So, I put out some feelers last week (I think?) and some folks seemed interested in doing a little fantasy league football.  I've set up something up on Yahoo and tentatively have a draft set up for next Tuesday, but am open to changing the venue (i.e. CBS, ESPN, etc.) if anyone has a major beef w/ Yahoo and draft day w/ in reason (there probably won't be one day that works for everybody interested, but we'll go w/ what works for the majority).

Anyhow, league is creatively called CC Football 2009, p/w is ironman.

Who's w/ me?

 While visiting Maine this past weekend with my girlfriend, I attended the Bowie Baysox versus the Portland Seadogs at Hadlock Field in Portland, ME.  Portland’s a pretty cool town both literally and figuratively.  I’m totally down w/ August weather in the 70s and there’s a bunch of good restaurants and bars featuring tasty Maine seafood and Maine microbrews. 

via farm3.static.flickr.com

The game was actually sold out when I arrived in Portland that afternoon, but I decided to check out the stadium box office to see if they had some sort of day-of tickets and was rewarded for my efforts w/ two tickets returned to the box office that afternoon by a season ticketholder that wasn’t able to use them that evening.  I ended up seated two rows in back of the Baysox dugout within comfortable heckling distance of third base.  Hadlock Field is a nice, newish (ca. 1994) park in the faux Fenway/Camden mold which includes a brick façade and a mini-monster (the so-called "Maine Monster") in left field.  The Sea Dogs crowd was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

via farm4.static.flickr.com

via farm3.static.flickr.com

via farm3.static.flickr.com

Organizational shuffling of the last few months has left both teams kind of bare of positional prospects and it wasn’t the most exciting pitching match up.  The Baysox started Tim Bascom, who I was curious to see, and the Sea Dogs, a Red Sox affiliate, countered with Blake Maxwell.  Wasn’t familiar with Maxwell previously, but he has a funky sidearm delivery and a pretty sweet moustache.  Coming into the game, Maxwell was also sporting an ugly ERA, WHIP and a K/9 of 4.6.  The Baysox lineup was sort of yawn-inducing, though it included new acquisition Josh Bell at designated hitter. 

What followed for the next few innings was what Brits might call a dour nil-nil draw.  Neither Maxwell nor Bascom had very entertaining repertoires with only Maxwell’s stuff just barely touching 90 MPH.  He generated a bunch of grounders, though.  Bascom, on the other hand, was getting hit hard, but everything seemed to find the gloves of the Baysox defense.  Another annoying tick of this particular game was that Bascom had a hard time finding the strike zone.  In fact, going into the 5th, Bascom had a no hitter going, but his luck ran out in the 6th.  He ended up walking six, allowing two hits and a run.  Freddy Deza relieved Bascom and pitched 1.2 uneventful innings.

via farm3.static.flickr.com

via farm4.static.flickr.com

Josh Bell is a beast.  He managed a hit in four at bats, but was really just hitting the crap out of the ball.  In his last up with the Baysox down 1-0 and a man on, he killed a ball down the right field line that was just barely foul.  

 via farm3.static.flickr.com

The 1-0 score held, but, as an added note, I should mention that during the 7th inning stretch at Hadlock Field, they play "Thank God I’m a Country Boy," though they also play "Sweet Caroline" in the 8th.  A visit from 2632 near the end of the game capped an enjoyable evening in Portland.   

via farm3.static.flickr.com

quick check up on some of this season's draftees.  not pretty, but small sample sizes, etc.  also note that a lot of guys haven't signed yet.

matt hobgood, bluefield (rookie) 5ip/3bb/7k/7.20 era

tyler townsend, aberdeen (low a, ss) .148/.242/.259/20k/3 2b/1 hr

steven bumbry, aberdeen (low a, ss) .167/.364/.333/12bb

jim brandhorst, aberdeen (low a, ss) 15ip/3bb/18k/4sv/2.40 era

gary helmick, bluefield (rookie) .288/.338/.515/3 hr/7bb & 6k in 78 PA.

aaron wirsch just picked up a win last night in the GCL.  in 4ip, he's walked 2 and struck out 8.

not to be an arrogant jeff fiorentino fan, but he's putting together a fine season at norfolk.  he's not a world beater for sure, but he DOES play all three outfield positions, is sporting a nifty .403 OBP, a .533 SLG and has hit into only ONE double play.  he's always been regarded as a guy that can get on base, but maybe his bump in SLG this season is a result of him entering his prime years.  it should also be noted that he's only a few months older than reimold...it seems like ages ago that he got called up to the big squad in the "summer of screech."

note, i'm not advocating he be called up this instant to replace anybody, just that he's been a good soldier, is performing well and should the opportunity arise, should get a shot.

some of you may note the link to wjz tv 13 on the left hand column of this site.  this am, as i was getting my fill of cc before preparing for work, i noticed a wjz sports headline touting BERGENSEN's victory over the royals.  some of you may know that the bastardization of the last name of, to date, the best pitcher on the 2009 orioles is a pet peeve of mine.  i decided i'd let this pass as it was just an early morning posting and would probably get corrected. 

but, NO!

i get home from work and now i see a headline that BERGENSEN is headed to the dl.  for crying out loud, you mopes: get a damn media guide or consult the series of tubes.  his name is BRAD BERGESEN!  THREE Es, ONE N.

dios mio.

So, according to MLBTR (http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/07/royals-dfa-luis-hernandez.html) the Royals have DFA'd Luis "Squared" Hernandez in order to make room for Ryan Freel.  While a little closer to home, Blake Davis has completed his rehab assignment and been assigned to Norfolk.

Now, I have nothing personal against Blake Davis, but for all the talk about him being some kind of answer for the O's, one must wonder what the question was.  His best offensive numbers in his minor league career have been produced during his rehab stint as a 25 year old at short season Aberdeen where he posted a slightly less than robust .777 OPS.

Now in all fairness, Robert Andino, who was basically acquired to take the role that seemed Davis's for the taking, was hardly an All Star in the minors, but, hey...the mere comparisons to Brandon Fahey which Davis has garnered are more than enough to give me nightmares. 

so, first of all, i had no idea how big this kid is...6'3"?  190?  and he's 16?  huh.  from steve melewski's blog it sounds like dave stockstill is pretty high on him and if his vitals check out (age, identity, etc), the o's should be in the thick of it to ink this kid.  i mean, if you're inclined towards conspiracies about courting players just for PR, that's one thing, but i'd have to guess that for the bulk of o's fans and baseball fans, miguel angel sano is a fairly obscure story...i think the professed interest is legit and i have a good feeling about this, but who knows, really?

http://masnsports.com/2009/06/more-sano-talk.html