a series when the team only wins two out of four. It’s been amazing this team has won every series but the two that they’ve played in Corpus.
Prince: Well yeah. They’re a competitive group over there and we’re a competitive group and we don’t lose that much and we battle. We love to win so you know even when we split, it kind of feels like we lose and that’s usually not the case. That’s probably a good thing I guess.
Vispoli: Does this feel a little bit like the start of the Myrtle season last year when you guys were just tearing up the Carolina League?
Prince: Absolutely, just the formula is right there with the first and foremost the good pitching and good defense behind it and the timely hitting and just a bunch of competitors from the pitchers and position guys all around. It feels a lot like the Myrtle season.
Vispoli: Tell me a little bit about your manager Steve Buechele. He’s in his third year in Double-A. It seems like he does a great job keeping you guys in tune with the game and rotating guys throughout the season. What’s it like playing for Steve?
Prince: Bue is great. He’s very positive and he keeps us going and I mean I have a lot of good to say about Bue so far.
Vispoli: Well another way that this season sort of feels a little bit like last season for you is that it has not gotten off to the strongest start and I saw you last year. I know the kind of ballplayer you’re capable of being and you know the same but what is it about the early part of the season for you that just have a hard time getting going?
Prince: I wish I could tell you. I don’t know. It’s just April and the early part of May is just a tough time for me to kinda get in my groove and once I capture it, though, I ride it and really don’t look back so I’m feeling good and looking to capture that feeling and go with it.
Vispoli: Do you think that maybe part of the reason is because you haven’t been out there every single day because with Brad here, getting him playing time, getting Val playing time, you’re not penciled in there every single day. Is that a little bit of an adjustment for you to make as well?
Prince: Absolutely. Yeah. Last year in Myrtle, off to the slow start but I was in there every day so I kinda got to figure things out and now when I figure something out, maybe I’m down the next day. It’s just an adjustment I got to make and other guys need playing time so when I’m in there, I need to take advantage of the time that I get.
Vispoli: That said, what is it like playing alongside a guy like Brad Hawpe, a player who spent eight years in the big leagues, over a hundred home runs. He’s been a big league all-star the last time he was healthy for a season. He must just be amazing to see the way he goes about his business and someone for you to look up to as a role model.
Prince: Absolutely. Brad is great. I try to pick his brain as much as I can and you know he’s very insightful and yeah he’s a tremendous role model. He’s a great guy first and foremost. He’s just a good dude and he’s been a real treat to have here.
Vispoli: Is there anything specific that you have been able to glean from him?
Prince: Just picking apart his brain. Getting in there about the little things that he does, tricks of the trade, and stuff like that and stuff that has worked for him in the past and currently and stuff that he’s seen guys do. Believe me, I’m all in his brain trying to get as much as I can out of him while he’s here.
Vispoli: Well one thing that I think that you don’t need any help with is the way you dive for balls. You just have made so many highlight catches this year. Engel Beltre has made a lot of the, I think, more graceful ones but I compare you to a grinder, a dirt dog with some of the catches that you make. It seems like whenever you go down near a warning track, there’s a trail of dust kicking up because you’ve landed on it and more often than naught, you’ve come up with a catch.
Prince: Well here’s the secret. I’m going to let you in.
Vispoli: I’m all ears.
Prince: When I was growing up in Washington, me and my dad used to go out when the tide was out. We used to go and dad would hit tennis balls with a tennis racquet and we would dive, me and my brother would dive into tide pools and make diving catches so every time I make a diving catch or something like that, dad said was it really that good of a catch. I said nah. It was just like I’ve done a hundred times on a beach with a tennis ball and tennis racquet.
Vispoli: Sounds a little dangerous. You ever get like a sea urchin or something on the other side?
Prince: You know sometimes there’s crabs and stuff in there you gotta look out for. Sometimes we’d dive on a shell or something like that. We’ve gotten cut up but it was all good fun.
Vispoli: Tell me a little bit about growing up in Washington. You told me you’re a big Seattle Mariners fan. Griffey was your guy, a tough guy to emulate because he’s so special. Was there anything you would watch and try to do exactly like Griffey?
Prince: Well when I was young, I’d do everything like Griffey. I’d do the stance. I’d do the showboat way he used to catch the ball, all that stuff but I just love going to the games. I’m a big homer, big Seahawk guy, a big Sonic guy. Hopefully they come back soon but I just love watching the game and me and dad would play catch every day and hit whiffle balls and stuff like that and you know, make use of growing up in a kind of unusual spot. We’d go down to the water. We’d take batting practice. He’d flip rocks and you know, like I said diving in tide pools and stuff like that so we just kind of, not the traditional way of practicing but we got it done. We practiced.
Vispoli: It sounds like the hard knocks way of trying to catch a fly ball, diving into rocks, catching things in tidal pools. You went to college on the other side of the state at Washington State in Pullman. First of all, what was Pullman like? It’s in the middle of nowhere it seems.
Prince: Yes. It is very in the middle of nowhere. It’s cold. It is about an hour and a half from anything but that also adds a little bit to its charm because you’re in a small town, kind of a feel you don’t get at a lot of schools but it’s very intimate. You can say that but it was a good experience.
Vispoli: What are your thoughts on the Mike Leach hire for the football program?
Prince: Oh gosh, couldn’t have had a better hire there. It’s a great hire. He’s brought a lot of buzz to the program and they’re going to do some good things.
Vispoli: Being on the other side of the state and you’re from the Seattle area, do you get a chance to get back there very often since you finished up there?
Prince: I try to get back to one game a year and I’ve been able to do that the last few years so it’s a long trip over there. It’s five and a half hours so it takes awhile and it’s tough roads and everything like that but yeah, I do try to get over there once a year and catch a game. I got a lot of people over there that I still really like and like to see.
Vispoli: Well Jared congratulations on the home run on Sunday {May 13} and the best of luck out there the next time you’re in the lineup. Thanks for the time.
Prince: Alright, thank you.
