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Thread: Bats closing in on playoff spot

  1. #31
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    Re: Bats closing in on playoff spot

    Quote Originally Posted by Kingspoint View Post
    They'll never get a major league baseball team. They've got to be considered Cincinnati's "area". If I were them, I wouldn't want a Major League team. There are a lot of great things about the Minor League teams that you can't get as a Major League team....most distinctly is player connections with the fans.
    I don't think the city is even pushing for it. I mean we didn't even have a city sports commission up until a couple years ago. The time has come and passed for a big push for a pro team here. We tried an NBA team, and it was split in the first place on whether or not to even want it here. We tried for the Grizzlies, it was between us and Memphis, they chose Memphis. Then the Hornets moved, it was between us and New Orleans, they chose New Orleans. Basically better corporate sponsorship deals. Ironically, both places rank at the lowest in the league in attendance and their ownership is hemorrhaging money. I didn't want an NBA team, because its completely bombed since MJ retired and there's no support.

    And thats probably the main reason why we won't get a pro team probably ever. It's because the strength of MLB, NBA, and NHL are all horrible for expansion. Even established teams lose money and don't draw fans - it would be hard to sustain that here. I don't think we would do any worse than the city of Cincinnati though.

    It's odd to explain, but the state government here treats Louisville like crap. Instead of promoting it as the states crown city, it constantly screws it over in budgets, especially the University of Louisville - while 95% of the tax money leaves the city. I mean U of L has a football stadium expansion paid for, all private money, and the state just needed to convene last year to approve the construction bonds.

    Mind you, they didn't have to actually PAY for a damn thing in this, it was all privately funded - they just had to approve it for construction. But they didn't convene, the project was delayed to approval for this year, and in turn we not only lost a chance to have the expansion built a year early - but it also added $10 mil more to the rising cost of raw materials.

    Well, thats my random tangent. Just some insight on why exactly we wouldn't ever get a team. A combination of a weaknesses of every pro sport besides the NFL right now, the city's history of ineptitude, and the state's goal to screw over the city at every turn - and you can see why.


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  3. #32
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    Re: Bats closing in on playoff spot

    Bats' division clincher sweet for Sweet
    Pettyjohn, Louisville win West Division with victory over Durham
    By Danny Wild / Special to MLB.com

    A team supposedly devoid of heroes also happens to be one of the best in the Minors.

    Adam Pettyjohn tossed eight strong innings and Rick Sweet tied a franchise record for wins as the Louisville Bats held off the visiting Durham Bulls, 6-3, to win the International League's West Division crown on Thursday.

    "It's unbelievable," Pettyjohn said. "It's a credit to those guys in the locker room. We came together and I think more than anything, it was unselfish play. No one tried to be the hero, no one is worried about personal stats. We've just played great as a team."

    Like it or not, Pettyjohn (14-5) was the hero Thursday in earning his 14th win. The veteran struck out a season-high seven and held the Bulls to three runs on seven hits over eight innings. Jon Adkins fanned a pair in the ninth inning for his 26th save to seal the division crown.

    "It's been an absolute blast," said Sweet, who tied Dave Miley's managerial club record with his 296th victory. "We've got more to do."

    It was the fourth IL division title and the first since 2003 for Louisville (82-51), which owns the best record in the league. The Bats, 17-3 in August, will face the eventual South Division champs -- either Durham or the Norfolk Tides -- in the playoffs next month.

    "It's been a lot of fun," Sweet said. "It's amazing how many guys are involved in this. I've had text messages all day from the guys in Cincinnati saying, 'Get it done tonight.'"

    Louisville did exactly that. Pettyjohn allowed a pair of runs in the first, but held the Bulls (68-65) to one run thereafter. The Bats scored twice to tie the game in the first and tacked on three more runs to take the lead in the fourth.

    "It's been that way all year, we do all kinds of things well and get big hits," the skipper said. "It's just the way we've played. This started in April and these guys finished it off."

    Louisville reeled off eight straight wins to begin the month before losing to the Columbus Clippers on Aug. 9. Pettyjohn said the final push started when Aaron Harang led the Bats to an 11-0 win in a rehab start against Toledo on Aug. 4.

    "Harang came down and we got it done," he said. "That set the tone for that series and the month. We haven't looked back since."

    Miley led the Bats to a 79-64 record in 2003 to capture Louisville's last division title.

    "Miles is one of my best friends, I'm very close with Dave," Sweet said. "It's nice to be there with him, I'm honored to be equal with him."

    Pettyjohn and Sweet agreed the season has been an enjoyable one. The Bats went 15-1 from Aug. 1-17 to take control of the West Division.

    "We're enjoying the win and title, enjoying it as a team," said Pettyjohn. "It's been so much fun. To be able to clinch like that is so much fun, so we're going to celebrate."

    Pettyjohn moved into second place all-time in franchise history for wins in a season and can tie Ralph Citarella's 1992 record with his next victory.

    "It is a total credit to our offense and our bullpen," he said. "Every win I've had this year, the bullpen has come in and, without them, none of it is possible."

    Sweet has 11 regular-season games remaining to move into first all-time in club wins.

    "He's as much as a player's manager as there is out there," Pettyjohn said. "He takes care of his players and he's done a great job keeping us fresh. He's kept us focused."

    Adkins struck out John Jaso swinging to end the game and officially commence a somewhat subdued on-field celebration. Less than half of the 8,503 fans at Louisville Slugger Ballpark remained to see the final out, and many of them quietly sat in anticipation.

    Pettyjohn, who threw 79 of his 104 pitches for strikes, said he didn't mind watching the ninth from the dugout.

    "It doesn't really matter to me, Sweet has done a great job and I never even questioned it," Pettyjohn said. "I was able to put our team in position to win, and the bullpen has been doing it all year."

    Durham remained in first place in the South Division and will need to hold off Norfolk for the title. The Bulls and Bats could very well meet again in the first round in September.

    "As long as we keep playing the way we are, we'll do just fine," Pettyjohn said. "I know we'll stay focused."

    Drew Anderson and Kevin Parker lined consecutive run-scoring hits in the first to knot the game, 2-2. Craig Tatum, Danny Richar and Luis Bolivar each drove in a run in the fourth to give the Bats a 5-2 lead.

    Wade Davis (3-2) allowed five runs on six hits and three walks over four innings to suffer the loss for Durham.

    http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

  4. #33
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    Re: Bats closing in on playoff spot

    Former Louisville stars wish Bats well
    Reds' Triple-A squad headed to International League playoffs
    By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

    DENVER -- By virtue of their current last-place status, the Reds will not get so much as a sniff of the postseason for the eighth consecutive season.

    However, there were several players in the clubhouse Friday that can say they contributed to a playoff team and division winner. Triple-A Louisville won its game Thursday over Durham to clinch the International League's West Division title.

    Reds rookie outfielder Chris Dickerson has stayed in touch with the Bats and manager Rick Sweet since his Aug. 12 promotion to the big leagues.

    "I told Sweet to spray a bottle of champagne for me and make sure he wore his swim goggles," Dickerson said. "He said he's old school and likes the sting in his eyes. It's nice to look back and feel like we contributed to something great. It's awesome Sweet and the coaching staff is getting a chance to enjoy the playoffs and a division championship. We wish them the best. I would have liked to have been there for that celebration."

    Perhaps not quite as much being in the Majors.

    Besides Dickerson, Jay Bruce, Ryan Hanigan, Adam Rosales, Jolbert Cabrera, Andy Phillips, Corey Patterson, Bill Bray and Gary Majewski logged time at Louisville this season. Even Reds veteran Aaron Harang got a win for the Bats, during an Aug. 4 rehab assignment start.

    Louisville, which entered Friday 82-51, went 17-3 in August to claim its first playoff berth since 2003. With their season extended, don't be surprised if some September callups are delayed until the Bats' run is done.

    "I was excited for them. I figured they would [clinch]," Hanigan said. "There's momentum on that team down there. They expect to win. They play good, consistent baseball all the time. We obviously lost a couple of guys before, when I was there, and then me and Dickerson. It's not about that. It's about the feel they play with and the aggressiveness. Hopefully they keep it going through the playoffs. I talk to those guys all the time, and I'm rooting them on."

    http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

  5. #34
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    Re: Bats closing in on playoff spot

    Like it or not, Pettyjohn (14-5) was the hero Thursday in earning his 14th win. The veteran struck out a season-high seven and held the Bulls to three runs on seven hits over eight innings. Jon Adkins fanned a pair in the ninth inning for his 26th save to seal the division crown.
    Throughout the season I often wondered why Pettyjohn could not have been a fifth starter with the Reds, what is it that I don't understand about a guy that can win 14 games, maybe more before it is over?

  6. #35
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    Re: Bats closing in on playoff spot

    Playoff matchups

    Louisville will have today off before facing Durham and David Price (1-1, 4.50). Price, Tampa Bay's top pitching prospect and No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft, is 12-1 overall with a 2.30 ERA this year. He will face fellow lefty Matt Maloney (11-5, 4.68).

    On Thursday, Durham's Mitch Talbot (13-9, 3.86) will face Homer Bailey (4-7, 4.77); Jeff Niemann (9-5, 3.59) takes on Louisville's Adam Pettyjohn (15-6, 4.59) on Friday; and Wade Davis (4-2, 2.72) faces Livingston on Saturday if necessary.

    Starters have not been named for Game 5.

    http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/...74/1002/SPORTS


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