Wednesday 8/22/2012 Minor League Updates

[texasdave]

Daniel Renken has given up a home run and not much else through five. Bakersfield is tied up at 1. Travis Mattair is 2 for 2.

[texasdave]

Billings goes quietly into that good night, falling 11-5.

[cinreds21]

Perez had two more hits tonight, including a triple, to push his average up to .301. Louisville falls 7-5. As mentioned Willie Harris is officially in 'salary drive' mode, yanking two out of the park. Both drives came against Chris Leroux, who announced his retirement immediately following the game. Mike Costanzo with a couple hits as well. Every Bats' pitcher that toed the rubber tonight gave up runs.

Wait, are you sure about this?

[j_m_t_us]

Freeman gives up homer, homer, triple, single to start the ninth. Pensacola fights back in the bottom half of the inning as LaMarre doubles and Hamilton singles him home. They still come up a run short and fall 9-8. Hamilton did steal second base in the ninth.

Wahoos bullpen was bad tonight! Why they left Freeman in after he gave up the 2nd homerun was a terrible decision by the manager. In regards to the playoffs, this game sunk them tonight!

[dougdirt]

Wait, are you sure about this?

I get the feeling that was sarcasm/made up given that he gave up two shots to Willie Harris.

[cinreds21]

I was really confused lol

[crazybob60]

I was at the Dragons game tonight down in Bowling Green. It just wasn't a great night at all for Stephenson. He was touching in the 90's on the radar, but he also threw quite a few balls out of the strike zone early in the game too. There were also some errors and some hits that were some rather 'fluke' type hits too. But again, the Bowling Green team this year is no slouch, they are one of the better teams in the Midwest, so he definitely had his work cut out for him. I left the game very unimpressed, in more than one aspect.

There other aspect, well, it may not belong here in this thread, but I shall mention it anyway. Maybe it was just one of those nights for Stephenson but I found him to be rather rude. I have a hobby where I try and collect autos from the teams coming in (I live right outside Bowling Green). I have many of the Midwest teams autos and well, I can understand that you are the starting pitcher tonight and that you may not want to sign before the game, and I can understand if you just got rocked and don't want to sign after the game, but in this whole year of going to the games and asking for the autos, I have never had anyone just flat out said 'NO' to me. I have had people say 'Catch me after the game' or 'Catch me tomorrow' which I normally do, and they more than oblige. But I get a 'NO' both before and after the game and get a nasty look from him after the game too. Mind you, there wasn't a lot of people asking either, I was the only person there at the time, both times. Again, it may have been just one of those nights for Stephenson and he may be a swell guy, but it just left a sour taste in my mouth tonight. I hope that this sour taste doesn't stay, because he has a ton of potential and he is a future Red and I don't want to have a disdain towards a future Red. I dunno. Just never had this type of reaction from a player, especially at the Low A level. Okay, I will get off my soapbox now. Sorry for the rant.

I went back to the game tonight and Stephenson was very pleasant and engaged in a nice conversation. He was just having a bad evening. I guess I shouldn't jump to judgement sometimes. My own fault.

[cinreds21]

Not to be mean, but the last thing a starting pitcher wants to do is sign for someone, especially an adult, when they start. Especially if he was knocked around a bit. I am not surprised at all with how he acted to you. Players, for the most part, really don't like signing for adults, especially if you have a whole page of cards for them to sign (not saying you did, just saying in general.)
So don't judge a pitcher's personality because they refused to sign on a night they pitched and didn't pitch quite well.

[crazybob60]

Not to be mean, but the last thing a starting pitcher wants to do is sign for someone, especially an adult, when they start. Especially if he was knocked around a bit. I am not surprised at all with how he acted to you. Players, for the most part, really don't like signing for adults, especially if you have a whole page of cards for them to sign (not saying you did, just saying in general.)
So don't judge a pitcher's personality because they refused to sign on a night they pitched and didn't pitch quite well.

Yes, I agree with you on the aspect of judging a pitcher's personality on the night they pitched and didn't pitch well and then not sigining. That was my fault for doing so and that is why I came back on in this thread and made amends for that and then apologized for it.

I do this for a hobby. I still collect cards and collect autographs. I find it fun and also fun getting to know some future players too through doing so. I have had plenty of starting pitchers through the course of the year, not mind in the least signing something for me on the day they pitched. So I doubt that it is 'the last thing' they want to do on that day.

I don't mean to be starting anything here at all. I hear what you are saying cinreds21 and I agree with a part of your statement, but not so much in the other. Just thought that I would come back in here and further explain myself. Anyway, enough of these opinions and stances on just collecting and getting autographs. Lets go Reds. That's what we are here about anyway, seeing the Reds and their farm teams win....

[cinreds21]

Oh dude I was not trying to start or rift or talking trash to you or anything like that. Since you mentioned the autograph thing I thought I'd just generalize it and just put something out there. I wasn't trying to put your down or anything, I was saying it for everyone for a somewhat better understanding of things. Wasn't trying to offend you or anything man.