News, notes and rumblings around the minors

Skylands Park, 2005

I don't know what it is about expansion and relocation when it comes to sports teams, but it always piques my interest. It doesn't even matter if the team leaving is hundreds of miles away, or if it's moving to somewhere else that's also hundreds of miles away. I guess I just love the newness of it -- new uniforms, colors, logos, identity. A new community, new fan base, new history. There's not a league I could care less about than the NBA, but I still read all about the New Orleans club dropping the Hornets nickname for Pelicans (and I think it'd be boring, lame and a bit disingenuous for the Charlotte Bobcats to change their name to Hornets; it's been done).

So when there's talk of expansion or relocation in the minor leagues -- the latter of which brought affiliate minor league ball back to New Jersey in the '90s (to Trenton) and 2001 (to Lakewood); perhaps that's where the interest comes from -- my ears perk up. And there's been quite a few rumblings in recent weeks involving leagues -- and one site -- that play in or near New Jersey.

 The New York-Penn League plans to move a club to Morgantown, W. Va., to share a ballpark with West Virginia University. The rumored team to make the shift is the Jamestown Jammers, who were next-to-last in NY-Penn attendance in 2012 (36,078 total, 1,031 per game), besting only their upstate New York neighbors, the Batavia Muckdogs. This would make the New York-Penn League the New York-Penn-Connecticut-Massachusetts-Vermont-Maryland-Ohio-West Virginia League. New Jersey used to be in there, too, before the Cardinals left Sussex County for State College, Pa.

 Speaking of Skylands Park up in Augusta, the new owner is exploring all avenues for a tenant, including summer collegiate leagues. But the ever-expanding Atlantic League may have some interest, too.

 As for the Atlantic League, it could soon find itself with franchises in Fort Worth, Texas (giving the Sugar Land Skeeters a neighbor), and in Virginia Beach and Loudon, Va.

 And, finally, Ottawa mayor Jim Watson continues his push to bring a Double-A Eastern League team to his city to be a Blue Jays affiliate, which will only revive speculation that Binghamton, N.Y., could lose its Eastern League club (and its Mets affiliation, which currently runs through 2016). It appears unlikely that Binghamton would lose affiliated baseball completely, because there remains speculation that NYSEG Stadium could then receive a New York-Penn League team, likely Batavia. This one particularly fascinates me because of the added layer of player development contracts. I looked at some affiliations last February, and though the expiration dates are, well, out of date, few if any of the affiliations changed. I'm curious if PDCs have ever been broken, renegotiated, bought out or even traded before. I'll try to get in touch with some contacts for some background.

Looking at 2012 minor league attendance figures

David Kronheim of numbertamer.com has put out his annual analysis of minor league baseball attendance, and it's got some illuminating tidbits among its 80 pages. You can download the full report at his site, but I scanned through it last night for some of the locally relevant figures.

(Note that when I refer to "minor league baseball," I mean teams affiliated with Major League organizations. Those not affiliated are referred to as independent teams/leagues. All analysis is Kronheim's; I'm just pulling the local figures. I threw in a few nuggets -- Roger Clemens, Rickey Henderson and Scranton's thwarted request to play in Newark last year -- but that's it from me.)

Lakewood BlueClaws

The Lakewood BlueClaws were one of two Class A teams to average more than 6,000 fans per game in 2012. The Claws' 6,031 over 68 home dates trailed only the high-Class A Dayton Dragons, who drew 8,532 for 69 dates and have sold out every game in their 13-year history. Dayton's run of 913 consecutive sellouts -- including postseason contests and an all-star game, and counting -- is the longest sellout streak in North American sports history, according to Kronheim.

Lakewood had the ninth-highest increase in all of minor league baseball from 2011 to 2012, with 28,043 more fans last season for a 2012 total of 410,113. The increase was mostly a result of nine games in 2011 lost because of weather; the 2012 season saw seven more home dates than the previous summer.

Lakewood was one of three Phillies affiliates to lead its league. Clearwater (177,297) led the Florida State League and Lehigh Valley (622,421) led the International League.

Lakewood led the South Atlantic League in both total and average per game and topped 400,000 for the 11th time in its 12 years (those nine 2011 rainouts resulting in the only blip).

The BlueClaws have led the Sally League in total attendance 10 of their 12 years, and in those other two years, they led in per-game average (more than 6,000 every year).

Lakewood's inaugural season in 2001 drew 482,206, still a South Atlantic League -- and New Jersey -- record. That was a "14-fold increase" (emphasis Kronheim's) over the 32,641 that the franchise drew in 2000, its final season in Fayetteville, N.C. Those Cape Fear Crocs drew just 32,641.

In his analysis of minor league baseball in Major League markets, Kronheim put Lakewood in the New York market, which the BlueClaws led. The independent Long Island Ducks were second with 377,473 on 68 dates, followed by the Somerset Patriots (350,295 for 66 dates).

Trenton Thunder

Kronheim places Trenton in the Philadelphia market, where it ranked third with 373,355 fans over 69 dates. Lehigh Valley led, followed by the Reading Phillies (426,623 in 67 dates). The independent Atlantic League's Camden RiverSharks drew 231,987 in its 67 dates.

Trenton set a Double-A record of drawing more than 400,000 fans in 14 consecutive seasons from 1995-2008, but Reading broke it last season with its 15th straight such season.

Trenton's all-time high of 457,344 was set in 1998. Of the 12 current Eastern League cities, only Binghamton (259,183 in 1992) and Bowie (463,976 in 1995) have older highs. Akron's record high of 522,459 came in 1999, but every other Eastern League franchise has set its high after 2000. The most recent were Harrisburg (294,325), New Britain (368,523) and Richmond (463,842 -- its Double-A high), all in 2010.

The Atlantic League

The expansion to Texas was a boon for the league. The new Sugar Land Skeeters drew 465,511 -- a modern-day independent league record. (With two dates boosted by Roger Clemens' starts.) Long Island's 443,142 in 2001 had been the previous high. Sugar Land's per-game average of 6,650 for 70 dates led all independent teams (Winnipeg set the record at 7,161 in 2003). Long Island, Somerset, Lancaster and York were among the eight teams that also topped 4,000 per game. (Long Island and Somerset were among five to top 5,000 per game.)

The Atlantic League's average per date of 4,409 set a new high (4,153 in 2009) and was up 324 over last year. The league's overall total of 2,367,578 led all independent leagues (and is a modern-day record) and was up 419,257, an increase of 21.5 percent over 2011. (Though removing Sugar Land, total attendance fell 46,254, or 2.4 percent.)

An Atlantic League team has led all independent teams in attendance since 1998: Bridgeport (1998-99), Long Island (2000-11) and Sugar Land (2012). Last year was Long Island's first year outside the top spot in its history and its 377,473 was an all-time low -- but still pretty impressive.

The Somerset Patriots' 350,295 was 21,787 fewer fans than in 2011 -- the fifth-largest dropoff among independent teams -- but that was due in large part to five fewer home dates because of weather. The Patriots still averaged 5,308 in 66 dates and have topped 5,000 per game in every year of their existence (posting a franchise-best 376,315 in 2004). Adding the five lost dates at just 5,000 per would have erased the dropoff from 2011 and neared the 2004 high. (But such figures can't be assumed. If the lost dates were in April or May, for example, the Patriots might not have drawn 5,000 on a chilly, rainy school night.) Their season total was still third among all independent teams, and they've topped 335,000 in all 14 years of operation.

The Camden RiverSharks' 231,987 in 67 dates marked another decline, down 12,241 from 2011. It's the team's lowest total in its 12-year history -- but it's still drawn at least 230,000 every year. Camden's high of 313,792 came in 2002.

The Can-Am League

The New Jersey Jackals' season total of 87,206 marked the club's first increase since 2007. Over 46 home dates, that averages out to 1,896. They drew 84,865 to Yogi Berra Stadium in 2011, meaning an increase of 2,341 last year. The Jackals' high of 129,179 came in 1999.

Newark drew 32,056 (just 668 per game) in 2012, its lowest total since the city came back on the scene in 1998. That figure was down 176,526 from 2002, marking the largest decline among independent teams that have been active in that time. (Though it should be noted that the Bears' home schedule now consists of just 48 dates; in 2002, they played 65 home games.)

In 2010, the Bears' last season in the Atlantic League, they drew 117,985 (with a longer schedule). Their modern high was 243,255 in 2001 -- an average of 3,525 per game. The city's all-time high was 342,001 in 1932, when they were an International League affiliate of the Yankees. The original Bears' final season in 1949 drew a total of 88,170, which remains the International League's all-time low.

The Can-Am League's total attendance fell 132,415 (21.1 percent) in 2012 compared to 2011, but that's a reflection of the loss of three teams. Average per date was up 237, to 2,087.

Other local notes

Lehigh Valley IronPigs: Led all U.S./Canadian teams with 622,421 and 9,153 per game ... The IronPigs were the visiting team in their home ballpark eight times in 2012, because the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees played all their games in other teams' ballparks. Officially those attendance figures were credited to Scranton, but if they were added to Lehigh Valley's total, Coca Cola Park drew 688,821 fans in 2012 ... The IronPigs have led the minors in average attendance the past three seasons and in overall attendance the past two ... They've had 290 sellouts since 2008 ... In 2011, the Phillies led Major League Baseball in attendance, and coupled with Lehigh Valley leading all of minor league baseball, it marked the first time that a team led the Majors in attendance and had one of its affiliates lead the minors in the same year. (The 1931 and '32 Yankees led the American League, while their Newark affiliate led the minors.) ... Lehigh Valley is the only team to top 600,000 total fans in each of the past five seasons ... Coca Cola Park's 8,089 seats put it among the smallest in Triple-A, but the IronPigs have exceeded capacity 290 times and topped 10,000 93 times with standing room and lawn seating.

Brooklyn Cyclones: The Coney Island crew had the highest attendance among short-season squads for the 12th year in a row -- 249,009 ... The Cyclones' 6,553 per game also led all short-season clubs for the 12th straight season ... Brooklyn ranked fourth in the New York market (behind Lakewood, Long Island and Somerset -- all in full-season leagues) and outdrew full- or longer-season clubs in Bridgeport, Newark, Montclair and Rockland County, N.Y. ... Brooklyn had 38 home dates, while Bridgeport had 65, Newark had 48 and the New Jersey Jackals had 46. The Cyclones outdrew the Bluefish by 116,870, Bears by 216,953 and Jackals by 161,803. No wonder the Mets wouldn't let Scranton-Wilkes Barre play home games in Newark. ... The Cyclones have 12 of the 16 highest single-season totals in short-season history (Aberdeen, Md., and Portland, Ore., each have two). Their all-time high -- and a short-season best -- of 317,124 came in 2002, their second season. ... Last season's total was up over 2011's all-time low of 245,087 ... With their 38 home dates, the Cyclones outdrew 46 of 60 full-season Class A teams, 10 of 30 Double-A clubs, 12 of 16 Mexican League teams and the Triple-A Tucson Padres ... Brooklyn's 6,553 per game bested all but one Class A team (Dayton), one Double-A club (Frisco, Texas), two Mexican League teams (Monterrey and Saltillo) and Sugar Land. The Cyclones' average also ranked higher than 16 of the 30 Triple-A squads.

 Staten Island Yankees: Things aren't as sunny across the bay. The Yanks drew 141,163 and had the largest loss from 2011 to '12 among short-season clubs, drawing 51,405 fewer fans, or 1,949 fewer per game (the largest per-game loss of any affiliated team) -- and with four more games (38) on the 2012 schedule than they had in 2011, because of weather ... Staten Island's total loss ranked eighth among all clubs, behind four Mexican League teams, Double-A Mobile, Triple-A Pawtucket and Double-A Birmingham ... The Yankees did outdraw Bridgeport in the New York market, but trailed Hudson Valley and Rockland County ... Staten Island's all-time high (209,018) occurred only in 2010, a steep decline in just two years.

Other notes from the region: The Hudson Valley Renegades drew 12,568 more in 2012 than in '11, the best increase among short-season teams. The Renegades topped 4,000 per game for the 19th year in a row -- all in a ballpark with a capacity of 4,494. They've drawn at least 138,000 every year since they were born in '94. ... The Reading Phillies drew 6,368 per game, one of three Double-A teams to average more than 6,000 (Frisco and Richmond were the others). Playing in the same ballpark as in 1982, the R-Phils drew 344,748 more than they did 30 years ago, the biggest gain among Double-A clubs in that time. And yet, Reading saw a 30,334 decline from 2011-12, the biggest drop in the Eastern League. ... The Binghamton Mets drew 259,183 in their first season in 1992, but haven't topped 250,000 since. The B-Mets' 196,929 last year was 12,115 fewer than in '11 (209,044). ... And one historical note: In 1977-78, the Jersey City Indians (with Rickey Henderson in '78) drew just 88,993 combined those two years.

One last season for the B-Mets?

I wasn't planning another post today, but then the long-rumored news that Ottawa's attempts to bring in a Double-A club in 2013 might mean the end of the Binghamton Mets seemed to become a reality. So that sparked some speculation on Twitter of where the affiliations would end up. For some reason, affiliations in minor league baseball and the shuffling (sometimes scrambling) that happens every two years intrigues me as much as free agency in the offseason. Maybe more. It might stem from the 2002 shuffling period, when I reported on the Red Sox and Trenton Thunder ending their affiliation, opening the door for the Yankees to swoop into Mercer County Waterfront Park.

But I wasn't satisfied with discussing this latest news 140 characters at a time, so I went to look up the most recent info on when the player development contracts are up around the minors. Binghamton is one of those expiring after the 2012 season, as is New Hampshire -- the current Blue Jays affiliate in the Eastern League. And with Double-A baseball back in Canada, the prevailing speculation is that the Jays would move their affiliate to the new Ottawa franchise. (For his part, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopolous is denying any interest in Ottawa, but that's no surprise considering that, at the moment, there is no team there and his club is under contract with New Hampshire.)

Should Toronto and Ottawa team up on a new PDC, the Mets could potentially move their Double-A affiliation to New Hampshire. Another possibility proposed is that the Twins might leave New Britain for New Hampshire. Minnesota has had its Double-A club in the Hartford suburb since 1995, but maybe the Twins would trade Rock Cats for Fisher Cats and move to the newer facility (opened in 2005) up in Manchester.

Here are all the Double-A affiliations that expire after this coming season, in order from the longest relationships to the newest. In some cases, the relationships go back longer than the franchise has been in that location. For example, the Royals have been in the Texas League since the club was in Wichita in 1995, but it moved to Arkansas (somewhere in the northwest part of the state, I think) in 2008:

League	Club	Parent	Since
Eastern	Akron Aeros	Indians	1989
Eastern	Binghamton Mets	Mets	1992
Eastern	New Britain Rock Cats	Twins	1995
Texas	Northwest Arkansas Naturals	Royals	1995
Southern	Huntsville Stars	Brewers	1999
Texas	Midland RockHounds	Athletics	1999
Eastern	Erie SeaWolves	Tigers	2001
Texas	Arkansas Travelers	Angels	2001
Eastern	Portland Sea Dogs	Red Sox	2003
Eastern	Richmond Flying Squirrels	Giants	2003
Eastern	New Hampshire Fisher Cats	Blue Jays	2003
Eastern	Harrisburg Senators	Nationals	2005
Southern	Mobile BayBears	Diamondbacks	2007
Southern	Tennessee Smokies	Cubs	2007
Southern	Jackson Generals	Mariners	2007
Texas	San Antonio Missions	Padres	2007
Southern	Pensacola Blue Wahoos	Reds	2009
Southern	Jacksonville Suns	Marlins	2009

Now, based on the relationships and/or location, a few thoughts -- with no background or first-hand info; these are just gut feelings -- on which affiliations are most likely to be renewed or not:

No Need to Pack: Indians (Akron), Royals (Northwest Arkansas), Tigers (Erie), Red Sox (Portland), Nationals (Harrisburg)*, Marlins (Jacksonville). These are all geographical fits, including several long-time commitments going back more than a decade.

*I put the Nationals-Harrisburg relationship here because the Pennsylvania capital is a comfy 120 miles from D.C., farther than only low-A Hagerstown and high-A Potomac in the Washington system. However, with the Harrisburg ballpark prone to flooding (it being on an island and all), the Nationals could very well decide they'd rather not have their players in that environment. They could easily choose Richmond (107 miles away) instead.

Comfortable Marriages (likely to re-up on account of not having an option that much closer to the parent club): Twins (New Britain), Cubs (Tennessee), Padres (San Antonio), A's (Midland), Angels (Arkansas). Congratulations, Oakland! You have the western-most Double-A club in baseball! I can't imagine any of the West Coast teams would want to get out of the Texas League -- and I imagine the Giants would love to get in there -- but it tends to be a case of musical chairs. As for Minnesota, they could try to get a Midwestern affiliate in either the Texas or Southern Leagues, but since both of those leagues are entirely below the Mason-Dixon Line, those cities wouldn't be that much closer to Minneapolis than any Eastern League cities.

In a Rut (probably stuck, even if they wanted to move): Brewers (Huntsville), Mariners (Jackson), Diamondbacks (Mobile), Reds (Pensacola). Maybe Milwaukee would like to get one of the Tennessee clubs, putting its Double-A affiliate closer to both the parent club and the Triple-A club in Nashville. And the Mariners might like to get into the Texas League, but they'd have to usurp one of the California clubs from that circuit. The Reds' affiliate moves from Zebulon, N.C., to the Florida panhandle after a three-city franchise shuffle that saw the Carolina Mudcats (previously the Reds' Double-A Southern League affiliate) slide down to the high-A Carolina League, replacing Kinston, N.C., which is now without a club for the first time since the 1970s.

On the Market (three or four that are most likely to be shuffling come September?): Mets (Binghamton/Ottawa), Giants (Richmond), Blue Jays (New Hampshire), Twins (New Britain). All have been discussed above, and the Blue Jays and Twins -- listed in two categories, on purpose -- are really only here because of that speculation regarding the Ottawa franchise. Maybe everyone will be happy where they are and Toronto, Minnesota and San Francisco will all re-up, leaving the Mets in Ottawa (not too far from Buffalo, if the Mets renew with their Triple-A club -- no sure thing, but that's another post). The Giants have been in the Eastern League since 2003, when the affiliate was in Norwich, Conn. The franchise moved to Virginia before the 2010 season. But you'd have to think there's some interest in moving west, even if the options aren't that much better. Ideally, I'm sure the Giants and Mariners would love to find a way to expand the Texas League by two franchises, but that would have to be at the expense of either the Eastern League or Southern League.

One other point: As mentioned in the ESPN New York post linked at the top of this post, Binghamton would likely continue to host an affiliated team in 2013, drawing the Batavia franchise (currently a Cardinals affiliate) from the New York-Penn League. As mentioned in the Ottawa Citizen,

The Batavia franchise has been on the selling block for years. The community owned Muckdogs, playing in the smallest venue in that league, have constantly lost money while being operated by the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings.

That also may be another post. But no matter how it all comes down, it looks like we're in for some franchise movement -- and new logos, uniforms and team names -- in addition to the usual affiliation shuffles this fall.

Bryce Harper's road is just beginning

LAKEWOOD, N.J.

I can't get a read on Bryce Harper. He's both one of the top two prospects in baseball and an 18-year-old kid. He's an accomplished and talented phenom, but also a raw and developing minor leaguer. He could be ready for the big leagues now, or he might need a full year in the bushes first. He may be a soft-spoken, humble talent, or he just may be a cocky, arrogant superstar-in-the-making. And though those two descriptions may be on opposite sides of the spectrum, they're not necessarily good vs. bad. When you're as good as Harper is, you've got to have a level of cockiness and arrogance.

But it's hard to tell at this point. On the one hand, the guy said in Spring Training that his goal was to break camp with the Nationals, something he had about as much of a chance of doing as you or I did. On the other, when I saw him last weekend in Lakewood, he talked more than once about playing the "right way," not being disrespectful to the game, opponents or the media, and treating the game "like you're a 10-year-old kid in Cooperstown."

I spent two days -- Friday (along with SportsAngle) and Saturday -- arriving at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood hours before first pitch. I watched Harper take batting practice, hearing the fans calling for autographs by the third-base dugout. For the first few innings of each game, I shot photos from the ends of the dugouts before taking in the rest of the ballgame from the press box. And after each contest -- both wins by Harper and the Hagerstown Suns -- I waited in the press box for Bryan Holland, the Suns' broadcaster and media relations guy, to wrap up his broadcast so he could lead the media throng down to the clubhouse for Harper's postgame interview.

OK, so that's a little different -- an 18-year-old Class A outfielder has his postgame press conferences regulated, with help from the team's media coordinator. But that's not on Harper; it's the Washington Nationals who are trying their best to script Harper's development in the minor leagues, balancing his on-field progression with the media's desire for access. In some ways, I think they're being a little overprotective -- pre- and postgame interviews are part of baseball, and the earlier he gets used to that, the more comfortable he'll be with it. But maybe they'll ease up on the restrictions as he progresses through the organization. He is, after all, only six weeks into his first professional season. His childhood friends and middle school classmates are currently -- as nearly every story on Harper mentions -- getting ready for their senior proms and high school graduations. There will be plenty of time for interviews.

But we still had access to Harper after each game, despite being told he'd only be available if he played a part in the outcome. That definition was stretched on Friday night, when his infield dribbler served to extend his hitting streak to 17 games -- but was followed by Harper getting picked off first base on a steal attempt. Hagerstown won, 4-3, but Harper's contributions added up to zero runs created. And though asked to keep our questions limited to what happened in the game, we were able to expand into more general queries without reprimand. In the end, it certainly wasn't your usual postgame in the South Atlantic League.

I arrived in Lakewood around 3 p.m. on Friday, four hours before the scheduled first pitch, because I had arranged to sit down with Hagerstown pitching coach and Notre Dame alumnus Chris Michalak (I still have to transcribe the interview before composing that post). Around 5:15, as Lakewood general manager Geoff Brown and I chatted on the field, Hagerstown began batting practice. "We're opening the gates 30 minutes early this weekend," Brown said, mentioning the plan to open the park to fans at 5:30 on this night, instead of the customary 6 p.m. "I just hope he's not in the first group [to take batting practice.]"

We both looked over and spotted the black jersey with No. 34 on the back at the same time. Sporting orange-and-black UnderArmour cleats, Harper had a helmet on and bat in hand. "Aaaand he is," Brown said. "I'm going to go see how many [staff] we have at the gates." With that, Brown bounded up the steps to the concourse. A few minutes later, the fans started streaming down the steps to either side of the Hagerstown dugout -- the gates had opened 10 minutes earlier than originally planned, all because of the 18-year-old in the batting cage.

Following BP, the Hagerstown players went out to their positions for fielding drills before returning to the dugout -- where the calls for Harper to sign grew louder. He obliged, entering the dugout via the ramp beyond third base and making his way along the outstretched hands holding baseballs, photos, posters, pens and Sharpies. He couldn't accommodate everyone, but he got to many, even backtracking when a father called out that a young girl had been missed.

"There’s always going to be the autograph seekers, and kids and everything like that," Harper said. "I love taking care of the kids. I love them being out there, and asking for my autograph, and if they weren’t asking for your autograph, you wouldn’t be anybody, so ..."

About half an hour before first pitch, the Suns began returning to the dugout. They'd changed from their black-and-orange batting practice attire into their red-and-blue alternate uniforms. Harper emerged from the tunnel with his pants cuffs pulled down to his shoetops, a change from the "high-sock" look he sported during BP, and without the orange-and-black shoes. Instead, he wore blue-and-white kicks that matched the uniform. A fan who had been first to the end of the dugout nearest the tunnel and bat rack held out a supersized print of Harper's Sports Illustrated cover. "Bryce!" he called out. "I've been here for four hours. Please sign!" Harper obliged before heading out to the field for more stretching, loosening and throwing.

There was one more task to come before first pitch. In high school and his one year of college ball, Harper was recognized for using his eye black as war paint. On the day they drafted him, however, the Nationals were quick to make clear that such liberal application of eye black would not be permitted. I hadn't noticed that Harper had gone through BP and warmups without any eye black on, so that was still to come. Down in the dugout, he had a teammate hold up a pair of sunglasses while Harper applied the eye black to his cheeks, checking his progress in the sunglasses' reflective lenses. (Be sure to check out SportsAngle's video of this ritual.) Once he had the bulk of it applied, a trainer touched it up, ensuring that it was even -- and nice and thick.

Batting third in the order, Harper strode to the plate with two outs in the first inning, announced as the IHOP Strikeout Player of the Game -- just one whiff on the night would win each fan in attendance a coupon for 20 percent off their next visit to the IHOP in Brick (down on the dark side of Route 88). BlueClaws starter Jesse Biddle obliged, getting Harper looking.

After the game, Harper was asked about the designation.

"I hope I get a voucher, too," he said with a chuckle. Sure enough, before Saturday's game, a BlueClaws staffer waited by the dugout as Harper applied his eye black for the evening, then handed him a bright orange coupon, good for 20 percent off -- and the Suns had two more games to play in Lakewood before heading home. They return June 12-15, but there's no telling if Harper will be with them.

From that point, Friday was a relatively quiet night. Other than the aforementioned dribbler that extended the hitting streak, Harper made four putouts in right field and played three base hits.

After the game, he stood before about 10 reporters in his black undershirt and black Suns BP cap and answered questions for about seven minutes. His varied responses made him at times sound like the mature-beyond-his-years rookie described by his coaches, at others like the green teenager he still is.

One reason he comes across so maturely is that, other than his salary, playing day after day after day and the various Sally League ballparks he's appearing in, not much is new to Harper. In his year at the College of Southern Nevada, he endured long bus rides similar to what he's facing when Hagerstown heads up to Lakewood (a short trip) or down to Rome, Ga. (considerably longer). After the first game in Lakewood, where 8,217 people turned out for Harper (OK, and Fireworks Night), I asked him about playing in front of such a big crowd.

"Yeah, this year, it’s the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of," he said. "But you know, playing USA ball, playing in the JUCO World Series, everything like that, it’s just another crowd. Not that big, not that entertaining. So yeah, just trying to go out there and get going, and having some fun, and it’s always fun to play in front of a big crowd like that."

I arrived at the park a little later on Saturday and went down to the Suns' clubhouse to talk to Michalak a little more. The tarp was on the field and rain fell intermittently, forcing BP indoors. Michalak had just made himself a cup of soup when I arrived and Harper stepped away from the food table and around the wall where the lockers are. Later, as I descended the stairs from the suite level to head down to the field before the game, Harper was a few steps ahead of me, walking alone, bats and glove in hand. I saw what he saw as his metal spikes clacked on the concrete on his walk toward the dugout. Beyond the doors, fans leaned over the railing, hoping that the footsteps they heard were Harper's. Had I held my camera in my hand, it would've made for a dramatic photo -- the dark tunnel, the light at the end, the fans leaning over, the No. 34 on Harper's back in shadow. When he emerged into the dugout, the fans burst forth with their cries. "Bryce! I've been here for five hours!" one yelled. Perhaps it was the four-hour guy from Friday, hoping an extra hour might result in another autograph.

The pregame routine was much the same on this day -- stretching, jogging, throwing, signing. Only the eye-black application was slightly different, with an assistant applying it from the start, instead of Harper handling the initial application. And the uniform was different -- Hagerstown wore its traditional road grays, orange lettering with black outlines, and black caps. Harper wore his pants high, exposing the black socks, and once again sporting the noticable orange-and-black shoes he had donned in BP on Friday.

Shortly after receiving his voucher for IHOP and stashing it in the cubby hole that housed his helmet, Harper strode to the plate as the Casino Pier Strikeout Player of the Game -- and immediately went down swinging. He did the same in his second at-bat before coming up to lead off the top of the seventh in a 0-0 game. This time, he connected on the first pitch and sent a line drive over the fence in left field onto the grassy berm. His sprint around the bases -- this was no trot -- took all of 17 or 18 seconds (I'm no Tater Trot Tracker). A single in the ninth made for a 2-for-4 afternoon, and Harper capped the game by catching the final out on a fly ball off the bat of Stephen Batts.

Saturday's postgame interview came after a longer wait, and this time Harper appeared after his shower, wearing a striped light blue golf shirt and mesh ballcap (on backwards). Again, some answers showed both a young player still finding his footing, while others made you wonder how much time he had for his schoolwork considering how much he knows about the game.

To wit: When one poorly phrased question threw Harper for a loop, he responded politely, "Excuse me? I don't understand the question." When the follow-up didn't really clarify it, he sheepishly dismissed it and moved on, saying, "I guess. It's not really a question I can answer."

Then later, when asked about his sprint around the bases, he happily explained, "I learned never to disrespect the game or the pitcher. I'm not gonna disrespect it. He could get me the next two times, and I get him once. I think you need to run around the bases. Pete Rose ran around the bases every single time. He never trotted or anything like that. I'm an old-school guy, so that's what I'm gonna do."
I have to say, even I wouldn't have been able to tell you how Pete Rose circled the bases on a home run. I mean, I know he was Charlie Hustle and ran out everything, and now that his name has come up, I can picture him running out a home run, but he wouldn't have been the player on my mind when talking about hustling home run trots.

Despite all that -- getting as much access as anyone, asking the same questions of Harper, Daubach and Anderson and hearing the answers as they did -- I didn't come away from the weekend with a feeling for Harper beyond the ballplayer. That's unusual for me; I tend to have some first impression that goes beyond what I've come up with going in after watching a guy on TV and reading about him in other outlets. That may be because I didn't have nearly as much background on Harper as I would for a more established player. Or it may be that he gave off different vibes with different answers and actions. At times, he sounded a lot like the 19-to-21-year-olds who come through the South Atlantic League. At others, he sounded like the uber-talented phenom that he knows he is.

But, hey, that's to be expected, right? Didn't you know the guy should be getting ready for his prom instead of crushing the Sally League? If I came away with anything, it's that the Bryce Harper who we all expect to take the National League by storm in 2012 (I'm among those who doesn't think it will happen this year under any circumstances) isn't there yet on that Hagerstown bus or buttoning up that No. 34. But he's emerging.

Minor League Opening Day!

It's going to be a week or more before I get to a game in the great Garden State, but it's still wonderful to know that, across the country dozens teams are taking the field. And MiLB.com has a great new feature on its schedule page: Rather than sifting through the long list of every game across the country, you can click on the logos at the top of the page to filter out just the leagues in your area or see who all the affiliates of a certain organization are facing. Good stuff.

Making sense of minor names

Something inspired me this summer to take a look at the nicknames of the 160 affiliated minor league teams to see what the most popular format was for naming affiliates. What lies behind identities like the 66ers, the Bees or the Silver Hawks?

Not all nicknames are created equally, of course. Some are traditional names that have been in use for decades, like the Rochester Red Wings. Others are recent monikers bestowed via fan voting, often when a new franchise is born or a current one shifts into a new ballpark. And then there are, to me, the most boring ones: Those that share the nickname with the parent club. I look at those as unoriginal and a missed opportunity to forge a unique identity or champion the local community. In some cases (for example, in my understanding, all the affected Braves affiliates fall into this category), the reasoning is simple: Those clubs are owned by the parent clubs. In others, it may be tradition (as it was with the Omaha Royals, until this week) or simply an effort to promote the affiliation. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are one exception, changing from the Red Barons when the affiliation changed in 2006.

This week, Rob Neyer slammed the change from the Omaha Royals to the Storm Chasers, but I applaud it. Sure, "Storm Chasers" may be a bit kooky, but at least it's something unique and a conversation starter. It was done because of the move into a new ballpark for the 2011 season and, even if it wasn't said, to increase revenue. By using the copyrighted name Royals, Omaha could not make as much money on merchandise sales as it can with a name for which it owns the copyright. Plus, I think Neyer's claim that two capital letters is an automatic demerit is shortsighted. Uniqueness and local flavor outweigh any cartoonish qualities (again, logos aside). Plus, I've always been a fan of Lakewood's BlueClaws nickname.

The list of 160 teams comes from the list of affiliates on MiLB.com, excluding the 16 teams of the Triple-A-designated Mexican League and the teams in the "complex leagues," those that simply use the circuit abbreviation -- Arizona League, Dominican Summer League, Gulf Coast League and Venezuelan Summer League -- and the parent club's nickname and play on the back fields of the teams' spring training and Caribbean complexes.

I started by sifting through the list, sliding teams into categories as they came up, grouping them with those with similar names. The reasoning behind many nicknames is obvious or requires only a little knowledge of the team or the area. Some clubs had to be set aside in a separate column, to which I returned at the end and looked up those names' histories to discern the history behind them. When I was finished, I had five key categories, to which I added four smaller categories, because I felt the names that fit into them deserved the separation, even if those clubs fit into one of the five main columns. As a result, adding the number of teams in each category will produce a sum greater than 160, because a team like the Fort Wayne TinCaps fell under both "inanimate objects" and "historical figures."

Here are the categories, the five main first followed by the four additional sorts:

Animals	47
Inanimate objects	45
Local lore/legend/geography/industry	41
Parent club	32
People	26
Owners/historical figures	7
Creatures	6
Food	3
Pop culture	2

The inanimate objects are pretty self-explanatory -- things like Emeralds, Suns and Aces -- as are the animals and parent clubs. For teams under the local lore/legend/geography/industry category, I created some parameters, because there could probably be a case made that two-thirds of clubs are named for the region they call home. So for that category, I included only those teams whose nicknames are so unique to their regions that either there's no other place that can make that claim, or when told the name of the city/state/region, the nickname or something related to it is what comes to mind. For example, Asheville, N.C., is not the only place around known for tourists, so they don't warrant inclusion in the local category. (Though the name is a bit ironic when you think about native son Thomas Wolfe's You Can't Go Home Again.) Nor is Greenville, S.C., the only place known for auto manufacturing (especially BMWs); nor is Mahoning Valley, Ohio, the only place known for steel production. On the flip side, what comes to mind when you think of Nashville? Music. And though Johnny Appleseed may not be the image you get when you hear of Fort Wayne, Ind., he lived out his life there and is buried in the city.

For teams named after people, I considered both actual historical people (the Doubledays and Keys fit this description) and general people (like Senators, Mavericks and Indians). The owners/historical figures takes into account teams like the Aberdeen IronBirds, who get the iron in their name from club owner Cal Ripken -- the Iron Man. "Creatures" are those mascots of legend (often local) and not necessarily actual animals. The final two, food and pop culture, I added pretty much for myself.

Finally, I based these divisions solely on the team's nickname, no matter what the logo depicts. The Chattanooga Lookouts are named for nearby Lookout Mountain, so even though a "lookout" could be a person (and the logo shows cartoon eyes that could be peering through binoculars), they fall under the inanimate objects category. And though the Everett AquaSox show something that looks like a tree frog in the logo, they've been filed under "creatures," because, as best I can tell, there is no "aquasox" or "aquasock" in nature.

You can see the teams listed under their categories here and below are the results represented in pie chart form.

The new Wild Thing

I'm debating getting up early (for me) to get on a train for the trek to Coney Island for the Cyclones' nooner. It's a matter of how much sleep I want to deprive myself, depending on when I get home tonight.

In any case, I unfortunately will not be able to see Randy Consuegra, he of the 270.00 ERA and 30.00 WHIP.

Yes, those numbers are correct. And here are some more: one-third of an inning. Two starts. Zero hits allowed. Ten runs (all earned). Ten walks. Seems impossible, no?

I had to see how this could happen, so it was on to the play-by-play on MiLB.com.

His first start, on June 21:

Tri-City Top 1st

• Wilton Infante walks.
• With Oscar Figueroa batting, wild pitch by Randy Consuegra, Wilton Infante to 2nd.
• Oscar Figueroa walks. Wild pitch by pitcher Randy Consuegra. Wilton Infante to 3rd.
• With Michael Kvasnicka batting, wild pitch by Randy Consuegra, Wilton Infante scores. Oscar Figueroa to 2nd.
• With Michael Kvasnicka batting, wild pitch by Randy Consuegra, Oscar Figueroa to 3rd.
• Michael Kvasnicka walks.
• Tyler Burnett walks. Michael Kvasnicka to 2nd.
• Ben Heath hit by pitch. Oscar Figueroa scores. Michael Kvasnicka to 3rd. Tyler Burnett to 2nd.
• Pitcher Change: Keith Couch replaces Randy Consuegra.
• Daniel Adamson grounds into a force out, third baseman Kolbrin Vitek to second baseman Joantoni Garcia. Michael Kvasnicka scores. Tyler Burnett to 3rd. Ben Heath out at 2nd. Daniel Adamson to 1st.
• Nick Stanley flies out to left fielder Brandon Jacobs.
• With Adam Bailey batting, Daniel Adamson steals (1) 2nd base.
• Adam Bailey flies out to left fielder Brandon Jacobs.

And his second, five days later:

Tri-City Bottom 1st

• Wilton Infante walks.
• With Ben Orloff batting, wild pitch by Randy Consuegra, Wilton Infante to 2nd.
• Ben Orloff grounds out, second baseman Drew Dominguez to first baseman Miles Head. Wilton Infante to 3rd.
• Michael Kvasnicka walks.
• With Tyler Burnett batting, wild pitch by Randy Consuegra, Wilton Infante scores. Michael Kvasnicka to 2nd.
• Tyler Burnett walks.
• Adam Bailey walks. Michael Kvasnicka to 3rd. Tyler Burnett to 2nd.
• Nick Stanley walks. Michael Kvasnicka scores. Tyler Burnett to 3rd. Adam Bailey to 2nd.
• Buck Afenir hit by pitch. Tyler Burnett scores. Adam Bailey to 3rd. Nick Stanley to 2nd.
• Frank Almonte walks. Adam Bailey scores. Nick Stanley to 3rd. Buck Afenir to 2nd.
• Pitcher Change: Keith Couch replaces Randy Consuegra.
• Jacke Healey singles on a ground ball to center fielder Felix Sanchez. Nick Stanley scores. Buck Afenir to 3rd. Frank Almonte to 2nd.
• Wilton Infante grounds into a force out, shortstop Jose Garcia to second baseman Drew Dominguez. Buck Afenir scores. Frank Almonte to 3rd. Jacke Healey out at 2nd. Wilton Infante to 1st.
• With Ben Orloff batting, Wilton Infante steals (1) 2nd base.
• Ben Orloff singles on a ground ball to shortstop Jose Garcia. Frank Almonte scores. Wilton Infante to 3rd.
• With Michael Kvasnicka batting, wild pitch by Keith Couch, Ben Orloff to 2nd.
• Michael Kvasnicka grounds out, first baseman Miles Head to pitcher Keith Couch.

So that's how it happens. One game story after the second start mentioned four pitches that nearly hit a batter in the head. In his first start, he threw four wild pitches, making it tough for even the opposition to watch.

Consuegra -- who is the godson of Edgar Renteria -- is on the inactive list (I couldn't find a story about that move) for Lowell, so it may be some time before he has a chance to lower that ERA.

Photo Flashback: Opening night in Trenton

PItcher covering

I've been to 11 Mets openers and four or five Lakewood BlueClaws openers, but last night was my first opening night at Trenton's Waterfront Park. And while it may have only been April 8, with a gametime temperature of 75 degrees, it felt like July 8. A gorgeous night all around -- with the exception of Christian Garcia's injury.

It seemed like as many fans were there to see the Yankees' World Series trophy as for the game. The line on the concourse was longer than any concession line, Chickie & Pete's included. The roar of the crowd was a little subdued at times for the first game of the season, but that's not the fans' fault -- those in line reacted to those in the stands reacting to the play. Even the players and coaches wanted a closeup look.

I spent pregame on the field and the first inning in the photographers' box at the end of the Thunder dugout. Catcher Austin Romine, the No. 2 prospect in the Yankees' system, was the first player out of the clubhouse, stashing his gear at the end of the bench and getting himself loose for the game. He introduced himself to me and spent 15 minutes chatting with me and team photographer David Schofield. If first impressions hold, he's a good kid -- not many players go ahead an introduce themselves -- with the right level of confidence and cockiness to make it to the Majors. And though the only player ahead of him on Baseball America's list of Yankees prospects is also a catcher, it may not be Jesus Montero's career-long position, so Romine may be the heir apparent to Jorge Posada. Romine went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in his Double-A debut.

After back-to-back championships in 2007-08, the Thunder missed the playoffs last year, finishing three games under .500 and 13 1/2 out of first place. They started off on the right foot in 2010, though they may now have to replace their opening night starter. One way or another, there's going to be plenty to follow in Trenton this season.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Ready to open up the farm

The Minor League season is upon us, with all full-season circuits getting under way today. For the first time in several years, I'll be at one of those games. I'm heading down the Turnpike to Trenton, where the SeaWolves and Thunder will face off at Waterfront Park.

It could be a prospect-filled spring in the Northeast, with the South Atlantic, Eastern and International leagues not just filled with top-tier talent for those levels but stocked with the two biggest players to watch who didn't make their organizations' Major League rosters: Stephen Strasburg and Aroldis Chapman. They'll both be making their professional debuts on Sunday, when Strasburg's Harrisburg Senators are in Altoona, Pa., and Chapman's Louisville Bats are in Toledo, Ohio. That sets up each one to pitch at home for the first time next Friday, not a bad night to show off the organization's top talent down on the farm. I'm sure the Senators and Bats front offices are giddy over that good fortune. True, the first Friday night home game of the season would probably draw well, but both teams open their home schedules the night before, so the two prospects will provide an enticement for game No. 2. Plus, it lines them up to pitch five days later, when both teams finish homestands with morning getaway games. That'll be sure to tempt some folks to take a long lunch.

I'll be tracking the Senators' and Bats' schedules closely, hoping the dates line up so that I might catch Strasburg or Chapman pitching before they're called up to the Majors. The window for Strasburg seems to be tight -- everyone fully expects to see him with the Nationals sometime in June, and as Ben McGrath points out at the end of his Spring Training piece in The New Yorker, the schedule has Washington in Atlanta at the end of the month, and there's no telling what kind of physics experiments might develop from a Strasburg vs. Jason Heyward matchup. Harrisburg, Pa., is just about two-and-a-half hours from where I live, and I've driven further for games. That Wednesday morning outing by Strasburg is tempting, because it's the only guaranteed chance I may have. The Senators don't come to Trenton before June, and though their visit to Reading the following week is likely to have a Strasburg start included, all three games are scheduled for nights I work. Decision to come.

The Eastern League is stocked with top stars, including Strasburg's teammate and potential future closer in Washington, Drew Storen. The Reading Phillies have three of those 10, including Philadelphia's No. 1 name to know, Domonic Brown, though I have to think it's a longshot that he'd still be wearing Reading's powder blue when the R-Phils make their only trip to Trenton July 15-18. Of course, Austin Romine, the Yankees' No. 2 prospect and reigning Florida State League MVP, is likely to be catching for the Thunder all season because the only player listed ahead of him on Baseball America's list of Yankees farmhands is catcher Jesus Montero, a Thunder star last year.

Back to Chapman: The Bats have a four-game series at Scranton to close out April, but if Chapman pitches every fifth day and there aren't any rainouts (which will be a big key to all of this tentative pre-planning), he'll be the one starter who doesn't face the Yankees at PNC Field. The Bats are back in Eastern Pennsylvania from May 18-21 to play the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, so his starting dates will be worth watching.

The SWB Bombers boast two of the IL's top 10, Montero and right-hander Zach McAllister, plus several other names to know -- or known, as the case may be with Columbus Clippers catcher Carlos Santana (wanna bet the DJ at PNC plays "Oye Como Va" when he comes to bat during the Clips' visit from May 10-13?). There's also Chapman's teammate, 2008 first-round pick Yonder Alonso, and Rays No. 1 (and potential Carl Crawford replacement) Desmond Jennings. He's joined on the always-stocked Durham Bulls (they have to love their relationship with Tampa Bay) by right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, whom I saw pitch for Hudson Valley in 2006.

As for the third league to touch New Jersey, the Lakewood BlueClaws open their South Atlantic League campaign tonight in Asheville, N.C., and won't open at home until next Friday. If I'm not away that night, I'll probably make that drive, too. Prospects at the low-Class A level are longer shots to gauge, but it can't be a bad sign that Lakewood boasts three of the top 10 to watch. Also on that list: Seton Hall grad and Yankees prospect Sean Black with the Charleston RiverDogs (in Lakewood May 3-6), Mets prospect Wilmer Flores with the Savannah Sand Gnats (who follow the RiverDogs at FirstEnergy Park from May 7-10), fifth-overall pick by the Orioles Matt Hobgood with the Delmarva Shorebirds (in Lakewood for two five-game series July 8-12 and August 12-16) and two Astros prospects, outfielder J.D. Martinez and first-round pick shortstop Jiovanni Mier with the Lexington Legends (in town June 14-16).

Summer can't come soon enough, can it?

Why not Tejada?

Opening Day is less than two weeks away, and Jose Reyes will be back on the field in Port St. Lucie tomorrow to resume baseball activities, so we all know we'll be cheering Angel Pagan at the top of the order at Citi Field on April 5. What we don't know is who we'll be cheering at shortstop.

The likely answer to that query is veteran Alex Cora, but I'm starting to read more in support of giving 20-year-old Ruben Tejada a shot from the start. I can't disagree with any of those points, particularly in that there's no shame in failure. Give him a shot from the start, and if he's in over his head after a week, 10 days, two weeks, send him down. Reyes could be back by then, or Cora could get a few starts until Reyes is ready.

Another reason I'm for it is the case of Elvis Andrus. Their minor league numbers are eerily similar, and though Andrus played four seasons on the farm to Tejada's three (at this point), he was also signed a year younger, playing his first season at 16, while Tejada's first season came at 17.

For a side-by-side comparison, I isolated their full seasons at high-Class A and Double-A and present them along with their minor-league totals.

ELVIS ANDRUS:

Year	Age	Tm	Lev	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB
2007	18	2 Teams	A+	126	563	495	78	127	22	3	5	49	40	15	54	107	.257	.338	.343	.682	170
2008	19	Frisco	AA	118	535	482	82	142	19	2	4	65	54	16	38	91	.295	.350	.367	.717	177
4 Seasons				407	1789	1598	256	439	73	10	15	185	125	50	151	321	.275	.343	.361	.704	577
Rk (1 season)				52	213	184	29	54	7	1	3	21	8	4	23	32	.293	.380	.391	.772	72
A+ (1 season)				126	563	495	78	127	22	3	5	49	40	15	54	107	.257	.338	.343	.682	170
A (1 season)				111	478	437	67	116	25	4	3	50	23	15	36	91	.265	.324	.362	.685	158
AA (1 season)				118	535	482	82	142	19	2	4	65	54	16	38	91	.295	.350	.367	.717	177

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/23/2010.

RUBEN TEJADA:

Year	Age	Tm	Lev	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB
2007	17	2 Teams	FRk-Rk	67	298	241	45	78	9	3	3	41	18	6	38	35	.324	.434	.423	.857	102
2008	18	St. Lucie	A+	131	555	497	55	114	19	4	2	37	8	5	41	77	.229	.293	.296	.588	147
2009	19	Bing.	AA	134	553	488	59	141	24	3	5	46	19	3	37	59	.289	.351	.381	.732	186
3 Seasons				332	1406	1226	159	333	52	10	10	124	45	14	116	171	.272	.346	.355	.700	435

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/23/2010.

No one can be sure that Tejada will become the same Major Leaguer that Andrus has -- Tejada doesn't have the gaudy stolen-base totals in the minors, and he wouldn't be given the job for the season -- but there seem to be a lot of similarities between the two, leading me to believe there's at least a hint of Tejada's future when looking at Andrus. To me, that's worth a look when the season opens if your starting shortstop won't be there anyway.

I also had this link saved for eventual extrapolation, and going back to look at it now, I noticed it's the same type of comparison, only with a much bigger upside: Ike Davis has eerily similar minor league numbers to Ryan Braun. Davis was sent down to minor league camp this morning, and the situation with him is different from Tejada's because the Mets have their incumbent first baseman healthy and in the lineup ... and he just struck out to end the inning in today's exhibition game against the Braves.

I like Daniel Murphy, but having seen what Davis can do, I'm quickly moving toward his side of the argument. With the seasons the Mets have had the last three years, the money and prospects they've parted with to bring in the likes of Johan Santana, Jason Bay, Oliver Perez, Francisco Rodriguez, etc., having a couple of young, homegrown prospects making the leap to the big leagues would be refreshing and a sign of good things to come. It could be just what this franchise needs.

Part of what hurt so much about losing the NLCS in 2006 was that seemed like The Year, the best chance to win a World Series. Pedro Martinez had a great season and we didn't know if he'd hold up for the remaining years on his contract (bingo), Cliff Floyd had a solid season, David Wright and Reyes became MVP candidates and Tom Glavine was getting on in years, too. The window, it seemed, was as wide open as it would get and it would only begin to close in the following years. Turns out it remained open through most of 2007, until a sudden, late storm that September slammed it shut.

Heading into 2010, the window might not even be open yet. Maybe it's cracked half an inch. (Error by Luis Castillo follows Yunel Escobar's wind-aided homer to right-center off of Oliver Perez; that window isn't opening any more at the moment.) The Mets are a team in need of a breath of fresh air, and Jason Bay, as talented and likable as he is, is more of a zephyr than the strong gust they need to unfurl the sails and really take off.

Wow, that metaphor really took off, too. Jeez.