Princeton Rays Score: Monday 29 June 2009

Not a Happy Monday for the P-Rays. Greeneville jumped on Princeton starter Wilking Rodriguez early and knocked him out after only 2 1/3 innings. The Rays also hurt themselves with four errors.

On the bright side, Princeton's Cody Rogers hit his first professional home run -- a rocket shot in the 5th.

The Astros win the first game of the three game series, 9-3. Here's a link to box score:
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2009_06_29_gvlrok_prirok_1&t=g_box&did=milb

The P-Rays and Astros meet again Tuesday night, June 30, at Hunnicutt Field. You can hear the game on Classic Rock 102 The New River (WMTD 102.3 FM), and on-line at theriver102.com. Broadcast time is 6:30 EST.

Another Update On Chicago's Tangled Webio

Ask anyone who's worked in radio, and they'll tell you stories about working for unsavory bosses and/or owners.
But the ongoing controversy over web-only sports talk radio in Chicago takes it to a new level.
The fallout continues to rain down on the guilty -- and the innocent. Here's the latest:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/chi-wed-phil-0624jun24,0,18729,print.column

Life In The Minors

Greetings from Hunnicutt Field in Princeton!

At the time of this writing, it's exactly 72 hours to first pitch of the 2009 season for the Princeton Rays. That's not a lot of time.
Over the last few days friends and colleagues have been asking who'll be on the P-Rays roster this year. As of now, three days from Opening Day ... I honestly don't know.

The team hasn't officially released a roster, which is good -- General Manager Jim Holland began work on a first draft yesterday, only to see unexpected changes come up. Some players who were expected to be here won't be coming, and some players who weren't expected here will.

Appalachian League teams are allowed to carry 35 players on their rosters, with 30 players active for any given game. Right now, there are 26 players in Princeton, with another due to arrive tomorrow. So that leaves eight spots to be filled before Tuesday's first game.

There's been at least one newspaper story about the '09 P-Rays, based on that first-draft roster. But the unexpected changes have rendered part of that story already obsolete; three players the story mentioned aren't here at Hunnicutt Field and likely won't play in Princeton, at least for now, while some players not mentioned in the story are here and more of the same are on the way.

Friday night, at around 11:30, in Jim's office, he asked me, "Do you have that first roster from earlier today?"
I told him I did.
"Well, throw it out. We're making some changes."

That's how it goes in the minor leagues.

As the P-Rays' radio broadcaster, I'm allowed access to certain information and trusted to keep it mum before it becomes public knowledge. Like with this roster. I have a list of players that are here right now (so I can prepare for the broadcasts) but I can't officially say who they are.

But I can reveal a few things:

• Unlike 2008, when the majority of the P-Rays' roster was made up of players who were with the team the previous season, newcomers will outnumber the returners in '09.
• The P-Rays will have an entirely new infield.
• Two players who were infielders in the Tampa Bay organization will be converted to pitchers.
  
• The outfield, with three returning starters from '08 (Brian Bryles, Ty Morrison, Ramon Novas) could be the strength of the team, especially early in the season while the newbies adjust to professional baseball.
• This is mere speculation, but Jason McEachern could be Princeton's Opening Day starting pitcher. The youngster excelled with the P-Rays last year (3-0, 1.44 ERA, 25 IP, 17 H, 16 K in nine apperances) as a 17-year old. But, as the Violent Femmes once sang, "this is only a guess."

NOTE: For the second time in as many years, I'll be hosting the "P-Rays Preview Show" the day before Opening Day. It's an hour-long look ahead to the 2009 season. Tune in to Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River (WMTD), Monday, June 22, starting at 6:00 pm EDT.

And Again...

...the latest on the web-only sports talk station in Chicago. It gets weirder and sadder at the same time.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-webio-hernandez-missing-jun16,0,5222640.story

"The Madoff Of The Midway"

While the concept of webcast-only sports talk broadcasting is bound to succeed one day
(http://insidetheheadset.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-path-for-sports-talk.html), its immediate future in the nation's third-largest market has become uncertain.

What is it about scandals and Chicago?

Here was the first notice that something was awry:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-13-mike-north-jun13,0,1822596,print.story

Then it became more than just a broadcasting-related situation:
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/people/1622062,CST-NWS-North14.article#

Then, inevitably, investigators followed the money:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sec-chicago-sports-webio-jun15,0,7147350,print.story


Look for further updates as events warrant.

Do Yourself A Favor

If you haven't already, bookmark this:

http://www.realclearsports.com/

Realclearsports.com is, in essence, a one-stop shop for the latest work from some of the leading opinion makers in sports media, from newspaper columnists to bloggers.

It's timely, too, updated twice a day. For example, at the time of this writing (4:45 pm EDT, Monday 15 June 2009) realclearsports.com has links to 35 articles on its main page.
Topics run the gamut: The Los Angeles Lakers' NBA championship ... how Mario Lemieux played a role in the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup run ... baseball uberprospect Bryce Harper ... an update on former heavyweight boxing champion Riddick Bowe ... why Chris Berman of ESPN doesn't cover The Masters ... and so on, and so on, and so on.

In all, it's an on-line must-have for sports fans.

In the interest of full disclosure, I get no benefit for posting this link. I just happened to stumble upon the website one day and was quite impressed. Hopefully, you'll feel the same. Enjoy.

A New Path For Sports Talk

This sometimes reads more like a p.r. release than a news article, but it shows one very possible future for sports talk broadcasting:
http://www.examiner.com/x-11183-Chicago-Business-Examiner~y2009m6d10-Chicagosportswebiocom-is-changing-the-Chicago-media-industry

It's no great shock that this idea is working so well in Chicago, which fancies itself as "the best sports town the country."

The fans in Chicago are passionately devoted and enjoy no shortage of topics to discuss.
When it comes to major professional teams, they have the Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox and Blackhawks.
For major colleges, they have Northwestern and Notre Dame, not to mention Chicago's large contingent of Illinois alumni.
Chicago is big on high school sports, too.
On top of that, Chicago sports fans are never bashful about sharing their opinions. Trust me.

Hypothetical Question

If they stage an NBA Finals, and hardly anybody I know cares, do I have to blog about it?

Inspired By Bill Maher (?)

Here's an insightful piece called "New Rules for Sportscasting," from Leonard Shapiro in the June 9, 2009 Washington Post.
Shapiro focuses on the D.C. area, of course, but the issues he brings up are universal.
My comments are included.

*********************

New Rule: If you really do want to be taken seriously as a member of the media, you are not supposed to be abjectly rooting for the home team.

During the Washington Capitals recent playoff run, I heard more than one local broadcaster end sportscasts or individual reports on the team with an emphatic "Let's Go Caps!" If you want to scream your lungs out for the home team in the privacy of your own den, knock yourself out. But up in the press box, broadcast booth or your station's studio, knock off the cheerleading and act like a professional.

Comment: Agreed. "No cheering in the press box" is a time-honored rule in sports media, and it should apply to booths and studios too. As a play-by-play announcer, I can tell you this: There's nothing wrong supporting the home team, but play-by-play is a form of journalism. Reporting in its purest form.

So, if a play-by-play announcer homers it up for the home team, that announcer isn't telling the straight truth. In reporting, not telling the truth is, well, lying. Lying undercuts, if not destroys, a reporter's credibility.

I'd like to think that when I'm calling a game for, say, the Princeton Rays or the Concord Mountain Lions, I'm calling the game for the fans of those teams, and that listeners will be able to recognize that. I know what audience I'm working for. And, honestly, I want the teams I call games for to do well. But I won't gloss over the teams' shortcomings, nor will I ignore the opponent when it does something well.

*********************

New Rule: Along the same lines, when you're on the job, and especially on the air, don't wear clothing -- golf shirts, team jerseys, ball caps, whatever -- with a local team logo visible. Similarly, if you're a local sportscaster posing for a magazine cover in your own market, resist all attempts by editors or photographers to be dressed in the colors, jerseys, shirts, sweats of any local team, even if you work for the "official station of the _____." I won't name names this time for recent guilty offenders, but you know who you are. Here's another new rule. No free passes next time.

Comment: This applies more to TV than radio. It's also a little tricky at the local level. When I'm calling a P-Rays game, for example, I'll often wear a team-provided polo shirt, especially on the road, where people don't know me like they do in Princeton. Wearing team clothing shows that I am indeed working on behalf of the team (even though the team doesn't pay me).

In the last decade or so, the dynamic between sports teams and their broadcast outlets has evolved from a cooperative effort between two separate entities into a blended partnership (eg, the relationship between the NHL and NBC). So, look for this "transgression" Shapiro is upset about happening more and more.

*********************

New Rule: I assume Rob Dibble had a chance to meet Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster Bob Wolff when the Nationals honored the former Senators play-by-play man (1947-60) Saturday night at the stadium.

Wolff would be too much the consummate gentleman to tell Dibble to cease and desist in referring to the Nationals on the air as "we," as in "we need a hit here" or "us," as in "they're killing us with three-run homers" or "our," as in "our pitching is dismally dreadful."

So let me suggest in my own loutish way that Dibble simply substitute "the Nats" or "the Nationals" or "Washington." Last time we looked, Dibble never threw a pitch, never swung a bat in a Nats' uniform. Even if he's now being paid by the team, and even if he has been properly critical of the club on the air, we, us and our translates to homer in my book, and likely Bob Wolff's as well.

Comment: I am completely on-board with Shapiro here. When you're broadcasting a game, you never, never, NEVER say "we." Never. Unless you're a current player, coach, trainer or manager for the team ... in which case you wouldn't be in the broadcast booth in the first place.

When it comes to sportscasting crimes, being a homer can be a misdemeanor, but saying "we" is a felony.

Off topic: It was nice to see Bob Wolff be honored by the Nationals.

*********************

New Rule: Enough already with Mike and Mike in the morning on ESPN-980, Washington's only all-sports talk radio station. It's not so much the show I object to as its predominately national subject matter.

Yes they get world-class guests on a moment's notice, just as all the ESPN radio hosts do thanks to the power of the so-called Worldwide Leader. But if you're stuck in traffic on the Beltway on the way to work first thing in the morning, wouldn't you rather hear about teams and athletes in the local market, the way it is in many cities around the country?

Comment: In an ideal world, every sports talk market area, large or small, would feature only local programming. But ours is not an ideal world, especially in these times of economic uncertainty. Many times it's simply cheaper for a sports talk station to run syndicated programming like 'Mike & Mike' -- especially in small markets. (If you don't know how miserly some owners of small-market stations can be, just ask anybody who's been in radio for a few years. They'll tell you some stories....)

Then there's this cold, hard reality: Most smaller markets simply don't provide enough news and content to support a daily, four-hour morning show. Trust me. There's just not enough going on, and too small a population to rely on listener phone calls to help fill out the show. Heck, some stations at which I've worked don't even have the capability to take listener phone calls in the first place.

But why a market area as large as Washington DC doesn't have a local morning show is baffling.

That said, 'Mike & Mike' is a very good show.

*********************

New Rule: ESPN SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt sadly is the latest in a long line of TV sports anchors (Chris Berman, Stuart Scott, Patrick, among others) to shamelessly pitch products in on-air commercials.

These days, Van Pelt appears in advertisements shilling for Titleist golf balls, and he should know better. He's essentially delivering news every night he's on, and often goes out in the field as a reporter and interviewer. Television anchors and reporters don't endorse products on the air. Ever see Tom Brokaw, Katie Couric or Britt Hume, among many others, do commercials? Van Pelt, a guy whose on-air work I've admired since his early days at The Golf Channel, is better than that. Next time, take a pass.

Comment: Again, I agree completely. And I say that as a fan of Scott Van Pelt.

It's impossible to be an objective journalist AND a product endorser. In Van Pelt's case, it would be one thing if he was strictly an entertainment personality, but his job calls for him to be an objective reporter covering a great many topics. He could, conceivably, be more critical of a golfer because that golfer doesn't use the products Van Pelt endorses. Which would damage his credibility.

On a local level, I've heard at least one broadcast news personality voice a commercial for a political candidate during an election campaign -- a staggering contradiction and conflict of interest. When that happens, a newsperson goes from being a reporter and a journalist to a mere shill -- sacrificing credibility in the process.

*********************

New Rule: Do we really need a half-hour studio show before every game in the NBA Finals? In previous postseason series, ESPN and TNT gave us hour-long pre-game shows and those were far too long, despite the presence of always entertaining Charles Barkley on TNT. At this point, anyone following the NBA knows all there is to know about both teams in the Finals, so why not a 15-minute pre-game starting at 8 p.m., a few minutes more for courtside introductions and analysis from the game broadcasters and tip-off at 8:30 p.m., the better to finish just in time for news at 11?

Comment: The length of pre-game or pre-event programs on network TV has become insufferable. For examples, look to the interminable pre-race shows for the Triple Crown horse races, or any NASCAR Sprint Cup event.
But I'll let you in on a little secret. Longer pre-event shows mean more spots for commercials, and more commercials give the networks a chance to make more money. So, unless there's a viewer revolt these shows are here to stay.

*********************

New Rule: The LPGA Championship, one of the four women's majors on the tour's ever-shrinking schedule, is being played this week in Havre de Grace, Md. But don't look for it on any of the major over-the-air networks this weekend. Instead, all tournament coverage will be aired by the Golf Channel, which means millions of potential viewers without the cable network in their basic package will be shut out. What a shame. And now that the LPGA owns the tournament outright, it's a must fix for the future.

Comment: This could be a sign of doom for the LPGA. Sure, the women don't have the same distance as the men on the professional tour, but the ladies play at a level the vast majority of us -- male or female -- can only dream of attaining. To me, good golf is good golf, and an LPGA major is as entertaining and pressure-packed as the PGA's. But I'm in the minority with that perspective, and it's a sign of big trouble for the LPGA if it can't get one of its majors on broadcast TV.

*********************

New Rule: Props to Richard Sandomir of the New York Times for pointing out that ABC's broadcast of the Belmont Stakes included a number of features that had already run earlier in the day on corporate cousin ESPN's pre-Belmont coverage before ABC went on the air for its own pre-race show.

"Synergy Results In a Lazy Broadcast" was the spot-on headline over the Times story Sunday. And while this synergy surely saved the parent Disney Company a few bucks in production costs, bottom line is that viewers watching both networks deserved better. One totally unnecessary feature aired on both networks included Kenny Mayne sitting in a pick-up truck with Mine That Bird trainer Chip Woolley playing a (badly) scripted game of Twenty Questions. We have only one: How did that get on the air in the first place?

Comment: This is the downside of the Disney/ESPN/ABC synergy. If pre-game and pre-event shows were shorter, there wouldn't be room for subpar feature pieces and the blatant overlaps Triple Crown fans had to put up with. A possible solution would be for ESPN to make such features available only on their website.

Ask yourself this: If a politician ran for election promising to shorten pre-game and pre-event shows on network TV, you'd vote for that person, wouldn't you?

Ex-(Princeton)Rays

One thing about Princeton Rays fans is that their loyalty is not fleeting. They're keenly interested in following the progress of former P-Rays as they work their way up the baseball ladder.

So, from time to time here on Inside The Headset I'll provide updates on how former Princeton Rays players are faring.

With the Tampa Bay Rays poised to add scores of new players via the First Year Draft -- which starts at 6:00 pm EDT today -- now is a good time for the first update.
We'll focus on a group of last year's P-Rays who are now with the Class A Bowling Green (KY) Hot Rods of the South Atlantic League.


The player generating the most interest among baseball fans -- inside and outside of the Rays' organization -- is shortstop Tim Beckham. The 19-year old was the first overall pick of last year's draft and began his professional career in Princeton.

This year, the youngster from Georgia is doing well at Bowling Green. He's played in 51 of the Hot Rods' 57 games so far, the most games of any position player. Beckham leads the team in batting average (.297), at-bats (192), hits (57), and is tied for the lead in RBIs (31).
By comparison, Beckham hit .243 with the P-Rays in 2008.

As he continues to learn in the professional ranks, Beckham finds himself leading the Hot Rods in strikeouts (47), and errors (17). He's also 2-8 in stolen base attempts.

Scouts predicted in the run-up to last year's draft that Beckham's power numbers will rise as he matures physically. Looks like they were right. Beckham is second on the Hot Rods in slugging percentage (.427) and OPS (.788). Last year, he slugged .345 and had a .642 OPS.



Tim Beckham's older brother Jeremy, who also started his professional career with Princeton last year, is also at Bowling Green in 2009.

The elder Beckham is hitting .276 in 24 games with the Hot Rods, with an outstanding .447 on-base percentage. Last year, Jeremy hit .260 for the P-Rays before being called up to Class A Hudson Valley after 18 games in Princeton.



Outfielder Justin Reynolds is having a bit of a rough go with Bowling Green, hitting .218 in 33 games. But the speedy 22-year old from Dallas, Oregon is 5-7 in stolen base attempts.



Four members of Princeton's 2008 pitching staff are now at Bowling Green. The best of that lot, arguably, is Matt Moore.

Moore just missed winning the Applachian League ERA title last year (he was 1/3 of an inning short being eligible for the title), and after a bumpy start at Bowling Green the left-hander has found his groove.

Moore's low point this season came against Savannah May 14, when the Sand Gnats touched him up for four earned runs on four hits and six walks in only 2 2/3 innings.
Moore responded with four straight impressive appearances; in that time, in a combined 18 1/3 innings pitched, Moore has allowed 12 hits and 10 walks, while striking out 28, with an ERA of 1.96.

The high point for Moore came in his last start. June 6, at Asheville, Moore was unhittable -- literally. In seven innings, he gave up no hits, walked only two and struck out 12.

Overall this season, Moore is 3-2 with a 3.30 ERA. He's recovered from a bout of early-season wildness (26 walks in his first 28 innings, a rate of 8.4 walks/9 IP) and is piling up the strikeouts. His 12 K's against Asheville last Saturday raised his season total to a team-high 69, for a stellar rate of 13.4 K/9 IP.
That's good in any league.
So is Moore's opponents' batting average: .175.


One of Tampa Bay's organizational philosophies is to limit their young pitchers to a strict pitch count. So it's a promising sign when someone in the lower minor leagues goes deeper into games, like Joe Cruz is doing at Bowling Green. After averaging about 3 2/3 IP in his first five starts, Cruz has gone five innings or more in his last three.

Overall, the 20 year-old Californian is 1-2 with a 3.03 ERA. In a total of 35 2/3 IP, he's walked only nine while striking out 39. That's a strikeout/walk ratio of 4.3:1, not to mention a rate of 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings.


Jamie Bagley and Mike Jarman gave last year's Princeton squad a lights-out right-lefty bullpen combo. Each is with Bowling Green this season, but their roles have changed.

Bagley is still a reliever, and he leads the Hot Rods with eight saves in 19 appearances. He started the season looking invincible, not allowing a run in his first ten outings, but has cooled down lately. Bagley's been scored upon in each of his last four appearances, with an ERA of 7.56 over that time. Still, he picked up the win last Saturday against Asheville.

Jarman is now a starter, a role he held in his college career. With Bowling Green, he's overcome a stint on the seven-day DL to go 4-4 with a very respectable 2.72 ERA. In 43 IP, Jarman has walked only ten while striking out 31.

Caution: Subject Matter May Be Disturbing....

...Especially for those who understand and appreciate the enduring value of local broadcasting.

At Southern Communications, we take great pride in being locally owned.
We're not run out of a corporate board room somewhere out of town, like some other broadcast organizations in our area. The guy that owns Southern Communications, Shane Southern, grew up in southern West Virginia and lives in Monroe County.

Shane's commitment to his home area is a big reason why we broadcast so much local sports here on Classic Rock 102 The New River. We cover the Princeton Rays, Concord Mountain Lions and Summers County Bobcats. That means we do more sports in Mercer and Summers counties, by far, than any broadcast organization in the Two Virginias. By far. Nobody else is even close.

Being locally-owned makes us unique in this age of conglomerates. In this case, unique is good, since large, centrally-controlled broadcast organizations are increasingly proving they can't do four things:
1. Run a business
2. Run a radio station
3. Understand what "local" programming means
4. Appreciate what their listeners want and need from their hometown stations


I recently found this blog and wanted to share it with you. It doesn't deal with local sports, but it sheds a light onto some of the horror stories emerging from corporate radio:

http://insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com/2009/06/games-radio-consolidators-play.html



Other broadcast groups say they're local, but they're run by someone in, for example, New York or California.
Southern Communications' headquarters is at 306 South Kanawha Street in Beckley. The owner has an office there, and not just for show. He works there everyday. Stop by and see us sometime.

Who Might Be The Newest Princeton Rays?

Major League Baseball's annual First Year Player Draft is important for the Appalachian League, a traditional professional launching pad for newly-acquired players.

Last year, for example, 13 of the 50 players selected by Tampa Bay wound up playing in Princeton. That included the draft’s overall first selection, SS Tim Beckham, who signed quickly and played nearly the entire Appy League season with the P-Rays. (Beckham is now with Class A Bowling Green.)

This year’s draft is unique for Tampa Bay. The Rays’ history of futility meant the organization usually wound up at or near the top of the draft order, but 2008’s exhilarating run to the World Series has dropped Tampa Bay to near the bottom. Still, that’s a nice problem to have.

One way to tell the draft is becoming a big deal is the growing amount of media attention surrounding it.

In MLB’s case, the increasing media interest is self-generated. This year’s draft is expanded from two days to three, and the first three rounds will be televised live in prime time on MLB Network on Tuesday, June 9, starting at 6:00 pm EDT.

The remaining rounds will be staged outside the glare of live TV coverage. Rounds 4-30 will take place on Wednesday, June 10, starting at noon. Rounds 31-50 are set for Thursday, June 11, starting at 11:30 am.

Like the drafts staged by the NFL, NBA and NHL, baseball’s selection extravaganza is inspiring a growing cottage industry of mock drafts. Here are prognosticators’ predictions on who Tampa Bay will take in the early rounds (and who may wind up in Princeton in 2009):

* Andy Seiler at minorleagueball.com predicts the Rays will take LHP Chad James from Yukon High School (Oklahoma): “James still plays somewhere in the first round, and I think the Rays would be thrilled to get one of the top prep lefties this far down.”

Seilers goes further, saying Tampa Bay will take RHP Brooks Pounders from Temecula Valley HS (California) in the 2^nd round, with the 78^th overall pick: “Pounders has baseball bloodlines, with his dad having been a third round pick by San Diego 25 years ago. Tampa Bay likes prep pitchers in this range.”

In the 3^rd round, with the 108^th pick, Seiler says Tampa Bay will go with LHP Tyler Kehrer from Eastern Illinois.

* Michael Huang at sportingnews.com says Tampa Bay will use its first-round pick on RHP Alex Wilson from Texas A&M, adding: “(Wilson) took the loss in head-to-head matchup with (the Texas) Longhorns. Still throwing in the high 90s.”

* Projectprospect.com’s Adam Foster believes Tampa Bay will select OF Jared Mitchell from LSU in the first round.

* According the mlbdraftsite.com, the Rays will pick OF/2B A.J. Pollock from Notre Dame in the first round, SS Robbie Shields from Florida Southern College in round two and 6’5” 195-pound RHP Sean Black from Seton Hall in round three.

* Mymlbdraft.com says the Rays will go with C/3B Wil Myers in the first round. Myers is a 6’3” 185-pound junior at Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, NC.

* Baseballdraftreport.com has long player capsules in its mock draft. The site predicts Tampa Bay will use its first round pick to take OF Brian Goodwin from Rocky Mount High School in North Carolina: “What to get the team that has everything actually applies with the Tampa franchise – this is an organization in amazingly good shape going forward. They lost in their first crack at the ultimate prize, but, I assure you, there will be other chances. They really are the team that has everything.

"One spot that could use an organizational restocking – the outfield. The days of Dukes, Hamilton, Crawford, Baldelli, Gomes, and Young all on the organizational depth chart are long gone. True, Carl Crawford and BJ Upton make up two thirds of the reigning AL champion outfield and, yes, Desmond Jennings is a darn good prospect when healthy, but even with all that talent it unbelievably could still be considered one of the weaker parts of the team. Crazy.

"Goodwin is a potentially elite defensive centerfielder with plus speed (6.5 to 6.65 second 60 times) and a plus arm. Shields, (Indiana University C Josh) Phegley, and (University of Tennessee OF Kentrail) Davis all work as college bats who play positions of need who could be considered if they fall.”

* Someone named “Morisato” at realsportsbloggers.com says the Ray will take RHP Jason Stoffel of the University of Arizona in the first round: “One of the top relievers in the draft, Stoffel has big enough stuff to potentially succeed as a starter as well. He throws in the low 90’s, but his fastball has good life on it and induces a lot of ground balls. His curveball is a plus pitch and when coupled with the fastball, gives him a great two pitch mix. He has a changeup as well, but he hasn’t used it much in college. As a closer, he has a bulldog mentality on the mound. All in all, he might be able to succeed as a starter if given a shot, but he’s a bad ass as a closer. He’s a nice pickup for Tampa.”

With or without newly-drafted players, the Princeton Rays open their 2009 season Tuesday, June 23 against Burlington. We’ll broadcast that game – and every other game the P-Rays play – on Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River.

P-Rays Q & A

A sure sign of spring for me is making appearances on behalf of the Princeton Rays at Little Leagues around the Two Virginias. P-Rays' GM Jim Holland and myself -- often accompanied by team mascot Roscoe The Rooster -- enjoying getting out and talking baseball with players and fans of all ages.
We get a lot of questions when we're out and about. With this year's schedule of meet-and-greets complete, it's a good time to address the most commonly asked of those questions.

Many of the questions have to do with Roscoe, whom Jim and I readily acknowledge is the undisputed star of the show.


Why do you have a chicken for a mascot?
Actually, Roscoe is a rooster, not a chicken. (There's a big difference, especially to Roscoe.) Princeton has a rooster for a mascot because of the city's time as an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Roscoe first joined the team as "Roscoe The Reds Rooster" (which has a nice sound to it) and did such a good job that he stayed on after Princeton became an affiliate of Tampa Bay.
His official name is now "Roscoe The Princeton Rays Rooster," and you'll see him at every home game this season.

Is it hot in that chicken costume?
Again, Roscoe is a rooster. He tells me that, yes, it can get warm. But Roscoe, being the easy-going, fun-loving rooster he is, knows being a little warm from time to time is just part of the job.

Is there a Mrs. Roscoe?
Yes. Roscoe is a happily married rooster. He also has relatives all around the area.

Where is Roscoe from?
Roscoe was born and raised in Princeton and is proud to call the Two Virginias his home. He loves working in baseball and loves meeting all the fans who come out to Hunnicutt Field.

Why can't I pull on Roscoe's tail?
Look at it this way -- how would you like it if someone pulled on your tail?

How come Roscoe isn't with you all the time?
(We get this question at appearances where Roscoe isn't with us.)
Just like anyone else, Roscoe sometimes has responsibilities outside the workplace. He has other obligations, such as family events and the like. Scheduling conflicts arise from time to time.

What's Roscoe really like?
Roscoe is a great guy -- er, rooster -- to work with. He really loves his job. He always stops by the radio booth to say hello during games. He doesn't talk much, though.

Where are the players? How come they're not with you?
The Appalachian League, the league Princeton plays in, has what's called a "short season." Appy League teams play 68 games -- compared to 162 in the Major Leagues and 140 in most full-season minor leagues. The Appy League season traditionally doesn't start until mid- to late June (this year, Opening Day is June 23).
The players who will wind up on the P-Rays are still playing and practicing at spring training facilities in Florida, in what's called "extended spring training."
They'll stay at "extended" until they report to Princeton. This season's team gets to town on June 19.

Are the Princeton Rays like a high school or college team?
No. There are many players of high school and college age, but they are professional baseball players on a professional minor league team. Playing baseball is their job. They get paid for it.

How do you get your players? Is it just Princeton people who can play on the team? Are there tryouts or something?
No, playing for the P-Rays is definitely not limited to residents of the Princeton area. Players are assigned to Princeton by the front office in Tampa Bay, the P-Rays' parent club.
Tampa Bay gets its players like every other team in professional baseball and other pro sports -- by drafting them or signing them as free agents.
Tampa Bay, like every other team in the Majors, has scouts all around the country and Latin America. Scouts find players and evaluate their talent. If the scouts like what they see, they recommend a player to the front office, and from there Tampa Bay officials decide whether to draft him. If a player goes undrafted, he may be signed as a free agent.
By the way, this year's draft is next Tuesday, June 9.
Major League teams don't hold tryouts as much as they used to. Scouting has become much more extensive and sophisticated over the years, so if a young amateur player shows potential, scouts know about him. It's extraordinarily rare for a talented prospect to fall through the cracks anymore.

What are the players like?
They're young guys who come from many different places, and even speak different languages. But they have one thing in common: Getting to the Major Leagues, or "Making The Show."

How do I get tickets?
Princeton Rays ticket prices are very budget-friendly and there are several ticket packages available. For more information, go to the P-Rays' website: princetonrays.net. You can also order tickets by e-mail at raysball@citlink.net, or by calling the P-Rays office at (304) 487-2000.

Where can I get hats and t-shirts and stuff like that?
The P-Rays have a new look this year, to match what Tampa Bay wears at the Major League level. Gone is the old green-and-black colors, replaced by Tampa's navy blue-and-gold.
P-Rays souvenirs are sold in a shop adjacent to the right field seats at Hunnicutt Field on game days. You can also order by e-mail or phone (see above).

Where do the P-Rays play?
Princeton plays at Hunnicutt Field, which is adjacent to Princeton High School and the Mercer County Technical Education Center.
Here's more information, from the team's website:

Directions
Take Exit 9 off I-77; take US 460 West to Downtown Princeton exit and take a right turn; take left turn at next traffic light onto Stafford Drive; Drive appx. 500 yards past Princeton High School and take left turn immediately before Subway sandwich shop. Main stadium entrance is in the right field corner.

Parking
Parking is free and lots are located behind the outfield fence of the stadium.

General Info
There is ADA-approved handicap accessible seating in both the first base bleachers and in the grandstand. Public restrooms are located on both sides of the stadium underneath both the first and third base bleachers. Uniformed security is on-site at all P-Rays' home games. The concession stand is located underneath the grandstands behind home plate. The souvenir stand is located in the first building at the stadium's main entrance. Gates open one hour prior to game time. All free promotional premium items on "giveaway" nights are distributed at the main gate in the right field corner only.

Who's going to be good in the league this year?
That's always very difficult to predict since Appy League teams don't know what players they'll have until just days before the season starts.
For further explanation, see the "It's Not Easy Making Appy League Predictions" entry from May 28 here on Inside The Headset.

Do you guys get to fly to games?
The Appy League is a "bus league" and the teams aren't really all that far away from each other. We take a nice charter bus to road games. The longest trip is to Burlington, North Carolina, which is about 3 1/2 hours. Most trips fall into the 2-3 hour range.

Does Roscoe get to travel with you?
Roscoe has a lot of things to do in and around Princeton, so he stays home when the P-Rays are on the road. Besides, if he went to another team's ballpark he'd be on another mascot's turf, and that wouldn't be a very nice thing to do.

Are games on the radio?
Yes. You can listen to every P-Rays game on Classic Rock 102 The New River (102.3 FM). You can also listen on the internet. Go to princetonrays.net or theriver102.com for the webcasts. The season starts June 23, when the Burlington Royals come to Hunnicutt Field.