Symbolism

So I found a turtle on my way in to the office today.  True story.  Ok, actually Justin Stecz found a turtle on the way in to the office this morning, but I picked it up.  It was just about the size of a silver dollar and it looked like it was in danger of becoming "over easy" on the sidewalk, so I relocated it to the moat out in front of the stadium.

Slow and steady is the slogan associated with turtles.  Well let me tell you, this guy was fast.  He wanted no part of hanging out with me or any of the other members of the front office and he was a sprinter. 

I guess there was a little symbolism in crossing paths with the traditionally single-geared amphibian.  The Rox are off to an 0-2 start, and have been outscored 17-4 in the first two games.  Time to panick, absolutely not.  Remember 2008?

The Rox started 2008 with a four-game series against the Nashua Pride.  Here's how the series broke down offensively for the Rox (who won three of four):



With those numbers, not only did the Rox look like an automatic playoff team, but definitely appeared to be a title contender.

In contrast, Sussex was 28-30 on July 24th, 2008.  That's a little more than a month remaining in the season and they were near the bottom of the standings and had just traded the only former Major Leaguer on their roster.  Then they won 21 of 30 games, snuck in to the playoffs, and swept Quebec (the team that won the first, and second halves of the season) for a Championship.

Enterprise columnist Glen Farley was out for Opening Night.  He covers the New England Patriots during football season, and was treated to football weather in Thursday's opening night loss.  It was just one of those days for Rox RHP Wayne Lundgren.

Jim Fenton, who covers the Red Sox and Celtics for the Enterprise covered Friday night's loss.  It was a hit parade for Sussex.

Tonight's first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM.  It's going to be a beautiful weekend at Campanelli Stadium.  Come out and join us.
 

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Preparation

There is no question that the Rox were the better prepared team on Memorial Day, handing the American Defenders of New Hampshire an 11-2 loss.  That's not to say that new Defenders Manager Brian Daubach was not doing his job.  Daubach and most of the team were taking part in a Memorial Day Parade in Nashua that ran right up to the start of the game, making it measurably difficult to prepare for a game.

So a comparison between the two teams is a little unfair.  But we can definitely analyze the numbers the Rox put up this spring.

In two games:
Offense:
17 runs, 25 hits, 2, 3-run home runs
Defense/Pitching:
2 double plays, 1 Error
18 innings pitched, 5 earned runs, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts

OF Palmer Karr has come into Brockton as a man on fire.  He was 4-7 with four RBI, four runs scored, and a three-run home run.  He finished the exhibition season a triple shy of the cycle.  Karr and 1B Keith Brachold have combined for 247 RBI over the last two seasons combined.  He's done it all with borrowed equipment so far this year.  His equipment has not arrived yet, so he has been borrowing OF Jud Thigpen's extra equipment and it has clearly worked out for the best.  Karr joked in camp today that even when his bats and gloves do arrive, he'll probably just keep using Jud's. 

Today's workout consisted largely of a simulated game with live pitching and hitting.  It's a good thing Rox hitters are not facing Rox pitchers this year because the pitching was fantastic. 

Cuts
The Opening Day roster is set.  Every team in the league had to pare down its roster to 22 active players by noon yesterday.  Here's the way the Rox roster breaks down:

Pitchers (10 total, plus three inactive)
RHP
Stevie Delabar
Jerry Dunn
Freddy Flores
John Kelly
Jeff Long
Wayne Lundgren
John Tesseyman
Matt Zachary
LHP
Brad Hertzler
Fraser Robinson

Catchers
Chris Grossman
Jon Gossard
John Tesseyman

Infielders
Keith Brachold
Phillip Cuadrado
Melvin Falu
Dominic Ramos

Outfielders
Roberto Alvarez
Napoleon Calzado
Palmer Karr
Jud Thigpen
Chris Valencia

Inactives are: RHP James Baker, LHP Craig Anderson, and RHP Keith Noe.

Injury Note
2B Melvin Falu says that his toe is still bothering him.  He had an in-grown toenail operated on last Friday.  He hasn't shown any limited range in the field, but he did go 1-10 in the exhibition season.  It is exhibition play, but still something to keep an eye on for a guy who had 43 multi-hit games last season.

Lundgren to start Opener
I had a chance to chat with pitching coach John Kelly today.  He informed me that the rotation itself is still a work in progress as the pitchers work themselves in to shape.  We do know that RHP Wayne Lundgren will get the ball on opening night.  The other starters penciled in to the rotation right now are: RHP Stevie Delabar, Kelly, and RHP Jeff Long.  As to what order those four go in, a determination has not yet been made.  That means the fifth spot in the rotation appears to be up for grabs.    

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6-3 Exhibition Win

The news was all good following the Rox 6-3 exhibition win over Worcester.  RHP John Kelly tested his surgically repaired throwing shoulder for the first time in a game situation.  Kelly pitched the first three innings for the Rox and did not surrender a run.  He had a pretty nice line: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  I had him for 35 pitches.  I talked with him briefly after the game and he did say that he felt fine.  We'll see how he holds up under the continued stresses of conditioning for a full season.

We had the opportunity to see RHP Wayne Lundgren for the first time as well.  Lundgren really looked good.  For as tall as he is it's important for him to be throwing on a downward plane.  It induces a lot of ground balls, keeps his defense busy (and happy), and most importantly, keeps the baseball in the yard.  His line: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  I had him for 41 pitches.  Lundgren is not a strikeout pitcher, and it's the reason (in one man's opinion) he has thrived so well in Brockton.  For the most part he has been used as a reliever everywhere he has been except Brockton.  It's tough to ask a pitcher who wants the other team to hit the ball, to come in and get outs in a relief situation.  Think about how many times you've seen a reliever come in when a team needs to get a strikeout  more than anything.  His success as a starter in his seaons with Brockton are a direct result of his pitching style being a good fit for a starting pitcher.

Here's a look at Lundgren's numbers as a starter as opposed to a reliever:

	Start
	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	K
2008	11	3	3.28	137.33	139	50	85
2006	1	3	3.75	36	38	15	22
2004	0	1	5.40	5	7	3	0
2003	0	1	3.52	7.67	8	3	2
2001	0	0	5.40	5	7	3	0
2000	0	1	3.00	6	7	2	2
TOTALS	12	9	3.47	197	206	76	111

 

	Relief
	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	K
2006	2	1	2.60	17.33	19	5	9
2006	0	2	7.62	13	25	11	10
2006	1	3	3.86	32.67	30	14	22
2005	1	0	8.76	12.33	16	12	7
2005	3	3	4.15	43.33	53	20	19
2004	0	1	4.26	12.67	46	6	5
2004	2	1	3.76	40.67	37	17	43
2003	1	1	3.45	31.33	31	12	15
2003	0	0	9.00	5	20	5	3
2001	4	2	5.30	37.33	41	22	20
2000	2	1	3.52	23	32	9	10
TOTALS	16	15	4.46	268.66	350	133	163

Look at the totals.  While he has pitched a good seventy fewer innings as a starter, his ERA is a full run lower. 

The defense was sharp last night too.  The team committed just one error in the game and converted twelve ground ball outs. 

Offensively, we met a lot of new players.  Players who were not on the roster in 2008 but started last night were: SS Chris Valencia, LF Palmer Karr, 1B Keith Brachold, C Chris Grossman, CF Roberto Alvarez, and DH Brett Bigler.  Alvarez and Bigler are interchangeable in center field, and they batted eighth and ninth respectively.  The two combined to lead off the third inning with back-to-back singles.   The did not score, but set the table nicely for the top of the order.

Karr had a nice night at the plate despite dodging fastballs.  He was hit in the back by a Santiago Ramirez fastball and ducked out of the way of an errant curveball later on.  But he finished 2-3 with a double and three runs scored from the cleanup spot. 

3B Phillip Cuadrado hit a towering three-run home run to right field.  That was the difference in the game (oustide of Worcester's sloppy defense - they committed four errors). 

Rookie C Jon Gossard drove in a run with a nice piece of hitting in an 0-2 count.  Gossard got a pitch on the outside corner and just pushed it through the right side of the infield for an RBI single.

2B Melvin Falu went 0-5, reaching on an error in his last at-bat.  If you were listening to the broadcast, you may have heard me wonder aloud if Falu was running a bit funny.  Prior to the game, the injury report was basically clear, so I was concerned when he appeared to be hobbled.  What I did not learn until today was that Falu had an in-grown toenail operated on during the day yesterday.  So yes, he was running funny, but there was a pre-existing condition.  He should be good to go tomorrow, but make no mistake, that is a painful procedure.

Tomorrow the Rox play a Memorial Day matinee in New Hampshire at 1:05 PM against the American Defenders of New Hampshire.  We'll have the broadcast on WXBR 1460 AM.  I know that the webstream was down last night, and it may be down Monday as well as we sort through some unavoidable technical issues on a holiday weekend.

Here are the pitchers that will be available to pitch:
RHP Stevie Delabar*
RHP Jeff Long
LHP Brad Hertzler
RHP Jerry Dunn
RHP Matt Zachary
RHP James Baker
*Will start
 

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Forgot to mention this earlier today, but in a conversation with Chris Carminucci, I learned that there is a possibility that we see John Kelly in action this Saturday...maybe to start the exhibition game.  There was a coaches meeting scheduled for after today's workout and I'm sure plans were made in regard to who will pitch on Saturday.  Remember that Saturday is an exhibition game, and one of just two total.  So it is not likely that anybody gets more than three innings of work...and I would guess it will be one or two.  My presumption is that Kelly will go at least two innings as he and the training staff get an idea of how his surgically repaired shoulder feels with the "start and stop" routine of a starting pitcher.

I can't wait for the season to start.  Hope to see you on Saturday.  Tell your friends.

Oh yeah...email the Press Box, anytime.  We like feedback.

Thursday

The Rox first exhibition game is just a little over 48 hours away.  BMC HealthNet Plan has jumped on board this summer and is actually presenting a free youth baseball clinic on Saturday.  If you know any little leaguers who want to come out and work with Chris Carminucci and his players for free from 4-5 PM on Saturday, pass it along.  They will also get a free ticket to the game and a gift bag, both courtesy of BMC HealthNet Plan.

Light Day

The sunscreen was going on thick today.  We're going to hit 90 degrees, if we haven't already.  Today was a designated "light day" at practice as explained to me by the newest member of the Rox coaching staff, Justine Siegal.  She said that after going hard and live over the past two days, the team would get a chance pull back just a little today heading toward Saturday's exhibition game. 

I completely forgot to post this the other day, but had every intention of doing so.  Mark Ducharme is a beat writer who spends a good amount of time at Campanelli Stadium throughout the summer.  He wrote this piece on Chris Carminucci's newest coach.

Mark was out for Media Day last Saturday, which coincidentally was the team's first workout.  He also chatted with Jud Thigpen for a while, which resulted in this piece.

A couple of pictures of the Rox single season record holder in home runs and RBI from the batting cage.

 






















Player updates

The Rox are still without a handful of players slated to be a part of the 2009 team.  OF Napolean Calzado, LHP Craig Anderson, LHP Fraser Robinson, and RHP Keith Noe have still not joined the team.  The first three are still working out there visas and I found out today that Noe will not be arriving until June 11th as he finishes his school year in California.

Keith Brachold, back from a two-year stint elsewhere in minor league baseball, is in line to start the season as the Rox first baseman.  Brachold was a solid young outfielder when the Rox signed him in 2006, but did not have an opportunity to play every day.  He played sparingly in the outfield and often came in as a late inning defensive replacement at first base.  Over the last two seasons, he has hit 23 home runs and driven in 137 runs in time split between Kalamazoo and Amarillo.  Some photos of Brachold at first base during camp today.  I might be so selfish to note the quality of the photos considering the circumstances.  The "photographer" was dodging baseballs thrown by RHP Wayne Lundgren (with consistent accuracy) from centerfield.